Blaze: new chapter

Darth: it's about time

Blaze: well, I do have over 80 reviews on the first seven chapters so I figured it was about time to post chapter 8

Darth: it's about time, what's going to happen in this story?

Blaze: Harry will meet the rest of the teachers, Severus's class, and some rules will be laid down

Darth: ah okay

Blaze: yup so here is chapter 8 and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciate and a huge thank you to everyone who helped me get over 80 reviews on this story and sorry I didn't update soon, I've been a bit busy working on school work. I have also decided that this will be the last chapter of this story since I'm coming up with a new idea and want to finish at least one HP fic before I post a new one.

Never Say Never

Chapter 8

The Rules

Harry gazed around the Great Hall before looking at his guardian who was walking beside him. His little viper, Sarisa, was curled on his arm but stayed silent as he made his way deeper into the hall. Unlike last time, there were more teachers at the table where Harry ate the day before. Severus glanced back at him. "What's the matter?" he asked.

Harry shrugged before pointing to the other teachers, the ones he hasn't met yet and he found himself afraid. "Who are they?" he asked curiously.

"Those are the other teachers, Harry," Severus replied. He took Harry's hand before leading him toward the table, scowling at the other teachers, including Minerva and Albus who were smiling ear to ear. Harry knew that Severus scowled a lot but it was still funny to see the odd look cross his facial features. It made him seem more menacing than Harry knew him to be.

While Severus introduced him to the other teachers as they sat down behind the table and he filled Harry's plate, Harry nodded shyly in greeting to the others before gazing at the food with huge eyes. He still wasn't going to get used to eating so much food because of how little he ate while he was with his relatives.

"Ah 'Arry, I ain't seen you in a long time," the big giant that had been introduced as Hagrid, who was very kind from what his guardian had said, said smiling. "You're much bigger than when I last saw you."

"That's because that was three years ago, Hagrid," Dumbledore reminded the friendly giant.

"O, yea, it was that long ago, weren't it?" Hagrid exclaimed before laughing happily and glancing at Harry who smiled shyly at the giant. He started to eat slowly, chewing thoughtfully and watching as students began to file into the Great Hall. He knew that it was the first day of school for the students and he felt more nervous than ever before.

Severus glanced at him assuredly before turning his attention back to the tables as they began to fill up. Harry ate slowly before glancing at Severus. "Severus?" he said softly to not draw attention to himself.

"Yes Harry?" Severus asked turning obsidian eyes to the little boy.

Harry hesitated before he gestured toward the students, fear glittering in his eyes. Severus's lips quirked in the beginnings of a smile. "Don't worry, Harry," he said, "the students won't harm you. They'll probably just greet you and try to talk to you but they won't harm you."

Harry wasn't entirely sure if he could believe his guardian but he decided to let the matter drop as he turned his attention back to the students. There were already some who had been there when he had first arrived but he hadn't had a chance to greet them since he was too busy getting used to being at Hogwarts.

His guardian had spoke of rules that were to be laid down after Severus's classes today and Harry found himself wondering as to what those rules would be. He knew they wouldn't be as strict as the rules he had to follow at the Dursleys, Severus had made that clear, but he still couldn't help but be curious.

Harry ate slowly as he watched the rest of the students walk into the Great Hall before he turned to look at Dumbledore as the old Headmaster rose to greet the students. It was the first day after winter holidays so everyone was a bit cheerful, having just got done with Christmas and New Years and were likely still trying to play with their Christmas presents.

Harry had never received a Christmas present before but he did see getting a new guardian as the best Christmas present ever. He had to hope that he would not anger his new guardian to were Severus would send him back to the Dursleys. Glancing sidelong at his tall, dark haired guardian, he noticed that Severus was quiet, his curtain of dark hair framing his face as he examined the table were his Slytherins were sitting.

"Is Harry going to be going with you to your classes?" Minerva asked quietly.

Severus glanced up clearly startled. "No," he said. "It'll be dangerous for him to go there especially in my Gryffindor/Slytherin class. For some reason, something always ends up exploding in those classes. I'll ask Rose to watch over Harry."

Harry frowned. "Who's Rose?" he asked curiously.

"A house elf."

"What's a house elf?"

Severus sighed. "They're magical beings that like to work and constantly worked within Hogwarts' walls. Rose will watch over you and make sure you don't get injured or anything while I'm teaching my classes," he said.

"Oh okay." Harry wondered if he could have considered himself to be a house elf while he was living with the Dursleys. He figured it was likely since he had to do all the cooking and cleaning while his cousin just sat around and ate.

"Classes will be beginning soon, do you want me to escort little Harry back to your rooms?" a woman that Harry had learned was known as Pomona Sprout asked.

"You don't have classes this morning?" Severus asked.

"No," Sprout replied. "That's why I offered. I'm sure we wouldn't little Harry to get trampled by the students while they're trying to get to their classes."

"Oh yes, we must avoid that at all costs," Severus said. Harry wasn't entirely sure if he was being serious or if he was being sarcastic, sometimes it was hard to decide which one, between the two, Severus was being.

Sarisa, Harry noticed, had been unusually silent and he glanced curiously at the little viper that was watching everything with intelligent brown-red eyes while her forked tongue flickered out from in between closed jaws. Severus didn't like it when he spoke to Sarisa while he was in the presence of others so Harry restrained from asking his little snake if she was all right.

"If it's all right with Harry then it's all right with me," Severus said finally after a few moments of thought.

Sprout nodded before standing up as the rest of the students got ready to head toward their classes as breakfast ended. She turned her gaze to Harry. "Come along, Harry," she said. "Why don't we get you back to your rooms?"

Harry hesitated unwillingly to leave his guardians side but he figured it would be very boring in Severus's class and he did have toys, new toys given to him by the teachers and even some from the Malfoys, that he could play with. "Okay," he said.

\You ssseeem sssad,/ Sarisa hissed quietly to not draw Sprout's attention to her.

Harry didn't reply, he wasn't allowed to or else his guardian would get mad at him and perhaps send him back to his relatives. He just smiled at Sarisa to show his viper that he wasn't sad.

Sarisa was small for her age, she was called a dwarf viper, and would only get to be about five feet long. From what Severus had told him when he asked about that, Sarisa was small because she wasn't a normal viper, she was a magical one that had the ability to easily keep her size the way it was so that she won't grow more unless she wanted to.

Sprout led Harry to the dungeons before coming to stop outside of the portrait that led into Severus's rooms, the portrait, Severus had told him, was that of Salazar Slytherin, the first Slytherin. "I trust you'll be all right from here?" Sprout asked.

"Yeah, thanks, Sarisa's with me after all," said Harry with a small smile before he glanced at the portrait, trying to remember Severus's password. Sprout had disappeared when Harry remembered it and, murmuring "Lily" under his breath, he walked into his guardian's rooms.

Severus wasn't all together looking forward to his first class after the holidays, especially since they were filled with Gryffindors and Slytherins and that meant something was likely to explode at least once throughout the class. He wondered why the rivalry between the Gryffindors and Slytherins existed in the first place and yet he and Lily managed to maintain a friendship, even after he called her that disgraceful word.

Lily always had a kind heart and forgave him and even allowed him to hold her son once just before he started his spying duties for the Order of the Phoenix. If only their Secret Keeper, if only Black hadn't betrayed them, then they may still be alive today.

If only you hadn't delivered the prophecy to Voldemort then they would definitely be alive, his conscience said and Severus scowled at it.

He hated that he had to keep being reminded that he had caused Lily and James Potter's deaths. If he hadn't delivered Trelawney's prophecy to Voldemort then his beloved Lily would still be alive.

Stop with the 'ifs', Severus ordered himself silently as he stormed into the classroom while the students were talking to each other. "Open your books to page 234," he ordered sternly to the Gryffindors and Slytherins that were startled into silence by his sudden appearance. "Today you'll be brewing a Calming Draught, follow the directions explicitly and do try to keep from causing anything to explode. Begin!"

The students, who were second years, immediately began to work on the potion while Severus walked back and forth down the aisles between the tables as the Slytherins and Gryffindors brewed. While he gave points, took points away, and tossed snide comments toward the Gryffindors, Severus found himself wondering if Harry was all right.

He knew he would have to set some ground rules for the Boy-Who-Lived once he returned to his rooms. He also had to hope that Rose will be able to keep Harry out of trouble although he didn't know if any son of James Potter could manage to stay out of trouble.

As he continued to toss snide comments at the dunderheaded Gryffindors and award points to his Slytherins, since everyone agreed that he seemed to favor his snakes more than the Gryffindor lions but what else was he supposed to do when children of former Death Eaters were in his class and his house? Even with Harry as his ward, Severus still had to maintain his cover as a spy for the Order.

When Harry was older, Severus would sit him down and explain everything, from his days as a Death Eater to when he turned into a spy so that he will know that the way he treats Harry in his class when the boy comes to Hogwarts in seven years, it won't be real.

Severus knew that it would seem increasingly harsh of him to treat his ward like that, especially after he adopted him and allowed for the boy to take his name but it had to be done. Luckily enough the Ministry was able to keep Harry Potter's adoption a secret to where influential people like Lucius Malfoy wouldn't discover what happened. And so long as he kept up his appearance then they never will.

He just had to hope Harry would understand when he finally explained everything to him.

Right now, he was much too young and he deserved a chance to enjoy his childhood before the weight of the mantle of the Boy-Who-Lived was laid upon his shoulders when he turned eleven and came to Hogwarts.

Harry glanced up as the door to Severus's quarters opened and Severus, looking bone tired, walked into the room. He lowered the picture book he had been looking at before smiling. "Hi," he greeted him cheerfully.

Severus nodded once in greeting clearly tired as he sank into his chair and rubbed his head muttering something about "idiotic Gryffindors" under his breath. "How was your day, Harry?" he asked turning his obsidian gaze to Harry who, comforted by those unfathomable black eyes, smiled.

"It was good," he said happily. "I played with those toys everyone got me and Rose was nice, she made me food to eat when I was hungry. She seemed surprised when I thanked her though."

"I'm glad you had a very fulfilling day then, Harry," Severus said. He narrowed his eyes before asking, "What are you reading?"

Harry held up the picture book. "I got it from that bookshelf in my room here, is that okay?" he asked hesitantly still not accustomed to living with someone who actually cared enough to get him stuff to keep him entertained.

"That is fine, Harry," Severus replied.

Harry smiled faintly before lowering his head to where his long lashes gently touched the tops of his cheeks. "You said you wanted to talk about rules," he said.

"Yes I did," Severus agreed before he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the couch that Harry was sitting on before sitting down beside him. "Rest assured none of the rules will be as horrible as the atrocities you were forced to face while living with those imbecilic relatives of yours."

Harry frowned not understanding half the words that Severus had said but understanding the gist of what his guardian was trying to say. "Okay," he said.

"First rule is a simple one, you are to be polite and respectful of everyone, especially those older than yourself, second, if you wish to do something such as go out onto the grounds, make sure someone is with you, such as Rose or even another student, third, I want to know if you are feeling pain or having nightmares. Fourth, you are not to speak in parseltongue, or speak to your snake, when you are with others, you understand?"

"Yeah," Harry said. Those rules seemed simple enough and they were nothing compared to the rules he had to follow while he was living with the Dursleys. He hesitated for a split second. "I'm hungry," he said finally when his stomach started to growl in complaint.

Severus's lips quirked again. "We will be joining the staff in the Great Hall for dinner," he said. "That way you can get used to being around the students since you'll be spending most of your time with many students around."

"Okay."

Severus stood up. "Are you ready to go to dinner?" he asked.

Harry, his stomach growling, grinned before gazing around. "Ah, where's Sarisa?" he asked.

Severus rolled his eyes, a despairing look in their black depths. "Don't tell me you lost your little viper," he murmured.

Harry frowned, hoping his guardian wasn't mad as he gazed around. \Ssssarisa?/ he hissed gazing around. \Ssssarisa, where are you?/

Severus had a pained look in his eyes but he didn't comment as Harry walked around, hissing for his companion until he heard a hissing in response and watched as Sarisa slithered out of Harry's room gazing at Harry with confusion in her eyes.

\What'sss the matter?/ she hissed back as she slithered toward Harry and Harry lowered his arm before watching as his snake coiled around his arm.

\I couldn't find you,/ Harry hissed back.

\Oh, sssorry, I wasss merely in your room./

"Harry, we must get going," Severus said.

Harry nodded. "'Kay," he said before he followed Severus as his guardian led the way out of the rooms before walking down the hallway and toward the Great Hall for dinner with the members of the Hogwarts staff. As he walked with Sarisa curled around his arm, he found himself more happy than he's ever felt before since the day he was abandoned by his aunt and uncle. In spite of how naive he was at his young age, Harry Potter knew in his heart that he had finally found a place to cal home...forever.

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: if anyone wishes to do a sequel to this story than they may. The sequel is up for grabs and if you want to do it then just PM me to tell me so

Darth: you left it hanging

Blaze: that's why I'm allowing readers to think about writing the sequel.

Darth: ah okay

Blaze: I'm also going to post this as a challenge on Potions and Snitches so if anyone wants to answer it then they'll be able to. Thank you to all 103 reviewers on this story (I'm including the reviewers from the first version of this chapter) and sorry if I did leave it hanging, as I said, anyone can write the sequel if they want to.