A/N: I know I said I'd update on the 3rd of last month. I apologize. I thought I'd have time to work on this, but then the last month of school decided to kick my butt. Hard. Updates will be regular now because I am on summer break and have too much time to write. I plan on getting this story completely written by the end of this month so July and August when my schedule gets hectic again (lots of volunteer work), I won't have to leave you guys waiting. Hope you enjoy the story!

Chapter One

The school of Hogwarts was currently in the middle of lunch. 5th years Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom, along with Ron's 4th year sister Ginny, were sitting at the Gryffindor table, talking over their plates of food, when a scream erupted from near the door. Everyone looked over and more screams were heard as they spotted a 4 foot long black snake slithering down the aisle, hissing menacingly.

Hermione glanced up to the staff table and was shocked to see that, apart from Umbridge who was practically spitting feathers, they all looked mildly amused. The snake continued on its path and Professor Snape got up from his seat, stalking to stand in front of the serpent. He glared at it, "Alexander. Transform, now," he ordered sternly. The snake gave him a reproachful look before shifting into the form of a boy almost the mirror image of himself, with sleek, straight black hair tied back in a short ponytail, and dark green eyes, almost black. "What have I told you about scaring people in that form?" Snape reprimanded. Alexander rolled his eyes.

"Not to," he replied in a monotone voice. "You, father dear, are no fun at all," he said in mock disappointment, ignoring the gasps from the students. Snape smirked.

"You only realise this now?" he retorted wryly.

"No, but this is just one more thing to add to the list. What's the point of being here if I can't scare the kiddies?" he said petulantly. Umbridge finally decided to make herself known and cleared her throat.

"Ahem, young man, do you realise it is law to send unregistered animagi to Azkaban?" she simpered.

"Well then, it's a good thing I'm registered, isn't it?" he replied cheerfully, eyes roaming over her with a look of distaste on his face. Umbridge narrowed her eyes.

"Young man, you will not speak to me in such a tone, detention," she said in a sickly sweet voice.

Alex smirked at her, "You are not liable to give me a detention, as I am not a student of this school, and as such, you hold no power over me," he retorted with false politeness. Umbridge scowled slightly.

"Well then, if you are not a student of this school, what right do you have to be here?" she asked.

"My father. It is in the rules that teachers may bring family to live with them in the school, the headmaster has agreed to it, and also, I have recently taken an apprenticeship under my father and since he is teaching here, I have come too. So really, there's nothing you can do about it," he explained, a slightly smug undertone in his voice.

"Not yet, young man, not yet," the toad-like woman said venomously, before stalking off. Alex grinned and walked calmly up to the staff table, slipping into Severus' chair and snatching a sandwich off the plate. A shadow fell over his shoulder and he smirked.

"Do you want something, father?" he asked without looking up. Severus conjured a chair and sat next to his son.

"Yes. My lunch, if you do not mind. You're sitting in on my lessons after lunch, correct?" Alex nodded as Severus shared the food on his plate with him. He then noticed that half the students were staring at him in fear, awe, confusion or disgust. He snarled and hissed at them, scaring them back to their lunches. Alex snorted.

"They scare too easy. What in Salazar's name have you been doing to them?" he asked apprehensively. Severus' eyes had a mischievous glint in them, only visible to those who knew him well.

"Oh, nothing in particular. Honest," he replied, his lips twitching slightly.

"He's just being his normal grouchy self, Alex, but you know that's enough to scare anyone into submission," Minerva McGonagall added. Alex nodded understandingly.

"By the way, you handled Umbridge excellently, we've been dying for someone to do that for weeks, but can't because of the power she holds over us," the elderly witch said conspiratorially. Alex winked at her.

"And this is where I come in. She can't do anything to me as I am not a student, nor is she my master. It is against the law to take an apprentice from their master unless the master proves to be unfit for the position, which dad isn't, and she can't rightfully fire dad as he's probably the best potions master in the country. I've got free reign!" he cheered excitedly.

"Which we all know is something to fear. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have lessons to go to. I'll see you later, Minerva," Severus interrupted. Alex smirked.

"Bye, Minnie!" he called as the two stood up to leave.

"Don't cause too much trouble, Alex!" the Gryffindor head warned as the duo left the hall after the students. Alex followed his father down to the dungeons, looking almost exactly alike apart from the inch difference in height, Alex's greenish eyes and smaller nose and their clothes. They strode side by side into the potions classroom where the Gryffindor/Slytherin 5th year class sat in their seats nervously. Alex went to the desk at the front and conjured a chair next to Severus', sitting in it. Severus glared around the class.

"As you may have heard us informing Madame Umbridge, this is my son and apprentice, Alexander Snape. He will be sitting in on a lot of your lessons, and occasionally I will ask him to do a demonstration to test his skills. He will not bother you, if you do not bother him. You may, however, ask him for assistance. The potion is on the board, turn to page 128 in your textbooks. Begin," he said tersely, joining his son at the desk and ignoring as the class rushed to get ingredients and things together. The two seemed to be conversing in a silent language, and were only interrupted when Draco Malfoy stood in front of the desk, glaring at Alex, who raised an eyebrow.

"Malfoy," he said icily.

"Snape," The blonde replied, equally cold.

"Mr. Malfoy, get to work, lest I remind you of what happened the last time you met my son," Snape warned. Malfoy grudgingly went back to his cauldron, leaving Alex with a satisfied smile on his lips as he went over some notes. About 15 minutes into the lesson, Hermione Granger put her hand up, biting her lip nervously. "Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape asked.

"Well, Sir, I was wondering if, err, Alex could come and explain the potion in more detail to Ron and I, if he's not busy," she requested uneasily. Snape looked to Alex, who nodded and got up from his chair, walking to crouch next to the Gryffindor.

"What is it you need me to explain?" he asked quietly. Luckily, this potion was quite noisy and they could not be overheard.

"Well, it says in the book that the potion is an antidote to most mild animal venoms. I was just wondering how because animals are all different and have different components to their venom. Surely you would need different antidotes for different types of venom?" she queried. Alex nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, I suppose it's because most of the milder venoms come from animals such as snakes or spiders, and they all have the same main component, the part which harms the bloodstream. The antidote neutralises this component, rendering the venom harmless to work its way out of the body. Do you get me?" he explained. The brunette nodded and Alex noticed the redhead glaring mutinously at him from beside her. "What's up with him?" he asked, nodding at Ron. Hermione elbowed the Weasley in the side.

"He, err, doesn't like your father very much. Just out of interest, what did he mean about the last time you met Malfoy, do you know him? If you don't mind me asking of course," she added hurriedly. Alex shook his head and quickly stirred the potion before it exploded.

"Don't worry about it. I've met the idiot once, at a formal party when I was 8. It was the only one I haven't been able to get out of. I thought, and still think, that he is a pompous, arrogant, spoiled imbecile who thinks too is used to getting everything he wants from his father. Needless to say, he doesn't like being refused," he said with a small smirk. This got Ron's interest, and he stopped glaring to listen.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"He tried to get me to give him my familiar, I told him it doesn't work that way, he wouldn't shut up about it, so I may have, possibly, hung him up by his ankles from the ballroom ceiling and tattooed Daddy's boy on his head," he told them with an innocent smirk. Hermione giggled and even Ron snorted. Snape looked up and stared at them, causing the two Gryffindors to look away, but Alex to hold his gaze.

"And what do you find so amusing, pray tell?" he asked.

"Nothing, father. Miss Granger, I think I've explained what you need to know, is there anything else?" She shook her head and mumbled her thanks, and he retreated back to his seat, dropping into it and picking up a quill and notebook, scrawling something rapidly. The two Snapes weren't disturbed throughout the rest of the lesson, discussing something in whispered tones.

"Bottle your potions and bring them to my desk. Homework is 2ft on the properties of thestral blood in healing potions. Class dismissed," Severus said curtly after the bell rang. The students left quickly and the next class came in, a group of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff 3rd years, who were looking at Alex with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Snape gave them instructions and soon the only sound was the hissing of cauldrons and the turning of pages.

"Father, may I leave? I need to add some things to an experiment I'm working on before it explodes," he asked in a neutral tone. Severus eyed him warily.

"Yes, you may, but I need you back in the antechamber at 7 for your lessons," he reminded.

"Yes, father," Alex sighed, rolling his eyes. Severus watched on in amusement as the teen gathered up his notes and checked his watch, before gaining an almost comical panicked expression on his face and darting out of the room, in the direction of Snape's private labs.

"3...2...1..." he muttered to himself expectantly. He was not let down as he finished his countdown, a muffled explosion was heard. "Idiot boy." He then noticed the class was staring at him and glared, "Get back to work!" The door opened and a sheepish Alex stuck his head through the doorway.

"Hehe, cauldron go boom," he said weakly, grinning. Severus rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

"How eloquent, Alex, I thought I taught you better than 'cauldron go boom'. Tell me what went wrong."

"Err, I added the crup tails before the hippogriff hair, which upsets the balance between the midnight rose petals and the leech grass, therefore reacting with the combination of pixie wings, rabbit liver and bowtruckle legs," he recited. Severus looked pleased and nodded.

"Very good, so how do you propose to fix that?"

"Err, add the hippogriff hair first, but stir twice clockwise and add beetle legs to stop the pixie dust catching fire," Alex said slowly, thinking out his answer carefully. Severus gave him an approving look and nodded.

"Excellent, you're learning. Remember to write it down before you forget it, though," he told him. Alex nodded and smirked.

"I will. Although, that solution before I added the thestral hair was a pretty good sticking solution. This is proven by the sticky purple mess all over the lab," he replied. Severus groaned.

"Go clean up, then come back here," he ordered. Alex saluted him mockingly.

"Yes, sir!" he called, sprinting off out the door.

A/N: Please review! No question today, but there will be one next time.