A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE:

Alright everyone sorry this took so long to get an update out. Do you remember how in one of the previous chapters I told you there would be a lot of jumping through the time line because even though I wanted to do this book by book it would take like 150 chapters to do so? Well here is one of those jumps. We left Harry in the room with the Mirror of Erised. This was where my first jump was going to happen. We jump to the end of the first book and then once this chapter ends we jump forward to OOTP. So, if you have any questions about what happens between this chapter and the next consider it to follow exactly how the original cannon went the only difference is now that you know how this first half of the story went you will understand my theme of Severus and how I wanted him to be behind more than just protecting Harry but actually raising him from behind the scenes. There will be references later to other things (similar to how Severus handled gifting Harry the Nimbus 2000) that will be referred to later on down the line when things take a turn for the more dramatic. So this chapter is the end of part I however all three parts will be in this one story I will not be separating them. Thank you for your patients even though I don't deserve it and thank you for going along with this really weirdly structured story. If you are still reading I appreciate you and hope you enjoy this story as I struggle to get it written and chapters posted.

Chapter 13

The End of Year 1

Or

A Slytherin Doubts his Master

No. No. No. No. No. Keep running Severus, don't stop. Get down to the catacombs and find Harry! FIND YOUR BLOODY-TROUBLE-MAKING-DEATH-WISH-WANTING GODSON!

Severus turned down the hall and blasted forward at a full out sprint. The castle was emanating with dark magic and Severus could feel it in his body. The shiver of fear and darkness spreading out from the secret mark that had been branded onto his forearm left Severus with no uncertainty.

Voldemort had returned.

And he was after Harry Potter; the one person in the entire world that Severus really cared about was somewhere down below in the belly of the castle and was facing off with him.

Albus had told Severus to wait, that he and the other teachers would go and find the boy and bring him to safety. It was too dangerous for Severus to expose himself at this moment. Severus would be damned if the old man expected him to wait around like some incompetent idiot while Harry faced off against the darkest wizard to ever live.

An eleven-year-old boy would stand no chance and to put matters worse, Quirrell had indeed been behind this all along. The nasty little rat had been trying to help Volemort get his hands on the stone.

As far as Severus was concerned every single teacher in this school was completely and totally blind, all fools who couldn't see this coming no matter how hard Harry and his two little cohorts has tried to warn everyone.

Severus was a fool too. He had seen the signs, felt the mark on his arm start to ach near the end of the final semester. And yet he had ignored it because he had had more than one opportunity to spend alone with Harry and he had not wanted to let himself believe that anything was more important.

He was such a fool, such a great big selfish fool.

Now shoving through the entryway on the third floor he ran down the corridor to find the entryway open, the trap door missing and the flames from the torches burning low, some even flickering out.

Not hesitating, Severus rushed through the door way and found the three headed dog chewing on the missing door, how the beast had gotten it off it's hinges he did not know but he was more than happy to see it was distracted.

Running forward and then sinking to his knees he slid towards the opening in the ground and then felt himself plunge into the darkness.

There was no Devil's Snare to catch his fall and he landed harshly on the dusty ground.

"What the devil?" Severus asked to himself as he glanced around the room, the first trap set by Professor Sprout was gone and the coldness that usually filled the lair of such a plant was replaced with a sense of warmth.

"Severus…"

The dark haired man turned to see Albus, Minerva, Poppy and Pomona standing near by looking at him.

"I. Will. Not. Wait." Severus barked as he looked at the four who had left him standing in the office only minutes ago.

"I cannot wait. He is my godson, and all I have left. I am with you or I am on my own but I am GOING Albus."

"Very well dear boy. Lead the way." The three women looked like they may object but soon followed as Severus moved passed them and headed down the hall.

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It had taken less time than one would have expected for the five teachers to make their way through the cavernous undergrounds of the castle. Each time they met a task to complete they either did it in record time or Albus knew the counter spell.

It was in Minerva's chess room that they had found Granger and Weasley, the latter looking a little worse for wear, on the floor staring off into the darkness.

After several seconds of questions, which mostly revolved around "Are you alright?" "What in the devil were you thinking?" "You are in so much trouble!" "Where is Mr. Potter?" Poppy scooped them up and headed back to the infirmary with them quicker than a snitch.

Minerva, Pomona, Albus and Severus pressed on, only to reach the last riddle, which Severus had devised himself, and so didn't even need to solve, when they heard a scream.

"No!" Severus cried as he pressed forward and ran faster. Just as he was about to descend the last stair a hand caught the back of his cloak and he was pulled to an abrupt stop.

Apparently Albus was stronger than he looked for such an old wizard, "Why in blazes are we stopping!" Severus whispered urgently.

"Look." Albus said as he motioned with his head for the man to turn around.

The four teachers watched as Quirrell reeled back from choking Harry on the ground and screamed, he looked at his hands, which were horribly burned.

"Fool! KILL HIM!" Came a hiss from an unknown location. But as Quirrell rounded on Harry again the boy stood from his position and ran at the adult.

Severus felt his heart stop as the boy placed his hands on the man's face and just barely shoved him against a wall.

Quirrell shrieked again and so did Harry as the man's face started to hiss, pop and burn.

When Harry stood back there was nothing much left of the face that once belonged to Quirrell and the man seemed to evaporate and crumble before the young boy who looked just as shocked as the teachers felt.

"What the hell-" Severus started.

"Look!" Minerva whispered as she grabbed Severus's arm in surprise.

Harry had picked up the stone by now and was looking at it, "He got it?" Pomona asked in alarm.

"Indeed, he did." Albus said with a smile as he was going to take a step. Something shifted in the air then and Severus felt a chill run up his spin.

In an instant the old wizard moved himself in front of the three teachers and threw out his arms. Another creature lurked in the room and Harry had turned just in time to see the essence of Voldemort dart around and then phase through him in a futile attempt to take his revenge.

Harry screamed and flew back slamming into the ground and dropping the stone, the essence of the remaining darkness let out a howl as it shot up and through the ceiling, it's shrieks fading as it grew further away.

Severus did not hesitate then, he ran forward and knelt next to Harry who was unconscious and breathing evenly.

"Severus?" Asked Minerva as she and the others approached.

A smile graced the man's lips as he looked up to the others, "He is fine, alive and well with minimal damage. He did it Albus, he did it again."

"Do not count your chickens yet Severus, I do not think this will be the last we see of Voldemort."

Severus's smiled faded but did not disappear as he took the injured but stable boy up in his arms.

"You will always be in trouble won't you?" He asked the sleeping boy as Minerva bent beside him to retrieve the stone for Dumbledore.

"As long as you are there my boy, Harry will never be in trouble at all." Albus said as he turned to follow the two women who had turned to leave.

Severus then glanced and looked into the Mirror of Erised, which had been ignored through out the entire Endeavour.

Severus's heart stopped.

The last time he had looked into this mirror he had been only 16 and he had seen the image of himself marrying Lilly and having a family.

A smirked lightened his eyes when he glanced from the reflection down to the sleeping boy in his arms.

Now when he looked into it, with Harry in his arms, he saw only his and the boy's reflection and nothing else.

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The moon cut through the darkness and cast a glow onto the figure of the man in the hospital chair. He sat next to a young boy who was breathing steadily but had been sleeping for the last two days.

Reaching out, the older man took the young boy's hand and he gave a tired sigh.

"It's been two days and every night when I come to check on the boy I find you here waiting. It would not do for him to wake up and see you Severus."

"Please Albus, you know my intentions are not to complicate the situation but I hate the idea of him being in here all alone. It's dark, Harry hates the dark."

"I have not asked you to leave because I know he won't be waking up until tomorrow. Poppy wanted him to be fully rested when he wakes up; therefore she has given him a rather large sedative. I do, however, need to remind you that this year was the first of seven long years. I wanted to know, how you think you will fair for the rest of them?"

Severus gave the question some thought and than closed his eyes so as to escape the look of curiosity Albus was surely giving him.

"I found no events that occurred this year that would make me feel that doing my duty towards Potter would be impossible. I managed every situation that arose and did not give away my own thoughts or feelings. I was able to maintain my composure and keep my relationship with Harry professional and distant, no matter how often he approached me and tried to recall my face."

"That is exactly what I wanted to hear Severus. Dare I say you preformed better than Alister Moody and that man was a spy for a long time."

"I am no spy Albus, I can't even sneak up on you."

"There are all types of spies Severus. I think we should begin your training tomorrow."

Severus's head jerked towards the older wizard and he raised an eyebrow, "Training? What on Earth are you talking about Albus?"

The mouth of the old wizard twitched up into a smile and he eyed Severus with a kind eye.

"Ah, dear boy, I have heard rumor that you are rather skilled in the art of Occlumency…. And I was hoping we could work on a few of the more difficult aspects of this ability that you so naturally seem to have."

Severus stood up, his intrigue getting the better of him, "You know a lot about Occlumency?"

"Dear boy, I am a master… it could come in handy later on down the road should we need someone with a strong will and good emotional control."

"Albus, it has taken me years to get my emotions under the level of control I have them in now… why not choose someone who is already a master, why not yourself?"

"No no dear boy, only you can be given charge of this task, and I would be honored for you to allow me to teach you some of what I know."

Severus smiled, "Of course Headmaster, I would be honored as well." Severus gave one last look to Harry and then walked out with Albus, the older man putting his arm around the younger's shoulder.

"Come Severus, you can visit Harry again in the morning before he wakes up. For now, I think a bottle of fire whisky is waiting in my office and I do have the most wonderful feeling that today is the start of a new and darker future."

End Part I

A/N: I think that's it for part one. I will be posting part II ASAP and can't wait to hear what you guys think of this. It's more of a plot builder chapter but it's needed and next chapter will be really good. Trust me! I will go start it now!