(3 Nov Sat)

Harry watched all the food that was spread in front of him. He was not really hungry at this time of the day but he felt Snape’s eyes over him and took some scrambled eggs and hash potatoes, he took also two pieces of bacon and a glass of milk with a little bit of chocolate.

He felt that it was by far a complete breakfast he started eating it as his friends were talking about the charms homework.

He needed to get ready for quidditch practice. Would he be too heavy for the broom with all this food inside him?

He took a toast and put butter on it. He felt that someone was behind him and turned to find the School Nurse.

“Mr. Potter, I was going to bring you the supplements that you need to take along with your breakfast but I have just talked to the kitchen elves and they agreed to place it in your juice. When ever you sit for breakfast a green glass like this” she knocked at the table and a crystal green glass appeared “will be near you, it will have pumpkin juice with the supplement. Just drink it along your breakfast, you may fill the glass with more juice if you want, only the first one will have the vitamins.”

“Yes Ma’am”

“That will make it easier for you, because you won’t have to drink a foul tasting vial, the pumpkin juice will not taste different.”

“Thank you Ma’am…. How long will I have to take it?”

“One month Mr. Potter, remember green glass.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

She turned and left.

Hermione and Ron had followed the conversation and looked puzzled at Harry.

“I have to take vitamins.” That was all that he said. He was not going to explain to them that he was underweight because he had been underfed all his life. He looked at the staff table and saw Snape, he saluted him with his glass.

Harry almost let his drink go when he realized that Snape had a green glass just like the one he was drinking from!

It was a small salute, no one near Snape realized what he was doing. Snape drank from the glass to suppress his smile…. It was good… he could torment the child and the same time that he was taking care of him! This was better than what he expected.

Harry finished with his breakfast and went to the practice. As he flew up he felt happy and with nothing else in his mind but finding and catching the small balls that Wood was throwing around him….. he did not feel the intent black eyes that were on him all the time.

On Monday morning Harry received a message telling him to meet Snape in the potion classroom at 3.

Harry arrived and found Snape grading 4th year potions. Snape opened the vials for inspection and then he dictate the grade to a quill scribbling alone on his desk.

Harry thought that it would be great to have a quill that could write on its own.

“These kind of quills work well with numbers Mr. Potter, it will get confused if you were to use it for anything else.”

Harry felt himself shiver. How would he survive with a person that could read his thoughts!?

Snape indicated for him to sit at one of the tables.

“First of all Mr. Potter I need your commitment to this exercise. You have to believe that it will help you to improve your writing. If you came here with out that idea in your mind, it will only be lost time and I am sure that you and I would find better things to do with our time if that is the case. This will seem tedious. But do not fret.”

Snape showed Harry how to cut the quill, how to check the correct angles and how to see that the ink had the correct consistency.

Then he gave Harry a piece of paper that had dots. And asked him to trace lines and circles. Harry realized that following the instructions he could trace better…. He completed one page of lines and one of circles.

Then he gave him another exercise that contained both straight lines and curves.

When he was halfway along the page a delicious smell reached his nose, he looked up and saw a small plate in the middle of the table that had pumpkin pies, he kept his eyes on the paper but the smell was making him dizzy, he was used to ignoring these kind of smells, so he took the quill and kept writing.

From his desk Snape could recognize the struggle. He new that the boy would not ask for a pie so he stood and walked toward the table.

Harry saw his professor walk toward the plate and breath deeply to make the smell last longer, he knew that dinner was near….. he was not going to let Snape lecture him for not being able to control himself.

He was surprised when Snape placed a glass of milk within his reach, he also moved the plate at arms distance.

“You may have a couple of pies with your glass of milk Mr. Potter, it will sustain you until dinner.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Harry took one of the pies and bit into it, it was very tasty. He also had a sip of milk. He wanted the taste to melt in his mouth. These were the greatest pumpkin pies that he had have. Ever.

Severus saw as the boy eat the pastries slowly…. This was a boy not used to this kind of treats. It looked like he really appreciated them. He made a note to himself to have a variety of healthy food for the boy when ever he had him at this hour.

When Harry finished with the milk he eyed the plate that still had two more pies in it. It would be impolite to ask for more. So he resigned himself into taking the quill again and keeping writing his exercises.

Five minutes later Snape said in his classroom voice.

“Time’s up Mr. Potter, complete the last exercise page and one more from each one before tomorrow. We’ll meet here again at 3.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Harry went to Gryffindor’s common room, his friends were not there. He kept on doing his exercises. Ron and Hermione arrived minutes later.

“What are you doing Mate?”

“Snape gave me these exercises, he said that I had to finish them for tomorrow.”

“My mom use to made me and Ginny do things like that when we were learning to write.”

“I thought that he would make me practice letters, all I am doing is lines and circles!”

“Those lines and circles are to get the muscles on your arm used to the movements that you do while writing. After a while your hand will remember how to do the lines. It’s the best way to learn how to write with a quill.”

“Did you learn like this also?”

“I practiced during the summer, my mom got me some books about writing and… “

“It’s boring.” Said Ron. “But it works.”

“When do you need to deliver them?”

“I have to meet Snape tomorrow at 3 again, he said that I had to finish this before then, the faster I got hold of writing, the sooner I will stop seeing him.”

“We have to draw the astral chart for Astronomy on Wednesday and also start with the transfiguration essay. I brought you some books about Trolls for your essay Harry.”

“Thank you Hermione.”

“Don’t you want to play chess Harry?”

“Ron I just told you all the things we need to do and….”

“You may start Hermione, Harry spent the afternoon with Snape…. He needs to relax a little.”

“Thank you Mate.”

Harry went again to Snape’s classroom the next day and he was given other simple writing exercises after Snape reviewed the ones he did the day before. He also was given a glass of milk with raisin cookies before he left.

Snape reminded him to meet at his office the next day at 4, they would talk about Harry’s classes.

Harry was dreading that meeting.

Harry had gone through their conversation a lot of times in his head. He was very confused.

It was no surprise that his relatives had said that they did not want any thing to do with school reports or news about him.

In the past his uncle only read the reports to punish him for being a freak. He did not want him to excel in anything and make Dudley look bad. And at the same time he did not want to have any teacher/parent meeting. So Harry had to be careful and be an average kid, he had to do well enough, so the teachers wouldn’t think he needed help but at the same time keep his grades under Dudley’s….. And if anything out of the ordinary happened he was in for punishment.

He had learned to read and write almost alone. His aunt always got him second hand books and they were always written, it helped, even if the answers were not always correct. He had to go through school without any help.

He may have wanted help some time ago. But was used to going with out it. He did not need help now!

He was learning magic and no one was bullying or starving him. He had his friends. Why would he need a…. Mentor…. In the Magical world?

And Snape on top of that! It was clear that they did not like each other.

But Snape had calmed him with a class of water and had given him tea with milk and sugar….. And had talked about his bedtime and eating habits, and was giving him writing exercises…..

He would work in silence and…he would get milk and nice things to eat!

Harry wanted to keep the appointment. He had finished the exercises. He remembered that Snape had said that they would review potions and that part made him a little nervous but any way it was something he had to learn…..

Harry was leaving Gryffindor Tower at 3:30 he was going to go to the library and stay there with Hermione and Ron before going to Snape’s office. Hermione was explaining something and Ron was drawing on a piece of paper when the Gryffindor Quidditch team arrived. Wood, Johnson, Bell and the Weasley twins.

“How industrious little firsties, don’t you feel a little nostalgic George… don’t you remember when we were young and naïve…”

“I remember being young Fred, but never naïve….”

“Well what ever…” Said his twin grinning.

“What do you say, won’t you join us to play a little game of hide and seek in the castle?” Said Angelina.

“I cant. I have to go Snape’s office in ten minutes.”

“Detention little Harry?” Asked the old and gray Wood. “You should know better.”

“You should behave in potions or at least don’t get caught.” Said George.

“Not detention I have to go because he is helping me with some things.” Harry was not sure he wanted to discuss Snape with his team mates.

“Well we’ll start on the fourth floor corridor if you want to catch on us, we will be there most of the afternoon.”

“We can go.” Said Ron

“We have Astronomy class at 10.00”

“Hermione you are not fun.”

“We’ll finish before that…” Said Angelina.

“Whom else is playing?” Harry was still curious.

“Ravenclaws and Hufflepufs…. Its going to be great…” The twins talked at almost the same time.

“I will be with Snape until 7… may I catch you later?”

Harry wished he could go and play with his team, it sounded great. He walked slowly to the dungeons dreading the Potions part. What if Snape realized that he was really a lost case and ditched him…. Surely Snape wouldn’t want to mentor him…. He arrived to the office and knocked…..

No one opened the door. He knocked again. It was strange Snape usually opened the door before he finished knocking….

Maybe he had to go to the potion classroom…. It was logical as they were supposed to start with potions… He went there and the door was opened but it was empty.

What should he do?

He walked back to the office, on the way he met 3 very large Slytherins, he did not know in which grade they were but they were very tall.

“And what is a little Gryffindor doing so far from his tower? Don’t you know that we do not like your kind around here?” Said Tall number 1

“Not even if you are the famous Harry Potter.” Number 2 had a low strong voice.

“Didn’t your friends explained the rules?” Number 3.

“You are not supposed to hide in the dungeons.” Again number that seemed the leader of the little group. “Professor Snape does not like that silly games over here.”

Harry was mute. He recalled his cousin and his friends. It was better to keep quiet and to run as fast as possible. He waited for a chance to run.

“Poor wee firsty maybe we should help him hide…”Number 2 smiles and showed big crooked teeth.

“He is so small that he would fit inside the cleaning storage room….” Number 3.

“His friends wouldn’t find him there, at least Filch would….” Number 1 started getting closer.

The bigger boys surrounded Harry and were going to get hold of him when he ducked and walking of four legs get behind them. Smaller and faster he stood up and ran. He ran as fast as possible until he was a lost in the castle stairs…. But safe.

That had been close. Should he return and look for Snape….? No way those would-be trolls could still be there waiting for him…. Should he go to his head of house? Maybe he should look for his team mates and ask them to walk him ….. no that was absurd. He only had to get up a couple more of stairs and he found the game. He was assigned to a team immediately and he did not think about Snape until bed time.

The game continued until dinner time. When an angry Filch ran them all to dinner in the great hall frustrated because he couldn’t assign any detention.

Ron and Harry arrived to a very worried Hermione. She had looked for them everywhere and they had to recall that they had Astronomy tonight.

Harry and Ron ate fast and went to get warm clothes for the time they would spend in the tower.

After the class they went back to their dorm. Harry found a note resting over his bed. He knew it was from Snape. He guessed he was in trouble but decided to read it later. After all he had had to run from the Slytherin bullies…. He placed it over his trunk, the letter fell down between the trunk and the bed the next morning as he was changing for breakfast.

Harry remembered the letter and the missing appointment when he felt Snape’s eyes over him at lunch. He did not meet the eyes, he just ate his lunch and drank his juice in the green glass.

Harry did not know what to do. He kept trying to convince himself that it had not been his fault. He had arrived on time….

He went to his classes and hoped that he wouldn’t find Snape in the corridors. The day did not pass too fast but at last the classes were over and he was going to visit Hagrid with his friends. After all he had not scheduled any more meetings with Snape had he?

They found the angry looking Potions Professor when they were going out into the castle yards. Harry had a quidditch book from the library in his hand.

“Well, well, well, what have we here, Potter…. Still too famous for his own good.”

“Professor…. I…”

“We’ll talk later Potter, and what do you have there?”

“A book…”

“Don’t you know that you are not allowed to take library books outside the castle? Of course not, you think that rules do not apply to you. Give me that book.”

“But Sir.. I read the rules and….”

Snape looked at Hermione and she closed her mouth, she couldn’t tell later how she came to stand behind Ron.

“Give me the book Mr. Potter, you may pick it up later in my office.”

“When Sir?”

“Later Potter, later.”

Snape pick up the book and went inside the castle.

The day was gray outside but the three kids felt warm as soon as the professor went inside the castle.

“What happened Harry?” Hermione asked him. “Why is he so angry with you?”

“I missed yesterday’s appointment and ….”

“You what..? But you went at the correct time, what happened?”

“He was not there and then 3 slytherins arrived and made me go….”

“Didn’t you tell him?”

“How…? he was not there.”

“You should have send him a note or something…”

“He sent me a note…”

“What did it said?”

“I don’t know it was on my bed last night and I did not want to read it then so…. I forget about it this morning….it was not on my trunk…”

“I should have fallen under the bed… Mate”

“Maybe….”

“You should go and tell him what happened… Harry.”

“He will skin me…”

“Any way, I think that you should go and talk to him.”

“Snape is a git, but my brothers said that he does not like bullies Harry, even from his own house. He will understand…… I guess…”

“He may give you the book back…”

“Remember to tell McGonagall if I am not back at bed time…. Ron if he kills me you may have my broom”

“Really Mate!?”

“Ronald…..! It will be alright Harry, just explain him….”

Harry went inside and to his professor’s office. The door was open and he entered silently he heard voices and found Snape being helped by Filch. He had a big gash in his leg it did not look well.

Snape was fighting the pain and the clumsiness of the caretaker. He had not gone to the infirmary and by now his leg had caught an infection. He tried to tell Filch how to clean it but the man was hurting him. He turned and looked at the green-eyed child. And shouted at him to get out!

Harry wanted to run and hide. He couldn’t understand what had happened…. An idea came to his head as he was running to the tower. He found his friends in the common room and told them.

“Snape tried to get past the three headed dog!”

“How do you know?” Asked Hermione.

“The dog bit him, I entered and Filch was curing him….. he shouted that I should leave….”

“That dog is guarding something important!” Hermione thought the same.

“I wonder what is it?” Said Ron.

Harry did not wonder a lot, because he had his first game the next day and he was so nervous, he only remembered to drink the juice and eat some toast. His stomach was doing enough flip-flops with that. Snape was not at breakfast….

Harry went to the pitch with his friends and was in the air in no time.

He really belonged there.

Everything was fine until his broom decided to throw him down! He got hold of it with hands and legs and tried to get down with the help of Ron’s brothers…. After some terrifying minutes the broom went back to normal and he could keep on playing.

Harry made his team win by catching the snitch! It was an irregular play to catch it with his mouth but it was valid. So the team and house mates were very happy with Harry.

He couldn’t find Ron and Hermione until much later. They were relieved that their friend was all right. And that they won the game.

“Snape tried to kill you Harry, he was hexing your broom in the game. Hermione put his robes on fire and that is when you recovered the control.”

“But why? He said that he was going to take care of me….”

“Maybe because you found out that he was attacked by the three headed dog…” Hermione was intrigued.

“But we are not supposed to know about the dog and I only saw the gash I didn’t hear anything…..”

“I think we should tell Professor McGonagall…..”

“I think you must not be alone with him Mate.”

Harry thought that that was a good advice.

On Sunday at the breakfast table Harry did not see the potions Professor and was glad of it. He planned to stay all day in his common room, he thought that it was the safest place to be.

Hermione and Ron walked with him and they told him that Snape was coming and to hide. Harry hid behind a door of an empty classroom and was going to stay there for some minutes before going out again…. He was startled when he felt someone’s clothes beside him, he look down and saw they were black…..

“Why are we hiding Mr. Potter?”

Harry felt that his brain was melting. What could he say?

“I guess we should go to my rooms Mr. Potter…. We have a lot of things to talk about.”

Harry thought that Snape was angry but his voice sound calm and reasonable. He had to go with him.

Ron and Hermione were standing at the corridor…..

“Mr. Potter is going to come with me. Please let your Head of house know.”

“Yes Professor.”

Harry saw that Snape was no longer limping, his leg should be better….