Authors Note: Hi all! This is an idea I've had for awhile now. And am very excited to it share it with everyone. :) One thing to note, Snape's character is perhaps more similar to the movie version in this. I hope you all enjoy! Any reviews are always welcome!

Diclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter…sadly.

Chapter One: A Change in Housing

The sun shone brightly through the window shades, the curtains pulled back enough to allow some view of the street. A boy knelt in front of said window, watching for some car to show up that contained the person who was supposed to retrieve him. He wished he knew what the car looked like, as it was he got anxious when he saw any car drive slowly towards the house. He was very curious about the person who was coming to get him. At this point he didn't have very high expectations. He had been told that this man who was going to take him, was a cruel, rude and stuck up sort of person. Granted his aunt and uncle would and had called Harry similar things. But this was all he knew about the man who was coming. He couldn't imagine that staying with him could be that much worse then where he currently was. Granted, he knew at the same time that it was a possibility that it would, in fact, be much worse.

The boy frowned when the loud voice of his uncle could be heard coming from the kitchen. Complaining of course, that his nephew was still in his living room. The person coming to get him was by no means late. Nor had he given a precise time that he was coming. Only that he would be there in the afternoon. The boy couldn't help but wonder if he had changed his mind...

At long last a car did pull up, a taxi. The boy perked up curiously, trying to get a good look at the man as he stepped out of the cab and strode up to the house quickly. However from the angle, and the way the sun shone, he couldn't make him out all. A moment later and the doorbell rang. The boys uncle strode into the room, peering through the peep hole before throwing the door open.

"About time," his uncle barked, not offering any other greeting.

"Pardon me?" the man said, sounding somewhat surprised.

Leaving the door open the uncle grabbed the boy by the arm roughly and quite nearly tossed him out the front door. The boy stumbled slightly, rubbing his arm, before glancing up at the man who now had almost full custody of him. The man was tall and thin, with sharp features. His dark hair and eyes stood out against his pale skin, and his clothes equally as dark as his hair were on the verge of being strange. The boy looked away quickly when the mans' eyes narrowed. He looked instead past his uncle into the house. His aunt stood there with his cousin. For a single brief moment, Harry thought she looked slight sad. It was indeed very brief, as she frowned at him before walking away into the house once more. His cousin made a mean face at him before following.

"Have fun with Harry," his uncle said, slamming they boys suitcase down hard on the steps outside. "Don't even think of bringing him back under my roof."

With one final glare at Harry, he slammed the door. Not even noticing that the man who had come for Harry was obviously about to say something. Harry quietly lifted his suitcase before looking back up at the man cautiously. Not glancing down at him the man strode back towards the vehicle.

"Come along," he called back over his shoulder.

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He hurried after him, glad for once that he didn't have many belongings, as such his suitcase wasn't too hard to carry. The taxi driver took Harry's suitcase from him and placed it in the trunk. Before opening one of the doors in the back for him with a smile. Returning it shyly, Harry climbed inside. He fastened his seatbelt quickly before staring at the ground. Not risking a glance at the man beside him until many minutes had passed. The man was staring out of the window beside him, an unreadable expression on his face. Perhaps feeling the boys' gaze, the man looked over at him sharply.

"What?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"What's your name?" Harry asked, knowing better than to ask questions but unable to help himself. He had always had trouble reigning in his curiosity. Something which only made his aunt and uncle hate him more.

The mans' eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Harry incredulously. "Your aunt and uncle didn't tell you?"

Harry shook his head. "No...they don't like to tell me much."

"It's Severus Snape," the man replied simply, turning back to the window.

The car continued on for some ways with Harry holding back anymore questions. Though he had close to a thousand. Just as Harry was beginning to doze off, the car pulled to a stop.

Snape was out in one swift motion after paying the driver. Harry stepped out quickly, looking around his new surroundings. He didn't much like the area, it was too gloomy and had an almost dark feel to it. Making him shiver slightly even though the air was only slightly chilly. He watched as a group of children ran by, paying the taxi and Harry no heed.

"Are you coming?" Snape demanded, he had Harry's suitcase in his hand and was already across the street in front of a house which Harry could only assume was his.

Running across the street Harry stopped beside Snape. Snape unlocked the door, stepping inside of it and leaving Harry to follow...or not. However, Harry did so, helpfully shutting the door behind him.

Pulling out a small stick from his sleeve, Snape tapped Harry's suitcase muttering something under his breath. Harry watched in stunned amazement as it, the suitcase, proceeded to slowly drift up the stairs by itself.

Intrigued, slightly freaked out and unsure what else to do, Harry followed Snape over to a window where the man stood with an owl perched on his arm. Harry did a double take. An owl? Harry stared at the bird, which gazed back, stopping himself from asking him about the floating suitcase just yet. The man was intently scribbling something on a piece of paper and Harry didn't suspect he'd take kindly to his attention being broken. Harry watched surprised, as he tied the paper to the owls leg and it flew off out the window, soaring upwards and out of sight. With that done, Snape finally turned to Harry. He frowned again at the boy before gesturing that he should follow him as he started up the stairs.

Harry did so, following Snape into a small hall. One door was open and Snape stepped into it with the boy still following him. Inside was a nice sized room, with nice if somewhat antique furnishings. There was a tall bureau, with a small mirror resting on top of it that Harry was too short to see into. A bookshelf was against the opposite wall and already stocked with books. Harry's eyes quickly found his suitcase resting beside his new bed. Compared to where Harry was used to sleeping this was breathtakingly nice. He turned to grin at Snape.

"My room?" Harry asked in amazement, to which Snape nodded. "Thank you so much, sir!"

Snape eyed him oddly. The room was certainly nothing to get that excited over. It was rather simple and boring for a child. However he nodded in response, leaving the room swiftly. Now truly excited Harry quickly unpacked his things. He was shocked upon opening drawers to see that they already were stocked with clothes. And the right size at that. Grinning now, Harry changed into a green shirt and jeans that actually fit for perhaps the first time in his life. He stuffed his old Dudley hand-me-downs back into his suitcase. He started picking up books, pleased to see some that he would surely enjoy reading. For the first time you could perhaps say he felt somewhat lucky. And certainly happy. Things had never looked so hopeful to him...though there was the matter of the floating suitcase...though this only made him more excited.

After exploring every inch of the room that he could, he decided to venture downstairs. There were somethings he definitely wanted to ask Snape. He walked around cautiously, eyeing the many bookshelves lining the walls in a seating area. After looking around carefully he found the man seated in a small kitchen eating some soup as he read through a very long looking letter.

"Thanks for the clothes, sir," Harry said, when the man looked up upon noticing him in the entryway.

"Your thanks should not be directed at me, it was Professor Dumbledore who supplied you with them," he told him, turning back to his letter. "There is some dinner for you on the stove."

"But you did get the books for me?" Harry asked.

The man frowned slightly. "Hardly. They once belonged to another child."

Harry approached said stove, finding a bowl and spoon beside it he poured a small amount of the soup into it before moving over to the table. He watched the man for a moment before cautiously sitting in a chair across from him. He watched Snape as he ate for a few minutes, before daring to ask a question.

"Who's Professor Dumbledore?" was the first question on his mind.

Snape lowered the letter. His tone was sarcastic when he spoke. "I suppose your aunt really couldn't tell you that much... He's headmaster of Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry. You will be attending said school next year."

Harry's eyes widened. "I will?"

Snape's patience appeared to be wearing thin. "Yes. As you are a wizard... Surely you've wondered about strange things occurring around you at least?"

It seemed so ridiculous, and yet it would definitely explain all of the mysterious things that happened around him. Such strange things that he quickly learned to not call 'magic'. The last such event could very well be the reason he was kicked out of his aunt and uncle's house. As he'd never seen his uncle so angry. So, he supposed it would make perfect sense.

"...Were my parents a witch and wizard?" Harry dared to ask.

Snape's eyes snapped to Harry's as some memory stirred behind the formers eyes. At last he nodded before turning back to his letter. However, Harry this time didn't realize that this was a sign the man was done speaking to him.

"You knew them then?" Harry asked, unable to contain his excitement.

Snape stuffed his letter into a pocket, his eyes angry now as he glared at the boy. Harry instinctively flinched slightly, but didn't look away from his gaze.

"Yes...and that's enough questions for today. You will find there is a book on wizards and witches on your bureau," he said. Harry watched as he swept over to the entrance of the kitchen. "I am going to reply to this letter, and I expect not to be bothered for any reason whatsoever."

He stormed out of the room, and after a few minutes Harry heard him walking upstairs and then a door shutting loudly. Finishing his soup quickly, Harry washed out his bowl in the sink before going into his own room. Shutting the door behind him, he found a book on his dresser that hadn't been there previously and opened it. Eager to find out more. And overjoyed to not have to worry about Dudley, his aunt or uncle coming to bother him.