average human’s Reviews > Sectumsempra > Status Update

He snatched the book out of her hands and read the passage himself.

“Why do you think it’s a basilisk?” he asked with a curious look.

“It fits!” Hermione whispered. “It must be very old to have been around fifty years ago when Myrtle died and to have been Slytherins personal monster! And remember how we heard Hagrid telling Professor Sprout about his roosters being killed? What if that was the Heir making sure they couldn’t accidentally kill the Basilisk?!”

“But if anyone looked in the basilisks eyes they would be dead, not petrified,” Theo said logically.

“Not if they didn’t look directly in its eyes,” Hermione said, thinking quickly. “No one must have looked it straight in the eye, don’t you see? Colin saw it through his camera. The basilisk burned up all the film inside it, but Colin just got Petrified. Justin must have seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast of it, but he’s a ghost so couldn’t die again! And Cheyenne was found beside that big mirror on the fourth floor, what if she only saw the basilisk in the reflection?”

Theo’s eyes went glassy and he stared through Hermione for a moment, like he did when he was thinking hard, before he gasped.

“You’re a genius!” he said. “You’ve done it!!”

Hermione beamed at her friend and pulled on his hand.

“Let’s go tell the others!!”



“You guys! Hermione is a genius!”

Their friends looked up from the intense game of... poker?... as Theo and Hermione ran up to them in the Slytherin common room.

“Are you playing poker?” she asked them curiously, forgetting about her discovery for a moment. “I didn’t know you knew how to play. I love poker!”

Harry gave her a small smirk, “I taught Draco over the summer, didn’t I? Blaise already knew how to play-“

Blaise grinned, “Stepfather number four was something of a card shark.”

“- and Ron’s a quick study,” Harry said.

“Luna, Neville, and I aren’t playing,” Susan added on. “It looks terribly complicated.”

“Oh it’s not! It’s easy!” Hermione assured her. “You just have to learn the different hands and learn which hands trump which and learn the different suits and-“

Neville laughed at her rambling enthusiasm, “I think Hermione easy and average people easy are two different things.”

Hermione smiled at what she was pretty sure was a compliment.

“Never mind that,” Theo said shortly, narrowing his eyes slightly at Neville. “Hermione and I have something to tell you guys!!”

Hermione and Theo quickly sat down and showed everyone else the page in the book they had checked out. Hermione added on her theory on how each attack must have happened.

“A basilisk?” Ron whispered, horrified. “But those are supposed to be all but extinct... and huge! How would it be able to get around the castle?”

Hermione struggled to think of a logical answer, but Theo found it, “The pipes! I bet it’s going through the pipes in the walls! That’s why Harry heard it but didn’t see it!”

“That sounds amazing,” Harry sighed wistfully. “Can you imagine what all we could do with a pet basilisk?”

“No!” Draco jumped to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at Harry. “You are not going to adopt a basilisk that could kill us with only its eyes!”

Harry glanced at Susan who, thankfully, shook her head gently. Hermione has been momentarily worried that the other witch would encourage Harry to try and find it to keep as a pet. She could be just as impulsive and insane as he was sometimes.

“Fine,” Harry crossed his arms and slumped down sullenly. “This is the tornado of inferi all over again,” he glared at Draco who had returned to his seat. “One day I’m going to have something amazing like that and you’re going to be so jealous.”

“Tornado of inferi?” Hermione whispered to Theo.

“Best not to ask,” he whispered back.

She nodded, quickly agreeing. Her and Theo had stayed up all night one night over Christmas break reading about Muggle Psychology. Theo had been fascinated by the subject as Wixen had no equivalent areas of study. They had realized when they read about some of the more severe diagnoses that Harry was probably more than just mad; he was probably actually clinically insane.

He was still their friend, and they loved him, but he was crazy, and had crazy ideas, and a pet basilisk or a tornado of inferi sounded just like the type of mad thing he would try and pursue.

“How do you kill a basilisk, besides using the crow a rooster?” Neville asked hesitantly.

“We can’t kill it!” Draco said. “Basilisks are incredibly rare! Potions that use their venom are worth as much as my family home!”

“So a dead basilisk would be worth more than an alive one,” Susan pointed out.

“Brill, let’s kill it then.”

Hermione gaped at Harry.

“I thought you didn’t care if Muggleborns were being petrified,” she said stiffly.

“Mione,” Harry’s green eyes looked momentarily hurt. “I didn’t say it like that. I wouldn’t care if it was purebloods that were being petrified either. You know that I don’t care about that bloodline nonsense.”

“I don’t want anyone to be attacked,” she argued. “Just because you don’t care about anyone else doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t.”

“Who says I don’t care about anyone else?” Harry said, now looking angry. “What did any of those other students do for me, huh? Creevey was trying to sneak in to the Hospital Wing to take my photo while I was regrowing the bones in my arm. Justin practically called me a murderer in front of the whole bloody school, and I wasn’t even here for that Ravenclaw girl! Why should I care if they’re frozen or not? I didn’t see any of them speaking up defending me when the whole fuckin’ school was against me!”

Harry no longer looked hurt, he looked furious. Susan reached over to him and grabbed one of his hands gently, which he almost immediately shook off, still glaring darkly at Hermione. Hermione swallowed hard and glanced at Theo for backup.

“Hermione didn’t mean it like that,” Theo said immediately. “She’s just worried. Who knows who the Heir might attack next? It sounds like it’s just luck that it’s only petrified the other students.”

Harry still looked angry but less so now.

“If just one more person got attacked though we could be rid of Dumbledore,” he said. “That’s all I want- one more attack.”

“See!” Hermione cried, unable to keep silent at such a callous remark. “This is what I mean! You shouldn’t hope for another attack! You should be helping us find the Heir!”

Harry stared hard at her and Theo, his eyes flicking quickly between the two of them.

“I thought we agreed that we weren’t going to get involved with the Heir,” he said slowly.

The other students were all quietly watching the disagreement. Except Luna, who was whispering to the thin air because she was just as mad as Harry and Susan sometimes.

“We didn’t agree to anything,” Hermione said. “You said you weren’t getting involved but I still want to know who is attacking the students that are like me.”

All at once Harry, who had looked tightly coiled and ready for a fight, relaxed and gave Hermione a lazy smile.

“Mione nothing is going to happen to you. You’re the smartest witch in the whole fuckin’ castle, aren’t you? No measly basilisk is a match for you.”

Hermione would have called Harry out for his language except she was blushing just a bit at his words. Theo coughed lightly and rolled his eyes.

“I still say we should kill the basilisk,” he said.

“Hear, hear,” Ron called with a grin.

“Harry, can we?” Susan asked, turning her pouting puppy dog eyes on Harry. “Think of all the potions Professor Snape could make with the venom.”

At the mention of Professor Snape Harry tensed up. Hermione and Theo exchanged glances again. They’d compared notes and knew that ever since Harry’s guardianship had been officially cleared there’d been something weird going on between the two of them. But Harry wasn’t the sharing type, so they agreed to just keep watching. Susan was constantly encouraging Harry to talk with her about it, but the Slytherin boy was stubbornly silent, insisting that nothing was wrong, he was thrilled about the guardianship, and he was fine.

Which was such a lie that Hermione nearly scoffed every time she heard it. Harry Potter was a lot of things, but she didn’t think he’d ever been ‘fine’ a day in his life.

“We aren’t killing the basilisk right now or finding the Heir as long as they leave us alone and that is that,” he hissed. “We need the basilisk alive long enough to attack one more student so we can be rid of Dumbledore.”

The rest of the kids seemed to shiver at the way the room felt colder when Harry said that.

They all went silent and after a few moments until Ron picked his cards back up with a pointed grin towards the other boys.

“Well if we aren’t killing a basilisk then are we gonna play cards or not?”

“We should be revising,” Hermione insisted, happier with the topic change since Harry looked more relaxed now that he’d picked up his own cards.

“It’s only March,” Draco said. “We still have eons until exams.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled a book out of her bag.

“I’ll study with you,” Theo offered.

“Me too,” said Neville with a shy smile. “I could use all the help I can get.”

“I’ll help you,” Theo said quickly.

Hermione smiled at Theo, he was always so quick to help Neville with his studies. Sometimes she was confused how Theo didn’t end up in Ravenclaw with her. It would have been nice to have someone to sit in the tower with for quiet study sessions in front of the fireplace. Luna certainly never wanted to work with her.

They studied quietly for a few minutes while the other boys played poker and Susan whispered with Luna.

“If you were going to kill the basilisk though, how would you do it?” Blaise asked. Harry glared at him and the Italian boy raised his hands with a smile. “I know we aren’t going to, but I was just thinking you’d probably have to cut it’s head off right? That’s how snakes are killed. But it’s supposed to be huge so I bet it’s got thick skin.”

“So we’d use a sword,” Ron snorted.

“A regular sword won’t cut through basilisk hide,” Draco said haughtily. “And we shouldn’t be talking about killing it at all. They’re all but extinct.”

Theo seemed to be drawn in to the conversation, “What about a goblin made sword? If they can cut through dragon hide then they can cut Basilisks.”

“Who is cutting open dragons?” Draco shrieked. “You shouldn’t just go around cutting open innocent animals!”

“Draco’s right,” Luna said softly. “Dragons can be quite sweet if you treat them gently.”

Hermione stared incredulously at Luna.

“Sweet? Luna are you insa-“

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Harry said quietly, staring down at the cards in his hands.

Hermione huffed but picked her book back up. Honestly if it weren’t for Theo then she’d think all the kids in this school were completely insane.

Everyone returned to their previous activity, the conversation about killing a basilisk, or dragon, seemingly over until Harry hummed thoughtfully as he moved some of his chips in to the pot.

“I’d borrow Draco’s dads sword,” he said thoughtfully. “He said it was goblin made, didn’t he? It looked wicked on his wall.” Harry got another wistful look in his eyes and Draco gave him an exasperated look.

“You already have a knife,” he said.

Harry shrugged, “Yeah but a sword would be way cooler, wouldn’t it?”

“It really would,” Ron agreed. “Imagine if the supposed Heir of Slytherin was walking around with a bloody giant sword.”

The rest of the kids, except Susan, exchanged cautious looks.

“I bet Mister Malfoy would loan it to me,” Harry muttered.

Draco’s suddenly pale face all but confirmed it. Hermione hoped that he would write to his father immediately and make sure he never sent Harry a sword.

Harry was dangerous enough with a little pocketknife and his ridiculous amount of magical power. The last thing Harry needed was an actual sword. He’d decapitate someone just to test its sharpness.

***

Towards the end of March Hermione was starting to slightly regret becoming friends with as many Quidditch fanatics as she had.

Exams were only six weeks away and all they seemed to care about was the upcoming Slytherin-Ravenclaw match.

“Tomorrows winners get the Quidditch House Cup,” Ron explained, as if that made it okay to not study.

“Exams are more important than a silly trophy,” she said back tersely.

Theo gave her a sympathetic look but kept quietly reading his textbook and eating his dinner.

“Harry you have to eat more,” Draco was nagging. “You cannot faint on the pitch!”

“I’m not going to faint,” Harry sneered. He quickly glanced up at the Head Table before picking at his mash. “I’m not hungry.”

“You’d feel better if you’d just talk to him,” Susan muttered.

“Mind your own business,” Harry snapped.

The other kids all stared slack-jawed at Harry before quickly turning their attention back to their own plates. Harry never talked to Susan like that. They were usually like two halves of the same mad brain.

“You said this is what you wanted,” Susan said. “So quit being stupid and just go tell him how you’re feeling.”

Harry leapt to his feet and leaned down in to Susan’s face.

“I do not need to go talk about my ‘feelings’,” he said nastily. “You don’t know anything.”

Hermione watched as Harry stalked out of the hall. She looked up at the Head Table and saw that Professor Snape was watching him as well and had a peculiar expression on his usually expressionless face. Almost like he was sad... but also confused?

Susan just looked sad.

“He’s not handling things well,” she said softly.

“I thought he wanted to live with Snape?” Neville said quietly.

“He does,” Susan sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“Did Harry tell you why he’s upset?” Hermione asked hesitantly. Susan wouldn’t tell her anything if she thought Hermione was just being nosy about Harry. But Hermione had seen how odd Harry had been lately and she was concerned. He was her friend too.

“He doesn’t have to say anything,” Susan said cryptically, getting to her feet. “You just have to pay attention to what he doesn’t say.”

Theo was once again thinking the exact same thing that Hermione was.

“Well that was incredibly cryptic.”

85%

“I will leave it to the Heads to go inform their students of the changes. Stress to them the importance of sharing any information they may have, no matter how minor it may seem.”

Everyone began disbanding for their respective duties.

“Severus, Pomona, Filius, if you would kindly inform Granger’s friends in your houses of her condition,” Minerva called just as Severus was about to leave her newly instated office.

Son of a bitch.

He spun around and fixed Minerva with what he hoped was not as desperate of a look as he was feeling.

“Perhaps it would be better coming from the new Headmistress?”

Minerva snorted and gave him a wry look.

“Your ward, your student, your problem.”

Son of a bitch.

“When Potter causes me to bleed to death on the dungeon floor I hope you will be pleased with yourself,” he sneered as he left the office.



‘Harry you are quite safe, secure, and stable with me although I do regret to inform you that one of your close friends has been petrified and is in the Hospital Wing frozen like a Muggle statue.’

Severus scoffed at himself as he made his way to the Slytherin common room. Minerva was cursing him to hand Potter a silver plated reason to explain his current dilemma with Severus. Currently Potter had no definitive reason to feel so wary of Severus, after tonight he will. Though perhaps he wouldn’t identify it as a specific failing of Severus’.

And perhaps Neville Longbottom will finish the year in the top of his class, he thought sardonically.

Severus entered the Slytherin common room and was unsurprised to see it was packed and fell immediately silent at the sight of him.

“I need your attention,” he said evenly, knowing the students would hear him. “There has been another attack today.”

Severus ignored the looks of shock, awe, and fear being aimed towards Potter as he explained the new rules.

If they still believe Potter is the Heir they will understand otherwise as soon as they discover who the recent victim is.

“Dumbledore is gone?” Zachariah Dolohov asked, giving Potter a sly grin.

“He is,” Severus confirmed.

“No Quidditch?!” Flint said. “But sir-“

Severus held his hand up, “I understand. However, the next attack may result in a students death. We cannot take any chances.”

He subtly glanced towards his Muggleborn students to see their reactions and saw that the three of them looked pale faced and nervous.

“Who was attacked Professor?” Theodore asked with his hand raised politely.

Severus risked a look towards Potter who was now giving Severus his complete attention.

Embrace your death Severus, he thought.

“The petrified student is Hermione Granger.”

The iron candelabra above Severus’ head shattered in to thousands of pieces almost immediately. It was only thanks to many years of utilizing his quick instincts that Severus was able to nonverbally cast a shield to protect himself and the students, some of whom shrieked at the explosion, from being struck by the debris.

“It was who?!” Potter hissed over the noise. “Say that again. It was who?!”

“I understand that this is a shock-“

“SAY IT AGAIN. WHO WAS IT?” Potter yelled, his face white as snow, but his eyes furiously alight.

“It was Granger.”

The majority of the Slytherin students inched away from Potter, proving their excellent senses of self-preservation.

“Hermione?” Theodore asked Severus softly before turning towards Potter and jabbing his finger in his direction accusingly. “You said she’d be fine! YOU SAID YOU HOPED SOMEONE GOT ATTACKED!” He yelled at Potter. “THIS IS YOUR FAULT!”

“ENOUGH!” Severus yelled, placing a shield between Potter and Theodore before Potter injured him. “Potter, with me, NOW. The rest of you, do not take a single step outside of this common room. The curfew is not optional. I will be here at seven o’clock to escort you all to breakfast.”

Theodore glared fiercely at Potter before storming off to the staircase, the other second year boys following silently with regretful glances aimed in Potter’s direction. Potter, who had only moments ago looked furious enough to bring the entire castle to ruins, now appeared lost as he watched his friends climb the stairs without him.

“Potter, come along,” Severus said in a softer voice than he had previously used.

Potter looked around the common room and saw that the students who remained were giving him pitying looks.

“I can’t. I- I have to talk to Theo- and I have to find Mione- I can fix this. I can. I’ll fix it,” Potter sounded desperate.

“Miss Granger will recover soon, the mandrakes are nearly ready. And Theodore is upset but he will calm down. Come with me, you need to calm down as well.”

“NO!” The stone wall behind Potter cracked at his shout and half a dozen of the Slytherin students quickly sprinted towards the stairs. “I DO NOT NEED TO CALM DOWN. I NEED- I HAVE SOMETHING I HAVE TO DO.”

Potter was going to destroy the common room if he did not calm himself. And the likelihood of Potter calming himself or willingly allowing Severus to assist him was absolutely zero at this moment.

Severus took a deep breath and shot a quick prayer off as he raised his his left arm as if he were going to place it on Potter’s shoulder.

“Don’t touch m-“

The second that Potter’s attention turned to Severus’ left arm he used his right to cast a silent stupefy to knock the child unconscious. He quickly levitated Potter before he struck his head on the stone floor. He had quite forgotten about their remaining audience until someone gasped and drew his attention.

Terrific. His own students now looked horrified and furious on Potter’s behalf.

“I am taking Potter to the Hospital Wing,” he informed them. “I believe he may leave the castle in one piece if I take him to see for himself that Granger is alive.”

“Could have just told him that,” Hezekiah Williams said accusingly. “He’s not gonna like that at all.”

Severus hid his own guilt at his actions by assigning Williams an essay on the merits of not interfering with the actions of his Professors. He gave a curt nod to the remaining students as he levitated Potter towards the portrait door.

“Since Potter’s going to kill Professor Snape do you think I still need to write that essay?” was there last delightful comment Severus heard as he left the common room for a detour in his own office.

‘You are entirely safe, stable, and secure Harry. You do not need to fear for your safety when residing alone with me. I am your ally, your friend, and your guardian. You are safe. Do not worry about being knocked unconscious after being informed of the attack of your friend and the accusations of the other.’

Severus typically refrained from taunting himself but his mind cycled through several creative insults during the short walk. If he thought Potter was furious before it would be nothing to how the child reacted to being stunned and then revived in a new location. He placed Potter’s body in a desk chair and summoned a Calming Drought to speak directly into the child’s stomach.

You’ve already knocked him unconscious, you might as well drug the boy without his consent as well. Truly exceptional work here Severus.

Severus placed the strongest protection spell he could between himself and Potter before pointing his wand at the child and murmuring, “Rennervate.”

Potter immediately began blinking heavily and Severus took the opportunity to speak before the child inevitably exploded.

“If you do not destroy my office I will take you to see Hermione Granger.”

Potter jumped to his feet at Severus’ voice and focused his gaze on him.

“What the fuck did you do?” he howled. “Where-“ Potter quickly glanced around the room to ascertain his location. “How did I get here? What did you do?!”

Severus attempted to keep his voice calm and soothing.

“You were destroying the common room, I feared you were going to injure your housemates and I stunned you to move you to a more secluded location.”

Potter seemed shocked into silence for a moment before he let out a short laugh.

“You knocked me out to take me to a private spot? How original,” he sneered.

Severus you unforgivable moron.

“No, Harry, not for any nefarious purpose, I assure you. I was concerned for the safety of your housemates,” Severus said quickly. “I-“

Potter interrupted him with a flick of his right wrist which caused Severus’ protective shield to burn a bright gold before dispelling.

“If you wanted to be alone with me then why do you need a shield, sir?” Potter said coolly.

Severus assessed Potter in the rapid way only one who has spent extended amounts of time around dangerous enemies is able to. Potter appeared calm, he was standing casually with his head tilted to the side. His tone was cool but a conversational volume. He was not fidgeting or tapping, nor was he reaching for his wand or his knife. If Severus were a less intelligent person he may be fooled into believing that Potter is unhappy but calm. If he were less intelligent and unable to see Potter’s eyes he could almost believe it. But Potter’s eyes were, for once, unfalteringly focused on Severus and were hardened in a cold fury.

In the back of his mind he wondered if he would already be fatally injured if he had not forced the potion in Potter’s system.

“Harry, I am trying to help you,” he said slowly. “I am not going to hurt you.”

“Severus,” Potter mimicked in a nasally tone. “I don’t want your help.”

Potter, in another unprecedented first, took a couple fearless steps closer to Severus.

“I can take you to see Granger if you would like,” Severus offered, subtly flicking his wand to his hand.

Not subtle enough.

“How would staring at Mione’s frozen body help her any? And why would you need your wand to take me to see Mione?” Potter asked, immediately spotting the slight movement.

Severus hesitated before deciding he may as well be honest.

“You are incredibly dangerous and not in your right mind,” he said. “You are upset and I am ensuring you do not attack me as a misplaced target for your anger at Granger’s attacker.”

Potter looked at him with a small, and cruel, smile.

“‘Misplaced target’?” he quoted softly. “Mione’s attacker didn’t STUN AND KIDNAP ME DID THEY?”

“I did not ‘kidnap’ you,” Severus scoffed at the child’s theatrics. “You’re hardly tied up and held here against your will.”

Severus was not sure if it was a testament to Potter’s magical strength or his own unwillingness to actually hurt the boy, but with nothing more than a twitch of Potter’s index finger Severus was disarmed for the first time in over fifteen years.

“Don’t need a wand if you’re not going to hurt me, right?” Potter caught his wand and began twirling it in a callously casual way.

“Potter, my wand, now,” Severus demanded, forgetting all attempts at using the child’s given name. “You are dangerously close to being in an incredible amount of trouble.”

“Threats are useless against kids like Harry, they’re used to them. They don’t bother them, but they will convince him that you can’t be trusted,” the Muggle Healer had said.

He’s never dealt with a child such as Potter though.

“I don’t care about being in trouble,” Potter spat. “I need to find the Heir and I need to save Hermione. I am fine and I need you to leave me alone.”



You should leave him alone. Potter doesn’t need your help. He’s fine.

He’s not fine. Look at him. He’s angry and scared.

He’s fine. Leave him alone.

He’s not fine. You should try and help him.

“You are not fine,” Severus said tersely, shaking his head clear of the unnatural fog that had filled it. “And I would appreciate you not attempting to use an Unforgivable on me.”

Potter grinned at him, unrepentant.

“Worth a shot,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I don’t want your help. I don’t want you around me at all.”

Severus’ feelings were absolutely not hurt at that.

“That’s not what you said before,” he said, perhaps more cruelly than he intended. “What happened to wishing for me to be your guardian and keeping you from returning to your doting relatives or your charming alleyways?”

Potter blanched, taking a quick step backwards from Severus. Which was a rather effective way to remind Severus that he was not dealing with a grown man, nor someone intentionally hurting him. Potter is a child. A mentally ill, traumatized, abused child.

“I apologize Harry, that was cruel and I did not mean to say it.”

“But it’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? You just agreed to all of it because you feel sorry for me, right? I don’t need your pity. I’m- I’m going to fix Mione and I’m going to talk to Theo and you can... you can have your house back if you want and I can figure something out, okay?”

Severus watched as Potter rambled on and realized that the child was not currently angry- he was scared and Severus had no clue why.

“Harry I do not want the house back. It’s yours. I do not want to sign over your guardianship, but if, for any reason, you feel you cannot trust me and that’s what you want, then I’d do it.”

It would hurt him immensely. But if it was best for the child then he would do it.

“Because you don’t want it?” Potter asked quietly, clenching Severus’ wand tightly in his hand.

“Of course I want it, you foolish child. I would not have done it if I hadn’t wanted to.”

Potter stared hard at the stone floor.

“Because you were in love with my mum, right? So you think this is how you pay her back?”

He is reaching for a reason you would want him in your life. If you were to strike him in the face then it would be simpler to understand than someone caring about him.

Severus thought perhaps Potter’s fear of being cared about might be connected to fear of being left behind; abandoned and unwanted. The author who said it is better to love and then lost then never to have loved at all was a Merlin damned idiot.

“I cared very much for your mother. Yet she has nothing to do with any decisions I have made.”

“Tell me why,” Potter demanded quietly. “Tell me why you keep being nice to me even when I don’t want you to.”

‘Tell me why you refuse to be pushed away no matter how hard I try.’

Severus hesitated for a moment before making a decision that he hoped would not backfire horribly.

“If you would return my wand I can show you,” he said. “It may be simpler.”

“Like you’re not going to try and attack me the second you get it back,” Potter scoffed.

“Why would I attack you?” Severus asked. “I only stunned you before in an attempt to prevent you from burying the House of Slytherin under the rubble of the common room you were destroying.”

“And then I took your wand and pissed you off,” Potter said, as if pointing out the obvious.

“You frequently irritate me, brat, I have never attacked you for it. And once you return my wand to me, I will have no reason to be upset about that either.”

“I don’t believe you,” Potter said.

“What do you want from me?” Severus groaned. “I do not know how to make you understand me or to trust me.”

“Tell me why you keep trying,” Potter said quickly. “Just tell me, don’t show me, and I’ll give you your wand and then I’ll leave you alone.”

“I care about you, you stupid insufferable child,” Severus burst out. “I care about you despite whoever your parents are, and despite the rude things you do and say to me. You have caused me to develop chronic migraines but I care about you.”

Potter swallowed hard and took a hard step backwards.

“Don’t say that,” he whispered, abruptly tossing Severus’ wand on the floor towards him. “That’s- that’s mad. You’re a liar.”

“I am going to pick up my wand and then I will show you,” Severus said calmly, hoping the child would not bolt. “Expecto Patronum,” he intoned, thinking of the news article that announced his guardianship.

Potter’s shoulders relaxed slightly as he stepped a little closer to the calming silver fox.

“My patronus used to be a doe, I believe it was borne of my affection for your mother. You heard Lucius say that my patronus had changed recently?” He waited for Potter to nod slowly before continuing. “You changed it you little madman.”

Potter looked up at him nervously before taking a few steps towards the fox.

“It’s my fox?” he asked softly, reaching out for the silver mist. “It’s me?”

“It is a representation of you, yes,” Severus said. “I do not want to give up my guardianship of you. I want you to trust me. I care about you, brat.”

“For no reason?” Potter asked softly. “Just because?”

“Just because.”

“It’s my fault Mione’s frozen,” Potter confessed in a whisper, still staring at the fox. “I said I hoped someone got attacked. I didn’t want to go find the basilisk. Theo was right, it’s my fault.”

“Basilisk?” Severus asked, startled by that admission. “Harry, wait, what basilisk?”

Potter looked up at him and blinked a few times.

“The monster that’s attacking people, it’s a basilisk.”

Severus closed his eyes and rubbed his face with both hands. Of fucking course it is a basilisk. Potter hearing voices. The petrifications near reflective surfaces. Slytherins house symbol is a snake, of course the monster would be one as well.

“Mother of God, how did you find that out?” Severus asked. “No- Miss Granger I presume- why did you not tell me?”

Potter looked down again at the silver fox as he mumbled his response, “I wanted it to petrify one more person. Just one. I wanted Dumbledore to be kicked out just like he kicked me out. And-“ Potter swallowed again, “and Mione wanted us to tell someone or go kill it. And I said no. I said she’d be fine. And she’s frozen now and it’s my fault.”

“It’s not,” Severus said gently. “I wish you would have told me immediately, but Granger’s attack is not on you. It is on whoever is controlling the basilisk. Do you understand me?”

Potter shrugged, “Theo hates me. I have to fix Mione.”

Potter, who is terrified of being cared about, cares so much for his friends, Severus thought sadly. Has there ever lived a child as complex?

“The very moment that the mandrakes are ready, I will fix Miss Granger. I swear Harry. I will fix her,” Severus swore.

Potter looked up at him with wide green eyes.

“You swear you’ll fix her? Swear it.”

Severus unhesitatingly raised his wand.

“I, Severus Tobias Snape, swear on my magic and my life that the moment I have the mandrakes I will complete the potion to revive Hermione Granger and I will administer it to her the moment I am able to.”

“You- you’re a good friend.”

Severus gazed fondly at his chaotic ward.

“As are you.”

“Even if it’s my fault that Mione was attacked?”

Severus stepped closer to Potter and kept the patronus between them.

“Am I a good friend even though I stunned you?”

Potter shrugged and gave him a shrewd look.

“You’re kind of a bastard for that still.”

“And you are a brat,” Severus responded with a tight smile. “Though I meant to say that people make mistakes that they have to make up for. Is it your fault that Miss Granger was attacked? No. Would Miss Granger have been attacked if you had alerted someone of the presence of a basilisk in the school? We will never know. You made a poor judgement call and now you have to make up for it.”

“How?”

“First I believe you should apologize to Miss Granger when she wakes up. I believe she will forgive you, especially since any one of your friends who undoubtedly knew of the basilisk could have reported it but chose not to. It probably would not hurt to apologize to Theodore as well, though I believe he will likely also apologize to you for things he said when he was told upsetting news.”

Severus considered his own mistake he had made and decided he should likely lead by example.

“I apologize for stunning you.”

Potter snorted, “I forgive you if you never do it again. But if you do it again then you might as well kill me because I’m going to hurt you when I wake up.”

“You could try, though I believe myself to be a much more accomplished dueler than Fred and George Weasley.”

The edges of Potter’s lips curled up slightly.

“And Quirrell, and Voldemort on Quirrells head, and Lestrange, and Dolohov, and Mister Malfoy?” he drawled. “You’re better than all of them? Even though I literally just took your wand?”

“I am, and you caught me by surprise,” Severus said.

Potter gave him a disbelieving look.

“Maybe we can duel this summer then and you can prove it?”

Severus smirked down at Potter, equally pleased that the child seems to be willing to cohabitate this summer and amused he believes he will best him in an actual duel.

“That sounds like a fine plan.”

Potter grinned more genuinely at him before abruptly asking, “Also, if I kill the basilisk then Mione and Theo won’t be mad at me, right?”

Fuck.

“No. No Harry. Absolutely not.” Severus gave him an intensely serious look. “Promise me that you will not go looking for a giant serpent that will instantly kill you with only a single glance.”

Potter turned his face away, his smile disappearing quickly.

“But then it can’t attack anyone else and Mione will be so happy when she wakes up that she won’t be mad at me anymore.”

“Not if you are dead,” Severus stressed. “Swear it Harry. Swear that you will not go looking for the basilisk. Please, leave your Professors to dealing with it.”

Potter shrugged and remained stubbornly silent. Severus groaned out loud as he quickly tried to think of a way to prevent his ward from running off half-cocked and getting himself killed.

“When you went after Quirrell last year, you did it alone. Why?”

Potter gave him a confused look, his brows were scrunched together and his head was tilted.

“Because I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt,” he said slowly.

“Do you believe that myself, or Professor McGonagall, or Professor Flitwick would have been hurt by Quirrell?”

“I dunno. Probably not, he wasn’t very strong if he died from some blisters, was he?”

Severus ignored the fact that Potter downplayed burning a man alive with his bare hands to ‘some blisters’.

“So you could have taken one of us with you?” he clarified.

Potter crossed his arms. “Suppose so,” he huffed.

“Excellent. Then if you decide to run off and find a basilisk at least swear to me that you will find the closest Professor, preferably me, and tell them first.”

Potter considered his request for a moment before nodding.

“Okay sir. I promise.”

It was not ideal, but it was likely the best Severus would receive at this moment.

“Very good, thank you.” He checked the time and was startled to see it was nearly eight o’clock.

“I am going to walk you to your dorm, you are to stay inside of it for the remainder of the night, understand? I am going to inform Professor McGonagall what you have told me about the basilisk.”

“She’s going to be mad,” Potter predicted. “She’s going to kick me out for not telling her sooner.”

“She will not,” Severus assured him, flicking his wand to dispel his patronus. “Especially not when I tell her how I was laying in my bed, frantically thinking of what horrifying monster could be attacking the students, and was struck suddenly with the realization that it must be a basilisk.”

Potter scoffed and looked up at him incredulously.

“That’s awfully cunning. She won’t be mad at me and you look like a genius.”

Severus smiled slightly.

“Did you believe I was the Head of Slytherin for a lack of cunning Mister Potter?”

“Oh, am I Mister Potter again? Thought I was ‘Harry’,” Potter said with an arrogant smirk.

“You are brat but it is distasteful to call you that in front of your peers,” Severus sniffed. “Though I am willing to make an exception in your case.”

Potter gave him what was undoubtedly meant to be an innocent expression, which did not fit the child’s features in the slightest.

“Okay but that means I can call you a bastard then right?”

Severus didn’t mean to, Merlin knows the child needs no encouragement for his cursing and crude language, but he chuckled.

Potter truly was chaos personified, but he was also incredibly witty and would be a fine person to live with during the summers.

If the child did not snap and murder Severus in a fit of rage before then.

***

“Exams, Minerva? Exams?” Severus asked, gobsmacked after Minerva’s morning announcement just weeks after Grangers petrification, and apparently seven days before the first exams would begin.

“What is the point in leaving the school open if students are not receiving their education?” Minerva asked stiffly. “Basilisk or no basilisk, the students will receive an education if our doors are open.”

“How do you expect us to administer and grade exams on top of escorting students to the loo and hunting for a basilisk?” Filius asked.

“I agree,” Gilderoy chimed in. “I mean, we teachers have quite enough to be getting on with, without walking students to classes and standing guard for a mythical basilisk all night...”

“We will make time,” Minerva said. “The students deserve their education. Especially our fifth and seventh years.”

“If you will excuse me,” Severus said, finishing his coffee and standing. “If the mandrakes are prepared then I will go begin brewing.”

“Thank you Severus,” Minerva said, giving him a warm smile. “I will cover your shift today.”

Severus gave her a curt nod before making his way through the Great Hall. Potter, expectedly, stopped him on his way out the hall, as has become his norm.

“Sir! You’re really going to make the potion tonight? And Mione will be awake tomorrow?”

Severus saw that Theodore and Blaise were behind Potter and looking up at him anxiously.

“I will be in my lab for the rest of the day brewing, and the moment the potion is prepared Miss Granger will be revived.”

“YES!” Theodore beamed up at him before smiling broadly at Potter. “Thank you Professor!”

Severus gave the boys a smile and a nod before continuing down to his lab. He was pleased when the morning after their talk Potter was seated beside Theodore at the breakfast table and they had clearly absolved their disagreement. In fact, Severus thought perhaps the two boys had seemed ever closer than before ever since.

Potter had seemed appropriately quiet since the petrification of Granger, though he was once again allowing Severus to stop him periodically and ask about his day. Severus had grimaced when Potter informed him that he was looking for the Chamber because “he feels like he should be helping”.

Severus was no fool. Potter did not want to help for the good of the school. Potter wanted to find the Chamber for the same reason he went after Quirrell last year, vengeance. Hermione Granger is his friend and someone attacked her and so Potter wants to attack them. In the child’s mind, it is simple. And perhaps it would be, if it were not for the basilisk that is so huge that legends do not even describe its true length.

Severus was briefly thankful that the chamber is incredibly hidden and even with the increased patrols- none have been able to find it. He would sacrifice vengeance for the sake of Potter’s safety any day of the week. And since apparently the child inherited James Potter’s streak of brash idiocy, it is best if the chamber is not discovered until Potter is safely at Spinners End during the summer.



“All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staffroom. Immediately, please.”

Severus cursed as he stirred the potion and checked the recipe. He could leave for an hour, but past that and the potion would be ruined. He added another ingredient, stirred the potion counter-clockwise four times, and placed it on a stasis.

He knew there would only be one reason Minerva would make such an announcement. And sure enough, as soon as he entered the staff room, the last Professor, aside from Gilderoy who did not truly count, to do so Minerva confirmed it-

“A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself.”

Filius let out a squeal. Pomona clapped her hands over her mouth. Severus gripped the back of a chair in front of him very hard, desperately thinking of his students, and said, “How can you be sure?”

“The Heir of Slytherin,” said Minerva, who was pale enough that Severus worried for her health, “left another message. Right underneath the first one. ‘Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.’”

Filius burst into tears.

“Who is it?” said Rolanda, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. “Which student?”

“Ginny Weasley,” said Minerva with a sorrowful look towards Severus.

Pureblood Ginny Weasley?

“We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow,” said Minerva. “This is the end of Hogwarts. We agreed-“

The staffroom door banged open. And Severus had for a fleeting moment considered it was Albus returning- only to see it was instead Gilderoy.

“So sorry — dozed off — what have I missed?” he asked with a broad, and entirely inappropriate, smile.

Severus had it with the insufferable moron and stepped forward.

“Just the man,” he said. “The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Gilderoy. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last.”

Gilderoy blanched in a very satisfying way.

“That’s right, Gilderoy,” chipped in Pomona, in an uncharacteristic show of pettiness. “Weren’t you saying just last night that you’ve known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?”

“I — well, I —” sputtered Gilderoy.

“Yes, didn’t you tell me you were sure you knew how to defeat the basilisk inside it?” piped up Filius.

“D-did I? I don’t recall —”

“I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn’t had a crack at the monster when Potter was expelled,” Severus drawled. “Didn’t you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?”

Gilderoy stared around at his stony-faced colleagues.

“I — I really never — you may have misunderstood —”

“We’ll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy,” said Minerva. “Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We’ll make sure everyone’s out of your way. You’ll be able to tackle the monster all by youself. A free rein at last.”

Severus was pleased to see that Gilderoy’s true colors were showing in his pale face, watering eyes, and trembling lips.

“V-very well,” he said. “I’ll — I’ll be in my office, getting — getting ready.”

And he left the room.

“Right,” said Minerva, whose nostrils were flared in irritation, “that’s got him out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Everyone please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories.”

The teachers rose and left, one by one, after murmuring their sympathies to Severus.

Severus cradled his head in his hands for a few moments, thinking of Ronald Weasley and how he was to go break the news to a mere boy that his sister was dead.

As it turned out, Severus was not given the chance.

After searching the halls to ensure that there were no straggling students, he checked on the potion for the victims before returning to the common room. The potion needed ingredients to be added at precise intervals and waiting to speak with the students first could result in the potion being ruined and the victims lying in the Hospital Wing for another eight months while new mandrakes were grew. Once he was finished, he entered the Slytherin common room and saw it was gravely silent, a comparison that had him cringing for even thinking, given the current circumstances.

He searched the faces for Ronald and saw that him, Potter, and Draco were absent.

“Blaise- would you kindly go upstairs and fetch the remainder of your classmates? I need to speak to you all and it is rather serious,” he said gravely.

“They aren’t here.”

Severus looked sharply at Theodore, who had answered him.

“Where are they?” he asked.

Theodore exchanged an uneasy glance with Blaise before stubbornly fixing his brown eyed gaze on to Severus.

“They snuck off under Harry’s cloak when Professor McGonagall made the announcement and I haven’t seen them since,” he said.

Fucking Potter.

“Nobody leaves this common room,” Severus hissed. “Do not go to your dorms, do not leave this room. I will return shortly with them, understand?”

He swept out of the room quickly, trying to consider where Potter may have went.

Owlery? Hospital Wing? Kitchens?

There were too many possibilities and he needed to find them quickly, it had already been over an hour since Minerva’s announcement.

“Mavis!”

Potters elf immediately appeared, giving Severus a small bow of respect.

“Have you seen Potter?” he asked quickly, having no time for social niceties.

“Mavis is seeing Master Potter a few minutes ago and Master Potter is giving Mavis a message.”

Severus stared at the elf and prodded him when he stopped speaking, “And the message is?”

“Master Potter is telling Mavis to tell Mister Snoop that Master Potter is very sorry but he is needing to save his orange haired friends sister and Mister Snoop is not to be worried because Master did not forget his promise and he is having a Professor with him.”

Severus felt the blood rush from his head and he felt momentarily faint.

“Where are Potter and his friends going? And who is the Professor with Potter, Mavis?”

Mavis pulled on his ears and did not answer.

“ANSWER ME!” Severus demanded harshly.

“Master Potter is telling his blonde friend, and orange haired friend, and the man, that he is finding the Slytherin’s Chamber and they are going there,” Mavis squeaked. “Master is not telling Mavis who the man with him is, only that Mister Snoop needs told he is having a Professor with him like he is promising.”

Severus stared at the elf. There would only be one male Professor in the castle who would be so stupidly fearless enough to escort a child, Severus’ ward, on a hunt for a basilisk.

“What does the Professor look like?”

“The Professor with Master and Master’s friends is having yellow hair and white white teeth Mister Snoop.”

Gilderoy. Gilderoy Lockhart has Potter, Draco, and Ronald in Slytherin’s Chamber with a basilisk.

Son of a bitch.

87%

Dear Mister Malfoy,
I would like borrow the goblin forged sword that is hanging on your office wall. Please let me know as soon as possible what you would require in exchange for it.
-H.P.



Mister Potter;
I would be delighted to loan you my sword in exchange for us finalizing the formal alliance between the House of Malfoy and the House of Potter-Black.
All the best,
Lucius Malfoy



Mister Malfoy,
How about you loan me the sword and I continue to consider the alliance? Like I said in our previous letters, you do have a bad history with allies and I don’t want to be tied to someone who might try and kill me in the future.
-H.P.



Mister Potter;
As I have previously written; I have purged all items that may have tied me to unsavory previous allegiances and hope to prove myself as a worthwhile ally to the House of Potter-Black as my son has. I will gift you the priceless, ancient, Goblin wrought sword that you are requesting as a show of good faith and to demonstrate my sincere intentions.
I will direct my next owl to a more discreet location than the Great Hall.
Your hopeful ally,
Lucius Malfoy



Mister Malfoy,
Let’s talk this summer about being allies. Thank you for the sword. It will be put to good use.
-H.P.

***

While Harry’s classmates were frantically studying for the end of year exams, that apparently nobody was prepared for, Harry was making plans.

Snape told him that he should just apologize to his friends, and he did to Theo, but he knew he needed to do more to make up for his refusal to act before. Theo said he forgave him, and had even apologized himself for what he said, and they agreed that killing the basilisk was the top priority. Apparently Theo even ranked it above exams, which meant it was really important to him.

It had taken him a few weeks to get the first step of his plan to kill the basilisk achieved, but finally it was done. One morning Harry woke up in his dorm to find two eagles holding a long, heavy, and thin package between the two of them.

“What’s that?” Goyle grunted.

“Sword,” Harry answered shortly. “And if you tell anyone I’ve got it then I’ll use it to cut your hand off.”

Goyle just blinked stupidly at him before lumbering off.

“My father is an idiot,” Draco groaned.

“He’s wicked,” Ron said, his eyes wide as Harry unwrapped the sword. “I can’t believe he loaned it to you mate.”

Harry pulled the sword out and saw that it was the same one he’d admired in Malfoy’s office before.

“Not a loan,” he said, running his finger down the shiny edge of it. “Said I could have it, didn’t he?”

“He gave it to you?” Theo asked from his bed. “That thing must cost thousands of Galleons!”

“Nah, he said it’s priceless.”

Blaise and Draco started snickering.

“Harry you know that means that it’s literally so expensive that a price can’t be determined, right?” Blaise said.

Harry felt his face heat up at the boys’ laughter.

“Fuck off,” he snarled. He held the sword up and pointed it in their direction, “Unless you wanna test out how sharp the blade is.”

Thankfully, that shut both boys up.



The next part of finding the basilisk and the Heir was proving to be much harder to pull off. Harry needed to sneak off to find Slytherin’s Chamber but everywhere they went they were being escorted by teachers.

“We’re never going to find it at this rate,” Harry hissed to Susan after another botched attempt at sneaking out of the library.

“Good,” Susan whispered back. “Because you’ll just go without me again anyway.”

“Not if you’re with me when I find it,” Harry assured her. “I can’t help it if we haven’t been able to look together. You should have been in Slytherin.”

Harry kept trying to sneak out in the evenings after curfew but each time it seemed like Snape was patrolling the dungeons. He didn’t think the man had taken a single hour off since Hermione had been petrified.

“We need a distraction so we can go talk to Myrtle,” Susan whispered.

“You really think she’ll know where the chamber is?” Draco asked.

“Luna says she will,” Susan shrugged. “And Luna’s almost never wrong.”

Theo didn’t look convinced but it was as good of a lead as any for Harry.

“Would one of you let me push you down the stairs as a distraction?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Nope,” Ron said.

“As an absolute last resort only,” Susan said. “And you can’t push me, but I’ll push Blaise so you can go talk to Myrtle.”

“Hey!” Blaise whispered sharply.

Harry ignored him and shook Susan’s hand.

“Deal.”