It was the end of the feast when Snape started to notice it. A faint glow was coming of Potter. You had to look quite well, because it only showed at the parts of his body where he wasn’t wearing robes or other clothes, which was barely anything. Only his face and his fingers weren’t covered by clothes. Even his neck was hidden by a high collar sweater. A bit weird, since it had been a fairly nice day for September, but through the years he had gotten accustomed to the different clothing styles of the students.

Snape was pulled out of his thoughts when someone tapped his left arm. “Really Severus, you told me only two weeks ago, how glad you were that Voldemort was finally gone, so you were able to teach Potions without having to worry which student you should favour and which student you should definitely not, but you are already glaring at Mr Potter as if he has exploded a classroom."

Ha- it wouldn’t surprise Snape if the brat had already found a way to do the exact thing. “Minerva, you know I have no problem with Mr Potter, beside him not even trying to reach his full potential, but that’s a discussion for another time. However, something is off with him. I am not sure what but he seems different than usuall.”

“Well, then you will be glad to hear that you have got the fifth years Gryffindors tomorrow first. Together with your snakes of course. I really can't figure out what Albus tries to accomplish by putting them together year after year. Some of yours will only be more angry with Mr Potter this year, after him destroying Voldemort.”

“I really don’t know either Minerva, I really don’t”

Harry was happy the feast had ended. He always had to get used to the amount of food he could eat at Hogwarts again and on top of that had last summer been worse than usual. He felt really guilty that Sirius and Cedric had died last year and the year before, because of him, so he hadn't eaten much anyway.

He really wished Sirius hadn’t jumped in front of Harry when the famous green light was shot at him. He might even have been able to put up a block in time, but it was too late now to tell him. He had spent his summer doing chores, grieving and recieving the occasional beatings from his uncle. He hadn’t really minded his uncle. His uncle was fully in his rights to do that. Maybe not for the reasons his uncle thought, but for killing his godfather and the best Hufflepuff he had ever been friends with.

Harry walked to the tower on his own as soon as the feast ended. Ron and Hermione had a prefect meeting, with the other prefects and all the other Gryffindors were happily talking with each other about their summers, not paying much attention to Harry.

When Harry finally reached their dorms he quickly changed in his pyjama’s and closed the drapes on his bed. He was totally exhausted from having a glamour up all day, but knew it was needed for at least another couple of days, until the bruises from his uncle had left. He had the feeling that he fell asleep as that his head hit the pillow and was glad for that.

Unfortunately for him, his sleep didn’t last long. He woke up half crying in his pillow begging Voldemort not to not kill Cedric, but as always it was too late. When he looked at the clock he saw it was only 2.30 AM, but he knew he wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep again, so he jumped out of his bed, put on his robes, took his potion book out of his suitcase and went down to the common room.

Once seated in front of the fire he started reading his potions books. He had discovered a NEWT in potions was required for applying as an Auror and Fred and George had informed him that Snape only allowed people who had scored an Outstanding on their OWLS. He had always struggled with potions, so a bit of a head start would be nice.

He had read the first two chapters when Hermione tapped him on his shoulder.

“What are you doing up so early Harry? And with your potions book nonetheless?" Hermione asked, she actually looked a bit worried. Had Harry not been this tired he might have actually smiled at this.

“I couldn’t sleep, so decided I might better get prepared for Snape’s class. Snape looked a bit more relaxed at the end of last year after Voldemort was defeated, but I saw him glaring at me last night and you know what he is like in class, I really would like to get through at least one lesson, without being scolded for 'being lazy' or 'not working hard enough' ”

Hermione still had a certain look on her face, one which Harry couldn't totally figure out, but left him studying after that in favour for reading a book of her own.

When Ron woke up and came down the stairs they decided to go down to breakfast. Harry wasn’t really hungry but he knew Hermione would bugger him with questions if he didn’t accompany them to breakfast and he could actually use a bit of their happy spirit.

They talked a bit about Ron’s summer, he had been to France with his family from the bonus Mr Weasley had gotten from work. They had tried to let Harry accompany them, but Dumbledore had told them it was still too dangerous for Harry with some of the death eaters still on the lose, Dumbledore had however promised Harry it would be his last summer at the Dursleys, since the Ministry had made it their first priority to catch the remaining Death Eaters. Harry had heard a few of them had already been caught and was quite confounded with the ministry for their success, he hadn’t expected much from the Ministry.

At breakfast Harry had only eaten half of his toast, when he decided he couldn’t stomach more. He didn’t want to throw up on his first day back. Hermione gave him a concerned look, but she knew he wasn’t able to eat much once back from the Dursleys, so she let it with that.

Harry was talking with Ron about quidditch tactics, when Professor McGonagall handed them their timetables. They looked at them and groaned, their first class was double potions with the Slytherins. He wasn’t looking forward to that, but at least they had Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws afterwards.

“Have you seen the new DADA teacher Harry?” Ron asked. “No he or she wasn’t at dinner last night, right?” Harry asked wondering. He hadn’t seen a new professor at dinner last night and started wondering, who it was going to be.

“Nah I didn’t see the Professor either, maybe the professor only arrived today?”

“Well hopefully it isn’t another loser like Lockhart.” Harry replied with a bit of a grin.

The trio walked to potions, where most of their peers were already waiting outside. When the door opened they quickly walked in and seated themselves at the same table they had last year.

“Quite a good start of the year, don't you think Harry?” Ron asked sarcastically.

Harry just wanted to answer when Snape came walking in. He gave his usual ‘I don't want any dunderheads in my class’ speech and started lecturing about the first chapter.

Harry let his head rest on the table, he actually felt relieved that he remembered most of the things Snape was talking about from his reading this morning. He let his eyes rest for a second, or so he thought.

He woke with a start when Snape asked Harry loudly “You think my classes are to sleep Mr Potter? And that on the first day back. Come and see me after class. And that 10 points from Gryffindor."

Harry looked with a red head and apologising look at Ron. He hadn’t noticed falling asleep and was definitely not looking forward to staying after class.

Hermione shot him a worried glance, but wasn’t able to say more, because Snape continued.

Harry managed to stay awake for the rest of the potions class and was a bit scared when the class was dismissed. He asked Ron and Hermione to tell Professor McGonnagol he would be on his way and with another worried glance from Hermione they left.

“So Mr Potter was my class not interesting enough for you?” Snape snidely asked.

“I am sorry sir, I had a bad night of sleep, but it will not happen again.”

“It better not happens again, I will be lenient with you only for this once, because you have done us quite a favour last year, but next time I catch you falling asleep you will be scrubbing cauldrons.”

Harry usually wasn’t happy getting special treatment. He had asked everyone if he could be treated like every other boy his age as soon as Mr Fudge started proposing building a statue of him, but for this once he was happy that he got it anyway, since he wouldn’t like to spend his second night back in detention.

“Thank you sir” Harry said a bit shocked, and started walking to the door when Snape said, “Not so quick Mr Potter, you aren't dismissed yet, show me your hand.”

His heart skipped a beat when Snape asked him that, but a quick look at his hand showed him that the glamour was still there. Harry showed his hand to Snape.

Snape wasn’t soft on Harry, because he had saved them all last year, he had actually excused him this once, because he figured something more was going on. Looking at Harry his hand he saw the faint glow of a glamour and wondered why Harry had one up. He looked to Harry's neck and now he was standing this close, he noticed he had a glamour up on his whole body.

“Tell healer Daniel, I would like you to have a full check-up.”

Harry looked up shocked at Snape, he hadn’t been serious had he? “Sorry sir, but why? I really need to go to Transfiguration. I can't be late on this first day”

"Because I say so Mr Potter, are you doubting my authority?"

“No sir, but” Harry started to say, but was interrupted.

“I assume I won’t have to accompany you to the infirmary?”

“No sir, I can get there on my own” Harry quickly said.

“Well then hurry,” Snape told him with his usual snide.

Puzzled Harry left the classroom. He had no intention of going to the infirmary at all, but wondered why Snape had sent him there. He wasn’t sure on the full proceeder of a diagnostic spell, but he was quite sure it would show all of his injuries of at least the last 3 months and he surely didn’t want anybody to know them.

So he walked to the library, seated himself in the corner and started reading a transfiguration book. He would just tell Snape all was fine and hopefully Snape would leave it with that.

Only with Harry’s luck, nothing goes as he plans.