average human’s Reviews > Veritaserum > Status Update

Harry focused on the feeling of the smooth wood grain beneath the pads of his thumbs as he answered.

“Me too,” he confirmed before asking his last question. “D’you want me to kill your Dad?”

Theo’s eyes quickly flew from the ceiling to meet Harry’s.

“What?” he asked.

Harry wasn’t sure if he really didn’t hear him or if he didn’t understand him, so he said it again.

“It’s my last question- d’you want me to kill him? Because I will.” Harry steadily kept his eyes on Theo’s so Theo knew it wasn’t a joke.

Harry was going to kill him anyway.

But it would probably be better to do it with Theo’s permission.

“Why would you do that?” Theo said quietly. “I’m- I’m not in your g-gang like Ron or Blaise are. Why would you?”

Harry gripped the armrests tightly as he leaned towards Theo.

“Because you’re mine. You’re my friend. And you don’t have to live like that,” he said intensely. “I can fix it Theo. I swear. I can make it where he never hurts you again. Never puts his hands on you again.”

tap. tap. tap. tap.

“Never again?”

“Never,” Harry swore.

Theo and Harry stared at each other for what felt like at least three minutes. The only sound in the chamber was the quiet dripping of the pipes on to the stone floor.

Theo swallowed hard.



“Yes.”



“Okay,” Harry agreed calmly. “You’ll stay here for Christmas and then move in my house this summer, yeah?”

“I can stay with you?” Theo asked, looking surprised. “Snape won’t mind?”

“Course not,” Harry said easily, checking the time. “It’s my house, isn’t it? If he gets pissed we’ll just kick him out. We gotta go, we have to meet everyone for dinner soon.”

Theo looked a little shaky as he stood but Harry wasn’t going to offer him a hand. Theo wouldn’t like it, Harry definitely wouldn’t if it were him.

“What are you going to do?” Theo asked quietly as Harry banished their chairs.

“Better if you don’t know, innit?”

Theo looked uncertain, but he shrugged.

“How do we get back up that slide?” he asked instead. “I didn’t see any stairs...”

Harry grinned, “Mavis!”

Pop!

“Why is Master in the nasty snake chamber again?” Mavis wailed immediately. “Master is almost dying last time he was in the snake chamber!”

“Wanted to show it to Theo,” Harry said. “Can you take us up to our dorm?

“Mavis will be happily taking Master and Master’s friend to their room where they is belonging.” Mavis held a hand out to both of them.

Harry grabbed it and smirked at Theo.

“By the way, you owe me 10 sickles. Had to pay Ron your bet from last year, didn’t I?”



Harry gave Mavis specific instructions for dinner before the two boys began rearranging the beds around the edges of the room.

Well, mostly Harry levitated the beds to the very edges of the room while Theo stole everyone’s pillows and blankets and made a pallet in the middle of the floor.

Theo didn’t seem much like talking, which was just fine with Harry, so they rearranged everything quietly while they waited for the rest of their group to arrive.

A few times Theo would look at Harry, stare at him for a moment, open his mouth as if to say something, then shake his head and go back to what he was doing.

Harry just ignored it. If Theo had something to say he’d say it eventually. He already knew Harry vowed to not repeat anything he told him so he wasn’t sure what else there was to say.

Theo finally got around to what it was he wanted to say;

“Did you mean it?”

Harry didn’t need him to explain what he meant.

“Yep,” Harry said as he rearranged the dishes Mavis dropped off for them. “I’m not a liar.”

‘You’re disgusting.’

“You’d really risk everything... for me?”

Harry hummed. He wasn’t really risking anything because he wouldn’t get caught.

“You’re my friend,” he said instead.

Harry turned around once he was satisfied everything was arranged right and ready for the get together. Theo was sitting on the edge of someone’s trunk and giving Harry an awed look.

“Once he’s g-gone... can I... can I be in the actual gang? Like... like allies?”

Harry beamed at him.

“Course you can. Same rules as everyone else, yeah?”

Theo eagerly agreed.



When everyone else showed up Theo gave Hermione a very dramatic kiss that made her turn bright red and everyone else laugh.

Theo seemed happier than Harry had ever seen him before.

Free.

Harry thought he seemed a bit like he did when he first left Surrey. Which probably meant Theo’s Dad was just as bad as the Dursley’s.

Something to keep in mind when Harry went to meet him this summer.

But for now, Theo was safe. Nobody was going to put their hands on his friend like that ever again. And Harry had to figure out how fix everyone else.

“I saw Lupin’s classroom earlier,” he said while they were all sitting in a circle on the floor eating biscuits and tarts that Mavis left for dessert. “Who wrote ‘inconsiderate arsehole’ on his door?”

Everyone snickered and sent a pointed look at Susan.

“I have no idea what you mean,” she said haughtily. “I am a young woman, I would never write such a thing.”

Harry snorted, Susan said much worse things daily.

“Hermione had the idea with the toilet paper,” Ron said with a grin. “Disgusting innit? Muggles are crazy.”

Hermione sputtered, seemingly embarrassed for such a brilliant idea.

“Luna and Draco got the stink bombs,” she said.

Luna and Draco both gave identical shrugs of indifference.

“What’d you do then?” Harry asked Blaise.

“Kept a lookout,” he said. “Someone had to make sure our Professor didn’t actually catch us all in the act.”

“Worth it,” Susan muttered darkly.

Harry tried to think of a way the bring up what he wanted to talk about ‘subtly’.

“I suppose your class did boggarts yesterday too then?” Harry asked Hermione and Neville.

Which, admittedly, wasn’t really all that subtle. But it was effective as everyone got quiet.

“We did and it was horrible,” Hermione sniffed. “I don’t think they should be allowed to make us show our boggart in front of everyone.”

“Yeah,” Neville agreed. “A lot of people were making fun of Seamus in the tower last night because of his.”

“What’s his then?” Ron grinned.

“It was Harry,” Neville said with an uncharacteristic smirk. “Fred and George about peed themselves laughing.”

Harry smiled at that. Seamus had said Harry wasn’t scary. Clearly he was wrong.

“He put you in a dress.”

“He did what?!”

Harry looked sharply at Neville.

“He put me in a fuckin dress?”

Neville nodded, no longer smirking.

“Lupin gave him the idea,” Hermione said.

“I’m going to kill them both,” Harry muttered.

Luna grinned over at him, “Or you just get revenge.”

“Isn’t that what I said?” Harry blinked at her.

“Harry refused to do his,” Draco interrupted them. “Told Lupin ‘not a chance’.”

Harry shifted as everyone looked towards him.

“He made me do it last night,” he admitted. “Said he wouldn’t tell anyone what it was, but then he ran and told Snape, didn’t he?”

Harry was still trying to find a way to get back at him for that.

“That’s awful!” Hermione said. “That had to be like... an abuse of power or something!”

Everyone was looking either outraged or sympathetic so Harry tried to shift the topic back.

“Was yours terrible?” he asked Hermione.

She shrugged, but her eyes looked a little sad.

32%

“It was Dumbledore. He said I wasn’t a witch and I was expelled,” she admitted. Harry grimaced in understanding. Finding out you were special was the best feeling in the world, he wouldn’t want to be told he wasn’t either.

‘You’re not special.’

“So I burnt his beard off.”

Everyone howled their heads off in laughter at that. Luna laughed so hard she had tears coming out of her eyes.

“Mione- Merlin- you’re mad,” Theo said fondly. “I would have paid anything to see it.”

“Don’t give Susan any ideas,” Blaise warned him. “She keeps threatening to catch the real Dumbledore on fire anyway.”

Susan gave them all her best innocent look. Even though not a soul believed her.

“What was yours?” Harry asked Neville.

Neville sighed and his cheeks turned pink at the question.

“It was Snape.”

“Snape?” Harry was surprised. Yeah Snape had never been very friendly with the Gryffindors, but Neville once blew up a cauldron on purpose in his classroom. How could Snape be his worst fear?

“You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to,” Susan said quickly. “We-“ she gestured to herself and the Slytherin boys, “-were all in the same class so we saw each other’s.”

“I... I was afraid when Harry was gone that Snape wouldn’t find him and then none of you would want to be friends anymore,” Neville said in a rush. “It’s stupid,” he mumbled.

“It’s not stupid,” Luna said. “If Harry wasn’t here I wouldn’t have met you guys. I think it’s a very understandable fear.”

Neville looked over at her and gave her a small smile.

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” she said. “Everything is better with friends.”

Harry had no idea how Luna was able to just say everything she was thinking and feeling so confidently.

“We’d still be your friend even if Harry wasn’t here mate,” Ron said with an easy smile. “For a lion you’re really not so bad.”

“Thanks,” Neville rolled his eyes, but Harry thought he looked pleased all the same.

“Mine was a tornado of inferi,” Draco said, causing everyone to chuckle again.

“I forgot to ask- why is that your fear?” Blaise asked.

Draco sent a pointed glare at Harry who smirked back.

“And now that I’ve seen one, I really want one.” Harry smiled broadly in a way that made Draco look immediately nervous.

“He’s terrifying!” Draco wailed. “He’s going to take over the world one day!”

Harry was flattered when nobody contradicted Draco’s statement. He honestly didn’t know they all believed in him so much.

“Your turn,” Hermione said to Blaise. “What was your boggart?”

“My mother dying,” he said after only a split second pause. Blaise’s tone was his usual casual tone of disinterest, but Harry didn’t miss the flash of pain in his eyes.

Truth be told, he’d felt his own stomach clench when he saw the Contessa’s body laying in a coffin in the front of the staff room. He thought about how the seven time widow might one day have someone looking for revenge.

“I’m sorry,” Hermione said softly. “That’s awful.”

Blaise raised one shoulder in an elegant shrug before glancing at Ron.

“Not as bad as having Harry point a bloody sword in my face, right Weasley? What on Earth could have made you develop such a fear?”

Harry rolled his eyes at Blaise’s drawling sarcastic tone, but Ron was surprisingly unflappable.

“You saw him with that sword, he’s terrifying,” he shuddered dramatically. “I’d like to keep my face scar-free, thanks.”

“You think I’d kill you?” Harry asked him, relieved that it finally came up on its own.

He’d been... embarrassed? angry? betrayed?... when he saw Ron’s boggart. Ron was a part of his gang. He was one of his. And the thing he feared most was Harry?

It made him feel like a monster right in front of all of his classmates.

‘You’re a monster.’

‘A monster. A nobody.’

Ron looked startled at Harry’s question and glanced around the rest of the room.

“Er- I dunno, probably not?” Ron scratched his nose. “But... you’re always saying you’re gonna kill people and... I mean... if I make you mad or something... d’you think you’d kill me?”

Harry tried to consider it rationally, but this was the Ginny situation all over again.

“You don’t trust me,” he said. “You didn’t trust me to save Ginny and you don’t trust me to not kill you.”

“Harry that’s not what he’s-“

Harry ignored Draco as he stared at Ron.

“D’you think I’m a monster?”

“What? No,” Ron denied it quickly. “You’re not a monster mate you’re just...”

“Intense,” Blaise supplied helpfully. “You can be intense.”

“Your worst fear was me killing you with my sword,” Harry said to Ron flatly. “I just don’t get it.”

“I’m a bad friend, okay?” Ron said, his ears glowing red. “I’m a crap friend. I’m not interesting, or rich, or powerful, or any good at school. I can’t talk to nargles, and you don’t like any of us as much as you do Susan. So I’m just here. I don’t even know why you let me in the gang and eventually you’ll realize I’m worthless and kick me out. Or you said that if I mess up you’re done with me. So, I figure I’ll mess up and you’ll kick me out.”

You’re the worst leader in the world.

“You’re not worthless,” Harry said. “You were the first person on the train to talk to me, weren’t you? Didn’t even know I was famous or nothing. You’re not worthless.”

‘You’re worthless.’

“Cheers then mate,” Ron said with a tentative smile, his ears still glowing red.

“You’re not worthless either Harry,” Luna whispered beside him, somehow guessing at his thoughts once again.

Harry gave her an appreciative look.

It was a nice sentiment, even if she was wrong.

Nobody talked for a moment and the air seemed awkward.

“Anyone wanna bet on Harry’s boggart?” Blaise said, effectively breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Harry’s the scariest thing in any room,” Theo said. “So it’s probably something ridiculous like baby kneazles.”

“Cupcakes?” Blaise said with a grin.

“Probably Scabbers,” Ron laughed.

“Long essays,” Hermione said.

“I think it’s a proper haircut,” Draco said with an exasperated look at Harry’s hair.

“Oi! Leave my hair out of this,” Harry said in faux-outrage. “What did it ever do to you?”

Everyone looked expectantly at Harry.

“It was a Grim,” he lied baldly. “Guess I’m either scared of Trewlaney or dying, I’m not sure which yet.”

Everyone chuckled at that except for Luna and Susan, who Harry assumed were the only ones who saw through his lie but were too polite to point it out.

“Susan’s was Harry, right?” said Neville.

Susan looked over towards the Gryffindor boy, surprise clear on her face.

“How’d you know?” she asked. “If anyones been talking about it I swear-“

“Nobody told me,” Neville said hastily. “I just- I mean you two aren’t really scared of anything properly scary. So I just assumed...”

“Harry’s my family,” Susan said firmly. “And he’s always running off in dangerous adventures without me,” she hissed glaring at Harry. “Of course I’d be scared he’ll die.”

Harry held Susan’s hand tightly. He had been embarrassed by Ron’s boggart, amused by Parkinson’s, pleased with Macmillans’s boggart, but Susan’s was... different.

It had been a shock to look at himself lying on the ground, dead.

And now he couldn’t get it out of his head. It was taking up almost as much space as the Snape-Boggart.

Thankfully it was much quieter. But it had a different kind of draw to it.

34%

He felt the dementors chill more out here on the grounds, but it was worth it. He could storm over to the edge of the forest and destroy a tree or something.

He’d picture Lupin’s face as he did it.

He approached the edge of the forest and stopped when he saw the large, dark-

Dog.

Just a dog.

Not a Grim.

“Hey boy,” Harry called, taking his cloak off. “Are you following me?”

The dog was hiding around the edge of the forest and sniffled around as Harry approached. Harry thought it looked just like the one he’d seen with Susan in Knockturn Alley over the summer. It was the biggest dog Harry had ever seen in his life.

“What are you doing?” Harry murmured. “Huh boy? You look hungry.”

The dog whined and pushed Harry’s leg with his nose. Harry called for Mavis and asked him to bring the dog a steak. Harry smiled when the dog did a little ridiculous happy dance before it ate it.

Harry sat and leaned against the tree trunk and watched the dog tear apart its meal, poor thing was probably starving. After it was done it slowly came over to Harry and gently laid its heavy head on his legs.

“Most dogs don’t like me,” Harry said quietly. “Hagrid said his dumb dog is a ‘good judge ‘o character’ and that dog growls at me every time it sees me.”

This dog just whined and nudged at Harry’s hand.

“You’re needy,” he laughed, scratching behind the dogs ears. “I was gonna tear up a tree, make myself less mad, ya know?” He scratched the dogs ears and looked in to the forest. “I hate Lupin. I hate these dementors. I hate Sirius Black.”

The dog picked its head up and looked up at Harry.

“I’m going to kill him,” he swore. “As soon as I find him. I coulda had a totally different life if it weren’t for him, ya know? He ruined it.”

The dog slowly sat its head back in Harry’s lap and licked his hand.

“Gross,” Harry laughed. “Don’t lick me.”

Harry and the dog sat there in silence for a while, watching the sun get lower.

“Potter!”

Harry jumped up, startling the dog off his lap, and turned to see Snape walking quickly towards him.

“Oh, Snape,” he slumped down in to a more relaxed position. “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing you foolish brat?” Snape said. “It’s almost dark out and you’re on the edge of the lawn. Are you looking to lose a fight with a dementor?”

Harry grimaced at the reminder.

“Sorry, sir,” Harry muttered. “I lost track of time.”

Snape looked closely at him, doing that weird x-ray look he did sometimes.

“When did you last sleep through the night?”

Harry shrugged.

“Through the night? I dunno.”

Snape sighed, “Here.” He pulled a potion vial out of his cloak pocket and offered it to Harry. “You need to sleep and before you ask- the only thing I ask in return is you avoid getting so close to the edges of the grounds in the future. It would be a shame for a dementor to suck out your soul before you’ve finished your reign of terror,” he said drily.

Harry grinned and put the potion in his own pocket.

If Luna always knew the right thing to say, Snape always knew the right thing to do.

“Cheers sir.”

Snape gave him an exasperated look even though his eyes were soft and warm.

“Come along, I doubt your clique will even know how to eat without your majesty in attendance.”

Harry snorted and started to follow him before he remembered the dog.

“Oh! Snape! That dog’s here!”

Harry turned to call for the dog and frowned to see it was gone.

“What dog?” Snape asked slowly, giving Harry a ‘look’.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Harry scowled. “That black dog from Knockturn Alley was here. You can ask Mavis, he brought him a steak. I’m gonna see if it wants to go home with us this summer.”

“Delightful,” Snape drawled, gesturing for Harry to follow him towards the castle. “What I have always wanted was a moody teenaged ward, an elf that utilizes a barter system, a neurotic bird, and a flea bitten dog in our home.”

Harry smirked as he considered Snape’s expression when Theo shows up this summer.

He’d need to have his camera ready.



As the two wizards trekked back to the castle a large black dog hunched behind a tree on the edge of the law, snarling under its breath.

35%

“I’m here,” Potter walked in to Severus’ classroom bright and early Saturday morning. “Can I come in?”

Severus chuckled at his ward.

“I am aware that you are here, as I do have two working eyes. And yes, please, do come in.”

Potter had the presence of mind to blush at Severus.

“Guess I’m already inside, huh?” He grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, sir.”

“It is no bother.” Severus stood up and cleared the desks that were in the front of the room and gestured for Potter to stand in the center of the clearing. “Now, did you eat breakfast?”

“Yes sir,” Potter bobbed his head. Severus looked him over carefully and was relieved to see the shadows beneath his eyes had lessened since Wednesday. Hardly surprising considering he’d sent Mavis with a Dreamless Sleep every night since then. Though he wouldn’t put it past Potter to still be have fitful sleep even with the specifically tweaked potion Severus designed for him.

“Good,” said Severus. “Now, do you recall our conversation once before regarding how grey magic is entirely intent based?”

Potter bit his lower lip as he tried to remember.

“Oh! When you traded three spells for me to put my knife up? Yes sir.”

Severus should have known Potter would remember conversations in relevance to deals he enacted.

“The Patronus Charm is considered to be a light oriented spell because it requires a vast amount of positive energy to be channeled through a happy memory, are you following?” Potter nodded again so Severus continued. “You will clear your mind and then focus on a single powerful happy memory. Once you have that memory pulled up you will flick your wand-“ Potter smirked up at him and Severus rolled his eyes. “Flick your impertinent wrist then, brat. And you will say the charm ‘expecto patronum’. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir. But- are we doing it in here?” Potter asked. “I thought we’d do it outside or something.”

“Why would we go outside?” Severus asked bemused.

Potter shrugged, “Don’t we need a dementor or something to practice on?”

Severus raised his brows incredulously. The child truly had no sense of self-preservation.

“Perhaps you have missed the many times I have conjured my patronus in front of you, but contrary to your belief, we do not require the presence of a dementor to complete the charm.”

“Oh... yeah...”

Potter blushed again and ducked his head. Severus chuckled lightly so the child knew that he was not unhappy.

“Are you prepared to clear your mind?”

Potter nodded and Severus watched as he breathed deeply.

“Very good,” he said in a calming tone. “Now pull up a happy memory- a powerful one that brings you joy just by recalling it.”

Potter twisted his lips to the side and thought for a moment before nodding.

“Okay,” he said.

“Now, while I am pleased with your penchants for nonverbal magic, today I would prefer you speak the incantation aloud. This way I can ensure you are using the correct pronunciation. Focus on your memory and pull the magic through your body to your hand: ‘Expecto Patronum’.”

Potter took a deep breath and held his right hand in front of his body.

“Expecto Patronum!”

A sudden woosh of silver gas erupted seemingly from Potter’s fingertips.

“Excellent!” Severus said, genuinely impressed. “Harry that was excellent!”

Potter looked up at him with his mouth agape.

“But I didn’t do anything!”

“You did,” Severus assured him. “That is much more than any other thirteen year old would be able to conjure.”

“But- but it was weak!” Potter said. “You make an entire animal and I just made some smoke.”

“Did you truly expect to achieve a fully corporeal patronus on your first attempt?”

The expression of indignation on Potter’s face was answer enough.

“Arrogant,” Severus scoffed. “The power is obviously there Harry. You need a stronger memory. Which one were you using just now?”

“When I cut Lestrange open after he dueled Ron,” Potter grinned.

Of course that would be a memory Potter has classified as ‘happy’.

“Perhaps you should try again with a less bloody memory,” Severus suggested. “If you are able to recall, I did say this was an incredibly light oriented spell.”

“Oh. Oh yeah.”

“Let’s try again with a happy and blood free memory,” said Severus. “Whenever you are ready.”

Severus watched as Potter took another deep breath, his face becoming blank and impassive.

“Expecto Patronum!”

Nothing happened.

“What the fuck,” Potter snarled.

“Language,” Severus warned him. “What memory was that?”

Potter glanced around quickly before he smirked.

“When I stole that red rock,” he whispered.

“For fucks sake Harry,” Severus groaned.

Severus hated hearing Potter refer to the priceless, unique, and powerful stone as ‘that red rock’.

“You’re a terrible influence,” Potter laughed. “C’mon, that was a great memory! And nobody was bleeding! Well,” Potter grimaced, “I mean the glass from the mirror left some cuts, but that wasn’t my fault was it?”

It was actually. If Severus remembered correctly, which he absolutely did, Potter was the one who shattered the mirror. But that was hardly the point.

“Clearly vindictive pleasure does not count as true joy,” he said drily. “Why not a memory of flying, or spending time with your friends?”

“Good idea sir. I’ll think about flying,” Potter grinned before clearing his mind and his face again.

“Expecto Patronum!” Potter cried.

A silver cloud materialized from Potter’s mere fingertips and hovered between the two of them.

Potter hissed loudly, Severus was sure it was a swear.

“That is already an improvement Harry,” said Severus as the cloud disappeared. “Much better than your first attempt.”

“It’s not enough,” Potter said through a clenched jaw. “I don’t want to ‘improve’ I want to do the spell. I don’t understand why it’s so hard!”

Severus had multiple theories on why the charm would be difficult for the mentally ill, grey-oriented, chaotic demon standing in front of him. Most of which Potter would not enjoy hearing.

“This charm can oftentimes be more difficult for Occlumens such as ourselves due to the emotions required for the patronus,” Severus assured him with the nicest of the possible explanations. “It took me nearly a full year of continuous practice before I achieved it.”

“What memory do you use, sir?”

Severus felt remarkably wrong footed by Potter’s seemingly innocent question.

“I used to use memories of your mother and I at a concert,” he said evasively.

“Used to?” Potter said. “What ones do you use now?”

“Typically you, you brat,” he grumbled. “One last try now, okay? This charm can be exhausting both magically and mentally.”

Potter grinned at him, a bit shyly.

“Okay let me think of a real good memory,” he said, furrowing his brows down in thought.

“No blood, nothing ‘vindictive’...”

Severus watched in both amusement and exasperation as Potter mumbled to himself and struggled to find an appropriate memory. Potter’s misunderstanding of a happy memory would be much more entertaining if it didn’t break Severus’ heart the slightest bit.

“Maybe I have one...” Potter eventually said.

“Very well, whenever you’re ready.”

Potter raised his hand to chest height, scrunched his eyes closed and cried; “EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

The largest silver cloud yet materialized between the two of them. It was indistinguishable, yet Severus felt sure that when Potter did master the spell he would find himself with a four-legged patronus.

“Very good,” he said as Potter panted and stared wide eyed at the cloud. “Come, sit now, that is enough for one morning.”

Potter slumped down in his accustomed seat in front of Severus’ desk. Severus summoned a coffee tray and poured them each a mug.

“Thanks,” Potter mumbled, drinking deeply.

“You understand the theory and the incantation, you are doing everything correct,” Severus said. “I believe you will just need to work on identifying the proper memory. Incidentally, what memory did you use that last time? It was your strongest attempt yet.”

Did he need to know? No.

Was he incredibly curious? Yes.

Potter blushed and stared at a spot behind Severus’ head as he answered.

“Susan said she loves me,” he mumbled. “I was thinking of that, wasn’t I?”

Severus was surprised that Potter was able to identify a memory that made him happy that did not involve any of his usual unethical antics.

“It must have made you happy when she said that for your charm to be so strong,” he said.

He actually had no idea why it hadn’t been strong enough to work.

“Suppose so,” Potter said, shifting slightly in his seat. “Never heard that before, have I? So I didn’t know what to say.”

Severus could have cursed himself. Of course Potter had never heard it before. Who would have told him? Petunia?

“I regret that you have never heard it in a memory you can recall before now,” he said slowly. “Though I am confident your parents would have undoubtedly said it multiple times a day to you before they passed.”

“Doesn’t really matter, does it?” Potter shrugged. “Even if they loved me, they’re dead now. But Susan says she loves me and she hasn’t ever lied to me before, so I suppose she’s not lying now, right?”

“It is unlikely that Miss Bones would lie about her adoration of you, no,” Severus agreed. “I’m sure the vicious badger that tormented Albus, cursed me out verbally on multiple occasions, and redecorated the Defense corridor likely holds you in high regards.”

Potter suddenly grinned, his green eyes sparkled with mischief.

“You heard about the Defense corridor?” Potter said.

Severus snorted. As if any of the professors missed it. Pomona herself had came to ask Severus what Lupin had done to Potter for Bones to attack him. Apparently Severus was not the only one who immediately identified the girls handwriting along with her unique style for leaving profanities on Professors’ doors.

“I did,” he said.

“Lupin told our class he was being pranked, I said it’s a good thing he likes pranks then, right?”

Severus laughed sharply at that.

“Lupin was a big fan of pranks when he was in school,” he agreed, his dark eyes now sparkling with amusement.

“Oh don’t worry sir, he said, ‘people do grow up,” Potter scoffed. “Told him if people didn’t try and make up for what they did then they didn’t really change, did they?”

Severus looked at Potter with a sense of fond approval.

“What did he say?”

“Kept me after class after I caught his pet on fire and-“

“Stop.” Severus sighed and summoned a pain reliever to head off the headache he knew he would have any moment. Potter watched curiously as Severus downed it. “You may continue, though I would like to hear more about you catching Lupin’s pet on fire.”

“Not my fault,” Potter defended himself. “He asked how I’d stop a Red Cap from attacking me so I caught it on fire.”

Severus stared at Potter for a moment.

“You... you burnt the Red Cap alive because Lupin asked you how you would stop it from attacking you?”

“Yeaaah,” Potter said slowly, his brows furrowed once again. “And it would have worked, right? I mean, if it was attacking me then it would be trying to kill me, so catching it on fire would save my life.”

Severus had been extremely wrong in his earlier observation of Potter’s sense of self-preservation. The child had morphed that sense in to something feral, vicious, and unrelenting. If his life was in danger then he would end the threat.

Quirinus was attempting to kill him so Potter fought to kill him first.

Gilderoy threatened his and Draco’s lives so Potter killed him.

Lupin asked how he would stop an attack from a deadly creature so Potter caught it on fire.