Severus pulled Harry off his lap, standing the sniveling child in between his knees, before grabbing a hold of Harry’s chin and angling his son’s face so they were eye to eye. Harry hiccoughed slightly, his face tear-streaked, but he did not attempt to pull away from Severus’s hold.

               “If you ever,” Severus scolded, “pull a stunt like what you did with that flying car again, dealing with me will be the least of your worries if you are not expelled from Hogwarts. What would you have done if the Ministry had found you and Mr. Weasley before you could reach the school? Do you have any idea the repercussions you would have faced then?”

               Harry sniffed and shook his head.

               “I’m sorry, Dad,” Harry said. “I didn’t think about—”

               “You didn’t do an inkling of thinking today, it would seem,” Severus interrupted. “And that seems to be your problem, Harry, you don’t think these things through before you jump into some reckless, grand adventure, just like your . . .”

               Severus caught himself, biting back the comment, nearly wincing at the effort it took. Harry frowned the slightest at Severus, knowing exactly what Severus was going to say. Taking a deep breath, Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, willing his temper to calm down.

               “Which one?” came Harry’s muttered response as the child glared at the floor, rubbing at his red eyes.

               Severus opened his eyes and glared at Harry. It had been a long time since he had made scathing remarks against James Potter or compared Harry to him, and he had tried to abstain from doing so ever since he had taken Harry in, knowing how much it upset Harry. His temper had gotten away from him, though, and this little adventure had him worried for Harry’s life and the what ifs had the Ministry gotten to the boys first.

               “I should not have said that,” Severus said. “I could do without your cheek, however, considering how much trouble you are in. I am serious about your thinking before jumping into action. You need to start using that head of yours and consider the consequences before you make such imprudent decisions. I will not lose you over something so careless.”

               “Yes, sir.” Harry reached a hand back to rub at his backside. “I really am sorry.”

               “You’re forgiven,” Severus said. He stood up and directed Harry toward his bedroom in their quarters. Harry was already dressed in his pajamas, so all he had to do was climb into bed. Harry did so, sitting up and looking at Severus expectantly.

               “You’re sure you are not hurt anywhere else?” Severus asked, giving Harry a concerned look. Harry had been a bit bruised from the Whomping Willow lashing out, and Severus had already applied bruise balm, but he wanted to make sure Harry wasn’t hiding anything else.

               “I’m okay, honest.” Harry said. He smirked. “I mean, my bum is kind of sore, too.”

               “Nice try,” Severus said. “Lie down and go to sleep, you insolent brat.”

               Harry smiled but laid back and allowed Severus to pull the blanket up over him.

               “Do I still have to do the detention Professor McGonagall assigned?” Harry asked.

               “Of course,” Severus answered. “That was a school punishment.”

               “It’s not fair that I get two punishments for the same thing,” Harry complained. “Ron only has to do the detention.”

               “Mr. Weasley will also have a letter sent home to his parents,” Severus said. “I am sure the detention will not be his only punishment.”

               “He probably won’t get spanked,” Harry muttered.

               “How the Weasleys deal with their children is their business. However, if fairness is truly a concern to you, I can arrange a session with Mr. Weasley and see to it that he is given the same treatment you were.”

               “No!” Harry exclaimed, sitting up in his bed and shaking his head. “Please don’t do that, Dad. I was just kidding.”

               “Is that so? Very well, now that I am sure we understand each other perfectly, lie down and go to sleep. It is far past your bedtime.”

               Harry did as he was told and Severus carded a hand through Harry’s hair as he bid him goodnight before stepping out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Severus had sent a message to Minerva explaining that Harry would crash in his quarters that night after he had a talk with Harry about his actions, and Minerva had been understanding, writing back about how good it was for him to fall into that mentor role for Harry as he had done last year. While Dumbledore and Pomfrey were both informed of Harry’s change in guardianship, no other professors had been told for security reasons. Severus still had a role to play should the inevitable happen.

               Sitting in his armchair once more, Severus leaned back and rubbed his temples. A flying car—what on earth would Harry come up with next? All he had done was agree to letting Harry spend a couple nights at the Weasley’s, and this was what that resulted in? Then the barrier wouldn’t let Harry and his friend through? He wondered what on earth would cause a malfunction such as that. He hoped the school year wasn’t going to be as exciting as day number one.

               Apparently, that was not to be the case. Severus heard many stories from Harry about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, including Harry’s detention that consisted of answering fan mail, which Severus couldn’t help but smirk at.

               “How fitting for our celebrity,” Severus had commented, much to Harry’s annoyance.   

               A week later, Harry visited his quarters for dinner and had told him how Lockhart had released a bunch of pixies on the classroom, then ran out of the room when he couldn’t get them under control. Apparently, Miss Granger had managed to immobilize all the pixies.

               “If you learn nothing from your new professor,” Severus had said then, “perhaps you could learn from each other.”

               Of course, Severus didn’t like incompetency to begin with, not in his students, and certainly not in his fellow coworkers who were supposed to teach the future generation of wizards and witches. Lockhart had attempted to strike up conversations with him on numerous occasions, but Severus always managed to find an escape from the annoying wizard’s self-righteous, dramatized adventure stories. There was something about Lockhart that didn’t settle right with Severus, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

               When Halloween came around, he was a bit concerned when Harry was not present at the feast, but then chaos erupted when Mrs. Norris was found petrified and words in blood were written on the walls: “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware.” Harry was accused of petrifying Mrs. Norris, but Severus came to his defense by stating perhaps he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, Severus did question Harry’s whereabouts as he had not been at dinner, and Harry answered something about a ghost party he had attended instead.

               Later, Severus reminded Harry on the importance of not missing meals and at the very least, informing Severus if he was going to be somewhere other than what was normally scheduled. Of course, Harry argued he wasn’t a baby that needed to be monitored all the time, and Severus threatened to cast a baby monitor spell on him for that remark alone. Since then, conversations with Harry tended to be short and filled with pre-teenage angst that Severus was not sure where it had come from.

               And then came that fateful Quidditch day.

               Severus stormed through the halls toward the infirmary. Severus kept an eye out for Lockhart, and the professor was lucky he didn’t cross Severus’s path on the way to the infirmary. He arrived just as the quidditch team left and Pomfrey was giving Harry his dose of Skele-Gro.

               “Well, let’s see it,” Severus said as he stood next to Harry’s bed. He crossed his arms and waited.

               Harry reached over and lifted his limp arm that moved too much like rubber. Severus narrowed his eyes at the movement, his thoughts construing a thousand ways to make Lockhart’s death look like an accident.

               “Is this stuff really the only way to make the bones grow back?” Harry asked. “Can’t you just spell them back?”

               “No,” Severus answered. “Did you drink all of your potion?”

               “Yeah,” Harry answered. “Do I have to stay here tonight though? Can I come sleep in our quarters?”

               Severus considered it for a moment, studying Harry intently before shaking his head.

               “I don’t think that would be wise given you condition. You will stay here until your bones have grown back.”

               “Oh, come on,” Harry insisted, “I’m sure you know everything about this potion.”

               “The potion, yes. Should your bones grow in the wrong way, then, no. As I said, you are better off staying here where Madam Pomfrey can keep an eye on you. She’ll know what to do should something go awry.”

               “She seemed pretty confidant this would do the trick,” Harry said. “I’m sure nothing will go wrong.”

               “That’s enough, Harry,” Severus said, growing annoyed at his son’s persistence. “I said no. You will stay here, and that’s the end of it.”
               “Fine,” Harry said, leaning back in his pillow and glaring off at the windows looking over the quidditch pitch.

               “Watch yourself,” Severus warned. “There is no reason for the disrespectful behavior.”

               “I don’t like sitting in here all night,” Harry complained.

               “And I cannot get you out of it, so I suggest you make yourself comfortable for a long night. Skele-Gro is not a pleasant—”

               “Then why did you bother coming here?”  

               Severus grinded his teeth for a moment as he glared down at Harry, who glared right back at him. Clearly, the new attitude Harry had adopted as of late was still fogging up the child’s judgement. Honestly, he had been genuinely concerned for Harry, and this was what his thanks was? Nothing but pushback and complaints? He clenched a fist at his side for a second before relaxing and taking a deep breath.

               “My apologies for worrying,” Severus said through his teeth, and Harry had the decency to at least look guilty. “And I suggest you abandon this attitude of yours and adopt a new one real fast, or so help me, you’ll be growing bones and nursing a sore backside tonight.”

               “You can’t,” Harry said, his eyes darting around in case any other students were in there as well. “We’re in the infirmary.”

               “Then I suggest you do as I’ve said.”

               “Whatever,” Harry mumbled, draping his one good arm across his chest. “I’m fine, so you can leave now.”  

               Something snapped in Severus, and he slammed the palm of his hand against the headboard of Harry’s bed, just inches away from his son’s head. Harry jumped and sank into the bed as Severus leaned forward to whisper sternly.

               “You’re asking for it, Harry James. I don’t know what has gotten into you as of late, but it gives you no reason to talk to me like that or shrug me off. So, unless you want to tell me what is bothering you lately . . .”

               Severus trailed off and waited to see if Harry would say anything while he had his little brat cornered, but Madam Pomfrey was not having the interrogation session.

               “Severus, that’s enough,” she said, coming over to them and waving him off. “Not here, please.”

               Severus gave Harry one last stern look before standing up and walking out of the infirmary at a brisk pace. He needed to rein his temper back in before he really did lose it. He ran a hand through his hair before rubbing at the back of his neck as he continued down the hall, heading for Dumbledore’s office to see what became of that bludger that strangely targeted Harry. At least it would give him something else to focus on.  

               Unfortunately, the bludger was wiped clean of any magical residue, leaving Severus frustrated with the lack of evidence to punish anyone with. That, a student petrified, and his anger with Harry’s behavior from the infirmary left him in a pretty foul mood the next day, and his first two morning classes were torture to get through, despite being N.E.W.T.S classes. He decided to skip lunch in the Great Hall and stayed in his office instead, working on grading essays.

               There was a knock at his office door, but Severus did not say anything in hopes whoever it was would go away. However, the door opened instead, and there was only one other person it was spelled to open for.

               Severus gripped his quill tighter and scribbled scathing marks a bit faster on a poorly written essay.

               “Er, hi, Dad,” Harry greeted as he shut the door and slowly walked across the office to the desk.

               Severus said nothing in return. He kept working on grading.

               Harry stepped a little closer, then rubbed at his arm.

               “My arm has all it’s bones back,” Harry said. “Madam Pomfrey said it’s good as new.”

               “Obviously,” Severus said without looking up from his work.

               “I’m sorry about yesterday,” Harry tried. “For what I said. I didn’t mean it.”

               “Hmm.”

               Severus could feel Harry round the desk and pause at his side. He paused in his grading, his quill hovering above the parchment as he waited to see what Harry might do next or say next.

               “Are you still angry with me?” Harry asked.

               “Whatever gave you that impression?” Severus snapped as he lifted his eyes with a hard glare to meet Harry’s. He nearly regretted his comment when Harry’s face fell at his look, but he resisted pulling Harry into a hug and, instead, forcefully set his quill down and shifted his chair to focus his attention on Harry.

               “I said sorry.”

               “I do not accept your apology.” Severus ignored Harry’s look of disbelief. “And I will not until you explain your egregious behavior as of late.”

               “What do you mean?” Harry asked, and Severus had the faintest notion that Harry was stalling especially when Harry averted his gaze from Severus, staring at the ground.

               Ever since Severus had talked to Harry about his abilities in Legilimency, Harry had taken to the bad habit of looking away whenever he knew he did wrong, afraid Severus might read his mind, despite his assurances that he would not without Harry’s permission. He was sure Harry would realize what he was doing and grow out of it, especially as Severus stayed true to his promise, but for now, this habit worked in Severus’s favor.

               “You know exactly what I mean,” Severus said. “Since Halloween night, you have been irritable and snappish, at least toward me, and I would like a good reason why.”

               “I don’t know,” Harry answered, shrugging his shoulders.

               Severus grabbed Harry’s arm and turned him slightly, then landed a hard swat to his bottom.

               “Ow!” Harry reached back and covered his bum protectively. “Dad, please, I’ve just been a little . . . stressed.”

               “And you think you’re the only one in this school who’s a little stressed?”

               “Bet I’m the only one hearing voices,” Harry muttered as he rubbed the sting from his bottom.

               “Excuse me?”

               Severus was sure he had not heard that last comment right. He let go of Harry’s arm.

               Harry swallowed, then said, “I first heard it when I had detention with Lockhart. It was a low voice coming from the walls saying something about killing and ripping. But Lockhart didn’t hear it, so I thought maybe it really wasn’t anything and then I heard it again on Halloween. It said the same things and then I found Mrs. Norris all petrified. I had nothing to do with it, honest, but Hermione said hearing voices wasn’t normal and I . . .”               

               “Didn’t think to tell an adult about all of this? Me, in particular?” Severus asked, frowning at Harry.

               “I didn’t want you to think I was looney and cart me off to Saint Mungo’s or something,” Harry said.

               “No need to fear that; you are quite stuck with me, looney or not. Harry, this is serious. Whatever this voice you are hearing clearly means harm if they are talking about killing, and it could have something to do with the chamber, which could help us figure out what is going on in the school that much faster. You should have told us what you were hearing the night Mrs. Norris was found.”

               “I know.”

               “Where do you hear this voice?”

               “Just in the walls, I think. I’m not sure. Do you think the voice could be what petrified Creevey? I saw him come into the infirmary last night.”

               “Perhaps, but I do not know for sure. You should have been asleep anyway.”

               “I had a visit from that Dobby elf again. He showed up last night. He was the reason the bludger attacked me. Oh, and he blocked the barrier, keeping Ron and I from getting on the train.”

               “That elf is going to be the death of someone if I don’t kill him first,” Severus snarled.

               “I almost did that for you,” Harry joked with a smile. “But he really thought he was protecting me.”

               “By breaking your arm?”

               “He thought if I was seriously injured, the school might send me home.”

               “More fool him.”

               “I told him to stop trying to save me or whatever the heck he was trying to do. Hopefully he stops.”

               “And if he doesn’t, I’m paying him a visit. As for you.” Severus gave Harry a stern look. “If you hear that voice again, you will tell me immediately and you will tell me where you heard it. Do not under any circumstances pursue it on your own should you hear it again. Can we agree on that?”

               “Yes, Dad.” Harry tentatively stepped closer to Severus. “And I am really sorry about how I’ve been acting.”

               Severus indulged Harry with a hug, knowing exactly what Harry was fishing for. Harry wrapped his arms around his neck as he pulled him into a strong embrace.

               “You’re forgiven,” Severus said, rubbing Harry’s back. “Let’s try to have a good rest of the year.”

               Harry nodded into his neck.

               Having a good rest of the year did not last two weeks.

               The next potions class, a potion ended up exploding on the Slytherin side of the room. A small explosion now and then was to be expected, but this explosion covered nearly half the classroom in a gooey, half-concocted swelling solution. Most of the students were fine, some had small swollen pores, some puffed up lips or club-like arms, but Draco Malfoy and Gregory Goyle had taken the brunt of the hit, and Draco’s nose grew to the size of a melon while Goyle’s eyes expanded to the size of dinner plates.

               Working quickly, Severus gave each affected kid a dose of deflating draught, then sent Draco and Goyle to the infirmary to make sure there were no long-lasting effects from their extreme exposure. Then, after assessing Goyle’s cauldron and finding a strange residue in the remaining potion that could not be accounted for a potion ingredient, Severus turned his attention on the rest of his class with a glare.

               “Clearly this is sabotage,” Severus growled. “Which one of you is responsible for this explosion?”

               Everyone shook their head as Severus’s eyes roved over all the students, and as his eyes met Harry’s, he paused, knowing what game he had to play. Harry shook his head like all the other students had done and met Severus’s stare.

               You better not look away, boy, Severus thought as he raised a brow at Harry, who shifted uncomfortably.

               Then, as if his eyes couldn’t handle the intensity anymore, Harry’s gaze fell to the floor. He never looked right. He never looked left. His eyes always dropped to the floor.

               Severus closed his eyes, disappointment flooding his chest. He opened them after a few seconds and hardened his glare.

               “Potter,” Severus growled. “My office. Now.”

               Harry’s eyes met his with a look that clearly said he could not believe he was being called out. After a moment, Harry turned the heat off his cauldron, grabbed his bag and collected his book off the desk before leaving his workspace. Once Harry was out of the classroom, Severus used his wand to vanish every potion in every cauldron.

               “Due to unfortunate circumstances,” Severus said, “you will all redo this potion at your next potions lab.”

               There were several cries of protest and awes, but everyone took that as their cue to gather their things and head out of the classroom. Severus waited until the last student scrambled out before he stormed to his office, his robes billowing behind him. He couldn’t believe Harry would do something so reckless. Where was that boy’s head at that he thought causing an explosion in a potion’s lab would be a fun experiment? He was going to beat some common sense into Harry when he got his hands on him. Of all the careless, thoughtless, imprudent . . .

               “What in Merlin’s name were you thinking?” Severus demanded as he opened his office door, letting it slam behind.

               Harry jumped out of the chair in front of Severus’s desk and stared at Severus with wide eyes.  

               “I didn’t do anything,” Harry claimed, shaking his head. “I don’t know why you always think it’s my fault, but I . . .”

               “Do not lie to me.” Severus enunciated each word as he pointed a stern finger at Harry, taking slow, purposeful steps toward him. “Why did you cause an explosion in the classroom?”

               “I didn’t . . .”

               “Harry,” Severus scolded.

               “I promise, it wasn’t me. Why do you always think it’s me?”

               Once Severus was close enough, he snatched Harry’s wrist, startling Harry, but all Severus did was mutter a few words under his breath. He watched with satisfaction as Harry’s hand turned a red color. Harry looked up at him with an anxious look.

               “A contamination reveal spell,” Severus said as if lecturing about a new fascinating potion ingredient, “very useful in finding out what contaminants might have polluted your potion, but also helpful in finding cheeky little brats who think blowing things up are fun. Blue for poisons, yellow for blood, green for toxic plants, and red . . . for explosives. Firecracker, perhaps?”

               Harry yanked his hand out of Severus’s grip and stared at his hand, watching the sunburnt red color slowly fade away. He glanced up at Severus apprehensively.

               “Question remains,” Severus continued as he studied Harry, “why?”

               Harry looked back at his hand which was now back to normal, then looked back up at his father, but he didn’t say anything, his lips drawn together tightly in a thin line, his eyes looking anywhere but at Severus’s own eyes.

               “I’d really hate to have to use Legilimency on you, young man,” Severus said.

               “You promised you wouldn’t,” Harry said quickly, backing up a couple steps.  

               “You’re right,” Severus agreed. He slowly stepped forward, closing the distance between them once more. “Unless I feel you are putting your life in danger, and if you feel the need to blow up my classroom, my, Harry, you must be either very ill or you’re hiding something that is very dangerous. So, I suggest you tell me what you are up to this instant or I will be forced to resort to such measures.”

               Severus reached out and grabbed Harry’s chin, angling his head up and forcing Harry to look at him directly. He held Harry’s gaze but did not use his magic. He was very willing to wait this one out, no matter how long it took.

               At first, Harry tried to stare back as if to prove he had nothing to hide. Severus tsked lightly.

               “Do not make me change my mind about when I use my Legilimency on you. I’d like to think that you trust me enough to at least be honest with me.”

               “I do,” Harry whispered. He was silent for another few seconds, his eyes darting off to the side before staring back at Severus’s. He took a deep breath, then said, “I think Malfoy knows something about the Chamber of Secrets. I was going to brew Polyjuice potion to sneak into Slytherin house and find out.”

               “Polyjuice?” Severus raised a brow at that. “And how would you know where to even begin with such a complicated potion?”

               Harry remained quiet. It told Severus everything he needed to know though.

               “I see. More incriminating acts on behalf of the other members of the Golden Trio. I take it the firework was a distraction so one of you could steal the necessary ingredients for the potion?”

               Harry nodded in a defeated manner.

               Severus lowered himself until he was nearly nose-to-nose with Harry, not letting up on Harry’s chin the slightest.

               “Do you have any idea how dangerous Polyjuice is if incorrectly brewed?” Severus demanded. “How easy it is to make one small error that could blow up in your faces or worse—eat you from the inside out should you actually consume it? That’s assuming you made it past the first three steps. Do you have any idea how foolish this idea of yours and your little friends was?”

               Harry shook his head miserably, a few tears escaping his eyes.   

               “Not to mention stealing from me,” Severus said, tightening his hold on Harry’s chin briefly, making Harry wince. “Blowing up a potion in my classroom? While I’m teaching? You know better, Harry James Potter-Snape. I am so very disappointed in you.”            

               “I’m sorry,” Harry said softly.

               Severus let Harry go and straightened himself.

               “You, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger have detention with me for the next month for this asinine plan you all concocted.”

               Harry dropped his head against his sternum, probably more upset about exposing his friends and them being punished than for himself, Severus was sure.

               “For your information,” Severus continued, “Mr. Malfoy knows no more about the Chamber of Secrets than you do. He is a child, just like you. What more did you expect him to know?”

               Harry shrugged.

               Severus hmphed, then turned toward his desk, walking behind it, and pulling his chair out.

               “Again, we return to the topic of thinking before acting, something you continue to have trouble with.” Severus sat down and crooked his finger at Harry. “Perhaps our last session didn’t leave a big enough impression.”

               “No, Dad, honest, it did,” Harry said quickly, finding his tongue once more.

               “And yet, here we are. Come here. Now.”

               Resigned to his fate, Harry slowly walked over to Severus, his eyes spilling with more tears.

               “Robe off, trousers down,” Severus instructed.

               Harry gave Severus a pitiful look as he slipped out of his school robe, then pulled down the trousers of his uniform as far as they needed to go. He allowed Severus to drape him over his knees, then Severus pulled down his son’s shorts and brought his hand down sharply over the bare bottom.

               Harry squirmed almost immediately, yelping and apologizing, but Severus held him firmly and delivered a sound twenty over his son’s wriggling bottom that turned a dark pink. Severus lifted Harry off his lap, pulling Harry’s shorts and trousers up simultaneously as he did so, eliciting a hiss from Harry.

               Lifting his son into his lap, Severus pointed a stern finger at Harry.

               “Now you leave the Chamber of Secrets alone,” Severus said, glaring for extra measure. “I do not need to wake up one morning and find you petrified.”

               “You won’t,” Harry said, wrapping his arms around Severus’s neck and sobbing into his father’s shoulder. “I promise.”

               “You know exactly what to expect if you disobey.” Even as he said it, he wrapped his arms around Harry and squeezed him to his chest, carding a hand through Harry’s hair and scratching at his scalp gently. He held Harry silently as he waited for the child to calm down, and it took several minutes before Harry’s sobs turned into small hiccoughs. He offered a handkerchief for Harry to clean up his face when he seemed a bit more pulled together, and Harry wiped at his face as he leaned against Severus’s shoulder.

               “When you are ready, I want you to go find your friends and tell them I would like to have a word with them. And to bring back my missing ingredients.”

               Harry’s cheeks flushed.

               “Can’t I just tell them they have detention with you?”

               “You may. But I would like the honor as well. When you’re ready.”

               Severus patted Harry’s back, and Harry sighed and reluctantly slid off his father’s lap.

               “I really am sorry,” Harry said. “We just thought that since Malfoy . . .”

               “I’m sure I can figure out what you kids thought,” Severus said. “But if Mr. Malfoy was truly the heir of Slytherin, do you think you would be the first to know of it?”

               “I guess not,” Harry agreed reluctantly.

               “Trust me, the Slytherin family tree is not so extensive, but it does have missing faces. The rest of the staff and I are doing our best to fill in the missing puzzles to solve this and find out what is happening with the Chamber. Do not concern yourself with it. I cannot lose you.”

               Severus brushed a lock of hair out of Harry’s face. Harry nodded in understanding.

               “Okay. I understand. But what if I hear the voice again?”

               “As I’ve told you, come directly to me. We will work on tracking it down together. And Harry?” Severus waited until Harry’s eyes met his. “You’re forgiven.”  

               Harry smiled at that, then grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder, sneaking a quick rub at his bottom.

               “Remember, find your friends and send them this way.”

               “Okay,” Harry said with a sigh.

               Severus smirked as he watched Harry sulk out of his office. Naughty, insolent, little brat. Where do these kids get their ideas from these days? Polyjuice potion, why Polyjuice, of all the potions on the planet? Severus shook his head as he rolled his chair back to his desk, picking up his quill to continue grading. That child was going to put him in an early grave if he kept up with stunts like this.