Harry’s mind was working furiously as he followed his Professor. He was wondering what the Potions Master had been doing in his home. When they were inside the house, Harry hadn’t really given it that much thought but now as they came out of the house and started walking, he suddenly started wondering about his teacher’s intentions.

‘Perhaps Dumbledore sent Snape to bring me to Hogwarts. Why didn’t he come to get me himself?’ Harry quickly stopped, realising that he sounded just like whiny child. ‘Well, at least I stopped myself from carrying on…’ He was just about to look up when he bumped into his Professor. ‘Uh-oh. I’ve just made that one irate, angry and annoyed Snape.’ Harry thought as he saw the expression on his teacher’s face.

“Potter, tell me why did you not answer your letters from Mr Weasley and Miss Granger? I rather thought that you three were good friends but it seems to me that all is not so.” Snape said- his voice whilst low- sounded almost like a Quidditch commentator to Harry.

“They wrote to me. Did they really write to me? Oh, thank God! It was just an accident, wasn’t it?” Harry said, literally glowing with pleasure. Then a thought came, instantly, that made him feel very guilty. ‘I should have had more faith in them than that. How could I doubt their friendship so easily? I guess I really am not worthy of their friendship.’ Harry thought, sadly.

Snape saw the play of emotions on his student’s face. First it had been the look of pure happiness, then it swiftly changed to guilt, and then finally total sadness. Snape wondered how someone could feel that many emotions in so short a space of time. Snape concluded that the boy had wondered down the self-pity lane. He shook his head and told the boy to sit on a nearby bench. Harry sighed but did as he was told.

Snape huffed as he realised what he was going to have to do. ‘Oh, I do not like these types of talks. Every year, someone became lonely or angry or just sad without any reason and it was his task as a Head of the House to talk to them. Ugh. He hated it but as a Professor he had to it and now even though the school was not going to start for at least eight weeks, here he was having to do it for the sake of duty. Yes, for the sake of duty… If he kept saying that to himself one day he might believe it. Unfortunately that day was not to be today, he thought morosely.

Harry was wondering why he was told to sit down, but as he heard his Professor huffing and puffing he decided that asking would probably not be the best thing to do, and so waited uncomplainingly for Snape to speak. Harry’s patience paid off as his Professor started talking.

“What is troubling you, Mr Potter? I am here if you have anything to discuss that you may be confused by. Before you say a word, let me tell you something. I know now that you haven’t had a … satisfactory childhood but I cannot change that, however frustrating that may be. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you? If you want to tell me anything else about those … people I am prepared to listen.” Snape said, managing to not look menacing.

Harry opened his mouth and shut it. He tried again to say something, anything but it again shut itself. He didn’t know his Professor could be so… so understanding. He had never had anyone who had tried talk to him about his private things without it feeling like they were intruding. That Snape had pulled it off so easily baffled Harry. As he was deciding whether to talk or not, he heard Snape growl. He quickly decided to spill the beans. He started, somewhat hesitantly,

“Erm… I suppose I feel bad. Umm…. It’s hard to explain. I feel really guilty for not having faith in my friends. Err…I thought that they forgot their promise to write … and that they’d forgotten me, as well. I wouldn’t have blamed them for not thinking me worthy enough to be their friend but it did hurt. I tried to think like a grown up and decided that I only brought trouble, so if they want to forget me, it would be okay… but it wasn’t okay. For… for the first time, I had friends who really liked me. When they didn’t write I thought that that was it. The moment which I had been afraid to face. I lost hope in them and it wasn’t alright. I should have been much more hopeful. I… I think I really am not worthy a friend, I didn’t even have enough faith in them.”

By the end of it, tears were rolling down his cheeks, though he wasn’t aware of it. He felt lighter, as if some heavy weight had been pulled off him. Harry decided that guilt was very bad thing, it hurt. He was also somewhat shy now that he had said exactly what his mind had been thinking. He looked down, two spots of pink were on his cheeks. He was brave, he could look up at Snape. Harry did it although, timidly. He looked up and saw that his Professor had an unreadable expression on his face. The Gryffindor quickly looked down again.

Snape was surprised that Potter had opened up, but he was even surprised that Potter had spilled his guts. He never thought that Potter could feel guilty or sadness or… or… any other child like feeling. Unsure of himself, of his worth.

Severus looked at Harry again and saw that the boy was embarrassed by his… talk. He saw that there were tears on his cheeks. Snape inwardly groaned. ‘Well, I hope he doesn’t start the waterworks on me or I am dead.’

When the Potions Master handed him a handkerchief, Harry looked at it blankly. ‘Why is he giving me a hanky?’ Harry thought. He soon realised, finding his cheeks wet with tears. He took it gratefully and wiped his cheeks of his tears. Boys don’t cry, and he did. He blushed as he realised that his Professor had seen him crying bucket loads. ‘Oh crap... Why did I do that? Why? Maybe Snape was right about one thing- I do things first and then think of the consequences. Now he’ll just make fun of me.’ Harry thought, although as soon as that thought came he discarded it. He hoped (or more like knew) that Snape wouldn’t do so. Now that he had pulled himself together Harry asked,

“Sir, can we go now? I am feel tired, it is still night, you know.”

Snape just nodded. ‘Why, the cheek has returned so he must be fine. Well, I will have to something about it. But right now, as the brat has so obviously pointed out, it is still night. We might as well go back, besides I am feeling sleepy.’ Snape thought. He started walking, assuming the boy would follow. Once they reached the apparition point, Snape took Potter’s arm and apparated to his country home. He could tell that all was not well with the boy. As soon as Potter looked like he could stand, Snape shoved a vial towards the boy. Harry looked at it blankly.

‘Honestly, the boy is as thick as a plank. Why would I give him a potion, if not for medicinal purposes?’ Snape thought annoyed.

Harry looked around after he got the message that he was supposed to drink the potion. He did not like the potion one bit, it was disgusting. It tasted no better than stale bread, although he had to admit- it did make him feel better. He saw that there were woods around the house. The house itself was a very nice building, set over two floors and with nice garden. He had inkling that those were not normal plants like Aunt Petunia’s. He followed Snape, and when he reached the door he saw an ugly green creature with big eyes bow to Snape.

“Master is home, Master Snape is home. We is happy, sir. Can Biddy do anything for you, Master? We don’t have the dinner ready but we do it, sir.” The creature said over-enthusiastically.

“Don’t do anything, Biddy. Just make a room for Mr. Potter here and please clean my room for me. That will be all for the night…. No, perhaps a glass of milk for Mr Potter before he sleeps.” Snape said.

“Yes, Master. We do as you say. We is a good house-elves. Yes, we is. Me and Tibby.” Biddy said and with one snap of fingers he vanished.

Harry simply gaped where the creature had been standing. ‘What. Was. That? That… thing.’ It was all Harry could think.

“Mimicking a fish is most unbecoming, Mr Potter. Please, cease doing so, this instant. Now, this is my house and you are here because I do not think it prudent to disturb the Headmaster at this ungodly hour. Now you are to stay in the room given to you until Biddy or Tibby comes to wake you in the morning. If you wake up before that, you may do your homework. Please, do not go looking for trouble, Mr Potter.” Snape said as he reached the room in left wing of the house. He turned left and after few moments he turned right. He opened the door and motioned for Harry to follow him. As Harry entered, Snape made sure that all of his luggage was neatly kept near the bed.

Snape said, “If I hear that you haven’t drunk the milk then the results would not be to your liking. All little boys should drink milk. Understood?”

Harry nodded and went to take his night shirt out of the trunk. Snape left the room and Harry allowed himself to cry. Nobody had ever done that to Harry. Ever. Nobody cared what Harry drank what or even whether Harry ate or not. To hear the Professor say that boys like him should drink milk made him grateful to the Professor.

Although he didn’t like that the Professor had called him a little boy.

He was not. He was twelve years old, that wasn’t little. Hmm… he would have to think about it later as the bed in front of him looked so soft, inviting him to sleep. He almost drifted off before he remembered Snape’s threat. He quickly drank the milk, brushed his teeth in the bathroom sink and went to sleep. He was blissfully in dreamland when Snape came to check on him.

Snape shook his head when he saw that the boy was slumbering, soundly. Well, he drank the milk so it was fine. He dimmed the lights in the room with his wand before going to his room to sleep. ‘Well, it was an eventful day or rather night. It made a lot of changes to my perceptions but that’s okay. The boy is now safe from those so-called relatives and that’s what matters. Tomorrow is going to be very stressful; Albus is going to be so smug. Oh well. It was bound to happen the moment I decided to take the matters into my hands.’ Snape thought sleepily.