"Wow!" Harry said. "But what about my father."
"That I cannot answer," Severus said. But why should the git show up to see his child off to Hogwarts? Until Lily and he were forced to go into hiding he barely had anything to do with Harry. Too busy trying to make a name for himself catching dark wizards.
Harry frowned, but then smiled and said. "Well, you were there to see me off so that's what's important." He frowned again. "I had another question, Dad about something the Sorting Hat said to me."
"What did it say?"
"It said it wouldn't sort me into Slytherin because even though I had qualities that Slytherin values they weren't my own. What did it mean by that?"
"I think when Voldemort tried to kill you he unintentionally transferred some of his talents to you."
"What were his talents, Dad? I mean I don't want to turn into a dark wizard."
"You will not be - of that I am certain. Voldemort or Riddle as his name was when he was attending Hogwarts was a parselmouth …"
"What's that?"
"It means he can talk to snakes. He was descendant of Salazar Slytherin who also was a parselmouth."
"I can talk to snakes. I talked to a python at the zoo once; it said it had heard about, I think he called it a speaker, but never met one. I didn't even know I was talking to it in its language I just thought I was talking normal."
"That is probably one of his talents he transferred to you, but it is best not to mention it because it is considered a trait of dark wizards even though it is no different than being able to speak French."
"I used to talk to the garden snakes and tell them to leave the yard so Aunt Petunia wouldn't spray them with poison and kill them."
"I think the Hat saw that you love to read, study, and learn new things and that's why it gave you the choice of Ravenclaw."
"I asked it to put me there for that reason," Harry agreed.
"You see if you those other traits were really your own, you would have asked to be put in Slytherin."
"So in other words nothing's for sure except the choices we make."
"Yes," Severus nodded.
Harry got up, gave Severus a hug and a huge smile. "Thanks, Dad. I won't worry about it anymore." He picked up his book bag and slung the strap over his shoulder. "I've got study group tonight with Michael, Terry, Hermione, and Morag. Tell Draco we can get together this weekend sometime if he's free."
"I will let him know."
"I'll see you at dinner, Dad. I'll remember my nutrient potion tonight."
"Do not worry if you forget it because I will always remember it," Severus replied. True to his word Severus slipped a vial of the nutrient potion into his pocket before he went upstairs to dinner just in case Harry forgot it. As he passed Draco on his way to the head table, he stopped and passed Harry's message along.
Harry didn't forget his nutrient potion that evening. Severus smiled as he watched Harry pour it into his pumpkin juice.
Dumbledore looked disapproving. Severus was going to have Harry so spoiled he wouldn't care if the rest of the wizarding world was suffering under Voldemort. He had placed Harry with the Dursley's for a reason because he knew their mistreatment would toughen him, yet make him malleable enough to be influenced by anyone showing the slightest interest in him such as the Weasley's or himself.
Severus ignored the looks Dumbledore was sending him and kept his eye on his snakes and on Harry. The old barnacle could pout as much as he wanted to, but he still was not getting his mitts on Harry.
Minerva leaned over and whispered to Severus, "Albus seems rather upset with you."
"Only because I will not let him treat Harry like a sacrificial goat," Severus sneered, but then chuckled, "I was so hoping to see him streaking out of here last night with his bony arse on fire!"
"He continues to try and manipulate Harry into something he's not, you may see exactly that!" Minerva hissed. "I believe he has plans for Harry regarding the stone."
"He will be sadly disappointed then because I plan to warn Harry about what is on the third floor and to stay away."
"That would be wise, Severus," she replied nodding. "Head him off at the pass as my father used to say."
Harry was talking to Hermione and Terry about the classes they'd had today when a large shadow loomed over him and he looked up to find his dad standing behind him. "Hi Dad," Harry greeted him.
Severus stooped down so he was eye-level with Harry. "After your last class tomorrow would you please stop by my office?"
"Sure," Harry replied.
"Good. Have a good night and I will see you at breakfast tomorrow."
Severus returned to the staff table under Dumbledore's watchful eyes. The other professors were gossiping about how pleasant Severus was to be around since he'd adopted Harry.
The next day's classes were as interesting to Harry as the previous days although potions was still his favorite. They had Double Charms with Professor Flitwick who told him that his mum had been studying with him to be a Charms Mistress before she'd been forced to go into hiding.
Defense Against the Dark Arts might be interesting, but Quirrell definitely wasn't. He lecture was so disorganized that Harry could barely follow it and that ridiculous purple turban he wore that reeked of garlic made him give serious consideration to tossing his textbook at Quirrell's head and knocking it off. Harry didn't mind the garlic; he'd always liked cooking with garlic, but something made him suspect Quirrell never took the thing off or allowed the laundry elves to wash it.