Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Author's Chapter Notes:
Last chapter: Snape and Harry talk, and Harry writes a story at school.

At the end of the school day [...] his teacher gave him a folded piece of paper. “Make sure that you give this to your parents, okay? They have a Parent-Teacher conference tomorrow with me, and this is a reminder. [...]”

Little did he know, that Hoppity wasn't going to be the “parent” who attended the meeting...
The Snidget

When Hoppity and Harry come home, Snape was sitting in the kitchen on a chair by the window, his dark eyes glued to the back garden.

“We're home! I have something to tell you,” Hoppity said.

“Quiet,” Snape whispered strongly, a guttural sound coming from the side of his mouth.

There was silence while Hoppity blinked, startled at Snape's response. Surely Severus wouldn't be so mean without a reason... was something wrong? Were they in danger?

Harry moved to the window next to Snape, his curiosity unflagging as he tried to peer out the window and see what Snape was so intent on. The potions master glanced down at Harry's dark head in slight annoyance before taking watch again.

“What are we looking at, Sir?”

“Shhh...”

Harry folded his arms and pouted. He hated being ignored.

Snape got up off of his chair and then pulled the little boy to the front room, beckoning Hoppity to follow. Only there did he explain himself in a low voice as they stood around the sofa, “I believe that we have an endangered species in our backyard.”

Silence, but it was impregnated with excitement and mystery.

“Like what, a flying squirrel?” Harry asked.

“No, better. I believe there is a snidget.”

Hoppity gasped. Harry looked curiously at each of his guardians. He couldn't remember what that was.

“It's a little golden bird, about this big,” Snape demonstrated, holding his hand up in front of Harry's eyes so that his fingers made a small circle. He hoped to jog the memory of his deaged ward. “The wings flutter very quickly, and you can catch one with your hands,” he pretended to catch a small snitch.

Harry's eyes widened as he reached out, mimicking Snape's catching movement, allowing it to bring back memories. “I know them! I love snidgets!”

“Shh, and yes I know,” Severus said a hint of deviousness in his voice, “They are very useful for potions.”

“Severus Snape!” Hoppity berated, “You cannot possibly be considering killing an endangered creature for a potion!”

“Hush, woman! I never said anything about killing it.” He turned his head to glance at the kitchen and spoke quietly, “You must keep your voices down and not scare it off. It must consider this a safe place for I intend to lure it and catch it.”

“But isn't that illegal?” Hoppity whispered, her blue eyes wide as she leaned against the side of the sofa.

“Not here.” Snape said lowly. He seemed pleased with himself and the opportunity that literally landed in his backyard. “There are many important and useful potions that require snidget feathers, or snidget droppings.”

“Snidget poo?” Harry asked, his green eyes sparkling inquisitively.

“Yes.” Snape glanced at Hoppity. “Some of the potions may turn the tide of the war. And,” he glanced at Harry, “Wouldn't it be nice to have a little bird to take care of?”

“Yes, yes!” Harry exclaimed, nearly jumping with excitement. He'd love a little bird, and if Snape was willing to let him keep it...

“Shhh,” Snape reminded him, covering his ward's mouth with one hand to quiet him.

Harry tried very hard to calm himself and be a very good, well-behaved boy. He wished for a snidget, it was so exciting to think about capturing one, and playing with it, and feeding it, catching it for fun.

“Will you help me?” Snape asked them, looking in each person's eyes at a time.

Harry nodded enthusiastically. He was already set to keep it. “Can I name it?”

“Perhaps,” Snape replied evenly. He was still looking at Hoppity, waiting for her answer.

She finally sighed. “I don't know, snidgets are protected creatures. It should be sent to a breeding ground and taken care of, not kept as a pet.”

Snape's mouth turned into a frown, and his voice took on an icy edge, “If you would like to call the Ministry of Magic and inform them of where we are, thus threatening-” Snape looked at Harry, “our safety over a little bird, then by all means.”

“You know we can't do that.” Hoppity sighed, ignoring Snape's tone. She moved to sit down on the sofa, hugging herself. “But it's free now, perhaps it's meant to be free and we should let it alone.”

Snape paced, tying to control himself. “Do you think that this creature, this magnificent, fortuitous creature that landed in our laps would be better served as a free chew toy for a mangy dog?”

“No, but-”

“Then, perhaps following the rules is more important to you than the safety of this child.” Snape stood near Harry, and gently pulled him close to his side.

Hoppity looked at Harry. It was hard to ignore his young eyes, so large and pleading.

“Oh!” Hoppity stood up, her fists balled up, “Severus Snape, don't you dare imply such a thing! I love this child!” She pulled Harry suddenly to herself, hugging him into her side. “For you to say such a thing-!”

Harry was wild-eyed at Hoppity's declaration and the rough handling. She said she loves me...

He looked up at Hoppity's face, her mouth and eyes set in a hard line, her red, curly hair fizzed all over, a strand was tangled in her glasses. In that moment Harry couldn't help but feel admiration for her. His heart warmed, and he felt like the most important little boy in the world.

“Forgive me. I misspoke.”

It was the first time Harry had ever seen Snape back down.

“I was merely trying to illustrate the point that Harry's safety is paramount. We are not operating under the Ministry of Magic's thumb right now, but even if we were, there are times when need takes precedence over rules.”

“I'm not sure this is such a situation...”

“It is. There are such powerful, protective potions that can be made, with just a bit of snidget fluff... potions that the enemy would never expect.

“Isn't it more important to do everything in our power to help and protect Harry, your Uncle, and everyone you love?” Snape knew that he was laying it on thick, but it was pointless to capture a snidget if someone else would let it free not five minutes after. “This snidget may be a chance where there was none. It may be the difference between life and death.”

“Surely not,” Hoppity said, but she was unsure. She looked at Harry, noted his soft, black hair and large green eyes. He was such a sweet child, so full of promise and hardship already. Her eyes rested on his faint curse scar, hiding beneath his fringe and nearly reaching between his eyebrows.

“Yes,” Severus said.

“Alright,” Hoppity agreed softly. For Harry.

Severus gave a small, pleased smirk. Potter was useful for some things after all.

The small boy was still beaming from the declarations of care, and this new agreement was just more proof of it. He unexpectedly turned to give Hoppity a tight hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered for only her to hear.

Snape looked away from the scene, uncomfortable with it all. He cleared his throat.

“Now then,” he started once he was sure of their attention. “We require some supplies. A net, a cage, a perch, some small dishes for food and water. I left out a bit of toast with sugar earlier to entice it to stay, and a bowl of clean water.” He would not mention that he had placed an invisible barrier around the back garden so that it could not fly away, similar to the barriers used in Quidditch matches. He was sure to catch hell for that, so he had to pretend that it wasn't there. In any case, he wasn't sure that his barrier spell was fool-proof. The snidget might have found a way out around the edges.

“It will be luck if we catch it at all,” Hoppity stated. “Snidgets are dead fast.”

“Yes, but we may have someone even faster.” He looked at Potter. The youngest seeker in a century. The boy's reflexes might be off in this younger body, but Severus was certain that under pressure the boy would perform.

“Do you mean me?” Harry asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes. Now come with me to get some supplies.” He wished to keep Harry out of trouble, and also keep him from accidentally scaring the snidget away. “Smirkett, stay here and watch through the back windows and see if you can spot it. I am sure that it is there somewhere hiding. Perhaps you will be able to locate it by the time we return.”

Snape reached for Harry's shoulder and guided him towards the door to the garage. “Quickly, now.” Snape was anxious to return and capture that bird. There was so much that he could accomplish with such a bird at his disposal.

“Be safe,” Hoppity said.

Harry gave a wave before they shut the door and lost sight of her.

Snape reached the car in long strides and opened the back passenger door. He reached down and picked Harry up without a word, swiftly helping him into his car seat and snapping the safety belt in place far quicker than Harry was able. He then practically leapt into the driver's seat and they were off!

Harry and Snape stopped at the first pet store they could find. They grabbed a shopping buggy and collected various bird supplies and food (including some live larvae and eggs). Snape decided on a medium-sized cage that sat on legs. “I could almost fit you in there,” he noted distractedly. Harry thought that he was teasing, but wasn't sure.

They found several medium and large nets at the back at the store. Snape tested them out, swishing them around as if trying to capture a bird. Finding them satisfactory, Snape purchased their supplies and then they were off, back to capture one elusive bird.

When they came home Hoppity was sitting in the kitchen, peering out the window Snape had been at earlier. Harry went to join her as Snape put together the cage.

“Did you find it?” Harry whispered.

“Yes, it's hiding behind that bush, there in the corner. Do you see it?”

Harry peered out, trying to see. After awhile he thought that he saw a flash of gold through the bush.

“Yes!” Harry whispered in excitement. “I saw it!”

They heard some metal scrapping noises, and a muttered curse behind them.

“Severus,” Hoppity admonished in a whisper, covering Harry's ears.

The potions master put down the piece of bird cage he was working with. “My apologies. I'm sure he knows worse. Although if I hear any of them from him...” Snape lead off, threatening with his eyes.

Harry swallowed. “I won't!”

“Likely story.” Snape motioned, “Come here and help me.”

With Harry's help holding up the cage, Snape was able to put it together quickly. When Hoppity and his young charge were looking away, he placed a containing spell on it, making sure that its future occupant would not find a crack or a loose bar to escape from.

“We will lure it with some food,” Snape said, “And then when its attention is focused on the food, we shall catch it with the net.” It seemed like a fool-proof plan.

“Do I get to help?” Harry asked.

“Yes, go put on some less conspicuous clothing.”

Harry looked down at his bright red shirt. It was the one he picked out, with a lion on the front, just to annoy Snape. Just then his tummy decided to rumble.

Hoppity smiled. “Maybe we should all eat first.”

“No, it should not take long and if we wait it may get away. Hurry, Potter, something brown, or green preferably.”

Harry ran up to his room, and went through his clothes, trying to find something that would help him blend in with the back garden. He finally found a green shirt in the bottom of his small wooden chest of drawers. His frenzied search left clothes scattered everywhere, but he was too excited to care to pick them up. He'd take care of it later.

When he arrived back in the kitchen, it was to see his guardians practicing with the nets. Apparently Hoppity's blue and green patterned shirt and tan trousers were acceptable for blending in with the back garden. Snape's normally white long sleeved shirt had been exchanged for a brown one.

When Harry came in, Snape stopped what he was doing and looked at Harry silently. His expression was unreadable. Harry looked down, self conscious. He didn't remember ever wearing this shirt before. Maybe it looked bad?

“Here,” Snape finally handed Harry a net with a handle that was not too long. “Practice.”

Or maybe Snape was just weird. Harry took the net and swished it around, feeling it move against the air.

“No, no, not like that. It's not a wand. Try like this.” Snape placed his hands over Harry and moved the net around, making sure that the opening faced the direction it was going. “Quick, but controlled.” He let go and let Harry practice on his own. Harry moved it, concentrating on moving it the way Snape had. Hoppity mimicked them. “Better.”

Harry couldn't help his pleased grin.

Snape produced a small ball and had Harry and Hoppity take turns catching it. After a couple of tries, Harry caught the ball nearly every time. Snape didn't say anything, but Harry thought that he was impressed. Hoppity gave him proud looks, and he just knew that he was going to be the one to catch the snidget.

“Alright, we will go out quietly, and calmly. This dish will be placed in the garden to lure the bird in.” Snape moved to pick up a plate from the counter by the sink. There were bits of stuff on it, grubby-looking larvae and seeds. “Harry, you will wait by the door, since it's impossible for you to sit still. Your squirming will scare it off if you are too close.”

Harry frowned at this. He could too sit still! And he didn't squirm! Really.

“We will hide around the food dish. If the bird comes near, catch it with a net. Once caught, either twist the net closed, or put it against the ground so that the bird cannot escape. Then wait like that until we all come.” He turned to the little emerald-eyed boy, “Harry, it will be your job afterward to reach in the net and capture it without letting it escape.”

That sounded like such an important job! “Yes, sir!” Harry said smartly.

Snape gave him a look. “Do not reach in until I am there. Understood?”

“Understood, you can count on me!” Harry saluted.

“Cheeky brat,” Snape muttered as he lead them outside, but he said it with a smile. “Now no more sounds from you until we catch it.”

Once the backdoor was opened, Snape made sure that Harry would wait by it outside, and stay there. And not squirm so much. The potions master motioned for Hoppity to move to the right, and then he slowly walked to put the plate on the grass before moving away to the left and sitting behind a tree.

At first it was fun. The excitement of the activity coursed through Harry's body, and he watched the plate with alertness. As the minutes ticked by though, Harry found himself becoming impatient and bored. He watched for birds and animals, but the elusive golden snidget was nowhere to be seen. Had it flown away?

The air kicked in, the large outdoor unit by the house making a humming sound. A warm breeze ruffled Harry's hair, and his stomach growled.

Snape was still hiding behind a tree, his dark eyes peering out. He gave Harry a look that said, 'Stay still and quiet or else.' Harry pouted and looked at his net.

He was hungry. Before he didn't notice it so much, but now he was waiting and doing nothing and it was all that he could notice.

No sign of the golden snidget yet. Was it even still around? Maybe it was hiding. Maybe someone should run through the bushes and surprise it out of its hiding spot.

Harry breathed out, tired of waiting. When would his bird show up?

Incredibly fast, a golden blur flew to the plate, catching Harry's eyes.

It was the golden bird. It almost looked like a hummingbird, small and with a long, thin beak. Its motions were quick and sharp, its beady eyes glanced around before it bent down to catch a grub larvae.

Snape was up and out of his hiding place, leaping toward the plate. The net came crashing down, over the bird. The plate broke from the force of the swing, but the bird escaped.

Hoppity's swiped next with her net as the bird flew away but she missed it as well.

“Drat!!” Snape fumed.

“Rats!” Hoppity exclaimed.

“Woah.” Harry breathed out, running out to his guardians. “That thing was wicked fast! Can you catch it?”

Hoppity blew at the curly red hair in her face. “We could wait here all night and all day, and miss it every time.”

“We may need to change our strategy,” Snape conceded. “Perhaps something with more cunning...”

“Yes, but not now. It's past time for tea.”

Harry nodded his head. He was ready to eat!

The potions master looked as if he might argue at first, but instead wordlessly collected the nets and started back for the house.

Once inside, Hoppity started to cook and Snape let her be for once. He was too busy trying to devise a new plan, a pad of paper and a quill sat before him at the kitchen table. He scribbled on the pad, and then just as quickly crossed out what he had written or drawn.

Harry peered over the table, at all the squiggles and boxes scratched out. It almost looked like a nest. “Maybe we can make a home for it.”

“We already have one,” Snape muttered, jabbing at the cage off to one side of the kitchen.

“Yeah, but maybe we could make a more natural one that the bird would fly into, and want to be in, and then we could surprise it and it would be trapped.”

Snape's quill stopped. He looked thoughtful before reaching out and patting Harry on the shoulder. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he just licked his lips and tightened his grip on Harry's shoulder before turning back to his notes. “It may just work,” he praised, before drawing out a new set of plans.

Harry beamed. Snape was going to use his idea!

The food was prepared quickly, and Harry was pleased to find that it was noodles! He was not quite as pleased to see that there were vegetables to go with it. Wouldn't his grownups get tired of the icky, green things?

“I still don't understand how there's a snidget in America.” Hoppity twirled noodles around her fork.

Snape was uncharacteristically chatty, perhaps in a good mood over their latest plan. “They play Quadpot here, not Quidditch. Hence, no snidgets were hunted to extinction because they were not used.”

“Yes, but are snidgets indigenous here?”

“Obviously at least one is.”

“We're going to catch him,” Harry declared. “I know it.”

“We'll see, Harry,” Hoppity said as she served herself some more noodles and Harry lifted his plate as if to ask for more. “Eat your vegetables before taking more noodles.”

“I think I'll call him Snidgen.”

“What if its a girl?”

“Well, then I'll call her Snidgen.”

Hoppity laughed, “Okay Harry. I doubt we'll be able to tell anyway.”

After dinner Snape asked for Harry's cardboard box.

“What are you going to do with it?” Harry asked curiously.

“With a few alterations... use it to capture Snidgen.”

“Well, I'm done.” Hoppity said. “I've been enough bird catching. The telly is calling me.”

Snape looked at her. “Very well. Potter, the box.”

“Okay.” Harry ran off and when he came back with the box Snape was working on something, a sort of bird feeder. It was an old sock, and Snape was stuffing it full of wet fluff, and live grubs and bits of food.

The little boy pushed the box the last few feet to rest by Snape and watched curiously as the man cut some small holes in the sock. One of the larvae started to poke out, and Harry wrinkled his nose.

“That's kind of gross.”

“Not really on the scale of things,” Snape mused. He put the holey sock down, and started to work on the box. First he made three cuts to create a little door, bending it open into the box. Then he attached the sock to the bottom of the box, making sure that it would stay.

“The only problem is making sure that the snidget makes his way into the box, and not another little bird... or pest.”

“But the door's so small. Who else could fit?” Harry asked as Snape closed the top of the box and sealed it.

“Hopefully, nothing.”

Harry followed Snape into the back garden, and watched as Snape placed the box upside down. The little makeshift door was facing down now, and Snape shook the box a little to make sure that the sock feeder was hanging right, and not rolling around the bottom.

“The door this way should make it easy for a little bird to get in, but not to get out,” Snape explained to Harry's bright eyes.

“What do we do now?” Harry asked as Snape stood up.

“Now I wait. You will practice clearing your mind.”

That was so beastly unfair! How was Harry supposed to clear his mind when his new pet was about to get caught?

“I doubt that the snidget will take the bait within the next hour. After you practice clearing your mind, you may join me and watch the box.”

Harry pouted and folded his arms. He didn't want to get sent off to practice on his own, he wanted to watch Snidgen get caught!

Snape reached down and guided a petulant Harry back into the house. “Fifteen minutes,” he said and pointed to the back room. “For every minute you waste before starting I will add two to your practice time.”

Fine, Harry stomped off, quietly though. He didn't want to get more time added on for peevishness.

It was a looong fifteen minutes. Every time Harry's mind wandered off, Snape's voice came from the kitchen not too soon after, telling him to focus.

Finally the practice time was up.

“Alright Potter,” Snape called out. “You may watch now, though I daresay you'll soon realize that you are not missing anything.”

Harry decided that he'd be the judge of that, as he pulled over a chair to sit next to Snape and peered out the back door. The box was sitting there, just as Snape put it.

“Did anything happen? Did you see Snidgen?” Harry asked eagerly, in a hushed tone.

“No, Harry. Nothing happened at all.”

Harry sighed out, both in disappointment and relief. Disappointment because he'd wanted to hear something more interesting, but also relief because he didn't miss anything.

They sat there for awhile, eyes anxiously peering out into the back garden for a glimmer of gold. Now and again they would make small comments, Harry's mostly exploratory and imaginative. Snape's measured and explanatory.

It was an hour before Harry finally lost the battle of interest. Severus was impressed at the little boy's fortitude.

“I'm going to see what Hoppity is doing.” Harry huffed and wandered off to the back room.

She was watching the telly, some show that Harry found himself drawn to.

“Come sit down next to me, Harry-bean,” she called and patted the couch next to her. Harry climbed up and cuddled into her side.

He eventually fell asleep, listening to the drone of the telly as Hoppity carded her fingers through his hair soothingly.

What seemed like hours later someone was gently shaking him with strong fingers.

“Come now, Harry. Time to wake up and go to bed.” A deep masculine voice spoke into his ear, and Harry groaned and rubbed at his eyes.

“Did you catch Snidgen?” he asked tiredly. “Cold,” he murmured.

Snape pulled him up to a sitting position, and then standing. Harry sagged a little against his side, disoriented from his nap.

“Yes, I caught him,” Snape answered, but Harry was already burrowing his face into Snape's side, seeking warmth and wanting to fall back asleep. Snape sighed. “It seems that it will be straight to bed with you.”

“Tired,” Harry murmured.

“Yes, I can see that,” Snape answered and hoisted Harry into his arms. The little boy made contented noises and burrowed into Snape's warm shoulder.

Nearby Hoppity smiled as she watched them. “It seems as if you are making a habit of this.”

“Hush. Not another word,” Snape threatened but his heart wasn't in it. He reached up and rubbed Harry's back, looked at the dark messy hair, and the innocent expression on the child's face as he slept.

Maybe he was.

Chapter End Notes:
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Next chapter: The Parent-Teacher Conference

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