average human’s Reviews > Sectumsempra > Status Update

They talked about some of the coursework Harry had missed since he’d been gone. It didn’t sound like much more than hearing stories about Lockhart killing werewolves and ghouls.

“Harry, how are you?” The idiot in question himself said, walking up to Harry’s table. “I’m glad you’re back! Of course I knew the whole time you were innocent, I must have said it a million times! A good kid like yourself? No way you were the Heir of Slytherin!”

Harry looked right up at Lockhart’s face and smiled as sweetly as he could. Which, admittedly, was not that sweetly.

“Go away before I cut your head off,” he hissed in Parsletongue.

Lockhart turned pale and stumbled backwards so quickly he tripped over Draco’s chair and landed on the floor.

The Slytherin boys, and Susan, of course roared with laughter.

“Mate I’m going to remember that forever,” Ron howled when Lockhart excused himself quickly.

“You know he’s going to fix his hair,” Susan said, wiping tears of laughter off her cheeks.

“You’re a prat,” Draco said fondly.

“I’m your prat,” Harry drawled back with a cheeky grin.

Lockhart returned to the room, his hair once again sleekly styled, so Draco didn’t reply but he did stick his tongue out at Harry.



During dinner that night the whole Hall was filled with whispers. Not only about Harry and his friends returning to their regular spot at the table, but also about the upcoming duel.

A lot of the Slytherins had been on the receiving end of Fred and George’s pranks and were looking forward to seeing revenge. The Slytherin Quidditch team was also hoping Harry would injure them bad enough to put them in the Hospital Wing until at least their final match against them, even though that was six weeks away in the beginning of March.

“Get your bets in!” Ron was calling down the table. “Odds are 7-1 on Harry winning outright, 10-1 on a draw, and 3-1 on Harry leaving a facial scar!”

“Why a facial scar?” Neville asked with his brows furrowed.

“People are starting to think it’s Harry’s signature move,” Blaise said with a smirk in Lestrange’s direction.

“Why are the odds better that I’ll leave a scar than if I’ll win?” Harry asked. Hanging around Ron, Theo, and Blaise had taught him much more about gambling than he’d ever thought to learn before.

Theo shrugged, “We don’t make the odds, the bets placed determine them. They could go up or down before the duel.”

“Can I place a bet?” Hermione asked.

“You’re going to bet Granger?” Draco asked, surprised since Hermione usually lectured them for betting.

Hermione stuck her nose up just a bit as she responded; “I figure it’s a sure thing and I need some new books.”

“Course you can Mione,” Ron said quickly.

Hermione pulled five gold coins out of her pocket.

“5 galleons on Harry winning outright.”

Susan poked Harry lightly in the arm, “If you lose you’ll owe Hermione new books.”

Luna patted Hermione’s hand, “He won’t lose.”

“Thanks Luna,” Harry said. “I’ll do my best.”

Hermione and Ron both gave him steely looks which made Harry think Ron also had a lot of gold riding on this duel.

He wasn’t sure if he was flattered that Ron was backing him over his brothers or a little worried by that kind of ruthlessness that would lead him to hope Harry won.

He decided to settle on impressed and mentally swore to make it a good show without critically injuring the twins.

... Unless of course they deserved it.



Fred and George entered their common room that night to a sea of green clad students booing and hissing at them. Harry admired their ability to keep smiling and they even made an audacious bow.

“Before we begin-“

“- Dearest Master Snake-“

“-We want to know the terms of the duel.”

Harry blinked at them for a moment.

“What do you want?” he asked. He didn’t usually duel for ‘terms’, he dueled because he was challenged.

The Twins looked at each other before giving Harry identical grins.

“We want you to help us with a project-“

“We need your snakey powers.”

“If you win, you just want me to talk to a snake for you?” Harry asked slowly.

“Yep.”

He grinned at them, what a lame thing to ask for.

“Deal. But when I win I want one no questions asked favor from each of you.”

Harry heard Ron snort from behind him. He knew Ron was thinking about how he still owed Harry a favor with the same terms.

“We won’t kill anyone,” one of the twins said quickly.

“And we don’t really want to be expelled just yet,” the other added.

“Oi!” Ron called. “What’re you saying about Harry?”

Harry ignored him and shrugged at the twins.

“Fair enough. No asking you to kill anyone or do anything that would get you expelled. Anything else is fair?”

They both nodded and offered their hands to shake.

“We’ll work on the honor system here,” he said coolly, backing away from their proffered hands.

“Alright, listen up!” Theo yelled. “All bets are closed!”

“Rules of the duel are simple for the Gryffindor’s sake; no illegal spells, nothing fatal,” Blaise added.

“No seconds, if Harry is unable to continue the duel ends!” Draco yelled with a smirk that indicated what he thought of that possibility.

“Are you guys ready?” Neville said.

Harry backed away from the twins and had his magic erect a shield around the three of them.

Harry jerked his head at them as they made sweeping bows at him.

“Ready? Go!” Susan yelled.

Harry immediately danced out of the way of two oncoming stunners.

Shock them.

One of the twins dodged the spell but the other was hit with a light jolt of pain.

“Master Snake and his silent spells,” the one who was just hit by the spell said, quickly moving out of Harry’s next spell.

“He’s a sneaky, sneaky, snake,” the other one said, sending three quick attacks at Harry to try and prevent him from attacking his brother.

“Can anyone tell you two apart?” Harry asked casually, easily flicking his wrist to block their spells.

“Nope, not even-“

“-our own mother.”

Harry thought that would be really convenient. To have an identical person to work with, plan with, and to shift blame on to if they were caught.

“Nice.”

He lazily sent a jinx at one of them that landed on its target and dyed the red hair a bright neon green.

“Oi!” The red headed one yelped. “You’ve killed him!”

Harry heard the Slytherins all laughing and egging him on and gave the twins a small shrug as he continued to easily dodge and dispel their own spells.

“I’ll call you Red and Green,” he laughed, hitting Red with a new curse he learned that would make him temporarily blind.

“Finite Incantum,” Green yelled, just as Harry hoped he would.

He threw a cutting curse at Green and smiled as it made contact with his knees and Green howled with pain as it cut through his trousers and sliced open his skin.

“You guys fight good together, but it makes you vulnerable and weak,” he laughed.

“Yeah?” Red panted as he threw a few really creative transfiguration tricks at Harry, one of which included conjuring water and turning it into knife shaped icicles. “Suppose you don’t have anyone you’d be cut open for?”

“Fuck off,” Harry snarled, sending a much more painful shock towards him and dancing quickly out of an incoming spell from Green.

“Ooh, did we hit a nerve?” Green laughed, his tone light and his dark brown eyes twinkling with mischief.

“Does little Master Snake wish he had a twin?” Red laughed.

“Or just someone to call famil-“

Harry hit Green with a strong cutting spell that missed his target of his shoulder but landed on the side of his head as he tried to duck away from it.

“God damnit,” Harry growled. “Look what you made me do! I was trying to not cut your fucking face.”

Green snarled, apparently Harry had struck a nerve.

Probably several of them in the side of his head.

The twins were getting tired. They couldn’t keep it up for much longer and they were beginning to repeat some of their original spells and tricks.

“Don’t forget the terms,” Harry called as he lobbied their weak hexes with freezing rain blown in their faces. “If you change your mind about that favor it won’t be pretty.”

Before the twins had a chance to respond Harry had pulled hard on his core and put as much magic as he could in his request,

Give me their wands. Levitate them in place.

He considered for a fraction of a second all the ways he’d heard about Fred and George humiliating his fellow Slytherins.

Levitate them in place, upside down.

Harry easily caught their two nearly identical wands as they yelped and were lifted in the air by their ankles, their robes now flapping down around their faces.

“Winner- HARRY POTTER!” Draco yelled to the deafening applause and cheers of Slytherin.

Harry slowly walked up to the Twins and twirled their wands in his hands casually.

“I might not have a ‘family’, but I could kill you with a flick of my wrist,” he hissed quietly enough that none but the two of them could hear. He flicked his wrist then to drop them to the floor, probably rather painfully, and tossed their wands on the floor in front of them.

“And now- you both owe me a favor,” he said with a crooked grin.

The twins groaned as they slowly made their way to their feet and offered Harry their hands again.

“That was a low blow mate-“ Green said.

“-Heat of the moment accident.” Red added.

“Good showing there-“

“-friends?”

Harry laughed, which interestingly seemed to make Green, who was already rather pale from blood loss, go even paler beneath his freckles.

“No thanks,” he drawled. “But if you ever think about joining a gang let me know.”

Harry thought it was Ron that groaned behind him but it might have been Draco too.

“Sounds good little Master Snake-“

“-If you’ll excuse us-“

“-We have a medi-witch to lie to.”

Fred and George left the common room with just as showy of bows as they entered it with.

“Thanks for not killing them mate,” Ron said with a broad smile.

“And thanks for the new books I’m about to order!” Hermione called, counting her winnings.

Harry grinned as he watched Ron and Theo hand out out coins and winnings to the surrounding students. His grin faded just a bit when he saw Ginny Weasley standing by the wall, clutching a notepad, and glaring at Harry with a tear covered face.

“Did you get hit?” he asked her kindly. He didn’t really care but he wouldn’t feel great about himself if he accidentally hit a little girl by a spell meant for a much older student.

Ginny gave Harry a fierce sort of scowl, he realized her eyes were the exact same shade of brown as the Twins’ had been.

“I hate you,” she hissed. “You’re a monster.”

Harry stood there, shocked in to silence as Ginny turned on her heel and ran away.

You’re a monster. You’re a monster. You’re a monster.

Harry tried to blink back white spots from his vision as he tucked his now trembling fists under his armpits.

You’re a monster.

“Harry, are you alright?”

Harry shifted away from the person who came up to him and blinked a few times as he realized it was Luna.

“F-fine,” he muttered. “Just tired.”

Luna hummed and gave him a disbelieving sort of look.

“Professor Snape is in his office,” she said kindly.

Snape.

Harry glanced up at his other friends, who were distracted by the mini-party the fourth year Slytherins were throwing.

“If you go now nobody will notice,” Luna said as she danced slowly towards the other students.

Harry gave her a grateful nod and took off towards the portrait door, sticking to the edges of the room to avoid drawing attention to himself. He slipped out of the door and quickly made his way to Snape’s office.

He wasn’t sure what he wanted Snape for, but at a minimum he could get a potion to help him clear his head tonight.

He knocked softly on the Professors door before tucking his trembling fist back under his arm.

I hate you. Monster. You’re a monster.

“Mister Potter,” Snape said, opening the door. “Come in.”

Harry took a few shaky steps in to the Professors office and glanced around quickly to make sure it was just Snape.

“Have a seat, would you like a drink?”

Harry thought Snape’s voice sounded fuzzy, like there was something covering his own ears. He shook his head a few times, trying to displace whatever was distorting his hearing more than to answer the question.

“Sit,” Snape instructed gesturing towards a chair in front of his desk that Harry moved towards automatically.

“Are you injured?” Snape asked with his fuzzy voice.

Was he? Harry felt odd but not hurt so he shook his head again.

“Are the Weasley Twins alive?” Snape asked with a quirk of his brows.

Harry nodded quickly. He saw them leave. They were hurt but not dead.

Monster. I hate you. Monster.

Snape flicked his wand and Harry flinched away from him. He wasn’t ready for a fight. He didn’t want to hurt Snape. He wasn’t a monster.

I hate you.

“Drink,” Snape said pushing a vial he’d summoned towards Harry.

Harry glanced at the bottle then back up at Snape and hesitantly shook his head. It wasn’t the orange dreamless sleep that Snape made just for him and his mind felt too crowded to recognize what this light purple potion was.

“Calming Drought,” Snape said, pulling the vial back towards himself and taking a sip. “Just a calming drought Potter.”

Snape let Harry stare at him in silence for a couple of minutes before Harry slowly reached for the bottle and tipped it back all at once.

“Now, what can I help you with this evening?” Snape asked in a clear voice.

“You fixed my hearing. I thought it was a calming drought!” Harry accused, rubbing his now working ears.

“Was your hearing previously not working to its usual standards?” Snape asked.

“You know it wasn’t because you did something!” Harry snarled. He knew it was a mistake to trust any potions from anyone. He was an idiot.

Monster. You’re a monster. I hate you.

“I believe you were on the precipice of a panic attack,” Snape explained slowly in a calm tone. “It is not uncommon for your hearing or vision to be affected by this. As the Calming Drought lowers your heart rate it also impacts the fight, flight, freeze section of your brain and restores any panic induced symptoms.”

Harry straightened up in his chair and rolled his shoulders once to ease the tension in them.

“I was not having a panic attack,” he lied. “I was just mad.”

Snape didn’t call him out on his obvious lie but just leaned back in his own seat.

“Why were you angry?”

Harry shrugged, he wasn’t really mad. He didn’t know how explain what he was feeling.

“D’you think I’m a monster?” he asked instead.

“I do not,” Snape said evenly. “Do you believe you are a monster?”

Harry reached out for the desk and traced the wood grain with his thumbs.

You’re a monster.

“Ginny Weasley does,” he said.

“Do you?”

Harry shrugged.

“I could hurt you really badly,” he said quietly, not looking up at Snape. “I could probably kill you.”

“Would you?” Snape asked as casually as if they were discussing homework.

Harry thought about it and decided to answer honestly.

“If I needed to,” he said.

“But not because I am a bastard or because I irritate you by asking about your ‘feelings’?”

Harry glanced up and saw Snape’s eyes were warm and he looked completely calm.

“Probably not,” Harry conceded.

“Why does Ginevra Weasley believe you to be a monster?” Snape asked.

“I dunno,” Harry said, feeling more frustrated now. “I didn’t hurt her, I checked! She just said... said she hates me. And I’m- I’m a monster.”

Snape furrowed his brows together, “Did you grievously injure her Twin brothers?”

Harry cocked his head at the man, “How’d you know about that?”

“Surely you didn’t believe that the announcement of a rematch between Harry Potter and the Weasley Twins would stay a secret from the Professors,” Snape drawled, looking momentarily amused. “In fact, Minerva bet that they would win.”

“She’s daft then,” Harry said smugly. “I hope she lost a ton of money betting against me.”

Snape’s black eyes sparkled when he returned Harry’s satisfied look, “She did.”

Harry nearly laughed when he realized it must have been Snape she bet against.

“I digress though- did Ginevra witness you terrorizing her siblings during your duel?”

Harry thought back on the duel and shrugged. It was no worse than the first night had been and she’d been there for that too, hadn’t she?

“Not really,” he said. “I mean, they were bleeding a bit but they offered to be friends when it was over so if they didn’t hate me why would she?”

Snape looked surprised again.

“Little Genevra Weasley who barely speaks in class and gave you moon eyes during her sorting said she hates you and she believes you are a monster?”

Harry nodded, feeling sick having it repeated like that again.

“I hate you, you’re a monster,” he whispered. “That’s what she said. And- and what if she’s right? That’s what Dumbledore thinks too, right? That I’m evil and dark and a monster.”

Snape leaned over his desk slightly, his eyes growing intense as he stared in to Harry’s.

“Albus Dumbledore and Ginevra Weasley are imbeciles. I have told you this before and I will unfortunately likely have to repeat it multiple times throughout your life: people will always fear what they do not understand. Their gross misunderstanding of your nature does not change the nature of who you are.”

Harry broke their eye contact to look down at the desk again.

“The Dursley’s hated me and they kicked me out. I think...” Harry clenched his eyes shut as he confessed what had been weighing on him. “I think most people will hate me eventually. And then I’ll just be alone again, won’t I?”

“You believe I will eventually come to hate you and force you out of our home,” Snape said, once again showing his uncanny ability to guess Harry’s exact thoughts.

Harry jerked his head in a slight nod, keeping his eyes firmly closed. Snape could curse him for all he cares and it would probably be better than having to look at the man as he confessed this horrible weak vulnerability.

“Accio documents box,” Snape called quietly.

Harry slowly opened his eyes to see what Snape had summoned since it didn’t sound like he was continuing the conversation anymore.

Snape grabbed the black metal box that flew towards him and put it on his desk. He tapped it once with his wand and the top sprang open. Snape dug in the box, his hand entirely disappearing which made Harry believe the box was magically bigger on the inside than it was the outside, before pulling out a document.

“Gemino,” Snape said, tapping the document he just scrawled on and setting the newly formed copy to the side. He tapped the original three times with his wand and it disappeared.

Harry watched him do all of this silently, unsure what was going on. When he didn’t know what was going on it was always best to watch quietly.

“Here,” Snape offered Harry the duplicated parchment. “This is for you. The original has been filed with Gringotts.”

Harry slowly grabbed the parchment and stared uncomprehendingly at the first few lines.

“Title Deed for Spinner’s End Cottage in Cokeworth, United Kingdom?” he read slowly. “I don’t get it.”

Snape slowly tilted the parchment back towards himself and pointed at a line Harry hadn’t read yet.

“Owner, Harry James Potter.” His eyes flew up to Snape’s. “What the fuck?” he yelped. “You gave me your house?”

Snape nodded, calm as could be.

“I did. It is now your home and I would greatly appreciate it if you would allow me to continue residing there with you.”

Harry thrust the paper back at Snape.

“You can’t give me your house,” he sputtered. “It’s yours!”

“Actually it is now yours. And you can never be evicted from your own home.”

“You- you could have just said that, you didn’t need to give me the whole house!” Harry said, his mind reeling with Snape’s actions.

“Would you have believed me?” Snape asked.

Harry hesitated and that was all the answer Snape apparently needed.

“Of course you wouldn’t have. Why would you? You were evicted by your blood relatives, expelled from your school. Why would you believe you have finally found a permanent residence based solely on my word?”

Harry wanted to protest. He trusted Snape as much as he trusted Susan. More, probably. But... but he was right. Harry could be kicked out of anywhere at any time.

“Now you have a permanent residence that you can never be evicted from,” Snape said again. “The house is yours.”

Harry looked down again at the deed.

Mine, he thought with a fierce sort of happiness. Mine.

“I can pay you for it,” he offered quietly. “I’ve got loads of gold and Griphook said I’ll triple it before I graduate. I can pay you.”

Snape gave Harry an odd look.

“I spoke with Madame Bones yesterday and as she believes that my impending guardianship will be completed by the end of February- you should know that as my ward I would have left you my house in my will regardless. I require no payment.”

“But- wouldn’t you leave it to your Heirs?” Harry asked. “Mister Malfoy said that’s usually what people do.”

Snape gave Harry a wry grin, “Do you believe I am hiding my many biological heirs from you?”

Harry blushed and looked down again at the paper. “No sir,” he mumbled. “But I mean, you’re young, aren’t you? You could have some and they’d want your house, wouldn’t they?”

Snape snorted and Harry looked up and saw he was blushing faintly as well but looked terribly amused.

“Despite the young age you believe me to be, I am rather happy with my lack of miniature Snape spawns,” he said drily. “I apologize if I gave you the impression that I was a fan of children who are not you.”

Harry cracked a small grin.

“If they aren’t Gryffindors I think you’d be okay,” he said.

“As if I would create children that were any less than perfect Slytherins,” Snape said with a huff. “Perfect potion brewing Slytherins.”

“Potion brewing Slytherins who don’t get to inherit a house,” Harry said, shaking the deed again. “They’ll probably poison us, sir.”

“Which is precisely why I shall not be having any,”
Snape said lightly. “Merlin forbid if I have to continuously dodge poisoning attempts by my own offspring.”

Harry laughed and gave Snape a nervous smile.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly. “I can sign whatever you want so it’s your house again.”

Snape waved his hand and relaxed back in his chair.

“As I said- I would deeply appreciate not being evicted from our home, but I believe that is a much smaller concern than you eternally worrying that you must appease me in order to maintain a residence.”

Our home. Home.

“It’s really mine,” Harry whispered in awe. “My home. And nobody can take it from me?”

“They cannot,” said Snape. “It is yours. Which, is rather fitting seeing as you have already redecorated.”

Harry, who had came in the office feeling as if he were worth less than the dirt on the dungeon floors, gave a genuine smile at Snape.

Snape didn’t think he was a monster. Snape thought he was worth something. Thought he was worth a whole house in fact.

“Thank you sir,” he said. “I suppose I’ll let you live there still,” he added on with a thoughtful look.

“Gee, how could I ever repay such kindness?” Snape drawled.

Harry stood up and stretched his back out.

“Can I have the master bedroom then?” he asked with a smirk.

“Go to bed Potter,” Snape said, not unkindly. “I will remind you that while you are not a monster- you are a brat.”

Harry laughed on his way out of Snape’s office, clutching the deed tightly.

He looked down at it again as he walked slowly back to the dorm.

Mine.

73%

“Hermione and I are taking Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Runes as well,” Theo said. “She wanted to take all the electives though,” he added with a roll of his eyes.

“They could be important!” Hermione said defensively. “The classes determine what jobs you can get in the future!”

“Wait, really?” Harry asked. “How do you know what classes you’ll need for the job you want?”

Susan gave him a knowing smirk, “Take what you want Harry. Fudge only graduated with five NEWTS- there’s no specific courses for Minister of Magic.”

Harry grinned at her as he ticked the boxes for Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. He thought Divination would help him learn more about prophecies and Care of Magical Creatures would guarantee he’d have at least one class that probably wouldn’t require long essays to be written.

“You want to be the Minister of Magic?” Hermione asked in a strangled sort of voice.

Harry gave her a puzzled frown, “So what if I do? Why not, huh?”

“Merlin help us,” Theo muttered. “You’ll create an international war.”

Harry shrugged, “But we’d win.”

None of the other kids looked very reassured by that.

***

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Luna hummed, sitting across from Harry at the Slytherin table and sliding a chocolate frog to each of their group.

“Thanks Luna,” Blaise said with a grin. “Happy Valentine’s Day to you too.”

“This day is bloody mad,” Ron moaned, glancing around despairingly at the decorated Great Hall.

The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling. Ron and Draco were looking sickened, and Hermione and Susan seemed to have been overcome with giggles.

Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, was waving for silence at the Head Table. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. From where he sat, Harry could see a muscle going in Professor McGonagall’s cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro. Harry gave the man a broad grin when he glanced Harry’s way which earned him a very fierce scowl.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Lockhart shouted. “And may I thank the forty-four people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all — and it doesn’t end here!”

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

“What the fuck,” Harry hissed. “He did not force a dozen dwarfs to dress up for him.” He glared up at Lockhart before deciding to use this chance to learn more about dwarfs.

“That’s inhumane,” Susan gasped, losing her giggles in favor of gaping at the surly-faced dwarves.

“My friendly, card-carrying cupids!” beamed Lockhart. “They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn’t stop here! I’m sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I’ve ever met, the sly old dog! And while you’re at it, why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion?”

Harry stood up and gave a loud double whistle towards Professor Snape, who looked like he might try and force feed him poison.

“How do we get one of the dwarves alone to talk to us about their rights?” Harry asked Susan quietly as they left the hall.

He wasn’t sure he liked the mischievous sparkle in her eyes when she said she’d handle it.



All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers, and late that afternoon as Harry and his friends were walking upstairs for their afternoon classes, one of the dwarfs caught up with Harry.

“Oi, you! ’Arry Potter!” shouted a particularly grim-looking dwarf, elbowing people out of the way to get to Harry.

“Hey,” Harry called back. “I’ve been looking for you!”

“I’ve got a message to deliver to you,” the dwarf said, ignoring what Harry said.

“Er-“ Harry glanced around the packed corridor and felt his face heat up at the thought of getting a Valentine delivered to him in front of all the students, including all of his friends.

“Why don’t we talk in private? I wanted to ask you something,” he whispered instead, backing away slowly from the large crowd.

“I’ve got a musical message to deliver to ’Arry Potter in person,” he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.

“Not here,” Harry hissed, trying to back away while his friends stifled their laughter behind their hands.

“Stay still!” grunted the dwarf, grabbing hold of Harry’s bag and pulling him back.

“Let go of me!” Harry snarled, tugging.

With a loud ripping noise, his bag split in two. His books, wand, parchment, and quill spilled onto the floor and his ink bottle smashed over everything.
Harry scrambled around, trying to pick it all up before the dwarf started singing, causing something of a holdup in the corridor.

“What’s all this commotion?” came the familiar voice as Professor Snape arrived. Harry started stuffing everything feverishly into his ripped bag, desperate to get away before anyone could hear his musical valentine.

Losing his head, Harry tried to make a run for it, but the dwarf seized him around the knees and brought him crashing to the floor.

“Right,” he said, sitting on Harry’s ankles. “Here is your singing valentine:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
You wanted to talk to a dwarf,
So I brought one to you.”

Harry shoved the dwarf off him roughly and sent a harsh look behind him to his friends.

“I hate you,” he hissed at Susan.

“I’m- I’m- sorry,” she howled with laughter. “But now you- you can talk to him!”

Harry sent a look of red-faced fury at the now smug faced dwarf and shook his head.

“I hope Lockhart’s enslaved your whole race,” he said darkly.

“Class now! The bell has rang!” Snape barked at the loitering students who were still laughing at Harry’s misfortune.

Snape looked down at Harry and, traitorous bastard that he was, his lips twitched slightly with amusement.

“2 points to Hufflepuff,” he murmured.

“Bastard,” Harry whispered in Parsletongue.

“Brat,” Snape responded, correctly guessing Harry’s hiss.

On the way to Charms Harry glared at his still giggling housemates.

“New rule for the gang, if any of you sends me a singing valentine again I get to crucio you for seven minutes,” he snarled.

And that finally made them stop laughing.



“I’m so bored,” Draco whined in the library that evening.

“Then study,” Theo muttered distractedly, focused on his potions homework.

Draco ignored him and turned to Ron with a hopeful expression, “Wanna go fly?”

“Merlin yes,” Ron sighed, slamming his own book shut.

“Don’t come crying to us when you fail!” Hermione called after them as they ran from the library.

Harry looked longingly after them for a moment before slumping down in his seat. He really did need to study- he’d missed a lot while he was expelled and the end of the year exams wouldn’t make any exceptions for him.

He pulled a fresh parchment out and tried a second revision of his essay he owes Professor Sprout. He wrote a few sentences before stopping to shake out his hand. He glanced around the table at Hermione, Theo, Susan, Neville, and Luna who were all studying diligently.

Well, maybe not Luna. Luna was smiling down at her notebook with long pauses between her scrawls.

“What are you working on?” he asked her quietly.

“I’m writing to my pen pal,” she said, still smiling down at the notebook.

Harry glanced at Neville, who had also stopped working to watch Luna, and judged his confused face to mean he didn’t understand what that meant any more than Harry did.

“What’s a pen pal?” he asked Luna.

“A pen pal is a person who you exchange letters with and get to know better,” Hermione answered, as if on auto-pilot, still writing furiously on her parchment.

“Oh.” Harry looked back at Luna who was now giggling at the notebook softly. “Who’s your pen pal?”

Luna hummed and looked up to give Harry a wide eyed look.

“I don’t know,” she said airily. “I found him in Myrtles bathroom.”

“What?” Susan asked, looking up from her homework now as well. “You found a boy in the girls bathroom and you’re sending a letter to him?”

“Of course not,” Luna laughed again. “I found this,” she waved the little black book around, “in Myrtle’s bathroom and now I’m writing to the owner.”

“How do you know who owns it?” Neville asked her.

“Because he writes back to me in it.”

“What?” Theo looked sharply at Luna. “The owner of the book is writing back to you in it?”

Luna nodded and opened the book back up.

“Watch,” she said.

The other five kids leaned in closely and watched as Luna wrote on the page:

“My friends say hello.”

After a moment the ink disappeared, seemingly sucked in to the page itself. Then suddenly-

“Hello Luna’s friends, what are your names?” appeared in the same color ink that Luna had used.

“Brill,” Harry said excitedly. “We should get notebooks like that!”

“That’s not a normal charm though,” Theo said slowly, giving a look to an equally perplexed looking Hermione. “I’ve never heard of a notebook that works like that.”

“I bet you could make some Harry!” Susan said, her eyes were lit up with just as much excitement as Harry’s were. “Then we could all message each other during classes!”

“Classes are for learning,” Hermione and Theo said at the same time before Hermione blushed and picked her textbook back up.

“Well for the summer then,” Susan said with a roll of her eyes. “They’d be really useful to have!”

“I dunno what kind of spells or charms I’d need though,” Harry said, eyeing the little black book carefully.

“You can borrow this one and try and copy it,” Luna offered helpfully. “I don’t mind. Someone threw it at Myrtle trying to get rid of it so really I don’t own it anyway.”

“Thanks Luna, I’ll give it back when I’m done.”

Harry slid the little black book in his backpack and thought maybe if he couldn’t figure it out tonight then Snape might have some ideas.

Harry sat on his four-poster after his dorm mates were asleep that night and flicked through the blank pages of the black book. Not a single page had a trace of ink on it despite Luna having wrote in it the last couple of days. He pulled a new bottle out of his bedside cabinet, dipped his quill into it, and dropped a blot onto the first page of the diary.

The ink shone brightly on the paper for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished, just as it did for Luna. Harry loaded up his quill a second time and wrote, “What kind of magic is this?”

The words shone momentarily on the page and they, too, sank without trace.

Oozing back out of the page, in his very own ink, came words Harry had never written.

“I am a diary, a preservation of memories from my time at Hogwarts. Who is this?”

Harry debated for a moment before carefully writing, “My name is James. What’s yours?”

The ink was absorbed then came back in new words once again.

“Hello James. My name is Tom Riddle.”

“Oh Luna, you mad, mad witch,” he murmured, recognizing the name immediately. “You can’t just be penpals with the Dark Lord.”

76%
Severus turned to the six other students who were now making their ways towards their beds since Hurricane Potter seemed to have calmed.

“Did one of you take the book?” he asked sharply, eyeing each boy closely as they answered back negatively.

Severus believed they were being truthful.

“Draco, go inform Williams to gather the Slytherin students in the common room, immediately.”

Draco nodded and took off down stairs. Severus gestured towards the other loitering boys.

“Did I somehow stutter? Go. Immediately.”

Severus waited until it was only him and Potter before he kneeled down beside the child.

“We can replace your clothing,” he said gently. “You likely needed a new wardrobe soon regardless.”

Potter looked up at him and Severus could see that he was still furious.

“It’s not the point,” he said. “The point is that this stuff is mine and someone tore it up. It is mine.”

Severus took a steadying breath and reminded himself that it is not uncommon for children who owned nothing to be possessive over the things they do own.

“Was your camera fixed?” he asked instead, hoping to calm Potter by the proof that his important possessions were repaired.

*FLASH*

Severus had to blink back spots of white as he realized Potter had just taken his photo.

“Suppose so,” the little demon smirked. “I bet that’ll be a good picture.”

“If I ever see it I will break your camera myself,” he told him.

Potter just shrugged before gently placing the camera back in his trunk and standing.

“How will you find out who did this?” he asked.

“I am hoping to terrify someone in to ratting out the culprit,” Severus told him. “Slytherin’s have a remarkable strength for self preservation. Loyalty is much a Hufflepuff trait.”

Potter gave him a small grin, “Brill. Let’s go scare some students.”

Severus nearly laughed at the confident stride Potter made on his way to the dormitory door.

“I will terrify the students. You will remain quiet,” he stressed. “I will not be accused of favoritism when I inevitably punish the urchin who destroyed your belongings.”

Potter gave him a small grin as he walked down the stairs to the common room.

“But I am your favorite,” he called back teasingly.

“I have never said that,” Severus lied. “Nor will I ever say it out loud.”

He was feeling rather pleased with himself as Potter joined his friends, looking marginally more calm than he had when Severus found him. Severus thought he deserved an Order of Merlin for learning small ways to calm the temperamental boy.

“Attention!” Severus shot his wand off with a bang and a puff of green smoke, effectively silencing the whispering students. He looked around the room, particularly towards the older students, one of whom he was sure had done this, and attempted to make eye contact with each one.

“I am exceedingly disappointed in one of you,” he said quietly in a cool voice. “A students property has been vandalized, destroyed, and stolen.” He watched the older Slytherins carefully as he said this, there were a few sympathetic glances towards Potter, but no signs of guilt.

“While Gryffindor may be the house known best for bravery- I did not expect one of my own to behave so cowardly.”

Still no reactions from any of the suspects he had originally suspected. He glanced swiftly amongst the other students and saw that amongst the looks of both fear and sympathy towards a now silently fuming Potter, Ginevra Weasley was glaring at him.

What is that girls problem with Potter?!

Severus was still rather irate that her words had caused Potter to spiral in to a panic attack.

“She just said... said she hates me. And I’m- I’m a monster.”

Perhaps the famous Boy-Who-Lived was not living up to her fantasies. Pity.

“Once I discover the culprit responsible you will be serving detention for the remainder of your educational career,” he said, ice lacing his tone.

Potter suddenly hissed something incomprehensible in Parsletongue. It didn’t take a Parslemouth to understand that it was a much more effective threat than what Severus had said. Many of the student surrounding Potter, aside from his own friends, inched away from him immediately.

It was nearly amusing to see the smallest student in the room causing the others to cower away from him by just a single hiss.

“Thank you Mister Potter,” he sighed. “It would be terribly regretful if I were to leave finding the culprit in your very vindictive hands.”

A few more students exchanged uneasy glances at Severus’ words. He made light eye contact with them all again.

“If any of you have any information you would like to share, I will be in my office. If I discover that any of you were aware of this act of cowardly vandalism and theft and did not report it then you will share equal punishment with the culprit.”

He gave them all another severe look before dismissing them and calling for Potter to follow him to his office.

As soon as they were seated in his office he looked hard at Potter.

“I would like for you to immediately explain to me every last detail about the book that was stolen from your belongings.”

Potter nodded and immediately launched in to his tale.

“Luna found a little book and was writing in it. And I asked her what it was, didn’t I? And she said it was a pen pal and Hermione said-“

Severus cut him off, “I am aware of what a pen pal is, I do not require the lengthy and detailed explanation that I am sure Miss Granger gave you.”

Potter curled his lip slightly as he glared at Severus.

“Mione just said that it was a person you exchanged letters with to get to know better, sir,” Potter said harshly.

‘Loyalty is much a Hufflepuff trait,’ he’d said. It was remarkable Potter did not sort there with as prepared as he always was to go to war for his friends.

Well. It wasn’t truly surprising. Hufflepuff is generally though to be hard working, fair, loyal, and gentle. Potter was only one for four.

“I apologize at the implied slight to Miss Granger,” he said evenly. “Please continue with the story of this book.”

Potter gave him a skeptical look before nodding and continuing.

“Well Luna said she found the book in Myrtles bathroom, someone threw it in there. And she said she could write in it and the owner would write back. So I thought that was brill and wanted to make some like it, for my gang, you know? And she said I could take the book to try and copy it and I wrote in it asking what kind of magic it was and they said: ‘I am a diary, a preservation of memories from my time at Hogwarts.’”

Potter took a deep breath, “And then they asked what my name was and I lied, because I’m not an idiot, am I? Said it’s James. And they said ‘Hello James. My name is Tom Riddle.’”

Severus sucked in a harsh breath. Potter gave him a small grin and shifted his eyes away in a move that Severus is beginning to recognize as guilt.

“And?” he drawled.

“And, sir? And nothing,” Potter blinked at him in what he must have believed to be a look of innocence.

“Potter,” he growled. “I would like the rest of the story, immediately.”

Potter shrugged lightly, “And then I said ‘Hello Tom Riddle, I’m going to kill you one day’ and then I closed the book up and put it in my trunk to give it to you, didn’t I?”

For the love of God.

“Potter,” Severus groaned, rubbing his face wearily. “Can you name five people who you have not threatened to kill at least once?”

“Mavis, Luna, Susan... no wait not Susan...” Potter squinted off in the distance. “Have I actually said I’d kill you to you? Because I can’t remember.”

“You have,” Severus said shortly. “How long did Miss Lovegood had that book in her possession before she relinquished it to you?”

“I’m not sure, not long I don’t think,” Potter shrugged uneasily. “But she didn’t know what it was, did she? So she shouldn’t be in trouble.”

“I am not asking because I believe she did something wrong, I am asking because it is undoubtedly an incredibly dark object that could have harmed her.”

Potter suddenly looked up at Severus wide eyed, “Hurt her? I-I didn’t think it would have hurt her.” Potter bit his lip for a moment and glanced around uneasily.

“Can you check on her?” he asked quietly.

Severus absolutely did not preen internally at the realization that Potter trusted him to check on the health of one of his closest friends.

“I will,” he said solemnly. “Miss Lovegood is in my class first thing tomorrow and I will check on her then.”

Potter slumped in relief and gave him a curt nod.

“Thank you sir,” he said politely.

“It is my duty as a Professor to care for the well-being of all students,” he said. “Not just the Slytherins.”

Potter grinned lightly before looking thoughtful.

“D’you think you can help me make some for my gang? Where we can talk to each other? That’s what I wanted your help with.”

“You were going to trade a diary imbued with the memories and thoughts of the Dark Lord for notebooks that you can communicate with your friends during classes?” he asked incredulously.

‘It’s a real riddle to me’.

Severus groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping the hold back the migraine he could feel building.

Potter’s cheek very well may lead to his death one day. Severus briefly thanked the Sorting Hat for giving him Potter- he would never have been able to handle the cheeky brat if he were not originally forced to.

“‘It’s a real riddle to me,’” he grit out through his now clenched jaw. “Potter, for fucks sake, do you have a death wish?”

Severus could hear the grin in Potter’s voice as he casually replied, “I have no idea what you mean Professor. But riddle me this, how did Voldemort put his memories in a diary? And how did it send messages?”

Against his will Severus felt his lips twitch so he lowered his hand and looked at Potter’s smirking face.

“Without examining the book I truly have no idea,” Severus grimaced at the sobering thought. It could be a prank or it could be an incredibly dark artifact lose in a castle full of children.

“But I wrote in it and I’m fine, so Luna will be fine too, right?”

“I have never lied to you before and I will not do so now,” Severus said carefully. “While I believe that Miss Lovegood will likely be fine, I can not know for sure until I speak with her tomorrow.”

Potter stood and gave Severus a look that was much too grim and serious for a child his age.

“If she’s not then I need you to come find me, sir. Luna is one of mine and I can’t help her if I don’t know if somethings wrong.”

Severus inclined his head in silent agreement, he would never agree with a child’s demands out loud, and Potter wished him a good night.

Once he was alone Severus talked himself out of bringing the idea of a cursed diary to Albus. No doubt that Potter would somehow be blamed for it and Severus did not know if he would be able to handle another crisis of that magnitude again this year.

He also thought very carefully about Potter’s words.

‘Luna is one of mine.’

‘This stuff is mine’.

Perhaps the boy would never have been a candidate for Hufflepuff. Was Potter fiercely loyal to his friends or incredibly possessive?

Severus occluded the reminder of the Dark Lord’s own penchant for possessive behavior right out of his mind. Potter was cruel, vindictive, powerful, and perhaps even possessive. But he was no mad man. And if he was, then Severus supposed the Wixen World had both Albus and Riddle himself to blame.

What is a child aside from what they are molded to be?

77%

“Miss Lovegood I would like you to remain behind for a moment,” Severus called lightly towards the end of his first year Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff class.

Lovegood did not respond aside from a slight nod as she intently scrubbed her cauldron free of any remaining potion. Severus admired her technique for a moment- she truly seemed to have an innate understanding of the multitude of ways that potion accidents could happen. He had high hopes that the girl would continue with his course to her NEWT year.

After the bell rang Lovegood smiled up at Severus from her desk.

“Yes Professor?”

Severus had watched her carefully throughout class and had not noticed any obvious differences in her. She spoke in the same airy tone she always used, she moved with her usual waltz-like grace, and she brewed as impeccably as she always had.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

If it had been any other student Severus may have been more subtle, more cunning, more sly. But with Lovegood he could tap dance a polka and the witch could tell every individual within the castle and not a single soul, save Potter perhaps, would believe her. It was cruel and unfair, but useful for his current needs.

“I’m content,” she smiled. “How are you feeling Professor Snape?”

“I am also content, thank you.” Severus truly was fond of this mad little honest witch. “Mister Potter informed me that you had found a diary where you were conversing with a boy named Tom Riddle?”

Lovegood nodded, “I think poor Tom is very lonely. He didn’t seem to have any friends.”

Severus nearly choked at the declaration that the diary imbued with the Dark Lord’s teenaged memories was ‘very lonely’.

“He reminds me of Harry,” Lovegood hummed.

Which, actually did cause Severus to choke on his own saliva.

Dear God.

“Pardon me,” Severus cleared his throat. “How so?”

Lovegood suddenly looked intensely in in Severus’ eyes and he was caught in her light silver glow.

“Don’t you see it?” she whispered. “He’s so angry and alone and he’s going to change the world.”

Severus felt a tremor of unease at her declaration. He felt a shade of magic accompany her words- as if she was either willing her words to be true or magic had already declared it to be so.

“Potter is- remarkable,” he acquiesced. “However, I wish to discuss you. Have you felt different at all since speaking with... Tom?”

Luna blinked a few times and her once piercing eyes returned to their typical dreamy stare, as if they were looking right through everyone.

“No Professor, I feel just like I always do. Though, I suppose that’s much different than most people.”

Severus studied her carefully once more before accepting that she did not seem to have any lingering side effects from her encounter with whatever the item may have been.

“Very well Miss Lovegood, I shall write you a pass for your next class.”

Luna gave him a soft smile as she accepted the pass and left his office.

‘He reminds me of Harry.’

‘He’s going to change the world.’

***

“Severus, my dear boy, have you been withholding information from me?”

Severus looked up as Albus came in to his office on the last night of February. It was nearly unprecedented for the Headmaster to meet with the Professors outside of his own office. Albus’ flashing blue of his eyes had Severus discreetly flicking his wand in to his hand.

“I’m afraid I do not understand what you are talking about Albus,” he said carefully. He checked his mental barriers to ensure that Albus was unable to find any of the multitude of things that Severus was currently hiding from him.

Albus stood in front of his desk, looking much like the feared Leader of the Light, as he gazed at Severus with disappointment.

“Explain this then,” he said, his tone even but laced with ice. Albus placed a newspaper on the desk top. Severus took it as an opportunity to move to his own feet. It would do no good to appear as if he were opposing Albus intentionally, but it was just as poor of a decision to remain seated while the air was thick with tension.

He slowly pulled the paper towards himself, keeping all of his senses apart from his vision, focused on the powerful threat in the room.

DAILY PROPHET TOP STORY:
The Boy-Who-Got-A-Guardian!
The writers for the Daily Prophet are happy to announce to the Wizarding World that one of our journalists was able to uncover that the newly formed guardianship for Harry Potter was approved yesterday. Our Wizarding Hero is an official ward of Hogwarts Potion Master, Severus Snape.
Severus Snape, formerly accused Death Eater and exonerated spy for the light, filed for guardianship for Harry Potter mid-January and the Ministry rushed to ensure it was completed once Mister Potter requested it himself.
“Of course I trust Mister Snape with Harry!” Minister Fudge said during the unannounced and closed court hearing. “Snape has proven to be a brave man who has assisted multiple children from abusive families to find safe residences. Our dear lad is in safe hands with Mister Snape.”
We at the Daily Prophet would like to be the first to congratulate Mister Snape and Mister Potter on their newly formed guardianship.
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter for more updates on the Boy-Who-Lived.
-Daily Prophet Authors

Severus saw the date on the newspaper was listed for tomorrow.

“I reached out to an old friend and requested advance previews of the paper to be kept ahead of any impending news that might impact our school,” Albus said, seeing where Severus’ gaze had flicked. “I admit I am curious to know why you were granted guardianship of the boy and did not come to tell me.”

Severus desperately wished he could say that it was because he had not yet been officially informed. Especially if the hearing had only ended hours ago, as the article seemed to indicate.

“Madame Bones told me that Potter requested me as a guardian and I accepted,” he said calmly, meeting Albus’ eyes and willing him to accept it as the truth. “I did not know if it would go through with my past and I was unwilling to share the information if it may have been fruitless.”

“And you believed it to be so unimportant that I would not want to know?” Albus asked, gracefully sinking in to a seat across from Severus.

Severus weighed his words very carefully.

“I admit that I believed you would be pleased if Potter was placed me with rather than an unknown family whose loyalties may have been less clear.”

He knew Albus would misinterpret him. Severus’ own loyalties had been made very clear the night that Lily died. He had sworn a vow to protect Potter from all threats even at the risk of his own death. He made no such vow about Albus himself nor the supposed ‘Light Side’.

Albus appeared thoughtful so Severus also slowly sat in his own seat. He kept his wand firmly grasped though. This conversation could go a number of ways.

“I assumed you would be willing to take up your previous position when Voldemort returns one day,” Albus said, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t see how that could be possible when our whole world will be aware of the boys placement with you by morning.”

Severus inclined his head in acknowledgment. “That does pose a rather large obstruction to that plan.”

Internally Severus was practically shouting with glee. He would never again be forced in to his role as a double agent. He could atone for his mistakes by ensuring Potter’s continued survival and more than that- he would ensure Potter actually lived. He hoped that Lily would find that a more worthwhile goal than playing spy and passing secrets.

“It is a blow to our side Severus,” Albus said grimly. “I do not know if we will find another person so trusted by Voldemort to come to us willingly.”

Severus thought of Regulus Black, Barty Crouch, and Evan Rosier- all previous Death Eaters, all victims of abusive families, and all dead. He considered all of his students who he has had to help escape abusive homes with no assistance from Albus.

“Perhaps we will if we try harder to connect with the students who would be most likely to be drafted by the Dark Lord,” he said lightly.

“We may be able to find another to take over the boys guardianship and prevent this press release from airing at all,” Albus said with a frown, ignoring Severus’ statement altogether. “Molly Weasley would be thrilled to take in the boy. Or perhaps even Remus Lupin? You would only have to sign the consenting forms.”

“No.”

Albus raised his white brows in surprise as he finally truly looked at Severus.

“I’m sorry my boy, what?”

Severus clenched his wand tightly beneath his desk as he stared in to Albus’ eyes.

“I said no. I will not relinquish guardianship of Potter. I made a vow to protect the child and I believe it supersedes any need of me to return to the Dark Lord, who may not accept me regardless after all this time. Potter stays with me.”

Albus’ tone dropped several degrees as he coldly asked, “And if I say that this decision will end your career here? Will end your protection by me?”

Severus forced himself to remain calm. Albus’ legal protection was no longer needed now that Severus had been vouched for by the Minister of Magic, no doubt thanks to Potter himself. And he could find another career easily with such a recommendation, despite his prior affiliations.

Severus forced a blasé mask to cover his features. “Then I shall withdraw Potter and we will leave,” he said. “I will not allow him to remain a student in a school I am not welcome in.”

Albus’ cold demeanor defrosted almost immediately. Severus could almost believe his soft smile was genuine if he had not always been so expressive with his eyes.

“My boy, there is no need for that. Of course you will remain here, this was just a shock. In time perhaps we will see that this was the wise decision. Certainly no one could teach Potter to walk the right side more than you.”

Albus reached across the desk and patted Severus’ hand with a gentle fondness in the lines of his face. The lack of a single sparkle in his eyes belied his grandfatherly actions.

Albus stood and gave Severus another (false) smile.

“I hope that you are prepared to protect the boy. He seems to require it more than most.”

Severus stared at the empty doorway long after Albus departed.

‘I hope you are prepared to protect the boy’ was rather ominous.

Severus glanced down at the paper and allowed himself to finally let out a small pleased smile, despite Albus’ manipulations. Potter was a menace, a hurricane of chaos, and a magnet for destruction and violence. And he was Severus’ to protect and guide and follow.

And there was not a damn thing anyone could do about it now.

Severus carefully placed the paper in his desk drawer and checked the time. He scowled when he saw that it was much too late to find Potter and inform him of the official approval.

He would just go find the child in the morning before breakfast so that Potter does not find out through the morning news.

No problem.

When in Potter’s entire life, ever, has he made anything simple for Severus?

Never. Not once.

Severus had went to the Slytherin room, hoping to find Potter before breakfast only to be informed by Ronald Weasley that his insomniac ward had left ‘ages ago’.

Severus scoured the halls searching for Potter and the closer to eight it got the more worried Severus was. Surely the world would not be so cruel to force Potter to find out that his guardianship had changed through the Merlin damned newspaper.

He eventually had to succumb and enter the Great Hall where he lurked discreetly behind the banners. His eyes immediately went to the Slytherin table which was filled with whispers and gossip and flickering gazes aimed toward... Potter.

Potter who was hunched down in his seat and was being whispered to by Susan Bones.

“Marialos,” Severus murmured, placing an effective eavesdropping spell in place.

“-going to be different,” Miss Bones whispered. “He’s not like your Uncle.”

“Shut up,” Potter hissed. “You don’t know anything.”

“Then why are you upset?” Bones whispered back, showing an act of bravery to the point of foolishness.

“I’m not,” Potter clearly lied. “I’m fucking happy. I’m fine.”

“This is wicked,” Ronald Weasley said loudly. “The Heir of Slytherin now the ward of the Head of Slytherin?” He shook his head and laughed boisterously.

“I gotta go,” Potter declared, standing abruptly. “I need to check on Sevvie before class.”

Severus quickly made his way out of the Hall and followed along behind Potter until they were alone in the corridor.

“Potter, I wanted to speak with you,” he called.

Potter spun around and had such an effectively blank face that Severus was worried he was overly Occluding again.

“Professor,” the child said neutrally. “Good morning.”

Severus ignored his attempt at feigned nonchalance.

“I did not know until late last night. I regret that the newspaper was able to infiltrate the hearing and broke the news before Amelia informed us.”

Potter gave him a faint grin and shrugged, “It’s fine. It’s done now, right?”

Severus very slowly stepped closer to him, “It is done but... if you regret your choice in guardian I have the power to undo it.”

Potter looked up sharply at that and Severus quickly corrected himself, “Which I would only do at your request. No other reason at all would compel me.”

If the Headmasters veiled threat and or the target it painted on his back with the Dark Lords followers could not sway him- nothing would.

“Brill sir,” Potter said calmly. “This’ll be brill.”

“‘Brill’,” Severus repeated impassively. “Potter- you don’t need to hide from me.”

Potter gave him another joyless smile.

“I’m not hiding. It’ll be brill.”

Severus watched as Potter turned in a different direction of the owlery and walked off.

Severus was clearly doing excellent as the now official guardian of Harry Potter.

‘Brill’, indeed.