Harry stood before Snape, wondering what the man was thinking.

"Tell me, Mr. Potter," Snape asked, crossing his arms, "what were my exact instructions to you before I left here?"

Harry gulped. "That I could go flying at the Quidditch field once Hagrid brought be my broom," he replied, glancing down at his hands that were folded in his lap.

"What else?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Harry gulped again. "That I wasn't to go into the Forbidden Forest for any reason," he replied, honestly.

"Very well, Mr. Potter," Snape said, "and did you obey those orders?"

Harry sighed. "No, Sir," he answered, truthfully. He hadn't, the man knew that so why lie about it.

"Which one did you disobey?" Snape asked, sternly.

"The second one," Harry replied, "but I had to help Azure!"

Snape nodded. "So you said," he told him, "but could you not have gotten Hagrid to go see what sort of creature needed help or did you even bother to think to tell someone you were going at all?"

Harry looked down again. "No, sir," he answered, "I didn't."

"I see," Snape said, his tone displeased, "so not only did you disobey me, Harry, you also put your life at risk."

Harry's head flew up. "I didn't," he argued.

"Really?" Snape asked, his eyes narrowing. "What if-instead of Azure-it had been a dangerous creature luring you in there under false pretenses so that it could eat you!? Or even a dark wizard like Quirrel intent on doing you harm!?"

Harry bit his lip. "I didn't think of that, sir," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Being sorry doesn't help," Snape growled at him. "You rushed in just as you did with that blasted Stone! I will not tolerate disobedience, Harry James, of any kind. Do you understand me!?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Sir," he answered, quietly.

"We will be remaining here at Hogwarts a couple of more days," Snape told him, "as I have some unfinished work I need to see to before we go to my home in Dover. Because you disobeyed me, you will spend those two days in your room. In other words, Mr. Potter, you are grounded!"

Harry groaned inwardly. Outloud, he said, "Yes, sir."

"Come here," Snape ordered sternly, pointing directly in front of him.

Reluctantly, Harry obeyed.

Snape took him by the shoulders, turned him sideways, and then landed five very hard smacks on his bottom.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Harry jumped as those five smacks landed, causing his bottom to sting a bit.

"That," Snape informed him, pointing an admonishing finger at him, "was for putting your life in danger, as well as willfully disobeying me. If it happens again, you will receive considerably more and will be missing a couple of items of clothing as well. Do you understand me, young man?"

Harry nodded, reaching back to rub his behind a little.

"Very well," Snape said, "you may go on back to your room. Tonight, after supper, the three of us are going to sit down and discuss the rules for this summer...as well as what breaking those rules will entail. Now, scoot!" He sent him off with another smack to his behind.

Harry went down the hallway Henry and Azure had gone down. There were four doors, two on the right and two on the left. He found his double and his new friend in the first door on the left.

"This is our room?" he asked them, curious.

Henry nodded. "Yeah," he said, "at least until we go to Dover."

The room was large with two matching beds, wardrobes, and desks on either side. Once side was decorated in Slytherin green and the other Gryffindore red. "Which side is mine?" Harry asked, curious.

Henry pointed to the Slytherin side, grinning when Harry wrinkled his nose. "Sorry," he said, shrugging, "but Uncle Severus gave me first pick since you weren't here."

"Oh," Harry said, sitting down on his new bed. "Well, it's only for a couple of days. I guess I can live with it."

:Is something wrong?: Azure asked, gliding over and landing beside him He coiled himself up, his wings furling close to his body.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing you can help with," he told his new friend. "I'm grounded."

:For helping me?: the winged snake asked, curious.

"Not really," he told him, reaching over to rub his head. "Snape told me not to go in the Forest and even though I was helping I was still disobeying him."

:It was also dangerous: Azure reminded him. :You should have asked someone to come with you:

"Hey," Harry said, grinning, "whose side are you on?"

:I am simply stating a fact, nothing more: the snake replied matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, it was," he said, "so I guess I deserve it. It's only for a couple of days, anyway. Besides, it's not like I won't have company. Right?"

The snake bobbed his head up and down. :I will be pleased to stay with you:

"Thanks," Harry told him.

Henry brought over some bags. "These are yours," he said. "Uncle Severus got two of everything, even underwear!"

Harry blushed at that, pulling out the packages of boxers and briefs. "Why both?" he asked, curious.

"Well," Henry told him. "He didn't know which kind we preferred. I was too embarrassed to give him a straight answer. He said he'd let you pick. I get whichever kind you don't want."

Harry thought a moment. He'd never really been given a choice before, as he'd always had to wear Dudley's old boxers that were too big. "I'll take the briefs," he told his double, "you can have the boxers."

"Okay," Henry said, taking that package of underwear and depositing it in his wardrobe beside his bed.

"What now?" Harry asked, curious.

"How about we play a game of chess," Henry suggested, pulling out a chess set.

"Where'd you get that?" Harry asked, curious. It looked way better than the one he'd gotten as a prize at Christmas.

"It's a muggle set," Henry said. "Uncle Severus gave it to us."

"He did?" Harry asked, surprised. "Why?"

Henry shrugged. "Beats me," he answered. "I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Good point," Harry said, smiling. "Let's play."

So, they did. They spent the rest of the afternoon happily playing chess until they were called to dinner by their uncle.