For The Boy Who Has Everything by Foolish Wishmaker
Summary: Voldemort is dead, but the world is going to hell anyway. Harry is forced to go into hiding as Snape's son. Little does he know, it isn't just a useful disguise.
Categories: Parental Snape > Biological Father Snape > Severitus Challenge Main Characters: Draco, Ginny, Hermione, Neville, Remus, Ron, Sirius, .Snape and Harry (required)
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Drama
Media Type: None
Tags: Alternate Universe, Resorting, Slytherin!Harry
Takes Place: 6th summer
Warnings: Alcohol Use, Romance/Slash
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 29 Completed: No Word count: 189045 Read: 191028 Published: 21 May 2007 Updated: 06 Oct 2013
Chapter 16 by Foolish Wishmaker

Harry made it back to the dungeons just in time to see McGonagall disappear into Snape's office and the door swing shut behind her. He didn't particularly want to see Snape just then, so he walked past the closed door without stopping. Anyway, there was a silencing charm up.

What he wanted was to speak with Lupin, but he didn't have the password to Snape's quarters.

Harry stopped uncertainly in front of the door. If he knocked, who would open it? Lupin needed to rest; though he had looked somewhat better after a long nap, Snape had been adamant that Lupin remain in bed.

It was a good thing he lingered in the corridor, because just as he was about to give up and start walking to his own room, the door was pulled open a crack.

A blond head stuck out, looking cautiously to the left, where Harry wasn't, and then to the right.

Malfoy jumped, a strangled yelp escaping. He would have slammed the door shut in Harry's face, but Harry was quicker.

"Hang on --" Harry struggled briefly with the door, but Malfoy, in his weakened condition, was no match for him. "What are you doing?"

Malfoy took several steps back. His eyes darted around the room as though he were looking for a route of escape.

"I was just coming to check on Professor Lupin," Harry said. He didn't so much want to make Malfoy feel better, but he figured he should defuse the situation before Malfoy did anything stupid. "What are you so jumpy about?"

Malfoy glared at him. "Nothing. I was waiting for Professor Snape." He crossed his arms over his chest. "That's all."

"All right," Harry said, shrugging. Malfoy was lying. It was obvious. But whatever Malfoy was up to, Harry wasn't going to leap in the middle of it. He had too many other problems. "I think Dad is in his office. I think you should just wait here."

Malfoy twitched. It was almost a shudder.

Harry moved around him slowly, not sure what to expect. Lupin was asleep on the divan -- Harry could plainly see his chest rising evenly, and nothing had been disturbed -- but he didn't trust Malfoy.

"Is that woman going to be back?" Malfoy asked just as Harry sat down next to Lupin. "That awful Weasley woman, I mean?"

Harry was glad he was looking down at Lupin, his face turned away from Malfoy, because he couldn't have controlled his scowl. He kept his face averted, trying to get a hold of himself.

"Do you mean Mrs. Weasley?" Harry was impressed that his voice was so even. "I don't know. She might check on Professor Lupin again, if Dad is busy."

"Is Hogwarts being used by the Order of the Phoenix? Do you know?"

Harry slowly turned to look Malfoy over.

Malfoy looked scared; his eyes were darting around the room, mostly landing on Lupin more than anywhere else.

"Do you know?"

"The Order of the Phoenix?" Harry repeated slowly. "Why?"

"Because -- !" Malfoy took a step backwards, toward the door. "Because I'm not safe here if they are here. That's why."

Harry felt a bit blank for a moment. He opened his mouth without knowing what to say, then closed it.

"Well? Are they here or not?"

"Yeah," Harry said, though for some reason he felt no enjoyment when Malfoy's already ashen face paled even more. Still, he just couldn't stop himself. "But didn't you know? My dad is in the Order, too."

He immediately wished he hadn't said it. The look on Malfoy's face was awful.

"You are safe here, though," Harry started, feeling now that he should try to fix things, even if this was Malfoy. "I know my dad is your legal guardian, because Fudge was here and he said so."

Malfoy jumped at the mention of Fudge. Harry thought he would collapse, but Malfoy stayed on his feet, just breathing hard.

Harry felt terrible. Why had he said anything about Fudge, of all things? He had the uncomfortable feeling that if Lupin had been awake, he would have been giving Harry a very disapproving look.

He said nothing, though. He had no idea what to say to calm Malfoy down.

But Malfoy had forgotten him. Footsteps were coming closer to the door and Malfoy was slowly backing away from it.

"Maybe you should go back to bed," Harry suggested, swallowing. It occurred to him suddenly that Snape would not be very happy with him, either. "You don't look well enough to be up."

Malfoy might have heard him, or maybe just got the same idea, because he took off for the bedroom.

Harry sighed and waited for Snape to come in.

"What is going on here?" Snape demanded, stopping in the doorway. He pushed the door shut and warded it. "How did you get in?"

Harry made a motion toward the bedroom.

Snape frowned, then flicked his wand toward the door, which glowed for a moment. "Tell me what happened."

"I was going to my room when Malfoy stuck his head out. I think he was trying to escape."

Snape frowned again, but didn't interrupt.

"I had to force my way in here. He tried to slam the door in my face when he saw me. He was a bit crazed... he kept going on about the Order and not being safe here."

"And?"

Harry sighed. Snape always seemed to know when he wasn't getting the whole story.

"I told him you were in the Order, and he ran back to bed. That's all, really... except I may have mentioned Fudge being here earlier." Harry dropped his gaze to the floor. "I didn't mean to, though."

Snape was silent for a long time. Long enough that Harry got tired of looking at the floor and looked up at him.

"Like it or not, Potter," Snape said quietly, "Draco is here to stay." His eyes glinted dangerously, belying his tone. "You will be in the same House come September. It is not in your interest to make an enemy of him."

"I wasn't trying to," Harry said, irritated by the reminder of his impending sorting into Slytherin. "It just sort of came out. I wasn't trying to make things worse for him."

Snape shook his head slowly. If Snape had been Lupin, Harry didn't doubt he would be giving Harry a look of disappointment. But it was Snape, and Snape just looked at him with great distaste.

"The problem with you, Potter, is that selfishness comes so naturally you hardly recognize it for what it is."

Harry saw red.

He was not selfish!

"Yes," Snape jeered, though Harry had not yet even opened his mouth to protest. "No doubt you're nursing indignation that your summer holidays were cut short and you had a few unpleasant days. Why would the great Harry Potter care if others might have had a worse time? Surely anyone else's suffering is nothing --"

"That's enough, Severus."

Harry's mouth snapped closed over a retort and his eyes snapped to Lupin.

Lupin pulled himself up into a sitting position. "I know nerves are taut right now, but this is helping no one. Severus, why don't you check on Draco? It sounds like he's scared and confused. I will deal with Harry."

Harry shifted his gaze off Lupin, scowling. He could hear Snape, who had not answered Lupin, walking across the room, but he didn't look at Snape, either, in case the sight of the git set his anger loose again. He was still boiling inside.

"Well," Lupin said quietly, "this is a pleasant way to wake up."

Harry hated how Lupin could make his voice drip with disappointment.

"Look at me, Harry."

Reluctantly, Harry did so.

Lupin studied him for a few moments before speaking. Harry tried not to squirm.

"He should not have taken his frustrations out on you."

Harry swallowed, not letting that bit of validation feel too good. He knew that wasn't all Lupin had to say.

"Just like you should not have taken yours out on Draco. I take it you learned some harsh facts tonight?"

Harry nodded.

Lupin was silent for a long time. Harry went back to studying the floor.

"Lines are blurring, Harry," Lupin said finally. "That is how it should be, if we are to put our society back together. If we dwell on the past, instead of pulling together, the war will never truly end. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded again, but he didn't. Not really.

"You know what was done to your friends. I'm sure Hermione had time to tell you at least something."

"We only had a few minutes," Harry said, his voice coming out slightly choked. "But, yeah."

"Do you think, Harry, that my heart aches any less for children who have suffered, if they were not part of your circle of friends?"

Harry shook his head, his eyes flying up to meet Lupin's.

But Lupin didn't give him a chance to defend himself.

"Do you think Draco or Vincent and Gregory deserved what happened any more than Luna, Hermione, Neville, or any other of your friends who have suffered at the hands of the Ministry these past weeks? Do you think it's somehow different, because their families supported Voldemort? Or because they were in Slytherin? Not being friendly to you is not a war crime."

Harry, finally, could not stand it any longer. "Look! I don't know what you think you're saying this for! I don't think any of that, all right! I don't think any of that!"

He jumped up, and if Lupin hadn't grabbed his arm he might have escaped Snape's quarters and Lupin's horrible accusations.

"I'm not saying this to hurt you, Harry. This has very little to do with whatever you might have said to Draco."

"I didn't -- !" Harry sputtered. "Snape didn't even let me talk! I told Malfoy he was safe here. I tried to keep him from running out of here, like he was going to do. I never said he deserved anything!"

"Harry..."

Harry tried to free himself from Lupin's grasp, but Lupin's grip was immovable. Finally, he gave up.

"I know you want to think there was a right side and a wrong side," Lupin said, pulling Harry slightly so that he had no choice but to sit down again. "And that the line is drawn right here at Hogwarts. It's a lesson I didn't fully learn myself until I found out Sirius was innocent."

Harry made another helpless jerk on his trapped arm, but Lupin still wouldn't let him go.

"Sirius, with his Slytherin family and Death Eater brother and cousins, was all too easy to blame."

"Let me guess," Harry said resignedly. "Now you're going to tell me it's our choices that matter. Don't worry, Dumbledore gave me that speech already."

"In that case I'll skip it."

They were silent for a few minutes. Harry didn't try to get his arm out of Lupin's grasp, and Lupin didn't loosen his hold, which told Harry they weren't done yet.

"If you think you can keep your temper, I will tell you something I think will help in the long run."

Harry drew in a breath and nodded.

"Good enough," Lupin said. "All right then, two things. Think of them as two sides of the same coin. First, you must try to let go of your feelings towards Draco. I know we've spoken about this before, but it bears repeating. There is no good that would come from making enemies in your own House. You don't want to isolate yourself."

Harry nodded, but only because he thought it was expected of him. They had talked about it before; he remembered Lupin's calm assertion that yes, he could make new friends in Slytherin if he needed to.

"The other thing, if you're ready?"

Harry nodded again.

"As Hadrian you might have to open yourself to new friendships, but even as Harry you may find yourself faced with the same choices."

Harry stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I suspect that some of your friends might be ready to move past their old grudges and dislikes."

Harry frowned.

"Friendship is not a zero-sum game, Harry."

"What does that mean?"

Lupin smiled slightly. "In this case, it means that new friendships take nothing away from existing ones. You have many true friends, and that is a powerful gift to be cherished and protected, but you must not confuse the circle of friendship for an impenetrable wall."

"I don't," Harry said, irritated with Lupin again. Figures all that fancy talk would be just another way to insult him. "I make new friends all the time."

"Yes, the D.A.," Lupin said, giving him a placating smile, probably to remind him of his promise not to lose his temper. "That was a brilliant thing, Harry. You made incredible gains last year. It is no small accomplishment to have united three Houses to a common cause, not to mention that many students developed skills by leaps and bounds, cemented old friendships and secured new ones, and learned to stand up for what they believe in. All of those things were so important."

"Yeah, well," Harry said bitterly, "we're paying for it now, aren't we?"

Lupin shifted his grip from Harry's arm to his hand, and gave it a comforting squeeze. "We've talked about this, Harry."

Harry swallowed. "I know. I still wish --"

He didn't get to tell Lupin that he wished the list of D.A. members hadn't gotten out, because at that moment Snape swept out of the bedroom, shutting the door silently behind himself and warding it.

Harry tried one more time to extricate himself from Lupin's grasp.

"How is Draco, Severus?"

"I gave him a sleeping draught," Snape said. He walked over to a cabinet and replaced a bottle he had been carrying. "He will sleep until morning."

Was it Harry's imagination, or did Snape keep his back to them for just a few moments too long?

When Snape did turn around, his eyes went straight to Harry.

"I apologize for my assumption that you would jeopardize Draco's safety out of some petty belief that only you and your friends deserve the safety of this castle. I was too hasty in attributing malice to your actions."

That was one of the worst non-apologies Harry had ever been offered, but Lupin was giving his arm a not very gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry if I said anything I shouldn't have," Harry said grudgingly. "I should have tried to make him feel better."

Snape nodded curtly and turned away, going over to the work area where several cauldrons still simmered over low flames.

Lupin let Harry go.

"I think I'll go to bed," Harry said to no one in particular.

"Good night, Harry," Lupin said. "Sleep well... it's been a long day."

Harry choked back a snort.


 


 

Harry overslept the next morning.

In fact, his first waking minutes were spent in confusion, wondering why there was a black hole between the moment he undressed and got into bed and the moment he opened his eyes again and looked at his watch.

Nightmare-free nights were really that rare for him.

He dressed and washed up quickly, though part of him wanted to give it up as a lost cause. He would be in just as much trouble for being an hour late as being a few minutes late, so what was the point?

The empty corridors did nothing for his nerves. Every time he came to a corner, his heart sped up. Each time no threat materialized, he felt a pang of anger that Hogwarts no longer felt safe to him. Fudge and his Aurors may not have left monitoring spells or devices, but they had tainted the castle by their mere presence.

Harry shook himself for thinking that way. It was stupid.

He walked into the Great Hall, already working on keeping his expression blank, because he could hear voices and the clatter of silverware against plates. Breakfast had clearly started without him.

"Good morning, Hadrian," Lupin said, looking up at him with just a hint of a raised eyebrow.

"Good morning, Professor," Harry said. He kept his voice neutral, like his expression. He hadn't quite decided if he was still angry with Lupin for siding with Snape again. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Please don't make a habit of it," Lupin said, giving him a small smile. "We do like to have everyone present at meals."

Harry nodded, taking his seat. He let his eyes make a quick round of the table.

Snape was absent, but to Harry's surprise Malfoy was sitting at the other end of the table, next to Neville and Hermione.

Fred and George were looking at some bits of parchment, ignoring everyone. Mrs. Weasley was shooting annoyed glances their way, and Mr. Weasley was trying to distract her.

Harry idly thought that he still hadn't seen Percy Weasley. He only had Ron's word for it that Percy was at Hogwarts, too.

Harry's eyes stopped on Ron.

Ron didn't seem to have even noticed Harry's arrival. His eyes were riveted on the threesome seated across from him. He was shoveling food into his mouth like an automaton, not even blinking.

Harry followed Ron's gaze back to Malfoy, this time stopping longer than his earlier brief glance.

Hermione was holding Malfoy's hand.

Harry could feel Lupin's eyes on him. He forced himself to look away and reached for some eggs and hash, feeling a bit mechanical himself.

No one else spoke to him, after Lupin's greeting. Harry spent the time turning over everything Lupin had said to him the previous evening, trying to look at everything dispassionately and not let himself get wound up again.

"Hadrian?"

Lupin had coupled this with a non-too-gentle kick at Harry's foot, so Harry had no chance to blunder by not responding to his new name.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Your father asked me to remind you to bring your Transfiguration book to your morning study session."

"Oh," Harry said. A part of him had been hoping Snape would forget all about tutoring him. "Thanks."

He helped himself to more pumpkin juice.

As he finished eating, Harry tried to tune in to the conversations around him.

Lupin was listening intently to McGonagall, but all Harry could figure out was that the topic was security measures for the coming year. Once in a while, Bill Weasley added a word or two, but mostly he, too, simply listened.

Harry was too far away to hear anything his friends -- or Malfoy -- might be saying, but they didn't appear to be speaking. Even Ginny, who was sitting closer to Ron than to Hermione and Neville, was poking at her food silently.

Harry didn't want to be caught staring at Ron, though he did want to study Ron's expression closer. Ron wasn't glaring, exactly, but the look in his eyes was so intense that it would have passed for a glare to someone who didn't know him as well as Harry did. There was a crease between his eyebrows that told Harry Ron was trying to work out something that was a puzzle to him.

Lupin kicked him again.

"Hadrian?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Would you mind walking with Draco as far as your father's office?"

Harry looked at Lupin, but Lupin's expression gave nothing away.

"All right."

"Good, that will save me a little time this morning. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Harry said grudgingly. Really, had refusing been an option?

Malfoy had finished his meal and now he was getting up; Harry watched him over the rim of his glass as he finished the last of his pumpkin juice.

Hermione said something to Malfoy, but Harry didn't catch it. Neville gave him a small smile... and Malfoy returned it.

Nothing made any sense this morning.

He got up and started walking toward the Entrance Hall, barely waiting to see that Malfoy was following him.

They were alone in the dungeon corridor before Harry managed to convince himself to do it.

"Listen, Draco, I'm sorry about yesterday." He was surprised the words were coming out of his mouth in such an even tone. Malfoy's name felt funny in his mouth; he wasn't used to saying it. "I didn't mean to say the wrong thing."

"That's all right," Malfoy said. "Professor Snape says I was having a panic attack and wasn't rational."

"Oh."

"Hey, can we slow down a little?"

Harry looked at Malfoy. There was a sheen of sweat over Malfoy's face.

"Sure."

He slowed down, which let Malfoy catch up and take a place right at his side. Harry stole another sideways look at him. He did not want Malfoy collapsing in the corridor when Harry was the only one with him. He didn't even want to know how Snape and Lupin would twist that.

"Are you all right?"

"Just tired," Malfoy said. His breath was a little wheezy. "Maybe I shouldn't have got up this morning, but I thought he -- Lupin, I mean -- was staying, and I didn't want -- I mean --" Malfoy's eyes darted in Harry's direction. "You know about him, right?"

Harry looked at him blankly, not because he didn't know what Malfoy was on about, but because he had not been instructed on whether Hadrian knew of Lupin's condition. It was another one of those pesky details they hadn't thought of, just lying in wait to trip him up.

"Well," Malfoy said after a moment, shrugging, "never mind. He's not dangerous, I don't think."

"Of course he's not dangerous," Harry said without thinking. "I like Lupin."

"You do?" Malfoy said, frowning at him. "I don't think he knows that."

"Why?" Harry demanded. What did Malfoy know about it?

"Just before you got there, they were all talking about you, and how difficult you've been since... since, well, you know. Professor Snape and Lupin."

Harry sputtered incoherently. The nerve of Lupin! Giving the Weasleys more reasons to hate him, and without Harry even being there to defend himself!

"I probably shouldn't have told you."

They walked silently for a bit, Harry stewing in his anger.

"Hey --"

Harry froze, just barely catching himself from throwing Malfoy's hand off his shoulder.

"I just wondered..."

Harry's skin prickled uncomfortably where Malfoy was touching him. "What?"

"Is there anyone here who isn't in the bloody Order of the Phoenix?"

Harry shook his head.

Malfoy sighed.

"What's your issue with the Order, anyway?"

Malfoy frowned at him. "I told you, didn't I?"

Harry, who was getting tired of trying to keep straight what he was and wasn't supposed to know, decided to play dumb. "Told me what?"

"My parents are Death Eaters." Malfoy eyed him with another frown. "I did tell you that, didn't I? My family was on the wrong side of the war."

Harry nodded. He was just about to open his mouth to say something -- just as soon as he could think of something that didn't sound too much like what he would have said if he hadn't been wearing the face of someone who had a former Death Eater for a father -- when a door banged open in the corridor just ahead of them.

Snape came out of his office and fixed a very agitated look on the two of them.

Harry snapped his mouth shut quickly. He was not going to be accused of upsetting Malfoy again.

"Does it take a quarter hour to walk from the Great Hall to my office?"

It does with Malfoy walking at the pace of a great-great-great-grandfather snail, Harry thought. He was not going to be blamed for this, either. What he said out loud was, "Sorry, sir."

His voice echoed oddly. It took him a moment to realize that Malfoy had said the same thing at nearly the same time.

"Draco, come, let me show you your room. Hadrian, I see you don't have your Transfiguration book. Fetch it, and wait in my office."

Malfoy started to walk after Snape, but he snuck a look back at Harry and rolled his eyes.

Harry caught himself. He had been about to grin at Malfoy.

Really, nothing made sense this morning.


 


 

Harry had never been particularly good in Transfiguration, but having Snape teach it was even worse than McGonagall's class.

"Do we need to go over basic wand movements again?" Snape threatened not ten minutes into their study session, when Harry's swish went a bit wide and swiped the matchbox off the table.

The matchbox was no closer to a box turtle when Harry picked it up off the floor than it had been when Snape had placed it in front of him.

"No, sir," Harry said, adjusting his hold on the wand. "This wand is just a bit longer than my old one."

Snape looked at the matchbox, then back at Harry. He huffed irritably. "Perhaps we should not have started with animal transfiguration."

Harry watched glumly as Snape took the matchbox away and placed a bit of straw in front of him. "Am I turning straw into gold, sir?"

Snape narrowed his eyes at him. "Do not be impudent, Potter. I am not in the mood."

Harry slumped a little in his seat.

"And sit up straight," Snape said at once, his lip curling into a sneer. "Perhaps I shall add manners and posture to the list of subjects you clearly need a refresher in."

Harry straightened his back, barely holding in a sneer of his own. Must Snape pick on every little thing he did?

"Now," Snape said, "let's see you turn this straw into a place mat. That should hardly be above first year level."

Harry remembered this lesson vaguely. In particular, he remembered being one of the last to produce something resembling McGonagall's example. He hadn't started to improve in Transfiguration until the end of his second year, and even after that he was never close to the head of the class.

He picked up his wand, which really did feel clumsy in his hand with its extra two inches, and concentrated on the swishing motion that was the base of most transfiguration spells.

The straw caught fire.

"I'm sorry, sir," Harry said as Snape put out the blaze and banished the wisps of smoke with an angry flick of his wand. "This wand doesn't like me."

"Do not blame this on the wand," Snape said, his teeth barred. "It is not the wand's fault that you failed to pay attention in five years' worth of classes."

Harry had to breathe out very slowly; he felt like he was going to explode, and exploding at Snape never led to anything good.

A few minutes dragged by and Snape was staring at Harry silently, but Harry refused to raise his head until he had his temper somewhat under control.

"I suppose you are about to tell me you did your best in all of your classes," Snape said just as Harry thought he had won over himself.

Harry swallowed. He took a deep, steadying breath.

It really didn't help much.

"No, sir," he said. It was honest, at least. He had tried his best in the classes he thought mattered.

"I'm pleased you realize that, Potter." Snape's eyes were narrowed; he didn't seem at all placated by Harry's willingness to accept responsibility for his shortcomings. "The truth is, academically you are on the low side of mediocre, at best. In five years, I have yet to hear one of your teachers -- one of your teachers who was unbiased -- say you applied yourself in class."

Harry had never thought about it before, but he now supposed he had been the topic of discussion at staff meetings. Most likely far more than any other student. Which just wasn't right.

He knew which biased teacher Snape meant; Lupin had always told him he had an aptitude for Defense, and Harry had certainly always tried his best, though in four years out of the five that class had also been one of the hardest to get anything useful out of.

"Your O.W.L. results place you near the bottom of your cohort. One would think you didn't open a book the entire year." Snape's mouth curled into a sneer again. "Too busy leading rebellions against the Ministry and bullishly sitting through detention after detention."

Harry looked down again, but he wasn't going to let it go this time without defending himself. "I don't think it's fair to go on about my O.W.L. results when I haven't seen them."

Snape let him sit in silence for a long time.

"You will get your results with everyone else," Snape finally said. "I will not make exceptions for you. Perhaps Lupin will."

Harry felt like slumping in his seat again, but didn't. If he asked Lupin for the O.W.L. results now, Snape would use that as more proof that Harry thought he was above everyone else.

Which just wasn't true.

"We shall start from the beginning," Snape said. "You cannot show up in a N.E.W.T.s level class knowing less than the average eleven year old."

Harry dared to look up at Snape. Did that mean he had scraped an 'Exceeds Expectations', the lowest grade that would allow him into McGonagall's class? He knew his average at the end of the year had been only an 'Acceptable'; McGonagall had told him so during career counseling.

Snape ignored the look. "For next time, read one third of your first year Transfiguration textbook --" Snape likewise ignored Harry's mouth falling open. "-- and continue practicing wand control like I showed you."

With great reluctance, Harry nodded.

"You have your book?"

Harry looked down at the fifth year Transfiguration textbook he had brought with him. He held it up.

"I meant your first year book," Snape said impatiently.

"Yes, sir," Harry said. That book had been left to him, since there wasn't much to identify it as his, but he had not thought he would ever need to use it. "I have it."

"Then I will expect you to be ready the next time we meet. We will not have any further study sessions today."

Harry could feel a weight lifting off his shoulders at that announcement, and he knew it showed on his face.

"I expect you to keep out of the way, Potter," Snape warned in a dangerous tone. "This is not license to run all over the castle doing as you damn well please."

"I understand that," Harry said. "Is something going on?"

Snape glared at him. "Nothing is going on that concerns you. Stay out of the way."

"Yes, sir," Harry said, lowering his eyes again. He was certain he didn't look subdued and cooperative enough for Snape's taste.

"I doubt there will be regular meals today," Snape said. "You can eat in the kitchens. I assume you know how to get in?"

Harry nodded.

"I expect you to check on Draco and make sure he eats. He is staying in the Slytherin dorms and there is no password set."

Harry's mouth fell open, but he managed to shut it and didn't think Snape noticed. He nodded again, keeping his eyes down.

"In that case, you are dismissed."

Harry stood up quickly, but before he had made it to the door he thought of something and his steps slowed.

"What is it, Potter?" Snape asked irritably.

"Can I..." Harry had stopped, but didn't turn around. He didn't want to be looking at Snape. It was hard enough just to ask. "Can I see my friends today?"

Snape didn't answer him.

"I mean..." Harry said, after a minute or so had gone by. Snape, hadn't, after all, said no yet. "I know I saw them yesterday, but..."

"I suppose it might be arranged."

Harry was so surprised, his hand slipped off the door handle and he had to try again. "Thank you, sir."

"Do remember what I said," Snape called after him. "Stay out of the way."

"Yes, sir!" Harry called back. He was too happy to slow down, or to let Snape's warning ruin his mood again.

If the adults were up to something -- Harry's mind had whirled through several possibilities, including McGonagall's cryptic message to Snape when she had brought Luna to Hogwarts -- he almost didn't care now. He only thought about being with his friends, and having time to really find out what had been going on with them. The short hour he had spent with them the previous day had been mostly spent on hugging and the like. As good as it had been at the time, now he wished they'd had more time to exchange information, particularly after Hermione and Neville got there.

He got to his room and threw his Transfiguration book down on the desk. Rummaging in his trunk, he found his first year book and sat down with it.

As much as he hated to accept what Snape had said -- personally he was sure it was mostly the new wand's fault -- it wouldn't actually hurt him to go over the spells. Maybe he would even get started on the second year book, since Snape was sure to want him to revise those spells, as well, and it wasn't exactly a hardship --

Harry paused with that thought, frowning.

He couldn't recall ever thinking about revising in quite those terms. Those were all things Hermione said to try to get him and Ron to agree to an extra studying session, weren't they? This had to be the way Hermione thought about schoolwork, and Harry had often heard her nagging voice in his head when he was skiving off studying. Why were the thoughts now coming in his own voice instead of hers?

Slightly uncomfortable now, Harry looked down at the book he was holding, and forced himself to concentrate.


 


 

His watch told him it was close to the lunch hour. Harry put down the Transfiguration textbook, sat up, and stretched.

He was supposed to make sure Malfoy ate, so he reckoned he should find out if lunch would be served in the Great Hall after all, or if he should drag Malfoy down to the Hogwarts kitchens with him. Maybe he could just bring Malfoy something --

A firm knock cut off his thoughts, and he hurried to open the door.

Snape walked in, barely sparing him a glance. "Shut the door, Hadrian, I wish to speak with you."

Harry pushed the door closed. He took his hands off just in time to miss the spell Snape fired at it.

"I should teach you some simple security spells," Snape said. "You could stand to be more careful about opening doors when you don't know who is on the other side."

Harry scowled slightly. It hadn't occurred to him not to open the door; he would just love to see what Snape would have said if he hadn't opened it immediately.

"Yes," Snape continued, "I will add it to our lessons."

"Yes, sir," Harry said, for lack of any other comment.

"As I told you earlier, you should get your lunch from the kitchens. When you go, take Draco with you."

Harry nodded. "I was just about to go find him, actually."

Snape reached into an inner pocket of his robes and removed a small bundle, which he unshrunk to its normal size and dropped on Harry's desk. Excitement washed over Harry when he recognized one of his old jumpers, as well as two familiar covered goblets.

"You can use the lunch hour to find out where your friends are, then you will take your potion and put on your Invisibility Cloak. I trust you can manage to leave and then return without being seen."

Harry nodded quickly. "Yes, sir."

"Of course you can," Snape said, his voice oily. "You have five years worth of experience sneaking out of bounds using that Cloak."

Harry said nothing. He was not going to lose this chance, and especially not over such a weak insult from Snape.

Apparently disappointed he could not get a rise out of Harry that way, Snape changed tactics.

"Have you begun studying, or have you been moping here all morning?"

Mutely, Harry picked up his first year Transfiguration textbook and held it up so Snape could see it. He even let it flop open so Snape could see he had made notes in the margins.

"Then you shall have no excuses when we meet tomorrow," Snape said smoothly. "Do practice your wand control before then. I do not wish to hear any more of your incompetence being blamed on the wand."

Harry almost did retort this time, but caught himself. "Yes, sir."

"Do remember what I said. It still stands. Stay out of the way."

Snape turned to go, but Harry stopped him.

"Sir? It would be easier to stay out of the way if I knew where everyone was."

Snape looked at him with narrowed eyes, letting some moments pass before answering. "Very well, Potter. The adults are going over important matters in the staff lounge, and we shall not be disturbed except in cases of absolute emergency."

Harry nodded. He was finding that nodding worked well with Snape, over all; it gave him a moment to get a hold of himself before trusting whatever might come out of his mouth. "Yes, sir."

Snape pulled open the door and walked out without another word.

Harry took some deep breaths.

He was about to go from dealing with Snape to dealing with Malfoy, and he did not want to be accused later of taking his frustrations out on Malfoy.

Now that he had an hour with his friends to look forward to, though, a little time in Malfoy's company felt like nothing he couldn't handle.

He looked over the things Snape had brought. His clothes were there, as well as the Muggle wristwatch and the two goblets. He carefully moved everything to the empty bottom drawer of his wardrobe; he had not bothered to unpack all of his things yet.

He considered locking the drawer. He did know some good locking charms, despite what Snape had said.

But his wand really wasn't that cooperative, and he didn't want to risk damaging anything.

He checked that his Cloak was still safe where he had put it, or, rather, where he had stuffed it under his mattress. It wasn't a particularly imaginative hiding place, and he promised himself to find a better one.

All was ready, or as ready as he could get it.

He washed up, scowled at his still unfamiliar reflection, and left his room.

Snape hadn't told him how to get to the Slytherin common room from where he was, so he had to double back to Snape's office so he could follow a familiar route. He really hated getting lost in the cavernous, cold dungeon corridors.

He hadn't been anywhere near the Slytherin common room since his second year. For a few moments, as he paused uncertainly in front of a section of damp wall that he thought was the right one, he wondered how Snape had known he wouldn't need directions. Or had it simply slipped Snape's mind?

"Er --" It suddenly occurred to him that he did not know how to get the hidden door to open if there was no password. "Er... I wish to get into the Slytherin common room, please."

He felt very foolish when nothing happened.

"Pure-blood?" That had been the password when he and Ron had been under the Polyjuice Potion as Crabbe and Goyle.

Maybe he wasn't even in the right place.

Or, maybe he needed to push something or tap along the wall with his wand. That was how the cellar at Grimmauld Place worked.

Reluctantly, Harry reached out his hand and ran it over the rough stone wall. "Open up?"

The wall jerked under his hand. He quickly stepped back as a section of wall slid to the side, revealing a gaping hole and flooding the corridor around him with greenish light.

Harry stepped through the opening. He turned and eyed the doorway warily, but it did not close behind him like he was afraid it might.

Harry took a slow look around.

The common room didn't look much different from the last time he had seen it. Fewer lamps were lit, and it was devoid of the usual signs of being lived in, but it was still a cold, claustrophobic place. The low ceiling and the slightly swaying lamps hanging from shiny silver chains made the shadows elongated and wavery. Harry shivered.

"Hello?" he called. He cleared his throat. His voice had come out rather pathetic. "Hello? Anyone here?"

"Yes?"

Harry whirled around. Malfoy was standing in a doorway, frowning at him.

"Er... it's lunch time. My dad said to take you to the kitchens with me."

"Oh," Malfoy said. He didn't move.

"So, come on," Harry said. "I'm rather hungry."

"All right," Malfoy said. "Let me get my cloak."

Harry spent the next few minutes looking around some more. He figured he might as well, since there was every chance he would end up living there when the school year started.

"I'm ready."

Harry looked up; he had been trying to read the inscription on a medal encased in green-tinted glass, which was sitting on the mantle. He wondered why it wasn't in the trophy case along with all the others.

"Professor Snape put that there last year," Malfoy said. "It let him communicate with us without having to come down."

"Oh," Harry said. He eyed the medal suspiciously. Could Snape have copied the idea from the charmed galleons used by the D.A.? If so, he had to have known about the D.A. earlier than Harry had thought.

"Well?" Malfoy said impatiently. "Are we going?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Sure."

But he didn't make the first move, and neither did Malfoy. It was rather awkward.

"Er... do you like being in Slytherin?" Harry asked, to fill the stupid silence. "I think I might be. My dad was, when he was in school. He told me."

Malfoy gave him an odd look. "About that..." he trailed off, pursing his lips. "Yes, I like it. Slytherin is a noble House. We're smart as Ravenclaws and nearly as loyal as Hufflepuffs, but not so foolish as Gryffindors. We're cunning and ambitious... what's not to like?"

Harry felt a 'but' coming on, and he was almost dying to hear what Malfoy had to say against Slytherin. "But...?" he prompted.

Malfoy visibly swallowed. "But, just to warn you, if you get any chance at all, pick another House."

Harry stared at him. Malfoy was trying to give him advice for his own good? "Why?"

"Because... because Slytherin is hated by nearly the entire school, that's why, and anyway, hardly anyone is coming back." Malfoy paused. "We have this ridiculous reputation for turning out Dark wizards." Malfoy paused again. "Or siding with Dark wizards. Which is just as bad, I reckon."

"Oh," Harry said. He was rather shocked Malfoy was saying this.

"It'll be worse this year," Malfoy continued. "If they didn't like us before, they'll hate us now that their side's won."

"Their side?" Harry asked, just catching himself in time to change his tone to something more neutral. "But you didn't support the... the..." He swallowed and finished, "Voldemort?"

Malfoy flinched.

"Sorry," Harry said. "My mum told me to use his proper name."

"Professor Snape won't like it," Malfoy muttered. Louder, he said, "And, no, I didn't, but what does it matter when my family did?"

"Of course it matters."

Malfoy looked at him for a moment and then laughed bitterly. "Let me guess. Our choices make us who we are? Did you get that speech from someone, too?"

Harry stared at him.

"Never mind," Malfoy said, waving his hand dismissively. "Never mind. You'll see if you get in Slytherin. You might even see before then. Those Weasleys are all Gryffindors and they won't waste time showing you how things are around here."

Harry swallowed again. Those were his friends Malfoy was maligning, but he couldn't exactly argue, what with his own recent run-ins with Ron and the twins.

"Come on," Malfoy said. "I don't know why we're still standing here."

They left the Slytherin common room; Harry watched carefully to see what Malfoy did to close the common room doorway.

"The kitchens are this way," Malfoy said. "I assume that's why Professor Snape wanted us to go together?"

"What?"

"Because you don't know your way around yet."

"Oh," Harry said. He wished these things wouldn't be sprung on him. "No, I... I know where the kitchens are."

"Let's take a shortcut, then. I don't much feel like walking all the way back to the Entrance Hall."

Harry followed Malfoy down a side corridor, thinking that just a few weeks ago he would never have followed Malfoy anywhere in the dungeons without having his wand out and ready.

Malfoy pushed aside a tapestry and Harry found himself staring at the large painting of fruit that concealed the doorway to the kitchens. He watched as Malfoy tickled the pear and pulled the door open.

Maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised -- after all, he couldn't have been the only one instructed to take his lunch in the kitchens -- but as he walked in Harry experienced a nasty shock.

Seated at one of the long, narrow tables were Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Neville, and Luna. Hermione and Ginny had Luna between them; Hermione was coaxing her to eat.

Ron glared at the two newcomers, but no one said anything.

Malfoy pulled at Harry's sleeve. They veered off to the side, toward the shelves where the food was stored.

Harry had expected house-elves to come running. Now he heard Ron's voice inside his head, telling him that most house-elves had left Hogwarts.

Dobby.

Harry took another frantic look around the kitchens. The enormous space looked so different without the hundreds of elves hard at work preparing food.

Would Dobby have left? No, Dobby wouldn't have abandoned Hogwarts. Not by choice, but what if...?

What if Dobby, like Kreacher, had been forcibly relocated by the Office of House-Elf Relocation? Lupin had said Kreacher hadn't been bound to Grimmauld Place. Had Dobby been bound to Hogwarts? No, Harry didn't think he had been.

"What are you looking for?" Malfoy asked curiously.

"Er... nothing," Harry said quickly. "Big place, that's all. I didn't get a chance to look around when I was here before."

Malfoy nodded. "We're right under the Great Hall now, and the kitchens are the same size. Those tables are in the same place the House tables usually are -- of course right now there aren't House tables."

"Oh," Harry said.

"Usually there are house-elves working here," Malfoy said. "But I think most of them are gone. Well, come on, help yourself to what you want."

In spite of the visible lack of house-elves, there was plenty of food, and much of it looked freshly prepared. Harry helped himself to bread rolls, cold cuts, mash and gravy, and a tall glass of pumpkin juice from one of the large pitchers. Balancing his overloaded plate, he followed Malfoy over to one of the tables.

"You could sit with us," Hermione called.

Harry looked over at her. She was biting her lip.

Harry looked at Malfoy, who shrugged. "You want to?"

"All right," Harry said, picking up his plate again.

"What did you do that for?" Ron hissed at Hermione, not bothering to be quiet about it.

"Oh, shush, Ron."

Harry and Malfoy hadn't yet taken more than two steps toward the other table.

Ron stood up, sending an ugly look their way. "Come on, Ginny, we're leaving."

Ginny fixed her brother with a calm, stubborn look. "You can be an arse if you want to, Ron, but you're on your own."

Ron threw down his napkin, knocking bits of food off his half-empty plate. Without another word, he stalked out of the kitchens.

Harry looked at Hermione, Ginny, and Neville uncertainly; Luna was gazing blankly off to the side. "Er... sorry about that. Maybe --"

"Nonsense!" Hermione said, her voice slightly shrill. "Come on. It's fine. He's just going to have to get over it."

Harry looked at Malfoy, who gave him a very uncomfortable sort of shrug. They sat down opposite from the other four.

"I'm Hermione," Hermione said, extending her hand to Harry. "I'm going to be a sixth year. And you?"

"Hadrian," Harry said, shaking her hand.

With a swiftness that gave Harry no time to react, Hermione grasped his hand and pulled it toward her, turning it so the back of his hand was up.

She, along with Ginny and Neville, stared at the spot where Harry had the words, 'I must not tell lies', carved into his flesh by the blood quill.

Harry swallowed, gently pulling his hand out of Hermione's now limp grasp. "Er -- ?"

Hermione blushed crimson. "Sorry!"

The stain of color on her cheeks couldn't hide her obvious disappointment.

Harry felt the same. He almost wished the scar had still been there; then all of this would be over. He felt terrible for Hermione. His friend really was brilliant, and he hated that his disguise was going to fool her... and that he had to play along.

There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"I'm Neville Longbottom," Neville said. He cleared his throat. "This is Luna."

Harry looked from Neville to Luna. Luna's eyes were so completely blank that he couldn't help swallowing hard again.

"She's not very well right now," Neville continued. "But we're trying to make things as normal as possible for her and not treat her like... like..."

"We're trying to treat her like she can hear and understand everything," Hermione said, coming to Neville's rescue. "For all we know, she can."

Ginny nodded emphatically at that. "I'm sure she can. She just needs time. I didn't feel much like talking myself, after I found out about my eye."

Harry felt sick. He had taken a bite of sausage and now he couldn't swallow it; he just knew it wouldn't go down.

He snuck a look at Malfoy.

Malfoy's lips were a thin line and he was staring resolutely down at the table.

There was another silence.

"So... Hadrian?"

Harry looked up and saw that Hermione was looking him over critically. "Yeah?"

"Oh, nothing," Hermione said. She bit her lip. "We're all just surprised Professor Snape has a son."

Harry couldn't help scowling.

Malfoy looked up and was trying to send Hermione some sort of signal, probably to warn her off the subject.

"I... I didn't know myself, really," Harry said, stabbing his fork into more sausage. He just hoped he wasn't going to have to tell them much. Snape had made him memorize everything he was supposed to know about Hadrian, but Harry felt the story had a lot of gaping holes.

"Sorry," Hermione said. "That must have been hard."

Harry nodded and didn't look up from his plate.

"Did you attend some other school?"

"No," Harry said. "I was taught at home."

"That's... that's interesting," Hermione said. "Right, Neville?"

"What? Oh, yes." Neville gave Harry an odd look. "That's sort of rare nowadays, isn't it?"

Harry shrugged.

Malfoy elbowed him in the ribs. "You are magical, aren't you?"

"What?" Harry demanded, looking at Malfoy indignantly. "Of course I am."

Malfoy smirked at him. "Sorry, just wanted to get a bit of a reaction out of you."

Harry scowled again. "I'm sure I'll be behind everyone. Dad is having me revise this summer so I won't fail out of all my classes in fall."

Hermione made a sympathetic clucking noise. "I thought I would be behind when I started here. Because I'm Muggleborn."

Harry looked at her. She was biting her lip nervously again, waiting for his reaction.

"My grandparents were Muggles," Harry said.

It suddenly occurred to him that it was actually true; Lily's parents, his grandparents, had been Muggles. He didn't know why he had not thought of it in all the times Snape had made him recite his family history. Had Snape purposely made Hadrian's history similar to Harry's? And did that mean Hadrian Snape really didn't exist?

Malfoy was giving him a slightly puzzled look. No doubt he had realized this meant Harry's mother had been Muggleborn, and what that meant about Snape, and no doubt it didn't quite sit well with him.

Hermione smiled at Harry, relaxing. "Don't worry, you'll like classes here. We have some very good teachers --"

"Umbridge," Neville put in, grimacing.

"Lockhart," Ginny said, wrinkling her nose.

"Crouch," Malfoy said, surprising Harry by not naming Mad-Eye Moody.

"Quirrell," Hermione said, another smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, all right, maybe some were not so good."

Harry tried to keep his expression blank.

"Those are all teachers who are gone now," Malfoy told him. "Oddly enough, they all taught Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Isn't that what Lupin teaches?" Harry asked, trying to sound confused.

"He only taught one year," Hermione said. "We're all so glad he's coming back."

Harry nodded, ducking his head and taking a bite of his food.

He could tell, even with his head down, that looks were being exchanged.

"So," he said, trying to head off anything more about Lupin, "are you all going to be in my year?"

"No," Ginny said, "Luna and I are a year below."

"Are you all Gryffindors?"

"All of us except Luna -- she's a Ravenclaw."

Harry took another bite of his food. Even though it wasn't the same at all, sitting there with his friends was nice, and he hadn't been expecting that it would be possible. He hated to ruin it.

"My dad is Head of Slytherin," Harry said, "so I suppose I will be in Slytherin, too."

"You don't know that," Hermione said, looking slightly uncomfortable. "There's a process --"

"There's a Sorting Hat," Neville said, probably to head off a long speech from Hermione. "You put it on and it decides which House you'll be in."

"Hmm," Harry said. "Dad said I'm likely to be in Slytherin, anyway."

There was quite a long silence.

"Is it true Gryffindors and Slytherins can't be friends?" Harry asked. It was hard to ask, and he was aware of Malfoy shifting uncomfortably next to him.

Hermione and Neville looked at each other, like neither one could decide on an answer.

It was Ginny who spoke.

"It's been true."

"But it doesn't have to be true this year," Hermione said quickly.

"Oh, come on," Malfoy cut in derisively. "You saw --"

"Leave my brother out of it, if you please," Ginny said, her tone reminding Harry strongly of McGonagall.

"Ron doesn't take well to change," Hermione added, sounding deflated. She must have forgotten that Ron had stormed out at the mere idea of sharing a table with Hadrian and Malfoy.

It went downhill from there.

"I think we should find Ron," Hermione said with a sigh. "Fred and George are up to something and I don't want him getting mixed up in it."

Neville nodded in agreement.

"It was nice to meet you, Hadrian," Hermione said, giving him a small smile. "I'm sure we'll see a lot of each other this summer."

"Sure," Harry said without much enthusiasm. Ron would get Hermione on his side, he was sure of it. The worst of it was that Harry couldn't even blame Ron for it. Would he have wanted Hermione to become friendly with Hadrian and Malfoy? Not if he were being honest.

Ginny and Neville each took one of Luna's hands, helping her to stand. Luna moved like a puppet whose strings were being pulled.

Harry sighed as his friends walked out, leaving him alone with Malfoy.

"I'm finished, are you?" Malfoy said.

"Sure," Harry repeated glumly. "I think I'll just take some pumpkin juice back to my room."

"Good thinking," Malfoy said, gathering up a few bread rolls and biscuits he hadn't eaten. "I'm going to do that, too. Listen, do you want to study together? There's a small library in the common room."

Harry shook his head, glad he had an excuse. "My dad is having me look over first year textbooks. Thanks, but I'd rather be alone."

"That bad, is it?" Malfoy said, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, first year? That's what, Wingardium Leviosa!?"

Malfoy waved his wand in a lazy, easy way, and Harry's glass of pumpkin juice rose out of reach.

Harry scowled at him. "That's Charms. I'm doing Transfiguration."

Only because Snape hadn't got to Charms yet.

Malfoy replaced the glass, smirking. "One of my best subjects."

"Well, come on," Harry said, shaking his head, "I need to get back and start studying, or else I'll only make it half through the second year books by the time classes start."

He really couldn't believe he was joking with Malfoy.

But then, not much had made sense that morning.


 


 

Harry walked Malfoy back as far as the Slytherin common room, then went back to his own room.

He checked on the contents of the wardrobe's bottom drawer, but he didn't do as Snape had instructed. Still as Hadrian, he left his room again and headed for the Entrance Hall.

As luck would have it, he was lost again. Either his sense of direction was completely malfunctioning, or either Bathsheba the Beady-eyed or William the Wronged simply didn't stay put.

Up ahead as he turned a corner was the Slytherin common room's wide open doorway; somehow Harry had made a wide circle.

He stopped, not wanting to walk past and attract Malfoy's attention. Malfoy would probably think he had changed his mind about studying together, and he was not going to spend his afternoon in Malfoy's company. There was only so much he could handle, and he had already spent nearly two hours with Malfoy. Plenty for one day, in his opinion.

He was grateful that he had stopped, because the next moment he needed to take a quick step backwards, back into the corridor he had just come from, to avoid being seen.

Coming out of the Slytherin common room was Hermione, who had her hand on Malfoy's arm. Malfoy looked reluctant, but he was letting her drag him along.

"I don't care -- honestly, Ron can work things out for himself."

"Yeah," Malfoy said, scowling at the back of her head, "except he's got his whole family here, and they already hate me plenty."

"Well, then! What does it matter?"

Malfoy opened his mouth, but apparently thought better of arguing with her.

Cautiously, Harry followed them, staying well back and in the shadows.

"Where are you dragging me, anyway?" Malfoy complained resignedly. "Or do I not get to know?"

"There's a little alcove up ahead," Hermione said. "We found it when Neville turned into the wrong corridor coming down for lunch."

Harry crept up to the corner where Malfoy and Hermione had disappeared. His heart was beating in his throat, but of course now that he was following them, there was no turning back.

A strange sight met his eyes.

It was the same place where he had stopped to rest the morning he got lost and Peeves and the Bloody Baron had scared him dizzy. Ginny and Neville, with Luna between them, were already seated on the rough steps of the unfinished staircase, and Hermione was dragging Malfoy over to them. Malfoy had stopped resisting by then, and Hermione let him go as soon as they reached the steps.

Malfoy took off his cloak and spread it over the bottom step. To Harry's surprise, he didn't sit down, but motioned to Neville and Ginny.

"Put her here, she shouldn't be sitting on the cold stone."

Something was definitely very, very wrong.

Harry quickly looked around for a place to hide.

Seeing a column in a corner only an arm's length away, with a nice shadowy gap behind it, he stepped sideways along the wall, squeezing into the narrow space.

The only trouble was, there was already someone there.

To be continued...
End Notes:
In case anyone is very worried, I will let you know that there will not be any significant romantic pairings among the kids. I thought canon gave us an overdose of angsty and/or sugary teenage romance, so I'm not going there.


This story archived at http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=1328