Harry Potter and the Map of Discoveries by tatajess
Summary: When Fred & George stole the Marauder's Map in their first year, they didn't expect the secrets it would reveal years later. How will Harry & Snape adjust to the new discoveries & how will it effect the wizarding world? AU, canon through OoTP. SEVERITUS.
Categories: Teacher Snape > Professor Snape, Parental Snape > Biological Father Snape > Severitus Challenge Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Dumbledore, Fred George, Remus
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Angst, General
Media Type: None
Tags: Alternate Universe, Snape-meets-Dursleys
Takes Place: 6th summer
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 18 Completed: No Word count: 70746 Read: 101665 Published: 11 Jun 2008 Updated: 15 Jun 2011
Transformation by tatajess
Author's Notes:
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1

Tingling arms greeted Harry as he awoke the next morning. Unlike previous attacks, his limbs continued to feel like pins and needles for nearly an hour. Tired of dwelling on what was to come, Harry grabbed his Firebolt and headed to the Quidditch Pitch.

Flying had always been a way for Harry to escape the events going on around him and today was no exception. As soon as his feet left the ground, Harry felt better than he had in weeks. His mind was focused on spectacular dives and practicing new maneuvers that he read about in one of Ron’s Quidditch magazines. Thoughts of Sirius, the prophecy, Horcruxes, and the potion that would wear off in a fortnight flew to the deep recesses of his memory as he pitched the broom straight up in the air. Harry swiftly changed directions by spinning upside down. It was in this awkward position that Harry was brought back to reality.

From his vantage point, Harry spotted a darkly clad man walking in the Forbidden Forest. Pulling his wand out of his back pocket and holding it tightly, Harry looked back towards the castle. He wished he knew how to send a message to Dumbledore like the Order members did and vowed to ask Remus the next time he saw him.

He knew that by the time he returned to the castle and found help the man would be gone. Believing he had only one solution, Harry flew over the trees, circling the man from above.

From this new position, Harry watched the man, dressed in a black cloak, circle the forest floor. The man had his wand alight and was turning over logs with his feet. Harry squinted in an attempt to identify him, but he was too far up and the man’s face was obscured by his hood as he bent over one of the logs and peeled away some bark. 

Harry slowly lowered himself, aimed at the man’s back, and yelled, “Petrificus Totalus!

The jet of light hit its intended target and the man froze, falling to the ground with a small grunt. Harry kept his wand pointed at the man as he flew down and landed on the ground. The man’s face was hidden from view and Harry didn’t want to take any chances that the man would escape.

As he was about to conjure ropes to bind his capture, Harry stepped forward and heard the unmistakable sound of broken glass under his heel. Stepping back, he peered at the glass and recognized it as a potions vial.

Harry looked back at the man and got a sinking feeling that he had just made a very dangerous mistake.

“No!” Harry moaned under his breath. He slowly took a few steps forward and spotted a clump of black, oily hair sticking out from under the cloak. After five years, Harry would recognize that hair anywhere.

“Oh, Merlin!” Harry groaned as the truth set in. He had just attacked Professor Snape.

Hurrying to the professor’s side, Harry set his wand down on the ground and carefully rolled Snape over. The moment the cold, black eyes met Harry’s, he knew he was about to be in serious trouble.

“Bloody hell!’ Harry cursed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Snape’s dark eyes bored into Harry’s and followed him as he bent down to grab is fallen wand.

Taking a deep breath, Harry once again pointed his wand at Snape. With a quick wish for mercy, he removed the body bind.

 Snape stood faster than Harry thought possible and grabbed Harry by the arms.

“Professor, I…”

“Save it,” Snape growled, grabbing Harry’s arm and pulling him though the deep brush that surrounded the tall forest trees.

Harry barely managed to grab his Firebolt and struggled to keep up with a very annoyed Snape, whose grip on his arm was amazingly strong. 

Harry never truly appreciated how far the Forbidden Forest was from the castle until being forced to make the trek in silence with Snape at his side. Once they reached the castle, Snape pushed Harry inside and stormed across the Entrance Hall. Harry followed Snape to his office and watched as the professor spelled open his office door with a bang.

Turning to Harry, Snape glared and gestured for him to enter. “Sit,” he said coldly, slamming the door behind him.

Maintaining eye contact, Snape sat, took a deep breath, and uttered a single word. “Explain.”

“I’m sorry!” Harry rapidly replied. “I was flying and I saw you in the forest, only I didn’t know it was you at the time. I thought it was a Death Eater, I mean a real one, not just a spy--,” Harry rambled.

Enough!” Snape spat. “I think I’ve heard enough of your babbling to deduce exactly what happened.”

Snape leaned forward and continued, “First, you, in your infinite wisdom, decided to go flying without informing anyone.”

“I--,” Harry tried to interrupt, but wisely held his tongue at Snape’s glare.

“Then, when you spotted someone in the forest that you believed to be dangerous, you decided to attack first before alerting a fully trained wizard far more skilled than yourself. Am I correct, Mr. Potter?” Snape asked with a sneer.

“Yes, sir, but--,” Harry answered.

“But nothing. Lucky for you I would not cause you mortal harm. Had I not been distracted, scouring the forest for an ingredient in your potion,” Snape snarled, causing Harry to blush embarrassedly, “you would most likely be residing in the hospital wing for the remainder of the day. Wizards do not take kindly to attacks and I for one act first and ask questions later,” Snape finished darkly.

Harry paled. He had no doubt that he’d be covered in bandages and force-fed Skelegro by Madam Pomfrey if Snape had not been uncharacteristically preoccupied by his search.

“I’m beginning to wonder what it will take for some sense to sink into that thick skull of yours. One would think Black’s death would have taught you to think things through before you act,” Snape stated seriously.

At the mention of his godfather, Harry became furious. “Shut up! Don’t talk about Sirius!” he yelled.

Raising his voice, Snape interrupted. “I will mention him if that is what it takes for you to realize the severity of your actions. I am in charge of teaching you how to defend yourself. How can I do that if you continually go charging head first into dangerous situations! Wake up, Potter! You may be the one to ultimately defeat the Dark Lord, but the war is not meant for you alone to fight!”

“I know that!” Harry retorted.

“Then act like it!” Snape growled.

“I was just trying to stop someone that I thought was dangerous. I didn’t think that anyone would make it out in time and no one ever taught me how to send a message for help. How am I supposed to ask for help if I don’t know how to?” Harry asked.

“Stand up,” Snape ordered, grabbing his wand and moving in front of his desk.

Harry slowly stood and looked questioningly at his professor.

“Wand out,” Snape commanded.

Harry complied and prepared himself for an attack. Instead, the professor began speaking.

“Since you are adept at the Patronus charm, you should have no problem with the verbal modification to the spell. The wand movements and mindset requirements are the same; however, the incantation is Oratio Patronum. Try it,” Snape instructed.

Harry smiled, eager to try the spell. He thought about his first trip to Diagon Alley and incanted, “Oratio Patronum!

A silver stag sprang from the tip of his wand. Harry, unsure of what to do next, glanced up at Snape.

Snape was glaring at the stag, but quickly returned his attention back to Harry. “Simply look the animal directly in the eyes, think about exactly what you want to say, and to whom you want the message sent.”

Harry reached out an arm and touched the stag on the head. ‘Deliver this message to Professor Snape: I’m really sorry I hit you and thanks for teaching me this spell.’

The stag bowed to Harry, nuzzled against his hand, and pranced across the room to Snape. Snape met its eyes and after a moment it returned to Harry.

As he looked the stag in the eyes, Snape’s voice echoed in his head, “Very well, but don’t think you won’t be punished for your actions.”

Once the message was relayed, the stag vanished. Snape pocketed his wand and remarked, “Now that you know that spell there will be no excuse for dangerous behavior. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Harry muttered.

“Now that you’ve successfully interrupted my work on your potion, I suggest you follow me to the lab.”

-333-

Once in the lab, Snape directed Harry to a worktable in the back corner, far away from a bench of three simmering cauldrons.

“I believe a day of hard work will help you remember our conversation. I’m in charge of restocking the hospital wing’s potion supplies over the summer and with the addition of your potion, I don’t have the time to prepare the ingredients. You will be peeling dragon scales, disemboweling several fresh specimens, and will complete any other tasks I set for you. Any questions?” Snape stated with a smirk as he emptied his pockets and carefully set several vials full of fresh ingredients on the bench.

“No, sir. Do you have an extra pair of gloves?” Harry asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

Snape responded by dumping a bucket full of slimy animal carcasses onto the table. “Get to work,” he commanded before returning to his bubbling cauldrons.

-333-

Several hours later, Harry was elbow deep in troll entrails when a chime sounded throughout the lab. As he looked up, Snape stalked to the door and opened it. “What?” he growled. 

“Hello, Severus,” Remus greeted.

“What do you want, Lupin?” Snape sneered.

“When Harry was not at breakfast this morning, Albus informed me that he was with you. I took the liberty of bringing you both something to eat, seeing as it is now nearly noon,” Remus answered, pointing towards an eager Dobby.

Dobby pushed past Remus and peaked into the potions lab. “Hello, Harry Potter, sir!” Dobby squeaked excitedly as he shifted from one foot to the other.

“Hello, Dobby,” Harry replied, smiling at the antics of the little elf.

“Come and eat, Severus. I’m to report back to Albus and he won’t want to hear that you didn’t join us,” Remus added with a sly grin.

Snape growled, “Very well. Potter, go wash up and don’t forget where you left off. You will be returning.”

Dobby led the men to a nearby classroom. With a wave of his hand, desks moved together, place settings appeared, and trays of food arrived. Finished, Dobby turned to the others and bowed, “If sirs needs anything else, just call on Dobby.”

With that, Dobby vanished and the wizards were left to enjoy their meal.

The small feast was quite uneventful. Snape sat as far away from the two Gryffindors as possible and ate in silence. Harry and Remus chatted; quiet laughter bubbled up from their side of the table every few minutes.

As everyone cleared the last bits of food off of their plates, Snape cleared his throat. Once he had Harry’s attention, he asked, “I need to monitor your condition as the Exsarcio potion is excreted from your system. What symptoms have you experienced thus far?”

“Well,” Harry began, “the only things I’ve noticed are tingling in the morning and my hair getting longer. This morning the tingling lasted about an hour.”

“Is that normal?” Remus added worriedly.

“Quite,” Snape responded. Turning to Harry, he added, “I’d prefer not to see you every day, so write down your symptoms daily and owl them to me. If you should require medical assistance, contact Madam Pomfrey or myself immediately. And remember—you no longer have any excuse not to.”

Snape headed to the door and stopped to glance at a pocket watch. “Potter, you have one hour, after which I expect you back in the lab. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Harry snapped as Snape left the room.

Remus chuckled, “I heard you two had quite an interesting morning.”

“How’d you know?” Harry asked curiously.

“The Headmaster told me,” Remus answered.

“Oh. Remus, if only you saw the look on his face when I petrified him. I thought he was gonna murder me!” Harry sighed, “I just don’t get it. One minute he’s lecturing and belittling me and in the next he’s giving me veiled compliments and teaching me the Oratio Patronum spell.”

“There are many things you don’t know about Professor Snape. He may be harsh, but deep down I think he is a good person,” Remus remarked.

Harry scoffed, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“I wish you could, Harry,” Remus said seriously. “But I’m afraid time may not have been enough to heal his wounds.”

Harry looked at Remus questioningly and hoped that he would elaborate, but his former professor quickly changed the subject. “I know all this news about your accident and the potion withdrawal can’t be easy to deal with. I want you to know that you can always come to me when you want to talk.”

“I know. I just wish I had known about this sooner,” Harry lamented.

“I’m sorry. With everything that’s been going on lately, I honestly forgot,” Remus apologized resting his hand on Harry’s shoulder.

-333-

It had been ten days since what Harry referred to as his day in potions purgatory. Snape had kept Harry until suppertime, ordering him to disembowel several species of aquatic animals. He sorted salamander eyes, peeled spiny scales off of dried dragon hide, sorted and cut troll entrails, and collected venom from more poisonous snakes that Harry could count.

“Best to put your talent to good use,” Snape smirked as he handed Harry a box of collection vials and several bottles of anti-venom. “Just in case,” Snape added.

Harry did his best to avoid Snape after that day. He sent Hedwig every morning with a note listing his symptoms, the only addition being nightmares that started two days earlier.

Besides meeting with Lupin at least once a day, Harry kept himself occupied by flying and finishing his homework. He knew Hermione would be proud of him for finishing his work. Harry wasn’t trying to be a good student, but he was worried that as his birthday grew closer he would not be in any kind of physical or mental shape to complete his assignments.

But today was different. Professor Dumbledore had informed Harry at lunch the day before that Hermione and the Weasleys would be visiting him at lunchtime for an early birthday celebration.

Harry stood outside the entrance to the Great Hall. He could hear his friends’ laughter through a crack in the great wooden doors.

When Harry heard Hermione shouting at Ron, he couldn’t help but smile. Hearing their voices made him appreciate how much he missed them this summer.

“What are you waiting for?” a female voice carried across the Entrance Hall.

“Hey, Tonks,” Harry greeted as Remus and his girlfriend stepped towards him.

Remus smiled and shrugged as Tonks grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him into the Great Hall.

“Harry!” shouted several different voices at once. He caught sight of Hermione and Ron running up to greet him.

“Harry!” Hermione said, embracing him quickly.

“Hey, mate!” Ron greeted.

“Harry, it’s wonderful to see you again!” Mrs. Weasley rejoiced, pulling Harry into a tight hug.

“Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. How are you?” Harry greeted.

“We’re all fine, you sweet boy,” Mrs. Weasley remarked tearfully, cupping Harry’s cheek with her palm. “My look how you’ve grown!” she noted as she stepped away, presumably to inspect his taller stature and straighter hair.

Harry blushed, uncomfortable with the sudden scrutiny. Luckily, he was saved from further embarrassment by Arthur Weasley.

“Hello Harry, wonderful to see you again,” Mr. Weasley greeted with him with a firm handshake.

“Yes, Harry, smashing to see you again,” Fred joked, slinging his arm over Harry’s shoulders.

“What a fine looking chap,” George sniggered, slapping Harry on the back.

The twins pulled Harry away from the adults and towards the group of teenagers assembled at the Gryffindor table.

“Hey, Harry,” Ginny greeted with a shy smile.

“’lo,” remarked Neville.

“Hi, guys,” Harry responded, surprised to see Neville and Luna were present as well.

Luna’s eyes never left Harry’s face. She stood, reached out a hand, and touched a strand of his hair. “You’re changing, you know,” she commented dreamily. 

“Err, well,” mumbled Harry in an effort to stall and come up with a believable excuse. He didn’t want to tell them all about the potion when he hadn’t spoken to any of them in weeks.

“Hey Harry,” George called as he set a large package on the table.

“Wait till you see our new inventions!” Fred continued.

“Yeah, Harry, you won’t believe some of the stuff they’ve come up with. Mum said we aren’t allowed to open presents until after we eat,” Ron added.

“Hey, mum!” Ron shouted, “When are we eating? I’m starving!”

-333-

Within minutes of sitting down to eat with his friends, Harry realized they were not angry at him for the events in the Department of Mysteries. Hermione’s wounds had healed and Ron had no lasting damage from the brains. Luna revealed quite bluntly that she was happy to have friends who would include her, while Neville admitted that his grandmother had more respect for him and even announced that she was proud of him.

Ginny cornered Harry as the group said goodbye to the adults for a bit and made their way to the Room of Requirement. She whispered that her brothers took her defense skills seriously now and was enjoying scaring them a bit. “You should see their faces when they’re all waiting for me to get out of the loo in the morning. One threat and they scatter like gnomes,” Ginny smirked.

Once they reached the room and settled into the cushy armchairs that appeared, Harry began to speak, “After everything each of you did for me at the Ministry, I think you all should know what Voldemort was after. It all starts with Trelawney.”

“That fraud?” Ginny asked.

“She’s not as big a fraud as I once thought,” Harry answered. “Before my parents were killed, Trelawney made a prophecy to Dumbledore. Unfortunately, a Death Eater overheard the first half and told Voldemort. He thought that the prophecy contained the key to his power, so he followed the first half that said the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. Based on this information, Voldemort murdered my parents, but his spell backfired and I didn’t die. When he came back, Voldemort needed to hear the rest of the prophecy. However, Dumbledore wasn’t about to tell him what it said, so he had to get access to a copy of the prophecy stored in the Department of Mysteries. He couldn’t just walk right in and get it himself, so he lured me there by making me think my godfather, Sirius Black, was kidnapped and being tortured. And, well, you all know the rest.”

“But why did he pick you?” Neville asked. “Couldn’t it have referred to anyone born at the end of July, even me?”

“It could have been you in the beginning, but since he marked me with this,” Harry stated, lifting his fringe and pointing to his lightning-bolt shaped scar, “the prophecy can only refer to me. The part he didn’t know said …And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.”

“He’s still with you, you know,” Luna stated airily. At the confused look the others gave her, she clarified, “Your godfather. I know you miss him, but he’ll always be with you.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile. He replied quietly, “I know,” as his friends watched his reaction with pitying looks.

Not wanting to discuss Sirius, Harry quickly changed the subject and told them all about the Exsarcio potion and its withdrawal. He decided to wait until later to talk to Hermione and Ron in private about the Horcruxes. 

After hearing about the potion, Harry was surprised that they didn’t have any questions, but were more concerned with how he was handling it all.

“Well, it’s a shock. I don’t know what I’ll look like, but I’m hoping I’ll still see parts of my mum and dad,” Harry answered when asked what he thought.

“It could be worse. Imagine if Snape and his mentor didn’t come up with the new potion. You’d have to go through this every fifteen years!” Hermione exclaimed.

“Could be worse? I think having to trust Snape is bad enough!” Ron retorted.

“Harry should trust Snape. He’s a professor and an Order member,” Hermione shot back.

Once Hermione and Ron started arguing and Ginny threatened to hex them both, Harry and his friends ventured back to the Great Hall where they enjoyed the rest of their time together until Mrs. Weasley gathered everyone up to go home.

-333-

Two days later, Harry awoke from his first nightmare of the evening. He went to the loo to wash his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

“You really should get some sleep, dear,” the womanly voice of the mirror suggested.

“Sod off,” he mumbled to the object in response.

Harry sighed, rubbing at his eyes, which were surrounded by dark circles. His hair was disheveled and he looked a mess. Harry hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days since the nightmares started happening every time he closed his eyes. He reported them to Snape and as expected did not receive any owls from the man in response.  

Harry dried his hands on his pajama bottoms and decided to try and get some more sleep. He knew he’d be awoken within a few hours with another nightmare, but he was so exhausted that he was willing to give sleep another try.

A few hours later, Harry jolted awake with a scream, this time due to a strange throbbing sensation in his arms. He quickly tugged them out from under the sheets. The sight that greeted him caused his breathing to accelerate as panic set in. His arms looked as though dozens of earthworms were slithering just beneath the skin. Suddenly, his face started to tingle. Reaching up his shaky hands, Harry lightly touched his cheeks and felt the moving lumps on his face as well.

Desperate for help, Harry put on his dressing gown and hurried down the dormitory stairs. He raced down the moving staircases and found himself in front of Snape’s laboratory. He hesitated for a second, but one glance at the wiggling flesh on the back of his hand had him pounding on the wooden door.

Snape appeared suddenly, wand in hand. “What,” he began to say, but stopped as he recognized Harry at his doorstep.

“In,” Snape motioned, grabbing Harry by the shoulder and forcing him to sit in an armchair he transfigured from a three-legged stool.

Harry watched as Snape tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. He got down on his knees and stuck his head into the green flames.

Snape was occupied in the fireplace for several minutes. In that time, Harry was able to calm down a bit. He looked around the room to see four potions bubbling slightly on a chipped, stained wooden bench. A stirring rod made of glass sat next to a bright red potion and the drop of liquid attached to it was slowly burning a hole into the table.

He looked across to Snape then looked down at his feet.

“Merlin!” Harry muttered embarrassedly as he saw that he was wearing a pair of yellow socks. In his worry, he hadn’t even bothered to dress properly for his trip down to the dungeons.

Snape stood and brushed the soot off of the front of his robes. He moved behind his workbench, grabbed the stirring rod, and methodically mixed the potion in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Harry watched his lips as they counted the stirs.

When finished, he wiped off the rod and set it back down on the table with a muttered curse as he must have noticed the hole burnt into the table. Snape took out his wand and silently repaired the hole, leaving behind a ring of red stained into the wood.

As he pocketed his wand, a knock sounded at the door.

“Get in,” was all Harry heard Snape say before Remus came rushing towards him.

“Harry! How are you feeling?” Remus asked worriedly, sitting on the armrest of the chair and resting his hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“My arms and face are really starting to feel funny,” Harry responded tiredly.

Snape moved to sit on a nearby stool. “You have entered the second to last stage I was describing earlier. There should not be any pain, merely a sensation of insects crawling across the face and arms. Based on the progression of the symptoms, Lupin will be escorting you to the hospital wing where you will stay for the next several days. No wandering, no mischief, and most of all, no magic. Do I make myself clear, Potter?”

“Yes, sir, but isn’t there something I can take to stop this?” asked Harry as he raised his arms and gestured to his pulsating forearms.

“No magic, Potter!” Snape snarled, “However, hourly manipulation of the area and warm compresses will relieve some of the discomfort.”

Turning to Remus, Snape added, “Lupin, the full moon isn’t for another day. Until that time, you are responsible for Potter’s care. If you need help, call on Minerva or one of the house elves. I’m far too busy working on potions for the two of you to play nursemaid. Keep warm compresses on the skin and massage Potter’s arms and face hourly.”

Without another word, Snape stood and pulled open the door. As Remus and Harry passed through the threshold, Snape called, “And Potter?”

“Yes?”

“Congratulations on finally listening and contacting a professor for help,” Snape remarked as he looked Harry in the eyes.

Harry shook his head at the backhanded compliment. “Thanks,” he said just as Snape slammed the door closed.

-333-

The next day and a half had not been kind to Harry. The tingling soon escalated to burning pain. Chills coursed through his body and every time he closed his eyes a new nightmare would play out in his mind. The hallucinations started on the last day. Screams could be heard occasionally as Harry struggled to fight off invisible enemies. Tears coursed down his face when those battles ended in imaginary deaths.

Snape had entered the hospital wing during one such hallucination. Remus and Minerva were struggling to control Harry, who was standing in his hospital gown and attempting to use his glasses as a wand to defeat an unseen adversary. Blood dripped from his fingertips as the broken glass from the crushed lenses pierced his palm.

“Typical Gryffindors,” Snape muttered as he strode forward.

Snape pushed Lupin out of the way and grabbed Potter by the shoulders. Squeezing tightly, he looked him in the eyes and said firmly, “Calm yourself.”

Snape watched as Potter slowly dropped his arms. The boy suddenly slumped forward, unconscious. Snape caught him before he hit the ground and Lupin rushed over to help carry the boy back to bed as Minerva held back the covers.

“Thanks,” Lupin remarked, panting slightly from exertion.

Snape didn’t acknowledge the gratitude but walked back over to a table by the entrance to the hospital wing.

“Here,” Snape uttered, shoving a goblet of steaming liquid towards Lupin. “I’ve come to watch Potter, seeing as in a few hours you’ll only be capable of howling at the moon.”

Lupin growled slightly, his wolf instincts already starting to come out. He made no comment to Snape and instead turned to Minerva, “Thanks for your help. I appreciated it.”

“No problem. Take care of yourself.”

“I will,” Lupin smiled. He rested a hand on Harry’s forehead before nodding to Snape and leaving.

Minerva left several minutes later, leaving Snape alone to play bodyguard to the Boy-Who-Lived. He snatched up his hand to remove the glass and clean the few resulting cuts the Muggle way.

In the hours that followed, Snape was thankful that the boy hadn’t regained consciousness. Since the potion had to simmer until midnight, he decided to catch up on brewing stock for the hospital wing.

Two hours and fifty vials of Pepperup Potion later, Snape was perusing the latest issue of the Journal of Wizarding Research when the clock chimed midnight. He quickly set down the quarterly and moved to stand over the boy.

Before his eyes, Potter’s skin stopped wiggling and large, twisted scars appeared. With a groan, Harry slowly opened his eyes.

“Careful, Potter,” Snape warned as Harry tried to sit up. “The Exsarcio Potion has worn off and your current appearance may be of some shock, but you must remain calm.”

“Where are my glasses?” he asked.

With a quick Reparo to its pieces, Snape restored the glasses and put them on Harry’s face for him.

“Why did you do that? I can put my glasses on myself. I can use my hands, see?” Harry remarked, lifting his hand.

When he caught sight of it, Harry screamed, “What did you DO to me!”

The skin on his arms and hands was hairless and paper thin, both crisscrossed by prominent pink scars. The skin on his hands was taut. He tried to make a fist and grimaced as he could barely bend his fingers. He reached up to touch his face and felt lines of scars there as well.

“Bloody hell!” Harry shouted.

“Language, Potter,” Snape responded snidely. “Worried the papers won’t want to print your new, rugged visage?”

“No,” Harry growled angrily. “I never wanted fame. I’m just shocked at what I look like. Wouldn’t you be shocked if your nose was suddenly straight?”

Harry watched wide-eyed as Snape bent down and produced a dagger from a sheath strapped to his ankle. He placed a strong hand on Harry’s head, forcing him to stay still. In one quick swipe, Snape cut off several strands of his hair at the base of his scalp.

Harry saw that the hair nearly touched the floor as Snape carried the strands of hair to a nearby cauldron.

“So my hair’s long too?” He asked curiously.

“Look for yourself,” Snape answered, producing a mirror and tossing it on Harry’s bed.

“Merlin,” Harry breathed. “My face. Look at the scars! And my hair. It makes me look like Merlin,” he muttered as he stared at the dark hair falling down his back.

Snape stalked back over to Harry with the knife in his hand, “I told you that the potion masked your natural features. It couldn’t stop your growth, only mask it,” Snape explained as he roughly grabbed Harry’s hair in one hand and sliced off about a meter of it.

“Let me ask you; do you remember having a haircut?” Snape suddenly asked as he vanished the hair trimmings.

“Well, yeah. My aunt didn’t like how it looked and she’d cut it down pretty low, but it always grew back by morning,” Harry answered questioningly.

“Correct, Mr. Potter. The potion masked your hair growth, making you look more like your miserable father. The reason that your hair grew back was that it was very long to begin with. Trimming off a few centimeters wouldn’t have left you bald.”

As Harry examined his new, shoulder length hair, he watched the Potions Master inspect each strand he cut earlier. Harry thought they all looked alike, but the Professor must have deemed one better than the rest because he held it up over the potion and slowly lowered it into the steaming green liquid.

The Ardor Curatio Potion steamed and emitted a strange hissing noise, both of which stopped once the entire strand was added.

Snape turned off the flame and decanted the liquid into a nearby goblet.

“Here, Potter. If you want all of the scars treated, you better drink every drop.”

“And this will get rid of all the scars? It’s bad enough having one,” Harry asked hesitantly.

“Again with the vanity, Potter. Just drink the potion!” Snape growled.

Harry glared at Snape, but took a deep breath and brought the goblet to his lips. He choked and started coughing after the first sip, but one look from the Potions Master had him swallowing the rest of it.

“Finally,” Snape muttered, as Harry drained that last few drops.

Harry slid down the pillows barely able to keep his eyes open.

Snape grabbed the empty goblet from Harry’s limp fingers and added, “The potion causes extreme fatigue as it begins to work. By the time you wake up again, you’ll have your new, permanent appearance.”

Harry managed to whisper, “Thanks,” before he succumbed to the potion’s effects.

Snape stared at the boy, not knowing what to make of him. He reached over and removed his glasses. In his mind, he wasn’t removing them for Potter’s comfort, but to prevent further damage to the lenses. He knew he’d be the one forced to repair them again.

Suddenly, four owls swooped into the room, each carrying a large package.

“Of course. Birthday offerings from the Harry Potter fan club,” Snape muttered as he untied each package. “Happy Birthday, indeed,” Snape murmured as he set the gifts on the bedside table and snatched up his journal, settling in for another night as Potter’s watchdog.

To be continued...
End Notes:
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you think of this story so far. Special thanks to my wonderful betas, boushh and xHarryIsMyHomeboyx who are both amazingly helpful!

If you have added this fic to your alerts, favorites, or have taken the time to review, thank you so much! Updates on the progress of upcoming chapters can be found by going to my homepage.

Coming up: Harry’s true appearance is revealed and Snape receives a mysterious delivery from beyond the grave.


This story archived at http://www.potionsandsnitches.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=1582