Halloween night.

If it were for him they should cancel the celebration.

He had nothing to celebrate. His only love had died that day 10 years ago. But it was a custom.

An unwritten custom.

All teaching staff should be present at the feast on Halloween.

Children that ate too much sugar and were allowed to prank to their hearts content.

He looked from his place in the staff table at the thin looking green eyed kid. He had made a custom of observing him eat. Even before he decided to take charge of him…. At first he thought that the boy was a picky eater, of course the food in Hogwarts did not compare with what he was used to….

Well it seemed that he was used to not eating. Another pang to his conscience. A little more of guilt to carry around.

Harry had started eating more, in the last two weeks maybe the extra exercise of the quidditch practices, that bushy haired know-it-all girl made him eat greens and meat…. He did not look like a starved crow anymore.

Where was she this night? Potter was happily chatting only with the Weasley boy. Both eating more sugar than what their stomach could process, luckily Madam Pomfrey received the extra stomach soothing vials.

Then catastrophe. That foolish Quirrell shouting that a Troll had entered the Castle and Snape knew where to run.

It was the perfect opportunity for ‘someone’ to test the protection around the stone.

---

Snape limped out of the third floor corridor, he should have known that he had to watch the three heads at the same time!

He heard McGonagall’s urgent call and arrived to the girls bathroom and the same time as she and Quirrell.

The Troll was laying out cold on the bathroom floor, the three kids were standing beside him.

Potter was cleaning his wand against his pants. Granger gave a very lame explanation. Weasley was looking pale.

And McGonagall only took five points! Of course she also give them 10 points, so her house gained any way.

She allowed the kids go.

Minerva took his arm and escorted/forced him to the Lounge. He accepted a Fire-whiskey and drank it in one gulp. He found his voice soon enough.

“FIVE POINTS! You give him points. That is the way we are going to teach him discipline and obedience! He should be in his common room!”

“He was helping Granger.”

“How much can three 11 year old kids do against a full grown troll?”

“Well, if you had asked me yesterday or today earlier I would have said that they would get killed, but as you saw they handled it rather well…..”

“A lot could have gone wrong!”

“I know, it was foolish but remarkable. I will send an owl to their respective parents informing them what happened. Should I write to you also or do you find yourself informed?”

“It was a very dangerous stunt!”

“I am sure they won’t get in the habit of hunting Trolls….” Filius was always optimistic.

“I am afraid that now that they have successfully caught a Troll, they will start searching for bigger game….”

“C’mon Severus, there is hardly bigger game than Trolls.”

If looks could kill….

“It won’t do if I say that he won’t play on the next match, will it?”

“No it won’t. He has to get acquainted with you first, before you start imposing that kind of punishments.”

“Thank you for your company, I am going to my bed.”

“Good night and let Poppy tend to your leg….”

“That woman smothers me.”

---

The next day was full of gossip. No one knew what happened with the troll, but every one had their own version.

Snape saw the three kids involved talking quietly. At least they were not telling about their adventures asking for attention. They seemed surprised when two owls entered the hall and placed letters in front of them.

“It’s from my parents. It’s strange… I received a letter last Tuesday, they only write once a week.”

“This is from my parents….also. They usually send my letters inside the one they sent to Percy.”

They opened the letters. Harry kept on eating his toast. He saw his friends reading and noticed that their cheeks changed to a bright red.

“What is it?”

“My parents…. They know about the troll! They… my mom says that she couldn’t do a very thorough research, as I have all the books they bought for me here but she knows that trolls are dangerous and that it was very foolish for me to try to catch one. They say that they hope that I would show more common sense in the future. And that if they learned that I have done other stunt like this I would be grounded all Summer!

“I’m sorry.”

“Any way you do not like to fly and I bet that your house is not warded enough. You do not even have a broom.”

Hermione and Harry turned to look at Ron. What was he talking about?

“What….? Ron, grounding is a common muggle punishment. It means that I will be on restriction, not able to leave the house or my room and I will loose my TV and music. They seem really worried.”

“What does your letter say Ron.”

“My mom says that I shouldn’t play hero. That she lives worrying all the time for my brother and the dragons he works with and that I shouldn’t add to her worries, that she will punish me if I do something like that again! My mom does not send me to my room, she has a very wicked brush. That is terrible. McGonagall shouldn’t have told them! It's not fair!”

Harry wished he had parents like his friends, someone to worry about him. Even if it would mean to be grounded or spanked if he messed up.

At that moment he felt Goosebumps, someone was beside him. He turned to face Sneering Snape behind him.

“Potter I expect you in my office before dinner today. 5 sharp if you have problem understanding.”

“Yes. Sir.” Harry was too stunned to answer back.

“Finish your fruit and porridge child, the wind will throw you from your broom if you do not gain more weight.” Snape turned on his heels. And Harry thought that he would like to learn to do that with his robes.

“What is he up to?”

“I don’t know, he wants me to meet him at 5 today.”

“My mom wants me to go to bed at 9, she is going to ask Percy to tuck me in! I do not sleep at that time at home! Ginny does not have to go to bed at that time!

“Stop whining, Ron! We have to figure what is Snape up to with Harry.”

“He did not say detention did he, Mate?”

---

Harry walked to the dungeons as close to the time as possible. Once in the Potions Classroom he was lost. He knew that Snape’s office couldn’t be far, but he had no idea how to find it.

He entered the classroom and saw two doors inside. The first one, he was sure belonged to the ingredients room but he had no idea where the other door would take him. He tried to open it and it didn’t bulge, he took out his wand and was about to cast an ‘Alohomora’ when he felt that someone was watching him.

Snape was standing at the classroom door looking at him intently.

“Mr. Potter” he sneered, “you really do not want me catching you breaking into my private storage.”

“I don’t know where your office is Sir. I thought that this door….”

“And if this was my office were you planning to enter with out knocking?”

“No Sir. I’m sorry.”

“Follow me.”

Harry wondered as he followed the Potion Professor down the dungeons if this could get any worse. Snape opened a door and showed him into a room that at first sight looked like was full of books.

“Hermione and Ron know that I am here.”

“And you are telling me this exactly why Mr. Potter?”

“They will inform Professor McGonagall if I am not at dinner, Sir.”

“So I see… You are telling me in case I was planning to chop you up and use you as ingredients for my potions? That wouldn’t take me so long, Mr. Potter.”

Harry only stared at him. He realized that his mouth was dry and his hands were sweating, he had just heard Snape say what he had imagined would happen. He only could hope that his friends wouldn’t wait until the end of dinner to ask for help.

Snape saw the change in the child. And he almost slapped his head, this was no way to make the boy trust him!

He tried to say in a neutral voice.

“Your Head of house knows you are here already. And I would have to fatten you up before you could be of any use in my potions. So have a seat Mr. Potter, we have a lot of things to settle.”

There was a desk on one side of the room and several chairs facing it.

Harry sat on the one closer to the door, he saw that over the desk were several piles of graded papers. All around the room he saw bookcases. The room was bigger that the potions classroom and had a nice smell of wood.

Snape waited for him to look around. He was going to sit behind the desk but decided against it, he sat in a chair. Harry kept looking around until his look crossed with Snape's and he asked him.

“When was the last time that you got a haircut Mr. Potter?”

Harry couldn’t believe it! He was made to come all the way over here to answer about his hair? He was tempted to ask the Greasy git when was the last time he washed his hair? But he was too far away from his friends and too near to the strange man. Why hadn’t he sat behind his desk?

“Did you not hear my question, Mr. Potter? I expect a polite answer.”

“Yes Sir. I don’t remember. My aunt cut it but it grew back again.”

“I see. Hair tends to do that. You could do with a little trimming. I’ll schedule a haircut for you and let you know of the time.” Snape write in a small pad.

“Yes Sir.” Snape could see that the boy was not happy about that. He started explaining.

“I told you that Professor McGonagall knew that you were here,” -so do not expect her to come to your rescue, thought Harry.

“I will explain to you why. I expect you to listen quietly, I will answer all your questions if any, but you must wait until I finish talking. Do you understand?”

“Yes Sir.” Behind Snape there was a picture of a man, Harry was sure that it was a vampire. The portrait winked and it gave him the creeps.

Snape had to start somewhere. It wouldn’t do to just tell the child that as they already knew that he was mistreated and not wanted home, he had been assigned a guardian. And as Snape was the only one available, had got stuck with him…. And that he better obey him or else. No. The boy would not respond well to that. He breathed deeply and realized the boy was trembling. Well, at least he was not the only one nervous….

“Have you read the rules of the school, Mr. Potter?”

“No, Sir.” Here he comes thought Harry, he is going to lecture me about feeling too important to learn the rules. Or worse it will show him that I do not mind the rules because I do not know them.

“Well if you bothered yourself with that feat Mr. Potter, you would know that at Hogwarts we like to maintain contact with our students families. We inform them of the happenings of the school in a timely manner. After what happened on Halloween night a letter was sent to each household informing them that there had been an incident with a Troll inside the castle. It informed them that all the pupils were safe. All the families received the same letter, it was worded by the Headmaster and signed and sent by each Head of House. There were only three letters that were different. Could you guess to whom this letters were sent to, Mr. Potter?”

“The Grangers and the Weasleys, Sir?’

“And I guess that your little friends have received a family rebuke for their actions pertaining the Troll, have they not Mr. Potter?

“Did you send a letter to my relatives, Sir?”

“The letter was worded Mr. Potter and it was sent, but not to your relatives.”

Harry breathed back. Uncle Vernon would shoot on sight any owl that got close to the house.

“They wouldn’t like to receive an owl Sir. Is there a way to send it by muggle mail? Wait… you said that it was not sent to my relatives then to whom was it sent?”

Maybe that had not been the best place to start.

“Back in September Mr. Potter we received a letter from your relatives, requesting us to help you through your years at school in the wizarding world. They asked us to handle any issue and to give you support as you needed it. We have several provisions in Hogwarts to give guidance to muggle born children or as in your case muggle raised children. In those cases the school assigns what could be called a Mentor. This Mentor is responsible to give you advice and support when needed, as if he was part of your family. In your case I was named your Mentor.”

“What does that mean, Sir.”

“It means that I will provide you with guidance, like the one your classmates receive from their families. I will receive the reports from your teachers, about grades and conduct and I will praise or punish as I see necessary to guide you in the correct direction.”

“So you received the letter about the Troll, Sir.”

“I can not really say that I received it Mr. Potter, you might remember that I was there to see you with the Troll and I think we should discuss the events that placed you there.”

Snape tried to be as un-scary as possible.

“But you hate me!”

“I do not hate you Mr. Potter. And do not forget to call me Sir or Professor, Mr. Potter.”

“Sorry Sir. Well you do not hate me, but you do not like me.. Sir. Why then …..?”

“Were you entrusted to me?”

“Yes Sir.”

“I can only tell you that regardless of my likings or disliking, I will try to do my best, Mr. Potter. And do not worry, there are not many people that I like. That doesn’t mean that I won’t do my job or fulfill my responsibilities. Do you have any questions?”

“Yes Sir. No body asked me what I wanted. Don’t I have any saying about this?”

There was that reckless bravery of the Gryffindor. Did he really think it was save to talk like that?

“Don’t you need guidance Mr. Potter?”

“Maybe, but my Head of House and my friends…..”

“Your Head of House has a whole house to care for, and she can not treat you different from them. Your friends are your same age, they have their own families. I am sure they would share them with you but as good as they may be they don’t know you.”

“And do you know me?! You have only berated me all the year. You did not care that I was not raised by wizards. Any way you asked me things that there was no way for me to know! There was no way I could please you. You have deducted a lot of points from my house and terrorized me in the corridors… and now you are telling me that you are going to be taking care of me!”

“Calm yourself Mr. Potter. Take deep breaths.”

Harry stop screaming….. Snape was going to kill him.

Snape moved his wand and a glass of water appeared, then a tray with a teapot and cups. He placed them in a small side table between them.

He gave Harry the water.

“Drink this Mr. Potter, we will continue once you finish it.”

Harry drank the water, breathing deeply. When he had seen it appear he thought that Snape was going to splash him with it. How could he survive with Snape in charge of him?

After the teapot a platter with biscuits appeared. Snape served a cup with warm milk and poured some tea. Then he placed it in front of Harry and placed the platter in his reach.

Harry had never had tea like this. He had drank it standing and cold beside the kitchen counter. With out finger sandwiches or biscuits or milk. And to find himself sharing tea with his hated potions Professor made him think of Alice. Maybe the Mad-hatter would soon join them.

“Have you calmed down you silly child?”

Maybe he was just dreaming.

“Yes Sir.”

“Drink your tea then, careful it’s hot.”

‘Yes Sir.”

“You are right Mr. Potter. I do not really know you. But It is going to be my purpose to get to know you. As I told you, there is not a lot of people that I like, Mr. Potter. But I do not dislike you. Potions is a dangerous subject and I have to impress in my students to be careful and pay attention. Very few 1st years would have been able to answer what I asked you on that first class. I choose you for my demonstration to make an impression on your classmates. I am sorry that I was so rude with you. That doesn’t mean that I won’t ask you ever again. I will ask you and you will have to know and be prepared for my class. But I will abstain myself from being rude. Do you understand that?”

“I think so Sir. I will have to be prepared for your class but you are not going to insult me, any more. But I am so lost in potions Sir.”

“I will help you, we’ll come to that part later. Now we will talk about your health.”

At least the boy appeared to have calmed after the little outburst.

“Madam Pomfrey ran a series of tests on you some time ago,” Harry nodded. “she found that you are underweight and she wants you to drink a supplement with your breakfast. I will give it to you tomorrow morning. This supplement will help you with your weight and growth. You will take them every morning for a month. They are strong, so you will have to take them with a full stomach. Breakfast is a very important meal and you can not ask your system to sustain you through the day on a couple of bacon strips and some milk. You will have a complete breakfast every morning, you will have to wake up earlier. You may choose from the plates that appear on the table. You will eat until satisfied at the rest of the meals. If nothing of what is served appeals to you, you may make a request and the school kitchens will supply what you need. You must gain at least two pounds during this month. I will be watching you. Do you understand?”

“Yes Sir.”

“That is good child. I want you to come to me or to Madam Pomfrey if you feel sick or dizzy after you drink the vial. It’s a standard formula, but you may require a softer version.”

What was this git saying? That he wanted him to eat well? His family had always complained about what he ate and that he need to eat at all. He was used to having an almost empty stomach and to drink water if he was hungry. And now… this was so confusing….He did not hear what Snape said next.

“Sorry Sir. What did you say?”

“I said that I have reviewed your results in class and they are not bad. You seem to get a handle on the practical side of magic very fast. But your papers, your homework is a bit sloppy I have seen you writing at the breakfast table. Do you leave them to do at the last minute?”

“No Sir. Hermione… we start on the homework the same day it’s asked for, the problem is that I do not write very fast using a quill. It takes me a lot of time to write it and I have to copy it several times because it gets smeared by ink. Professor Flitwick will teach us a charm to clean it… soon.”

“I see, well you need practice writing. I will schedule half an hour each day. I’ll give you some exercises, they will help you improve your writing.”

Harry just make a face, more work! He could barely finishing the homework and he had to sleep really late.

“You will find it easier after a week of exercises, Mr. Potter. It won’t be an useless job.”

Harry had the feeling that Snape could read his mind.

“Yes Sir.”

“I will require to see you once a week for three hours, to talk about yourself and to see if you need any help with classes or teachers. At first we will use the first hour to go through potions, you are a little bit lost but you will find your way eventually. Is Wednesday ok for you?

“I guess, Sir.” Harry tried to remember, haircut, writing exercises, complete breakfast, supplement, weekly meetings….on Wednesday Oh! my this feels to be so much. And Snape kept talking….

“Your Head of House has told me that you do not have and established bedtime Mr. Potter. This seems to work for her and I won’t question it unless you decide to break curfew and wander out of your common room. But I have to ask you to try to sleep at least 8 hours every night. You can’t function in class if you are tired.”

“I will try Sir.” Snape was asking him but he could hear the order behind the request.

“Yes Sir.”

“Eat more sandwiches, you may take the biscuits for later child.”

“Yes sir. Thank you.”

Harry took one more pâté sandwich. It was really good and he would take the biscuits for later!

“Well Mr. Potter…. Do you have any doubts?”

He couldn’t remember half of what they have talked about.

Punishment was what jumped to his mind. Up to this moment, Snape had only mentioned praise and punishment, but had not explained what kind of punishment he would give to Harry. Better not go there. Harry just used his head to say no.

‘Well that only leaves us with one topic to discuss and that is discipline. You must follow the school rules about conduct in class, no magic outside classrooms or in the corridors, no fighting. I only will add that you are not to skip any meals and go to bed as early as possible. I do not like lies. I expect you to always tell me truth, good or bad. You have to be respectful with all, including your class mates. You have to keep yourself safe. And inform me if you feel sick.

I will not take points from your as I will not be acting as your Professor. I may assign you chores or lines or essays. I will give you warnings. If you brake the rules more than once or if you place yourself at risk you’ll get a spanking.”

Harry stopped listening. He just stared at him dumbfounded. He remembered his uncle’s beatings, so that is why Snape wanted to be in charge? so he could beat him. Harry stood up, he had to get out. He was not looking where he was going. Snape stood up also. The boy looked like a scared deer.

He crashed into Snape.

“No, please no… Don’t beat me Sir! I will obey! Please no!” Snape tried to place his hand around the boy shoulders. Harry flinched.

It had been too good to be true, he would have someone caring what he ate and at what time he go to bed. And if he was sick. And would advice him on his homework, that all had been great but Snape was going to beat him. He had to run. He turned for the door and tried to go out. He crashed again against a wall. But it was not a wall at all.

It was a person with black robes and he was trapped.

“Please let me go! Let me go!” He begged.

Snape held him tight. After fighting to get released Harry started sobbing he heard a heart against his ear and hands on his back soothing him.

“I will never hurt you child. Never hurt you.” It was all that Snape could say. The poor boy calmed down after a while. His glasses were smudged and he felt the fabric against his cheek.

Well, if Snape was going to beat him this would be the moment.

“Mr. Potter, I will never beat you. Come…. Sit here with me. Have some more warm milk. There. Take small sips.”

“I’m sorry Sir.”

“I never meant to upset you child.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. A beating is something very frightful. I understand that. I will never beat you. So calm down.”

Snape brought a small wet towel and gave it to Harry to place on his eyes. It help to clean his tears and made him feel better. When Snape saw that he was again under control he continued.

“I will never beat you. Or harm you in any way. It is my job to keep you safe.”

Harry wanted to believe that.

“Now about the Troll…..”

Harry had forgotten that the troll was what brought him here in the first place.

“It was very heroic and brave and dangerous and foolish. You were not aware of the rules I have been talking about but you disobeyed school rules. Your Head of House already ruled about it and your friends were let off with a warning from their families. I will want you to write me a 2 feet essay on trolls and one foot on what you could have done different. I want you to realize the danger that you were in.”

“I will never want to face a troll again Sir.”

“I am worried that you will want to go hunting for bigger things like dragons or giants or…”

“Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”

“This is serious Mr. Potter.” Snape was glad that the child could joke. But he had to maintain his mask.

“Sorry Sir.”

“I want it for next week Mr. Potter, your friends may help you. But I want you to write your own conclusions.”

“Yes Sir.”

“It’s getting late. You have to rest. Grab your cookies and you may go. I will let you know the time you have to come here for the haircut and for the writing exercises. As well as for the time when we will meet on Wednesday. ”

“Yes sir.”

“I will see you at breakfast tomorrow.”

“Yes Sir. Thank you.”

Harry placed the biscuits in a napkin and went out. That had been a very strange conversation. He reached the Gryffindor common room with out finding anyone.

“Harry! You are all right!”

“We went to tell Professor McGonagall but she said that she knew and that you would come when you finished….."

"We brought you dinner.”

“Thanks Mate. I’m not hungry. I’m all right. I have cookies.”

“Did you find the kitchen? What did Snape wanted? It took you ages to come back….”

He wants me to eat well and to sleep early and wants to give me haircut and to teach me to use a quill.

“I don’t know where the kitchen is, I had tea with professor Snape.”

“Are you sure it was not poisoned?”

“Ronald!”

“He wanted to talk to me about the Troll, he knew that you had received letters form your parents and he wanted to tell me that it was very dangerous. I have to write an essay about it. You may help.”

“Why would he do that?”

My relatives asked not to be bothered about me. So now I’m stuck with the greasy git. Well he gave me tea and cookies, that is the best that anyone has done for me. Ever.

“He said that he is going to be my Mentor in school and help me with these kinds of things. I am going to bed now.”