1st year.

It was a custom.

An unwritten custom.

A very good custom in a place where all the adults were single and needed a time away from their usual activities. (And also maybe a little adult conversation.)

Time to relax and enjoy, either a cup of tea or coffee with biscuits or maybe butter-beer or even something stronger like firewhisky.

They could play chess, cards, checkers or even charades.

They can exchange comments about their classes, fellow students and maybe about the caretaker.

It was a relaxed and informal place that invited one to mingle.

After all they shared the plight: a castle full of young, reckless wizards in training. A place where anything could happen.

They had to try to stick together even under disagreements.

They played with house rivalry and bantered with it in harmless, playful ways.

Severus used to enjoy these gatherings.

Not that he graced them with his presence every night, but once or twice a week after he had finished grading essays and homework he liked to stroll up the halls and meet in the teacher lounge with his colleagues.

Severus favorite topic for the last few years was to mention to Minerva how well the Quidditch practice of his Slytherins had gone.

He couldn’t care less for quidditch, but he loved the way the fanatic woman argued with him. Always to no end. But his team had won the house-cups.

And after all, to change the subject, it was always mentioned, all the points that he had subtracted from their houses. Always unjustly from their point of view. Of course, for them the little beasts were always angels!

And he then would proceed to explain the whys and hows of the decking of points, always enjoying his clever statements and explaining the stuttering mindless answers. It was like having the little dunderheads again in front of him…..

Those were good days.

And now he dreaded walking in there.

Since the beginning of the term the only thing that could be discussed was Harry Potter.

Harry Potter had arrived to Hogwarts to disrupt Snape's peaceful existence.

It was not enough that with his mere presence he brought to Severus mind all that he could have and all that was lost. It was not enough that every time he saw him he felt boiling indignation against the father he resembled and his friends.

It was not enough that he had promised to keep the child safe for Lily’s sake.

Now he had to stand that all the staff was fawning over him and applauding his deeds.

Harry Potter had learned how to transfigure pins into toothpicks!

They may need to make him a statue.

He also could spell ‘transfiguration’ with out spelling mistakes. It was strange they would notice, after all his handwriting was almost indecipherable!

They would also mention that he know how to tie his shoes, all by himself!

He hoped that the “Lets praise Harry Potter” fashion would die soon. Or he would have to go and try to talk with the creatures of the lake, at least he could be sure that they had not meet the famous boy-who-lived!

His only consolation was to berate the child in potions class. The boy was so lost! He did not posses the slightest talent in the subject. Now he had to repeat the events only for himself. The rest of the staff were ‘bewitched’ by the boy and his deeds! He had bonus occasions in which he could berate the boy in the corridors, these were rare events, but he really reveled in them.

Severus decided to visit the teachers lounge this night, he had heard about a certain event that took place in flying class and needed to see what his colleagues had to say about it. He had assigned Mr. Malfoy 200 lines for his participation in such event. He wanted to know if the Golden Boy had received  his share of punishment…

As it was the second week of the term, flying lessons had started. Severus used to enjoy the descriptions that Madam Hooch made of the classes and the respective students and their first experiences with a broom. She and Minerva always talked about how promising they could be for quidditch later…

He entered the lounge just when Madam Hooch started explaining how Longbottom’s broom, with a mind of it’s own had taken him up and he had not, even to save his own life, held tight to the broomstick. The silly boy was in the infirmary, nursing a broken wrist. Then came the interesting thing!

Madam Hooch had not been present as she was helping Longbottom, but Minerva had seen it all from her window….

This was the moment when they would realize that the child needed continued supervision and discipline…..

“…..and then Harry pulled the broom down at all it’s speed, as if he had born knowing how to fly…. Because you must remember this was his first lesson… and he caught the small rememberall and stop before crashing against the castle wall!”

“He surely inherited the ability from his father…”

“Do you remember James when he played…?”

“How could I forget… seeing Harry fly brought it all back to my mind…!”

“He is a natural…!”

“And Wood worked with him this afternoon. He says that we couldn’t get a better seeker.”

“WHAT!” Interjected Severus, “are you planning to allow a first year in the quidditch team?”

“Well Severus, that rule is because usually first years need to learn how to fly, but Harry ….. he is a natural!”

“Please tell me that you did something other than praise him Minerva. The little dunderhead could have broken his head against the wall or on the ground…”

“Well… yes, but his intentions were good.”

“That is a good phrase for a gravestone…”

“You are not fun.”

“I do not see the funny part. You are letting that …. kid…. know that rules do not apply to him and that he can do whatever pleases him as long as his intentions are good. And he not only had not the least consequence… you are letting him bend the rest of the rules and allowing him to be on the House team!”

“My dear Severus, you shouldn’t drink so much coffee, I am sure that a warm cup of tea would let you see that… well Harry is just a good boy.”

Severus felt a small alarm. One of his little serpents had left the common room, it was too late to be un-premeditated… any way he was exasperated with this reunion… he stood up gave them one of his famous freezing glares and left the room.

Ten minutes later he served himself his favorite brand of tea, and smelled the delicate scent. Mr. Malfoy was back in his bed, believing that his Head of House had supernatural powers and convinced that he would never leave the warmth of his bed after curfew again, it meant that he returned to it with an already warmed backside.

He would never understand the childish code-of-honor that forbid that they could speak freely about the deeds and accomplices…. Well, at least Malfoy had learned not to keep secrets form his Head of House and soon the rest of his room mates would know not to leave their beds.

Severus felt injured in his pride and did not come to the night meetings until the next week. How was he supposed to ensure the safety of the green-eyed kid if he was going to be soaring the sky in those dangerous games! He at least should be able to trust the common sense of his colleagues!

He entered and saw that the heads of house were there along with Madam Hooch and the Arithmancy and Runes teachers. Every one was seated comfortably, some in front of the fire playing chess. Flitwick, Minerva and Madam Hooch were looking at a magazine.

With out any effort in his part, Snape guessed it was a Quidditch magazine and he was not surprised to be right about it.

“Tea Severus? You should taste these delicious cinnamon biscuits, they are amazing.”

“Thank you, Pomona. And what are you looking at now, new uniforms for the teams?”

“No, I am showing Hooch the broom I choose for Harry. Headmaster Dumbledore approved my request of allowing him to have a broom, he needs something better that the school brooms!”

“Another rule that doesn’t apply to our precious Mr. Potter.”

“He is going to receive it tomorrow, Severus. Albus said that we should let you know, but I would appreciate it if you keep the secret about his participation in the game.”

“I would take your secret to my tomb.”

After drinking his tea, Severus walked the castle corridors. How could he protect the child if he was going to be playing that dangerous game? Couldn’t any one else see the problem? He had learned that the Flying Lions would start practicing on Saturday and since that day he procured to be near the pitch three times a week…..

Severus assigned the longest essays to his students during that time, it helped to increase the nervousness in his classes and it gave him enough to review during the following nights. Even though he found his feet walking toward the teacher’s lounge a week before Halloween. He needed a little of adult company.

There were only the Heads of houses, Madam Hooch and Prof. Vector.

Snape was received as if he had been there the last night. It was a custom. You do not carry grudges against your colleagues.

He accepted coffee and finger sandwiches, he had not really dinned. He should stop giving that long homework….

Soon the conversation veered to his least favorite subject…. Harry Bloody Potter…. O my!

Minerva sat beside him and taking one of his sandwiches said.

“I am glad you are here I wanted to show you something….”

Severus sighted, they should call this meetings ‘Potter fans meetings’, maybe he should content himself playing solitaire….

Minerva gave him a file.

“And what is this?”

“It’s Harry’s medical file. I asked Poppy to run a complete check up on him. I always do that with the kids that are on the quidditch team….”

So what? He asked for a medical checkup for every kid in his house.

“And this shows that, that particular 11th year old is fit to play a very dangerous game…..This is not going to convince me of that Minerva…”

“Please read the file Severus.”

Snape opened the file and found himself with a neatly written parchment. He was familiar with Madam Pomfrey’s test results and understood the medical terms and conclusions…. He felt angry. Angry in general, Potter had a tendency for mischief and all these groveling fools only encouraged him.

The file was long. And….. well this was certainly unexpected… the boy was underweight and also a little anemic….

His left wrist had a mended bone…. Didn’t those muggles know how to set bones right?

Why had Poppy run this last test. Skin memory….. that test tell her if there had been damage to the skin….. the damage had been extensive…. What was the real story behind this child?

“Are you sure that this are Mr. Potter’s results?”

“Madam Pomfrey is not prone to mistakes. Her first results showed that his ribs had recently mended. And no… he has not had any Quidditch accident.

“We know that the muggles are a little bit outdated in the simple art of mending bones…”

“She said that they were not treated. They were mended with Harry’s magic.”

“May it be that the boy doesn’t feel pain or that he kept quiet in fear of punishment.”

“Poppy tested his pain resistance, he is between the normal parameters.”

“And what is this she said about the results of his skin?”

“She said that there was evidence of welts recently cured on his back, buttocks and legs. The skin tissue is new. A little more than month ago.”

“As if he was beaten just before coming to Hogwarts…” Filius entered the conversation.

“Have you talked with the boy’s caretakers?”

“I tried. They never responded to my owls, I went to Albus and he told me that those Muggles do not want to have any contact with us. They accepted to send Harry here and will house him again during the Summer, but they asked not to be bothered with anything pertaining the child.”

“So you are not going to let this be, are you?”

“Poppy has given Harry the treatment he needed, she set the bones right and will prepare a supplement for him to take with his food, he is not anemic any more but has to increase his weight….”

“So the boy will be fit for playing. Is that cup so important for you?”

“No it’s not. What I am saying is that he is fit and painless now, still a little underweight, but that would be solved soon. Poppy will keep on checking him. You know her, she won’t allow him to play if he had any problem.”

“Minerva, we have proof of mistreatment.”

“Yes we do.”

“And you plan to send this boy back to his family at the end of the term? Does Albus know about this?”

“I have not showed him the results but Poppy send him a copy. He knows.”

“What did Dumbledore said?”

“The ministry had been asking for Harry. They want him for public appearances and interviews. The Headmaster has been able to contain them saying that his family wants to keep him out of the news. It would not do to accuse them of mistreatment. It will only increase the dislike to Muggles.”

“The ministry would turn him into a puppet.” Said Hooch.

“What is better? The Muggles are here and now, they are going to hurt him more than You-know-who.”

“Harry needs someone to really care for him. Who care enough to give him guidelines and rules, and make him follow them.” Said Pomona.

“We are supposed to be doing that.” Interjected Flitwick.

“Are we? It seems to me that we are allowing him to run wild…” Severus knew he had potions he would like to feed those muggles….

Sprout said. “He doesn’t run wild… he is interacting well with his class mates.”

“Except Slytherins…”

“He is not a bully.”

“He may have inherited that from his father. Maybe he’ll start once he gains a little more weight and gets himself more friends.” Snape knew that he was getting annoying.

“He is a kid that likes to please…”

“How are his school results?” Snape had to get them back on track.

“Not bad. He participates in class and delivers his homework in time.” Said his proud Head of House. Minerva would defend any of her little lions!

“Barely in time.” Said Flitwick. Well at least someone else had a little of a mind of his own. May be as little as his size. Snape smiled at his wit.

“We know that some muggle schools do not teach them to be organized.” Sprout continued, of course you do not needed to be organized if you place seeds in the earth.

“We are just looking for excuses!”

“He needs to reach his potential are we are the only ones enabled to make him.” Flitwick continued. He had always big ideas.

“And we do not pamper him Severus, as much as you may think we do…” Minerva couldn’t accept that she was mistaken.

“And what does Albus wants us to do?” Surely the old fool had a plan.

“You know how he is, he shows you the problem and trusts that you will know what you need to do and do it right.”

“What are we going to do about his family?” Sprout could ask them to visit her ‘carnivorous plants’.

“He must not return to them.” Flitwick could levitate…. Or enchant their furniture to bite them!

“There are wards around their property. The wards are sustained with his mothers blood, he shares it with his aunt and cousin. In order for him to be safe he needs to dwell where that blood is.” It looked like Minerva had come prepared….

“So we have 9 months to find a way to keep him between those wards, but safe from mistreatment… I can do that.” Flitwick was good with wards.

“I can help… there are some very interesting runes that help with the protection of children.” Professor Vector had been too quiet, Severus had thought that she had fallen asleep.

“Poppy said that Harry would need to talk about his life, abused kids believe that what happened was their fault, they tend to protect the abuser to protect themselves from more abuse. He did not want to talk to Poppy and he flinched if….”

“Should he be confronted with our findings, that may make him talk…..” Flitwick was very rational, sometimes.

“Poppy said that… she called some of her friends and they told him that it will do Harry good to talk about it, but first he needs some one to trust with his secrets. He will talk when the confidence had been established…. He needs an adult to go to.”

“He has Minerva.” Said Pomona. How lucky! Thought Snape.

“I am already his head of house, but…. I have to treat them the same as the rest… I can not single him… And Poppy suggested that it would be better if he get close to a male adult.” Well that leaves only Flitwick and …. Oh! No!

“I think, Minerva, that Professor Dumbledore would like to do that, he likes the role of doting grandfather already.”

“You know Severus that he can’t do that he is out of the school more than half of the time.”

“Well, we may try to get a more qualified minister… that maybe easier than the investigation of the blood wards….”

“Severus!”

Well, Severus thought, they were waiting for him to volunteer… could he do it? He had no doubt that he could give the boy rules and discipline, would he be able to get his confidence, would he be able to make him talk about the abuse…..? They did not need to get attached do they…?

“I guess that only leaves me… After all the boy already hates me. And he knows that I would have none of his nonsense…”

“You won’t believe what a little care would make of the boy.”

“We are talking about a child Pomona, not a plant….”

“They are the same Severus.”

“Are you going to allow me to place wards around his bed and his dormitory? He will have a bedtime and that would be the only way to enforce it.”

“Isn’t that a little harsh Severus?”

“Your Ravenclaws are sensible enough to know that they need to sleep. Hufflepufs are also very obedient. My Slytherins are caught before they leave the common room. And Gryffindors are the ones that are more often caught outside after curfew. And it has come to my attention that this particular Gryffindor was almost caught outside his dorm the same night that he did his reckless stunt with the broom. He was going to be in a Duel.”

“Was he?” Minerva did not looked surprised.

“And not alone. Filch was distracted by Peeves and couldn’t catch them but more than two kids were gallivanting in the trophy room, he had footprints to show.”

“He should sweep that room more often.”

“I will start to believe that you talk with the castle, like Albus.”

“No I do not Filius, I happened to catch the other party, I told Filch where to look.”

“And who was him?”

“Not for this conversation Minerva, but he had his consequences. As Mr. Potter and his cohorts should have had if caught by Filch.”

“I am not sure about the wards Severus. I believe in giving my house autonomy about the time they go to bed. Of course I do not condone their walking around the castle at night….”

“It would help me a lot if you let me place the wards…”

“You may…. I guess it wouldn’t harm them I will add some wards to the first year dorm, those are the ones that need more watching…..”

“You may also want to keep an eye on the Weasley twins…”

“If they were in my house I would stick them to their beds…”

“I will ask the portrait to change the password after curfew.”

“At what time do your little snakes have to be in bed?”

“9.30 first and second years, 10.30 the rest.”

“Well it’s getting late for my bed time, it’s settled then. Severus is going to be in charge of Harry.”

“We will keep you informed about his behavior and results in class.”

“When are you going to inform him?”

“As soon as possible.”

“May you wait until after Halloween? it’s just one week away and you know that we allow them to go a little crazy.”

“All right Saturday after Halloween then. But If this is going to work I need your support Minerva, I will want him ready for bed at 9 and asleep at 9.30 and at 10 on Fridays and Saturdays.”

“I will support your decisions Severus.”

“Have I any say about his playing?”

“I already promised him. The game would be a good way to help him with his self-confidence and….”

“Mistreated children have problems with their confidence.”

“Well, if you want me to waste my time watching that silly game…. But I reserve the right to ground him….”

“You can do it only if we are not going to play against Slytherin.”

Snape went back to his rooms.

He had a photograph of Lily Evans over his night table and he had acquired the custom to speak to her…. out loud, hoping that with the echo of his voice in the walls he could faintly hear her answer.

“They think I would be able to help your child, my dear. I know I promised to look after him and I will. If he just did not look so much like your bloody husband….”

“I was wrong… I thought he was a pampered prince…. Ironically he is as pampered as this Prince….was, I should have remembered that your sister was.... not a very nice person.”

“I wish things could have been different. I am not going to invite him to come into my room, but I will place you anyway in a place where he couldn’t see you….if he were to enter.”

"Wish me luck." 

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.”

(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….

Snape had not been at his office Wednesday afternoon because he had been called by the Headmaster. He arrived ten minutes later and expected to find a first year Gryffindor at his door but Potter was no where to be found.

He looked in the corridor and saw three sixth years standing by the wall talking.

“Gentlemen, did you happen to see someone waiting for me?”

“No, Sir.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know Sir… 10 or 15 minutes.”

Could it be possible that the boy was late? He had been punctual the two previous days….. He should wait a little more, after all it was only 15 minutes past the hour.

Snape looked at the clock every five minutes. Where was the blasted boy?

Had something happened to the boy, was he sick? Madam Pomfrey would certainly inform him, wouldn’t she? Unless of course she was attending the child first….. He used the floo to call the Infirmary and Madam Pomfrey said that she had not seen Potter at all.

Minerva also said so. She had not seen Potter. He knew that her house was playing a ‘very forbidden’ game of hide and seek with the rest of the houses except his. He knew it was a custom to do it before the first Quidditch game of the season. He forbid his Snakes to participate in those silly games…..

Was there where his wayward ward was? Was there any evidence at all, that the child had not forgotten or decided to ignore the appointment?

Surely he had been invited to the stupid game and had gone along with the rest of the dunderheads. They would have a very serious talk about peer pressure…..

He realized that he had better things to do than waiting for that ungrateful brat!

He knew about the boy’s schedule and about the Astronomy class, he sent an elf with a note to be placed over his bed. He requested the child’s presence first thing in the morning. They would have breakfast together, he would have enough time to give boy a very good tongue lashing before it was time for him to go to his first class of the day!

Next day Snape asked for a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and some porridge. He kept them heated but the boy did not appear and his leg was killing him.

He had cleaned it thoroughly on Halloween and kept it clean since, it had seem to be closing with out any problem, but yesterday it had been a little… itchy and today the itch was worse, he looked at it and it had a not at all healthy purple color…….

He drank a strong pain killer and rested, breakfast and Potter forgotten for the mean time.

He woke up refreshed but the leg was not better. He decided to call on Hagrid to find out if the dog had any particular disease that he should be aware of.

Hagrid was not home, he had gone to care for the thestrals in the forest…. He walked back to the castle thinking of the benefits he could obtain if he substituted his hurt leg with a wooden one…. He was delirious…..

He found Potter and his friends gallivanting in the yard. Not an ounce of remorse from the boy about the missing appointments!

He considered taking the boy by the ear and escorting him to the dungeons, but his leg was really killing him and he contented with confiscating the silly book he was carrying. That will give the boy a reason to go to his quarters!!

On his way back he asked the caretaker Filch for his help. His leg needed care and it was not possible for him to do it alone.

It was hard enough to explain to Filch why he should help him remove the dead tissue from the leg, they should cut until nice clean blood start oozing.

And that was the moment blasted Potter decided to appear! Had the boy no sense of proprierty at all?

He shouted and saw the boy run out…. That was inappropriate but his leg really hurt.

Filch balked, it was too messy for his delicate taste, so Snape had to take his pride under his arm and go to the infirmary.

Once there Madam Promfrey delighted herself tending him.

She explained about the colonies of bacteria that live inside the mouths of dogs and said that those bacteria had taken residence in his leg. She made him go through the indignity of having to drink his own potions! He should do something about the taste!

The potions and the cleaning helped and before he finally went to sleep that night it was better. He had a fever during the whole day.

Pomfrey insisted and even called Dumbledore….. Snape’s classes were cancelled for Friday.

He wished he could cancel all quidditch games for the time being!!!

Madam Promfrey allowed him to leave the infirmary Saturday morning. He only had time to change his robes before going to the Quidditch game.

The fresh air did not improve his mood at all. He missed his students, he needed someone to berate…. Even a couple of Hufflepuffs, even when they were easy to drive to tears. He would wait for the game to end and then would corral Potter and would put some light to the happenings of the last week.

He saw the boy soar the sky! That broom was too big and fast for that slim child…. Then he saw the boy almost fall.

He knew it, the boy was so thin that the air would make him fall….

It took him a moment to realize that the broom was moving on its own account! Some one was cursing it!

He started using the counter curse, trying to find out who was sending the curse, but it was no use, the broom flew up every time he lost a little concentration!

He needed to do something else. Where was Albus when he needed him? He was not on his best condition, not after all the pain in his leg and the fever…. He stopped the broom, the boy’s team mates were trying to change him to their brooms. He should ask someone else to place a cushioning charm…. But he couldn’t loose sight of the broom….

Then there was a little commotion behind him….. and he heard Quirrel’s voice screaming….. then the broom was free. And Potter could control it again…

He started breathing but caught the smell of smoke…. What the …..? His robes were on fire! He stamped on them to put them out. And turned to see the crazy stunt of Potter catching the snitch with his mouth!

He almost passed out. Hagrid helped him down the bleachers.

He had always thought that he wouldn’t live to be and old man…. Now he was sure, he would not arrive alive to the end of the term.

Of course after the end of the game it would be impossible to find Potter. He would be surrounded by his fans… Snape went to his quarters and decided to take a calming potion and rest until Monday. Yes, he would give Potter a dozen detentions….on Monday.

Snape had grown up in a Muggle house, where pictures do not move or meddle in the resident’s business. He did not like to have pictures inside his rooms. He tolerated some of the pictures of the castle and banned the rest from getting close to his quarters. The residents of the pictures usually left him alone, all but Niguellus Black.

As he had been head of Slytherin and Head Master, he felt entitled to have conversations with Snape.

Snape could usually tolerate him. He had a small portrait in his office and also in the dungeon corridors.

Black appeared in the landscape portrait in Snape’s living room.

“What do you want Black? Can’t a man drink himself to oblivion on his own any more?”

“You can drink all your Potions until you choke Snape, for all that I care, but I think that you should know that there is a little bullying incident outside in the corridors right now.”

“Let them kill themselves, that would mean less bother for me….”

“Only Slytherins are involved, there are this three big ones…. I don’t know what their mothers feed them to get them so big…. Maybe nutrients did not go to their brains at all…. They are playing catch with some firsties….”

“They are playing catch?”

“They are throwing a couple of firsties in the air and catching them back……”

Snape went out immediately. The bullies were so entertained that they did not see their head of house until it was too late to play dumb.

Snape sent the two boys to see Madam Pomfrey and send the three bullies to look for Filch for a day long detention and then to come back to hear about the rest of their penance.

He returned to his room in a better mood.

“Still there Black? Don’t you have better things to do than haunt me?”

“Not at all, and you always amaze me…. I have to congratulate you, those bullies really needed to be stopped.”

“When did they start….?”

“Last Wednesday, a Gryffindor firsty was walking the corridors outside your office….a green-eyed boy. They almost put him inside the cleaning cupboard, but he was faster. He should have run all the way back to his tower. At first I thought that it had served him as a lesson not to wander so far from his tower…. But Slytherins shouldn’t bully their own.”

So that was why Potter had not been waiting for him on Wednesday….. he wondered if he could find as simple an explanation for the rest of the grievances he had concerning the child……

He called an elf and with his help realized that the boy had not seen the note at all, because it fell under the bed…. And he had confiscated the book in his worst possible mood. Feverish and with his injured leg….

“Oh! Lily I never thought this could be so difficult!”

He had felt better Sunday morning and had decided to face the child. He was too old to play hide and seek but realized that the boy was scared and they really needed to talk.

He saw the children leave the great hall and walked as far behind as possible….. then he sent a shadow charm ahead of them and heard them telling Harry to hide. It was easy to find the child hidden beside the door. And it was priceless to see his eyes once he realized who was beside him.

---

Snape could almost ‘smell’ the child’s nervousness, as they walked, they passed in front of a mirror and he realized the disparity in heights.

He did not want to terrify the child.

Harry remembered that he had had Belgian waffles for breakfast…. Not so bad for a last meal.

“Take a seat Mr. Potter, we have a lot of things to talk about.”

Snape sat in a couch nearby.

Rapport…. He needed to establish some rapport with the child, that would make them take it easy and talk freely.

“You played a good game yesterday Mr. Potter.”

What could Harry say? Of course Snape had seen the game….. he had hexed his broom after all…. He only looked at Snape…..

“Don’t you wonder why your broom acted like that?”

“Hermione said that…. That y…. someone was cursing it….” He looked down.

At least Snape could count on the know-it-all’s brains.

“Yes, someone was cursing it to make you fall.”

Was Snape going to admit it just like that? Should Harry run to the door?

“But why…. Did ‘someone’ want us to loose the game?” Wood had said that Snape would want the house cup.

“I don’t think the game mattered at all Potter. You were the target.”

Was he going to admit it just like that?

“But why…Sir?”

The child was too young to understand that he was a target the moment he vanished the Dark Lord.

“I don’t know, but until we find out, you have to be careful….”

“Be careful….?” This was confusing, Snape had hexed his broom, and did not know why…. And wanted Harry to be careful…. He hoped that the door was not locked….

“If you don’t know then…. Why did you hex my broom….?” If this was not Gryffindor Bravery…..

Harry stood up and as the door looked locked he looked for a place to hide.

Snape recognized the flight instinct and said, “You think that I Hexed your broom!”

“You didn’t…?” What should Harry believe?

“Of course not….. I…. was trying to stop it.”

Snape stood up also and placing his hands in the air walked a step back.

“But Hermione said that it stop after she burned your robes.”

“She burned my robes…..” That girl was dangerous “No Potter, it stopped a moment before….. when my robes caught fire, you had already regained control of the broom.”

“You were not…..”

“Is that why you are so scared, do you think that I wanted to throw you from your broom?”

“Yes…”

“Why?”

“Because… because I saw that you were hurt by the three headed dog…..”

“How do you know about it?”

“Weren’t you trying to kill me?”

“No, I was looking intently at you but…. I was using a spell to keep your broom still…. That was all I could do….”

Harry placed his back to the wall and let himself slide to the floor, he was saying…. “You do not want to kill me…. You were saving me……”

Snape walked closer and sat also on the floor. Near but not menacing.

“I was trying to protect you Potter.”

“I know… I told Hermione…. But you looked so angry when I came to take my book and I saw your leg….”

“I was in a lot of pain Potter… you are right the three headed dog that is in the forbidden corridor bit me. I couldn’t deal with you then…. Please forgive me for shouting at you like that….?”

“I am sorry…. Sir…. After all, you had said that you would take care of me…. I shouldn’t have believed that you wanted to hurt me….”

They both sat in silence. Until Snape asked, “Do you want some tea?”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you.”

“Get up and sit on the couch, the floor is no place to drink tea.”

They both stood, Snape went to the small kitchen and Harry to sit on the couch.

At that moment they heard a chime and a voice was heard from the fireplace.

“Severus!” McGonagall voice said and Harry saw her face….

“Minerva…” Professor Snape came out of the kitchen.

“Severus, is Mr. Potter there with you?”

“Yes he is.”

“Am I interrupting the torture, are you placing toothpicks under his nails?”

Harry looked at his hands.

“We are about to have a cup of tea, there won’t be a torture session today.”

“Mr. Potter?”

Harry stood close.

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Are you in need of rescue?”

“No Ma’am, I’m all right…..”

“That is good to hear Mr. Potter….. Your friends will be in the common room when ever you finish.”

“Yes Ma’am. Thank you….”

“See you later Severus.”

They finished their respective cups before talking again.

“I was late for our appointment on Wednesday…. I know that you were bullied away by 3 sixth year Slytherins….. I will give you the password to enter to the sitting room in case I am not here on time.”

“Thank you, I couldn’t read the note you sent because I was very tired and I forgot about it in the morning.”

“You may take out library books, as long as you take good care of them.”

“Thank you for helping with the broom….. I thought I would fall off.”

“You got hold of the broom, that was very good….. Would you let me place an anti-hexing charm on it Mr. Potter? I don’t want any thing like that happening again….”

“Yes Sir.”

“Now tell me how did you encounter the three-headed dog….”

“We…. I was running from Mr. Filch.”

“And why would you run from him, what were you doing Mr. Potter?”

“I was out after curfew Sir, I didn’t mean to go there but it was the only place to hide.”

“We have talked about roaming the corridors after curfew Mr. Potter.”

“Yes Sir…. But this happened before you told me your rules….”

After the emotional rollercoaster ride they both had have Snape could not scold the child.

“Then should I trust that you won’t do it again?”

“Yes Sir……”

Harry arrived at Double potions with butterflies in his stomach. He had finished all the exercises and had started with the Troll essay. He did not know what to expect in class of Snape now that he was his ‘Maniac Magic Mentor’. Would he really treat him different? Snape said that he would expect better results.

They had talked for a while on Sunday, after they cleared the confusion about the broom and the appointments. Snape explained to Harry how to prepare for a potions class and told him that they would have extra classes as needed.

They had not had any more meetings this week because Professor Snape went to the Magical Hospital to give a seminar on Poisons.

Harry had read the lesson twice and had also looked for the ingredients and their properties. He felt that he could answer some questions if he could keep himself calm.

Snape was his usual scary person in potions. He entered with long strides and the door closed behind him, the instructions appeared in the board and everyone ran to get the ingredients and start brewing.

Harry could feel his piercing eyes on him  He was not questioned but when the cauldron was boiling he felt Snape behind him. He turned and their eyes met. Snape nodded slightly and Harry felt in the clouds, it was the first time that Snape had approved his work!

Everything was well until almost the end of the class. Seamus' cauldron started glowing red releasing blue smoke!

Snape contained the spill fast and asked the ones that were around him to remove their cauldrons from the fire as he covered them magically.

Harry took hold of his cauldron and felt his sleeves get up, and something slipped from them….

---

Autumn had settled making the castle very cold. Harry had started wearing all his clothes at the same time to keep himself warm. It was uncomfortable but it was better than being cold. It worked well but he couldn’t do it every day and he needed to be able to move for the practical part of his classes. And he also required something extra for the potions class, the dungeons were like an icebox…

He needed something else… if he only….

Harry found a box full of muggle magazines in his common room and realized that he could use them.

He placed the pages between his pajama and his school uniform. That made enough insulation to keep himself warm.

He had been using the pages for almost a week now and they were a little crumpled but they were not heavy and could move with him.

---

…. a crumpled page slipped out of Harry’s sleeve and caught fire. When Harry realized it he hurried to place his cauldron in the counter and tried to smother the fire on his arm. His shirt caught fire also, he could feel the fire near his skin…. He looked at the sink and went there, He placed his arm under the faucet and put out the fire on his arm. He realized that he had splashed himself and the floor around him with the water, well at least he was not on fire any more.

He turned around and saw that all his classmates had left the room. He could see their heads in the hall by the open door.

Snape was in the middle of the classroom looking at him angrily.

“What part of get out of the room you didn’t understand Potter? Ten points from Gryffindor!”

“Sir… I… My sleeve caught fire sir and I had to put it out.”

“Your sleeve? The robes had a charm that won’t let them catch fire. Were you foolish enough to remove the charm from your robes Potter?!”

“No Sir… I…”

“Are you hurt Potter?”

“No Sir… just wet.”

“Stay there.” Snape went back to the door and saw that the rest of the dunderheads enter one by one to name their cauldrons and pick up their things.

Hermione and Ron were the last ones. They saw Harry’s predicament, Hermione marked Harry’s cauldron and was about to pick up his things when Snape told her to get out. Harry was left alone in the classroom.

“May I leave now Sir?”

Snape closed the door.

“Remove your robe Potter….”

Harry unbuttoned it one handed and removed it. Snape got closer and took the robe, it was wet but it showed no damage from the fire. Then he saw the boy. Harry’s shirt was singed in the left arm and pieces of wet paper were falling from it.

“What is the meaning of this Potter? Reading material for boring classes? Remove your shirt.”

Snape couldn’t believe that paper pages started falling to the floor of his classroom. He couldn’t understand why a child would cover himself with paper….? Harry ended trembling in his wet pajamas.

“What is the meaning of this Potter?”

Harry looked him in the eyes. Surely it was not forbidden… he had to stay warm……. But how to explain? He looked at the pile of wet magazine pages around him…. And the only thing he could say was.

“Insulation Sir.”

“What do you mean…?”

“The paper works like insulation it stops the cold from entering, Sir.”

“Do you mean to tell me that you placed those pages between your clothes because you were cold?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Was it part of an experiment or were you dared to do it?”

“No Sir.”

“What happened to your winter clothes?”

“I don’t have any Sir.” Harry was looking at the floor.

Snape had to keep on breathing deeply.

“Did you forget to pack them child? You may send an owl to your relatives and ask them to send them...?”

Harry’s face fell. How could he explain it? Snape will sneer and laugh at him.

Snape did not wait for his answer, he turned and left the room.

Harry started picking up the papers from the floor and stacking them. He placed his wet clothes over a stool and looked at his arm. It felt a little sore…. His pajama was burned also, it was his only one, he had received it as an extra from Madam Malkin's. The sleeve was burned at the cuff… he would have to cut it…. What would happen now? Snape re-entered the room, he was holding a red robe.

“Are you wearing insulation under your pants child?”

“Yes sir.”

“Here put on this robe, get into the storage room and remove your pajamas and insulation from your pants. Then come back here.

Snape was beyond angry. Whom in his right mind allowed a child to go through winter with out the proper clothes? He marveled at the boy’s ingenuity. He had solved his problem….

Snape magically dried the clothes and disposed of the paper.

Harry left the storage room wearing the robe and with another stack of paper in one hand and his pajama pants on the other. He placed the paper over the counter and saw that Snape made them disappear. He had used all the magazines and his pajama was ruined. Tears were very close.

“I’m sorry Sir.”

Snape glared at him. He was Sorry! Snape wanted to snap some necks. First from those stupid muggles. Then from the boy’s head of house, she should have checked!

“Is your arm hurt?”

“I little…. It got burned with the pajama’s cuff Sir. It will be fine.”

“I will decide that. Let me see.” Snape put a salve over the red part. It stopped itching and a fresh sensation appeared.

“Thank you Sir.”

“Do you have a class now Potter?”

“No Sir… I have free period until dinner.”

“Come with me.”

They walked to Snape’s office.

Snape made him sit.

“You bought your robes at Madam Malkin’s, did you not?”

“Yes, in Diagon Alley Sir.”

Snape went to his desk and took parchment and quill. He gave them to Harry and said.

“Have you kept practicing your writing?”

“Yes Sir.”

Was Snape going to make him write lines…?

“Write the following child….

Attention:

Madam Malkin

Diagon Alley

We require you to supply the following:

4 winter underwear, tops and bottoms

8 pairs of woolen socks

3 woolen shirts, long sleeves, white

3 woolen winter pants, school regulation

2 school sweaters with vest.

1 pair of leather gloves

Would you like a hat Mr. Potter?”

“A hat Sir?”

“Yes something to cover your head with..?”

“Yes sir.”

“1 woolen hat and earmuffs, Gryffindor Colors

1 pair of winter boots

1 pair of shoes, water proof soles

3 woolen pajamas

1 under robe

3 sweatshirts

1 set of sport pants

Would that be enough? Have you written all?”

“Yes Sir. Enough for what?”

“For you… stupid child!”

“Sorry Sir. Yes I think it will be enough.”

“Add a winter cloak

5 white underwear.

1 pair of trainers.

Send to Hogwarts School attention to Severus Snape and/or Harry Potter.”

“Yes Sir……. I didn’t know.”

“Know what Potter?”

“That I could mail order clothes, I would have done it before Sir.”

“I realized that Potter.”

“Shouldn’t I place my Gringgots account name, Sir?”

“No Potter. Do not worry about the payment. Is there anything else you would need?”

“I do not think so, Sir.”

“Finish the letter then and ask for Express delivery, they should arrive in around two days.”

“What about the size Sir?”

“Madam Malkin has your size and we may shrink or enlarge them a bit to fit you, Potter. It won’t take long for your clothes to arrive but in the mean time you are going to keep on wearing that robe. It’s warm. Place it over your school uniform and under your robes, it will provide you with enough insulation.”

“Yes Sir. Thank you Sir.”

“I won’t lecture you about this Mr. Potter, but this is the kind of thing I should be helping you with. You are not supposed to fix all your problems alone. You are smart and your solution was ingenious, but the cold time is just starting…. I don’t want you cold or uncomfortable.”

“I am sorry Sir…. I am not used to…. Thank you for your help.”

“Madam Pomfrey will check you on Sunday. Have you been eating well?”

“Yes Sir.”

“You still look too thin, let’s wait for the results of Pomfrey’s tests… I am expecting your essay next Monday child, you may give it to me along with the potions homework.”

“Yes Sir.”

“You may go Mr. Potter, I’ll post the letter.”

---

Snape found Minerva drinking tea in her office.

“Do you know what is this?” He placed a bunch of crumpled paper over her desk.

“No I don’t. Do you plan to place it under the cage of a hamster or any other pet? They seem to belong to several muggle magazines.”

“Harry Potter was wearing them between his clothes!”

“Harry Potter…. But why? Was it a prank? How many points did my house loose?”

“Don’t tell me that your only concern is house points Minerva!”

“You know I don’t. Please enlighten me about Mr. Potter and this pages…”

“The boy was wearing his pajamas under his regular clothes and all these papers in between as insulation because he was cold! And he doesn’t own winter clothes!”

“But why?”

“Why? You will have to be more specific.”

“Why didn’t he tell me…? How did you find out?”

“Part of his insulation caught fire in class today, I made him tell me…. He is used to inventing solutions! Merlin knows when and how did he learn to insulate himself like that! Why was he not prepared for the cold…? Because you did not send a list of required clothing along with the acceptance letter and book list! And you did not check that your students have the necessary clothes for winter in Scotland! But you did ensure that he get the best available broom!”

“Have a cup of tea. What did you do?”

“I gave him a warm robe and we ordered the appropriate clothes by owl. If he had had that list he could have got them along with his books when Hagrid took him to Diagon Alley!”

“I am sorry Severus. I just assume that the parents care for their children.”

“Yes, I know. But the children that are not wanted stay like that even here.”

“Should I assume that you asked for a normal supply?”

“The boy is loaded Minerva! He has enough in those Gringgots vaults to buy new clothes each month! And he had to wear magazines between his clothes to keep himself warm! The cold started two weeks ago!”

“I am sorry, there is nothing more I can do now. I will talk to him, he should have told me….”

“Don’t you dare mention it. He doesn’t need to be shamed…. On top of that. Just do me a favor. Check that all your Gryffindors have adequate clothing for the winter.”

“I will do that. I should…. I know that you check the clothes the first night of the term….”

“Yes I do. I usually have to send back some things. But some times I have to ask for the winter clothes. Because some parents believe that the cold starts after Christmas. This is the first time that I’ve found a child using paper to keep himself warm. Blood wards or not Minerva… that boy is not going to go back to those Muggles!”

“We are all working on the wards Severus….. he is going to stay at school for the Christmas holidays, he won’t have to see them until the Summer…”

Minerva saw Snape make the papers disappear.

“We’ll keep this between us. Won’t we?”

“There is no need to inform any one else Minerva.”

---

Harry found his friends in the library. They looked at him anxiously.

 “Did he gave you detention, Mate?”

“It was not your fault Harry, your sleeve caught fire…” Hermione held his hand.

“Since when does that matter to Snape…”

“I’m hungry.”

Harry couldn’t keep with Ron’s tirade. Snape had been angry and had taken points from his house. But he had cured his arm and given him the robe and ordered clothes for him… he was taking really serious the part about taking care of Harry.

---

Harry arrived before his classmates to Potions class the next week.

“Here is my essay Professor….”

“How do you feel writing in class now Potter?”

“Better… my hand is used to holding the quill now sir… I am writing faster and less messy...”

“You should keep practicing Mr. Potter, try to write one page of exercises before you start your homework.”

“For how long Sir?”

“Until the beginning of next term child. I do not need to see them, but I trust you understand their importance.”

“Yes Sir.”

“So this is your essay…”

“Yes Sir. 3 feet. But…”

“Is it ready or not.”

“Yes Sir but….. I think that you will not like the conclusions Sir.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I guess that you wanted us to realize that it was dangerous to face the Troll and we know that, it’s just that….”

“Let me read it Mr. Potter and we’ll talk about it later.”

“Yes Sir.”

---

The class passed without incident. For once Gryffindor did not loose any points at all.

Harry felt more comfortable and Snape did not breath down his neck at all, he gave him a good grade.

---

Snape took the essay with him to the teachers’ lounge that night.

He sat in front of the fireplace and began reading it...... He was actually smiling when Minerva placed a cup of tea in front him.

“What are you reading Severus?” Asked Minerva sitting in the sofa beside him.

“Homework.”

“You do not get that amused look reading homework.”

“I always enjoy the things that the students write.”

“You enjoy criticizing them…. But this is different. You are not crossing words and writing things on the side....”

“It’s Potter’s essay on Trolls and the troll incident, he recounted it with a completely, different version and explains that after analyzing all the facts, the only way to save Miss Granger was what they did.”

“And what do you think? Are you going to lecture him on the irrelevance of saving friends and that he has to learn to save only his hide? You wanted him repentant but allowed him to give reasons…… After this you won’t be able to make him feel bad about it.”

“It made me think. Should we teach them to run and hide. Or to stay and fight?”

“They are children, not soldiers.”

"Yes, they are children. Mr. Potter will receive his clothes tomorrow. Is there a way to make the Muggles pay for them?”

“Albus talked about cutting the money they received monthly when he heard about the clothes…” After the way Snape looked at her she continued. "You know I had to tell him....."

“I will just make sure that Harry does not forget that he has a vault and that he has a right to use its contents.”

---

Snape had called the green-eyed child to his quarters after class the next day.

Severus asked him about his day and his classes before telling him that the essay had been good. It looked like Harry and his friends had really researched the theme and also had taken care in writing the conclusions.....

“We… I…. we repeated it again in the corridors and timed it. Sir. And we realized that…. All the teachers were in the dungeons, the prefects were on the way to the common rooms, it is not possible to apparate inside the castle. Only Ron and I knew where Hermione was, we were looking for her, not for the troll. If only one had stayed… he couldn’t have been able to distract the troll…long enough…”

“So you are sure that it was the only way to save your friend?”

“Yes Sir.”

“She shouldn’t have been looking for trouble, don’t you think?”

“Se wasn’t, she lied… she was upset in the bathroom, she didn’t know about the troll until it attacked her….”

“There was no need to lie.”

“She did not want Ron and I to be in trouble after we saved her.”

“I see, well I hope then that you won’t be looking for trolls again or any other dangerous creature, will you?”

Harry remembered the three headed dog in the third floor corridor…. Snape had prohibited him explicitly to get near it. Well they knew where it was, there was no need for them to go looking for it again…

“No sir.”

“That is well child. Now lets see what is in those packages that arrived for you.”

“Yes Sir!”

Snape had to use all his spy training to keep a blank face as he saw the boy opening packages and finding his new clothes.

“This is too much Sir.”

“You have to change every day Mr. Potter.”

“It’s so warm. Thank you Sir.”

“Don’t thank me child. This is just what you needed. You should take your bath as always. You will wear the long underwear under your pajamas and change your pajamas for your uniform on the mornings. Then your robe. You may also place the warm robe under the normal one. I will take points from you if you are cold again.”

“There should be some kind of introduction to the magical world for muggle raised kids professor. It’s very confusing.”

“That is why I am your Mentor. You’ll get used to it soon enough. Well Mr. Potter place this all in your trunk and I’ll see that it gets back to your room.”

Snape had gone through the trunk contents and had discarded a lot of things and shrunk the rest to fit Harry. He will have to mail order some more clothes coming Spring.

“That’s great professor. Thank you.”

“No more insulation Mr. Potter.”

“No Sir.”

The boy looked happy, Snape hoped that he would stay out of trouble.

He knew that it was wishful thinking when he heard Malfoy taunting the boy at the end of the next potions class.

“It’s really sad that there are people that have to stay at school because they are not wanted home, don’t you think?”

Malfoy was telling his friends but loud enough for Harry to take notice.

Snape was ready to stop a fight but was glad to see that Harry just picked up his things and walked out of the classroom.

It’s hard to want to fight when all you are wearing is new, it fits and it’s warm. He was not wanted at the Dursley’s, but Snape was taking care of him and that plus Hogwarts was more than enough.

Madam Pomfrey liked to go some nights to the teachers’ lounge, she enjoyed the company, and the friendly bantering. This night she was able to inform them about the latest test she had run on Harry.

“He gained two pounds and a half.”

Snape sighed, he was resigned that sooner or later they ended talking about Potter. It no longer angered him, but he had to pretend….

“He still looks like a starved pigeon,” he said.

“He will have to gain at least 6 more pounds, that would position him in his age average weight, he will start growing then.”

“How long will he have to keep on drinking the supplement?”

“He won’t have to drink it this month. The kids usually gain weight during the Christmas period.”

“Too much sugar if you ask me..”

“It will be good for Harry, he needs some fat over his bones,” said Minerva.

“I will give Harry special vitamins for the cold weather, please make him come to my office.”

“Yes Madam.”

---

The snow had covered the school yards as a white blanket. It was Saturday and the students were enjoying themselves playing in the snow.

Snape recognized a black haired kid playing with a red headed one… he was glad that Potter looked warm and comfortable. If he had a heart, it would have bled for the young boy that had worn paper pages between his clothes as insulation!

Snape was in Ravenclaw tower with the staff studying blood magic.

“Do you know that some cultures believe that by eating the heart and brain of their dead ancestors they gained their essence and magic…?” Flitwick was reading a long ancient parchment.

“I have heard that blood contracts could be made by making a cut in the hand with a knife and mixing the blood in a handshake.” Severus had even seen that kind of thing done.

“Muggles have experimented with blood to cure themselves. They use transfusions of blood and even organs or bones or bone marrows.” Pomona had been talking with the Muggle studies Professor.

“We use blood as a base for the blood replenishment potions. We use a little bit of the patient’s blood.” Madam Pomfrey had also been involved in the research.

“But how do the blood wards work, I know that Lily never lived in her sister’s house, how did Albus place the wards? Could they work if we find any other relative, may be a cousin or someone further removed?” Minerva knew that they had to explore all the possibilities.

“I though about that, Minerva, I had hired a London lawyer that specializes in inheritances, he said that if there are any Evans living relatives he will found them, even if they do not live in England.”

“That is a good idea, Severus.”

“There are other kind of wards used for the protection of buildings, there are some where blood sacrifices are used… They…keep the foundations protected from harm.” Flitwick was still looking in the ancient parchment.

“Are you sure you are looking at the correct kind of parchments, that is so gross…Filius.” Well, Pomona had always had a weak heart.

“I think we are having some progress…” Filius was really interested in the gross details…

“So, we cut his relatives in pieces, eat their brains and hearts, pour their blood in the house foundations and bury them there…” It was hard for Severus to keep a straight face.

“Harry might be safe in the house, but I am sure the house will be haunted!” Minerva did have a sense of humor! “What have you found about blood adoptions? There is no blood involved at all as far as I have heard…”

“Well,” the small wizard left the parchments over the table and picked another set. “They were very popular during Roman times, but I can’t find any assurance that they would sustain any kind of blood wards.”

“We should use a ‘fidelius’ charm. Buy a house on the Continent and take the boy there.” Pomona would like to visit the Mediterranean Sea.

“We could enroll him in a Summer school…” Severus liked the shocked looks on his colleagues’ faces.

“Harry needs to have Holidays…”

“Summer schools are recreative… Minerva, may be a farm…”

“There are Blood contracts, they made blood brothers…” Filius kept reading.

“We may always combine all these ideas,” said Severus.

“We won’t kill his relatives,” Minerva was getting tired of her colleagues’ obsession with blood.

“Minerva, you are not fun! But it’s not what I was thinking… We may take some blood from the aunt, from Potter and from his cousin and make a blood replenishment potion with them… We could use some kind of fountain to keep it flowing… I guess it would be enough to sustain the wards in the house.”

“The problem is not with the house, it’s with his relatives!” Pomona liked the idea of a house in Italy or France.

“Of course, we send the relatives abroad and keep the house with the blood wards…”

“Harry can’t live alone there… he is a young boy and needs a family…”

“One of us could stay with him for part of the summer at least…”

“He doesn’t only need company, he needs a family environment…”

All their eyes were over Snape.

“I had never liked Surrey… If I’m going to keep him I would rather take him to my family estate… The wards over there are really ancient…”

“That may solve our problems, although you may consider a blood adoption plus a fountain of blood…”

“Filius I will begin to think that you like blood shedding too much! I say that we should wait. There is not rush yet, we have until the beginning of the summer. Harry is safe here mean while.”

---

On Sunday after they had played in the snow again, Ron started sneezing and he had a temperature the next morning. Harry went with him to the infirmary; Madam Pomfrey made Ron stay and gave Harry some pepper-up potion before sending him to his classes.

Hermione was busy taking notes of the homework and class work. Harry knew that Ron wouldn’t like to be reminded of school while he was sick. The day was gloomy and he felt sad without his friend.

Malfoy sent him a note in transfiguration. It said “Where is your boyfriend Potter? Working in the infirmary to get money for Christmas presents?”

They almost get into a fist-fight in the corridor.

They went their separate ways after loosing 5 points each, but at dinnertime Malfoy sent him a new note. It said that they would meet for a duel in the Armory Room at 11.

Harry answered that he did not trust him, because the last time he had not appeared at all.

Malfoy answered back that they should go alone.

---

That night, Snape was leaving Flitwick's office when Nigulus Black, going in on one of the pictures in the halls stopped him.

“Oh! Snape, I guess that you should go back to your dungeons via the Armors room.”

“And why is that?”

“I have heard that the armors are upset because two kids are throwing their pieces all around, and you are interested in both of them…”

---

What am I doing here? Harry thought. He should be under his bed covers. Harry thought that Malfoy wouldn’t appear.

But Malfoy had his own reasons to want to fight, his father had informed him, in the letter he received that day, that he should stay at Hogwarts during the holidays, because he and his mother were going to have a second honeymoon in Paris.

So they both arrived at the appointed time in the armory room.

Neither of them knew enough curses nor hexes, they had used water-splashing charms and also tickle charms on each other. Harry knew that they would end up using their fists, but now they were throwing pieces of armor from the room. It wouldn’t last long as the racket they were making would wake up the castle.

“Stop it Malfoy. We are going to get caught!”

“Do you give up?”

“In your dreams, Malfoy! We are even!”

“No!”

Harry sent an arm piece flying. Malfoy was hit by the glove.

“Ouch!”

“Do you give up?”

“Never!”

Harry felt that someone was behind him, he tried to turn, but felt a hand holding him by the scruff of his neck. A known smell of potions' ingredients made him realize that they were caught by the person he least wanted to see in this circumstance.

Snape caught in the air the piece of helmet that Malfoy threw.

Malfoy wondered what had happened as it did not make a sound. He looked up and was faced with his head of house, holding up his antagonist.

Severus used his wand and several small movements later the armors recovered their pieces.

The two boys were standing quietly beside him. They both could feel the anger boiling inside their professor.

Snape was taking his time fixing the armors, it could have been a job that he should assign to the miscreants, but it would be noisy and it was already late. The room was not used a lot, but the armors wouldn’t like to stay in pieces until fixed by Filch. This was giving him time to think what to do with his charges.

Harry had panicked at the mention of spanking, but that was what Draco was expecting, the blond boy was placing his hands over his buttocks rubbing the pain that would be. How would he proceed? Malfoy also knew that his head of house was not used to letting them sweat for the punishment, it always proceed after the deed, fast and painful. Snape wouldn’t send them to bed until punishment was dished.

Snape finished placing the helmets and turned.

“Are you aware of how many rules you two broke? Gallivanting after curfew, fighting with a schoolmate, using magic outside classrooms, damaging school property. Being close to the third floor! How did you leave the dungeons, Mr. Malfoy? Who gave you the night password?”

“I didn’t go back to the dungeons, Sir. I stayed hidden in the library until curfew.”

“And you, Mr. Potter?”

“There is no night password in Gryffindor tower, Sir. I just told the Fat Lady that I needed to pick up a book that I had left in a classroom…”

“So we must add lying to your list of trespasses…”

“It doesn’t count if you lie to a portrait, Sir,” Draco said.

“And if said portrait is asked about the whereabouts of this particular student?”

“But, Sir…”

“Not another word out of your mouths young men, come with me to my office.”

Once there he started talking.

“As we are very close to the holidays I won’t deduct points from your houses…”

Harry couldn’t believe his ears. Was he going to let them go? Harry watched as Snape pulled a chair and placed it in the middle of the room. He sat and extended his right hand towards Malfoy. The blond boy knew what was expected of him, because he went to the dark dressed man and bent over his lap.

Slytherins knew that their head of house almost never deducted points from his own house, but they knew that they were not free of the consequences. They knew that they were almost always painful. Malfoy didn’t even protest that Potter was allowed to watch.

He had received this kind of punishment in group and knew that if he was here, Potter would receive the same. As well as to be required to keep quiet and not to mention it outside this room.

Being the first would allow Malfoy to watch Potter getting his, in the end.

Harry watched the procedure as if he was in a dream.

Malfoy over Snape’s lap.

Snape’s hand smacking his buttocks.

Malfoy sobbing since the sixth smack.

Snape advising that he should stay in bed and not break any more rules or he would get it bare.

Then it was over.

Snape provided a tissue and Malfoy cleaned his eyes and nose, then he recovered himself.

Snape choose to punish Malfoy first to show Potter that it was not a beating, just some smacks in his buttocks and all would be forgiven.

Malfoy received a small hug and then Snape said, “Well, Mr. Malfoy it’s past your bedtime. Go to your dorm now.”

“But, Sir… Potter…? He saw me…”

“He won’t talk about it, you may stay, but you will get another spanking after I finished with him…”

“It’s not fair.”

“Do you want to come back tomorrow night for another dose, Mr. Malfoy?”

“No, Sir. Good night.”

Snape stood up and took Malfoy to the door, he whispered something in his ear and closed the door behind his student. He turned and kneeled to be able to look at Harry in the eye. He said.

“Potter, you are going to get the same punishment that Mr. Malfoy received. 20 smacks over your uniform. Could you take it? It won’t be pleasant, but it will be over fast and we’ll forget about it. I allowed you to see so you would know what to expect. I won’t beat you.”

Harry was looking through teary eyes. He knew that he was going to be smacked, not beaten. It would be painful, but he wanted what comfort the blond boy received. He wanted to be hugged by Snape.

“Are you ready? Or would you prefer a detention?”

“I’m ready, Sir.”

Snape pulled him over his lap. Harry was tense, he had never been so close to someone else. He felt Snape’s left arm holding him and then the smacking started. It was hard, it smarted. But it hurt much less than his uncle’s fists or his dreaded belt. And it hurt less because he deserved this. He should know better than leaving his dorm for a duel!

He tried to keep quiet, but gave up in the middle. It was a crying and sobbing young boy over Snape’s lap in the end. He cried long and didn’t feel the hand around his back consoling him or hear his words saying that it was over.

When he calmed down Snape stood him up and gave him a tissue. Before Snape could say anything Harry extended his arms and buried himself on his shoulder sobbing more.

Snape held the child. This was the reason why he had sent Draco to bed after all. He knew that Potter was a bundle of pent up emotion and he had to allow him to vent. After a while Harry realized that his tears had wet Snape’s robes and he started getting hold of himself. Snape gave him another tissue.

“How do you feel, Mr. Potter?”

“I am sorry, Sir.”

“Why?”

“Because I got you wet, Sir.”

Snape hugged him again.

“It’s too late to go back to your tower, you will sleep here. Go to the bathroom and get cleaned. You will find a new toothbrush there and your pajamas, the ones that got burned, I repaired them. Put them on and I will fix the couch for you to sleep on.”

“Yes Sir.”

Harry returned with a clean face and red eyes. He had kept crying in the bathroom. He felt like a baby!

He saw that the couch had some blankets and pillows. Snape was not there, but he could hear him moving in a nearby room

.

He lay down and pulled the covers. It was warm and nice. He felt tears coming again and he started crying. Snape came back and sat beside him until he calmed again.

“How do you feel? Are you in pain?”

“No, Sir. It doesn’t hurt any more. Would you tell Professor McGonagall that I am here?”

“I already told her, Mr. Potter.”

“Does she know about the duel?”

“She knows that you were out after curfew and that I have dealt with it. So it was a duel?”

“Yes, Sir. I had never been in a duel before. Just read about them, with swords or guns, but we used magic, Sir.”

“And that was not good. You do not know enough magic, but you could be in great danger. If you ever point your wand at another person without your teachers’ supervision I will spank you bare and I would use a slipper. Is that understood, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry.”

Snape placed his hand on his head, moving the hair and closing his eyes softly.

“Stop talking and go to sleep. It’s already late. I will leave this lamp on so you won’t get disoriented if you wake up.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Good night, child.”

---

Snape woke up and went out to check on the boy asleep in his living room. He could have transfigured the couch into a bed, but he didn’t want to set a precedent.

He had a guest room, but it was used as an additional library. He was conducting his 'bloody blood wards' research there. He was not going to allow any child in there, as the books were more than a little dangerous.

He had allowed some of his home-sick Slytherin students to stay in his quarters before, but always on the couch.

Harry woke up with a strange feeling of not knowing where he was. He left the couch for the bathroom and went back to the living room.

He couldn’t sleep again so he tried to open the door and it was locked. He had to wait for his Professor.

Snape had heard the boy wake up later and that he tried to open the door, he would scold the boy for that. It is not polite to try to leave without your host’s knowledge.

He came out and found Harry, wearing his uniform and cleaning the kitchen.

“Might you tell me what are you doing in my kitchen, Mr. Potter?”

“Sir… I… I was going to prepare some breakfast. There is no food, just tea. I wanted to go to the kitchens, but the door is closed… so I thought that I should wash instead…”

“Let that be child. We will have breakfast in the Great Hall.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Why would you want to prepare breakfast, are you hungry, Mr. Potter?”

“Not very much, Sir. But preparing breakfast is one of my chores at my aunt’s home and I was awake… So I guess I needed something to do.”

“I would appreciate, Mr. Potter that if you ever sleep here again, you would stay in your bed. Try to sleep more or take a book to read. It’s not polite to try to leave or clean around, it may imply to your host that his living accommodations are not adequate.”

“I am sorry, Sir. It was not my intention.”

“Just remember it for future reference, Mr. Potter.”

“Could I really read one of your books, Sir?”

“Only the books you can reach! And the ones that allow themselves to be picked. The ones that won’t go out must be left alone. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Well… let’s go, Mr. Potter, we need our breakfast.”

“Sir… Do you have any book where I can find something about Nicholas Flamel?”

“And why would you want to find him, Mr. Potter?”

“Hermione… She came across his name… in something she was reading and… she is curious…Sir.”

“How did she come across his name, what was she researching?”

“I don’t know.”

Snape knew that the boy was not saying the truth, but he let it go.

“My advice is that you shouldn’t stick your nose into everything, Mr. Potter and the same goes to Miss Granger.”

“Yes, Sir.”

---

“You should try this eggnog, Minerva.”

“Thank you, Poppy. I need to know how many students are going to stay for Christmas vacation. I have 2 firsts, 2 thirds, 1 fourth, 3 fifths, and 6 sevenths…” Poppy magically tallied them in the wall.

“Filius?”

“Just 3 fifths and 4 sevenths”

“Pomona?”

“3 fifths, 3 sixths and 2 sevenths.”

“Severus?”

“1 first, 4 fifths and 5 sevenths.”

“Should we house them all together?” Filius said knowing that it always created controversy.

“Do you want them to kill each other?” Severus always answered that.

“It’s Christmas. They can forget the house rivalry.”

“You are an optimist, Pomona, but I would rather each stays in their dormitories,” confirmed Minerva.

“They will be at the same table at meals any way,” continued Flitwick.

---

Minerva knocked at Snape’s office door and was received inside the sober room.

“What can I do for you, Minerva?”

“I see that as always you choose to skip on the Christmas decorations.”

“Holiday nonsense, would you like some tea?”

“Yes please, I received an owl form Arthur and Molly Weasley this morning. It seems that there is an outbreak of Dragon pox in Romania and their son is coming to England instead of their going to visit him, so they are asking us to send their four kids.”

“Early Christmas present, Minerva, I guess that you will sleep better knowing that there are no Weasleys sleeping under you roof.”

“They are a handful. The bad side of this, is that Harry is left alone. Ronald Weasley wanted him to accompany his family, but we do not have Harry's family approval and no time at all to ask them.”

“When are they leaving?”

“Hagrid took them just now to the train station. Harry went with them and will come back with Hagrid.”

“Please ask Mr. Potter to see me, Minerva.”

“Thank you, Severus.”

---

“You wanted to see me, Professor?’

“Yes, Mr. Potter. I have this supplement for you, you should drink it every night during this week, and this other during breakfast for three days, it will strengthen your lungs.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“I hear that the Weasleys had gone home…”

“Yes, Sir. I’m glad for Ron being with his family, but… I was happy to have my first Christmas in the magical world with them.”

“I know… There is another first year that stayed in school, Mr. Potter. You may find something to do with him, to entertain yourselves…”

“Who is he, Sir?”

“Mr. Malfoy.”

“We are not friends, Sir.”

“I know that. But I guess that you two can spend an afternoon fighting with snowballs without being friends.”

“Really, Sir?”

“Really, child. Hurry to the front yard. Mr. Malfoy has been there for a while now so you may start preparing snowballs also.”

---

Harry found Malfoy sitting on a stone. The blond boy did not look happy.

“Came here to gloat, Potter?”

“What for, Malfoy? Professor Snape said that you would be here.”

“Does he want me to go inside, Potter?”

“No, he said that we could play in the snow… Throw snowballs and things like that. Do you want to?”

“Why would you play with me, Potter?”

“It’s better than playing alone, Malfoy. We are the only first years in the castle and… All my house mates are too busy to play with me.”

“Professor Snape told you to come here and play with me?”

“He said that we could spend the afternoon playing with the snow without harming each other or being friends…”

“I have never played with so much snow.”

“Me neither. We are even. I have always imagined that I could build a castle with snow… Do you want to try?”

“Let’s just throw snowballs, Potter, we have still to settle our duel. We were even when Snape stopped us.”

“No, we were not, Malfoy, I had just hit you with the glove when he arrived… The one hit the most with the snowballs looses!”

“All right.”

---

At dinnertime there were only two tables set in the great hall, one for the teaching staff and another for the students.

Snape could see that the children were behaving, seating all at the same table could make some sparkles fly… The Slytherins and Gryffindors were not together with the rest of the houses in between so they were dining politely.

Snape looked for the blond and black-haired boys, but they were not at the table.

It was not obligatory to eat, but outside was dark and a blizzard was approaching… may be they were changing wet clothes…

He started worrying after dinner when neither of the boys appeared.

He used a point me spell and followed his wand to the castle door.

He was going to kill them. He placed a snow repelling and a warming spell around him and went out.

Harry and Draco started throwing balls at each other. They ran around the yard.

They ended up near Hagrid’s cabin.

They were tired of running around in the snow, they had barely hit each other with the snowballs.

Hagrid was cutting wood. He had seen the boys playing and was glad that Harry was not fretting about Ron going back home. He knew Malfoy’s father was a snob… But his kid… Well the kid surely was a snob also… But… Harry was a good boy and it wouldn’t harm the kids to play in the snow… As they ran near he said…

“Hey Harry…would you like a cupo’ tea? I’ve a very nice crumb cake…”

“That would be nice Hagrid… Thank you…”

“I am about to finish ‘ere, Harry… why don’ you two boys get inside and get comfortable… Fang could use some petting. I’ll be right inside…”

Draco looked at the big man that was the Grounds Keeper of Hogwarts… He won’t go into his house… Something might bite him… his father would be very angry if he were to find that his only son and heir had tea with this man… It would be so…

“I have to go back to the castle Potter… I have things to do… Thanks for the game…”

He did not acknowledge Hagrid before he turned and ran towards the castle.

Harry thought that Malfoy had been very rude, he looked at Hagrid and said:

“Don’t mind him… I will go in to play with Fang.”

Hagrid did not like the way the young Malfoy had looked at him so he was glad that he had not gone inside his house with Harry.

He finished with his wood and went in to give Harry some tea and cake. He believed that school had suited him all right, he looked healthy and happy!

They talked for a while and Hagrid was happy to find out that Harry knew that Professor Snape had not tried to make him fall from the broom at the Quidditch game. It was good that Harry had someone taking care of him. Maybe he should have the professor for tea and tell him about what he saw when he picked Harry up for his Hogwarts shopping… those muggles did not seem to be the loving family that the child needed… Not giving him his letters and trying to hide from him…

Harry rested for a while with Hagrid.

“What’cha gonna do now Harry?”

“I don’t know… I guess I’ll go back to the castle; I have to start with my homework.”

“Well Harry… I’ve a small sleigh beside the cabin…. You may borrow it to slide on the snow for a while… if you ask Fang nicely he may ‘elp you pull it up…”

“Really Hagrid? That would be great!”

“Come with me Harry… I’ll show you the best of places…”

---

It was really fun to slide down the small hills… Harry had tied a cord to the sleigh and was pulling it up to slide down once again… he was startled by Malfoy who was waiting for him up the hill.

“What are you doing here? Weren’t you too cold to play? Have you finished what you were doing?”

“Yes…”

“What are you doing here then?”

“I would like to slide in your sleigh.”

Harry looked at the blond boy….

“It’s not mine… It belongs to Hagrid and you were quite rude with him a while ago.”

“I bet that I could slide farther than you….”

“In your dreams, Malfoy!”

Harry allowed Malfoy the sleigh. And they both had fun taunting each other about speed and bravery.

It was getting late, they knew that dinnertime was close, but thought that it was too early to get back inside.

“There is another hill over there, Potter, do you see it? Near the lake?”

“I’m not blind, Malfoy, but…”

“You are not scared, are you?”

“Of course not, Malfoy let’s go.”

The hill ended beside the lake and there was a small part of the lake that was frozen.

“Let’s both get on the sleigh it will go faster that way…”

Malfoy was seated in front and Harry held onto the blond’s waist.

The boys sledded and started gaining speed then the sleigh hit the lake and they dashed to the other side of the lake near the forbidden forest.

“Stop it Malfoy!”

Draco tried to slow the sleigh using his feet, he felt his left foot bend backwards as they hit a stone and stopped. The impact made them crash toward the frozen ground.

Harry felt something warm oozing from his nose, without moving much he placed his hand over his nose and saw blood. Then he heard a whimper and tried to sit up. His head took time to settle. He used the sleeve of his robe to clean the blood on his face. He looked for Malfoy.

The boy was lying on his back. He stirred as Harry went to him.

“Malfoy…?”

“Potter…”

“Are you hurt?”

“Am I alive?”

“Can you sit?”

“My foot… It hurts!”

Harry helped him into a sitting position.

“We need to go back. Try to stand up… I’ll help you…”

Harry helped Malfoy stand. The injured boy tried to walk, but after a couple of steps he sat back down on the ground.

“I can’t walk. It hurts.”

“Your ankle? Can you move it?”

“I think it’s not broken, but… it hurts too much to place it down, I can’t walk. I need help!”

Harry was breathing through his mouth, his nose felt like it was swelling.

“We have to go back… it’s getting dark.” He had to make the blond boy move.

“They will notice we are missing and come to help us.”

“Nobody knows we are here Malfoy. It’s too dark for anyone to see us.”

Harry looked at the sleigh, it was not broken. He put it upright.

“Sit on the sleigh, I will pull you.”

Malfoy sat on the sleigh. He was in pain. He wanted his bed.

“Now, try not to be too heavy…”

Harry pulled him, ‘it was not that far’ he thought.

Soon Hagrid’s cabin was in sight.

“Hagrid will help us.”

Malfoy had his doubts. The man would help Potter, but he was not sure about Hagrid helping him…

Harry knocked at the door, but none answered. He was tired. He wouldn’t be able to pull Malfoy all the way to the castle.

And he couldn’t leave him alone either… If there only was a way to call for help…

“Can’t you send one of those silly notes that you send in class?”

“They do not fly far, Potter… Don’t you know anything?”

“I was raised by muggles, remember? You must know of a way to do it, Malfoy, after all you were raised by wizards!”

“I have never needed to ask for help, Potter!”

“Well, neither have I…” I always knew that no one would help me.

“I think that my ankle is a little better… I can try to walk.”

Harry was grateful of that.

He helped Draco up and he could limp a little. They walked slowly toward the castle.

Harry’s only thought was to get close to the castle and he was glad as they were approaching that it looked friendly even in the dark.

He saw a light.

A door had been opened.

He also saw a dark figure going out.

Oh! My! They were in trouble!

Snape distinguished the small figures and realized they were hurt by the way they were moving.

He ran to them.

“Professor!”

“What are you doing out at this time? Can’t you see that there is a storm coming?”

He saw their faces then.

He had to get them inside fast. He thought about conjuring stretchers for the boys, but Potter was walking all right, he got hold of Malfoy and carried him inside.

---

They arrived to the infirmary and Snape placed them in adjacent beds.

Madam Pomfrey ran some diagnosis. The boys were cold and a little wet.

She dried their clothes.

Neither had any broken bones. She examined Harry’s nose and placed a charm to help with the swelling. Harry could breath after the charm.

The same happened with Malfoy’s ankle.

She gave them both pepper up potions and told them to get their dinner and an early bedtime.

They were fine.

Snape had only hovered behind the mediwitch. He tried to suppress his anger. The boys were fine. A little battered up and cold, but… fine.

He felt the kids’ glances. They knew they were in trouble…

“All right, kids. You may go now. Just come to see me tomorrow to see how your injuries are doing.”

“Don’t you want us to stay for the night Madam?”

Malfoy knew he did not want to face his head of house now.

“Not necessary, Mr. Malfoy. You would be more comfortable in your own beds.”

I doubt it, thought Harry. Not if they were going to bed after a spanking. He looked at Malfoy and saw they shared thoughts. Snape was too quiet for his liking.

Snape escorted them out of the infirmary still in silence.

They had to walk near Gryffindor tower. Harry knew that he had a chance to go to his common room and delay the encounter with his appointed guardian… Just around the corner. He had to be ready to run.

Harry was waiting for the corner and then he felt Snape’s hand on his neck. He was startled.

“Not so fast, Mr. Potter.”

Malfoy looked at him and shrugged… he would have tried to run too, if his common room were not on the way to Snape’s quarters.

Snape made them sit at the table in his kitchen. He then used his wand to make two plates of chicken broth and vegetables appear.

“Eat slowly, it will help you to get warm inside.”

He also poured them each a cup of warm milk.

The boys started eating, once started they remembered that they were hungry. They also realized that once the food was finished the lecture would start. So for once they followed Snape’s instructions, they ate slowly.

Snape poured himself some tea also. And sat in front of them. His fingers drumming over the table, he was considering what to do with them. He was considering their injures. He needed more information. He looked at them with his piercing eyes and asked.

“Were you fighting?”

“Mmm?” Potter denied with his head.

“No, Sir.” At least he could trust Malfoy to remember his manners and answer respectfully.

“Explain to me what you were doing then?

“We were playing in the snow with a sleigh.”

“It was a lot of fun…”

“Hagrid lent it to me.”

“We had an accident.”

“Where were you when this ‘accident’ occurred?”

Potter and Malfoy looked at each other. The last hill, near the lake and the forbidden forest has been too steep… Snape was not going to like to know about it.

“We were a little farther than Hagrid’s cabin…” said Harry.

“How much farther?” Snape knew that they were trying to hide something.

“I couldn’t control the sleigh because we arrived over the frozen lake…”

“You were together in the sleigh?”

“Yes Sir.”

“It was going so fast…! I was in front… My foot hit a rock and that is when it got hurt…”

“I don’t know what happened… we crashed and I kind of went flying. I guess my face hit the ground.”

“We couldn’t ask for help… It was getting dark and I couldn’t walk… Potter pulled me on the sleigh until I could walk a little…”

“I could walk all right, but we were almost in the Forest so… I couldn’t leave him.”

“You were close to the Forest!”

“Just a little. We landed there after the accident…. Hagrid was not in his cabin…”

“Potter helped me walk back…”

Snape covered his face with his hands.

How was he supposed to keep these boys safe if they were to place themselves in danger?

He felt the warmth in his room and saw how shaky the two kids really were. They were tired and in pain, even after Poppy’s ministrations. They needed their beds. Were they shaking because of the adventure or were they afraid of the consequences? They were looking at him, with big saucer eyes, waiting for the axe to fall. He was going to have to disappoint them.

“Get into your pajamas and get ready for your beds.”

The boys kept looking at him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at 9 sharp in the potions classroom, I expect you to be showered, breakfasted and ready to prepare potion ingredients and to wash cauldrons. We will talk later about the appropriate places where you may slide and play safely in the snow.”

“Yes, Sir.” said the two boys (in unison).

They both went out of the room and to their different common rooms and beds.

Harry found a cup of hot chocolate by his bed on his night table. He drank it all and liked the feeling than enveloped him. He wondered if that was how it felt to be tucked in.

---

Harry and Draco found each other at the breakfast table, it was early and the rest of their schoolmates were enjoying their beds for another while, after all they did not have classes to attend or detentions to fulfill.

“What took you so long, Potter? Did you get stuck between your blankets?”

“What time is it?”

“8.40, Professor Snape said to be there at 9.”

“I still have 20 minutes.” Harry shrugged.

“It will take us 5 minutes to go to the dungeons.”

“My feet don’t hurt, Malfoy. You can go alone for all that I care. I can run.”

“He said he wanted both of us on time.”

“So what? He won’t be angry with you if I am late. I have to have breakfast first… I’m sure that he will be in a bad mood anyway.”

“That is why I do not want to anger him more…”

“We’ll be in detention all day, Malfoy, what can be worst?”

Malfoy finished his glass of milk. Looked at Harry and said, “He did spank you the night of the duel, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he did. But he won’t do it this time. We did not break any rules… There was a cup of hot chocolate by my bed…”

“So what? I had chocolate last night too.”

“Do you think that he would? He said that we would have to prepare potion ingredients!”

“I know what he said… but I don’t want to risk it.”

Harry buttered some toasts and placed marmalade on them. Then he drank his milk.

“There… we can go to the dungeons now.”

“That was not an appropriate breakfast, Potter…”

“My! You are sounding like Hermione!”

“Don’t you dare compare me with that…”

Harry felt that someone was standing behind him, he knew it was Snape because Malfoy closed his mouth.

“If you are done with your breakfast, Mr. Malfoy, you can accompany me now.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Mr. Potter, you have 15 more minutes, eat some eggs and porridge.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Harry served the eggs and started eating them before Snape and Malfoy were at the Hall’s doors.

---

Snape sat them at separate tables. Harry had to cut flobberworms and Malfoy to prepare bug innards.

Snape sat at his desk reviewing essays. He could see the animosity between his charges. He sighed. He had thought that last night they had arrived at some kind of agreement…

He left them alone half an hour before lunch, with instructions to finish with their respective ingredients.

“My fingers hurt, they are numb…I am not used to this kind of job!”

Harry’s fingers hurt also. He was used to cutting ingredients for his aunt cooking but any way they had been at it for more than 2 hours…

“My foot hurts. I am going to tell him that I need to go to the infirmary.”

“Stop whining, Malfoy…it was your idea to slide there…”

“Who got the silly sleigh…?”

“I did not invite you to play, Malfoy. And it was your fault it crashed.”

“How could I steer it, Potter? You kept screaming in my ears!”

“Have you finished gentlemen?”

“No, Sir.”

“Then I would advice you to work less with your mouths and more with your fingers.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Ten minutes later Snape said, “Mr. Malfoy you may leave. You are not authorized to go out to the castle grounds for the rest of the day. Take care of your ankle. Is that clear, Mr. Malfoy?”

“Yes, Sir.” Malfoy left the room.

“Mr. Potter.”

“Yes, Sir”

“Behind you, over the counter you will find cleaning implements. Please proceed to wash the cauldrons in the sink. Remember to wear the gloves.”

“But, sir…?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“It’s not fair… You allowed Malfoy to go. Why do I have more punishment?”

“I had not told Mr. Malfoy that he was not to skip any meal, Mr. Potter. You knew that you had to get inside the school yesterday before it started getting dark. Regardless of how much fun you were having, you knew that you had to be on time for dinner. I expect more responsibility from you, Mr. Potter. You know that it’s important for your health. That is why you won’t leave until those cauldrons are clean.”

Harry went to the sink and started washing the cauldrons. He was angry. He had never seen cauldrons so… Disgustingly dirty! He bet that Snape kept them until he had a poor victim on detention. Why couldn’t he clean them with magic…

“Because magic shouldn’t be mixed with the potions that were brewed in those cauldrons, Mr. Potter. It would create a very bad reaction to use magic for that.”

Harry stopped cleaning. It was so scary when Snape read his thoughts!

“And yes… I keep a collection of dirty cauldrons, Mr. Potter, they stay hidden until I have disobedient little boys that need to learn to follow the rules to help me clean them.”

“It’s not fair any way.”

“It’s so sad. But you must know by know that live is not fair.”

There were three cauldrons. Harry finished two and was going to start the third when he said.

“It’s lunch time Professor. You said that…”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?” Harry knew that he was being cheeky, but had to say it.

“You said that… I shouldn’t skip meals, Sir.”

“I’m glad you remember, Mr. Potter. Or I would have to bring out some more dirty cauldrons from my collection… For you to wash after lunch. Clean your hands and come with me. Lunch must be ready in my quarters.”

Snape had asked for several kinds of sandwiches and French fries.

Harry did not know what to think about this. It surely was a treat… but why? This was getting confusing, and more when Snape said that they could have some ice cream at the end of the lunch.

Snape allowed him to leave after lunch. He only told the boy that he needed to ask him if he wanted to go out of the castle. Even if he only was going to go and visit Hagrid.

Harry was going to protest that surely Malfoy wouldn’t need to ask for permission. And Snape said.

“I am not Mr. Malfoy’s Guardian Mr. Potter.”

Harry left the rooms feeling as if he just had drank a cup of hot chocolate.

It was Christmas morning and Harry woke up in his bed in Gryffindor Tower. He guessed it was around 8.00 in the morning. He cuddled inside his blankets. He would enjoy his bed a little longer. After all it was Christmas and he did not have to get up. This would be his Christmas present from himself.

Since he could remember Christmas morning meant to wake before the sun was up. It was the only day that his cousin woke up and left his bed with out being coaxed.

He would start jumping down the stairs, waking everybody in the household. Aunt Petunia would come down with him, and even Uncle Vernon. They liked to see the face of their precious son as he arrived to a living room covered with presents. And Harry would hear Dudley count the presents as he opened them, while Harry toasted and buttered bread. And started hotcakes or sausages and bacon. Everything to make each Christmas morning unforgettable for precious Duddykins…

Harry remembered them, and at the same time they were just one big blur. After getting breakfast ready he would take it to the living room, where his family proceeded to breath it in, while he, very carefully, picked up the pieces of bright colored paper that had covered the presents and tidied the room. He had to make himself invisible. Not that they paid much attention. Dudley would be playing with his presents and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would be exchanging theirs.

Harry would remove the plates as they were being emptied and get them to the kitchen to be filled again. He did use this time to have a good breakfast as no one paid any attention to him. It was as if he did not existed at all.

Around midday it was time to start the dinner. Harry and Aunt Petunia would have to get the Turkey ready. And Harry had to spend the rest of the day cutting and mixing ingredients.

When the turkey was ready, it was time for Harry to get inside the cupboard, as the guests would be arriving. Sometimes neighbors or work mates of uncle Vernon. Harry went to sleep early because he had to get up early to straight the house up before his relatives woke up.

Yes. Today Harry was going to stay in bed and he was not going to cook turkey. It was so nice that he was allowed to stay at school.

Harry kept his eyes closed until he heard a tapping at the window. He opened them and saw Hedwig, his white owl. He jumped from his bed and opened the window.

“Hi there girl! Merry Christmas!” He took from his trunk a fistful of owl treats and gave them to her.

Hedwig pecked on his hand carefully and showed him her leg. She had a letter tied there. Harry took it and unfolded it to read. It was a small note and Harry recognized Snape’s writing.

Mr. Potter.

Please meet me for lunch in my quarters.

Happy Christmas.

S. Snape

Well, thought Harry, that meant that he had to get up from his bed and get presentable. At least it was later than usual.

He stood up from his bed and felt chilled. He would wear his under robe today. He was looking for it when he saw some packages at the foot of his bed. He got closer and realized that they were presents.

Where had they come from? Had one of his dorm mates left them there? Intrigued, he got closer and saw that they had cards.

He thought that he was dreaming. Because the cards said that they were for him!

He had sent Christmas cards to his friends and expected them to do the same for him. But…

He opened the first present, removing the tape from the sides before unfolding the wrapping he was going to keep, and it was a knitted sweater and it said that it was from the Weasley family. This was so nice! Harry took the sweater between his hands and placed his face in it. It was so warm and it was… it was his first Christmas present. He opened another one, which was from Ron. It was a box of Chocolate frogs. He found a note inside written with Ron’s usual exuberance. ‘Merry Christmas!’ it said. Ron explained that his mother had sent Harry a Weasley sweater so he was officially part of their family, and he hoped that Harry liked the chocolates. There was another present. It was from Hermione, a book; Harry was not so surprised by Hermione giving up books, he was surprised as he saw that the book was about Quiddidtch!

Then he found a basket with rock cakes from Hagrid. And another present that did not have a note on the outside. He unwrapped the paper carefully and found a very strange material. It felt fresh to the touch and at the same time as soft as a spider web. He found a note inside that only said that the thing had belonged to his father and that he should use it wisely.

Harry could no longer see, as his eyes were full of tears.

This was the best Christmas he could imagine! He had presents and he had something that had belonged to his father. At last he had something that proved that his father had been real.

Hedwig hooted softly comforting him. Harry dried his tears and stood up. He chose his jeans and shirt and put on his new sweater.

He placed his gifts over his bed, but put the strange material folded in his pocket. He would find out what it was later. For now, he wanted to keep that link with his father close.

Harry went down to the common room and found his dorm mates there. They were drinking milk and cookies and also having cheese sandwiches.

“Hello, Harry! Serve yourself!” said one of his fellow Gryffindors. “On Christmas morning breakfast is served in the common rooms. You can eat whatever you want.”

“This is great!” Harry took a sandwich and a glass of milk. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know… Wood! Do you have a watch? What time is it?”

“Almost 10.00. Hi there, Harry… you decided to join us.”

“Yes. I wanted to stay a little longer in bed.”

“Good. We are going to have a little game of Quiddich in the snow later. Do you want to play?”

“Of course, Oliver!”

“After lunch on the Quidditch pitch then.”

“I’ll be there…”

---

Harry felt butterflies in his stomach as he arrived at Snape’s door. It was almost lunchtime. Harry did not want to be late. He had the Christmas card he had drawn for Snape in his hand. And suddenly he thought that maybe it was not such a good idea…

The door opened and it was like coming inside a different world. Harry guessed that Snape’s rooms were the only place in Hogwarts that was not decorated for Christmas. He kind of liked it. It was the same usual place.

Snape let him in and asked him to sit in the living room. Before he thought it was foolish, Harry took the card and gave it to his Professor.

“Happy Christmas, Professor.”

Snape felt awkward. He knew he had to do something with his ward this day, but he felt so out of place… he received the card and felt a pang in his heart and a little déjà vu.

Lilly had exchanged cards with him every Christmas until the time they fell out. And they were not commercial cards. They were always drawn by her… If only…

He received the card and saw that it had a chocolate frog taped in the back.

Harry looked at him expectantly. As if waiting for the floor to open…

Snape looked at the card. It had a Christmas tree in the front with colorful presents under. It read in Harry’s new round carefully made letters.

To Professor Snape.

On the inside the presents were drawn opened and it continued.

I wish you to be always Happy and thank you for everything.

Merry Christmas.

Harry.

Snape folded the card and looked at the young boy.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Mr. Potter. It is a nice card.”

“I made it.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Harry smiled.

Snape noted the sweater that Harry was wearing.

“I see that you had opened your presents. What did you get?”

“Oh! Professor, it was great! Mrs. Weasley sent me this sweater and Ron said that it is a Weasley sweater! He gave me frog chocolates. I can give you more if you want. I couldn’t tape more on the card because they are heavy… And Hermione gave me a Quidditch book and Hagrid sent me some cakes… It’s the greatest Christmas ever!”

“I see. And what did your family send to you?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, “We do not exchange presents, Sir.”

“I see, Mr. Potter. I am glad that you are enjoying yourself.”

“Yes, Sir. I am looking forward the feast to night, Oliver said that it will be unbelievable and… he invited me to play Quidditch after lunch! And… I received another gift professor. I am not sure what it is. Could you tell me?”

“I hope so, what is it?”

Harry placed his hand in his pocket and took out the cloth. Snape saw it unraveling.

“I don’t know who sent it to me, as it only had a note that said that it had belonged to my father…”

Snape couldn’t believe it. It was an invisibility cloak! He was going to kill Dumbledore. Who in his right mind gave that to a child! And not any child! James Potter’s son!

Harry read Snape’s expression and let the cloak go. Surely it was something dangerous!

It took a moment for Snape to compose himself. He realized that he had scared the child, as his eyes were open like a couple of green saucers!

He picked the cloak up from the floor, and unfolding it said, “This is a rare thing, Mr. Potter. It’s an Invisibility Cloak, come here, wear it and see what happens.”

Harry felt as if a light breeze was placed over his shoulders and looking down to his feet realized that they were no longer there!

“Cool! This is great! And it belonged to my father!”

Snape scratched his head. “Yes, it belonged to your father.”

“What should I do with it?”

“Well you shouldn’t get in any mischief with it…”

Harry placed it over his head and Snape felt as if he was talking to himself.

He pulled the material until Harry’s head was again visible.

“I think that you should place it in your vault at Gringotts, Mr. Potter. I think it’s too dangerous for a child as young as you to have it…”

“I am 11!”

“I am aware of your age, Mr. Potter. You are also curious, and it would be a big temptation for you to have it and not to want to use it.”

“But, Professor… It’s the only thing that I have from my father… I will use it wisely… it’s what the note said.”

It was heartbreaking! Snape was not going to deprive this child of a link to his father, not on Christmas! He breathed deeply.

“I am not going to take it away from you, child. I only think that you should keep it in a safe place. I think it is a big responsibility for you to have such a thing and not to want to use it.”

“But I want to use it. I want to prank Ron’s brothers and… I… Where is Draco?”

“That is what I mean, Mr. Potter. You are a young boy who wants to have fun. And you do need to have fun, but this cloak will get you in trouble!”

Harry just kept quietly wriggling the cloak between his hands. Snape relented.

“Keep the cloak. But if I learn that you have used it for any kind of mischief I will keep it from you. Is that clear?”

Why had Harry showed it to Snape? To crazy-for-rules Snape! He should have asked Hagrid… or Ron. Now Snape knew about it and would be looking out for Harry to break any rule to take it from him.

“Is that clear, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, Sir.” The child looked dejected.

“Mr. Potter. Please go to the kitchen and bring me the package that is on the table.”

“Yes Sir.” Harry placed his cloak back inside his pocket and went to the kitchen. He saw that there were some plates served with salad. He saw the package. It was like a brick. He took it and went back to the sitting room.

“Open it.”

Harry opened it and saw that it had pieces of parchment and a quill. Was Snape going to make him write lines?

“This, Mr. Potter, is a writing kit. Look at the pages,” They had a small snitch drawn on the top. “Touch the snitch with the point of the quill.” It flew around the page. Harry smiled, surprised.

“The quill won’t leak. Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter.” Harry turned and hugged Snape and felt the arms of the man around him.

“Thank you, Sir.” Snape released him from the embrace fast. He felt awkward.

“You may use it to write to your friends. Do not use the paper in class, I don’t want you to be distracted.” Snape felt safer with his role as teacher.

“The quill is going to help me a lot!” Harry smiled to his Guardian.

“You have improved your writing considerably…”

“Thank you.”

They sat down again.

“Well. I think that we must have lunch now.” Snape stood up and walked to the kitchen. Harry left his present on the coffee table and followed him.

“Yes, Sir.”

“We are having salad. You may choose if you want chicken or beef with it.”

“Chicken would be fine, Professor.”

They drank orange juice. And for dessert Harry was treated to crepes and ice cream.

After finishing, Snape said, “Well, I guess that you have to get ready for your game. Dress warmly.”

“Yes, sir. Would you come and see the game?”

“A walk in the yard seems like a good idea.”

“See you there, Professor. Thanks again for my present and… thank you for letting me keep the cloak…”

“Use it wisely. Be careful.”

 

The next day, Harry returned to his dorm after a Quidditch game. He couldn’t tell which side won. He bet nobody could. It had been crazy and fun!

Last night Christmas feast had been great. Lots of food and fun. All the teachers telling jokes and funny stories… The Quidditch game that had started before dinner was stopped as the sun was setting, but everyone involved decided that they would end it the next day after lunch.

Harry saw that over his bed was a fluffy bump, getting closer he discerned Errol. The Weasley family owl. The poor bird was snoring over Harry’s pillow.

Harry saw that there were letters tied to his legs. He untied them without waking the owl.

One was from Ron. It was very funny, he told Harry that on Christmas Eve George and Fred had orchestrated a firework show, but it had gone very wrong. Instead of fun flying lights the result was a big explosion! It had taken almost an hour to all the adult members of his family to remove the smoke and fix the damage. Mrs. Weasley had sent everyone to bed after that. Ron had even drawn a small picture of the explosion. He was so funny!

Harry opened the other letter. It was from the twins and as they always talked completing each other’s phrases, they wrote with similar letters, but one completing the thoughts of the other.

Dear Harry:

By now you must know about our failed experiment. Ron surely told you about it. Remind me of placing a balloon with water over his bed.

I will George.

Well Harry we need you to do us a favor. You see. We place similar fireworks in Hogwarts for New Year entertainment.

And we fear that it’s going to blow up a wall on the castle.

As much as it will be funny to have an extra window…

It will also mean that we will no longer be welcome there any more…

We think that it would be better to stop it.

It has a clock and it is set to blow at exactly 12.01 of the New Year.

Not exactly, your watch was running slow…

Then around that time. You must help Harry.

It is placed inside the DADA classroom, around the window.

But the fuse is behind the picture of the Wicked Witch of the West.

There is not such a witch Fred. It’s behind the Picture of the Vampire.

It looks like the Wicked Witch of the West.

Whatever… the fuse is behind one of the pictures and you will need to cut the wires.

Do not use magic. Use scissors or something like that…

Do not use a knife.

Just cut the cable. We will remove the explosives when we come back.

Harry may be too young for that bro…

That’s right. You may ask help from Wood or any other Gryffindor as long as you make them swear secrecy…

Wood will be no good… He is a good boy.

The child needs help.

Be careful with your fingers.

Write telling us you have done it.

Remember to do it before the New Year.

We hope to see you soon. With all your fingers…

Fred and George or Gred and Forge.

Harry re-read the letter. Once. Twice. They were crazy! He had to defuse a bomb!

Harry placed the letter on his night table. He would have to sleep on the problem and see if he had any ideas in the morning.

He moved Errol to Ron’s bed and tried to sleep, dreaming about fireworks and flying fingers. He woke up and drank some water.

How hard would it be to cut a couple of cables? He had some pliers inside his trunk. They were laying around his cupboard since forever, and he had packed them. He knew how to use them. His relatives used him as their Handyman… He needed to get to the DADA classroom. He knew that Quirrel slept in the adjacent rooms… But with that turban thing on his head he surely did not have a good hearing… He would use his cloak.

He had heard his dorm mates commenting that the teachers did not patrol the corridors these days…

Snape had said that he shouldn’t use the cloak for mischief… But this was a rescue mission…

He would look for the room during the next day and decide if he needed something to take the pictures down…

He would worry about his fingers later…

---

Snape was finishing grading his Newt class essays. He had to admit that they were not that bad. He placed them over his desk, along the rest of the essays that he had managed to review this holiday. He still had to attack the first and second years… He had left the fun for the last…

Placing the stack of papers on the desk, he saw that there was a piece of bright green paper under it. It was Potter’s Christmas card. He had re-read these simple happy wishes, several times. The letters were definitively different, even though he traced the ‘o’s just like his mother. But the way he filled the boxes and the tree… How could that be…? Lily had not had time to teach her child to write… nor to draw. The boy had been barely one year old… He took the card and placed it beside Lily’s picture in his room. The smiling Lilly looked at him so happily…

“Your son made it. He has your eyes, your smile and your ‘o’s.

He needed a cup of coffee and, maybe a little brandy. He hated to feel like this… He was the reason that… He should think on something else.

The New Year Feast would be the next night and he should try to sleep early tonight to be able to stand his festive colleagues…

He needed to take a walk.

The teachers and Heads of Houses shared the labor of patrolling the corridors. For some, it was a hardship. But Severus enjoyed the walk. He enjoyed also being able to catch miscreants!

He liked to listen as the portraits gossiped and as the walls whispered to him…

He thought that there was no reason for the little devils to want to stay out of their beds this night. It was really cold…

He walked up to the seventh floor and from there down. The door of the third floor corridor was closed and ‘Fluffy’ was asleep.

He kept his pace. As he walked he felt that he was able to analyze his feelings towards the Potter Boy… No... Not Potter boy any more. Lily’s child. Harry.

Harry. His responsibility. The boy had made some progress, his grades had been good and he had even managed to brew a potion successfully…

He kept walking, getting close to the DADA classroom and teacher’s quarters.

He saw a faint light and heard some noise from the classroom. He hoped that Quirrel was asleep or in no mood to talk about the stone…

As he got closer he could hear clearly.

---

Harry had used the cloak the night after Christmas.

He had walked pass the library and the third floor corridor. And had found the most extraordinary mirror.

He had returned to the mirror room the next night and the following.

And would have been there the following nights, if Dumbledore had not talked to him.

He was surprised to learn that he had only two more nights before New Year and the time of the explosion. And the next night would be New Years Eve. Too close for comfort.

He took his cloak again and went to the DADA classroom.

He had realized that it was nice to walk the dark corridors. It was nicer than when they were full of people…

He arrived at the classroom and knew that he needed a light. He lighted his wand, but it was no use. He needed to keep his hands free… He looked around and saw a lamp, it looked like it had oil, so he used the little charm that Hermione taught him to light the oil, and placed the lamp on one of the tables.

Now, where was the picture of the Werewolf? Or was it a witch? Sometimes the twins confused him…

He looked around and saw a big mirror with a scary image. It took him a moment to realize that, He saw himself. But only his head! This was fun.

Harry kept looking around until he saw that there was a wall near the door that had several portraits and pictures. He went there, but bumped into a desk.

“Ouch!” He must remember that he was invisible not a ghost. He felt an ache in his invisible leg. As he stood up he felt a hand on his neck.

“W-who a-are you a-and what a-are you d-doing here?”

“Professor…!” Harry moved and his cloak fell to the floor, he was faced with Professor Quirrel candle in hand, wearing a dark robe and with the turban askew…

“W-w-what a-a-are you d-d-oing h–h-here? Is not ee-enough to bother mmm-me in class? Let’s see w-what your Head of house has to say aa-bout this!”

“Please let me explain, Professor, I need to…!”

“Shut up! H-harry P-p-potter!” Harry knew he was caught. Should he tell McGonagall about the fireworks? Would Snape learn about this…?

Harry looked at the strange man. He maybe tired, but every time that he looked him in the eye he felt as if his head… Not his scar… hurt…

He did not hear what the strutting man was saying. What time was it?

“…I guess that w-w-we could g-g-get t to a-an a-arrangement Mr. Potter… Come with me…”

The man was going to grab his arm, Harry felt very scared! He stepped back.

“No, sir. I would rather go to Professor McGonagall.”

“I said come with me!” It did not sound like Quirrel this time. Harry turned around and ran. The door was open. He had closed it… What..? He tried to stop, but crashed against someone. He felt a familiar smell. He was safe. It was professor Snape.

“S-severus!”

“Hello Quirnus. I see that you found a prowler… Mr. Potter. Go to my office. On the double, now!”

“Sir. Please. I know... Please. I know I should be in bed, but… there is an explosive here and it is going to blow!”

“Explain.”

“Behind the portraits…”

“What kind of explosive?”

“I don’t know. But I have to cut the cables or it is going to blow tomorrow.”

“Mr. Potter, is this a stupid dare from any of your classmates?”

“No, Sir. Please. I just need to… behind the portrait.”

Snape decided to humor the child. After all it would take them only a minute to check.

He took the portrait with his two hands and removed it from the wall.

The portrait was heavy. He placed it on the floor against a chair.

Then he saw the wall. There was a small clock there, and a thin cable.

Snape looked at Harry. Harry shrugged his shoulders, and said, “I told you… You need these to cut them…” He handed Snape the tool. Snape cut the cables and gave the clock to Harry. He took the cables in his hand and followed them to the window.

All around the window he saw that were what looked like small balls. He took one and smelled, it had powder…

“Who put you up to this Potter?”

“They were supposed to be just fireworks… Sir, but… something went wrong and… I had to de-fuse it or there was going to be a very big explosion on New Year.”

“Show me your hands.”

Harry complied. Snape used his wand and ran a small diagnosis. If Harry had handled explosives the hands would turn purple. As it was, his hands remained white and trembling.

“All right. It is the truth that you did not place them. But you know who did and you are going to tell me…” Snape use his wand again and splashed water onto the balls on the window. Harry watched them release some smoke. “But not here…”

“It’s safe now, Quirnus. I will inform Filch of the best way to remove them. I will handle Mr. Potter. He will not disturb your sleep again. Come with me, Potter.”

“Yes, Sir.” Harry picked up his cloak from where it had fallen from his shoulders and ran beside Snape.

Harry felt Quirrel’s eyes as he walked outside the door. He knew that the man was feeble and harmless… but anyway he gave him the creeps. Maybe it was because of the turban… Meanwhile, he should be scared of the dark cloaked man walking ahead of him.

---

“So you really planned to end the year with a blast, didn’t you, Mr. Potter? Sneaking out of your dorm after curfew, walking around the castle at night, entering closed classrooms, tampering with forbidden artifacts… Do you care to add to the list?”

“No, Sir.”

“Stand with your nose in that corner and go over the events of tonight to see if I have forgotten something.”

Harry knew that there was no way to get out of this. If only his head was not hurting so much… He placed his forehead toward the cold wall and felt some relief.

“Stand straight Potter, no touching the wall.”

“I have a headache.”

“Come here.” The boy left the corner and stood beside Snape. “So you left your bed, and now have a headache? When did it start? Why didn’t you go to Madam Pomfrey?”

Harry kept quiet.

“It seems that my collection of dirty cauldrons is going to be diminished.”

Harry saw the stern man and knew he could tell him. “I did not have a headache when I left my bed. I had to stop the explosion…”

“When did it start then? You may have caught a cold…” Snape run a diagnose with some movements of his wand. The pain showed in the head, but it seemed that everything else was fine.

“I started in the DADA class room… when Q… Professor Quirrel caught me. It started with my scar and… then it went to the rest of my head.”

That was strange. Unless… “Had it happened before?”

Harry had to concentrate to talk. “Yes, Sir. It happens in class sometimes, when I look in Professor Quirrel’s eyes; I thought that he was going to hurt me…”

“Teachers are not authorized to smack students, Mr. Potter. Only Heads of houses and…”

“I do not mean it like that… he… at first he said that he was going to take me to Professor McGonagall, but then he said… his voice changed somehow, he was not stuttering anymore, he talked differently, and then he tried to hold my arm and I tried to run… I’m sorry I crashed against you…”

“He did not touch you at all, did he?”

“He touched my neck, but just for a moment and then he wanted to pull me… I may have overreacted… my head was hurting then and I thought he was going to harm me. Thank you for saving me…”

“Mr. Potter. You shouldn’t need to be ‘saved’ in the middle of the night.” Snape sighed. “Stay here.”

Snape went into the bathroom and went out moments later with a small red vial and a wet towel in his hands.

“Sit down.” Harry sat on the sofa that was behind him. “Drink this.” Harry opened the vial and drank it, then closed his eyes. The pain started going away… “Now lay down.” Snape placed the towel on the child’s forehead. “Breath deeply. Hold the air inside you, and count to 5 before releasing it… there, keep doing it. I will inform your Head of House that you will spend the night here.” Harry opened his eyes and looking at Snape asked. “Are you going to spank me, Sir?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter. But not tonight.”

---

Snape returned minutes later with a glass of warm milk, he had floo called Minerva and told her about the errant first year. He was going to tell her about the explosives, but realized the he needed more information about them. Once in the room he realized that Harry was asleep. Snape left the glass on the table and sat beside the child. He removed Harry’s shoes and socks, and then covered him with a blanket. He could have transfigured the young wizard’s clothes to more comfortable ones, but as the child had just had a headache, the use of magic could trigger it again. He placed Harry’s glasses on the coffee table and saw that the invincibility cloak was crumpled there. He unfolded it and realized that it was a fine piece of art. This was the stuff of legends. He thought about placing it over his shoulders, but realized that it was too much temptation. Snape folded the cloak and placed it beside the glasses. Maybe he would be able to find a book or a scarf that belonged to bloody James Potter. He understood the need of the child to have a link with his parents, but a scarf wouldn’t enable him to get into mischief.

Snape realized that he was just sitting there watching the sleeping boy. He told himself that he was just seeing if the pain had left the child… but the young boy looked so peaceful. In spite of having yet to face the consequences of his foolery. Snape touched the blankets around the child and tuck them in. It was a cold night. Harry felt the pressure and opened his eyes…

“Sh. Go back to sleep child. Everything is fine.” Harry closed his eyes and snuggled into the blankets. Suddenly, Harry seemed so small. Snape touched Harry’s forehead arranging his hair, he sighed. This forced interaction with the boy was bringing out levels of his personality that had lain dormant within him for years ... possibly his entire life.

Harry woke up to a smell of toast, bacon, eggs and coffee.

He stretched on the sofa and his bare feet appeared out from under the blanket. He looked around and remembered that he was in Snape’s rooms. And he remembered also why. He closed his eyes again. Could he pretend to be asleep until spring?

“Mr. Potter…” Oh! No. Snape was there. How long should Harry close his eyes before Snape would go away?

“I know you are awake. Get washed and come and help me set the table. Breakfast is almost ready.”

“Mmmmm. Just a little bit more… please…” Harry had never done that before. At his relatives’ it was stand up or else. After those words left his mouth his brain jolted him up. He almost fell off the sofa. “Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir.”

“Take it easy child… you may go back to bed after breakfast. You’ll find some slippers beside your shoes. The floor is cold.”

“Yes, Sir.” Snape did not sound angry. Harry put on the slippers and stood up, on his way to the bathroom.

“How come you have my slippers, Sir?”

“They are not your slippers, Mr. Potter, they are only similar. I think they belong to Mr. Malfoy.”

“Did he sleep here also?” Harry felt jealous. He was not the only one allowed to sleep in Snape’s quarters!

“He has stayed here sometimes. He stayed three nights ago before he reached his parents at the Continent. He must have forgotten to pack them, he will be back at the beginning of the term, so you may use them today.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Snape wondered why the boy sounded so dejected.

Harry entered the bathroom. He used the lavatory and washed his hands and was drying them when he heard Snape’s voice, “Wash your face… use soap!” Harry knew that Snape had eyes behind his head, but this was too much! He did not answer. He just placed the towel on its place and left the bathroom…

Snape looked at him and said. “My collection of dirty cauldrons won’t get too sticky this winter…” Harry turned around, returned to the bathroom and washed his face. He went out with his face a little red because of the scrubbing, and his hair wet… “Have you seen my glasses?”

“On the coffee table in the living room.” Harry went there and saw his cloak… he would only place it in his pocket and… “Leave that cloak where it is, Mr. Potter, we still need to talk about your latest escapade.”

“Yes, Sir.” Harry walked to the kitchen.

“You will find plates in that cupboard…” Snape signaled the one on his left, “and cutlery in that drawer. Be quick about it. The food is ready.”

Harry placed the plates on the table and reached for the glasses that were on the counter. He sat across from Snape at the table. Harry placed toast, eggs and bacon on his plate. Snape poured him some juice.

“Did you sleep well, Mr. Potter? How is your head?” ‘Apart from being empty?’ Snape kept that to himself.

“I slept fine, Sir. The headache disappeared almost immediately, after I drank what you gave me. Would you show us how to make it?”

“It’s on the OWL syllabus, Mr. Potter, you will learn to brew it in your fourth year.” Harry placed an egg on his toast and covered it with another one. “It would be nice if you gave me a bunch of those vials, just in case I have a headache. Can you do that, Sir?”

Snape almost choked with his coffee. “Certainly not, Mr. Potter. Potions, like Muggle medicines, should only be taken if prescribed by a knowing wizard, what cured your ache yesterday, could cause you damage, if you do not take it in the correct doses. If you feel sick or in pain, you should go to Madam Pomfrey, immediately. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Sir… but may I come here also, instead?” Those aggravating green eyes, thought Snape. Why would anyone prefer to come to his dungeons for relief instead of going to the cuddly Madam Pomfrey? Were he and Potter really bonding? “The Hospital wing is closer to your tower child, so it would be the logical place to go if you need it, but if you think that you are closer to the dungeons… you are welcome to come here.”

Harry smiled. “Thank you, Sir.” Snape liked to see the child smile. This was not good at all. But he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stop it now. He was more afraid to think that it would stop somehow. Harry took the big sandwich and it was hard for him to bite it. Snape knew that he should scold him for his eating habits but he had to scold him for something bigger…

“How did you know about the explosives and when they would blow up, Mr. Potter?” Snape had pondered about it for part of the night. He knew that sometimes wizard kids had the ability of premonition, it was a rare quality, and Snape was sure that it could not be acquired or taught, had the child dreamed about them?

Harry looked at his professor. What could he tell him? He knew he was busted, he had been caught out of bed after curfew, after wandering the halls, and he had used the cloak. Snape believed that he had not placed the explosives, but that was only a small part. Would Snape buy it, if Harry said that he had ‘dreamed’ about it? He could not tell on the twins…

“I… heard about it, Sir. Some one was saying that…” How was he going to explain that they were supposed to be fireworks, but would end up as an explosion? How was he supposed to know that…?

Snape had to keep calm and be patient if he was going to get to the bottom of this. “You heard about it?” Harry nodded keeping his eyes on his plate.

“Where?” This was a trick question, if Harry said that he had heard about it in his common room or in the Great Hall, he would have to tell him who had said it. He couldn’t pretend that he did not know who it was… “In the corridors… it was like an echo?” Harry was sure that Hermione had said that sometimes if you were on the right place in the corridors you could hear people talking, that were very far away.

Snape knew that it was a lie. He looked at Harry with his piercing eyes. That meant that Harry knew very well who the guilty party was… or were… he had not been party of the prank, of that was Snape sure, but… he was involved… because he was friends with them… or with their brother… Snape did not need to think too hard, to realize that the perpetrators were the Weasley twins. Even if they were only in third year they knew a lot about potions and charms and the prank had their signature. Somehow they had realized, that the fireworks were not going to work as they planned… and had enrolled Harry to help them… and the stupid boy, thought that he could do it alone. If his cohorts had been in school, he would have taken them with him, but as he was not used to asking for help… he had tried to do it alone. In the middle of the night, when he already knew that someone was after him. Snape would have to watch Quirrell closer. There was something very strange with that man! But first things first. He had to deal with the kid sitting across the table.

He gave him his sternest glare.” I told you that I don’t like to be lied to Mr. Potter.” Harry felt like crashing his head against the table. He knew that Snape could read his mind! He was a fool trying to lie to the man. He placed the sandwich on the plate and sat with his hands and eyes on his lap.

“Keep eating.” Harry looked up; he was not expecting this instruction.

“Finish your meal, Mr. Potter, place the plates in the sink and get dressed. Wait for me in the living room.” Snape stood up. “I’ll be right back.” Harry followed him with his eyes. Snape entered his study and closed the door. He tried to take a couple of bites of his sandwich but it all tasted like sawdust. He knew he was in a lot of trouble.

---

Snape took some floo powder from its place near the fireplace and called the Weasley house. He had done it several times since the twins had started at Hogwarts. The familiar sight of their kitchen appeared in front of his eyes. Molly Weasley was preparing breakfast.

“Good morning, Mrs. Weasley.”

“Professor Snape! Good morning to you. Won’t you come through for breakfast? It is almost ready.”

“Thank you, Ma’am but I need to talk with your husband and your sons.”

“Arthur is in the shed, I’ll call him, which of my kids would you require?”

“Not Ronald or Percy.”

“I guessed so. Just hold on a second.”

Arthur Weasley entered the kitchen and sat by the fireplace.

“What trouble are my children into now?”

“I am not sure that they are in trouble Arthur, but I am sure they must know about some that has arisen and would be able to enlighten me.”

The twins arrived moments later. Molly was holding them by their ears.

“Mom… this is a mistake!” said one of them. “We are innocent!” said the other.

“We’ll see about that. Now stand here and answer Professor Snape’s questions!”

“Yes, Mom,” they said in chorus. “Hello, Professor Snape. What can we do for you on this early morning?”

Snape saw the boys flinch as their mother smacked their legs.

“Stop the cheek Fred, George!”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley, I am only curious, do you know about some ‘explosive artifacts’ that were placed on one of the windows at Hogwarts?”

“Explosives?” Arthur stood from his chair, the big Christmas blow up still fresh on his mind.

“Was something blown at school?” Molly was pale; her family couldn’t afford to pay for damages to the castle.

“No, Ma’am, there was not an explosion, the contraption was disabled before it blew up.”

“Is Harry all right?” George let slip from his mouth.

Snape raised his eyebrow. His suspicions were correct.

“Mr. Potter is all right. I want to understand what was his involvement in this…?”

The twins were used to being caught. It was good for their reputation. People ware able to congratulate them that way. They always took it in stride.

“We created the round fireworks and thought that it would be a treat for the people that stayed at Hogwarts….”

“It would be a great show of fireworks…”

“We tried to do it here for Christmas…”

“But… Mom is still angry and making us clean the pieces…”

“We used the double of the number of balls in school…”

“We were sure that the wall would crumble…”

“Harry was the only one we could tell…”

Molly smacked them twice. “You send an 11 year old to disarm your prank!”

“Wait Mom! It was really simple…”

“He only had to cut some cables…”

“He had to take down a portrait that was half his size, twice his weight!” intervened Snape.

“Is Harry alright?”

“Yes, he is. I found him and I cut the cable. There. Was. Enough. Powder. In. Those. Balls. To. Demolish. The. Tower!”

“But…”

“But…”

“Just shut up, boys,” said their father. Snape realized that he had practice with that many kids.

“We never intended Harry to be in danger… He did not know about it, we ask for his help after Christmas…”

“We knew that if it blew someone would figure that we had placed it…”

“We did not want to be expelled…”

“I am sure that Harry just wanted to help…”

“Do not worry about him, Ma’am… he is alright.”

“Does the Headmaster know about this?”

“I will tell him. I will also inform him that the perpetrators would write a five-foot essay about the ‘Explosive balls’, their ingredients, their properties and what went wrong. I want it on my desk first thing in the morning, next Monday.”

“But today is Thursday?” Molly’s hand answered for her. “You will start right now!”

“Professor as we are going to do it together… would it be all right if we only delivered one essay?”

Snape admired their bravery in the face of danger.

“One set would be acceptable, I will also find 1000 lines of ‘I should not play with fire or endanger people with my pranks’ two sets of that.”

The twins flinched. “Yes, Sir.”

“You will also have detention with me for five days, one during the next Hogsmeade visit.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Well, I think that is enough. Arthur, Molly sorry for the intrusion. Have a nice day.”

“Thank you Severus and Happy New Year.”

Snape was able to see the twins leaving the kitchen. Molly was applying her hand to their rear ends. Well, that settled it for the real culprits. Now he had to torment Potter a little.

Snape went to the living room and found Harry sitting at the sofa he had slept on. He saw that the cloak was still over the table, although it looked crumpled. So…the boy had not resisted the temptation of holding it. He looked at the cloak and then at the child, Harry looked guilty.

“Well, Mr. Potter. Are you ready to tell me the truth?”

“Sir… I… I know it was wrong but I had to stop the explosion.”

“I agree that the explosion had to be stopped, Mr. Potter. I do not agree that you were the only one who could do it. You should have gone to your Head of House or come to me. You had a school full of teachers… It was not your place to do it.”

“I learned about it and… I thought that… It seemed easy…Adults ask too many questions, Sir. They… they said that they would be expelled…”

“You could have been harmed if those things had exploded!” Or Quirrell would have harmed me, completed Harry’s mind.

“I was going to be careful, I am sorry… I... it was the last night.”

“Mr. Potter… If you ever find out about any other dangerous thing, I want you to come and tell me. I will help and I won’t ask too many questions.”

“Do you promise?” Snape turned his eyes.

“Yes, I do.”

“You already know who did it, don’t you?”

“I have just talked with George and Fred Weasley…”

“I just tried to help.”

“You did get it disarmed.”

“They won’t be expelled, will they?”

“No they won’t.”

“So, I won’t be expelled either…?”

“No, Mr. Potter. You will stand with your nose in the corner for the next 20 minutes, so you will think twice before lying to me. And I will set you some lines to write for me. I will require them for next Monday. You may start working on them this weekend.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Go stand in the corner. I will tell you when you can get out of it.”

“Yes, Sir… Sir?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“Are you going to keep my cloak, Sir?”

Snape saw the child bracing himself for the blow. Snape knew that he should say yes. This was a good moment to nip in the bud the night walking! But he had nothing to give the child that belonged to his father and he was not going to part with Lily’s portrait…

“You may keep the cloak for now, Mr. Potter. But DO NOT use it to sneak around in the night. It’s safe to use it inside your Common room or around during daylight.”

“No, Sir. Yes, Sir” Harry smiled and turned to the corner.

Snape looked at him. Harry tried to stand still but after a while he started moving from one foot to the other.

"Stand still, boy. Stop fidgeting."

“Yes, Sir.”

After the twenty minutes Harry was allowed to go back to the living room. He knew that he still had a spanking pending.

Snape made him stand in front of him. Harry was tired. He wished he could sit down for a while.

“Have you something to tell me?”

“I am sorry that I lied about how I learned about the explosives… I won’t do it again.”

“You better not, Mr. Potter. It’s better to work with the truth.” Now thought Harry, it’s time for the spanking…he kept watching his feet…

Snape cleared his throat and said, “Mr. Potter, your behavior was not acceptable or appropriate. You disregarded the school rules and your safety. You are no longer alone, or asked to solve all the problems that present to you. You have a lot of people able to help you. And I want you to think about that as you write your lines.”

Harry nodded. Not daring to look away from Snape.

“I promised you a spanking last night, and I should give it to you, because of the danger you placed yourself by thinking that you could handle the explosives alone, and by wandering around the castle at night” Harry’s hands went to cover his back. “But today is the last day of the year and I believe that what you do or how you feel on this day would be the way you will feel during the next year. I do not want you to be sore or in pain for next year”, ‘you’ve had more that enough of that,’ thought Snape. “So… I am not going to spank you. But I will spank you twice if you try to solve a problem alone again. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Sir. I won’t… thank you…” Harry felt as all the muscles in his body relaxed. Snape noticed and decided to keep the child busy.

“It’s early. Go get your assignments and let me look at them. The New Year Feast will start at 10, it would be smart of you to take a nap, that way you will enjoy the feast.”

“Yes, Sir… Professor…?” Harry was standing at the door and turned around to ask Snape.

“Yes, child?”

“May I sleep here this night also? I would bring my pajamas and…”

“Why would you like to do that, Mr. Potter?”

“Because… because of what you said before … I feel safe here and… I would like to feel like that all next year.”

Severus Snape gazed at the small bottom of the boy across his lap. Severus' hand was stinging after the tenth spank and he guessed that the small boy's bottom was already red enough, so he ended the spanking with two more smacks over the sitting spots.

Harry was sniffling as he pulled him up, tears streaking down his cheeks. The boy was the picture of contrition.

“Stand in the corner, Mr. Potter and think about what you have done. I am going to see to Mr. Malfoy and be back in twenty minutes.”

Harry felt Snape’s hand pushing him gently to the corner. He could not see with the tears in his eyes. His backside was throbbing, and he knew this was a very big mess.

He stood in the corner and felt a tissue being placed in his hand.

“Do not move from there, Mr. Potter, we will talk when I’m back.”

Harry sniffled… he knew that Malfoy was going to be treated to the same… and he knew that he had something to say, he sniffled again and said “Professor…”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“It was not Malfoy’s fault… I just hit him…”

“Wasn’t he teasing you, Potter, about your homework...?”

“No, Sir. He… only… he only asked me where I had placed his slippers… He said that… if I was coming here this afternoon I could find his slippers and place them where he could find them.”

“Why did you hit him then?”

“I don’t know…”

Snape sighed. What was going on inside this child’s head? Anyway he had to hear Draco’s version.

“Think about it while you are standing there… I will require an answer when I come back.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Snape went to his study and used the floo to call the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey informed him that Draco was all right, his nose had stopped bleeding, it was not broken and the bruise on his face would be gone by the morning.

“Don't you want to have a talk with the young fighter, Severus?”

“Not at all Poppy, might you keep him for the night?”

“I was going to suggest that he stay here, but I am sure that he will not sleep until he talks to you…”

Snape took more floo powder, threw it into the fireplace and stepped into the infirmary.

Draco was half-sitting, half-laying on the bed, he had a small towel in his hand and cleaned his eyes and nose alternatively. He saw his Head of House enter the room.

Snape sat on a chair in front of the blond boy. There was a tray with food by the bedside, it looked like it had not been touched.

“Professor… I am sorry…” After the failed duel in the Armor room, Severus had promised heavy pains if either of the children got into another fight with each other particularly.

“What did you tell him, Mr. Malfoy?”

“Nothing… nothing sir, I was just asking for my slippers… I don’t know why he got angry…” Snape kept quiet. Malfoy was distressed… but Snape couldn’t figure out why. Malfoy should be angry, he should be threatening to call his father and to sue the school and the Gryffindors…! “I thought that… I know he is not my friend, but… he helped me when we had the accident… and we were in detention together… Why was he so upset?"

“I don’t know, Mr. Malfoy, but I will try to find out. Meanwhile you will stay here, eat your dinner, then go to sleep and we will talk in the morning.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Draco cleaned his eyes again.

“Am I in trouble, Professor…?”

“Not at all. Mr. Potter said that it was not your fault.”

“Thank you, Sir…”

Snape went back to his quarters. He used the floo again.

“Mr. Potter, you may leave the corner now. Come here…”

Harry turned and cleaned his nose. The tissue was already wet… Snape gave him a clean one and sat in a chair by the table. Harry stood close.

“How is Malfoy?” Did he have a right to ask? He remembered that soft feeling as his hand connected with the blond-boy’s nose… was it broken? Was he really worried for Malfoy?

“The bleeding has stopped and his nose is all right. He will stay for the night in the infirmary…”

Harry was relieved. It had only been one punch but he had thrown it with all his might…

“I guess I should apologize…”

“You will. Have you thought about why you hit him?”

“Yes, Sir… but… I am not sure… This morning everything just started to go wrong.”

---

It was the second Potions Lesson of the New Year. Snape was not in a good mood. He had had a very busy week, he’d have been called almost every afternoon for consultation to St. Mungo’s and had to brew special potions; he had gone to sleep late every night, keeping up with grading essays and homework, and he had already contained an explosion in his third year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw class, that morning.

His first year Gryffindors and Slytherins felt the tension, and for once, did not cause any kind of emergency. He had the papers he graded on the desk. He was not happy about them either. Particularly on the one the green-eyed menace delivered. As he looked at Potter mincing the nightshade, he was planning to have him clean cauldrons all afternoon during detention… At the end of the double class he passed back the graded papers. He felt Potter’s eyes on him. Surely the child thought that he had successfully deceived him… well he was in for a surprise…

“Granger… You must learn to say more with less words. From now on your will only deliver 2 feet maximum…”

Harry flinched, Hermione was always adding facts to her compositions. He saw her receiving the paper and her face turned red.

“Mr. Malfoy. Good job.” The blond boy smirked proudly… Harry was expecting his name to be next. Everyone knew by now that Snape gave back the papers in a special order. The first was always the best… He knew his paper was good. May be not as good as Hermione’s or Draco’s… But he had researched all the facts and the properties of neuro-toxic venoms, and had also looked for the characteristics of the creatures that produced them. He had delivered 4 feet instead of the required 3, and had written it three times, until his letters were all round and without blotches, he was hoping for Snape’s approval.

Harry was disappointed when Snape kept delivering the papers and he was not called. Had Snape kept his paper because it was so good…? fat chance! Snape gave back the last paper and he realized that he was the only one missing. He felt bats inside his stomach…

“Potter…” Harry extended his hand and saw that his paper had a big F in red ink and detention was written beside it… He looked at the papers and saw that the pages were criss-crossed with the same red color… why? He was so confused and angry that he missed the last instructions that Snape gave to the class. He heard a loud buzz in his ears, and Ron had to nudge him to make him place his things inside his bag. How could this be possible? He had invested so much time… He walked following his friends but was detained by Snape’s voice before he reached the door. The man sounded angry!

“Detention, Potter, today at six. My study. Be ready to wash cauldrons.”

Harry only nodded… he was so confused.

He walked out to the corridor and saw that Ron and Hermione were waiting for him by the stairs. He heard steps behind him and turned… It was Malfoy…

“Potter… if you are going to Snape’s quarters tonight… Please look for my slippers. Snape told me that you used them on New Year, but I can’t find them…”

This was the last straw… Snape had failed him in his homework but allowed Malfoy to sleep in his quarters… Harry did not allow the other boy to finish his speech, he punched him in the nose. The rest of the events were a blur inside his head.

Hermione and Ron had run towards him, but strong arms had literally pulled him up... Looking down, he saw Malfoy with blood in his nose… He was placed, not too gently, inside the potions classroom again and told to stay there. He stood repeating the punch inside his head. He heard that Madam Pomfrey was called and Malfoy covered in blood was taken to the infirmary floating in a stretcher.

He had hit Malfoy! Snape was going to kill him. And he already had detention… The buzz had left his ears as heavy lead landed inside his stomach… Snape entered the classroom… and looking at Harry with his piercing eyes said. “Explain, Mr. Potter…”

Harry only looked at his hands, one of them had blood in the knuckles; they were placed over his lap. He moved the hand and felt pain in the knuckle. There was no way for this man to be proud of him… ever! Snape saw that they were being watched from the corridor, so he pulled the kid up and took him to his quarters, once there he sat on a straight backed chair and stood Potter beside him.

“You know that you shouldn’t fight with your classmates… Mr. Potter. Don’t you?”

Harry nodded and found his shoes very interesting then. Snape used his hand to pull the child’s face and made him look him in the eye.

“A verbal answer…”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do you have anything to say to explain your behavior?”

Harry looked at the black eyes and found only anger where he wanted something else… He was lost. He had lost it all…

“No, Sir.”

“So, do you know what to expect?”

“You are going to spank me,” Harry answered. Snape placed his hand on the child’s back and positioned him on his lap.

---

After talking with Malfoy, Snape wanted to get to the bottom of the problem.

“Sit here, Mr. Potter.”

Snape saw Harry flinch as his bottom made contact with the seat of the chair.

“Take out your essay and read it to me.”

Harry took out from his backpack the crumpled parchment and started reading. At first his voice was a little chocked but he kept on reading. He stopped when he arrived to the page that was crossed in red… he realized that he was reading the same thing that was in the first and second pages… how could that be? He understood now… he had copied the same part…

“This is wrong…”

Snape could see genuine confusion. The child had made a mistake, he had not tried to deceive him, by placing copies of the essay in hope that he would be too busy to read it complete…

“I take that you did not read your paper before delivering it, Mr. Potter.”

“I did… I read it many times… Sir, but… last week… I tried to write the letters perfectly and… I was not trying to deceive you, Sir… Please believe me… I can show you… I have the paper here…” Harry looked in his school bag and took out a bunch of papers, he placed them on the table and looked through them while apologizing… “I am so sorry… I was tired, but I kept copying and… Here… this is it.” Harry gave Snape a bunch of crumpled papers.

Snape took them and looked through. He saw that there was a part that Harry had not copied…

“Why was it so important, Mr. Potter?”

Harry was picking at his nails.

“Mmm? Sorry, Sir?”

“Why was this homework so important? Why did you have to copy it so many times?”

“I don’t know… I wanted to show you that I could do it. I wanted you to tell me that I had done a good job…”

Snape left the child sitting at the table and went into his office, he returned with paper and quill in his hands. And  placing them in front of Harry, said.

“Well you have a chance to copy it once more, Mr. Potter.”

Harry looked at his professor incredulously.

“Really… Sir, but… you said…”

“You may come tomorrow to scrub cauldrons, Mr. Potter. I will give you three points for it.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Harry copied his essay once more. Seated on the chair he felt first, his bottom throbbing, and as the time passed his stomach started grumbling…

He remembered what Snape had said about meals… He turned to look at the clock in the wall, it was dinnertime. Harry heard Snape in the nearby room…

“Professor…?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter.”

“It is time for dinner… and I am a little hungry, I... it will take me a while to finish and… May I go to…? I will come back fast…”

“Get your hands washed, Mr. Potter, dinner is waiting in the kitchen.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Snape saw Potter run to the bathroom and heard the splash of water… How could it be…? The child had gone through so much in few hours, but still had energy to jump and run… Harry came back with clean face and hands.

Snape had ordered chicken broth with vegetables, chicken wraps and mashed potatoes… Harry knew that he was not completely out of disgrace, but if Snape was bringing food for him, it meant that he was still interested in him… was he not? He ate slowly, the food was good and his stomach was thankful after the emotions of the day. He was not surprised when at the end of the meal the plates vanished, but no dessert appeared.

Snape had a cup of coffee.

“Keep on with your work, Mr. Potter.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Harry took his papers and read them all again before starting writing again.

“Malfoy's slippers are on the bottom bookshelf, Sir…”

“Why did you place them there?” Harry shrugged and kept looking at his papers.

“I… thought that… after all you are his head of house and… I should know better… I was angry with him because… because you invited him to stay here. I thought that you… that you only allowed me to… and you were angry with me…” The man was going to make him say it all… why did he not read his mind this time?

“I do not make it a custom to have children sleeping in my quarters, Mr. Potter.”

“Don’t you…?”

“All the students have their own beds and dormitories. It is only in special occasions when I allow some one to stay on the couch.”

“You have let me…”

“I am your appointed guardian, Mr. Potter. I have to treat you differently from the rest of your schoolmates.”

“But Malfoy…”

“I have also a responsibility to the children that belong to my house, Mr. Potter. I am in charge of them while they are at school. There is always a special reason to allow anyone to sleep here…”

“I see. I am sorry… I thought… Would you let me take him his slippers to the infirmary…? he may need them.”

“He will only stay for the night. You may give them to him when you apologize.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Harry kept writing. This task seemed endless… he felt his hand cramping. It hurt where he had hit Malfoy.

“Have you finished, Mr. Potter?”

“No, Sir… I have still half a page to copy…”

“Mark your place and come here.”

Harry went to the living room. Snape was seated in one armchair and Harry sat on the couch.

This was hard for Snape. But the boy needed it. Snape was used to criticize and find fault in everything. He graded accordingly, but rarely said anything positive…

“Mr. Potter, since you arrived at Hogwarts you have learned a lot. You have learned to use your magic, and have coped with all the changes it implied for a child raised by Muggles. You should feel proud of yourself…”

“Do you think that I have… Sir?” Harry was not so sure.

“Yes, child. You have also followed the directions of Madam Pomfrey and you have gained weight. She wants to examine you once more, I think that she will be pleased with the results…”

“I wanted… I wanted you to be pleased with me, Sir…” Harry hoped that he had his invisibility cloak, that way Snape wouldn’t be able to see him…

“Is that why you copied your homework so many times, child?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You do not need to do that, Mr. Potter. I am pleased with you when you eat every meal on time and when you are in bed before curfew… I am pleased when you dress smartly… and follow your teachers’ requests.”

“But… you think I am stupid… I do not do well in Potions.”

“I know that you are trying and your homework was acceptable until I found that it repeated itself…”

“Then, do you like me? I know that you are taking good care of me but… I…”

Snape told himself that this was part of taking care of the child. He was not doing it because he felt like embracing the child… He sat beside Harry and passed his arm behind him. The child felt the arm and allowed himself to be hugged.

“When I was looking for the DADA classroom to defuse the explosives, I… found a mirror. It was a big mirror in a room, and at first I thought it was a normal mirror, but… If you… When I looked at it… it showed me my parents and my family. The Dursleys were not there. But my Father and Mother… I do not remember them really, and I have not seen pictures, but… everyone says that I look like him and that I have her eyes…”

“So you saw your parents in the mirror.”

“Yes, and suddenly I was not alone anymore…”

“Have you found the mirror again?”

“The following night and the next one… I used my cloak to roam the corridors, I had to see them again… I had to see if they were still there…”

“Were they?”

“Yes, every time, and they placed their hands over my shoulders and they looked happy… Professor Dumbledore said that the mirror showed me what I most wanted to see…”

“When did he say so?”

“The last night… the night before the explosives, he said that the mirror was only showing what was inside my head and heart and that… I shouldn’t look for the mirror again.”

“I understand that you miss your parents, child.”

“I know the are gone, even if I would like to have a picture… but the last time, I saw someone else in the mirror… Someone that is alive and…” Harry felt the warmth of the always-cold man. “You were in the mirror, Sir…”

Snape was dumbfounded… the child had copied a 4 pages essay several times to gain his approval, and had hit Malfoy out of jealousy… He had taken this task knowing that he could provide the child with stability and clear rules and guidance… when had that translated to warm clothes and cups of hot chocolate and hugs…? He was not what the child needed! He was a damaged man that had hidden his heart after it had been broken too many times. He did not even have the key to retrieve it anymore.

“Do you think… do you think that you could like me a little, Sir. I promise to study for all my classes, and to be on time, and to obey always and…”

“I like you, Mr. Potter.”

“I like you too, Sir.”

Harry felt tears coming. He guessed the day had not been that bad at all… Snape hugged him tighter.

“I am sorry, Mr. Potter. Sorry that you did not grow up with your parents. I know that I am a bad substitute, but I am here for you…”

Harry lost control of his tears. All the frustrations of the day, plus all the worries and the spanking… all went out with his tears. Severus just held him until the child was exhausted… Harry cried himself to sleep in his arms.

Snape scooped the child into his arms and carried him the few paces to his room. His ward deserved something more than the couch in his living room. When he tried to lay Harry onto the blankets, the boy refused to let go of his neck and pulled him down as well. With a patient sigh, Snape crawled into the bed and allowed Harry to snuggle up against his chest. After several long minutes of holding the sleeping boy, Snape admitted to himself that he enjoyed the physical contact and felt oddly protective of the bundle in his arms.

Snape closed his eyes and wished that the child in his arms were really his. His and Lilly’s. Well there was no one else claiming him…

Snape opened his eyes when he felt a tingling in his arm. He had fallen asleep along the child… He stood up and covered the boy with the blanket. He went out of the room, and turned off the lights. He went to his guest room and transformed a chair into a bed. He was so tired that he only removed his shoes before falling asleep.

Severus woke up but kept his eyes closed. He liked to feel the warmth of the blankets around him… He found his wand where he had placed it, under the pillow and did a time-charm… 5.23 He still had a little bit more that an hour to sleep… then he remembered. It was Saturday… he could stay in bed until 8 today… He had to do something with the child that was sleeping on his bed…

The child needed so little and so much. Was he able to give it to him? Potter had… wait if he wanted to really be the parent of the child he needed to refer to him differently… Harry. Harry had responded to his care in a thirsty manner, the child… Harry was polite and anxious to please… he was no different from the child that met Lilly on the swings.

If Severus had had a better childhood… if he had learned how to interact with other children… if he had not been so scared of his own father… so anxious to leave behind his life… He may have had a life with the child’s mother.

His mother had told him that his father had not always been like that. Not that he was able to remember. First, they were like bedtime stories, things that happened a very long time ago in a place that was far far away, later… when she died, Eileen had left her son a Pensieve and her memories.

He promised himself to leave that life away, so he just hid them. He watched them after Lilly died. After all the persons involved were already dead. He watched them when he needed to feel close to his mother, and come to understand the story of their lives.

---

When the young witch met him, Tobias Snape was a handsome youngster. Tender and polite to the girl that fell in love with him.

Eileen had been a shy girl; she had grown up in the shadow of a dead brother that she never met. Her parents were Purebloods, impoverished by a long line of bad administrators. They still had a couple of properties and their name. The Prince couple spent their time mourning a son that died in infancy. He had been so handsome and so smart and his magic so true. If that child had lived he would have inherited the family place in the Wizengamot and would work in the Ministry and would multiply the family assets… Poor Eileen could never compete with a dead sibling. Not when the dead brother had taken their parents’ capacity to love when he died. If only she had been a boy… if only she had been smarter… if only she had been pretty… If only her brother had lived…

She was a plain girl, her skin had been white and her hair dark and her black eyes… eyes that showed a depth… she was a girl that made you want to talk to her…

Eileen had had a sober childhood. She had been home schooled until her Hogwarts letter arrived. Her parents had an argument then, and it was one of the rare times where her mother put her foot down.

Eileen’s father said that as she was only a girl she did not need more education… after all she would only marry. At least her blood was pure, that and not her looks would land her a husband, maybe a well-to-do… or even rich husband that would help to upkeep the family estate…

Her mother was not such an optimist. She thought that Eileen would not improve her looks and considering the state of the estate it was better if she learned something that would help her sustain herself…

Eileen was sent to Hogwarts with a modest wardrobe and a ton of misconceptions. She made some friends, but they had to be as pureblooded as her. She was a good student and found her true self in potions. She convinced her parents to let her go back after she passed her OWLs for her 6th and 7th year, and was going to specialize in Potions…

Her parents found her a suitor in the middle of her 7th year.

He was the son of a cousin, once or twice removed from the Blacks of London. He shared the last name…

He was a childless fortyish widower that wanted a pureblood bride who could give him a cartful of children. He was wealthy, having investments in several parts of the world…

For the Prince parents it was a dream come true, with the wealth that would come to Eileen, they would live as their station required…

Eileen’s mother placed the order for the wedding dress and for complete wardrobe for her and for her daughter… Yes this was what they needed.

During the spring break they broke the news to Eileen… there was no need for her to finish the year or to find an apprenticeship… she did not need to go back to school… she would be allowed to wear the family jewels… and the nice new clothes that her fiancé had bought for her…

Eileen knew that she had no saying in this mater... A price had been paid already for her… she could tell by the new furniture adorning the Manor… She did not even know the name of her husband to be.

She was dressed as a puppet, and met him for tea.

The man had a cruel face. His skin was clear but sunburned. He had a scar in the left cheek that came almost to his eye that made him look inhuman. He had blue cold eyes and his hair was almost white. His voice thundered inside the tall ceilings of Prince Manor… He was a Viking…

His first words, directed at his future father in law after being introduced to Eileen, were… “You are right she is not pretty… luckily I won’t have to see her face when in bed…”

He touched her waist proprietarily, she wished she could Apparate away, his hands felt dirty even over her multiple layered dress.

She was made to sit by him and to offer him tea and goodies. She was speechless, she couldn’t even sip her tea. It made her sick the way her parents fawned over the man.

“Yes she’s got a perfect education… she can play the piano and embroider…”

“She is a quiet obedient person...”

“She has always been a sturdy healthy girl…”

“I am sure she will be pregnant within this same year…”

“Of course the wedding could take place as soon as you wish, we do not really have a lot of family and we would not impose on you…”

“Of course you are welcome to stay here whenever you want…”

“Well, she is an only child, the apple of our eyes… we would love to see her often and… well, yes it would be great if we were to visit you…”

Eileen once again wished she could disappear… Now she was the beloved daughter…

Once her tea was cold, she was excused from their presence and allowed to walk in the yard. She went out looking for a way to escape.

The estate was in a forest, very close to a Muggle village… there was a train station there. She did not have a lot of money… she needed to find a job and… was she brave enough to cut all the ties with her parents? After all she had a duty to them, she was their only daughter… It was scary to go out to the world alone… She made her decision half an hour later when she was seated in a tree chair, and was found by her fiancé.

It was scarier to think that she was going to be married to that monster!

Eridanus Oswald Black was not a man that took no for an answer… he was paying good money for this comely girl, at least he would like to have a sample of the flesh he was buying.

Eileen was not as innocent as her parents made her look. She had shared a dormitory with 6 other girls for 6 years, and a half and she had heard her share of love and pleasure stories… She had even had a couple of boyfriends, and with the last one she had shared kisses and embraces… they had almost been caught before the break by the caretaker Filch… If she were to come back to Hogwarts she was sure that her sweet Hufflepuff boyfriend would be her first…

Eridanus sat beside her and placed his arm beside her back, she had nowhere to run… then he started caressing her body with a strong coarse hand, not minding that she had frozen the moment he touched her. The other hand went under her dress without more preamble, and when she was going to protest, her mouth was caught by his mouth… Eileen’s hands were frozen by her side… He was hurting her… one hand was pinching her breasts while the other was touching her between her legs… and she was suffocating with that tongue in her mouth and their teeth were clashing! She closed her legs and pushed, biting his tongue. Even if she was a not as strong, she pushed him aside and stood up. Her skirt torn…

Eridanus’ tongue and lips were bleeding where she bit him… the suddenness of the pain prevented him to lash out and the cursed girl had run inside the house…

Eileen ran to her room and bolted the door.

Her fiancé had to be appeased by her father while her mother entered the room and slapped her.

“Are you crazy girl… the man is going to be your husband!”

“He hurt me… pinched me… He… look at my dress…!”

“Daughter, you are going to be his wife, you are going to share his bed… you will bare his children… it is not time to be prudish about it.”

“But Mother…”

“You know what happens between a man and a woman girl. We had this conversation a long time ago…”

“But he is too old and…” Eileen was slapped again.

“You have to respect your husband…” Eileen’s mother went to the wardrobe and choose a light summer dress. “Darling this is your chance to do good for your family… If your brother had lived, you could have had a pampered life and married for love. I know this looks like a business transaction… but we all have to make sacrifices… You have to settle into this new life, and you will find fulfillment knowing what you have done for your parents and for the family name… Do you understand girl?”

“Yes, Mother. I understand.” Trough the pensive Severus had seen resolution in his mother’s eyes. She knew what to do now.

She put on the dress handed by her mother, and went out with the look of a martyr to be manhandled by her future husband. The lovebirds were left alone after all …

That night Eileen drank a potion for the soreness she was feeling, she could see on her arms little bruises showing where her future husband had held her… She packed her clothes in a small duffel bag, she took her wand and left the Manor, she was never going to return there.

Eileen walked the forest and arrived in the Muggle village when the sun was rising. No one saw her get on the first train of the day. She arrived in London and walked around. She avoided Diagon Alley as her parents would surely look for here there… She should stay in Muggle London… She was just 17th…

Eileen saw a shop that asked for help. She was accepted to stay for the food and board at first… She was a smart girl that soon was handling the shop alone. She had received some letters… the owls being able to locate her.

The first letters from her parents ordered her to come back. As the time passed they turned to pleas and the last one informed her that she had been disinherited by her family and her name blotted from the family tree…

It was hard to realize that she was not loved. But she had suspected that before she had learned to walk…

Eileen met Tobias Snape three months into her new life… He was handsome and polite. He had helped her off the bus and asked for her address at the same time. The next morning he took her to tea and for dinner…

He worked in a factory and studied in the night. He was going to be an engineer… He would build machines and had several ideas that he was going to patent…

He lived with his mother in Spinner’s end. Mrs. Snape was an old fragile woman who lived through her son’s eyes, she opened her arms to the dark dressed girl and soon she was calling her daughter and wanting to make marriage plans…

Eileen still needed to tell her boyfriend about her special heritage…. But she melted in his arms. When he kissed her she was made to feel like more than a piece of flesh. She felt her magic envelope them and each little kiss and touch was magic!

She allowed herself to dream.

Tobias’ mother died on her bed before the next spring and she told Eileen that she entrusted her with her son’s care. She was right for Tobias and they would marry as soon as possible. Barely 18 Eileen got married and went to live in Spinner’s end. Tobias would end his career in two more years and then they would sell the place and find another one…

Eileen had told Tobias that she was a witch before accepting the marriage proposal… there were a lot of tragedies told whenever a witch and a Muggle were married, and the secret of her magic was kept. Tobias was marveled by magic, he liked to ask his wife to warm his coffee or his bed… they were a blissful couple…

Eileen kept house and wished to be a mother.

Tobias had his work in the factory and his studies. They were a young married couple struggling to succeed and enjoying every step.

Then Eileen found out that she was pregnant and thought that her happiness was complete.

The pregnancy was good for her. Being good at potions she brewed remedies for morning sickness and was really happy. She even found a market for her brewing and supplied others from her house.

Then she received a letter from a friend. Her Mother was dying and wanted to see her.

Eileen knew that it was her duty. The woman was her mother. She told Tobias and he took her to the train station. Eileen would write him once she saw her mother.

The Manor was still standing and Eileen knew that all the repairs were made with magic. Her mother was in bed. Fragile looking. Her father did not talk to Eileen. He only said that his wife’s state was Eileen’s doing, that her heart was broken when Eileen walked away from the engagement.

Eileen sat by her mother and took her hand. The stern witch opened her eyes and looked at Eileen…

“Daughter… you came…”

“It is my duty, Mother.”

“It was your duty to marry Eridanus, Daughter.”

“I am sorry mother, that marriage would have killed me…”

“Your decision angered him very much. He threw a tantrum like the big baby he is. He is not a bad person. A little impulsive sometimes… He needs a wife … he has not found one yet… and… he says that… he still fancies you Eileen. I know it has not been easy for you to find a life away from us. He is still here. He may forgive you and… You may ask him and…”

“Mother, I am not going to apologize, I am not going to marry him… I have a life… I am already married and…”

“What!” The old Lady sat on the bed… You are married? To whom?”

“His name is Tobias, Mother. Tobias Snape.”

The woman looked at her with her piercing eyes…

“That is not a Pureblood’s name… how long has his family being magical?” Maybe not everything was lost. If this ungrateful daughter had decided to marry, their family may have a chance….

Eileen knew that the following was going to be more unpleasant.

“He is not magical, Mother… He is a Muggle.”

“A Muggle! You…! You Harlot!”

“Mother, please. He is a decent man… he is giving me a good life and I am happy. For the first time in my life…”

“Nonsense. You have to dissolve that marriage. Eridanus Black can overlook it, after all it only was a Muggle marriage!... And he… he was your first, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, Mother… he was… not that I had any say… but no more, Mother. I came to see you on your deathbed… that is my duty as your daughter but I am not coming back… I have a life now!”

“You are living with Muggles!” She said it as if her daughter was living in the jungle with a tribe of monkeys!

“Yes, I am. But it is the life I chose, he knows I am magical and I am selling potions in Diagon Alley… I am not going to come back here or dissolve my marriage… I am pregnant… Mother I am expecting Tobias’ child… you have to understand that this is my life now!”

“Pregnant! You do not look pregnant. How long into it are you?”

“8 weeks, I am going to be a Mother by January…”

The old Lady laid back on the bed… then she started coughing… a dry coarse cough, Eileen thought that she would spit her lung any moment now. Eileen held her as she drank some water. She could tell that the water had some minced mint leaves… After a while the old Lady was able to talk to her daughter again…

“You have to brew a potion, Eileen…”

“A potion Mother? What for…?” Eileen knew that there was no cure for her mother now…

“It is not too late… I have the instructions in the small Jewell box in my dresser… It is a useful potion… You have to drink it before week 10… yes… you can still be saved…”

It only took Eileen a moment to realize what her Mother intended for her to do…She stood up horrified! “Mother, I am going to have this child…”

Eileen’s mother was livid. Her pallid translucent skin turned green and a scream froze in her throat… she couldn’t breathe anymore. One more moment, then she stopped fighting, she was dead.

“See what you have done! Ungrateful witch! You have killed your own mother!” Eileen did not know for how long her father had stood by the door. But it did not matter…

“She was very sick!” Eileen stood up again… there was no use. No way to make her father understand… she had to go home. The old man went to embrace his death wife.

Eileen walked out of the room. There was nothing else for her there. She used her wand to create a disillusion charm around her and walked downstairs… It had been a good idea. In the library her scorned ex-fiancé, was drinking and bolstering with his cousin, another Black.

Eileen opened the door and ran all the way to the village.

She cried all the way back to London. Her mother was dead!

Tobias was not home when she arrived. He was not expecting her until later in the week. She took a bath and tried to relax. Her feet hurt.

Tobias arrived and was very glad that she was back. She did not tell him about what her mother wanted her to do. She settled again into her new life and into the baby she was expecting.

Severus was born in January 9th. Eileen had been attended by a midwife in her house. The birth was without complications. She had a healthy 7-pound baby boy. She asked Tobias about the name of the baby. In his family the tradition was to name the babies with the name of the saint of the day they were born. That day’s saint was Saint Severus… and they added Tobias, as the first-born kept his father’s name.

Eileen had received one more letter from her father… she was informed that her mother was buried at the Manor.

When Severus was born she informed the family lawyer. She knew that her father would scorn a half-blood grandchild, but her son was entitled to her name… Severus Tobias Snape Prince.

Severus saw memories of happy days. He was too young to remember…

But the small family had outings to the park and visits to the zoo, even long strolls through London… then tragedy struck…

Eridanus Black had tried to forget the plain black-haired girl that he almost married… He had even taken a wife to console him. After 2 years of marriage, the stupid girl had not managed to get pregnant… time was going by and he needed an heir. The useless wench had drunk all the potions available for fecundity. Eridanus had visited all the wizards possible. On one of his visits he was told that there was a potion that could help him to get his wife pregnant… but that it had to be brewed at the most, one hour before drinking it. And he was told that the best brewer was a witch that sometimes sold her potions in the apothecary… her name was Eileen Snape. He did not know she was the Eileen that haunted his nights… he settled an interview with the witch.

Eileen took Severus with her to Diagon Alley that day, the boy was fascinated by the visit, his eyes darted to all sides trying to see everything.

It was a shock for Eileen as well as for Eridanus to meet at the apothecary… Both composed themselves while the Old Wizard explained what needed to be in the potion, Eileen took notes and said that she would be available to prepare it the next Friday, as the moon would be in the correct quarter… Eridanus would set a room in his house for the brewing. The potions should not be exposed to additional magic and could not be transported by apparition or floo… Eileen had some misgivings when she left her house that Friday… she had not liked the way that Eridanus had watched her… but she thought he was already married… She left Severus with a neighbor and Apparated to Diagon Alley; from there she took the floo to Eridanus Mansion.

“This could have been all yours.” He told her as he was escorting her from the fireplace to the lab.

“It is better not to dwell in the past.”

“You are right. I suppose your husband is not so well off as he needs you to work.”

“He has a good job…”

“Working class… I see why you choose him…”

“I will need a place to wash the ingredients…”

“The lab has a sink… how long can you stay…?”

“Three hours… I would like to meet your wife…”

“You may stay for the night if you please…” He thought that he was charming!

“The potion needs complete concentration, I will tell you when it’s ready…”

Eileen bottled the potion and called the house elf that Eridanus had left at her service.

“Advice your master and mistress that the potion is ready.”

With a little plop the elf went to fulfill her request.

The Mistress of the house arrived five minutes later. Eridanus’ wife was very young. Eileen made her seat and gave her the potion. The girl drank it and looked at her with scared eyes.

“Are you sure this will make me have a baby?”

“There is no way to be sure of that dear, but it will make your body receptive and that helps… You and your husband must try for the next 3 days…”

“He wants a heir so badly…”

“And what about you?”

“I… I only want to please him…”

“That is good. I am sure that this potion will help you. Here you must put this salve also, after… I mean you have to try for three days…”

“Thank you.”

“I am glad I could help you…”

“Would you mind if I visit you… I mean… once I am pregnant…?”

“I would love you to dear… but I live far away… And Eridanus… I am sure he would like you to take care...”

“He said I could…”

“Just send me an owl… I will come to see you…”

“Thank you.”

Eileen couldn’t leave the Manor soon enough…

Tobias had picked up his son from the neighbors and was trying to feed him when Eileen arrived.

“Look at you! You both need a bath.”

She finished feeding her young son and fed her husband also. She could do a lot of things with a wand in her hand.

She wished that the young wife of that brute would get pregnant soon… She also wanted to be pregnant soon again, and give Severus a little brother or sister…  but that was never going to happen.

---

Eileen did not leave him any memories of the attack. Severus knew that she had to be partially Obliviated.

Years later, Severus was able to find the report with the Aurors that arrived at the scene. The file said that a witch and her Muggle husband had been attacked by fanatic wizards that were against the intercultural marriages. The couple had to be transported to Saint Mungo’s. The husband had to be treated for severe nerve damage, he had been attacked with the Cruciatus curse for more that an hour. He did not respond well to the treatment and developed an over-sensitivity to magic. He felt pain in all his body every time anyone tried to fix his nerves with magic. He was able to drink some potions but would not recover from the damage. Eileen was not going to be able to have children anymore.

Severus was presumed dead until one of the Aurors found him inside a wardrobe. He was too young to explain how he had Apparated there when he heard his parents crying.

Eridanus Black had placed a tracking charm on Eileen the day she had gone to his house, and attacked them two nights later, with the help of some of his cronies. Of course, that did not appear in the report.

Severus remembered a very white room where he was placed until his mommy could come and get him. He knew he had stayed there for a long, long time.

After that nothing would be the same.

Tobias was in pain permanently. He found that he could numb it with alcohol. The pain got worse if Eileen used any kind of magic in the house. Even if she did it when he was not present. He couldn’t finish his degree and kept working at the factory. Falling more and more into the clutches of the alcohol.

Eileen looked for a job in a Muggle Laboratory to help the ends meet, she had the brewing experience but had to accept low pay because she did have not done any Muggle studies…

Tobias was a good man that tried to play with his firstborn… his only son… until Severus started having accidental magic bursts…

Tobias felt the magic in his bones. He tried to teach the little boy not to use his magic at all. But it was not possible.

Severus could remember well that man that lashed out at him for no reason at all. And he did try… Daddy said that he was bad when he used his magic to move his toys or to bring things from the table. And Daddy smacked him and made him stand in the corner. But his magic kept evolving… Mommy held him and told him to be careful and sometimes taught him how to control it. But they shouldn’t do magic at home. Daddy always knew.

Eileen never recovered from the attack. Not even when she knew that Eridanus was killed in a duel one year later. He had told her that he would be back for her little boy. So she tried to keep Severus always under her watchful eyes. The little boy was never allowed to play with other children. His father said that it was because he was bad and used magic, his mother said because he was too precious to her. She told him about the magical world and promised that one day he would go to Hogwarts.

Tobias stayed longer out of the house. And was a stranger to his wife and son.

When his letter arrived Eileen was very happy. Tobias could only say that his child was going to be able to have an education. Eileen gave him all her Hogwarts books and mended some of his father’s clothes to wear at school. Tobias and Eileen had taken him to the station for the first time and his father had hugged him and told him to learn to use his magic, so he would be able to control it at home.

During his school years Severus returned to his house and saw that his parents had got to an arrangement. They gave each other company but each one lived their own lives. Tobias in the pubs with his friends. Eileen with her potions.

Eileen got sick when Severus was in his 4th year at Hogwarts. He was allowed to go home to her. He knew that if he had taken her to Saint Mungo’s she could have been treated, but she refused the treatment and died. Barely 35 years old.

Severus was visited by a lawyer at Hogwarts one week after his mother’s burial. His grandfather wanted to meet him and invited him to Prince Manor for the Christmas Holidays. Severus was received at the Manor like the heir he was. His Grandfather was surprised that the boy looked so much like him and embraced Severus as the heir he should have been.

He was told that he should live with the old man. Severus asked his father for advice.

Tobias told him that he had been sober since Eileen had died, and that somehow the pain had stopped. He said that Severus was entitled to meet his mother’s family and that there was not much that Tobias could do for him. But he was not going to stop his relatives from helping Severus.

Severus knew that he was welcome home, but his father’s ailments would return if he was exposed again to magic. And if the ailments came back so would the alcohol. And he liked to have civilized conversations with his father, even if they were only by letter. So he accepted his Grandfather’s proposition, and went to live with him. Severus was 15 years old.

Life at the Manor was not as easy at it seemed at first. Both Severus and his Grandfather had tempers that sometimes clashed. And Severus learned that, when disagreements occurred he was made to see reason with the help of a cane. He decided to limit those encounters with the cane, but sometimes the old man was hard to please… Severus learned to keep some of his opinions to himself.

---

So Severus thought, counting in his head, he had had 4 father figures.

His father had loved him in another life before the attack. He could not even remember it. He grew scared of the man his father had turned into. Even if he was able to understand him later, he felt nothing for him.

His Grandfather was a stern man. He was always fair in his treatment and Severus knew that he was loved. His Grandfather did not cuddle and Severus was too old to be cuddled anyway. They liked each other fairly well.

Then he had entered to the service of Voldemort.

He thought that he shared his ideas, and embraced the servitude in exchange for shedding his weakness. He wanted power, he wanted to be on the strong side. Until the megalomaniac proposed to kill the love of his life… then he had come begging to Dumbledore to save her.

And Dumbledore... The old man would never stop being cuddling. Dumbledore’s arms were always open. He rarely rebuked and usually praised.

And Severus felt a warmth towards the eccentric wizard that was very close to love.

The man had given him more than a chance. And he would always be there for Severus.

And the man had allowed him to take care of the green-eyed child sleeping in his bed.

A child that like him couldn’t remember the father that loved him.

That like him had been punished and feared for his magic.

That had gone cold and hungry.

The child was not too old to cuddle. The child had his mother’s smile that melted Severus heart.

Could Severus embrace this chance that fate was giving him? He knew that he could never love another woman. But what about this child?

Of one thing he was sure. Harry was not going to step inside the Dursleys’ residence ever again.

Severus looked once again around his guest room. Harry was sleeping in his bed and he did not mind. Who was he trying to fool? He already loved the boy. Black Potter mop of hair and all.

Now he had to tell him. He felt a small tingle that indicated that his door had been opened.

Where would he have to follow Harry now?

---

Harry woke up, but kept his eyes closed. He liked this warm feeling between wakefulness and sleep. What time was it? It seemed that it was still early… He waited to hear the breathing and silent snoring of his roommates…. He could only hear his own breathing. Wait a moment, he thought, this is not my bed… Nor was it Snape’s couch… It was Snape’s bed! What did it mean?

Harry snuggled back and tried to sleep, it was dark and it was Saturday, he had no recollection about how he came to sleep in Snape’s bed but he felt welcome and he was not going to risk it, he was not going to roam around these rooms…

Who would have thought that Snape had such a comfortable bed. He could clear the rumor now about Snape being a vampire and sleeping in a coffin…

Harry tried to recall the last day’s events.

He had punched Malfoy! Ron would congratulate him for that. But it had not been that satisfying at all. Malfoy had been good company during the Christmas vacations and had kept his sarcasm to himself, after the classes started again…

He shouldn’t have hit Malfoy and… he should apologize, he had hidden his slippers.

Professor Snape had said that Malfoy would spend the night in the infirmary…

Harry had the door’s password… he could go to the infirmary, apologize to Malfoy and take him his slippers. Then he would come back and finish the essay he was coping yesterday…

He stood up, and lighted his wand with a small Lumos. He looked around for the door and saw, over the dresser, a picture of a red-haired woman that was smiling at him.

He placed his wand closer. He knew that woman… Why was her mother’s picture in Snape's bedroom? He should ask his Guardian about her… He tiptoed out of the room and pronounced the password quietly. The door opened and he went out.

The corridors were empty, and he ran holding the slippers in one hand toward the infirmary…

The door opened and he went in to find Malfoy on the first bed. He was the only one there.

The blond boy was sleeping peacefully. Harry found a feather in his pocket and used it to tickle Malfoy on the nose, until he sneezed and woke up.

“Good morning, Malfoy.”

“Potter!”

“Sh! Or Madam Pomfrey will come. I brought you your slippers…”

“Do you think you are funny? Why did you punch me?”

“It was not your fault. I am sorry. I… was angry because Snape failed me on the homework… and you were the first one I could lash out at…”

“I hope that Snape gave you a good walloping.”

“Yes, he did. I am sorry. I was sorry, even before he punished me.”

“He told me… he told me, that you said it was not my fault. Thank you. I know he would have spanked me after my injuries were cured.”

“It was not your fault. I am sorry. I will never do something like that. Would you forgive me?”

“We are not friends anyway, Potter.”

“I know, but it was nice when we played in the snow.”

“Do you remember the frozen lake…?”

“I thought we would never stop.”

“I can still hear you shouting!” Malfoy laughed but fell quiet fast “Your friends would never talk to you again, if we were to be friends Potter.”

“They would, if you were nicer to Hermione, or stop snubbing Ron.”

“My father wouldn’t like, if I were to mingle with a Muggleborn.”

“That Muggleborn witch has better grades than you!”

“Not always… she is a know-it-all…”

“I know.”

“What are you doing awake so early, did remorse keep you awake?”

“No… I just had to see you. I am sorry all right?”

“All right, Potter. But I will punch you when I can…”

“I can live with that… Anyway I know I have to watch my back when you are near…”

Malfoy threw his pillow at him.

Harry took a pillow from a nearby bed and they had a silent pillow fight.

They had to stop when their respective pillows froze in the air.

They turned and saw their Potions Professor standing at the door with his wand in his hand.

“Good morning, Professor” said Malfoy.

Snape was looking at Harry with his piercing eyes.

“Haven’t you two had enough with fighting?”

“We were just playing, Sir.”

“How do you feel, Mr. Malfoy?”

Malfoy smiled and looked at Harry. “I am fine professor.”

“Mr. Potter, what is your reason to sneak out of my quarters this early in the morning?”

Harry looked at his Guardian. Was it safe to joke? He did not look that angry…

“Malfoy needed his slippers, Sir, I was going to go back… I did not want to wake you…”

“Mr. Malfoy, put on your slippers and come with us. I guess we may find that breakfast is ready in my quarters.”

“Yes, sir.”

Draco and Harry ran ahead to Snape’s quarters.

Snape saw the kids at the table. They had finished with their pancakes, but were guessing about the forms left on their plates by the syrup.

It was good that they were getting along now.

“Gentlemen, stop playing with the syrup, drink up your milk now. Mr. Malfoy, you may go to your dormitory and change for the day.”

“Yes, Sir, see you later Potter…”

Harry waved good-bye to Malfoy and saw as the blond boy was leaving the room. Then he saw Snape coming back. Was he going to be lectured because he left the room?

Snape sat back on his chair and poured some more coffee in his cup.

“Have you finished, Mr. Potter?”

Harry denied with his head then drank the last sip of milk in his glass.

“Yes, Sir.” Harry used a napkin to clean the milk that was on his upper lip.

“I have a meeting with the Headmaster in half an hour, and then a staff meeting which will end after lunch…”

Harry liked the detentions better if Snape was in the same room, but he did not want to appear so needy… Had Snape said yesterday that he liked Harry? “If you want I can start with the cauldrons, Sir…”

Snape practically saw the thoughts inside the young boy’s head, but he did not want to make him stay alone in the dungeons… “No, Mr. Potter, I do not want you to wash cauldrons today, but we do need to talk…” Harry flinched. No more lectures please, said his eyes as he stood looking at Snape attentively. “Go to your dorm, get yourself changed… You are wearing yesterday’s clothes. I will meet you after lunch in the Great Hall, bring a jacket…

“A jacket, Sir?”

“Yes Mr. Potter. We will go out of the castle…”

“Yes, Sir. I will see you after lunch then.” Harry stood up from the table and went to get his book bag…

“Professor…”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“Thank you for letting me sleep in your bed, Sir I…”

“You are welcome.”

“And I saw that… you have a picture of my mother in your room.”

Snape felt that his cup of coffee had just turned to ice…

“I was her friend, Mr. Potter… We came together to Hogwarts…”

“Did you?”

“Yes.” Snape was not ready to answer anything else… Harry smiled and said. “It was nice to see her as I stood up from the bed Sir. I wonder… do you have a picture of my father?”

“I will look for one for you Mr. Potter…”

“Thank you, Sir.” Harry did not think about it. He just stood by Snape and hugged him. Snape placed his hand on the dark head. As fast as it happened Harry let him go and picking up his things said, “I’ll see you later, Sir.” He then ran out of the room and did not hear Snape say, “See you later Harry…”

---

Harry found his friends in the Great Hall still having breakfast.

“Harry!”

“Are you all right mate?”

“You can still eat some eggs and…”

“Thank you, Hermione, I already had breakfast in Snape’s quarters…”

“Wasn’t he angry because you hit Malfoy?”

“A little…” Harry sat beside Ron.

“What happened with your homework?”

“I messed up and delivered the wrong papers, I still have detention with him…”

“More detention? But you were there all the evening…!”

“I know…” Harry was about to tell them that what happened had not been detention, but he could not explain what it had been. He felt ashamed that he had broken down like that and cried so much… but Snape had been really good and had allowed him to sleep in his bed… “I have to meet him in the Great Hall after lunch.”

“The old bat! It’s Saturday!”

“Ron, I think that you shouldn’t call a professor names…”

“But don’t you see what he has done?! He had Harry all day yesterday in detention and will have him today also!”

“Ron, it is better if you keep quiet mate…”

“You did give Malfoy a good punch…”

“I shouldn’t have… I have apologized… already.”

“And what did he say? I bet that the snob is too good for your apologies…”

“No, he accepted them… I told you that we had a good time playing on the snow during the holidays… He… I can’t say that he is a friend, but he is friendly… what do you think?”

“I do not think that he would like to hang around with us…”

“I don’t think he would, but he said that he would be nicer to you…”

“We’ll see about that… I wanted to go flying with you…”

“We can do that now… I have to see Snape after lunch, we can fly now.”

The three children went out to the Quidditch field and Harry let Ron fly the broom. He and Hermione were seating at the bleachers when Malfoy arrived. Vincent Goyle was with him.

“Enjoying the view, Potter?”

“Waiting for Ron to come down with my broom.”

Draco sat two seats behind. He was also looking at the antics of Ron on Harry’s broom.

“Do you want to try, Malfoy?”

“Would you lend me your broom?”

“I would if you want.”

The children had a good time flying on the broom. Harry, Draco and Ron took turns using it. It was a little weird when Harry was flying. But Draco and Ron just ignored each other and talked with Hermione and Vincent. By lunchtime they returned together to the castle. They sat at their separate tables.

“Snape said that I should wear a jacket, where do you think he will take me?”

“My brothers told me that Snape once made them go to the Forbidden forest to collect ingredients…”

Harry thought that as was wearing his new jeans and a clear jacket, he did not want to get them dirty… Maybe he would have time to change before meeting the Potions Professor…

“I have to go, I hope to see you soon…”

He was about to run upstairs to the Tower when a voice stopped him.

“Are you ready, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, Sir… I was just… I was going to change.”

“You are dressed appropriately, come along.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Snape walked him out of the castle. The man was quiet and Harry thought that it was better to just keep walking beside him. For two of Snape’s steps Harry had to walk three. He felt as if he was running.

He thought that they would walk toward the forest but Snape took a road toward the School Gates. He opened them with a silent word and a movement of his wand. Harry stayed a little behind…

“Come along, child…”

“I thought that we were going to the forest, Sir.”

“Why would we go there, child?” Harry shrugged… “I don’t know I just thought that you wanted to look for ingredients…”

“We are going to Hogsmeade.”

“That is great, Sir.” Harry ran ahead of the dark dressed man. He saw that there was a hedge made of stone that went along the road toward the village.

“Sir…”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“May I walk over there…?” Harry pointed the ancient hedge…

“Why would you want to do that, Potter?”

“I thought it would be fun.”

“Be careful…” Snape helped him climb. Harry walked happily, in some places he seemed to walk a tight rope. Snape marveled at the ingenuity of childhood. The wall ended some 20 feet before the town started where it was almost 3 feet high. Snape gave his hand to the child so he could hop down.

“What are we going to do, Sir?”

“I need to prepare a room, Mr. Potter. Although we have most of the furniture, we need to acquire linens and things for it.”

They entered a shop that was full with frills and laces. It was definite, the two males clashed with the things inside.

Severus took a deep potpourri scented breath and started looking for what he needed.

“Where is the room, Sir?”

“In Hogwarts, in the Dungeons…”

“The Dungeons are cold. Be sure to get enough blankets…”

“Have you been cold the nights that you have slept there, child?”

“No, Sir. But I keep my arms covered… It’s cold to take arms and hands out…”

Snape asked to be shown a selection of blankets, sheets and eiderdowns.

“What color do you like, Mr. Potter?”

“I would say that the blue with the green… Are they for a boy or an adult?”

“A boy. I thought that you would choose the red one… It looks like the colors of your house.”

“I like the red but sometime it is too much, Sir. What color is the Slytherin Common room?”

“Different tones of green, mahogany and some silver.”

“Is it warm? The Gryffindor Common room is very cozy with a lot of drapes and the fireplace…”

“It has a fireplace also, but there is central heating.”

“In what house is the boy, Sir?”

“Pardon me?”

“I mean… I’m sorry. I guess the boy will have to be sorted… won’t he?”

“How did you like the Sorting, child?”

“All right I guess… Everyone was scared before… we did not know what the Sorting was about. Ron’s bothers told him that he would have to fight a Troll…”

“He shouldn’t have worried about that after all you fought a Troll and won…”

“It was very scary to do it, Sir… we didn’t know any magic then… Some were saying that we would have to take a rabbit out from the hat…”

“The hat would find that funny.”

“He does have a sense of humor…”

“How do you know that? I remember that it took it a while to place you.”

“He was not sure where to place me…”

“Which were the options?”

“I am not sure if he was really considering it but… the hat said that I would do well in Slytherin… but I did not want to be there… so the hat settled for Gryffindor.”

“What is wrong with Slytherin, Mr. Potter?”

“Nothing really, Sir. Sorry… It’s just that… well they told me that the wizard that killed my parents had been there and… I just did not want to be in the same House… I guess it was a stupid reason…”

Not as stupid as to dislike you because you looked like the spoiled James Potter, thought Snape.

“What do you think of Slytherin now, child?”

“I think it is only a House Sir. I mean… just like the others and there are good people and bad people in it; it is good to belong to a House… I…”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“You were named my guardian because I was not in your House… so I guess it was good that I was placed in Gryffindor... I really like you to be my guardian, Sir.”

“I am glad of that, child.”

“I was scared at first… because… because you look so grave… and you thought that I was disobedient and... I am… But we have… Will you be the Guardian of the boy also… I mean the one that is going to sleep in the dungeons…?

“He will not sleep in the dungeons always, Mr. Potter, he will sleep in his dormitory and only stay there sometimes… maybe on weekends and Holidays… and I will be more than his guardian… I will adopt him.”

“So you are going to be so something like his father, won’t you?”

“Yes. He is the son of a friend. His parents died and he needs a home.”

“That is good… I mean friends should do that… I would… I mean, when I grow up and if Hermione or Ron have children and if something were to happen to them… It would be nice to take care of their children…”

And I will treat them as part of my family, not like something disgusting that the cat brought in, thought Harry. He felt more than a little jealous of ‘the boy’ they were talking about but…

“Where is he now, sir?”

“Who, Mr. Potter?”

“The boy.”

“He… he is at school, child.”

“When is he going to come to Hogwarts? Until next year…” If ‘the boy’ was coming next year Snape would not be preparing the room now.

“Do you think he would like to have a desk in his room?”

“Maybe, to do homework and things like that… but… I would like to do my homework at your kitchen table… Sir… to do homework alone inside your room is very much like being punished…”

“I see. Well in that case I will get him a bookcase for his books and things only…”

Harry looked at the things they got. “You are getting sheets of different sizes, Sir.”

“Yes, Mr. Potter, as he is going to live with me, he will have different rooms. I do not always live in Hogwarts…”

“I did not think about that… where do you go?”

“I have a house near London and I go sometimes to my Grandparents’ estate…”

Harry only sighed. It would be nice to have one room especially for him, but to have three rooms…!

“I think we have enough, don’t you think, Mr. Potter?” Harry was startled out of his daydreaming. “Yes, Sir.”

Harry was marveled by the packing of the things. Snape paid for them and the clerk shrunk them. Snape just placed them inside his pocket.

“Where do we go now, Sir?”

“To the bookshop, he will need something else to amuse himself than schoolbooks don’t you think?”

“Yes, Sir.”

They went to the bookshop, and Severus felt more at home there. He knew his way around.

“What kind of books do you like, Potter?”

“I… like adventure books and classics…”

“The bookshelves are over there…”

“How many books you would like, Sir?”

“Choose all that you would fancy and once you are done we will choose which to buy.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Severus saw the boy walk toward the bookcases. The next stop would be the toyshop and then he would run out of things to buy…

He would wait until teatime to tell his plans to the boy… Or maybe until they were back at Hogwarts. He had felt so confident this morning, when he talked to Albus and then at the meeting.

---

“How can the wards sustain themselves if Harry is not welcome in that house?” Pomona was saying it politely thought Snape.

The staff meeting as always ended discussing Harry’s situation. Minerva answered the question.

“Magic is sometimes literal Pomona, as with an ‘Unbreakable Oath’. His mother’s blood protected him, his aunt’s blood protects him. It is irrelevant if she loves him or not. So he needs to go back there if we want him to keep the protection…”

Snape choose that moment to stand up and said. “That is NOT going to happen.” McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Pomfrey kept quiet and placed their eyes on him. “I know… I admit that I had the wrong assumptions about Harry, but during the last three months I have come to see him closely and to know him a little and I can tell you this. The child needs more than a safe place to live. He needs to have a responsible adult taking care of him and allowing him to be a child, he does not need to be the boy-who-lived or the savior of the wizarding world. He needs to be a child and to feel loved and to be allowed to make mistakes… He was thrown into our world alone and with a full vault. How can we expect him to have common sense? Harry doesn’t know that he is entitled to have warm clothes or to have a room to call his own. The child needs self-assurance; he is reckless because he does not consider himself important. Anything you give him is taken with awe and he is always scared that he does not deserve it…and will loose it at the first mistake. He needs to understand his value… he needs a family. Someone to love him no matter what. He needs to be loved as he is…”

The rest of his colleagues kept quiet. They were so infuriating!

He continued, “As you connived my participation in the life of the child you shouldn’t be surprised… I do know where to look. I considered myself a good friend of his mother and I did make an oath to her memory when the child became an orphan… I have to inform you that I plan to adopt Harry Potter… I have already asked the Headmaster to help me with the paperwork at the Ministry of Magic but as Harry needs all the protection he can get I will need your help with the wards and in the mean time, I intend to adopt him using the ancient ways and rituals…”

“Are you sure that is what you want, Severus?”

“I am sure Filius… I could not call myself a friend of his mother and allow him to return to those Muggles or to keep being a lonely child that does not value himself…”

“In that case we have to congratulate you.” The tiny man shook hands with Severus. “I will get all the manuscripts describing the ancient ways, Severus.”

“No bloodletting please, Filius…” said Minerva. She also shook hands with Snape.

“What does Mr. Potter think about this?”

“I have not told him yet, but… I will do it this afternoon. I will take him on an outing to Hogsmeade if you please…”

“It does not pleases me to be informed that one of my lions is not going to sleep in his bed after he is already sleeping somewhere else.”

“I am sorry for yesterday’s inconvenience Minerva…”

“We’ll discuss later how we will make it work. We have not had a parent on the staff since the turn of the century…”

“Where are you taking him, Severus?”

---

“These are better Professor, they have pictures and are a little more expensive but they are nicer…” Harry’s voice shook Severus out of his musings.

“Then we will take those, child.”

“He is lucky, Sir.”

“Who child…?”

“The boy that you are going to adopt…”

“Why do you think so? Because all the things we bought for him?”

“Not only because of that, because he is going to be with you…”

“He is not so lucky if you consider that he will have to live with me and follow my rules in addition to the school rules…”

“Are you going to spank him if he disobeys?”

“What do you think, should I spank him if he breaks the rules?”

“I don’t know. It hurts… but after that… you always hug me… you did not do it right away yesterday, but you did hug me later and forgave me.”

“You like the hugs?”

“Yes, Sir. Aunt Petunia used to hug Dudley a lot of times every day… She never spanked him though.”

“And did your cousin like hugs?”

“Sometimes he said that he was too old… but he always let her hug him…”

“Am I wrong to say that she did not hug you?”

“No, Sir. She didn’t… but I was not her son after all. It is more than enough that they allow me to live there. I know I should be thankful.”

“If you were to take care of your friend’s children, would you hug them?”

“Of course…”

“I think Harry that your relatives should have treated you better. After all you were the child of your aunt’s sister. It is not the fault of a child to be without his parents, and the adults should treat him or her well.”

“I guess that my relatives have other ideas, Sir. Are you going to… I mean are you going to love him, Sir?”

“Yes, child, I love him already but I am going to make him feel loved.”

“How is that, Sir?”

“I am not sure, child. I guess I will hug him often. Do you want anything else?”

“No, Sir.”

“Would you like an ice-cream?” Harry smiled. “Yes Sir.”

---

“Thank you for your help, Mr. Potter.”

“Do you want help getting the room ready?”

“No thank you, Harry. I still need to remove things from there and I want to do it…”

“Then… I think that I should go…” Harry hoped that Snape had forgotten the cauldrons he was supposed to scrub.

“Not yet, Mr. Potter. I need your assistance with another thing. The bookcase beside the door, I need your help to move the books and to leave a shelf empty.”

“This one, Sir?”

“Yes, I will place the books in the bookcase in my room while you remove them.”

“Yes, Sir.”

---

“Here are the last books, Sir.”

“Thank you, Harry…”

“You did it again, Sir.”

“What, child?”

“You called me Harry…”

“Don’t you like it?”

“Yes, I do. Can you do it more often…” Almost immediately the boy’s face fell. “I’m sorry… I did not mean to say that…”

“Harry, you may tell me what you want…”

“Thank you, Sir. I like when you call me Harry and I liked the outing… I guess you will be too busy to do it again soon and after all we bought all that was needed…”

“I won’t be busier than usual, so we can do it once a month…”

“But you are going to have to take care of your house and of your classes and of your adopted son and of me…”

“I do not think that is hard to take care of you, Harry.”

“But you will have to take care of your son...” You won’t have time for me anymore… thought Harry.

“Have you not realized it yet, Harry?”

“What, Sir?”

“We had not been shopping for another boy…”

“No, Sir? Then… for whom?” Please say it is for me, thought Harry, he felt tears filling his eyes…

“Can you guess…?”

“Is the room that you are preparing… for me? are you…? Am I?”

“I signed some papers this morning Harry, once they come back, you will stop being my ward and become my son.”

Harry couldn’t believe it, it had been his wish all afternoon… Snape saw that the boy was digesting his words.

“Do you want a hug, Harry?” Harry did not answer he only stood close to Snape until he felt his arms slide around his slight frame.

“Severus, may we have a word?” Snape was walking out of his office when the tiny professor found him.

“Certainly, Filius, I have 10 minutes now before my next class, or do you want to join me for tea this evening?”

“Tea would be fine thank you, Severus. See you later.”

Snape watched as the tiny man walk the corridors toward the Ravenclaw tower. He did not wonder what they were going to discuss, lately all that was in the staff’s mind, and his too, was Harry’s adoption. Severus wished for this to end soon. It was too much uncertainty. After owling the papers to Child Services, he had received an acknowledgment of receipt, but since then there had been no news. Three weeks had passed. Albus said that he had been contacted, and that everything was running smoothly, yet Severus had a bad feeling and was waiting for the ax to fall. He wanted to hurry with the “blood adoption”, once that was completed the Ministry would just have to ratify it with the paperwork. But in the meanwhile the future was uncertain. He hoped that Filius had found the right Ritual at last.

Harry seemed to be getting used to the idea, he was more talkative than usual, he was struggling in class but doing better. They were meeting twice a week, to review his progress in school and on Saturdays for breakfast, after which Harry would stay the day in Severus' quarters and go back to the tower to sleep.

The room was almost ready. Severus had placed warming charms and changed the color of the walls and had fixed the furniture. Harry had unpacked the sheets and blankets, and the books and toys, but had not asked to sleep there and Severus did not want to insist until the adoption was complete or at least the ‘blood adoption’.

---

Filius Flitwick arrived at teatime.

After each men had a cup of tea in their hands he started talking.

“Well Severus”, Flitwick cleared his throat, “I have completed my research. I think we have to do it as simple as possible, I wanted to discuss it with you first, because with our female colleagues it can be a little bit complicated.”

Complicated was not the word that Severus would choose, but he did not dwell on that. “What does it involve?” He asked fearing the worst.

“We should divide the process in three parts, Severus. Preparation, celebration and the blood adoption, itself, but each part is very important you see? The completion of one would boost the others. Rituals provide a way for people to express their feelings and recognize change. They signify change, change that will take place, in your home and in your life.”

Change? A small scary word. Severus sighed “What should we do?”

“The first part involves only you.” Severus was paying all his attention. He placed his cup on the table in front of him, Flitwick continued. “This is what we are going to call the pre-adoption ritual. It involves you preparing to receive the child. It means that you are going to get a place ready for Harry.”

“The room is almost ready.” Severus pointed to the door down the hall.

“Good. Then we can go ahead. You must be convinced that this room is going to belong to your son, not the son of your best friend or the son of James Potter, not even the son of the love of your life...”

Severus flinched.

“Yes, Severus I know. But the room must be for Harry. Your son. Nothing more or less.”

“But I do not want him to cut the ties that bond him with his parents… remember that we will try to keep the blood wards for his protection…”

“The child does not have to break those bonds to bond with you. But you will have to make new ones, you have to realize that He is yours. You are the one that must realize that for him to be really yours. Remember that we will be dealing with ancient magic, that is raw magic that works with the intent, there couldn’t be even a trace of doubt in your mind.”

“Is any charm involved?”

“Not a charm, it is more like an exercise of will. You will need to use some candles… Four to be more precise. You are going to fix the room for Harry, after each detail is ready you are going to light a candle and say. ‘This is the bed of my child.’ Or ‘This is the wardrobe of my child’ and also ‘This is the place for the dreams of my child.’ Then at your table, you will say that there would be always a place for your child to sit and in your arms a place for comfort. There is not a set line to use, you should make it up as you go. Say what your heart feels at the moment. In the end you will light the last candle and will say ‘I am ready for the child to come and be mine.’ You will do that for three consecutive nights. If you start tonight you will finish on Thursday.”

“I can do that. I will start tonight.” Flitwick looked into his robes and took a box, the size of a book. He opened it and presented it to
Severus. “Here are the candles.”

“What’s next?” Until now it was not so hard, thought Severus.

“Celebration.” Severus did not like how that sound. Flitwick saw his expression and continued. “That is why I wanted to talk to you alone my friend, you know how just that word would make Minerva’s, Pomona’s, Poppy’s and Albus’ eyes twinkle. Rituals provide a meaningful bridge out of secrecy and shame. You must let the world know! On Friday or Saturday you should have a celebration that would inform your friends that you are ready for the child to arrive.” Filius saw that Severus was still reluctant. “Rituals celebrated with openness, love and pride send a strong message of validation to those around us and, most importantly, to the child.”

Two things popped into Severus mind one was ‘is Harry going to be present?’ And ‘I am not good at preparing parties.”

Filius could almost hear him. “You can let Minerva or Pomona do it…” Severus got a genuine look of terror. “but it might just be easier if you tell the elves how many are coming, they will get the food and drinks, you won’t need anything else.”

“I do not have friends Filius.”

“Rubbish Severus, we are not only colleagues, you know we all support you in this.”

“Do I need to inform all the school, then?”

“I understand that you want to keep it private. The staff will know anyway but not the general public. It is important that Harry understands that you want to keep it a secret because of his safety. Not because you are not happy or proud of being his father. He will not be present in that reunion but he should know about it.”

“Could we make the ‘child-shower’ reunion in the Staff room?” Severus did not really want people in his quarters.

“Possible, but I would recommend it to be here, as everyone will be required to bring a ‘welcome present’ and it is better if they are allowed to place them in Harry’s room. This rooms will be full of good wishes.”

“What kind of presents?” Candles, presents, parties would they also need him to bake a cake?

“Symbolic. Appropriate for an eleven year old. Maybe something sweet, something warm, clothes or toys.”

“What next?”

“Full moon is on Tuesday, that would certainly make the ritual stronger, you must choose four witnesses. I think that Pomona, Poppy, Minerva and Albus would be glad to do it. I will conduct the ceremony. We would require the same 4 candles and picture of Harry’s parents. Harry and you must be present. That is when we are going to need blood.”

---

“Harry light this candle for your parents and tell them, first in your mind, that you are not going to stop loving them or being their son but are going to become Severus’ son.”

Harry lit the candle and placed it in front of the picture of his parents.

He kneeled on the pillow in front of the table. His back was touching Severus knees.

“Now, say the line that you practiced.” Flitwick was seated on side and was directing the ceremony.

“Mum, Dad I will always be your son and love you, but now I am also going to be the son of Severus Snape.”

The candle flame brightened and then it went out.

All those present felt a small breeze around them.

“Now Severus, light the candle again and tell them that you are claiming the child as yours. That you are entitled to him, regardless of anything past or future, that he IS your child and you will love him.”

Severus felt that his hand was trembling as he lighted the match. But at the moment the fire touched the candle he felt a warmth around him. A warmth that he had associated with his mother, and later, with Lily. He knew that it meant that Harry was now part of himself.

He said the words, and listened to them as if some one else was talking.

The candle stood lit. Filius looked at that with approval. The ceremony was going very well.

“Now my friends, you who are the witnesses, are going to light two more candles and I will light one also. ‘Because the fire that they represent will bind us to remember and will bind us to fulfill this ritual. We are witnessing this beginning and we are bringing our collective magic to keep the bond. Severus, please use the pin and place a drop of blood from your finger on the cloth… Now help Harry do the same. Now touch your fingers and let the blood mix…” Harry felt a tingle that started in his finger and went through all his body, he was looking at Severus and knew that the man had felt the same. Flitwick continued. “Fold the cloth… now your blood is mixed. Place the folded cloth over the candle…”

The cloth burned in an instant, like a snowflake in a fiery grip.

Another warm breeze surrounded them and the candles went out at the same time. Everyone was silent.

Severus had both his hands holding Harry’s shoulders.

“Well, it seems that it worked. Harry you have a father, Severus you have a son, you are a family now!”

Harry stood up and felt the arms of his father around him. They sat in the same chair.

Everybody present shook hands with them. Harry saw that the pinprick in his index finger had closed. He felt like crying but did not want to do it in front of his professors…

They left some minutes later, understanding that the small family needed time to be together. This was a celebration for two.

Harry stood by Severus as he said goodbye to their guests. Both were relieved when the door closed after the last one.

“Was that all?” The boy asked. He felt full of emotions and he did not know how to express them at all.

“Yes Harry. Now you may open your presents.”

“Presents?”

“Yes, they brought them the day of the party, they are welcome wishes.”

“Presents for me?” Harry was still overwhelmed by the ceremony. Severus tried to lighten it up. “Well, they are for my son, do you happen to know him?”

“I am your son.”

“Then I think that they are for you, son.” Harry run and embraced his father.

---

Severus asked to be the referee on the next Quidditch game. After what happened during the first game he did not want to risk Harry but couldn’t stop him from playing. He wanted to be close if an emergency occurred.

Harry was so excited to have his father near him that he caught the snitch as soon as the game started. Making it one of the shortest games in Hogwarts history!

As Gryffindor won, they celebrated in the tower.

---

The following Monday Severus received summons to appear at the Ministry of Magic that same afternoon. He informed the Headmaster and they decided that he should not go alone. Albus Dumbledore and Filius Flitwick would go with him.

They apparated out of the school boundaries to the main lobby in the Ministry of Magic. From there they took the elevators to the Child Services Department.

They were made to wait in a small meeting room. An old witch from Child Services offered them coffee and tea and left, then returned accompanied by Cornelius Fudge ten minutes later. The man looked at them angrily.

“Dumbledore, I was informed that an illegal adoption ritual was performed in Hogwarts last Tuesday!”

“It was not illegal, Cornelius. Adoption rituals are not forbidden.”

“Adoptions must be sanctioned by the Ministry!”

“We understand that the paperwork is in process, Cornelius.” He turned to look at the witch beside him.

“It is in process, but approval had not been granted.” stuttered the Minister.

“As of today, Cornelius, five weeks had passed since the Children Services Department received the paperwork. The policy says that the proceedings have to be completed in one month. So the paperwork should be finished by now.”

“We have not finished it. There are things we are still considering.” He could hardly talk.

“What things are you talking about?” Albus Dumbledore was at ease.

“Like the fact that the child to be adopted is Harry Potter! And the person that is going to adopt him is a Death Eater!”

“You know that the charges were withdrawn. Severus Snape was declared a free man more than 10 years ago and as such he may adopt any child.”

“Any child, but not Harry Potter…”

“Why not?”

“Because the child needs special attention and… He has no right to do it.”

“Cornelius, we delivered along with the required papers the letters from the child’s mother stating that she was a friend of Severus and that she wanted him to take care of her son.”

“The child has relatives…”

“He does, but his relatives… His uncle has been offered a position outside the country. They did not want to separate Harry from the world of his parents and they requested that a Guardian was appointed for the child.”

“A guardian, but not a parent, this is too… definitive!”

“Severus Snape has been Harry’s Guardian since the beginning of the School year, so the next logical step was to ask for the adoption.”

“But he had not been approved by the Ministry.”

“He was approved by the Ministry before he started teaching at Hogwarts.”

“If you allow me, Albus…”

“Of course, Filius.”

“Minister, when you learned of the Adoption Ritual, it was completed, was it not?”

“Yes.”

“It means then that it was successful and that you need only to ratify it by giving the correct papers to Mr. Snape.”

“We are not going to do that.”

“Do you really want to mess with ancient magic?” said Flitwick. That moment the lights went out in the small room and a strong wind blew around them.

All present were left speechless. Dumbledore lighted his wand and said:

“Do you plan to go against ancient magic, Cornelius? Are you prepared to do it? This magic is as strong as an unbreakable vow.”

In the light of Dumbledore’s wand Cornelius Fudge felt really small, and he had never been good with ancient magic…

“Of course not, Albus. We know of the strength of those vows and… That is why those rituals should be regulated by the Ministry, if they are done wrong….”

“In this ritual there is only hope and love involved, Cornelius, the beginning of a family.”

“So,” said Severus in the voice he used to make all of his students tremble. “Are you going to give me the papers?”

“Certainly, but we are going to file a protest…”

The light went off again after a loud thunder-like noise was heard. The light returned after a small flicker.

“We are going to give you the Adoptions papers.” the pale witch said. Cornelius Fudge too scared to talk only assented and signed the parchment that was presented before him. He said his goodbyes and went out. The Minister of Magic ran all the way to his office and asks his secretary to suspend his meetings for the afternoon and to get him a Calming draught.

The three wizards went for a drink in the ‘Leaky Cauldron’ after the meeting.

They sat in a private booth and ordered their drinks.

Severus looked a little shaken. He had the folded parchments in the inner pocket of his robes and touching them against his chest. He had heard of the strength of ancient magic and that was the reason he wanted it to protect Harry, but he had never heard of it manifesting itself like that.

Filius sat in a tall chair, as he sat he took some marble sized balls from his back pocket. Some were black and some were silver colored. He placed them in front of the Headmaster.

“The ingenuity of the young minds always surprises me. Who could have believed it…?”

Severus looked at the balls, but he did not know what they were.

“You will have to give points to Gryffindor, my friend.”

“I will give 10 points each for each ball I used and also a free pass for the next detention they earn in my class.”

“They should learn to use their brains in more constructive ways. Although if I may say it, these things are brilliant.”

“I wish I had a picture of Fudge's face after the thunder…” The small man almost fell from the chair laughing.

“Whom are you talking about?” Severus wanted to understand the conversation.

“The Weasley twins. They managed to create these extraordinary balls…”

“Those balls?”

“Yes, Severus, the black ones extinguish the lights and the silver ones produce a sound very much like thunder…” The small man was making a big effort not to fall of the chair… “I thought they would be helpful…”

“I thought you had overdone it after the second one thundered, Filius!” laughed Dumbledore.

‘My mistake, I used two balls.”

“I bet Fudge will think it twice before he tries to go against an ancient ritual again!”

At that moment the drinks arrived and Severus toasted his friends. And vowed to go easy on the twins in the future…

---

That night Severus called Harry to his quarters and showed him the parchment. He knew that it changed nothing between them now but they framed a copy and placed it in Harry’s room.

They were a family with ministerial approval after all!

“Hello Severus!”

“What are you doing here, on a Tuesday?”

Severus was not surprised that his colleagues had noticed. Minerva was very observant.

Since the adoption, he had tried to spend some weeknights with Harry. They were still learning about each other and needed time together. So usually on Tuesdays Harry would do his homework in the dungeons and have dinner with Snape, after dinner they would play board games or read and Harry would sleep in his bed. He would also do that on Saturdays. Severus did not visit the teachers’ lounge those days.

“Harry said that he was completing a project with his classmates.”

Minerva poured him a cup of coffee with a little bit of firewhiskey and sat beside him.

“A project? Did he said for what class?”

“Not really, I know that it is not for Potions, and judging from your reaction neither for Transfiguration.”

“They are up to something. Yesterday Potter, Granger and Weasley almost missed curfew.”

“Did they?”

“Yes. I was in the tower and they entered with barely a minute to spare. I asked them what were they doing as, yesterday the library closed earlier and they did not explain. They said something about sending an owl to the Weasleys…”

“You will let me know if he is not on time, won’t you?”

“Of course…”

Severus saw Harry the next day at breakfast, talking animatedly with his friends and did not think more about it.

---

On Wednesdays Gryffindor first years had Astronomy, so they were allowed to stay later in bed on Thursdays and he did not see Harry at the Great Hall for breakfast. But he was intrigued when at lunchtime he couldn’t find the black haired child seated beside the bushy haired girl at the Gryffindor table.

“Have you seen my offspring today?” He asked Minerva McGonagall that was seated beside him.

“No, I had a very busy morning, I do know that Ronald Weasley spend the night at the infirmary, Harry maybe visiting him.”

“With out Granger? What happened to him?”

“I do not know, I have to see Poppy later. They had Astronomy last night, he might have caught a cold. I have first year Gryffindors for Transfiguration in two hours. I will ask Mr. Potter of his whereabouts.”

“Please tell him to report to me if you find that Weasley has something contagious.”

Minerva smiled. Severus was showing his protective side more each day. She was also intrigued. Granger was eating but she looked preoccupied and a bit out of sorts… maybe she was missing her friends…

---

Minerva knew where her Lions were having History of Magic, the classroom was in the same corridor she had to walk, to arrive at her classroom so she decided to escort them to her class. It was not strange for some pupils to fall asleep in class and Bins hardly noticed…

She was worried when she realized that Potter had not attended that class. Hermione left the room alone. Was he in the Infirmary also? Once in her classroom, McGonagall was about to send a message to Severus when the child knocked and hurried inside.

The boy looked ashamed and a little disheveled, as if he had run from a very far location. Minerva breathed relieved. The child look healthy, he asked her for permission to enter and then sat beside his friend. She liked the child a lot but it was not in her nature to excuse class ditching or lateness. She explained the day’s lesson and gave work to her class, then she wrote a note for the Potion’s Professor.

“Mr. Potter.” She called at the end of the class. Harry walked slowly toward her desk.

“I am sorry I was late, Professor.”

“It is not only that you were late for my class Mr. Potter, you were not present in the class before this one. Do you have any excuse to skip a class?”

The young man was looking at his shoes. “No, ma’am.”

“I didn’t think so. Your classes for today are finished. Please take this note to Professor Snape and ask him to talk to me this evening.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Harry took the folded note and placed it in his robe’s pocket. Hermione was waiting for him at the door. She looked as tired as he felt. He would have to give the note to his father and wondered if it was a good moment to ask for his help…

---

Two weeks and a half before, just after Easter, Harry had received an invitation for tea from Hagrid. He had asked Severus if he was allowed to go and was told that Hagrid’s hut was not out of bounds. That he knew that the gentle big Man was Harry’s friend and that as long as he had his assignments under control, Harry could visit Hagrid as often as he wanted.

Harry was surprised by that, but tea with Hagrid was more surprising. He showed Hermione, Ron and Harry a Dragon’s egg that he had won in a game of cards! Hagrid was placing the egg in the fireplace to keep it warm and to get himself a little adorable dragon!

It was good, from Harry’s point of view that Severus had allowed him to visit Hagrid with out having to ask, because three days later the egg hatched and Hagrid asked for their help to take care of the little dragon.

Norbert grew very fast, one week later he was too big to sleep in a crate and was beginning to blow fire. Hermione, Harry and Ron talked to Hagrid about how dangerous it was to have a dragon. And not only because it was illegal, the dragon was going to end with Hagrid’s house and the rest of his pets. He couldn’t be allowed to stay at the school!

Hagrid had to pass a night putting out fires before he realized that his young friends were right. But he needed to find a loving home for his little dragon! Ron wrote to his brother in Rumania. He asked for help in finding a good home for Norbert.

The next week Ron received a letter from his brother, who fortunately knew Hagrid and did not ask too many questions and told Ron that he had arranged a pick up for the small beast. Ron, Hermione and Harry send the reply to Charlie’s letter on Monday, and they almost missed curfew, their Head of House was at the Common room that night!

Harry, Hermione and Ron slept better that night knowing that the little dragon was going to go away soon. Hagrid was really sad. He spent the night singing lullabies to Norbert and putting fires out with several buckets of water.

On Wednesday before Astronomy class, Ron was bitten by the creature. His hand was double its normal size at the end of the class and he had to go to the infirmary. Hagrid asked Harry to Dagon-sit for Norbert the next morning as he had to see to something about the unicorns or other creatures in the forest and the baby dragon couldn’t be left alone. Harry went after Charms, he had a free period until lunch, then he had History of Magic and Transfiguration. Hagrid said that he would return at lunchtime. But he had to tend to a sick Thestral and returned to his hut an hour later. Harry ran to the school but was late for Transfiguration. He still had to learn how Ron was fairing…

The note in his pocket felt very heavy. Heavy as lead. And his shoes were not lighter. Harry was on his way to the dungeons. Wishing they were farther. He knew that his ‘father’ had also ended the classes for the day, and dreaded the encounter.

Harry had very bad experiences with notes sent home from school. It was always the same story. It would start with his cousin laughing at him and taunting him because he had gotten in trouble at school, then his aunt would read the note and would give him extra work to think about the naughtiness of his acts in particular and his life in general... The worst was when Uncle Vernon arrived. He would scream until he was red in the face, at the end of the story Harry would have a very tender and red backside, after being the recipient of a very thorough whipping for embarrassing his relatives. And he would most certainly be sent to bed with out dinner.

Harry sighed. He knew that his new father would not hurt him, but he was afraid that Snape would regret having him as a son.

He knocked at the door of the dungeons, he could open the door, but this time he was not sure of the welcome…

“Ah, Mr. Potter” said Severus as he opened the door. Minerva had contacted him by floo so he knew that Harry was coming. He sat back in front of his desk.

"Come here and stand beside me". Severus voice was soft and gentle. Harry stood beside him, his face pale. He was almost in tears. Reluctantly Harry handed him the note.

Severus took the note and opened it. He read the scribbled message and turned to look at the contrite boy.

“Do you know what this note says, Harry?”

Harry nodded.

“A verbal answer if you please, son.”

Harry whispered, “Yes” afraid to look at him and even more afraid to look away.

“Tell me.” Snape’s voice kept being soft.

“It says that I… that I skipped History of Magic and that I was late for Transfiguration.”

“And you skipped lunch also, didn’t you?” Harry had gained weight and was now at his age weight, but Severus insisted that he should eat every meal.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do you have a good reason for all these things?”

“Yes.” Harry breathed deeply. He remembered the conversation he had with Snape after the explosives were defused before New Year. Severus had said that he should ask for help. He looked at his father in the eye and said. “I need help with something and.. and I need you not to ask too many questions.”

Severus knew when he had made that promise that it would come back to haunt him. What was this child’s problem?

“Explain what is the problem and I will help you son.” Harry took one step closer. “Where were you this morning?”

“At Hagrid’s. I… ate something there, he is the one that needs help.”

“Was Hagrid with you?”

“No, Sir. He arrived later than he planned, that is why I was not able to come to History of Magic and was late for Transfiguration, he was supposed to arrive at lunch time, but…” Snape placed his hand softly over Harry’s mouth stopping the tirade. “Start at the beginning son, why were you asked to be at Hagrid’s cabin this morning? What is the problem, son?”

Harry lost the control at that moment. It was a sobbing little boy that explained the presence of a Dragon within Hogwarts grounds. And the injury to Ron Weasley, Severus felt his pressure raise, why was nothing simple with this child?”

“And how is, Mr. Weasley?”

“I don’t know,” Harry took a tissue and cleaned his eyes. “he went to the infirmary last night because his hand was so swollen and it hurt him a lot! We have not been able to visit him, I was watching Norbert this morning and…”

“How close have you been to that dragon?”

“I just fed him.” Severus held his arm, turned him around and placed a sound smack to his buttocks.

“Ouch!”

“Why didn’t you tell me since the dragon hatched?”

“It was not dangerous then.” Harry turned to take the target away from Severus hand. “It was small and Hagrid said that he could handle it. I didn’t know that it would grow so much in such a short time!”

Severus couldn’t stand to be seated anymore, he stood and started pacing in front of Harry.

“You said that you already contacted Charlie Weasley and set a time for it to be picked up…”

“Yes, Sir.” Harry was trying to keep his backside as far as possible from his father.

“When are Charlie Weasley’s friends coming to get it?”

“Saturday midnight, on the highest tower.” Said Harry. Snape stood still. “And when did you plan to tell me? After the dragon had bitten you or Miss Granger too?” He planted a couple more of smacks on the boy’s buttocks.

“No, dad… I was going to tell you tonight, it is really hard to handle… I‘m sorry.” Harry’s hands were on his back.

“It was a problem since your friend was bitten.”

“I know. But it happened late yesterday… And today I had to go to Hagrid and …” Snape kneeled in front of him and took hold of his shoulders. Harry could see the worry in his dark eyes. “You can come to me at any time. Day or night. Nothing is more important to me than you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Dad.” Harry nodded and got closer for a hug. Severus could tell the child was trembling. He held him for a couple of minutes. Then he stood up and turning the boy toward the wall he said in a calmed voice.

“Place your nose in that corner, young man. I need to talk with Madam Pomfrey. Dragon bites are extremely dangerous. Your friend may loose his hand if he does not have the right attention…” Harry was worried about Ron.

“Could you help him?”

“I will try.”

Harry stood at the corner, his backside was tingling after the smacks he had received and in expectation of the ones that were to come, he was sure that Snape was not going to let him off with only three smacks…

---

Harry had been in the corner for 15 minutes when Severus walked back into the living room.

He opened a cabinet and Harry heard as he was taking glass vials.

“Come with me, Mr. Potter.” Severus sounded stressed.

“Where are we going?” Harry stood beside him in a moment.

“To the Infirmary.”

“How is Ron?”

“Madam Pomfrey had guessed that he needed anti-venom and applied it all night but he needs more because the dragon is young and does not control the venom in his bites.”

“Why do I have to go to the infirmary?”

“Because I do not know long I will have to be there and do not want to leave you alone here. And because Madam Pomfrey needs to run a diagnostic on you and Miss Granger to see if the Dragon infected you with something… If I were in as much trouble as you are young man I would keep my mouth shut.”

“But you said that you would help…”

“I am helping. I do not want you in the same country as that dragon! That doesn’t mean that you are out of trouble for not telling me before or because you skipped a class and lunch today…”

“Oh.”

“Oh, indeed! How were you planning to take him up to the tower at midnight on Saturday? After curfew and breaking a lot of school rules!”

Harry was sure that Snape was not going to punish him for something he had not done yet… but he said softly. “I am sorry. We had not planned that yet.” Severus hugged him again. It was hard to be a father!

They entered the infirmary and found that Hermione and McGonagall were already there.

Harry sat in a chair beside Ron’s bed and through teary eyes he saw the reaction his friend was having because of the venom. There seem to be small insects running through his veins.

Hermione sat beside him crying and held his hand. The two children watched as the adults gave their friend several vials and saw also how they used their wands to stop the venom. After what seemed an eternity, but were really just 30 minutes the three wizards declared that it was done. Ron’s arm was again of a rosy color and he was resting calmly.

Hermione and Harry were left alone, Minerva, Severus and Poppy went to the mediwitch’s office and discussed the problem.

They were all fond of the half-giant and decided to help with the dragon.

Minerva and Severus paid him a visit.

Hagrid was very ashamed that his dragon had bitten Ron. “… but you know how youn’ones are… they bite every thing…”

He knew that he should have not involved the children, but it just happened… he also thought that the egg would take longer to hatch and thought that the Dragon would stay small for almost a year and…

Hagrid was only a big kid, thought Minerva as she transfigured a cage strong enough to keep the Dragon out of reach of the inflammable things in the cabin.

Severus sprayed a special liquid to keep the wood from catching fire and placed a small chewing toy in the cage for the Dragon to occupy himself. The toy would collect venom from Norbert with out harming him.

“How are we going to carry it up to the Tower?” Severus asked his colleague.

“It must weight at least 100 pounds! You know that dragons react badly to magic, I can put a feather spell to the cage but the Dragon is heavy.”

“I can carry ‘im if you let me. I planned to go with the child’en any way…” Hagrid would want to stay with his dragon as long as possible.

“At midnight we can trust that all the children will be in their beds…”

“I will like to place locking charms at the doors of their common rooms until the Dragon is gone…”

“It might work Severus, but Pomona and Filius would have to be informed and the less people involved in this mess the better.”

“At least lock your Tower.” There was only one Gryffindor that worried Severus.

“I will do that.” Minerva looked at the dragon and hoped that she could transfigure it into a smaller version, one that could fit in a small cage. It was not possible, and she imagined that Hagrid would love to keep the dragon if it could stay of that size.

As Saturday was coming very soon they decided to keep the plans for the dragon. Minerva and Snape were going to go with Hagrid to take the beast up to the tower at the appointed time.

They went back to the Infirmary. Weasley was sleeping peacefully. Harry and Hermione were seated beside him.

Harry felt tired when he followed Snape back to the dungeons.

Severus let him enter and closed the door.

“Harry, wash your hands and get ready for bed.” Harry’s face fell he thought that he was going to be sent to bed with out dinner. His stomach started protesting and he tried to quiet it. “You are going to bed after dinner, child, so get changed.” Snape had noticed.

“Yes, Sir.” Harry should know that Snape was not going to send him to bed hungry.

Harry went back wearing pajamas and a robe. The table had soup and sandwiches. He ate them in silence. Nor him or his father seemed inclined to talk. “Madam Pomfrey ran some diagnoses on Hermione and me.” He informed.

“Yes. She told me that she did not find anything wrong.” Severus seemed very interested cutting his sandwich. Harry kept talking. “We did not know that dragons could be so dangerous…”

“That is why you will prepare a three foot essay about dragons. To be delivered on Monday.”

Harry made a face. “Professor McGonagall said that I will have to serve detention for skipping class.”

“She is your Head of house and that is a school punishment. The essay is part of your home punishment.”

Harry pouted. He did not like to be punished at school and at home for the same thing. Snape continued as they as well should finish with the consequences of the foolery.

“You will help me prepare ingredients and wash cauldrons tomorrow afternoon and you will also give me an essay about the class that you missed.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I want you to be careful with the handling of magical creatures and I want you to ask me before getting close to anything else. Am I clear?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Have you finished your dinner?’

“Dessert…”

“You won’t have dessert until next Monday. Do you have homework to do?”

“No, Sir.”

“Take your potions book and review last class’ lesson. There might be a quiz tomorrow.”

“Yes, dad.” Harry did not want to study, but knew that if he said anything else he would be sent to bed. Harry went to take the book out of his backpack. And went with Snape to the Living room. Snape sat on the sofa and Harry wedged beside him with the book in his hands. They moved until they were comfortably seated.

Snape was reading a journal and watched as Harry read the book. He was so glad that the child had not been harmed by the dragon…

After an hour the boy yawned and Severus knew that it was time to send him to bed.

“Wash your teeth and get in bed. I will go and put out the light for you…” Harry looked at him and he could tell that the boy was going to ask him something, but changed his mind and went to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later Snape entered Harry’s room, the bed covers were placed aside, but the young man was not there. Snape looked in the bathroom and found him.

“Did it take you this long to wash your teeth?”

“I have not washed them, yet.” Harry showed him the toothbrush.

“What are you waiting for?” Snape was a little annoyed, can’t the child follow such a simple instruction? What was the problem?

“Harry…” He said. “Why is it taking you so long?”

“Ron was really sick. We… were so close and we didn’t know that it was so dangerous and… Hagrid…”

“Sh…” Snape made him sit in the bed beside him. “You are not responsible for all that son. Yes. You should tell me as soon as you find that there is a problem, that way I would help you. But Hagrid is an adult, he should be able to handle his own problems.”

“He thinks that Norbert is cute…” Snape laughed a little. “Yes, he does. So, we are dealing with the dragon. There is no more problem. Ok?”

Harry nodded. “And we have dealt with your faults, so lets put this behind us…” Snape helped him clean his face.

“Aren’t you going to spank me?” Severus knew that that had been on Harry’s mind since the end of dinner.

“I think you’ve have enough already, son and I believe you are still feeling the smacks that I gave you this afternoon, that was all for this time…”

“But dad…” Snape did not allowed him to finish. “Lay on your stomach on the bed.” Harry was regretting his comment. Snape had not planned to spank him more and now he had reminded him… He placed himself over the bed with his back up. He buried his face on the pillow and waited for the smacking to start. He felt Snape’s hand, but not on his buttocks. The man placed his hand on his back and started massaging him. He rubbed over Harry’s shoulders and felt the boy relax to his touch. “It has been an exiting week for you, child, you are so tense.” After some minutes the boy was almost asleep. Snape stop the massage and covered him with the blankets.

“Now go to sleep.”

“Good night, thank you, Dad.”

Severus felt his heart swell. After the emotional rollercoaster ride that he took this day… It was worth it to be a father.

It was Saturday afternoon and Hermione and Harry were at the school library researching for Harry’s essay.

“Do you think that Professor McGonagall would inform my parents?”

“I don’t know," shrugged Harry.

"They called Mr. and Mrs. Weasley but they have not said anything about a D.” Hermione did not say the word in case someone hear her.

“I heard them tell Ron that he should be careful with the exotic plants…” said Harry.

“I hope she doesn’t, after the Troll they said… I don’t want to be grounded during the summer…”

“At least you do not have to write an essay…”

“That is easy Harry, you should have finished hours ago, I told you to stop drawing…”

“I want to draw how Norbert would look as an adult. I bet Hagrid would like to have it…”

“What are you doing in here, Potter?” They had not heard the blond-boy entering the library.

“Writing an essay, Malfoy…”

“You are not writing…”

“I have to deliver it on Monday. It’s about Dragons.”

“I do not remember that we had any pending paper about that. Is it an extra credit?”

“No. I… Your Head of House asked for it.”

“I do not remember Professor Snape talking about dragons in class. What did you do?”

“It is non of your business.”

“It is if you can’t go out and fly, I wanted to borrow your broom…”

“I can’t go out until I finish this. Three feet.”

“So it was something big…” Malfoy saw the open books. “Maybe as big as a Dragon!”

Hermione flinched. Malfoy knew that he was on to something…

“You are funny Malfoy…” Said Harry changing the color of his pencil.

“Not really, I did hear a rumor.” Harry was drawing so he didn’t realize that Malfoy was fishing for information.

“Where did you hear it Malfoy? The only ones that know about it are my father and McGonagall…”

“Harry!” Hermione exclaimed.

“So there is a Dragon…”

“But you said…”

“You are so easy to make to talk Potter.” Malfoy sat beside him and taking a blank piece of paper started drawing. “Tell me.” He said in a conspiratorial tone.

“I cant.”

“C’m on. Where is Weasley?”

“Infirmary.”

“So he was hurt by the dragon… But where did you find it. A dragon is too big to be in the Forbidden forest.”

“Malfoy, if I tell you I will have more trouble than just having to write an essay.”

“I will help you write it.”

“Malfoy, it is his work!”

“It’s not homework, Granger!”

“No, but he is supposed to learn from it.”

“I will help you write it and then we can go out and fly, don’t you want that?”

“Yes.”

“Harry! Professor Snape would realize that it is not in your handwriting…”

“I am not going to write it for him, I will only comment on it and Potter may write it…”

“Ok.” Harry did not look at Hermione. Malfoy took some of the books that were around and took some notes in a piece of paper. Harry was finishing with the drawing when he said.

“I think that you are playing with me. There is no dragon…”

“Yes, there is…” Harry covered his mouth with his hands.

“Where is it, Potter?” Harry knew that half the story was out already so he said.

“Hagrid’s Cabin.” Malfoy was more than interested. The only dragons he had seen had been in pictures. “Hagrid…? Would he let me see it? If you ask him? How big is it?”

“You are going to be in so much trouble, Harry.” Hermione kept warning Harry.

“You won’t be able to see it, Malfoy, Hagrid won’t let you and it is going to be sent to a sanctuary tonight.”

“Wow! And how did he come to find a dragon?”

“I am not sure but he has always liked dragons.”

“Harry!”

“Hermione!”

“What?” Asked the girl, had her friend realized that whom ever gave the dragon to Hagrid could have obtained the clue to go by the three-headed dog and steal the stone?

“Stop saying my name like that!” Said Harry. Boys were so exasperating! She sulked behind the book she was reading.

“So I won’t be able to see the Dragon…”

Harry looked at the blond boy. Draco was not his friend but they had done things together and it had been fun to ride in the snow and they had flown also… And Harry wanted to see Norbert for a last time… and his restless bone was tickling. “You could, if you hide tonight at midnight in the tallest tower…”

“Are you serious?” Draco knew that he would be in a lot of trouble if he was to be caught outside his dorm after curfew. Did Potter want him to be in trouble? Were they friends? “Would you come with me?”

“Do you know what my father will do to us if we are caught out of our dorms after curfew?” That was a challenge.

“And after all the trouble you already are in because of that creature!” Said a voice behind a book.

Malfoy looked at him. “He caught us last year, Potter, we are smarter now.” The challenge was accepted.

“I have to find out what is my father going to do this evening...”

“Lets finish with your work and go flying before it gets dark.”

Harry finished writing his essay and they went out to fly in the Quidditch camp. Then Harry and Hermione went to see Ron.

“Hi there guys!”

“Ron how do you feel?”

“Much better. I just feel a tingle in the place that Norbert bite me…”

“When are you coming out?”

“Madam Pomfrey said that I can go back to the dorm tomorrow and back to class on Monday.”

“Are your parents still in the Castle?”

“No they left after lunch. What have you been up to?”

“Nothing much, I had to write an essay for my father… he was very angry, but we didn’t know how dangerous such a small dragon could be…”

“Madam Pomfrey said that if you had not told them about the dragon I could have died because of the poison or lost my hand.”

“Dad said that I should have told him the moment that you were bitten.”

“It’s still strange to hear you call him dad.”

“I am used to it, I have to be careful and remember calling him Professor in class and in the halls…”

“What else did you do today mate?”

“I drew a picture of Norbert…”

“And told the story to Malfoy…” Completed Hermione.

“Malfoy knows about Norbert?”

“I did not mean to tell him, I thought he already knew…”

“Norbert will be on his way to Rumania by midnight, so I guess there is no problem. No one will believe that a dragon was here…”

“Harry wants to hide in the tower tonight with Malfoy and show him the dragon!”

“Harry…”

“What? You are not going to tell me that it is dangerous, are you?”

“I want to go. I was your friend before Malfoy.”

“Ronald! You too! Can’t any of you realize the tons of trouble you will be in? You may loose points, we are going to get the house cup and…”

“At what time does Madam Pomfrey expect you asleep?”

“9.30 but I can pretend I am sleepy before…”

“No, that is fine, tell her that you are a little cold, so she will close the curtains around you. Try to sneak out as soon as she enters her office, Malfoy and I will meet outside the Charms classroom. It is the one nearest the tower and they have to take those stairs to go up, so it will be a good place to be in. We will stay there in the dark and see the dragon pass then we will just go back to bed…”

“All that trouble for a small glimpse of a dragon… If you ask me, I looked at him long enough.” The boys had tuned Hermione out.

“Are you sleeping in the dungeons?”

“Not today. Snape said that I have to sleep in the tower, he does not want to leave me alone. As if I were to start a fire or something. I am not a baby! It is better like this, the wards in my room would tell him if I go out. We’ll meet with Malfoy at 10.”

“Is that why you are doing this, Harry? Because Professor Snape told you that you could not sleep in your room tonight?”

“Hermione you are welcome if you want to come with us, if not, please stop nagging.”

“I don’t nag. I just want to understand.”

“Sorry, Hermione. I know it is mischief. But nothing more.”

“I will come with you.” Hermione decided, Harry was going to get in trouble and there was nothing she could say to stop him, she could at least go with him and help him if possible.

Harry left his friends and went to the Dungeons, Snape was not there. Harry guessed that he was probably with Hagrid getting the things ready for Norbert to go. Well, if he wanted Harry out of the way he would only place the essay on Snape’s desk and go to his common room. It would help if he did not see Snape this afternoon, the man had the uncanny ability of reading Harry thoughts.

He was about to go out when Severus arrived. The man looked happy to see him.

“Harry! Hello, son.”

“Hello, Sir.”

---

Snape had talked with Harry the day before. While they were in the lab. Harry was washing cauldrons and the professor was grading the quizzes.

“…but I can help you.”

“You can help me more if you stay in your bed and rest, son. Minerva, Hagrid and I are more that capable of carrying the dragon up to the tower, but if something goes wrong it will help me to know that you are out of danger.”

“I am not a baby.” Harry mumbled and attacked the cauldron.

“What was that?” Harry knew that Snape had a very good hearing.

“Nothing. Just that this cauldron is really dirty.”

“That is what happens when you do not mix the ingredients with the correct timing, they stick together.” Snape used every available occasion to teach!

“I could carry something you need.” Said Harry after rinsing the cauldron.

“What do you mean?” Snape had forgotten what they were talking about, he was trying to understand what was scribbled on the parchment. He couldn’t fathom why girls insisted in using different colors and placing small hearts instead of dots in the ‘i’s?

“I said that I could help by carrying Norbert’s food or maybe as a look out.”

“Harry. I am not going to keep on discussing this matter. You won’t come with us, no matter how much help you think you can give us. You will be in your bed, in your dorm and inside your tower. That is my final word. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“If you have finished dry your hands and help me sort this cupboard, I need you to find the vials that are almost empty.”

“Do I have to wash them also?”

“I would appreciate the gesture. Your detention ends at dinner time, please wash as many as possible.”

“Yes, Sir.” Harry opened the cupboard and started collecting the empty vials. He kept quiet most of the time, only asking Snape some questions about the vials. He washed them all before dinner. When they were leaving the lab Snape placed his arm around him and asked.

“Harry, you understand that all I want is to keep you out of danger, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sir.” Snape stretched the hug. “Good boy, what do you want for dinner?”

---

Harry felt strange to face Snape now, when he was planning so much mischief. He had to be careful.

“I saw you flying with Draco while I was with Hagrid.”

“Yes, he likes to use my broom. Is every thing ready with Norbert?”

“Yes. Hagrid spent all the night writing instructions to the people that would take care of him.”

“I will have dinner with Ron in the Infirmary.”

“That is good. We’ll see at breakfast and I will tell you all that happened. Ok?”

“Yes, Sir.” Harry left fast.

Snape thought that the boy was still sulking about not being able to go with him, too bad. The place of a young boy was not to be in the proximity of a dragon… they would see each other for breakfast the next morning.

Harry ran to the Infirmary, he wanted to stay in his room! But, he thought, it was good that he was going to sleep in the tower, or he wouldn’t be able to go out after curfew. He found Neville, Dean and Seamus discussing Quidditch with Ron. They decided to stay there with Harry and Ron for dinner.

Madam Pomfrey had no other sick person in the Infirmary so she allowed them to stay and cheer Ron up, they did not have to stay silent.

After dinner she did send them to their Common room, because she needed to change the bandages on Ron’s hand. Harry went out with his dorm mates and entered the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione was in the common room reading a book. Harry went to sit by her.

“Are you going to do it, Harry?” She said with out taking her eyes form the book.

“Yes, are you coming?” Harry was decided.

Hermione sighed,” Yes. I will have to wait for Lavender and Parvatti to be asleep. We had to go in separate ways.”

“I will tell the guys that I am sleeping in the dungeons so they won’t be surprised when I leave, I will wait until 5 minutes before curfew.”

“There is so many comings and goings on Saturday nights that the Fat Lady won’t know who is in or out.” Hermione placed her book down.

“We will meet at the charms classroom around ten.” Harry went up to his dorm. “Be careful” He heard as he was going up stairs. “You too.” Harry looked at his friend she was scared but resolute. Ron and he were not a very good influence. He went to his trunk to get his cloak. He knew that he was being very naughty, but he had been a very good boy for more than two months! And his father thought that he was a baby! Malfoy did not know about the cloak and Harry hoped that they would not have to use it… this was pure mischief!

---

Harry sat beside the wall on the charms classroom and must have fallen asleep, because he was awakened by Ron.

“Wake up mate…”

“Ron”

“Ready pal?”

“Yes.”

Malfoy arrived minutes later.

“Sorry I was late, I had to wait for the Prefects to go to sleep. I think that Snape told them to be sure every one was in bed….”

“Don’t worry, any way they will be here close to midnight.” They heard movement and Hermione appeared, with Neville.

“You didn’t tell me that I could bring a friend,” said Malfoy.

“This is getting too crowded…” said Ron.

“Neville was in the common room and insisted…”

“I have always liked dragons.”

“What do we do now?”

“We must be really quiet. And wait.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost 11.” Hermione used a ‘time charm’”

“How can you do that so easily?” Asked Neville.

‘Because even thought she is muggleborn she has brains.’ Malfoy surprised himself thinking this, for several reasons. First, he resented the girl, because she always knew the answers, but he thought of her as a pest, not as smart. And second, he did not say it out loud, which was good, because he could imagine the Gryffindors ganging on him defending Longbottom, he may have melted his brain along with his cauldrons, but he knew how to make friends. How could he be a Pureblood? Malfoy concluded that he was too well-bred and knew when to keep quiet.

They sat with their backs to the wall to wait.

They had to be quiet. They knew that Filch was patrolling the corridors and his cat was really nasty, she had a very good ear.

Harry thought that this felt very much like standing with his nose in the corner, not able to say a word and with lots of time to think about what he had done and what he would do next.

He looked at his sides and saw his friends sitting silently. Hermione was explaining to Neville with signs the movements he should make for the ‘time charm’ Neville followed her, tentatively until he could do it. Neville beamed at his teacher.

Malfoy was on his left, the blond boy waited expectantly. They may not be able to look at Norbert, his father had said that the cage that Professor McGonagall had created was very sturdy and did not allow him to reach out. And it would be carried by Hagrid…

Ron was looking at the bandage in his hand, he said that he was all right, but in the pale light Harry could see that he still had a taint of green.

Why were they here? This was not a rescue mission or an investigation. They had successfully left their beds… would they be able to go back with out being caught? What did he, the instigator, really want?

Harry wanted Snape… no Snape, his father to catch him. He wanted to show him that he was not a baby, that he could help. That he did not need to be send to bed when something dangerous was happening…

---

Harry had in his room a copy of the Adoption papers signed by the Minister Fudge. That plus the Adoption ceremony said that he was Snape’s son. He had felt the magic inside him when they touched their fingers with the pinpricks and their blood mixed but… he did not trust that it was permanent. It was too good. Harry had been told since before he could remember that he was a burden, a freak and that no one could love him, ever. He was told that he didn’t deserve anything. And Severus… his father had said some very different things. He had given him warm clothes and support and… he said that he loved him and the magic wouldn’t have worked otherwise. Would it?

The previous night. Harry had overheard Professor Dumbledore and his father talking about what happened on the Ministry of Magic the day they got the papers… They had used some magic balls to make the Minister believe that he shouldn’t go against the adoption ritual… but had they used something similar the day of the adoption…? Harry wanted to believe that he had felt the love reaching out from his parents and from his new father but… could that be only make believe… an illusion?

---

Would sooner or later his father realize that he was a burden and would want to discard him? He should allow Snape to know that he was troublesome and disobedient and reckless and… he should have a chance to get out of adopting Harry… But his friends shouldn’t be here. They had to go back to their beds. Reaching a decision he turned to his friends.

“Hey guys… I have thought about this, and, we should go back to our Houses…”

“What about the dragon?” Said Malfoy and Neville.

“I do not think that we would be able to see it guys… and there is a very big probability that we would be caught and… I do not want you to loose points.”

Hermione looked at him. “Harry, I think it is too late to go back” They heard voices in the corridor. They were hidden in the dark.

Hagrid was sniffling and somehow he was trying to negotiate with the schoolteachers to let him keep Norbert for a little longer…

“Jus’ for a fortnight, Professor. I’m sure that the lil’le one would learn to behave and…”

“Hagrid, Norbert will have a nice place with members of his species… that is better. A wild beast like him needs open fields to grow.” McGonagall explained.

“But the other Dragons may not like him.”

“Of course they will. Won’t they Severus?”

Harry could hear his father’s sarcasm in a low snort he gave.

“I should have given him a snack for the way, don’ you think?”

“I am sure that he will be fine, Hagrid.”

McGonagall was leading the party up. Hagrid was behind her, carrying the caged dragon and Snape was last.

Inside the cage Norbert was restless, he did not like to be carried this way. And somehow felt Hagrid’s distress. And he translated that distress into hunger. He smelled around and caught a smell of food. Something he had eaten before…

He had smelled Ron. And Ron’s injury that was still slightly open under the bandages. Norbert knew that there was food near. He felt the movement of the man that was holding him and whirled.

Hagrid let the cage go. It fell to the floor and the door opened.

McGonagall was 10 feet ahead, she turned to look, the small dragon got out of the cage and walked toward a classroom.

Hagrid saw the dragon and tried to call him, he was after all his ‘Mum’.

Snape was approximately 8 feet behind. He heard the crash and looked for something to transfigure into a rope, to tie the beast. The dragon was heading into an empty classroom, he would not have room to run farther. He and Minerva would be able to place him back in the cage. He was not counting on the scream he heard.

It sounded as if five voices screamed at the same time!

For and instant Severus thought that it was a nightmare, it couldn’t be. Harry was in his bed at the Tower. Minerva had said…

He entered the classroom and saw a scary look. His son, Harry was holding a chair and using it to keep the dragon back. Beside him Draco Malfoy was holding a desk from the top and using the legs to fend also. Granger, Longbottom and Weasley were also there! With their wands in their hands. Stupid children what were they doing here?!

The children were not scared. They had been startled at first. And knew that the dragon shouldn’t bite them. But the dragon was not that big… He was half their size and it did look cute walking towards them and moving his wings… The dragon opened his mouth recognizing Harry and Hermione whom had fed him and also Ron, whom he had tried to eat…

Minerva appeared beside him and transformed a chair into a glass wall that protected the children. Then Hagrid entered and held his pet from behind. He wanted to be sure that he was alright, before placing him carefully inside the cage.

“C’me ‘ere Norbert, c’me to mama” The little dragon was placed with out problem in the cage. Hagrid then turned and looked at the ‘captive’ audience.

“Shouldn’ these chil’en be in bed?” Asked the half giant.

Both Minerva and Snape looked at their charges. Four Gryffindors and one Slytherin. Then at each other. They were angry, confused and plain tired! Minerva looked at her watch and saw that midnight was very close.

“Let’s go up to the tower and deliver the dragon, Severus. They can’t get out of there.”

The children saw the two teachers go in silence.

Harry leaned on the glass wall and let himself slide down to the floor. His father’s look had pierced him to the soul. Something was sure. If Snape was going to repent from being his father, this was the moment.

McGonagall, Snape and Hagrid arrived at the top of the tower and saw in the sky that someone was coming. They saw them approaching and were faced with three wizards on brooms holding a harness. The wizards landed and after short greetings secured the cage of the little dragon, balancing the weight, it seemed that they do that frequently, then they flew away, after Hagrid asked them to take a good care of his little Norbert and gave them the list of recommendations that he had written. It all happened in less than 8 minutes.

Hagrid used a big handkerchief to clean the tears from his eyes as his latest pet flew away.

McGonagall patted his back. She did not really have much to say.

“I’m sorry, Professor… I can’t ‘elp it, I j’st love ‘im.”

“It’s late Rubeus, lets go to rest.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They turned to go back downstairs.

“Professors…I don’ wan’ to intrude but… those youn’gsters’, I mean they were jus’ curios. No ‘arm was done an… I got them involved first...”

“Thank you, Hagrid.” Minerva saw him folding his handkerchief after mopping his eyes again.

“I’ll go now. Thank you for your ‘elp with Norbert.”

“Do not mention it, Rubeus…” There was no use in trying to curb the big man’s affection to dangerous creatures…

Hagrid went down stairs ahead of the Professors. Minerva walked beside Severus in silence.

They arrived to the Charms classroom eventually.

The five children were sitting together, looking through the crystal wall that kept them inside. Severus could see that they were still but not asleep. He turned to talk to McGonagall.

“I’ll take Potter and Malfoy, Minerva. If that is ok with you?”

“It is not ok if it means that there are going to be two less students in the school tomorrow, Severus…” Snape gave one of his looks to the meddling witch. But she was immune to that kind of thing.

“I can control myself, Minerva.”

“I think that we are all tired. Severus. Weasley needs to go back to the Infirmary before Poppy starts looking for him. I think that she has enough beds to accommodate these miscreants. We’ll sort them out in the morning.”

“I am not going to…”

Minerva stopped him showing him her hand. “I am sure that you will be welcome to stay in the infirmary also, Severus. For my part I need to cuddle in front of the fire, so?”

“I can’t understand him… He said that he understood why I did not want him along…”

“You may ask for explanations in the morning. Are you ready now?”

Severus breathed deeply. “I am.”

“In that case loose that look of inquisitor, young man, the children need to sleep not be haunted by that expression.”

They entered the room and McGonagall made the wall disappear then with some wand movements the classroom was put to rights.

“Come with me.” She told the troop

“Yes, Ma’am” was the answer, it seemed that only Hermione was able to talk.

McGonagall walked in front of them. Hermione was behind her, then Neville, Ron, Harry and Draco. Snape walked behind with out a word. He was trying to read the child that surely had initiated this adventure. Harry was making a big effort not to cry. He felt guilty that he had dragged his friends into this disaster. If he wanted to get in trouble he did not need to be with them... Ron was keeping pace with him and told him:

“It was exciting mate. I think that Norbert remembered us and only wanted to play.”

“How do you feel?”

“Tired, it was only bad luck mate.” Ron felt that his friend needed some support.

“Snape will have our hides, Potter.” Malfoy walked beside them. He was just a realist.

“Madam Pomfrey is going to place a sticking charm on my bed.”

“Do you think they will take points?” Harry remembered how worried was Hermione about points.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, we will be dead coming the morning.” Malfoy was enjoying his last moments.

“Where do you think they will take us, this is not the way to McGonagall office?” Whispered Hermione.

“I’m sorry I made you come.”

“You did not make us, Mate…” Ron appreciated the distraction.

“At least I got to see a dragon face to face.” said Neville. Hermione placed her hand over Harry’s arm. There was not much she could say, but she was not going to stop being his friend.

They arrived to the infirmary soon enough. The mediwitch was aware of her missing patient and had already sent a message to Minerva.

Ronald was hurried back to his bed after a quick diagnose spell. He had to drink a disgusting drought for the swelling in his hand. He did not have time to say goodbye to his co-conspirators but learned that they would all sleep there.

Minerva explained to Poppy in few words their need to use the infirmary. The Mediwitch understood and moved her wand accordingly.

“Children you will find pajamas over those beds. Get ready for bed and be quick about it, it is late enough.” Madam Pomfrey took charge of her Infirmary.

Hermione was the first one to choose a bed. Madam Pomfrey closed the curtains around it. Neville hesitantly took the one next to her. Malfoy looked at his Head of house, this was different from the usual way to be dealt with in Slytherin… Snape made a movement with his head and Malfoy went to the next bed.

Harry wanted to sleep and to pretend that it had only been a bad dream. He looked at the livid adult behind him and chose the last bed. His curtains also closed behind him. Snape had not uttered a word. That was very bad!

Harry was not going to stand it if Snape were to hate him again... He removed his clothes and realized that his robes were torn, Norbert had barely reached him, but he had nasty claws. This were his new robes! Snape would also realize that he was ungrateful and…

Having changed into his pajamas and being secure in the bed Harry allowed himself to cry.

Snape heard him in the adjacent bed. ‘Good, the little menace knew that he was in deep trouble!’ He thought. It was good to let him cry for a moment. The child needed to let off a little steam after the events of the night, Severus decided to intervene when after 5 minutes the sobbing increased and it seemed that the child was without consolation. Snape’s anger had dissolved completely.

He opened the curtains around Harry’s bed and sat on the bed beside his son, he placed his hand on the child’s back. It took Harry some moments to realize that he was not alone. He heard the voice but was too immersed in his sorrow. Snape placed his arms around the child and moved him in a way that he was embracing him. He held Harry as tight as possible, asking him to breath until the sobbing subsided. The child started breathing deeply.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Sir.”

“Calm down, son, let’s not talk about what happened. You are tired. You need to sleep. You’ll see that with the morning light things won’t look so dark.”

“But, but it was foolish and dangerous and my friends could have been hurt and I disobeyed you and…”

“Sh. It is not the first time that you were disobedient Harry and knowing you it won’t be the last, I hope that time will cure you of your recklessness… Mean while you need to rest.”

“But…”

“Sh. Just breath deeply and try to sleep.” Harry took a deep breath. He felt the special smell of the Potion Master. It was nice to be held like this by his father. He was startled again. “But you won’t want to be my father anymore.”

“Why not?”

“It’s ok, I know that I am too much of a problem. And it is better like this. You do not have to… I understand, it was nice...”

Snape felt a pang in his heart. The child didn’t want to be his son anymore? That was too bad, after the blood ritual they were as much father and son as if he had gotten Lilly pregnant… and… Harry couldn’t fight the sleep any more he snuggled up into the arms that were holding him and fell asleep. Snape snorted. For someone that did not want to have him as father anymore Harry was too comfortable in his arms. He moved until his back could be rested on the headboard and closed his eyes. Holding the child that would be his death.

Harry did not wake up until the morning. He did not feel the Potion’s Professor place him on his pillows or tuck him in at three in the morning. Severus was going back to his bed when he remembered the terror he felt after he recognized Harry’s scream inside the charm’s classroom. He felt like dying when he recognized his child fighting with the dragon using a chair! Severus transfigured a rocking chair and summoned a blanket. He was too scared to close his eyes and realize that his child had been hurt.

---

Minerva McGonagall woke up rested. She needed a cup of tea and some toast. She called her favorite elf to bring it to her office and prepared several papers.

It was inconceivable that three of her charges had left her House last night! After she had given specific instructions to the prefects and to the Fat Lady. She would have to take some drastic measures about that. It was not of much consolation that one of Snape’s snakes had been able to sneak out also.

She sent notes to the perfects and prepared herself to face her lions. She saw the time and decided to hurry up. Severus had slept in the Infirmary and surely he would use that advantage to give the children a good talking to.

When Minerva arrived to the infirmary she realized that the occupants were still asleep. She tiptoed using her abilities as a cat to enter silently and discovered that the mediwitch was not at her office. She knocked at Poppy’s room and the knocking was answered by a sleeping looking witch

"Minerva..? Is there a problem?”

“Every one is asleep, are you all right?”

“I placed a calming spell on all, they were too restless, so they had a good night sleep.”

“I will order breakfast.”

“Do that while I take a quick shower. Thank you, Minerva.”

Professor McGonagall was on her way to order breakfast when she decided to ask Severus what he preferred… his bed was empty. With a little trepidation in case this meant that she had to address another emergency she opened the curtain of the next bed and found Severus sleeping on a rocking chair. He was holding Harry’s hand. She suppressed a laugh and silently closed the curtain again. Those two had solved their problems last night then.

The smell of recently toasted bread and scrambled eggs made the children stir in their beds.

Hermione was the first one out.

“Miss Granger.”

“Good Morning, Professor.”

Neville was next, then Malfoy, he followed Hermione and sat down at the table that had been placed in the middle of the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey arrived and she opened Ron’s curtain. The red headed boy was starving but he was not able to leave his bed as Madam Pomfrey had placed a sticking charm to his sheets!

Harry opened his eyes. He retrieved his hand and the Potion’s Master opened his eyes also.

“Good morning, child.”

Harry knew that he did not deserve the greeting, he closed his eyes and said. “You did not have to stay here.”

“I had to stay because of the nightmares.”

“Did I wake you up with a nightmare?” Harry did not remember any nightmare, just that he had cried himself out of any control last night.

“Not yours child. Mine.”

“You had a nightmare, sir?”

“It is a miracle that I only had a nightmare, after my son was attacked by a dragon, I may have had a stroke.”

“You do not have to be my father if you do not want to. I understand… I am sorry you were scared.” Here was the father theme again. Snape hoped that it was only last night’ stress.

“What are you talking about son? Why would I stop being your father? After the blood adoption I can’t stop being your father. Even if I wanted to, which I do not.”

“How do you know that it worked? You deceived the minister, you might have deceived me…”

Severus was reminded of the conversation he had with Dumbledore. Harry was supposed to be asleep...“So, I have to add eavesdropping to your faults, child. At this rate you won’t stop washing cauldrons until your graduation.” Severus regret his intent of joking, the face of Harry fell more if that was possible. Harry tried to explain.

“But Sir, I know. I do not deserve to have a father. I am a burden and a freak. And I am disobedient, careless, naughty and incorrigible and rude and…” Harry broke down sobbing. He had said it. He would have to learn to live with out his.. Sev.. Snape.

Snape did not know how to deal with this. He knew that in the two months previous the child had behaved too well. Harry had been scared of rejection. But how could he doubt the magic that had surrounded them? Then he understood. As Harry had heard about the magic balls and the minister of Magic... If the minister of magic could be deceived, why not an 11 year old child that was starving for love?

Snape sat in the bed and held the child tightly again. The child melted in his arms. This was the child that just last night had used a chair to keep a dragon away from him and his friends...

“Harry, Harry listen to me.” The boy kept crying. Severus realized that he had to do something drastic. “Harry James Potter Evans Snape!”

Harry stopped his sobbing. Snape had never called him by his complete name. Was it really so long? And in that tone of voce, it was better to pay attention. This was the scary Snape of his nightmares. He opened his eyes to look at the man that was holding him. “Are you listening?” Said the black eyes as soon as the green touched them.

“Yes, Sir.” Snape used his hand to apply a smack on the child’s bottom.

“Drop the ‘Sir’ son, I am your father and that is the way you are going to address me from now on.” The smack was not hard but through thin pajamas it had smarted. “Yes, father.” Harry said tentatively he wished he had one more hand to rub his backside, but his two hands were busy holding onto his father.

“Now son. You are right, the Minister was deceived into thinking that it was dangerous to go against ancient blood magic. But the truth is that he already knew that the ritual was completed. He was angry because we did it with out asking the Ministry. They are control freaks. And they wanted to bargain with your adoption. They learned about it because it was successful. We both wanted it to happen and it was a nice real ritual.”

“I liked that I felt the magic around you and me.”

“Do you think that could have been faked?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well trust me, it can not.”

“But I… disobeyed you and went out of the dormitory and told Draco and Ron to come with me and…”

“Miss Granger and Longbotton, it was as if a picnic was announced…!”

“It was like going against the ritual and… nothing happened.”

“Were you expecting a bolt of lightning to strike you son?” Harry had his head buried into Snape’s robes he just held Snape tighter. “Harry, the ritual made you my son. It was not to change you… You are 11. And a normal child. Of course you are bound to disobey and to make wrong decisions. That is why I’m here. To teach you… You are a child. My child.”

“Do you still want to be my father, then?” Snape’s answer was another stinging smack.

“Ouch! That hurt.”

“I have plenty where that come from and I will keep bringing them if you keep on insisting that you are not my son or that I do not want to be your father.”

“Ouch!” Another smack fell. They were not hard but they were being placed in the same area. For a cumulative smart. “Dad, please. I understand…”

“That is better.”

“But what am I to call you when in class?”

“Professor or Sir, will be appropriate then, but not when we are alone, or with your friends. Then it is dad or father, understood?” Harry nodded into Snape’s chest, he remembered then that they were in the Infirmary and that his friends were close. “Are they hearing us, dad?”

“No, Harry. I placed silencing charms around your bed. Are you ready for breakfast now?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Let’s go then.”

Harry took his clothes and put them on. He saw the torn robe and turned to look at his father. Snape used his wand to repair the cloth with out any comment. Harry smiled, he loved magic.

They walked together toward the table where the rest were already finishing with breakfast.

Minerva pointed to two covered dishes.

“Glad you could join us, gentlemen.”

“Thank you for waiting for us, Minerva.”

Harry sat between Draco and Hermione.

“Are you all right Harry?” Hermione saw him flinch as he sat down.

“Yes, Hermione.”

Minerva informed Severus quietly what were her plans for the miscreants and he accepted.

Professor McGonagall waited until the plates and glasses were empty. Then the lecture started. Minerva reminded them that the rules were placed for their safety and that they had to obey them. That regardless of who had planned it… She looked at Harry... they had shown lack of common sense and excess of inventive two characteristics that were more than dangerous if placed together. She also told them that they were children and that they should rely on being protected by their seniors and the adults residing in the castle.

She stated that the prefects of their respective houses were also held accountable for their foolishness and they would serve detentions, one with her and one with the Potion’s master, where they would review the reasons why they were made prefects and given the position of authority and responsibility in their respective Houses. Then came the consequences for the five dragon hunters. The five children would have a set time for going to bed for a week and they would be given a token, by their house prefect each night, when they were in their beds. They would be required to present all those tokens to their Head of House at the end of their confinement. If they presented the 7, restriction would be over, if even one token was missing they would stay on restriction for another week. The set time would be 8 o’clock PM. As they had Astronomy at midnight, that day they would have to be in bed 25 minutes after the class ended. They were also going to serve detentions. Two with McGonagall and two with Snape. They were forbidden from any extra-curricular activity during that week. In Harry’s case it meant that he was not going to be allowed to practice Quidditch. And each would be given a set of lines to be delivered each day. 100 a day. And last, they would loose 10 points each from their houses. In the case of Gryffindor it meant 40 points. Snape did not say a word.

“Come with me to my office where I will give you the set of lines that you are going to complete and I will also show you the tokens. You will serve the detentions during the next two weeks.” McGonagall look at each child in turn. “Mr. Malfoy you may go with Professor Snape. Mr. Potter…” She looked at Snape.

“Harry, you should go with your head of house, I will meet you at our quarters when you finish.”

“Yes, dad.”

---

Harry entered his and his father’s quarters, the corridors were too busy to wait until he opened the door.

“Dad. Are you here?”

“Over here Harry, in your room.” Harry followed the voice and wondered what was his father doing there? He hoped that he was not removing his new toys as part of the punishment.

Severus was setting a mirror. It was a wooden framed mirror, about Snape’s size.

“What are you doing? I don’t need a mirror to get dressed.”

“I do not intend it for that, although it would help you get dressed correctly.”

“What is it for?”

“Just give me a moment and I’ll explain…” Severus took one step back and saw that the mirror was settled. The sturdy wooden legs were designed to keep the mirror in place.

“I have the longest line to write and McGonagall wants 100 each day, including today!.”

“It will help you to practice your calligraphy.” Harry knew that his father was not going to be sympathetic at all.

“There…” Snape stood beside Harry. Both their figures reflected in the mirror. “Now son, I want you to stand in front of the mirror and tell me what you see.”

“Is it a magic mirror? like the Erised one…?”

“You’ll see.”

Harry stood close to the mirror. He saw only his reflection. His face was kind of dirty, he had broken his record of crying this day. He tried to look behind him, but there was nothing different.

“Do I need to say some words?”

“Not at all, just tell me what do you see?”

“Nothing. Only me.”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Enough? It’s just me in the mirror.”

“Yes it is. And what do you see? Describe it to me.” Snape brought a chair to sit close to Harry.

“Well, I have black hair” “That refuse to lie down” Completed Snape. Harry only looked at him and continued, “and green eyes, I have glasses. And I have a straight nose and thin mouth…. My face is a little smudged, I guess I should wash it. I am thin and I am wearing the school uniform with my robes… Is that what I am supposed to see?”

“That’s you. Now, son. Can you tell me if the boy in the mirror is obedient?”

“Obedient?”

“Yes, or if he is responsible and polite or if he has good grades or if he goes to bed on time?”

“That can’t be shown in a mirror.” Where was the catch?

“I know.” Snape smiled. Harry was confused. “It only shows me. It is a normal mirror.”

“It is a great mirror Harry, because it shows the child I love. And it can’t tell me if my son is obedient or studious or stubborn. But it doesn’t matter because I love you as you are Harry, with the good and the bad. Just as you are. Like your reflection.”

“You. Love. Me. As. I Am?” Harry was digesting the words and about to cry. Once more!

“I wouldn’t want to change a hair from your head son.”

“You love me even when I am disobedient and brake curfew…” Harry embraced his father, unable to keep talking. So Severus continued where he had left it. “And go hunting for dragons in the middle of the night. I may not like what you do but nothing would make me stop liking you or stop loving you. I am your father. And that is what fathers are for. And I do not want to hear another word about us stopping being father and son, are we clear?”

“Yes, Dad.” Harry felt himself surrounded by the potions ingredients smells in his father’s robes. They embraced for a while. Both of them had tears in their eyes. After some minutes Harry asked “Dad are you going to add to Professor McGonagall punishment?”

“Yes I am, son. I want you to remember before you get yourself in trouble again. But I think that you have enough restrictions, so I think that a smacking is in order, what do you think?.”

“You already spanked me this morning…”

“Those smacks were only to get your attention.” Snape rubbed circles into Harry’s back. “Should we get over this now?”

Harry wanted this to end. “Yes, Sir.” Harry was not expecting the smack that landed at his left buttock. Snape should wait until he was in position! “Ouch!”

“Remember not to call me Sir.”

“Dad!” Harry pouted as he was placed over Snape’s lap. Severus gave him six sound smacks. Then stood him up and held him again. Harry was glad that he wouldn’t have more essays or lines to write and because he felt that the matter was closed for his father. He cried into the embrace, relieved that his fears were subdued. He had a new mirror to remind him. The smarting of the smacks faded fast. After some minutes his father said. “Wash your face and hands we’ll have lunch and then we’ll go to Hogsmeade, I know of a boy that needs some ice-cream before he starts to write his lines.”

On Sunday Harry woke in his room in the dungeons and looked around. He was happy to be there, it had been a very tiring week. And he had only been able to see his father in class.

With his bedtime set at 8 he had very little time to visit or to do anything fun. He had to have his homework ready before dinner as after dinner he had to use all the time available to write lines!

No body knew about the dragon, but everyone learned about the five children that were caught after curfew. And learned about the trouble they were in.

The teachers had not been sympathetic, they had assigned researches and essays as if theirs were the only classes Harry was taking. And Binns had asked him for extra work because of the class he missed! Even his father… He had transformed into the ‘Evil git from the Dungeons’ and asked for thousands of ingredients properties to be researched for the next class, and then made them brew from memory a laughing potion!

As if there was anything to laugh about. And his fellow housemates had been very angry about the 40 points that were deducted from Gryffindor that had placed them behind in the contest for the house cup. They made snide remarks about the ‘point losing babies’! And the Gryffindor prefects… They were nasty covered in honey. He knew that his father and Professor McGonagall had lectured them until they wished their ears would fall off, and the Potion’s Master had made them prepare the most disgusting ingredients. But they enjoyed in a sadistic way that they had to supervise the ‘foolish firsties’ to bed each night.

Hermione, Ron, Neville and Harry had to stay in the Common room for most of the time after dinner, and at 7.30 one of the prefects would say.

“It’s time to get our babies ready for bed” And they would help them pack their backpacks and ask them to go up to their rooms. The rest of the Gryffindors would only enjoy the show and some would make comments like “Lovely babies” or that they should were nappies! Harry had protested one of the days and the prefect, Percy Weasley! presented him with a pacifier the next night! and placed it in Harry’s mouth before giving him the token.

Then one would go up with Hermione and wait for her to put on her pajamas and get ready for bed. And gave her the token. That was not so bad, but Percy went with Ron, Harry and Neville and he was really unpleasant with Ron, one night he made him change his underwear twice! And did threaten to have him wear nappies. Once they were in bed he always asked them if they wanted a story. And it didn’t matter what they answered, he always sat and made like opening a book and sat there telling them stories about bad boys that were eaten by giants or by monsters or wild animals because they were disobedient. Only when he had given them the grossest details, he made to tuck their beds and gave them the token. And to add insult to injury. The token was a small dragon figurine! Professor McGonagall had a very crooked sense of humor.

Fortunately the 6 nights had passed and Harry and his friends gave the tokens to their Head of House on Saturday evening.

McGonagall gave them a small lecture and reminded them that the following of the rules was for their safety. And then allowed them to go. Harry was allowed to visit his father and to sleep in his bed that night.

Harry stretched like a cat, and thought that he would like to have pancakes for breakfast. Then he thought that it would be fun to be a cat. He remembered that his cousin, once when they were 6 or 7, had said at the breakfast table that he was going to be a monkey. Aunt Petunia had looked at him adoringly and asked what that meant and Dudley had refused to speak, he just screeched and tried to sound like a monkey. Aunt Petunia was amazed and she said that Dudley could be a little monkey for the day and gave him bananas and oranges. And later gave him ice cream, and spoon fed him with soup. Harry knew that monkeys did not eat ice cream, but he was not asked his opinion. Dudley had kept acting like a monkey until bedtime. When he said that he was going to be a boy again and aunt Petunia said she was glad because she loved her little boy very much. Harry thought it had been funny although he was made to stay keeping watch of the ‘monkey’ and putting to rights all the things he threw down… What would his father said if Harry was to behave like a cat for the day?

Harry stretched again and decided to find out. He stayed in bed until he heard sounds from the kitchen and knew his father was preparing breakfast. He went out to inform him he wanted pancakes, but was received by the smell of porridge.

“Porridge!”

“No whining, child, porridge is a very healthy breakfast.”

“But I want pancakes or waffles or…” Snape interrupted him.

“You have enough sugar on weekdays, I have to see that you have healthy meals at least once a week.”

“But I have grown and I am in the right weight now, even Madam Pomfrey said so, I do not need ‘fattening’ any more.”

“Wash your hands, breakfast is ready. You may have a fried egg and toast after you finish your porridge.”

Harry obeyed, knowing that there was no use to fight with his father over breakfast. He was in the middle of it when he asked. “What are you going to do today?”

“I have a lot of things to grade. And as OWLs and NEWTs are near I have scheduled some meetings with the fifth and seventh years after lunch. Have you started reviewing for your finals?”

“Hermione has been preparing since March.”

“I am glad, she is a good student, but I asked about you.”

“I do not want to study today. Its Sunday…”

“I expect you to have good grades, Son. So if you do not want to study… what do you want to do?”

“I want to… I want to be a cat.”

“What are you talking about, child?” Snape took a look at the porridge, had the child eaten something that made him have that notion?

“I do not want to transform into a cat, Professor McGonagall can do it, it is weird, but I want to pretend that I am a cat.” Harry knew that it sounded childish, would his father remind him that he was 11, almost 12 years old? He looked at the stern man. Severus looked at him up and down. “Just pretend?”

“Meow.” Snape was amazed, Harry had the strangest notions. “So you are going to mewl away your day?”

“Meow.”

“And what does a cat do for fun?” Harry had not given it a lot of thought, he was glad that his father had decided to play along. Harry went to his room and took a blanket from his bed, then he went to the living room and placed it over the sofa, he placed the blanket making a small cave and snuggled in the sofa with it covering him and smiling said “Meow”.

“So my cat wants to stay cuddled in a blanket all day.”

“Meow.”

“Suit yourself my child, I am going to review papers until lunch.”

Harry snuggled and closed his eyes. What do cat’s do for fun? He remembered that Mrs. Figg had a lot of cats, and mostly they just lie on chairs or on the sun. Some others like to play chase and pounce on each other. Harry opened one eye and looked at his father. There were several piles of papers in front of him, he bet that he wouldn’t take it well if Harry pounced on the desk. What else? There were two cats that always wanted to be petted and pestered Harry until he gave up and rubbed their backs. That would be nice, like the night his father rubbed his back until he fell asleep… Harry closed his eyes again and may have fallen asleep because he felt hungry when he opened them again.

“Meow! Meow!” Severus looked from his place to the child. “I see that you are awake now, lazy cat, it’s almost lunch time. Would you want some cat food?”

Harry shook his head. “Meow.”

“Picky…that is all that cats should eat. People food makes them sick.”

Harry shook his head. “Meow.”

“I will feed a child, not a cat.” It was Snape’s moment to be stubborn. But he wanted to talk with his son and it would be tiring with him mewling.

Harry shook his head. “Meow.” Again. And made him tender wanting eyes.

“How about some tuna salad?” Relented Severus.

“Meow!Meow!”

“Good and some chicken soup, but you have to use spoons and forks.”

“Meow.” Assented the boy.

Harry knew he was being foolish, but it was fun! Snape had received some parenting books the day of the ‘child-shower’ and had read parts, he guessed that Harry was behaving like a much younger kid because he had missed being able to fool around, as his relatives did not allow him to play and also because he trusted him completely and was not scared of being ridiculed or harmed in any way.

The cat-child ate his soup and salad happily, Severus insisted that he should drink some milk with his meal and the pretended pet did not protest.

After they finished the meal, Harry took his father’ sleeve and pulled him mewling to the sofa, where he sat behind him and placed his head under Severus hand.

“What are you doing cat-Harry?”

“Meow, meow, meow…”

“Now you want to be petted. Don’t you?”

The boy nodded. “Meow!”

Snape looked at him. “I am getting tired of this nonsense, child,” He said but started petting him. He placed his hand under Harry’s pajama jacket and scratched his back softly. The boy was almost purring. “And you are still in your night clothes, you should be doing something else.” He gave Harry a light slap in the rump. “There child, I have to go to my office for a while, you may stay here and keep with your game or you may go out with your broom.”

“But,” said Harry with out moving from his father’s knees. “It is not fun to be a cat if I am alone.”

“I’ve heard that cats like to be alone.” Snape tickled him.

“I am not that kind of cat, I like to be here with you.”

“But I am busy today, Son. We can’t stay on the sofa all day. You can if you want.” The cat-Harry pouted a little. “Maybe I will go out and fly.”

“Get dressed first.”

“Can I be a cat later? Like after dinner?”

“You are sleeping in your dorm. Would your housemates play along?”

“No, I don’t think so… Next week?”

“Yes, Harry.” Severus messed his hair. “Get your helmet.”

Harry left his room dressed and ready to fly. Snape was standing at his desk. “I reviewed your essay about dragons, Harry.” Harry held his breath, had his father noticed that he had been helped…? “Why did you make a drawing?” Harry breathed again but carefully.

“It is for Hagrid, the picture was in one of the books we used for the research…”

“We?”

“Hermione helped me with the research and also Draco… a little.”

“I see. I noted also that your work was very good, I expect that you will maintain this level of thoroughness on your homework, from now on.

Severus did not need to look at his son to know that he had flinched.

“Yes, dad.”

“You may take the drawing to Hagrid this afternoon.

“Yes, dad.”

“Come in before dinner and be careful with his pets.”

---

Harry had taken his broom, his helmet and Hagrid’s drawing out to the Quidditch field. Ron asked to use his broom first. Hermione had a book and sat reading on the bleachers. Harry sat behind her and asked some questions about the book… After a while he stood up.

“Where are you going? Are you not going to fly?” Hermione closed her book.

“Ron is going to take a while… I am going to visit Hagrid, do you want to come?”

“Does he have another surprise?”

“No. I am taking him the drawing I made of Norbert.”

The two friends walked toward the cabin and found the big man chopping some wood.

“Hi there kids! How have you been?” Hagrid walked with them inside the cabin.

“Grounded” said Harry. Hermione nudged him with her elbow. Hagrid did not notice. He placed a teapot on the fire and sat down.

“I got a letter from Charlie, he said that,” The man pulled out a tablecloth sized handkerchief and dried his eyes. “He said that little Norbert is fine, he is making a lot of friends… I wish I could go and visit him…”

Harry stood up and said. “I have something for you Hagrid.” Harry handed him the drawing.

“Oh! Harry it is great! Oh! I will place it on my wall… it will remind me of Norbert…” The man blew his nose. “Dragons are my favorites. Since I was a child… Can you stay for some tea?”

“Yes.” The children helped Hagrid to place the cups on the table. They saw that Hagrid had moved some of the burnt furniture, but he had kept all.

While the teapot started boiling Hagrid found a tack and placed the drawing near his bed.

“There I will be able to see it from my bed.”

---

“Did you have fun with Hagrid?”

“Yes, we stayed for tea…”

“I’ve finished with the interviews, do you want to walk with me to the Great Hall?”

“Yes.”

“What is it? You look worried.”

“I’m a little worried.”

“Is there a lot of homework that you are missing?”

“No, I don’t know how we managed with all the lines and the extra homework, but we completed all, even the one that we have to deliver tomorrow…”

“Then what is it…?”

“Nothing.”

“Harry, it’s not good when you look like that.”

“I am a little worried because of something Hagrid said.”

“Is he planning to adopt a Tyrannosaurus?”

“No dad! He said that he explained the guy that gave him the egg how to get past Fluffy…And Fluffy is guarding the stone… and… someone is attacking the unicorns…

They were walking by the potion’s classroom. Severus pulled Harry in sat him on one of the tables and asked. “How do you know about the stone? Didn’t I tell you to keep your nose out of the third floor corridor?” Severus looked very sternly at his son.

“I haven’t gone near there since last year…we… I found out who was Flamel and… we figured that what Fluffy is guarding is a Philosopher’ stone and… Now someone knows how to get past Fluffy…”

Severus covered his face with his hands. Was every child or only this one so complicated?

“Son, you know that I do not approve of your snooping around…”

“I was not snooping, I only…” Harry interrupted, but closed his mouth at Snape’s stare.

“You are right about what that beast is guarding. But ‘Fluffy’ is not the only protection in place, there are several others.”

“There are… like what?”

“I am not going to discuss them with you, just rest assured that the stone is safe. I will inform Professor Dumbledore about your findings. We do not only want to protect the stone, we want to catch anyone trying to steal it.”

“Then it’s like a trap, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It is. I do not want you near there at all. Not only the corridor is out of bounds for you, it’s the complete floor and I do not want you talking about it either. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Repeat what I said, in your own words.”

“The stone is safe because not only Fluffy is protecting it, you do not only want to keep it safe, you want to trap whomever wants to steal it… and I shouldn’t go near the third floor or talk about it, but Ron and Hermione already know… can I tell them?”

“You may only repeat what you have just told me and they are also forbidden from the proximity of the third floor.”

“Yes, father.” Harry looked at his hands. Severus remember the other piece of information that Harry had uttered…

“What did you say about the unicorns?”

“Hagrid is worried because some one killed a unicorn… and Hermione said that if someone is drinking unicorn blood… We guessed that it’s the same one that is trying to get the stone…”

Severus was beginning to feel a headache coming, he could never understand the way young minds could jump to their conclusions.

“I will ask Hagrid to report his findings to the Head Master.”

“So, do you think we are right?”

“I did not say that…there are dangerous creatures in the forest, Harry, you are also not allowed to go near there, understood?”

“I know it’s forbidden…”

“Knowledge has not stopped you in the past.” Snape took him by the arms and placed him on the floor. “Let’s go to dinner and stop worrying about the stone, we are taking care of that.”

“Yes, father.”

---

“Severus… I thought it was Filius turn to patrol tonight.” McGonogall saw him from her opened door.

“It is his turn, I needed to walk…”

“Something you need to talk about?”

“Inquisitiveness of a certain green-eyed child.”

“What now?”

Severus told Minerva about his latest conversation with Harry, about the stone and about the unicorns.

“If those children were to apply the same efforts in their studies…”

“I know.”

“Are you worried that he will not heed your orders?”

“I know that he will not stop worrying, but I trust that he will obey me.”

“You two have walked a long way.”

“I am sure that it’s only baby steps, I may be worrying too much.”

“I’ve heard that it’s part of being a parent.”

“And I am just starting. Although I trust that Harry will mind me. There is something dark approaching.”

“We have tried all the protections Severus, the Stone is safe.”

“I am worrying because of one of our colleagues…”

“Quirrell?”

“The man is stranger that ever and he is obsessed with the stone. I have to be careful not to use the lavatory if he is in there.”

“And what do you think?”

“I think that… I may be as delusional as my son, but I think that someone is making Quirrell ask too many questions.”

“He wanted me to explain to him in detail the charms that I placed in the chamber…”

“Did you?”

“Of course not, I told him that transfiguration was a very ample field and allowed to do a lot of things. I may have implied that I had used armors…”

“He pestered me about my part in the protection… I asked him if he had heard about the draught of the living death…”

“Zombies?”

“I did not explain…”

“Do you think he is under any duress?”

“I don’t know, sometimes he is trembling as a tree leave and sometimes it’s like he breakfasted some backbone.”

“Does Harry know about Quirrell’s questions?”

“Not at all. He is wary of the man since New Year. The man gives him a headache sometimes.”

“A headache?”

“Poppy believes that it’s a kind of allergy, any way Harry does not speak with the man outside of the classroom.”

“Did he mention anything about the restriction?”

“Just that he was glad that it ended. I overheard a little bit of his conversation with his co-conspirators and pacifiers, nappies and bedtime stories were mentioned. Don’t you think that Mr. Weasley was too zealous in his dealings with the lions?”

“Do you think I should look into it?”

“Some retribution was also discussed, so he will be… how may I say it… surprised.”

“As long as they do not make a mess of the common room or the corridors… all is fair play.”

“I would like to be there.”

“We can’t sanction it.”

“Pity… well… I’m glad we talked.”

Minerva only smiled.

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.

Harry felt himself wake up in the dark room. He held his breath trying to guess what had brought him from dreamland. Near him he could hear Neville’ soft snores and also Ron’s… Malfoy and his dorm mates were also close. Harry could not identify them.

There were 17 children all in all in Snape’s and Harry’s quarters in the dungeons.

It had been very easy to do it. He, Hermione, Ron and Draco had planned it. Draco knew about the wards around Slytherin, they would be triggered if anyone leaves the room after curfew, technically they did not left their common room. They entered Snape’s quarters using his private entrance to the Slytherin common room. Harry only had to open the door. And for the Gryffindors... They met in their room half an hour before curfew. Harry had used his cloak; he had escorted Seamus and Dean to the library and then walked back for Neville and Ron. As almost every dorm was throwing a party nobody noticed. The prefect saw them going up their room, but as Percy was distracted by the twins, he did not check inside the room. They placed their pillows under the covers just in case…

The girls in Gryffindor had claimed that they need some ‘feminine assistance’ from Madam Pomfrey and were allowed to go out.

Once in his quarters Harry told everyone that they could not enter Snape’s bedroom or office. They had sleeping bags and distributed them between the living room and Harry’s room.

They asked for desserts from the kitchen elves and played charades and imitate their professors before turning off the lights and starting to tell scary stories.

The children were tired after the exams and the excitement of sneaking out of their common rooms, so they started falling asleep and at 11 no one was stirring. Harry turned in his sleeping bag. They had cushioning charms, so he did not feel the hard floor, he recalled that his father returned the next day. He would have to clean the quarters early. He had said that he was going to return on Friday, it was not going to be good if he arrived to a living room full of Slytherins and Gryffindors. Harry cuddled between his warm covers and fell asleep again.

---

Severus ran to the third floor corridor and opened the door carefully, he saw that the three-headed dog was occupied, one of the heads was chewing what looked like a torn harp, and the other two were trying to chew on it too. The trap under the dog was open and branches were coming out. Definitively someone had gone inside.

He closed the door and retraced his steps. Filius, Pomona, Poppy and Snape met in the Infirmary.

“You found Minerva’s missing cubs, have you not?”

“Minerva’s and more. There are a lot of children sleeping in my living room.”

“My house is all accounted for…”

“Slytherins, Gryffindors, boys and girls.”

“Not completely unheard of, but… I trust that you will have plenty to say when they wake up.”

“Yes. Have you checked on the Ravens?”

“Yes, all in bed and asleep.”

“And the staff.”

“Albus is with the minister and will come in the morning. Minerva and Quirrel are missing.”

“The third floor corridor has been disturbed… we need to go there.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for Albus?”

“We can’t all go, I think we should call the Aurors…”

“Albus would want to keep this between us…”

“Lets keep the students inside their common rooms, the elves can feed them there and they will be safe. Poppy, you, Pomona and Filch may manage until Albus arrives… Filius, would you come with me?”

“Certainly, Severus. We can bring Hagrid with us to take care of Fluffy.”

“The firsties are safe in your quarters?”

“Yes, Harry knows how to ask for meals, they wont starve. We’ll sort them out later.” Much later. Thought Severus. He needed time to wash them and rinse them properly.

“Severus, remember that the Devils’ Snare can be controlled with warmth and light. Do not harm it…” Snape thought that Pomona was just like Hagrid, both loving dangerous creatures…

---

Flitwick and Snape found Professor McGonagall in a heap near a gigantic chessboard. The figures were surrounding her protectively. They allowed Severus to kneel beside her. She regained consciousness as he touched her.

“Severus, you are back… I can’t find Harry…”

“Do not worry Minerva, he is safe in my quarters… What happened to you?”

“Quirrell… he said that he would come with me to help… Once I won the game… he hit me… the white knight helped me but… I think my leg is broken, the black tower went after him but I can’t tell you what happened… ”

“Do not worry.”

“The next room has your trap Severus…”

Snape stood up and through the door saw a black figure on the floor. The black tower he guessed, under it he could distinguish a turban, he walked closer and saw that not only the turban was under the chess piece, Quirrell had not been able to move from its way. He touched the man and realized that even if he was immobile, the man was not dead. He looked at the table where he had placed the potions. One bottle was empty, the stupid man had chosen wrongly…

Severus had warned him about the ‘Draught of the living death’. The man would not be able to be questioned until 24 hours after he drink the antidote…

Flitwick had placed a splint on Minerva’s leg and walked beside his colleague.

“He did not get too far.”

“Minerva has always been very good with transfiguration.”

“We need to take her to Poppy for medical attention, I’ll levitate the chess piece, you move Quirinus.”

---

It was tricky to take the two stretchers up the trap hole, they managed with Hagrid’s help. ‘Fluffy’ was happy, each head had a bone and was biting on them with relish.

At the Infirmary they found that Professor Dumbledore had arrived.

“Minerva?” The old man looked worried as his deputy levitated in the stretcher. Quirrell came behind her.

“Quirrell? What happen to you two?”

“He is in no position to answer, Albus.” Informed Severus. “He seems to have drunk the “draught of the living death”…

“And a chess tower fell on him…” Said Flitwick.

“We are not sure in what order.”

“He was after the stone, he attacked me… He hit my head… fortunately it was in the chess room…”

“Chess pieces are very loyal…” Said the white bearded man. “Why would he… We’ll have to wait to find out… And how do you feel?”

“I’ve been better Albus. I trust that Poppy will fix my leg, I will need a drink then.” Poppy started fusing around her. She moved her wand up and down and used her bone mending charm.

“Now Minerva, move your toes… it’s going to hurt a little but they need to be moving while the bone mends…” Minerva flinched but obeyed. The pain disappeared a moment later… The witch started breathing calmer. She looked at her colleagues around her… She was not really used to all that attention… “Severus, are you sure that Potter is all right?”

“Yes, Minerva, he is in my quarters, along with his dorm mates and my Slytherin first years… I think that the girls are there also, they are in Harry’s room…”

“The little Devil… how could they pull something like that…?”

“I’ll make him explain in the morning… now I am tired. I will go to sleep.”

“What do we do about Quirrell…?” Poppy was examining the odd man. “He seems to be in a kind of comma…”

“Oh… I’m tired… I forgot, he needs… I have to brew an antidote for the ‘draught of the living death’ I am not sure I’ve got the ingredients… He won’t move, just make him comfortable… I will be able to tell you in the morning, after I sort my house and my quarters…”

“Severus… you said that your quarters are full with Slytherins and Gryffindors?”

“Yes, Albus, they are camping in my living room…”

“May I see them?”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Because… Severus it has always been my dream that the children could forget hat they are in separate houses and just be friends and children… because if what you said it’s truth… And I know it’s the truth… those kids are friends.”

“Did they thrash your quarters?” asked Pomona.

Snape breathed deeply… “I only had my wand lighted… the furniture had been moved toward the walls but the place was all right. The kitchen was full of dirty dishes, they were sleeping peacefully…”

“Please Severus… I have to see it. I promise I will be quiet…”

Severus left the room with the Head Master beside him. Once in his quarters he opened the door and conjured a light sphere. Albus Dumbledore was very silent as he looked around and saw that the children were sleeping peacefully. A big smile appeared on his face. Snape knew that he was going to regret it. The old man went out and back to the infirmary. Where he sat for a while beside Minerva. The witch was asleep. The frozen man had been placed on the other side of the infirmary. Only time would tell what had been his plans.

---

Harry woke up at 6.They all had to get in their beds before the rest of their house wake up… He sat down and lighted the lamps.

“C’mon on guys, time to wake up. We have to go…”

“Shut up, Potter… turn off the light!” Crabbe sat against the sofa.

“Harry…”Hermione went out of his rooms… “Aren’t you guys ready…?”

“We just woke up.” Draco shook Zabini and Goyle. “We can go back to sleep on our beds. Just open the door Potter. Thanks for inviting us.”

“Before you go, I’ll need your help putting the furniture back in its place…”

Once every one was awake they rolled the sleeping bags and were about to move the furniture when a voice spoke from behind them.

“Leave the sofa where it is, Gentlemen. Get ready to go back to your houses now. Ladies… let the kitchen be…”

“Professor Snape…”

Severus stood by the living room’s wall, he was wearing his robe and slippers but was as scary as always.

“Dad… let me explain…”

“You will have time for that later, Mr. Potter. Slytherins,” Snape opened the door to the common room… “I trust that you know the way. Go back to sleep. And do not leave your dorm until I call for you.”

“Yes, sir.” Nine voices said as they paraded out of the room. Severus closed the door after them. “Gryffindors… come with me. We do not want you to be lost on your way to your common room, do we?”

“Sir…”Hermione tried to talk.

“No time for that, Miss Granger. You do not want me to start docking points so early in the morning, do you?”

“No, Professor.”

“Close your mouth and come with me.”

Harry was walking between Ron and Neville…

“Not you, Mr. Potter. Go to your room, I will be right back.”

“Yes, Sir.” Harry saw his father flinch. This was a big mess.

---

Severus guided the children through the silent corridors of the castle. He arrived at Minerva’s quarters and wondered if the witch was back there. He knocked anyway and waited. His companions had been quiet all the time. The door was opened, but it was not the Head of Gryffindor. Albus Dumbledore dressed in his dark blue robes opened the door.

“Severus!”

“Head Master…”

“I see you are bringing them to Minerva, but she stayed with Poppy in the infirmary. I am covering for her. Children say thank you to Professor Snape for escorting you here and go back to your beds.

The children could see that Snape had not liked those instructions. “Thank you Professor…” Said the girls as they walked inside the office and the boys just nodded, the children hurried out of his sight.

“I am going back to my bed, Severus.”

“Albus…”

“We’ll talk later my boy. The children are unharmed and your quarters are also in one piece. No harm was done at all. We can wait for the sun to warm up before beginning to talk.

“Albus”

“I refuse to talk before my morning tea, Severus. And I will drink it at breakfast.” The old man was smiling but Severus knew that he was not going to arrive at anything else.

“Yes, Albus, see you later then.”

“Severus, I see that you left Harry in your quarters.”

“Yes.”

“I would like to talk with him if you do not mind…”

“I will bring him at 9. Albus, I presume that by then you would have finish your breakfast.”

“I will Severus.”

Meddling old man. He was so happy that the children had bonded that he was sure to give them points!

He had to admit that considering all the possibilities, finding the children in his quarters was the best out come. And the children had been sensible enough, nobody had tampered with his alcohol, and they had gone to sleep at a good time. He had entered his quarters at 11:30 at they did not stirred, that meant that they had been asleep for a while… Harry had looked so peaceful… and they were going to tidy the quarters and… But he had expressly forbidden Harry to have anyone else in their quarters… The boy had never had a place to call his own or to invite his friends… But Severus had said that he could invite any one when he was back… Where was the fun if you had a parent around when you wanted to talk about your parent?

The boy had looked so contrite when he sent him to his room… Severus will place the furniture in its place and try to sleep a little. Maybe Albus was right. They could wait until the sun was up before sorting this slumber business…

He opened the door. The light was on. The sofa and couch were back on their places. They were heavy, he should have told the boy that he should leave the room be.

“Harry?” The boy was nowhere to be seen. Snape looked in the boy’s room. The place was tidy. But his son was not there. A light was on in the kitchen. He looked there and saw that the plates were washed. Harry was sitting at the table. His head was resting over his arms and he was asleep.

“Harry…” he touched the boy on his back. “Harry you are going to hurt your back if you sleep there. Here” Snape held him up “let’s take you to your bed.”

“You are back. You took long to come back.” Severus was not sure that Harry was referring to.

“I’m here son.”

“Are you very very angry?”

“A little. But you can go back to sleep. We’ll talk later.”

“The girls slept in my room… they had privacy…”

“I know.”

“Please, let me sleep in your bed…”

“I need to sleep also Harry…”

“I missed you.” Severus took the boy to his bed and they both lie there. The little fiend, Harry was learning that if he got emotional he could wind Snape around his finger… Maybe the Hat had not been wrong and the child belonged in Slytherin. What was sure was that the child belonged to him.

Harry stirred before his father but kept still. He had hoped to get his friends out and the rooms tidied before his father arrived…

“Ready to start the day.” Harry closed his eyes and stop breathing. “I know you are awake, child.” Snape gave him a playful slap.

“Just five more minutes…”

“I will ask for breakfast. Take a shower.”

“Yes, dad.”

Breakfast was a quiet business both ate their food slowly, looking at their plates. Harry finished and used his fork to move the egg yolk around the plate.

“Have you finished?”

“Yes, dad.”

“The Headmaster asked to see you at 9.”

“He wants to see me? Is it because of what happened last night?”

“I suppose.”

“Was he angry?”

“I think that he won’t encourage that kind of sneaky behavior.”

“Is Professor McGonagall angry also?”

“I am sure that Professor McGonagall will have something to say, she is at the Infirmary for the moment.”

“The Infirmary…?” Had his Head of House a heart attack when she realized that they were missing? Harry looked at Severus. “Is she very sick?”

“She broke her leg.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You should start to realize that your actions affect a lot of people, not just you and your friends. If you’re finished, wash your teeth and hands, I do not want to keep the Headmaster waiting.”

Harry had never been summoned to the Headmaster’s office before. He felt his legs trembling as he walked beside his father. He realized, when they arrived, that he was holding his hand. Snape’s pale hands were warm in contrast with Harry’s that were ice cold.

Harry did not notice when his father told the password to the gargoyle, in any other occasion he would have enjoyed the stairs, but not now. They heard Dumbledore’s voice calling them in.

“Severus, Mr. Potter… come in, come in. Take a seat.”

Snape chose a chair, but Harry stood in front of Severus. He felt relieved to feel his hands holding his shoulders.

Dumbledore was seated by his desk. A warm teacup by his side and a plate of chocolate biscuits.

“Mr. Potter... It is not an everyday event that a whole dormitory is able to sneak out of their common room; it’s stranger that four are able to do it. And if my memory does not deceive me… it was unheard of for two houses sleeping in one of the staff’s quarters. So tell me how you did it?”

“Professor… we…” Harry mumbled.

Severus inclined and whispered in his ear. “Talk louder child, it’s all right.”

“Yes, Sir.” He breathed deeply. “Professor we… I’m not sure how it happened, we got the idea of a sleep over party and… we…”

“Do you want a biscuit, Harry?”

“No thank you, Sir.” Harry thought that it was difficult enough to talk without having cookie crumbs choking him.

“Take your time, Mr. Potter. I am just curious.”

Harry explained how he had used his cloak to smuggle his companions out of their dorm and that the girls had gone out alone.

“…we used my father’s door to the Slytherin common room for Draco and the rest to come in.”

“Do you understand that it was not correct to do it?”

“Yes, Sir.” Harry hoped that he wouldn’t be expelled.

“Did you have fun?”

“Pardon me, Sir?”

“Did you have fun at your slumber party?”

“Yes, Sir. We played charades and we had ice-cream and caramel popcorn… and we told scary stories… we slept in sleeping bags.”

“You caused quite an up-roar child. All the teachers stayed up until very late last night.”

“I am sorry.”

“I know you are. It would be good if you were to write apology letters to all the teachers.”

“Yes, Headmaster.”

“Good, we do want you to have fun, Harry, but we need to know that you are save. And it is distressing to find empty beds where children should be asleep.” The white bearded wizard’s eyes twinkled at that moment. “Would you do it again?” Harry did not notice that Severus almost choked. He turned and looked at his father. Snape was as impassive as ever.

“I would like to do it again, Sir, it was fun. I know that we shouldn’t sneak out of the dorms and I did… I mean if Professor Snape approves…”

“So if your father approves, you would like to do it again, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I need you to do something for me, Harry.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Since a very long time ago I’ve felt that the houses must be able to put their differences aside and enjoy time together, I would like that to happen all the time, but I would settle for at least one night and I think that you had a very good idea… I would like you to plan a slumber party for the 4 houses Harry, just first years this time. If it works, as I hope it would, we may implement it for the rest of the years, maybe twice a year. One condition would be that you would ‘forget’ that you are in different houses and enjoy as children that are friends.”

“Albus… my rooms wouldn’t take 35 children…”

“Do not worry about that, Severus, we can take one of the empty class rooms and make it look like a house… plan it for next week, Harry, the night before the feast. It will be a good idea if you ask your class mates to tell you their favorite food...”

“Yes, Sir. Sir… may I ask for help…”

“Yes, of course, Harry. You may ask for help from your classmates. Who would you want?”

“Hermione and Ron and… Draco.”

“That is acceptable, you may also want to include someone else from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Keep me posted, young Harry.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“That’s all, you may leave now.”

Harry felt that his legs were numb when his father pushed him out of the office. Dumbledore was a very strange man. Harry was dreading a lecture when he walked in, now he had to plan a party…”

“Let’s go back to our rooms, Harry you have letters to write and I have Slytherins to talk to.”

Snape left Harry writing in the kitchen table and went to the Slytherin common room.

He went to the first year dorm. And talked to them. He had to keep in mind Dumbledore words. He should not encourage the sneaking out, but he had to approve the fraternization with other houses. He always felt that his students were alone against the other three houses.

He told them that the punishment would be a day-long detention. He would give them the details later. He returned to his rooms and assumed that Harry was finished, because the boy was drawing. He placed a box over the table and sat beside Harry then he said.

“Harry, please go to your room and bring me your cloak.”

“My cloak, dad? But…” Snape only looked at him. “Yes, dad.” Harry walked back very slowly, clutching the cloak in one hand. “Here is it… Please can you give me another chance?”

“I allowed you keep it after the explosives incident, Harry.”

“But, dad… I promise I will not use it again… I…”

“You may use it son, but you will have to ask me for it. I will keep it for you.” Snape opened the wooden box and placed the cloak inside. “It will stay here, meanwhile.”

“What if it’s an emergency…?”

“Your cloak stays with me.”

“Yes, S… father.”

“Now I want you to stand in that corner and think of all the rules you broke yesterday and what would you think would be an appropriate punishment.”

“Beside loosing my cloak?”

“That is not punishment Harry, only a precaution. You are not loosing it, I am removing the temptation. I know it belonged to your father, but I am sure that your parents wouldn’t have let you have it at so young an age.”

“I will be 12 soon…”

“I know.”

“But…” Snape just move his hand to indicate to Harry to turn and face the wall.

“How long should I stay here?”

“At least until you lose that attitude.”

“Dad!”

“Keep quiet now.”

Ten minutes later Severus touched his back and told him to come out of the corner.

“What have you thought about the rules, son?”

“I thought that… we were out of bed after curfew and… I brought them here without you knowing and we had a party.”

“Can you tell me why that is not appropriate?”

“For our safety, we should always be where we are supposed to be, if we are not, we worry a lot of people, Professor McGonagall told us that.”

“And a week of early bedtime did not cure you of that.”

“I do not want to have another week like that… We were safe. We did not even have indigestion!”

“Not for lack of trying. Did you hear me when I told you before I left, that you couldn’t bring any one here?”

“Yes, Dad, but… it was fine, we did not light a fire, we only moved the furniture and the girls slept in my room and…”

“Harry… it was a good party, I do not complain about it, but you know what I said...”

“You said not to…”

“And you understood it, son.”

“I thought that you wouldn’t find out…”

“How would you feel if I hadn’t find out? Do you think that you could have kept it secret? Harry, we must be able to trust each other.”

“I know… I trust you.”

“Then why did you have to sneak in here?”

“Because you had already said no… I am sorry. I…”

“I know this is the first time that you have a place where you can invite your friends and I am proud of you, you handled the party quite well…”

“Are you going to let me have another party like that?”

“We can plan something for your birthday…”

“Really?”

“By then you will have finished washing my collection of dirty cauldrons.”

“Dad!”

“You know what you did wrong and why, now tell me what should be an appropriate punishment?”

“I don’t know… do you want me to wash cauldrons?”

“That was not my question son. I want you to tell me what You consider appropriate… What would make you think twice or thrice before disobeying…”

“I can’t, you tell me…”

“You wont get out of this so easily. Why don’t you stand for another five minutes in the corner and think about that?”

“Yes, dad.”

Severus heard a chime and looking inside his office saw a rolled parchment floating over his desk. It was Albus’ preferred way of communicating with his staff. The note said that he had found the perfect room for the slumber party, but it needed some cleaning and general work, like painting. He was going to make the Gryffindors start with the cleaning and asked Severus to send his Slytherins and Harry also to get the room ready. He reminded Severus that he had to brew an antidote for Quirrell.

Severus had told his students to expect a detention. Cleaning a room would be appropriate.

Severus went back and saw that Harry was no longer in the corner. ‘Was the boy in the bathroom?’

“Harry?”

“In here.” Snape followed the faint voice to the living room. Harry was bare from the waist down to his socks, bending over the arm of the sofa, his pants were bundled at his ankles and Severus saw that he had placed a belt on the sofa, near his face.

“What are you doing, son?”

“I’m sorry, I disobeyed you, I… think that you should spank me with the belt. I’m sorry I disappointed you… I’m… I’m ready…”

“Harry Potter! Stand up and arrange your clothing, this moment!” Seeing that the child stood up, but was doing it slowly Snape knelt in front of him and helped. Then he held him from the shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Never… never think that, I am never going to use a belt on you, do you understand?”

“Yes, dad, but… you… you spanked me with your hand the night of the dragon and… I sneaked again and you wanted me to think thrice and… so…” Snape embraced the teary child.

“Do you remember why I spanked you then?”

“Because it was dangerous…”

“Unlike the night of the dragon, you were not in any danger last night. You were just reckless. Son, I’m sorry that I asked you to choose your punishment. I should’ve known that you would be too harsh on yourself…” Snape sat on the sofa and sat Harry on his lap. He buried his face on his father shoulder and cried.

“You are not going to spank me, are you?”

Severus kissed his sweaty brow, “No, son, you will have two detentions, one for disobeying me and a special one for sneaking out. I do not want to see that belt ever again, nor hear you talk about being spanked with it. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, dad.”

Severus held Harry for a while. He thought that soon the boy was going to be too big or feel too old to cuddle like this.

“I have to go to the infirmary, do you want to come with me?”

“You said that Professor McGonagall is there.”

“You may take her your apology letter…”

“She is going to be very cross with me…”

“You should think about those things before misbehaving…”

“I forget…”

Snape and Harry entered the infirmary. McGonagall was no longer there, Madam Pomfrey said that she was back at her quarters. Snape followed Poppy to her office and they both start discussing what they were going to do for Quirrell.

Harry followed the conversation at first, then he heard something… someone was asking for help… Was anyone else in the Infirmary? Harry walked out of the office and followed the voice… It sounded hurt and frightened and… simple… like that of a small animal. Harry started looking around… maybe an elf was hurt… He got closer to the corner, a bed was surrounded by curtains, the voice came from there…

Harry opened the curtains and saw the frozen figure of his DADA teacher. Professor Quirrell had the grimace of someone in pain. Snape had told Harry that he had had an accident with potions.

“Professor, do you need something? Can you hear me?”

“Harry?” Snape left the office when he heard Harry talking.

“Harry… What are you doing there, son?”

“He is asking for help.” Snape looked at Poppy. That could not be… Was the man recuperating from the potion on his own?

Poppy and Severus went to stand beside Harry.

“He says that he is trapped inside...” Harry saw the look of confusion on his father’s face and the medi-witch.

“Can’t you hear him?”

“No, Harry. What do you hear?”

Harry closed his eyes, he was listening.

“He says that he is trapped inside, that he can’t move and he needs air…” Harry leaned into the frozen man… and went to the other side of the bed.

Both adults heard Harry making a sound but did not understand what was said…

“He is not Quirrell, he is… inside him?.” Harry hissed again. “Do you think that a snake could be under his turban?”

“Why a snake, Harry?”

“It sounds like the snake I talked to in the Zoo…”

“You can talk to snakes!” Madam Pomfrey looked surprised. Harry turned to his father.

“Is that bad?” Snape knelt in front of him He was shocked, but the boy needed him to be composed.

“No, son. It’s not, it’s not common but not unheard of... Tell me what you hear.”

Poppy moved her wand around Quirrell.

“There is no snake around here, Harry.”

“It’s still talking… it says that he is inside him. He says that… that Quirrell was going to help him… that he needed a place to be while…” Harry hissed again… “He says that he is not really a snake… that he has no body… he needed the stone for that, but Quirrell is of no use anymore and… wants me to…” Harry leaned into Snape. “My head hurts. It’s saying that he need’s to go out… and needs my help.”

The implications terrified Severus.

“Harry stop it. Stop listening to him… Harry look at me!” Snape looked inside Harry’s eyes and used all his strength as a Legimens to get inside the boy’s head. He found no resistance. The boy trusted him completely. He heard the hissing and saw images that he hoped Harry couldn’t understand… He tried to build a wall between the voice and Harry, but it crumbled. He was not going to lose the child. He looked around and saw the connection forming in Harry’s mind, it was a thread that was getting stronger, and he had to cut it. This was dark magic.

“Harry, Listen to me.”

“Dad. Where are you?”

“I’m here, son. Just listen Harry. I have no time to explain. I need you to trust me, you have to help me, we have to stop this. It’s your mind Harry, you have all the power here. Harry, I need something to cut the connection.”

Snape saw a pair of pliers appear, the boy was great! He took the pliers and used them to cut the line.

The line was too strong. Then he felt that someone was beside him. Two more pairs of hands were helping him. At first he thought that it was Harry. He only saw the eyes, but it was some one else, the original owner of the green emerald eyes. Lilly and… Potter was there too. James. They were talking, but Severus couldn’t understand the words. The three of them used the pliers and the line broke.

The hissing stopped. Severus felt himself falling. He knew he was holding Harry, he tried to fall on his back to protect the child. He was no longer inside Harry’s head. His head was pounding. He started by breathing. His arms were around Harry… Poppy was beside them. She did not touch them. Severus looked at the bed and saw a pile of ashes over it. And a dark shadow floating away.

Harry was between his arms, it was his last thought before the darkness surrounded him.

“And how do you feel Minerva?” Dumbledore and McGonagall were in the latter’s office drinking tea and crumpets.

“Better, thank you Albus. Poppy gave me a calming draught and I slept like a baby, my leg is also better now.”

“What do you think about my idea?”

“I think that you are a meddling old man, those children do not deserve to be rewarded with a party.”

“They will have to get the room ready first, I can assure that it will take them some hours of hard work, they wont be allowed to use magic.”

“I was planning to stop Potter from playing Quidditch during the next game.”

“That would have been excessive Minerva.”

“You do not know how scared I felt when I found the empty beds or how I felt later when I thought they had gone after the stone! I could hardly feel the floor under my feet.”

“The children had no involvement in Quirrell’s deception.”

“I know, but I would have not been there if they had been in their beds.”

“In that case you would have not been able to stop Quirrell…” Minerva knew that once Albus Dumbledore made up his mind there was no way to make him see reason…

“Any way…”

“I must remind you that they are just kids.”

“Kids grow up Albus… I really like Harry. I… he reminds me so much of his father and Sirius… I had been accused of being too lenient before…  Maybe if I had been a little stricter… A tragedy could have been prevented.”

“Severus will not allow that child to go wild…”

In that moment a white figure appeared before them. Madam’s Pomfrey Patronous asked them to hurry to the Infirmary because there was an emergency.

Minerva and Albus arrived at the Infirmary minutes later. In spite of their respective ages they moved fast. At first sight the infirmary looked empty. Pomona and Filius arrived also…

“What is the emergency?” The four wizards started looking around when some movement above their heads made them look up.

“Over here!”

“Poppy! What happened?” The medi-witch was floating over their heads, making a great effort to stay upright.

“Help me down and I’ll explain.”

With a movement of Flitwick’s wand the floating witch was lowered and placed softly on her feet.

---

Madam Pomfrey explained them that she had sent her patronous to the school staff when Severus and Harry had fainted. She realized that something was going on with Harry and that Severus was helping him. She saw the struggle of Snape and the child in his arms. Then Harry turned and touched the form lying on the bed. Quirrell stood immobile but she heard a noise and a cry and his skin crackled and crumbled as an eggshell, the struggle stopped. A dark cloud left the body and flew out the window, breaking it. Severus fell to the floor protecting Harry with his body.

Madam Pomfrey had been unable to do anything. She sent her patronous. She tried to levitate the couple to make them comfortable until help arrived… the moment her charm touched them she felt it bouncing back and hitting her, it made her float to the roof.

The five wizards surrounded Severus and Harry. Flitwick placed his hand near them and felt as if he was holding same pole magnets. His hand was repelled with the same force he was using. As he was doing it softly the push was not hard… He turned to see his colleagues watching him and smiled.

“What is so funny, Filius?”

“This my friends are the blood wards working. The blood adoption has successfully transferred the blood wards to Severus and Harry.”

“What should we do now?”

“I can only speculate, once the danger is gone…they will recede, meanwhile we can only wait.”

“I am not comfortable leaving them on the floor…”

“We may place cushioning charms on the floor and around them… Nothing may touch them now.”

“We can tend into Quirrell meanwhile…” Mentioned Sprout.

“Poppy saw him crumble, he…”

“I may be wrong Poppy, but there is someone between the shell…”

They looked and realized that there was Quirrel inside himself. The man had lost the painful grin and looked as if he was sleeping peacefully.

---

Severus walked through the fog following a light. He was walking on a path between trees. He could see the moon between the trees, he had been walking for a long time. He was looking for something… He had followed the light. He was sure that it was the right thing to do.

Once he was closer he realized that the light came from a house. A medium sized house with curtained windows. White walls and a tended garden with roses. He walked closer. The house was inviting him to knock. But now that he had arrived to the door he was not sure to be welcome. He looked through the window and saw that there were people inside.

There was a child seating at the table. Writing… no, he was drawing because Severus saw him change colors from a box in front of him. Behind him was an open door and Snape could see that there were people inside the room. Then he saw a woman with long red hair coming out with a glass of milk and a plate in her hands. She placed the glass on the table and the child took a cookie from the plate.

The woman, the mother sat beside him and Severus could see the boy basking in her eyes. She was interested in his explanation. The boy was telling her what was in his drawing. Severus wished he were able to hear them. Then a man came into the room. He had dark hair and glasses. He tickled the child as he leaned to hear the explanation…he took a colored pencil and draw something in the paper. The boy looked at him. Severus did not want to interrupt the family. He should go. He tried to step back but his legs were not obeying him. He was stuck. He saw the woman look up to the window… he had been seen. The man went towards the door and opened it.

Where Severus expected rejection he found the hand of James Potter beaconing him inside. He stepped in and the woman, Lily, stood to welcome him. There were not words between them, just the understanding that they were together in the venture of loving and protecting the black haired child that was sitting at the table.

Severus looked at them. All past trouble between them forgiven and forgotten. He wondered if this was happening inside Harry’s mind or his own. He stood by the two adults.

Harry looked up from his drawing and looked at the black dressed man. Now his family was complete, it was time. He stood up and walked towards them. The kid was happy. Accepting the situation as a nice dream. He looked at his parents and adoptive father and then embraced them. This was what he had seen reflected in the mirror of Erised, so many months ago. He knew that it was as real as possible.

He would forget most of what had happened that day inside the small house with his parents, but he would always remember the feeling of being surrounded by endless love.

Embracing them he could tell that his mother smelled like flowers and chocolate cookies. His father like the wind when he soared the air trying to catch the snitch. And Severus, his new dad… he smelled of potions ingredients.

That smell was what brought him back to conscience. He felt the robes against his cheek and the sound of a heart beating by his ear... He opened his eyes but closed them again because the light was bright.

Hushed voices were near. Harry tried to hear what they were saying…

He could tell that they were at the Infirmary. He must have moved because he heard behind him the relieved voice of the medi-witch.

“Harry?”

“Ma’am…” Harry turned his head, His arms were embracing the Potions Master still.

“Harry, can you move?” The medi-witch leaned to his side.

“I think so…” Harry slide down from Snape’s body and found himself seated on the floor. He felt that Snape was also moving beside him. But he was not sure as he felt that all the room was moving around him. He closed his eyes and opened them to find the schoolteachers looking at him. Dumbledore, Flitwick, Sprout and Poppy, they seemed relieved and walked closer.

Severus sat as well. He did not reject the hand that held him upright.

He blinked several times to clear his eyes. Then looked around him and at his colleagues.

“Why are we on the floor?

“Can you stand?” Severus looked at the woman as if she was crazy, of course he could stand. He tried to do it and as the floor was not steady he sat again.

“I think that it is better if I just sat here for a while.” He felt the child beside him snuggle to his side. “Harry, are you all right?”

“That was the weirdest dream… Did you have it too? Was is your dream or mine?”

“I don’t know.” Exasperated because of the way he felt Severus stared at his colleagues. “Is there a reason why you find it appropriate to allow us to stay on the floor?” Flitwick got closer and said, “you were surrounded by very powerful wards Severus you deflected any charm that come this way…. We had to let you lie there…”

“I see…. Then the wards… ?”

“It was a success!

“I… will appreciate your help now….”

“Yes, yes, of course my boy.” With a flick of his wand Dumbledore conjured a chair under Severus and Harry. The boy did not know what had happened but he wanted to stay close to his adoptive father.

Aided by that support, Snape stood up.

“Can you tell us what happened?” McGonagall voiced in name of the present. Surprisingly Harry answered them.

“Something wanted to get into my head… wanted my body… because…. He said it had been my fault… it was… I think it was Voldemort,” Harry did not pay attention to the grasps around him he took Severus hand and continued. “He was tying himself around my mind but…” He looked at his adopted father. “You were there… you said that you need to cut the line and you used pliers and I saw my parents… my mom and dad and you... and Voldemort couldn’t stay in my mind any more,  he wanted to hurt me but you make him go away…” Harry buried his face into the potions master’s robes. The familiar scent calming him. He felt the calming arms also around him.

“It was a nightmare surely Harry… now that you are awake…” The Headmaster tried to clam him…

“Not a nightmare Albus. I was there.”

“But you-know-who…”

“He is not dead. He was inside Quirrell. He tried to possess Harry. He is not alive but neither is he dead. I think that he will be back…”

“That is why the wards were triggered…”

“Did you see my parents, dad?”

“Yes, Harry, they helped me. How do you feel?”

“Well. I think. It hurt when Voldemort wanted to stay inside me, but now I am fine.”

Madam Pomfrey moved her wand to run some tests.

“I am hungry.”

“What time is it?” Asked Snape to his colleagues.

“It’s almost time for dinner… You seem fine Harry, I will ask for something light and I think you need to rest. You may stay here until tomorrow if you want Severus.

“But I am not tired… It was lunch time when we came to the infirmary… we already slept for several hours…”

“More than several hours Harry…. You came to the infirmary yesterday.”

“Yesterday…! Is today Saturday?!... What about the Quidditch game?”

“I’m sorry you couldn’t  play, Mr. Potter… Gryffindor lost the game…”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“That is enough Harry,” Severus intervened. “The wards prevented them from  touching us. They had to let them subside on their own.”

“We tried to touch you every half and hour Harry, we were pushed away… until ten minutes ago, when you woke up…” Flitwick explained.

“Then I will never have to go back to my relatives house… never?”

Severus had explained to him that they were not sure about the transference of the blood wards, and had said that Harry and him would have to make some test and if they were not in place, they would have to ‘live’ with the Dursleys for a fortnight.

Harry knew that if his father was with him, he had nothing to fear from his relatives, but he did not want that to happen.

“We will visit them Harry. Of course they know that now I have adopted you, but they need to sign some papers for the muggle adoption. We are going to see them, but there is no need for us to stay there.”

“I wanted to play the last game… now we have no chance to win the cup. I am sorry Professor McGonagall…”

“Do not be sorry on that account. Mr. Potter. Your housemates understood.”

“I wrote you an apology letter… I am sorry I snuck out from the dorm… I am sorry that you broke your leg…”

“I will read your letter, later, Mr. Potter. But do not count on playing if you behave like that again. I do not care much about Quidditch cups if you think that you can be so naughty.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Can we eat now?”

With a movement of her wand the Medi-witch appeared several trays.

“We’ll leave you to your dinner, we should go down to the Great Hall now.”

“Would you stay in the infirmary Severus?”

“No. Headmaster, will go to our quarters as soon as Madam Pomfrey allows us.”

“Good… I will have a word with you later.”

“Yes, Headmaster.”

---

Harry woke the next morning to the smell of waffles. He took a fast shower and reached his father in the kitchen as the man was placing the whipped cream and strawberries on the table.

“At last! At least you are clean.”

“Good morning dad! Thank you for the waffles, they are my favorite breakfast.”

“I know. How did you sleep?”

“Fine… I guess I was tired after all. Did you and the headmaster talk all night?”

“No.”

“I did not hear when he left… What did he say?”

“Nothing that you need to know.”

“Dad…! You talked about me didn’t you?”

“I am not going to discuss my conference with the Headmaster. We did talk about you and about… Voldemort. There is nothing else for you to know.”

“But dad!”

“No buts, child.”

Harry cut a big piece of waffle and placed it completely inside his mouth with and angry movement.

“It is not polite to eat like that Harry…” Severus unfolded his paper. The boy drank some milk.

“It is not polite to keep secrets… after all he wanted to get inside my head, so he is not completely dead…. And what would happen if he tries again?”

“You will have to learn Occlumency, shielding of your mind,  that way you will be protected from those kinds of attacks…” Severus saw the child flinch. “I will teach you during the summer.”

Harry cut his waffle in tiny pieces, Snape was reading his paper but could tell that the boy was not happy about summer lessons. Then the boy said.

“That is all you want me for… to teach me things… you want to teach me to write and potions and all… and now you want to teach me  occlumen-thingy and… you should have gotten another kind of son, one that did not need so much teaching!”

Harry let the fork go, stood up from the table and was going to run to his room when the stern voice of his father stopped him.

“Harry James!”

Harry stopped, but did not turn around.

“Come here.”

Harry stood frozen in his place.  He did not know why he was so angry…

“Have you trouble hearing child? Come here.”

Severus saw the struggle. He should have tried a different approach. After the experience of the day before it was logical for the child to have questions. He did not want to burden Harry with the topic of his conversation with Albus, but the child need reassurance and… After several seconds of hesitation Harry turned and walked back, he stood beside his adoptive father.

He felt the man’s arm held him in a hug. And his voice talking slowly.

“It will be alright child. You are safe now.”

“I am sorry.” It was nice to be hugged like that and to know that even after a tantrum he was loved. Harry took the napkin that Severus gave him and cleaned his eyes…

“Don’t you want to finish your waffle?”

“My mother smelled like chocolate cookies and cinnamon…” Snape sigh, yes that was the smell he associated with Lily… He understood that Harry would have memories…

“Yes, she did. Do you want some chocolate syrup for you waffle?” Or his pieces of waffle…

“They loved me… my parents… I… you said that they loved me but I couldn’t remember and now… did you see them? Were they really there?”

“I am not sure Harry, but I am sure that they love you and they helped me to take out Voldemort from your mind… the rest I can’t tell.”

“It was like a dream… but I knew it was not a dream… You love me also.” That was a statement. Snape detected not doubt in the child.

“I thought that we have already talked about that…”

“Yes, I’m sorry… I am glad that you choose me… I will try to learn…”

“You will have more than enough time to enjoy your summer child…”

 “So.… You are not going to tell me what the Headmaster said…”

“I will tell you when you need to know Harry. Right now we do not know for sure and it will confuse you. Do you understand?”

Harry only shrugged.

“Finish your milk, you may have some more strawberries and cream…”

“Yes, Dad.”

“The headmaster has found the appropriate room for the party that you are planning.  It needs some cleaning…”

“We have only four days to get it ready… Can I see it?”

“Finish your meal first.”

---

During the end of term feast Harry sat and looked at the staff table and at his father talking with Professor McGonagall. He thought that his father was smiling. The meal was excellent as always. The Hall was decorated with flags in the different house colors.

Ron and Hermione were seated beside him. Hermione was very happy with her grades and Ron was happy with his cake.

Just last night Ron had almost been sick with too many sweets and now was eating the chocolate cake with big spoonfuls…

The Slumber Party had been a success. Harry liked the room that the Headmaster had found. It was the size of three classrooms. Each child had chosen a wall and painted it in a different color. Then the castle elves filled it with all kinds of furniture. Chairs and lounge sofas and cots. And a long table. The table was kept full of salty and sweet food. And exotic drinks. They had played hide and seek and charades. After a while the girls had gone to one side to play beauty shop and the boys had an eating contest. The adults in the castle had watched them in turns.  When they were tired the furniture changed into sleeping rolls and the children fell asleep as they felt tired. Every body had enjoyed the party.

Harry looked around once again. He recalled how he had felt almost a year ago. He had been a lonely scared child, lost in the great station looking for an impossible platform number. Dreading having to go back to Privet Drive with his tail between his legs… Then he was scared that he was not going to be magical enough… He entered the castle hoping to belong to this strange wonderful world… scared of rejection… He remembered the feast at the beginning of the term. Even after being sorted, all the faces had been of strangers.

And now he had real friends and the faces were no longer faces of strangers… now he really belonged not only to the magical world but also to the dark dressed man that was his father.

The Head master had given points to all the houses for friendship after the slumber party,  Harry did not know the total count,  but Ravenclaw won the Quidditch cup.  The House that won the house cup would be announced at the end of the feast. But he had heard that the Headmaster was going to call it a tie between the four houses…

Well it was for the best.

He saw Draco Malfoy and the blond boy waved at him. They still were not friends, but Draco said that he was going to ask him for a visit during the summer… He also looked forward to visiting Ron’s family.  And he had to plan for his birthday….He had friends and family and as if that was not magical enough… he was a wizard.