Harry stared at nothing as he rested his chin on his knees. It was strange to not hear the hustle of the Gryffindor common room, but then again it was also strange to see the Boy-Who-Lived staying in the Slytherin common room. None the less there he was. He been put there after attempting to kill himself in the summer of his sixth year. Luckily Severus was dropping in for a check ordered by Dumbledore. The potions professor had found him bleeding out from his wrists being slit. He'd saved Harry and returned him to Hogwarts so that he could recover. But after the physical wounds had healed under the care of Madam Pomphrey, his mental wounds were there and just as strong, when school started. Snape and many others had been shocked to see most of Gryffindor turn on their hero. It had even gone so far as physical abuse, but that had been stopped quickly because of special wards that had been placed around Harry, in case he should try to harm himself again.

After that incident he'd been resorted and this time he hadn't fought the Hat's desire to put him into Slytherin. Snape had spoken to his house for hours before the boy had moved in and they'd agreed that they would care for him any way they could, because Slytherins always takes care of their own... because no one else would.

A side room was built for him between Snape's room and the boy's dorms. The entire house felt it best for him to have a room off to himself because they didn't know how he'd react to being in Slytherin. But Harry had taken barely any notice and after a soft thank you, had locked himself into his room. If it hadn't been for a direct order from Snape, Harry would have stayed there for the entire time he wasn't in classes. When Snape had told him he was too spend at least three hours in the common room a day he'd merely shrugged and did as he was told. To be truthful the easy acceptance on Potter's part had made Snape wonder if Harry was ever going to snap out of his depression.

As Harry sat and stared, waiting for his time to be up a small voice had him looking up wondering what was going on.

"Mr. Potter?" the first year girl stood there staring at him nibbling at her lip, looking nervous.

"Don't call me that..." Harry snapped before shaking his head and giving her a small smile. "Sorry... Please call me Harry... Did you need something?"

The little girl blushed and held up a book she'd been hiding behind her back. "I'm Morgaine and... I... need help with my DADA homework... And Professor Snape said that we could ask any upper class-man to help us... And well... I couldn't think of anyone better at Defense than you!" the last sentence came out in a rush, as her blush darkened.

At first Harry wanted to refuse, but the hopeful look on her little face had him smiling and gesturing to the chair across from him. "Let me see what you're working on and I'll try to help you."

"Thank you!" she opened her book and handed it to him pointing to the part she was working on. "Professor Jigglywart explained it in class but nobody understood." Morgaine sat as he'd instructed and prayed he could help her because if she failed her family would be so disappointed.

Harry muttered to himself, something rather rude about the new DADA teacher. He didn't know where Dumbledore found his DADA professors but this one seemed to be the worst of the lot. Even Lockhart had some facts right. As far as Harry could tell Jigglywart didn't know a kneasle from bogart let alone how to defend against a truly dark creature. "I'll help you as much as I can... but you still need to pay attention to the professor, okay?"

"Even if he's a little... umm... stupid." Morgaine hated saying anything bad about a professor, but he'd said that you could get rid of pixies with fire, but she knew that wasn't true from the time her mother's garden had been overrun. When she'd tried to ask him about that he'd brushed her off.

Harry smiled a little and nodded before he began to explain everything he knew about the subject the first years were covering.

One week later found Harry waiting on Morgaine for her nightly DADA lesson. He was teaching her everything from her book just so that she would have a little bit of an edge in class and a better chance to defend herself from some dark something. If he could save just one little girl from the darkness, he'd know he had made a difference. It gave him a purpose.

When she came to his corner of the common room she was pulling another girl with her. "Harry, would it be all right if Bella sits in with us? She's doing really badly in DADA and I was hoping you wouldn't mind helping her too."

Harry looked at the other little girl before smiling and nodding. "If I can help, I will. Sit down and I'll see what the idiot forgot to teach you today."

When the lesson drew to a close Bella thanked him softly and hurried away with Morgaine, but before Harry could rise and go to his room for the evening he was tapped on the shoulder. Turning he found Blaise standing beside him with a soft expression. "Can I help you, Zabini?"

"I just wanted to thank you for helping Bella. Father has put a lot of pressure on her because she isn't as powerful as most of our family. Thank you. I owe you." Blaise held out his hand to Harry.

Harry stared at it for a moment before taking it. "If I can help, I will."

Blaise nodded slowly. "In that case... would you mind helping a few more first years... The war is about to pick up and... well we're already going to lose a great number... I don't want to lose anymore than we absolutely have to... if you understand me."

For a moment Harry didn't but then he caught on. Blaise was talking about Voldemort getting followers from the younger years. "I won't let that happen." Harry green eyes darkened and every occupant of the room felt the pure magic of his anger rush over them.

Smiling, Blaise patted him on the back. "Thank you." With that he walked away.

After that encounter, at Harry's next meeting with Morgaine and Bella he noticed most of the first year boys were sitting close enough to eavesdrop. Smiling to his first two pupils he turned and with one of the Weasley firecrackers from his pocket he scared the group by throwing it into the middle of them. The ten little boys shrieked like girls and the rest of the people in the common room laughed. Going over to them Harry spoke softly. "If you want to learn you should just come over and listen carefully... Wouldn't want you to miss anything."

Sheepishly, the little boys came over and sat with Morgaine and Bella. Halfway through the lesson the rest of the first years came over and settled with their parchments and quills. Harry smiled to them as he had the others make room around his chair so they could see and hear.