Thursday, one week and a half after Harry played cat, he was going to stay in the dungeons.

“Why do you have to go this week?”

“Do I really need to answer that? The seminar was planned a year ahead, Harry.”

“I would like to go with you.”

“You would be bored and you have the end of term tests to present. You have to stay here.”

“You have tests to apply and grade also…”

Severus detected some defiance in Harry’s tone…

“You are going to be all right son. I will be back in four days. You will be so busy studying that you won’t realize that I’m not here.” 

Harry was angry. He couldn’t explain why. Some weeks he only saw his father in class… but he knew that Severus was near… He placed the books he was carrying on the table with a big slam.

“If you are going to throw a tantrum, Mr. Potter... You should plant your nose in that corner until it’s over…” 

Harry turned to face him and stamped his foot. “I'm not going to stand in the corner… I do not throw tantrums!”

“I do not like your tone of voice…”

“Too bad! I… won’t talk to you any more…!” Harry went to his room and closed the door. Severus noted that he was careful not to slam it. He had heard about the ‘terrible twos’, he guessed that this was their equivalent, the ‘terrible pre-teens”. He kept choosing the papers he was going to take to the conference. He couldn’t understand why Harry was so upset about it. He wished he could cancel but the Seminar took place every two years and he was an invited speaker.

 Severus could sense when Harry opened his door and went out of the room. The dark haired child was silent but he could feel the difference in the air. He turned and as expected the boy was standing beside the wall looking contritely at him.

“May I leave my room now?”

“You tell me. I was not the one who sent you there, was I?”

“No, Dad. Do you want me to stand in the corner?”

“Is your tantrum over?”

“I guess…”

“Get into the bathroom and wash your hands and face. Then come back here, we need to talk.”

Harry went into the bathroom and Snape heard the water running. Sometimes he only had to wait for a little while for the child to sort himself alone.

Harry came back with a clean face and his fringe wet. He stood by Severus and felt his arm around his shoulder.

“I’m sorry I shouted at you…”

“Where are your shoes?”

Snape felt Harry shrug, “In my room…you said I shouldn’t lie in bed with them on…”

“At least you remember half my instructions. I also told you that you shouldn’t walk bare footed in the dungeons…” He used his wand to summon Harry’ slippers. Harry placed them on his feet. “I… am sorry.”

“Child, you are old enough to use words to express your feelings there is no need to throw a tantrum.”

“My cousin would throw himself to the floor crying and kicking… and my aunt usually gave him what he wanted.”

“And you thought that I would relent after such a display of bad behavior?”

“No. It’s just that… I do not want you to go.”

“Harry, I am not going to judge your behavior based on how your cousin got his way. That doesn’t speak too well about your relatives parenting methods. A child must know how to express his frustration without this kind of display.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t do that again.”

“Slamming books, stamping feet, slamming doors, next time you do something like that you will find yourself with a smarting bottom.”

“Yes. Father.”

“Now tell me, why are you so upset? I have gone out of the castle several times this year… You know I will come back, don’t you?”

“I… are you?”

“Nothing would stop me from coming back to you.”

“But what if I need you?”

“Minerva would watch you and also Madam Pomfrey and the Headmaster.”

“What if I need to ask you something?”

“If you need to ask me something, you may ask your Head of House to contact me.”

“May I? Why can’t I contact you directly?”

“Because it is a complicated charm that you will learn after your third year… I will use the floo to call you every night and you can tell me the results of your tests.”

“Would you be very angry if I do not get outstanding grades?”

“Do not worry about the tests, Harry. You have learned a lot during this year. I’m sure you will do just fine...”

“I do not like it.”

“You do not have to like it, son. But you have to accept it. We have to fulfill our obligations.”

“I’m hungry.” Harry knew that there was nothing more to say.

“I will arrange dinner with the castle elves, meanwhile bring a piece of paper…”

“Are you going to make me write lines?”

“You will remember them the next time that you want to stomp your feet to your father…. No pouting, child you could as easily do the lines with a smarting bottom.”

“But it will only be for one night, after all the tests are over.”

“I wont have you sleeping here alone, Harry, you will stay in your dorm while I’m not here.”

“I am not a baby.”

“I am not saying that you are a baby, but I do not think a young man should sleep so far from help if needed. You will be fine in your dorm.”

“But I won’t be alone, I will ask Ron and Hermione to come… and… we could have a small party.”

“You won’t have unsupervised slumber parties son.”

“But dad…”

“No whining, Harry.”

“Sorry. Are you going to lock the door?”

Severus knew this was a trick question. “The door will open for you always, I can trust that you are mature enough not to abuse that option. Can’t I? You may come and go during the day, as always. You may not sleep here or bring anyone while I am out. Am I clear?”

“The tests end on Thursday and…” Harry did not compromise.

“I will be back on Friday, you may invite Mr. Weasley to stay over then and any one else you want.”

“Hermione also?”

“Not Miss Granger. Not until you may not offer her a separate bedroom, girls need privacy, she will be more comfortable in her own bed.”

Severus looked at the child eating breakfast beside him. How could he have so many faces? One day he was a dragon hunter and the next he had the notion of behaving like a cat. Just last night he had thrown a tantrum because he did not want Severus to leave him alone and today he wanted slumber parties and girls sleeping in his same bedroom! Severus was sure to need a shrink before the boy comes of age.

He would ask Minerva to supervise Harry’s nights…

“Have you talked to Professor Dumbledore about the stone?”

“Yes, I have.”

“And what did he say?”

“He said that you shouldn’t worry about it.”

“Are you going to add more traps?”

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

“Meow! But he died happy…”

“You are going to change from a smart cat to a smarting one child.”

“You are not fun.”

“I am your father, fun is not listed in the job description .” Harry just kept quiet but gave his father a quick hug before leaving for class.

Severus met Minerva in the corridors some minutes later. The witch was wearing a grin.

“Everything all right Minerva?”

“Things do sort themselves. Do you have Gryffindor fifth years today in class?”

“I think so.”

“Do not mention Mr. Percy Weasley’s appearance… he is waiting for his hair to turn back to his natural color.”

“An accident in the showers?”

“New shampoo, I think.”

“Courtesy of his brothers?”

“There is no proof.”

“He will just have to live it down then.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Monday night before dinner. I have to be at the welcome cocktail as an invited speaker.”

“Have fun.”

“Would you be so kind as to watch over my child and ensure that he is in bed on time each night?”

“Is there anything I should know?”

“Nothing at all.”

“I will watch him.”

“Thank you.”

“Time for class.”

“Me too.”

Percy Weasley entered the potions classroom and sat on the back of the room. His hair was bright green. Snape started the class placing the instructions in the blackboard. His OWL group was capable of brewing with out much supervision. At the end of the class he called the green-haired lad to his desk.

"Professor Snape."

"Mr. Weasley, are you planning to start a new fashion?"

"No, sir, it was an... accident."

"I see... You were in charge of supervising your house mates bed time. Were you not?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Were they difficult?'

"Difficult?'

"The first years. Were they difficult?"

"No, Sir. They behaved."

"What were your Head of House instructions concerning the restriction?"

"Not much, only that I had to be sure that they were in bed at 8 and that I was to give them a token."

"I see."

"I can assure you that they were all in bed at exactly 8 o'clock."

"So, there was no need to parade them from the common room calling them babies, nor was it appropriate to allow the rest of your house mates to laugh at them, was it?"

"No need...? Sir, but... Well the house was not happy because of the points they lost."

"Miss Granger alone has gained more than three times the number of points they lost. Are you not aware of that?"

"Yes, Sir, but..."

"Tell me, Mr. Weasley was there any need to mortify those children more? Do you think that your Head of House was too lenient in her dealing with them?"

"No, Sir. But they got the prefects in trouble also..."

"You were in trouble because you did not fulfill your job correctly. Have you forgotten the talk Professor McGonagall and I had with you?

"No, Sir."

"You were not given the badges only for decoration. Mr. Weasley. You were given authority over your schoolmates to help them and to keep order, it is your job to protect the younger kids. Was that not clear?"

"Yes, sir. It was. I guess I... I'm sorry. Sir. It's not only... My brother should know better, his behavior reflects on me and..."

"I would advice you to remember that you are not the center of the universe. Your brother's behavior only reflects on him."

"Yes, Sir."

"I trust that you would compensate them somehow."

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. You may go now Mr. Weasley, one more thing, if I ever learn that you abused your position or allowed a helpless student to be called names... you wont have to worry about your hair changing color. You won't have any hair left. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"... and how was your day?"

"We have a lot to study... Dad, have you seen Percy's hair?"

"I noticed. Did you have anything to do with it?"

"Maybe... not exactly."

"Was this payback for your week of restriction?"

"A little..."

"Do you feel that it was wrong the way you were treated by your house mates and prefects?"

"Not really... it was hard to go to bed so early and... it was not fun to be called babies, but... they helped us with homework and they even smuggled us some dessert and... Percy's stories were gross, but fun, he was so angry with Ron... He should take it easy, it was not as if we were not being punished... I like how his hair looks."

"He should apologize for the way he treated you."

"Not after we turned his hair green..."

"You must not take the law into your hands, child. Even if you only do a foolish thing like changing the color of someone's hair. You know that you can tell me if any one, prefect or not bully you in any way, don't you?"

"Yes, Dad."

It was the day of the last test. All the kids ready for the term to end. As they left they respective classrooms they behaved as foolishly as possible.

Minerva couldn’t believe that, as always, the ones giving the most problems trouble the Seven Years. As during the following weeks they would suffer a transformation from kids to adults they wanted to have as much fun as possible. She even had to threaten to have them back for another year in order to make them behave.

And the staff was not complete.

Pomona was in the Infirmary with a nasty cold. Severus was out on the Seminar. And Professor Dumbledore had left early with summons from the ministry. Flitwick proposed to place bars in the common rooms until after the end of term feast and she was considering the idea.

And the elves feeling that they would miss their dear pampered charges were serving every one's favorite dessert. She should ask Poppy to get digestives ready.

Since breakfast McGonagall had tried to keep an open eye on Potter and Co. The boy had gone to bed on time the previous nights and had talked with Severus by floo from her office. All in all he had behaved himself. And it may be her cat instinct, but she knew that soon he would do something foolish.

He had strawberries and banana split for lunch and was laughing along with his friends, he also shared a joke with the Slytherins, as they threw amicable words from table to table. She wished she had more eyes. She had the Slytherin and Gryffindor prefects doing an inspection of the articles brought to the common rooms. She only hoped that Pomona would be all right to supervise dinner tonight.

At last the children dined and went their separate ways to bed. Her first years were the first to leave the Great Hall. Potter, Longbottom, Weasley, Finnegan and Thomas trooped out. Granger and the rest of the girls followed. They were planning something. She guessed that a small party in their dorm. She would look in on them later. As in cue once that Potter and company left the room every one else went out.

She finished her tea and took one more cookie. She should write to her niece to confirm her summer accommodations… It was nice to end another year.

She stood and cleaned the cookie crumbs from her skirt. One more hour until curfew and she would have to stop any party running in her house. She had time for a peaceful time in her quarters meanwhile…

Minerva must have fallen asleep, the grandfather clock woke her up at ten with its chimes.

She stood up and took the private entrance to Gryffindor tower. She needed to talk with the prefects and to see that all her lions were safely in bed by now.

The common room was not empty, but only older kids were there. Old friends enjoying the time before being forced to grow up… She went up stairs to the boys’ side of the tower and heard that all was quiet.

She stood by the first year dorm and the silence was deafening. The children should be tired… But… it was too quiet. She opened the door and saw that the beds had the curtains closed. This was not right. She opened the first one and there was a bundle under the covers. She must be paranoid but she did touch the bundle and it was soft as a pillow.

The five beds had pillows instead of children! She went out and asked the prefects in the common room.

“They went to bed ages ago, Professor. No one has come out.”

Minerva was going to kill them.

She went back to her office after sealing the entrance. She was going to catch them… She called by floo to New Castle, but Severus was not available, she was told that the end of the Seminar dinner was taking place in a Muggle hotel. She only left a note for Severus to return as soon as possible.

She went out and looked for the teacher in charge of patrolling that night.

Pomona, Poppy and Flitwick went to search all the corridors. Minerva saw a shadow in the third floor and followed it. It was not Potter, it was Quirrel.

“W..w.. what a-are you d d doing here Minerva?” The man stuttered.

“I am looking for all my first years, Potter included. They are not in their beds.”

“Potter… I can’t be sure but… I think that I saw someone… I heard several someones in the corridor… that is why I am here.”

“Of course, the kind of mischief reserved for the last day of the term, to go to the forbidden corridor… I will look for them, Quirinus, would you please let Filius and Pomona know that I am here and may need help…”

“Of course Minerva.” She did not think that it was strange that he was not stuttering anymore.

Severus Snape received acceptation from his fellow potion masters.

It was nice to talk about ingredients and reactions with knowledgeable persons. The conferences were interesting and he had a lot of new ideas to test. As only the last dinner was left, he excused himself and shrinking his packed suitcase walked to the nearest floo to return to Hogwarts.

Harry would be glad that he had managed to return one day earlier.

He used the floo to get to Diagon Alley and from there he floo to Hogsmeade. The night was agreeable. He walked to Hogwarts gates. It was almost 11 PM the castle should be asleep.

Severus was surprised to encounter a frenetic Medi-witch on his way to the dungeons. In three hurried lines he learned that Harry was missing form his bed along with all the first year Gryffindors. He also learned that Minerva had started a search party but now she was missing also.

He ran to the dungeons. He needed to check on his wards to the tower and to the stone. As he entered his living room he step over something different from his rug.

He lighted his wand and saw a bunch of heads under sleeping bags. So here were the missing lions…

Breathing more at ease, he use the light to find his child. Harry was sleeping near the kitchen door. The little fiend was sleeping peacefully. Calmed down by his discovery he realized that there were more than five children sleeping here. He looked at each one and realized that Slytherins and Gryffindors were using his living room as dormitory. Was someone else in Harry’s room? He opened the door and found that there were also sleeping bags there, the girls had come also. On the kitchen table he saw what looked like ice cream bowls, popcorn and sodas. Cleaning the quarters was going to be the first part of Harry’s punishment. Second part… the first would include several well-placed smacks to his backside. Well, he only had to inform the school that the children were all, all right.

He entered his offices and was alarmed that the stone wards were triggered. He sealed his quarters. No one could go in or out until he came back and he ran to the third floor.