Harry usually engaged his studies, homework or some book Severus had never seen before. Right after his birthday, Harry had made a conscient effort to get to know him. The teenager had asked about his youth, parents, schooling, and career that had made him the youngest Potion Master in England since the 18-hundreds. His questions and their time together were marked by little touches, and innocent demonstrations of sympathy, that had had Severus tense at the beginning. However, he had gotten used to them over time. The longer they talked, the more Harry seemed to pick up on topics he wanted to avoid and adapted. In return, the young man shared the crazy adventures he had experienced since coming to Hogwarts. As the head of Slytherin House, Severus realised that this child had never had an authority figure he could trust. The trio had talked to McGonagall about their suspicions about the philosopher's stone. They had spoken to Hagrid. But no adult had been willing to listen. Scared as they had been for Harry's life, they had taken it upon themselves to "fight evil" on their own. The basilisk had not been understood by anybody but Harry, and when Ginny Weasley had been kidnapped, they had to force the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher to join them.