It wasn’t until the end of the evening when Harry had to leave Hermione, Ron and the other Gryffindors that he began to wonder if he’d been mad to go along with the new arrangement without kicking up more of a fuss.

He lingered outside the entrance to the Slytherin quarters after his friends had left. They’d taken the new arrangement better than he’d expected. Of course they’d already known that he’d been through a whirlwind of a fortnight, with everything that had happened to Sirius and getting to know Snape. The letters he’d owl’d them had told them bits although they would need some time to catch up properly, after all,  you can only say so much in a letter.

 Undoubtedly, Snape was still Snape. But Harry truly felt he was getting to know the man now, better than everyone except perhaps for Dumbledore. He understood the horrendous pressures which the man was working under. And he knew more about Harry too now. He knew about his nightmares and his waking fears.  And the hours spent talking to him after what happened to Sirius had to mean something, even if Harry hadn’t been unwilling to open up at first and it had only been Snape’s relentless efforts had worn him down.

When he’d told them Hermione had simply asked him ‘are you sure this is what you want?’ earning herself a shrug in response.

Was he sure? How could he be? All he knew was that despite everything he’d grown used to spending time with Snape. His new dorm was at the end of the corridor – the closest one to Snape’s rooms. Provided that Snape was right, and the Slytherin’s didn’t kill him, he’d have plenty of opportunities to talk with the Professor and have extra lessons.  The fact that he’d now be part of Slytherin didn’t really enter into it for Harry. He was Gryffindor through and through like his parents and Sirius. Sleeping in a Slytherin dorm wouldn’t change that.

Ron had snorted at his lack of conviction.  ‘You’ll be back within a week.’ He said matter of factly. ‘No way will you and Malfoy stand within ten feet of each other and not come to blows.’

‘Ron!’

‘Well, come on Hermione. What do you rate his chances in the Slytherin common room? Seriously mate you’ll have to be careful ‘round that lot.’

Harry had privately been thinking along the same lines. And everything had been made even more complicated by a conversation he’d had with McGonagall when she’d spoke to him briefly in the Gryffindor common room.

‘Ah Harry,’ she’d said briskly, ‘I take it you’re all settled ready for sleeping in the Slytherin dorm tonight?’

He’d nodded and been pleased to note, as she quizzed him about who was in his dorm, that she didn’t seem offended that he wouldn’t be staying in Gryffindor. In fact she’d proclaimed herself in favour of him spending more time around Snape which would have been a weight off his mind if it hadn’t been for her final comment.

‘I’m glad you’re still spending time in here tonight,’ she said nodding towards the door of her office which opened onto the Gryffindor common room. ‘You’ll always be a Gryffindor at heart no matter what other houses choose to adopt you. Remember that this arrangement need only last as long as you wish it to. If you change your mind and want to move back into your old dorm at any time you only have to say.’

Just then the door of the Slytherin entrance opened and a second year stepped out. Feeling self conscious, standing in the door way doing nothing, Harry took a deep breath and stepped through. Conversations hushed and a myriad of eyes fell upon him as he slunk around the edge of the room.  His breath caught in his throat as he glanced around anxiously. The room was heavily decorated in silver and green with plush sofas with throws sprawled across them. It was a lot quieter than in Gryffindor, although a lot of that was probably due to his entrance, Harry thought wryly. He reached the far end of the common room and hesitated, where was he likely to be- the study or in his rooms?

‘He’s in his study.’ A tall boy interrupted him, guessing his thoughts and Harry recognised him as Lysander Gale one of the Slytherin prefects. ‘Snape I mean, if that’s who you’re looking for.’

‘Thanks.’ He muttered. Had Snape told the prefects to watch out for him? If so that was a bit embarrassing, albeit comforting.

He headed towards the corridor which led towards the dorms knowing that the study lay just before them, walking as quickly as he could whilst trying not to show how unsettled he was. Reaching the oak door he placed his hand on the stone, as he had seen Snape do before and remembered to give a perfunctionary knock just in time as the door swung open.

Feeling more relaxed he felt his heart rate beginning to slow somewhat as Snape looked up at him from the parchment he was reading at his desk.

‘Well, come in then.’ The professor said irritably.

Closing the door behind him, Harry walked in and sat facing Snape at the desk.

Taking one final glance at the parchment, Snape carefully rolled it up and locked it away in a safe behind his desk before turning back to Harry.

‘Can I have some dreamless sleep, tonight?’

‘No.’

‘Just tonight. I haven’t had any pepper-up today and I’m more or less back to normal now, you said it yourself this morning.’

At first, after he’d healed Snape with that strange spell, Harry had been so exhausted and barely able to get out of bed for meals let alone lift his wand or have lessons. The pepper-up had helped to some extent but he didn’t need it now.

‘No.’

‘Please, it’s my first night in the dorm. I can use a silencing charm but I don’t want them to see me having nightmares.’

‘What will it take for you to choose to abandon stop-gap methods and concentrate upon real solutions?’ Snape replied referring once again to the occlumency which ought to be preventing the nightmares.

‘Fine.’ Harry couldn’t be bothered to argue any longer, he knew Snape would never give in when he’d made his mind up. If he really wanted it he’d have to try and persuade Poppy at the hospital wing. For a moment he expected Snape to raise his wand and attempt to legilmens him to prove a point but the moment passed.

‘How are you getting on with your dorm-mates?’ The professor asked instead.

Harry shrugged. ‘I’ve been in Gryffindor until about five minutes ago.’

‘And yet curfew was fifteen minutes ago.’ Snape observed drily.

‘Fifteen then.’ Harry grinned.

‘Indeed?’ Snape raised one eyebrow and then stood up and reached behind a set of drawers for a package.

‘I’ve got something for you.’ He said quickly, sounding uncomfortable.

Harry took the package and ripped one end of it open, although he already knew what it was. Part of him didn’t want to accept it and wished Snape hadn’t bothered. It wasn’t as if Sirius’ broom could ever be replaced.

 ‘I know it’s not the same as the one you had before.’ Snape said awkwardly.

Harry just stared down at the new firebolt in his hands and then looked up at Snape. Is that it? Is that as close as you can come to an apology?

For a long moment they both stared at each other, the atmosphere in the room growing oppressive.

Eventually Harry spun around and turned to leave abruptly just as Snape was about to break the silence.

 Severus closed his mouth again, as the door swung shut behind Harry. It wasn’t as if there was anything he could say anyway.

Harry stormed back to his dorm and slammed the door behind him. He hurled the new broom with all his might at the wall.  Then paused and strode over and picked it up, whacking it against the wall twice more before examining it closely. Barely a scratch. He knew Firebolts came complete with strengthening charms but who would have thought they would be so effective? Harry gave a laugh which was nearly a sob as it occurred to him that he only knew one way of damaging the broom.

At this point a slight movement in the corner of the room alerted Harry to the fact that he was not alone. In his temper he’d assumed all his dorm-mates were still in the common room. Lying propped up on the bed and staring at him agog over the top of his book was Theodore Nott.

‘What?!’ Harry demanded aggressively.

Theodore gave a look of slight disbelief at Harry’s tantrum before averting his eyes back to his book.

Harry threw himself in the bed at the far end of the room. It wasn’t as if he could go into the common room and he no longer had any desire to talk to Snape. It was going to be a long night.

***

Harry lay on his bed, too angry to read. A small voice in his head told him as least he’d be able to play quidditch now, but that wasn’t the point. Nothing Snape did could undo what he’d done, but he hadn’t realised how much he’d been banking on an apology until this moment. What an idiot he’d been, to expect one from that b******. Nothing had changed. Nothing.

It wasn’t as if Snape had ever given a s*** about him.

Suddenly the door to their dorm swung open disturbing his thoughts and instinctively Harry reached for his wand, but it was just Conner and Jasper coming back from the common room.

‘You’re mad.’ Jasper gasped. ‘Completely and utterly crazy.’

‘Ah, but it was so much fun.’ Conner replied with an infectious grin.

‘You can’t do that.’ Jasper sounded really shook up. ‘You can’t hex Slytherins and especially not Goyle and Crabbe.’

Both Harry and Theodore ignored their entrance, Theodore still concentrating on his book and Harry settling back down to glower at a point on the ceiling.

‘Don’t let it worry you.’

‘Snape’s gonna kill you.’

‘It’ll be fine.’ Connor assured him. Then glancing over at Harry said, ‘if it isn’t the golden boy himself.’ His tone was only slightly mocking but it was enough to inflame Harry’s temper.

‘What did you call me?’ He asked pointedly sitting up.

‘The golden boy. You know all that stuff Snape said about you after supper. If anyone looks at you funny he will do his best to get them expelled, if they knock you about he’ll fed them to the giant squid, if they hex you he’ll break their wands and force their pieces down his throat...’ Connor recited the points quickly, ticking them off on his fingers.

  ‘Be serious, what did he really say?’ Harry asked curiously.

 ‘I’m being serious.’ Connor replied in mock indignation.

Jasper chipped in to agree. ‘That is pretty much it, Potter, although the punishments were implied rather than specific, kind of  like...’  He put on an impression of Snape’s deep snarky voice “Anyone who EVEN THINKS about aiming their wand at Mr Potter had better learn to outswim the giant squid before they attempt to do so...’

Theodore glanced up from his book.

‘Yeah and he also said not to go on about it, in front of Potter, and make him feel uncomfortable.’

Jasper looked nervous. ‘That wasn’t what I was trying to do Potter, honest.’

Brilliant, Harry thought to himself. Now anyone who didn’t already hate him would be terrified of upsetting him. Way to make me settle in, Snape.

‘Harry.’ He replied wearily.

‘What?’

‘My name. If we’re are staying here you may as well call me Harry instead of Potter.’

‘Ok.’ Jasper said.

‘I prefer golden boy.’ Connor said.

‘Whatever.’ Harry replied, lying back down again.

 ***

Harry woke in the middle of the night wracked with sweat from his nightmare. It took him a few moments to recollect himself before he realised he hadn’t woke of his own accord. Theodore had shook him awake and was stood beside him. Jasper and Connor were still asleep.

‘Did you hear me?’ He whispered shakily. Had he forgotten to set his silencing ward?

***

But the next morning Harry was surprised to find the Slytherin’s left him alone as he headed back through the common room for breakfast. Jasper and Theodore had woke before him but didn’t mention anything in his presence and Connor had already disappeared off somewhere.

As he hurried over to where Ron and Hermione had saved him a place he could feel someone glaring at him and glancing behind him saw Malfoy sniggering to his cronies. Well that was nothing new. He concentrated on his breakfast.

‘You survived the first night then?’ Ron asked with his mouth full.

‘Just about.’ Harry replied but didn’t elaborate.

‘You’re going to stay there then?’

‘I don’t have a choice do I?’Harry said. Although if what McGonagall said was accurate it seemed he did. But what would he choose anyway? He’d been furious with Snape last night about the broom, but all the other stuff looking out for him... well it was just plain embarrassing on one level, no doubt about that, but at least it showed he cared to some extent. Or perhaps Snape would just be embarrassed if Harry was hexed into oblivion on his territory.

Harry sighed and munched his toast.

***

On the way to class, Harry dragged Ron and a protesting Hermione towards the hospital wing.

‘We’re going to be late.’

‘One minute Hermione, I swear.’ Harry said as he knocked on the door.

‘Madam Pompfrey.’

‘Harry, how are you feeling?’

‘Fine, fine.’ Harry said hurriedly. ‘I just wanted to get a few days worth of dreamless sleep, if that’s ok.’

‘Did Professor Snape say it was all right?’

Harry nodded, fumbling with his bag to hide his flushed face. ‘I haven’t used the pepper-up potion for days now.’

‘Here you go then.’ Poppy reached into a cupboard.

***

‘You never said you were still having problems sleeping.’  Hermione’s impatience at being late for class was forgotten.

‘Shh.’ Harry said shoving the bottles in his bag guiltily as they walked down the corridor. ‘I want to keep this between us three if we can. Snape doesn’t want me taking these.’

‘Harry.’ Hermione sounded extremely disapproving and broke into a whisper as they entered their charms classroom. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea at all.’

‘She’s right mate.’ Ron added. ‘He’ll find out if Poppy mentions it to him.’

Harry delved into his bag for his book.

‘Yeah, but she might not.’

‘Where is Mr Donovan?’ Professor Flitwick frowned down at the register. ‘Is he unwell?’

‘I don’t know.’ Jasper answered. ‘He was gone before I woke up this morning.

Harry knew that Connor wasn’t in the hospital ward but kept quiet, if he was running late or needed an excuse he didn’t want to be the one to drop him in it, even if he was a bit of an idiot.

***

 The next lesson after charms was potions. Connor was still missing something that Snape picked up on immediately, leading him to floo-call Dumbledore and let him know. It seemed a lot of fuss to go to for someone who had only been missing for a couple hours but then Snape was his head of house and would have known if Connor was in the infirmary.

‘Maybe they’re scared he’s run away.’ Hermione whispered. ‘He was saying he didn’t want to be here.’

‘He’ll probably wish he had run away by the time Snape catches up with him.’ Ron muttered as all the Gryffindors tried to keep their heads down and not attract any attention from their annoyed looking potions teacher.

The potion they were making was one which Harry had practised over the summer, so he found it relatively straight forward. He was even able to help Ron out by pointing out that they had to dice rather than slice the gurkidle leaves and was just telling Hermione about how you can adapt quantities of ingredients part way through a potion when he noticed what Malfoy was doing out of the corner of his eye.

He was levitating Neville Longbottom’s cauldron whenever he turned his back and then letting it go suddenly so that the potion splashed across the work top.

Poor Neville was completely oblivious to what was going on. He was pretty sure it wasn’t boiling over, he’d turned the heat off completely but there was as much outside the cauldron as in it.

‘Longbottom.’ Snape snapped sharply making Neville quake. ‘You have surpassed yourself in sinking to new levels of asininity. Well done- you have reminded me not to skip over the basic instructions in future. This...’ He tapped the edge of the metal with his wand, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘...is a cauldron. You put the ingredients in there. You do not pour them over the table.’

The Slytherins, minus Harry, tittered at Neville’s embarrassment.

‘Now, start over.’

Shoulders slumped Neville headed over to gather new ingredients. There was barely any time left. Well, his potion would never have passed anyway. 

He left his own potion and headed over to Neville.

‘Here I’ll cut the gukidle leaves for you.’ He offered.

He worked quickly helping to make sure that Neville was set up for a second bout before turning back to his own potion. He stared at it in horror. It had boiled dry and was now a mass of brown goo cemented onto the base of his cauldron. From the look of it the cauldron was ruined and the potion looked unmentionable.

Glancing back at Neville he could see he was faring little better. As soon as he’d turned away Neville was fumbling with the ingredients adding the wrong amounts in the wrong order. Harry winced as he saw a chicken’s liver being added. That definitely wasn’t in the instructions. Malfoy wasn’t even doing anything this time, Harry realised, apart from intimidating Neville by standing beside him insulting him.

Snape started walking around and grading the potions.

He glanced at Hermione’s. ‘Passable.’

‘Remember to heat it next time, Mr Weasley.’ He said scathingly to Ron who had ran out of time to heat his for long enough.

‘What is this?’ He sneered at Neville’s potion with undisguised disgust. ‘I think perhaps you have made a different potion to the rest of the class this time Mr Longbottom.’ Oh well, it wasn’t as if he and Neville weren’t used to their potions failing.

‘Well done, Mr Malfoy.’

Then Snape glanced at Harry’s.

‘I saw that yours was acceptable earlier, Mr Potter.’

Harry stood in shock. He hadn’t seen that it was ok earlier; he hadn’t had chance to finish it before it burnt. Was this his first experience of Slytherin favouritism? If so he didn’t like it.

‘Professor?’ He said suddenly. ‘Actually Neville and I worked together. So we should probably share an average of our grades.’

Snape glanced over at him from the cauldron he was at.

‘I saw you at Mr Longbottom’s cauldron earlier Mr Potter, so you can share the credit for that monstrosity –though why you should want to I cannot imagine. He, however, did not touch your cauldron this lesson.’

Neville mouthed ‘forget it’ at Harry.

As they cleared up at the end of the lesson Harry felt Snape hiss in his ear. ‘Stay behind at the end, Harry.’  

 ‘You two go on.’ Harry said to Ron and Hermione. ‘I’ll see you at lunch.’

***

‘What on earth are you playing at?’ Snape demanded as soon as they were alone.

‘What am I playing at? What about you?! Giving Neville a fail and saying mine was acceptable like that.’

‘You’re upset because I passed your potion?’ Snape sounded genuinely baffled.

‘It didn’t deserve to pass! It looked like...’ Harry caught himself in time. ‘... it looked rubbish. I hate this – the way you pass all the Slytherins and fail all the Gryffindors.’

‘I passed Miss Granger and failed Mr Goyle.’

‘Only because you had to. She’s brilliant and he’s worst than Neville. You always failed me in the past and you’re passing me now. Because we get on... at the moment, anyway.’

‘Will you stop whinging if I promise to fail your next potion to even things up?’ Snape inquired.

‘You don’t get it!’ Harry sounded frustrated. ‘I hate this favouritism. It’s wrong and you should be watching Malfoy to stop him disrupting people’s potions.’

‘Did he touch your potion?’ Snape asked evenly.

Harry shook his head.

‘Then I don’t see what your problem is. In any case, as far as your potions are concerned I passed yours today because I know full well you can make this successfully, as you showed last week. And your previous potions which I failed were dreadful.’

Yeah, because you put me off when I was making them, Harry thought.

‘I’m going to lunch.’ He said picking up his bag.

‘You need to finish cleaning your caldron first.’ Snape told him silkily.

Harry glanced down at the dried on goo.

‘It won’t come off.’

‘Perhaps then you should scrub it until it does.’

‘You’re making me miss lunch?’

‘Just clean it, Harry. I know how you hate favouritism, after all.’ Snape turned away to his own brewing.

Half an hour later, Harry was still in much the same position. Perhaps he had shifted a little of the goo, if you looked closely.  The bulk of it, however, was still very much in evidence.

Snape prodded at the goo with the stirrer.

‘Congratulations, Harry. You’ve managed to ruin a cauldron to a greater extent than Mr Longbottom’s little concoction.’

‘Sorry.’ Harry muttered, his stomach rumbling.

‘Come.’

They walked to the hall together and Harry was just slipping into a seat beside Ron and reaching for his plate, everyone else was already on dessert, when he noticed Connor nonchalantly sat at the Slytherin table. Snape must have also noticed because he strode up to him and said something to him in a low voice.

Connor didn’t move.

‘NOW, MR DONOVAN!’ Snape bellowed making several Slytherin first years jump.

Very slowly, Connor put down his cutlery before standing up and following his head of house out the hall.

Harry shovelled his lunch down his throat, they had a free period next lesson and were going to spend it playing quidditch- when he noticed what Malfoy and his friends were doing and lost his appetite. They were sniggering and pointing at Neville and mimicking him in high pitched, girly voices: ‘I don’t know what happened – I took it off the heat.’

Neville sat there trying to plough on with his lunch as if he couldn’t hear them but Harry could see the tips of his ears were going bright red from embarrassment.

Harry stared at the back of Malfoy’s head with real dislike. He hated the way all the Slytherin’s treated Neville, like he was worthless just because he was an easy target as he wasn’t clever or successful. It reminded him of Dudley and his friends picking on him for being different when he was younger. He wished there was some way to make Malfoy feel for just one moment what Neville felt like, some amazing hex or jinx...

Then all of a sudden it occurred to Harry, the spell he’d used to help Snape by giving him energy or power, how brilliant if you could use it the other way round?! He could take some of Malfoy’s power temporarily, just a very small amount to show him how it felt to be the weak one for a change...

Harry concentrated, forgetting his dinner and closing his eyes.

Give me your power. Give me your energy. 

Nothing.

The other day he had felt straight away that something was happening. This time he knew straight away that he was wasting his time. He’d been holding Snape’s hand last time. Maybe he needed to touch Malfoy for it to work? Harry chuckled, he could just imagine the Slytherins’ faces if he walked over and grabbed Malfoy’s  hand in the lunch hall.  He opened his eyes.

Hermione was looking at him in concern. ‘Are you ok?’

‘Yeah fine.’ He turned hurriedly back to his dinner. Perhaps he could use his wand or ask Snape for the incantation as he’d heard of the spell before. If it were possible it would be a fantastic spell to use as a distraction or to weaken an opponent.

***

Before dinner that evening Harry found Snape alone having just finished teaching a first year class. The thought had been playing on his mind all afternoon and he brought it up straight away as Snape finished stowing away valuable potions ingredients.

‘You know that wandless spell I did when you were hurt?’

Snape nodded, it was hardly likely to slip his memory, after all.

‘You and Dumbledore, sorry Professor Dumbledore had seen it before. So I was wondering if you knew the incantation?’

‘Why do you want to know?’ Snape asked suspiciously. ‘You realise that it’s dangerous to give energy or power in this manner?’

‘I don’t want to give away energy. I just thought it could be a great attack move to weaken your enemy.’

‘And you plan to practise this on whom?’ Snape replied sharply, thinking back to the time when he’d seen the spell used before and reflecting that the boy had no idea how murky the waters were that he was playing with.

 ‘I tell you now, Harry, that if I ever find out that you have used this spell on anyone at Hogwarts, you will live to regret it.’

Harry looked away guiltily.

‘You already have haven’t you?!’ Snape exploded after one glance at his face. ‘You’ve used that spell again.’

***