Summary: Harry James Potter has always been anything but normal. Why should Hogwarts be any different? The Sorting Hat brings back an age-old tradition for the special little boy: Apprenticeship. AU Year One- mentor-father/son relationship

Warnings: mentions of past verbal abuse and neglect, and mild use of corporal punishment

Rating: T/PG13- some content may not be suitable for younger kiddies.

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, objects, places, etc. belong to the wonderful J.K Rowling. I'm simply borrowing them for my own evil deeds and will return them later.

A/N: I'm back! It's been a good six or seven months since I last wrote anything. Our Internet was down for at least two months, so I busied myself with writing and getting basic story sketches. I was recently bitten by the bug for Apprentice, and it's promising to be a long fic already. My outline is already up to fifteen chapters to New Years, but that's just a vague sketch. It could be more, it could be less. This story is both similar and dissimilar to my previous ones: it has a mentor Severus/Harry relationship, but has very little Dursley abuse. Most of it will be mentioned in talks between Severus and Harry, and even then it's only verbal abuse and neglect, with mentions of brief physical abuse (and that'll be slaps that were far and few between). Severus is a hard taskmaster, and in the character sketches I've done of him, I have no doubt he is a firm believer of corporal punishment when it is warranted. There's not going to be full-out spankings in this, rather Severus will use a smack to show his disappointment in Harry. That'll all be explained when Severus lays down his rules for Harry. I am looking for a beta- I've gotten very good and editing my own works (yay for AP Literature essays!), but little things slip by me (especially grammar and tense changes). So drop me either a PM or shoot me an e-mail at

Apprentice

Chapter One: An Unexpected Sorting

"Potter, Harry!"

Nervously, an eleven-year-old with tousled black hair and big green eyes came forward, stepping up the dais to the stool and Sorting Hat. He sat down, anxious fingers closing on the edges as the Hat was lowered on his head and over his eyes, obscuring the Hall.

"Well, well, well-- what have we here?" a voice murmured in Harry's ear, the eleven-year-old jerking as he realized the Hat was talking to him. A friendly chuckle filled his head as Harry "felt" the Hat sifting through his memories and brain. Harry stiffened, trying desperatly to throw up mental walls. "Hush, child. Now, where to place you? Right, then. Hmmm, right then. You've got the courage of the lions, the cunning of the snakes, the loyalty of the badgers, and the intelligence of the ravens. Hmm.... but where to place you. Right then- I think I know what I'm going to do with you---- APPRENTICESHIP!" the Hat announced, McGonagall lifting it from Harry's head as murmurs filled the Hall. Lost, Harry turned to the Head Table- he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He locked eyes with a sallow-skinned man with long black hair, green eyes pleading. The man quirked an eyebrow.

"He can sit with my Snakes, Albus." the man said silkily, turning to the Headmaster. Dumbledore nodded, gazing at Harry.

"Yes, yes- go sit with the Slytherin's, Mister Potter. We can discuss this after the Feast. Continue, Minerva." Dumbledore announced, Harry walking quickly to the green and silver table, to applause started by the Slytherin Head. He slipped into a seat next to a haughty Draco Malfoy, keeping his eyes focused on the golden plate for the rest of the Sorting.

After "Zabini, Blaise" had gone to Slytherin (taking the open seat next to Harry), Dumbledore stood. He rambled nonsense words Harry didn't catch before waving his hand and the golden platters and goblets filled. "Let the feat begin!" He announced, retaking his seat as conversation filled the hall, boisterous children grabbing for the platters and spoons. Harry gazed, wide-eyed, at the feast before him. Platters of meats and vegetables lined the table, alongside bowls of fruit and rolls. Pitchers of water, milk, and some strange orange juice were placed every few seats. Glancing around him, Harry watched all the other children feeding themselves before nervously reaching for the platter of potatoes. He kept away from the meat and dairy- he'd never been able to stomach meat, and he was lactose intolerant- filling up on salad and vegetables. Tucking into his plate, Harry tried not to flinch as Blaise Zabini turned to him.

"So. You've been named an apprentice, Potter." He began, Harry blinking owlishly at him. Another child his age was willingly striking up a conversation with him? That had certainly never happened before.

"Er, yes. But I don't know what it means." Harry said, shaking his head as Draco Malfoy turned to them.

"Merlin, Potter? You don't what an Apprenticeship is?" he asked incredulously, a half-buttered roll in his hand.

Harry shook his head, trying not to cringe away from the blonde. Malfoy snorted, muttering something that sounded like a dig against Muggles.

Placing his roll down, Malfoy turned to Harry, his silver-blue eyes serious. "When the Founders first started Hogwarts it was with an apprentice system. Each founder would take students under the wings for certain talents- like healing or Dark Arts or Mage Magic or Mind Magics. But after they died and the Sorting Hat took over, the system started to disappear. I don't think there's been an Apprentice since Nicholas Flamel was here." He explained, drawing the attention of the rest of the Slytherin First Years and nearby Hufflepuff's.

"But why me? I'm nothing special!" Harry protested, the rest of the Slytherin table

watching their conversation from behind goblets and cups.

Draco raised an elegant eyebrow, gazing at Harry. "Nothing special, Potter? You survived the bloody Killing Curse as a baby and defeated the Dark Lord. If that's not special, I don't know what is." He said, with a slight, refined snort as he drank from his goblet.

Harry gaped at Draco, his fork hanging from his hand. When Draco put it that way, Harry could see why the Sorting Hat chose him.

Shrugging, Harry turned back to his salad, the conversation changing to Quidditch and Slytherin's reigning victory for the past seven years.

"Ever since Charlie Weasley left Gryffindor we've been wining the Cup. They won't stand a chance this year- Professor Snape will make sure we win." An upper-year chimed in, turning to Harry.

"Marcus Flint, young Potter. Quidditch Captain." He introduced, shaking Harry's hand.

"Well, seeing as everybody already knows who I am….. Nice to meet you, Mister Flint." Harry said with a quirk of his lips. Flint laughed, leaning over Draco to ruffle Harry's hair. "So- who's Professor Snape? The Slytherin Head?" He asked, Flint nodding.

"Yup. Most of the other professors are prejudiced against us Slytherin's, so Professor Snape makes sure to look out for us. I'll be all my money in Gringott's that Snape'll make you an honary Snake, even if you aren't apprenticed to him. But I think you will be." Flint said with a smirk before turning back to his year-maters.

Harry shook his head, setting his cutlery down. "No- I grew up with Muggles. I've never flown a broom- the only time I've used them is for sweeping." He explained, Malfoy looking incuriously at Harry.

"You've never flown. Never, ever flow?" He exclaimed, Harry eyeing him warily.

"No. Muggles don't fly on brooms. They have airplanes and helicopters and Han gliders and stuff." Harry said as the dinner platters disappeared with a pop, desert ones taking their place. Harry turned a critical eye to the pastries and puddings.

Nope- he couldn't have the ice cream or custard, and all the tarts and pastries were ones with dairy. Sighing, Harry took an apple from a fruit bowl, munching into it.

"No sweets, Potter?" Malfoy asked, taking a bite of a pie.

"No, I can't." Harry said, shaking his head. "I'm lactose intolerant- I can't have dairy." He explained, Malfoy shaking his head in disbelief. He tucked back into his puddings, mumbling under his breath about not eating sweets or pastries.

"Mister Potter," A silky voice said from over Harry's shoulder, interrupting their conversation. Harry tensed his shoulders, turning around.

"Yes, sir?" He asked, looking up at Professor Snape, half an apple still in his hand.

"You're to come with me up to the Headmaster's office. He'll meet us up there after the Feast with the other Heads to discuss your Apprenticeship." Snape said curtly, looking down his nose at the boy.

"Yes, sir." Harry said, setting his apple down and standing. He smoothed his robes down, following Snape out of the Hall and into the corridors.

~*~

Severus Snape swept down the corridors, Harry Potter hurrying along at his side. Outward, his was cool and collected, but inwards he was in turmoil. The Sorting Hat hadn't set an apprentice since Nicholas Flamel (and he was a pure genius). Severus had had many special, talented children in his class- what set Harry Potter apart? Everyone had assumed it was Lily Potter's love and protection of her son that rebounded and killed the Dark Lord, but it could be the boy's innate magic. Perhaps he had wandless and wordless magic- a Mage? There hadn't been a Mage at Hogwarts for years and years.

Glancing down at the messy curls beside him, Severus frowned. For an eleven-year-old, Harry Potter was little. Compared to his year mates, he seemed at least two years younger. Well most of his classmates came at least to Severus' shoulder, Harry Potter was barely mid-chest. Neither of his parents had been short, Severus recalled, focusing on the child. He wasn't just short, he was skinny. Almost painfully so. Severus scanned the child with a trained eye- neglect? Harry Potter had all the signs. Deciding to do a full scan on the boy when they got to the Headmaster's office, Severus glanced down at the boy again, slowing his pace for the panting child.

Up the stairs they went, down corridors, through twisting secret passages, and up more stairs until they reached the ugly stone gargoyle. "Lemon drops." He said with a scowl, the gargoyle moving, and a spiral staircase beginning it's slow spin up. "Come along, Mister Potter." He said softly, gently settling a hand on the child's shoulder to propel him onto the stairs. The child's sinewy muscles tensed under his hand as he shakily stepped up on the stairs ahead of his teacher.

Reaching the top floor, Severus kept his hand on the child's shoulder as he pushed the door open, gently putting pressure on the child's shoulder to cue him forward. Harry stepped hesitantly through, his jaw dropping as he entered the enchanting room.

Delicate silver instruments ticked and danced and whirled on spindly tables and bookcase. A giant telescope worthy of Galileo stood on a magnificent dais, pointing to a skylight. Bookcases stuffed with tomes of every sized filled all the walls, some stacks of books and parchments scattered around. A elegant gold bird stand with a bowl underneath it stood beside a large mahogany desk, a bird with brilliant scarlet plumage asleep on it. A huge, ornate chair was behind the desk, two chintz armchairs with a table between them. Behind the desk was a fireplace- as tall as Snape and winder than the desk. It was cluttered and practically bursting with knowledge and magic.

And Harry loved it.

He stood, gazing in awe at the room. Green eyes lingered on the telescope, itching to look through it. In primary school they'd studied the planets, and Harry had found he had a knack for astronomy. He glanced through the skylight, trying to think of his star map. They were in Scotland, so…..

Severus watched the child as he looked around the room, awe in his brilliant, bottle-green eyes. They were locked on the telescope, and Severus felt his lips quirk up at the child. He was frowning and murmuring lightly to himself, and Severus suddenly caught on. "Would you like to look through the telescope, Mister Potter? He asked softly, Harry jerking around to face him.

"May I, sir? Really?" He asked, his eyes wide behind his glasses. Severus nodded, watching as the child scrambled over to the telescope, expertly adjusting it before gazing at the stars. Severus kept his eyes on the child as his excitement grew, the boy practically bursting.

Severus took a seat in one of the chairs, calling softly for a house-elf. He ordered tea for two, glancing at the boy. "Mister Potter, do you have a favorite sweet with tea?" He asked, Harry turning.

"No sir, I can't have any sweets." He replied, shaking his head.

Severus' brow furrowed. "Are you allergic?" He queried, Harry nodding.

"Y'sir. To dairy. I'm lactose intolerant." He explained, coming over to his professor and taking the other chair.

Severus hummed in reply, thinking. He passed a cup of tea to the child, Harry murmuring his thanks.

"Sir? Who's going to be my mentor? I mean- do I pick or do the professors or does the Hat?" Harry asked, blowing gently on his tea.

Severus crossed his ankles, sipping his own tea. "The Hat will tell us, child. It depends on what he saw when he looked at your memories and talents. If you have a knack for charms and dueling, you'd be with Professor Flitwick. Transfiguration and Anigami would have you with Professor McGonagall, while Potions, Defense, and Mind Magics would have you with me." He explained, Harry gazing at his tea.

"Oh. What- what if I don't get along with my mentor?" Harry asked, biting his lip. He looked up at Severus, green eyes worried.

"Do not worry yourself, Mister Potter. The Hat will know." Severus reassured him, patting Harry's arm awkwardly. Harry locked eyes with him before dropping them back to his cup. Severus removed his arm, clearing his throat.

He stood, brushing off his robes. Severus walked to a bookcase, gently taking the Sorting Hat off. He returned to Harry, holding the Hat out. "Ready, Mister Potter?" He asked softly. Harry looked up, setting his teacup down before letting Severus gently set the Hat on his head.

"Hello again, Mister Potter. Now then- you need a mentor……" the Hat murmured, Harry mentally rolling his eyes. The Hat tutted, sifting gently through Harry's memories again. "Yes, yes- I know. You'll be perfect with Severus Snape!" the Hat announced, Severus lifting the Hat off Harry's head, causing the tousled curls to stick up even more. As his new mentor returned the hat to shelf, Harry tried to tame him hair, mentally cursing out hats.

"Well, Mister Potter, you have your new mentor." Severus said, standing before Harry with his arms crossed.

Harry gazed up at the professor, his bottle-green eyes trusting. For the first time he could remember, he knew he could trust this adult. After all, the Sorting Hat was never wrong.

~*~

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Next chapter: Settling In- wherin Dumbledore explains the apprenticeship, decisions are made about Harry, and Severus lays down the lay.