Harry Potter was in big trouble.

Why oh why had he attempted the Animagus transformation on his own? All the books said not to attempt on own but he had to go ahead bravely as usual, how Gryffindor of him. Now he was stuck in this form with no way of changing back and only one option available. Snape.

Snape, the git of the dungeons would sneer at his predicament for years to come. It didn’t matter that after defeating Voldemort Harry had gone back to the Shrieking Shack to retrieve Snapes body and pour the Revimundi Potion down his throat. That Harry had managed to bring him back from the great beyond to once again teach potions to a bunch of dunderheads. No Snape was never going to let him live this down.

Before Harry could worry about Snapes reaction he had to think of a way to let him know who he was, and try to avoid all the female students in the castle. He was fairly certain that he couldn’t speak, hours of calling for help had proven fruitless. There was also the fact that this form was so sickly disgusting that Harry couldn’t bare to be seen like this.

A loud ringing bell rang throughout the halls and Harry sat howling in pain, reverberating through his ears he thought that this pain was almost as bad as some of the visions Voldemort had sent him. When the ringing stopped and hundreds of pairs of feet thundered past his hiding place Harry realised with a horrible sense of dread that that ringing had been the dinner bell. Now he had no choice but to reveal himself to the whole school in one fell swoop. He wouldn’t have been able to find his way to the dungeons anyway.

Poking his head out from the broom cupboard he seized his chance and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him towards the great hall.

Thankfully the doors were open so Harry, in a blur of white and brown, torpedoed through the entrance, past the student tables, up to the staff tables and crashed into Snapes long thin legs with a yelp.

Severus Snape looked down at the puppy and growled with displeasure. The puppy looked up at him pleadingly with melting emerald green puppy eyes.  Wait, since when do puppies have green eyes. Snape thought as he studied the dratted thing that was now worrying at his bootlaces.  Potter! Only Potter would transform himself into an animal as annoying as his human form. Well he would pay for this mistake, pay big time!

“SIT!” Severus snapped sternly and was pleasantly surprised when Harry obeyed the command.  Smirking as a plan formulated in his mind Severus bent down, picked up the puppy and placed it on his lap.

“STAY!”

The hall was deathly quiet. Snape with a puppy! Snape with a puppy on his lap!!

Snape ignored the students and turned to face his colleges with a very uncharacteristic smile.

“Severus? Is that Spaniel yours?”  Headmistress McGonagall asked in mild shock.

Snape smirked and actually stroked the puppy as he answered.

“Yes Minerva, is this a problem?” His polite tone shocked the students and staff alike. McGonagall however smiled approvingly.

“That’s wonderful Severus. I’ve been telling you for years to get a familiar. What’s his name? Does he have any magic? Where did you...”

Snape cut her off abruptly.

“His name is...Biscuit. He is a King Charles Caviller Spaniel, twelve weeks old. I’m not sure about his magical abilities but he does have a penchant for trouble. Potter gave him to me.” At his words McGonagall scanned the Gryffindor table and seeing no Harry Potter she snapped her gaze back to Severus.

 “Severus, where is Harry?” She asked sharply. Snape smiled again.

“Potter decided to take a trip. He said something about needing to clear his head which is rubbish, the brat is probably swaning around some foreign city bragging about defeating the dark lord!” Biscuit whined and looked up at Severus sadly.

“In truth Minerva, I think the Brat made a wise choice. He needs a break from his adoring public to just be a boy.” There was a hint of regret in Severus’ voice and little Biscuit jumped up and licked his nose with a cute puppy bark.

Snape growled as the great hall erupted with laughter.

Oh Potter..no Biscuit would pay for that one.

Biscuit woke up and stretched his small body. It felt strange, actually this whole situation was beyond strange. By rights he should be angry with Snape for not changing him back but he wasn’t.  Listening to Snape telling McGonagall that Harry had gone on a trip was a great idea. No reporters from either newspaper, nobody staring at him as the boy who defeated Voldemort again, no catch up lessons, none of the boring stuff or the over exciting stuff. Just freedom to do what he wanted for once.

“No! What have you done Biscuit, how dare you chew my wand! Bad dog!” Umm... well almost free.

Snape stalked over to the basket where Biscuit had spent the night and waved his mangled wand at the puppy. “You flea bitten mutt. Are you crazy? You could have blown yourself up.” Biscuit looked up at Snape and wagged his tail.  Maybe if he gave Snape that adoring, big eyed, love me I’m a puppy look he would forget about his wand.“And don’t give me that look, it won’t work on me.”  Glaring down at the disgustingly cute little thing, Snape shook his finger admonishingly and tutted in annoyance as Biscuit snapped at it. Reaching down Snape picked Biscuit up and tapped him smartly on the nose. It didn’t really hurt but Biscuit yelped anyway. Giving a dry laugh Snape set him down on a table and pulled out a small phial of purple potion.

 “Pay attention Pott..Biscuit, I know it’s impossible for you but try anyway,” Biscuit growled softly, “ this is the potion to change you back..”  Snape had barely started explaining when Biscuit lunged for the phial and knocked it out of Snapes grasp.  Barking joyously as the phial soared over Snapes head and down, down, down to the floor where it didn’t break into a million pieces!  Smirking at Biscuit Snape reached down and picked up the phial with a small chuckle.  

“Basic unbreakable charm, it’s no use Potter I have to change you back. Your bloody friends think I’ve murdered you. That Granger girl won’t stop pestering me about you.”  Biscuit backed away to the far end of the table. He didn’t want to be Harry again, not yet. What made the whole situation really weird was that Snape actually sounded sad, maybe there was hope after all. All he needed to do was talk to Snape and explain... somehow.  Inching towards the man slowly, Biscuit laid his small puppy head on Snapes hand and licked his wrist.

‘What am I doing?’ Snape thought as he absently stroked Biscuit’s soft head. ‘I’m an ex-death eater not a dog person. Anyway he’s Potter not Biscuit he has to go back.’  Shaking himself into shape Snape un corked the Phial, tilted Biscuits head to the side and poured the potion down the puppies throat. Snape grabbed the puppy off of the table as Biscuit began to shake and whine in pain and placed him on the dungeon floor. 

In a flash of blue Biscuit disappeared and the shaking form of Harry potter lay in a heap at Snapes feet.Snape snarled angrily at the boy who lived to make his life unbearable. Yes he was defiantly preferable as Biscuit. “Get out Potter!” Snape spat with venom.  Then Harry did the strangest thing. He looked up at Snape and smiled.  Not a normal ‘thank you for changing me back’ smile but a ‘I have a plan smile’.

“No Potter! Whatever it is my answer is no!”  Oh no, Snape wasn’t about to be pulled into one of Potters half baked schemes, nope, nada, no way in hell.

“So here’s my plan Sna..er Professor. I don’t want to be Harry Potter at the moment so I will....” Harry stopped as he saw Professor Snape smirk evilly.“And if I let you remain as Biscuit what do I get out of this arrangement?”  Harry gazed at Snape. Was the snarky git actually human after all. “Well, you already know I’m the best cauldron cleaner around. And I can slice a mean Shrivelfig.”  Harry answered as sweetly as he could which was hard when you consider that he was talking to Snape.

 Folding his arms across his chest Snape looked down at Potter with a gleam in his eye. Potter wasn’t the only one who could think of a plan on the spot and If they had to have a plan they would have one that would actually work.“Here is what will happen Potter. You will write a letter to your friends and Headmistress McGonagall explaining why you left in such a hurry and why you gave Biscuit to me. I will allow you to remain as a puppy Potter but you must do as I say or I will turn you back and you will not like the way that I choose to punish you. In the evenings I will turn you back into Potter so that you can complete your Animagus training. And you will be severely punished for stealing that potion from my stores. You will with my instruction continue to study for your end of year exams, your mother would be appalled to think of you leaving school with no qualifications.” Snape moved over to the lounge area and motioned for Potter to follow. 

"But Sir, how will I get my assignments?" Harry asked and then immediately bit his tongue as Snape fixed him with an incredulous glare.“Potter do not show your ignorance so freely, you will for all intensive purposes be living with a Professor. You will study and complete all of your class work at the times when you should be in class but here in my chambers. If you wish for any assistance you need only ask. This is a onetime only offer Potter, I will not waste my time on you if you continue along the same path that you have been walking for so long.” Snape sat back in his arm chair and waited for an answer.

Potter seemed to be searching for a loophole but there were none to be found. “You said something about punishments sir?” Harry asked quietly.  Snape smirked. “Yes Potter. You know that I knew both your parents and while I detested your Father I liked your Mother immensely so I will punish you in exactly the same way that she would have. For example loss of privileges, grounding, lines and for the more serious misdeeds you will be my personal lab cleaner or anything else that I deem mundane enough for you to work at.”  

‘Ha, let’s see what the little brat thinks about that’  Harry stared at Snape. ‘He knew my mum well enough to know the kinds of punishments she would set? I wonder what Dad would have done?’ “OK Sir, I agree.” Harry answered after thinking a while.   

To Say that Snape was shocked was an understatement but he managed to keep his face straight as he nodded in acknowledgement. 

Snape glared as Harry potter successfully managed the transformation from Biscuit to boy and then back to Biscuit.  For the last two days he had been teaching Harry to find his magical core and follow the correct path and now it seemed that the boy had finally managed it.  The Animagus transformation was incredibly hard and yet the brat had managed it in two days.  When Biscuit became the boy again Snape summoned a goblet of pumpkin juice and held it out to a now panting Harry.

Since the boy had agreed to his terms, something that still shocked him, Snape had become used to and dare he say it, fond of the annoying little pest.  However there were still things bothering him. Questions that needed answers and actions that needed explanations.  Harry's general behaviour had surprised him somewhat.  He hadn't been swaggering around expecting Snape to serve him; he had done his school work as ordered been polite and scarily respectful, gone to bed on time and had actually stayed in bed and not gone gallivanting around the castle. No, something was wrong. Either the boy was depressed or maybe, just maybe, he was not an exact replica of James bloody Potter.  He certainly had not acted like him nor had he acted like the mangy mutt Black.  

"Thanks Sir, I needed that."   Snape gave the boy a rare smile and motioned for him to sit down on the sofa.  Where the hell should he start? Well studying his hands was not going to help and he could feel the boys gaze on him. Watching, waiting.

"Sir I... well I wanted to thank you for doing this," Harry blurted out in a rush.  "I know that you didn't want to really and I know it's not been easy for you but I wanted you to know that I'm grateful and that I will follow your rules and try to ....well I guess what I mean is..."  Snape watched as Harry faltered.   The boy seemed to withdraw into himself, as if unsure of what to do next. 

Sighing deeply Snape walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Harry. The boy didn't even move, save to draw his knees up to his chest and rest his head on them tiredly.  Snape had fully expected Harry to shy away from him as most of the students did when he got too close.  Clearing his throat softly, Snape spoke to Harry as he never had before.

"Care to tell me what's bothering you?" Even as the words left his mouth Snape blinked. Where had that come from? Merlin he actually sounded like he cared about the boy.

Harry lifted his head and glanced at Snape sadly.

"It's nothing Sir." He lied and Snape knew it.

"Don't give me that Harry, you can either talk to me of your own accord or I can use you as a test subject for the new formulation of veratiserum that I am working on."  Snape snapped.  Harry snorted in disbelief and Snape was surprised to hear a chuckle escape his lips.

"Do you doubt me Mr Potter?"

Harry giggled and almost dropped his pumpkin juice.  "No Sir but the last time you slipped veratiserum in my juice you didn't like my answers."  Snape watched bemused as Harry dissolved into a fit of giggles. He felt his lips twitching, he couldn't help it, he was going to laugh.

"Yes Pot...Harry your answers were a little more truthful than I would have hoped, I think that you would have hoped that I would have forgotten about it now. The thoughts that go through that messy head of yours escape me.

[Flashback]

"Now Potter, you will answer my questions truthfully for once.  What were Dumbledore's last words too you?"  Snape watched as the familiar dazed look flooded Harry's face and he couldn't help but smirk.

"Dumbledore said he was sorry and said he had left me his lemon drops and to carry on his sock fetish legacy." Harry answered heavily and Snape almost choked in shock.

"And what do you think of McGonagall?" 

"Pussy has too many prejudices against Slytherins and needs to lighten up. I was thinking about buying her some cat nip."  Harry replied with a lopsided grin.  Snape smirked, the boy was too easy.

"Weasly?"

"Ginny is stalking me in a scary ‘I want to have Harry spawn' kinda way, I think she has one of the twins love potions  and Ron has thoughts only for food, quidditch,  taking Hermione's knickers down and..." 

"Thank you Potter, and now Miss Granger, what are your thoughts on her?"  Snape interrupted quickly, he had no intention of listening to a pubescent boy's inapproiate sexual fantasy.

"Hermione could be the next minister of magic if she gets her head out of a book long enough; she's reading the Karma Sutra at the mo...." 

"Stop!" 

[End flashback]

Snape smirked at the memory and then threw caution to the wind as he laughed long and hard along with Harry. It had been a long time since the pair had let themselves go like this and it felt good.   Suddenly Harry had a really evil idea.

"Sev, I've got a brilliant idea." He giggled while grinning manically.

Snape froze; no one had called him Sev since Lily. Of course Harry didn't know that.

"Is there a way to prank say the whole school in one go?"  Snape glared at Harry and a dark look flashed over his face.

"I think you have confused me with the Mutt. I am a potions master not a prankster."  He snarled.   Harry's face dropped at the mention of Sirius and Snape mentally cursed himself. Groaning he reached out a hand and tilted the boys chin upwards.

"I suppose I could at least listen to your idea."