Today was the day Harry dreaded. It was the end of Christmas and the new term started tomorrow, which mean he had Snape's two hour Slytherin and Gryffindor potions class first thing in the morning.

Ron and Hermione had still yet to return from their holiday trips, Ron taking a trip to Romania to visit his brother Charlie, and Hermione from a skiing trip with her parents in America, which left him alone in Gryffindor tower until the feast that night. Well, not totally alone. There was still Neville, but he was too engrossed in his Herbology textbook to do much with, he becoming the male counterpart of Hermione Granger in Herbology during the winter breaks.

Sigh.

Harry lazily twirled his wand in his hand, emitting green sparks from the tip. He watched them as they disappeared in one lazy swish of his hand. Lately, he has grown to where he doesn't even need a wand to do magic, just a wave of his hand will do the simplist of spells for him, such as Accio or Wingardium Leviosa.

He made more, red this time, and made them do a little dance, doing loop-de-loops and making shapes. He even made some fly at Neville, making the other yelp when they collided with his face, evaporating like snow at first touch. He made them take the shape of an owl, flying around the common room and hooting every once in a while, letting have a taste of freedom before turning it back to normal sparks.

He quickly got bored of the sparks when they brought no more mindless entertainment for him, instead opting to rummage through his school bag to see if there was anything he could do from there. Pulling out his potions homework, which he still had to finish, he sighed as he realized there really was nothing else he could do.
He would have taken a walk to the Owlery, but a blizzard was currently blowing outside, making the giant glass window rattle and shake so violently he was afraid it would break from the window sill.

So much for that idea.

A trip around Hogwarts was out of the question with the Toad Queen hopping around. He would get expelled for just sneezing wrong, let alone walk around and-oh dear!-have fun. The bitch. Snape would have probably given him detention anyway if he saw him, despite the rules of no detention during holiday.

He grudgingly sat down at the desk near his four poster bed, black quill in hand as he began his task of finishing the ridiculously long essay. Explain the three main ingredients used in a Wolfsbane potion and their qualities in a three foot essay-turn in on Monday.

Dear Merlin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was vaguely aware of the passing time as he wrote, the answers coming surprisingly easy to him as he did. He only realized how much time had passed when running feet alerted him to the others that had arrived at Hogwarts from their vacation. He set the quill down, rubbing his suddenly tired eyes and stretched, popping his back as he did so.

He walked down the stairs leading to the common room and smiled when he saw Ron and Hermione sitting in their favorite spots by the fire. So they were back. They looked up and caught his eye when he entered, and waved, him waving back when he saw the excitement on their faces. He quickly jogged the rest of the way down the stairs and came to a stop by the cushiony couch.

"Harry!" Hermione quickly hugged him, knocking the air out of him. Ron, looking a bit embarrassed, just shook his hand with a nod of his head. "Glad to see you, mate."

"It's good to see you too guys. How were your trips?" He asked as he sat down on the couch, drawing his legs under him.

Harry sat there listening to his two best friends drone on and on about how fun their trips were and listening to the sounds of laughter coming from the other students. He was hit with a wave of melancholy that surrounded and choked him, bringing a sudden warmth to the back of his eyes. He knew the Dursleys would never treat him with such kindness as his friends' parents, and why should they, when to them he was nothing but a freak, an abomination in their eyes? He would never be accepted, despite what others may say.

He was snapped out of his depressed mind by Ron, who was waving his hand in front of Harry's face. "Yoohoo! Earth to Potter! Where you listening?"

"Huh? Sorry, Ron. I'm just tired and I spaced out."

"It's alright, mate. You must be tired, doing all that homework and all." At Harry's confused glance, he quickly explained: " I walked in a while ago, but you didn't even notice me. Or Seamus, for that matter. I don't see how you can be that engrossed in homework, especially if it's Snape's. I haven't even started on mine yet."

Hermione glared at Ron, giving him her, Oh no you didn't!, look that she only reserved for the twins. " Honestly, Ronald! How hard can it be to just do a simple essay?"

"Simple? Hermione, the greasy git wants us to do a three foot essay on only three ingredients! That's not possible!"

"Really, Ron? I got mine done the first night I got it. You do realize they are due tomorrow first thing in the morning, don't you?"

"Well, that's because you're a book nerd! And I'll do it during breakfast, 'Mione, don't worry." If Hermione was angered by those words she didn't show it, instead turning to face away from Ron and stare into the fire. Harry turned to Ron, a look of anger and confusion etched into his face. Ron just shrugged, picking up a Chudley Cannons magazine from the table and began to read, putting his feet on the table.

Harry only sighed.

The sound of hurried footsteps filled the corridor as he ran. His lungs burned as he did so, a straight run from the Gryffindor tower to the dungeons non-stop was not normally what someone would do, but who ever said he did things normally?

Harry skidded to a stop in front of his morning potions class and tried to catch his breath. He had overslept this morning and had wound up missing breakfast and thus was late. Ron didn't wake him, for the sole purpose of he looked peacefull.

He slowly opened the door and peered inside. Snape was turned towards the board instructing and paying no attention to the class whatsoever. Good. Maybe if he silently walked to the desk he could play it off like he was there the entire time. Class had only just started after all.

The door made no noise as he opened it. He silently tip-toed across the room, trying to draw no attention towards himself. He put his finger to his lips as Neville was about to say his name. Just as he was about to sit next to Ron and Hermione, just when he was about to let a sigh escape his lips, Snape spoke up.

"Potter, 10 points for being late. 5 more for trying to get away with it." Snape turned around, a sneer plastered on his face. Harry glared back.

"I was only a minute late."

"And that is suppose to mean something to me?" Snape raised an eyebrow.

"No sir," Harry grumbled and placed his bag on the ground.

"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted," Snape gave a pointed look at Harry, "We will be making a Shrinking Solution, most commonly used as an antidote for the Engorgio spell. This is something that very few will make, so I do hope you will not mess it up. The consequences will be dire." He gave a sidelong glance to Neville and the timid boy shrank back in his seat.

"The instructions are on the board. Begin." With a wave of his wand, the cabinet doors opened, showing its contents to the students.

Harry squinted at the board. Root of what? The man's handwriting was so tiny it was barely readable. Hermione offered to get the ingredients and Harry was grateful. Who knew what Harry would have gotten if he had to collect the items.

When she came back, Harry was set to the task of stirring while Hermione added the ingredients and Ron chopped. Together, they hopefully wouldn't mess up the potion.

Harry glanced around the room to see how far everyone else had gotten. Seamus and Dean's potion was billowing yellow smoke. Malfoy and Millicent's potion looked near perfect and Grabbe and Goyle's was seeping out the bottom. Harry winced when he saw Neville's. The skittish Gryffindor's potion was a bright pink when it should have been a near lime green and dark clouds surrounded him, barely making him visible to anyone else.

Snape swooped down on Neville like a bird with prey and Harry silently prayed that he wouldn't go near them. Their potion was like Draco's, nearly perfect, but knowing Snape he would still find something wrong with it and dock points.

Hermione suggested they switched and so Harry took over Hermione's job of adding ingredients while Ron took Harry's job and Hermione took Ron's. They worked together in perfect harmony, like a well oiled machine, Hermione occasionally suggesting to Harry what ingredients to put in next.

Things began going sour when Harry went to add poppy seeds into their potion. Snape towered over him and Harry jumped. Wasn't the man at the back of the class a second ago?

"Potter! What are you doing? Do you wish to blow up the whole class? You are supposed to add the monks root before the poppy seeds!" Harry could hear Draco and other Slytherins snigger behind him.

"You are just like your father! You never think before you do. One of these days its going to cost you, Potter!" Snape growled. Harry's ears went red and Hermione looked at him worryingly.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Potter, and a detentions at eight." Snape sneered. Harry glared back.

He could feel his anger rising, his magic lashing out. He tried to reel it in, but it was no use. With a loud bang! Neville's potion exploded, sending it's contents scattering.

Most of it landed on Snape, and the man doubled over, obviously in pain. Whimpers and small screams emitted from the Potions Master as he began to shrink. Soon, the whimpers became wails that sounded like a child's.

Harry slowly walked over to the lump of black clothes. He picked up the shirt and quickly dropped it when he saw what was underneath.

A baby, no older than two, was staring up at him with wide wet eyes. A sniffle came from the boy.

Malfoy walked over. Seeing the little bundle, he turned to Harry, an evil sneering smile on his face. "You are going to get it, Potter, Just wait until I tell the Headmaster!"

.-..-.

The Headmaster came shortly after Hermione sent out a message, Draco looking a bit put out that it wasn't him getting Harry in trouble. He took one look at the bundle and quickly scooped the sniffling baby in his arms. "Everyone go back to your common rooms until your next class. Harry, if you wouldn't mind?" Dumbledore motioned for Harry to follow him.

Harry walked with the Headmaster up the dungeons. The old man was making cooing noises and funny faces to the toddler, who quickly cheered up and clapped and giggled with every face. Baby Snape even took to tugging on the long beard to make the Headmaster make faces, which he giggled at as well. Harry smiled slightly at the antics, but a sense of dread was making it hard to completely enjoy the old man's and baby's game.

They stopped in front of the Infirmary doors. The headmaster knocked twice then entered, Harry following shortly behind. Madam Pomfrey quickly came over after giving some potion to a student with boils.

Upon seeing the baby in the Headmaster's arms, her eyes widened. "Who might this be?" She asked, tickling the baby Snape under his chin, making him giggle. She smiled.

"This, Madam, is Severus," Dumbledore replied. Madam Pomfrey looked at him with shock. "This is Severus?" She exclaimed.

She quickly took the baby from Dumbledore. "He needs to be examined immediately! How did this happen?" She asked as she placed Snape on a bed, conjuring bars around it.

"I was hoping Harry here might have an explanation." Dumbledore looked at Harry expectantly. Harry gulped.

"I-uh..." He fidgeted with his tie, twisting the red and gold garment between his fingers. He really didn't want to explain, but with both the mediwicth and the Headmaster staring at him expectantly, he spilled the beans.

He told them everything, from being late to his magic lashing out, causing the explosion.

"Oh, this is not good." madam Pomfrey murmured. "With your magic and Mr. Longbottom's unknown potion mixing, there's no telling the side effects that Severus may have."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "I will leave you to examine him, Madam. For now, Harry, won't you accompany me to my office?"

The sense of dread filled Harry again, getting worse as they walked to the gargoyle that guarded the spiral staircase.

"Tutti Frutti," Dumbledore said, and the gargoyle hopped aside allowing them access.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk and Harry sat in the over-stuffed armchair across him. Harry always felt like he would sink every time he sat in it.

Dumbledore clasped his hands together underneath his chin, the ever-present twinkle in his eyes.

"Harry, I want you to know that this is not your fault," the Headmaster began. Harry resisted the urge to snort. Of course it was his fault, and if Snape wasn't in his current babied state, he knew the Potions Master would have been screaming and foaming at the mouth trying to insist the Headmaster otherwise.

"But with everything aside, I want to ask a favor of you." Harry narrowed his eyes. The Headmaster couldn't mean...?

"I need you to look after Severus."

Merlin's beard!