Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Chapter 5

As the days past, it was quite clear to Severus that Harry was very upset at him. Most of the time he stayed away from the boy, but during meals and the odd occasion when they would pass each other in the halls of the school, he was given nothing but the dirtiest look he had ever seen on a child in his life.

So he stuck to his room. Not the old one Harry now had taken residence in, but the one he had gotten when he was made a teacher at Hogwarts. He kept himself busy, planning lessons for the young witches and wizards he taught, most of them cruel or unusual. Some were both cruel and unusual. They were the one he liked most.

As the clock ticked by on the wall, he suddenly realised that today would be the boy's birthday. Hiding his head in his hands, he cursed under his breath. He hadn't got a gift and he was quite sure that it would be important to the boy to receive one.

Grabbing his old broom from its place near the door, he flew himself as quickly as he could to Diagon Alley. He walked aimlessly around for what seemed like hours, but was in fact a few short minutes, pondering what Harry liked to do.

He pictured all the times he had seen him happy and suddenly realised what the perfect present would be. Quickly taking a short detour to Gringotts to get out some more money, he took off to buy the one thing he knew Harry would like.

Returning back to Hogwarts, he could just make out the shape of Harry doing laps of the Quidditch pitch on his Firebolt. Severus saw the look on Harry's face and knew he had received presents at least from his friends. For the first time since he had arrived at the school, he looked happy.

Slipping his way silently past the now-a-fifteen-year-old, he got to his room again and wrapped up what he had bought. Hopefully, it would give Harry some sign that he was trying.

Disappearing once again for a short time and appearing later in the Great Hall, he had gathered the last of his present up.

Harry landed neatly on the ground with his newly polished Firebolt. He had still gotten presents. From Ron, he had gotten a massive horde of chocolate frogs, with a note saying he would need all the cheering up he could get.

Hermione had gotten him a beautiful gold cage with a note saying that Hedwig should be living in style. Harry had smiled when inside the cage, he had found a bottle of Broom Polish.

Hagrid had given him his present directly, since he lived in the hut next to the Forbidden Forest. " 'Ere yeh go Harry" he had said and handed him a birthday cake that, for Hagrid, was actually very nice and they had shared it together.

Still, there was something missing. He went back to his room and was about to lie down on his bed when he noticed a big present lying on the ground at the foot of his bed. Getting up, he slowly walked over to it. Trying to lift it, he found it to be quite heavy.

Puzzled, he ripped away the paper and stared in amazement at what he saw. Opening the box up, he grinned for the first time in what felt like weeks. Lying in the box was a brand new set of Quidditch balls, including the red Quaffle and the two fighting bludgers.

Pulling open the compartment that housed the tiny snitch, he watched as the small gold ball uncurled wings and started to flutter around the room. Now he could play Quidditch whenever he wanted and he could let Hermione and Ron join in.

Spying a note lying in the now-empty Snitch compartment, he grabbed it and read it slowly.

Harry,

I know you're very angry with me, but if the letter is to be believed, I want you to know that I had no idea. Please, enjoy your present. I wanted to buy you something that I know you would like. There is more to your present, but to get that, when you have finished reading this go down to the Great Hall. Happy Birthday.
 

There was no signature on the bottom, but Harry immediately knew whom it was from. Snape. His anger at the man who had kept everything about his mum and the person who he had always thought of as his dad, waned a bit. At least the man was trying, Harry thought to himself.

Getting up, he made his way down to the Great Hall. When he had opened the huge doors to enter the room, he could hardly believe his eyes. The whole room was set up like as if it was Christmas Feast, except without the trees. Streamers were everywhere and the cakes and other foods on the table that had been placed in the middle of the room looked absolutely fantastic.

The best thing he could see in the room, however, was a very confused looking Sirius Black. Running quickly over to his godfather, he flung his arms around the other man's neck and held him close.

"So this is what it is like", he said to himself, "to have a party."

Standing off to one side, Snape was looking like he was about to run in the opposite direction. When Harry spotted this, he let go of Sirius and made his way up to him. Surprising even himself, he hugged the man close. "This is the best birthday ever." He whispered, and for the first time ever, he saw Snape smile.


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