Harry was getting closer and closer to the snitch, the crowds were roaring below, the commentators voice was just a drone, the other teams seeker was far behind, he was reaching for the little golden ball, he was just about to grab it…

SPLASH!

Harry was startled out of his dream by the most horrible cold, wet sensation. Water soaked the duvet and pillows, Harry’s hair was plastered to his face, he coughed slightly to dislodge the water which had fallen into his open mouth. He glanced up blearily, his eyes not yet adjusted to the bright sunlight and everything hazy without his glasses.

He reached over to his bedside cabinet and groped for his glasses, at last his fingers wrapped around them and he slipped them on. He blinked and found himself nearly nose to nose with his potions teacher who was swinging a bucket between his fingers as he glared at Harry.

“Did you just throw a bucket of water over me?” Harry demanded, he had been having a very nice dream and was more than a little unhappy that he never found out if he caught the snitch or not.

“Indeed I did, Potter. I will not have you lazing around in bed all day. I want you up at six every day of the summer”

Harry jerked upwards, little beads of water flying off of his drenched body. “Six!?!”

“Yes Potter, that is the number after five. Surely an imbecile like you knows how to count!” Snape snapped.

“But it’s the holidays! I don’t get up that early at school!” Harry complained.

Snape moved his face so close to Harry that the boy drew back a bit in fear. “Then you had better start practising, hadn’t you?”

Harry shuddered slightly, and it wasn’t because of the cold water which he was encased in.

“Now breakfast is in five minutes Mr Potter and I expect you to be dry before you come down”

“I can’t get dry in five minutes! I’m soaked!” Harry exclaimed.

“Who’s fault is that Mr Potter?” Snape sneered.

“Yours! You tipped water all over me. Why couldn’t you just tap me on the shoulder?”

Snape moved towards him so fast that Harry flinched and put his hands up to shield himself. Snape looked at him questioningly, did the boy think he was going to hit him?

“You had better watch yourself, Potter” He said at last, slightly caught off guard by the boys reaction.

He glided out of the room, cloak billowing behind him. Harry waited until he heard his bedroom door bang before he lifted his head up. His face flushed at his childish behaviour but he had been so sure that he was going to hit him!

“Breakfast will now be in two minutes, Potter. If you are not at the table by then I will throw your food away” Snape shouted as he went down the stairs.

Harry pulled a face, there was no way he could be ready in two minutes and Snape knew it.

--

Harry hurried as fast as he could but he still arrived at the table, panting, after ten minutes. Miraculously his food was still set up opposite Snape.

“In future Potter, you will be here on time or I will throw your food away” Snape growled threateningly.

“Yes sir” Harry muttered, still quite embarrassed by his behaviour back up in his room.

“After breakfast is over you will go straight back up to your room” Snape said after a few moments silence.

“Again? Are you just going to make me stay in my room all summer?” Harry complained.

Snape brought his fist down so hard on the table that the crockery rattled and Harry leapt backwards.

“Do not whine at me, Potter. And for the first week of the holidays you will be staying up in your room, yes”

“But why?” Harry saw the anger in his teachers eyes and quickly added a timid sir to the end.

“Because Potter, at the end of the school year not only did you manage to aid a criminals escape, aid a dangerous birds escape, fraternise with a werewolf, use magic against me causing multiple injuries but you were also out of bed after hours and were in a place that you most certainly were not allowed to be in” Snape nearly shouted.

“Buckbeak wasn’t a bird” Was the only thing that he could think of to say.

Snape’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline and Harry wisely pretended to be fascinated by his boiled egg.

All was silent for a moment and then Harry looked up hesitantly. “When did I use magic against you and cause multiple injuries?”

The memory of this incident was obviously quite raw in the potion teachers mind as his lip curled and Harry half thought that he was going to snarl like an animal. “You and your little friends threw me backwards against a wall if you remember, Potter.”

“Oh” Harry said weakly.

The rest of the meal passed in silence, Snape was seething and Harry was too worried about setting the man off again.

Snape finished before Harry and Harry found it very disconcerting to eat with someone’s eyes boring into you. He was completely full up anyway.

After a few more mouthfuls Harry gave up and pushed his plate away and was just about to thank his teacher when the said teacher snapped “Finish that meal, Potter”

“I-I-I’m not very hungry, Sir” Harry murmured fearfully.

“So your just going to waste it, how like your father. Well, you wont be having pudding for the whole of this week” Snape barked.

“My father was a good person!” Harry said, standing his ground.

Snape stood up suddenly and his height suddenly seemed massive in comparison to Harry.

“Don’t you argue with me, boy”

Harry backed away slightly.

“Get upstairs now”

Harry obeyed, hurrying towards his room as fast as he could. He hesitated on the last step before turning around slowly and peering down the banisters.

“Thanks you for the meal, Sir” He shouted before diving into his room.

Down in the kitchen Snape leant against the kitchen counter and put a hand to his forehead. He had only been up for a couple of hours and already he had a headache. Why was it that every time he thought he had figured Potter out, he went and confused him again. Like that meal, just as Snape had convinced himself that Potter was a wasteful, impolite, tardy little toe rag the said toe rag has to go and thank him. He knew Potter was rude, why did Potter have to keep giving him doubts?

Meanwhile Harry had been greeted by Hedwig who, to Harry’s relief, was carrying a big parcel and a letter.

He snatched the letter first and began to read.

Harry,

I still can’t believe Dumbledore stuck you with that git! I always knew he was a bit crackers but this takes the biscuit! Don’t you have your invisibility cloak? Sneak out! I told Fred and George about it (hope you don’t mind) and they said it was the perfect opportunity for some pranking. They have given you a whole load of tricks and stuff, I put them at the bottom of the box. They never give me anything! I think they made a lot of them themselves so be careful.

Of course then Fred and George were talking about it in loud voices so now the whole family knows (sorry) but on the bright side when mum heard she cooked a whole lot of cakes because she said he probably wouldn’t feed you properly. They are quite near the bottom of the parcel. Hermione said they would get squished but I told her to be quiet. Hermione has sent a massive book to ‘keep you amused’ I think it is more likely something you should read when you want to go to sleep. Its about History of magic! How could she think you would like that!?! I put some parchment in for you like you asked, it’s a bit crumpled but the best I could do.

Just in case you get bored of pranking, reading that awful book (you definitely WILL get bored of that) and writing letters to yours truly then I here’s something for you to do, be careful with it okay?

Ron

P.S Hermione says if you are still bored then you should do your homework. (honestly she has no clue)

A grin stretched across Harry’s face. He had been hoping for something to do but pranks, parchment, cakes and a surprise was way beyond his expectation. His heart sank as he realised that Hermione must be at the Weasleys but he quickly cheered up when his eyes fell on the parcel again. Time to get opening!

He ripped the paper off the box and slit it open quickly. He shoved his hands in and grabbed the thing at the very top. It must be the secret thing Ron had talked about. He had to stifle a chuckle when he saw what it was, a chessboard. Hmmm, playing chess by himself… fun. The idea of asking Snape to play was laughable!

He delved deeper into the box and pulled out a thick book entitled ‘History at its greatest’. He highly doubted that that would amuse him. He threw it aside in disgust and continued his rummage.

Next he pulled out a bag of very squished, but never the less appetizing cakes. Snape was feeding him fine but he wasn’t going to tell Mrs Weasley that! If Snape thought he was going without pudding all week then he was sadly mistaken!

Underneath the squashed cakes was the promised parchment which Harry immediately lay on his bedside table and then at the bottom was a mix of colourful tubs, all with very interesting and amusing illustrations directing use.

Harry was just reading the fourth one that he had randomly pulled out when he heard someone coming up the stairs. He shoved everything back into the box and under the bed where he hoped the teacher wouldn’t find it. He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to hide it but he just did. He liked his things to be private. Besides Snape might be offended if he read Ron’s letter… Harry shook his head quickly. Since when did he care about Snape’s feelings! The real reason was that he didn’t want him to see the cakes, he told himself. So why did he feel like he was trying to convince himself?

The door suddenly flew open to reveal Snape. This time he didn’t bother asking Harry what he was doing.

“I want you downstairs now, Potter” Snape barked.

Harry jumped off his bed fearfully, what had he done now?

“W-w-what for, Sir?” He asked quietly.

“We need to go over some rules” Snape snarled.

Harry sighed, he wouldn’t be able to reply to Ron yet then… this was going to take a long time.