With Math Snape used a different approach.

“We are going to start today with some tests, Mr. Potter.”

“Tests? Why? No, sir. I have not studied math in a long time…”

“This test are to determine your knowledge, Mr. Potter, you do not have to know them all, but you still have to read them completely and to answer what you know. If you do not know the answer leave it blank, that way I will know where to start. I want you to do your best, Potter.

“Yes, sir.”

Snape left the room, he said that he would be back shortly, that Harry could take his time.

Harry had some doubts about the tests he did not want to fail. He read the papers and realized that he knew some of the questions. He started writing numbers on the extra pages. Snape did not give him a determined time to answer, Snape returned at 11.30 Harry finished at 11.47.

Snape took the papers to his desk and told Harry it was over for the morning, as he couldn’t define the class until after he had reviewed the test. So he said:

“I will review your answers, Mr. Potter, we will have an earlier lunch and after it you may do what you want. The wards are ready so you may use your broom.”

“Really…?! That’s great.” It took all of Snape’s willpower to suppress his smile, it was going to be as big as the child’s.

Sitting at the dinner table Snape saw that Harry was eating too fast.

“Slow down, Mr. Potter and chew your food, it wouldn’t be good for you to have an indigestion while flying.

Harry try to eat slowly, but he felt that the day was running and he wanted to be on his broom.

“Before you run outside, Mr. Potter let’s go over some rules.”

Harry knew that it was for his own good so he kept quiet, hoping that Snape was not going to mention the safety charms for brooms.

“First of all, you are always to tell me when you are going to fly.”

“Are you going to watch me every time, sir?” If Snape was on site he may object to Harry’s daring flying….

“No, Mr. Potter, I just want to know where to look for you in case I need you or if you are in danger.” Harry could not comment on that as he knew he attracted danger.

“Second, As well as with the bike, you have to stay between the wards, I will show you how to detect the wards in the air, as long as you are under them, you won't be seen from the outside. I do not need to remind you that we are close to a Muggle Village….”

“No, sir.”

“And third, you must wear the protection gear….”

“But, sir, I have been flying since two years ago!”

“I did not ask you that, Mr. Potter, I told you the rules if you are not able to follow them your broom will stay in the shed.”

“But sir…I promise I will be careful, it would be awkward to try to fly with knee and elbow pads, please sir.”

They compromise with the use of the protection gear, Harry accepted to use the helmet and the gloves. But also agreed that if he had any injury after a flight he would use the knee and elbow pads without a fuss.

Snape went out to see Harry fly. He had told the child to fly as high as he could first and to realize that if he felt a tingling in his skin it meant that he was approaching the wards and to fly down.

Then he told Harry to stay near the Manor and to be down in one hour.

“Only one hour, sir, I haven’t flown in ages....!”

“You must feel comfortable enough with me child as you think it’s safe for you to question my instructions.” Snape gave him his scariest look.

Harry quieted down and looked at the floor, he might kiss his broom goodbye, It was Snape! He should know better…

“I want you to report back down with me in one hour, Mr. Potter, if you are late by a minute, you would spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning cauldrons, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get going then I will see you at 2 o’clock.”

Harry kicked the broom and soar the sky, he felt the wind around him and the endless sky. He practiced some stunts and flew around, he felt tired before the hour was completed, he flew down and went into the house. He looked for Snape and found him in his study.

“Are you done, Mr. Potter? you still had almost 15 more minutes.”

“I know sir, but… I got a little tired. At what time are we going to study again?”

“At 2.30, Mr. Potter just like yesterday, you have time for a swim if you want, I have to see about something in my lab. Get changed we’ll meet at the pond.”

“Would you let me fly again before dinner, sir?”

“Maybe, Mr. Potter.”

It was a windblown child that sat at the dinner table that evening. Snape saw him and considered asking the boy to use the sun-block lotion, but he realized that the tan on his face gave him a healthy look. That and Harry’s healthy eating would have the child growing before the summer’s end.

Harry’s results on the tests were good. Snape had used Math text books to prepare them and was sure that Harry had reached more than a Grammar school level. He had a head for figures, he decided to start with Algebra on the next day.

“You should take Arithmancy as a subject next year, Mr. Potter, you will find it very interesting.”

“Hermione wants to take it, sir. But it sounds hard.”

“You should start with the hard things when you are young, Harry. It is not easy, but you have a head for numbers, you will find the challenge good for your mind.”

“Ron said that Divination is easy, sir.”

“I wouldn’t call it easy, Mr. Potter, Divination is…. Very unreliable. If you toss a coin and guess the result you’ll be 50% of the times correct, that is more accurate than what you can guess looking at tea leaves or hands or a crystal balls.”

“Do you want me to take Arithmacy instead of Divination, sir?”

“Yes, Harry, I believe that for your future, you would be better prepared if you do not take Divination.”

“But I want to be a professional Quidditch player, sir”

“It wont make you heavier to have your head full of useful things, Mr. Potter.”

After dinner Harry brought some table games and they played for an hour, then Snape said that he had to talk to Professor Dumbledore and Harry went to his room early. He had started reading some books from his play room.

The next day, Snape started in earnest with math and in the afternoon he allowed Harry to go flying after solving some math problems and doing writing exercises. Harry felt that every time he looked around he saw numbers. He liked the solving of problems, and enjoyed his broom, it was not like last summer where he could play with his friends, but he was getting good training.

The week classes ended with History.

“Have you read Hogwarts a History, Mr. Potter?”

“No, sir, Hermione knows it by heart, she is always quoting from it.”

“Do you like History, Potter?”

“I don’t think so, sir, I… do not like memorizing dates and names. And professor Binns is very boring.”

“History is not just names and dates, Mr. Potter, let me tell you a story.”

Harry was mesmerized by the Potions Professor, Snape started talking about kings and wars and battles. He said how the war started and how the different persons involved reacted. There were conspiracies and doubts. Harry had never enjoyed more a History class. He was sad when lunch time arrived and they had to leave the room.

Snape told him that they would have a discussion, that afternoon. He used his free time to read the history book and by that afternoon he asked Snape to keep on where they had left that morning.

Snape thought that maybe he should change his profession and teach History instead of potions.

They sat talking about Medieval History.

Snape told Harry to go to bed earlier as the next day Dumbledore was planning to leave at 9.

Harry went to bed with his head full of battles and castles. And it turned out that he visited a Medieval fair with Dumbledore and McGonagall.

“You may wear wizard clothing today, Mr. Potter.”

“Where are we going, Professor?”

“I do not know where exactly, Mr. Potter, but it’s a fair, so it wouldn’t matter how you are dressed.”

“Is it in a Wizarding Village, sir?”

“You’ll know soon enough, Potter. Remember what I told you, keep close to Professor Dumbledore, and watch what you eat.”

“Yes, sir.”

As it turned our it was not a Wizard Village but wizards live there and as it was a fair no one cared how they were dressed. Harry had a very good time, there were pageants and fencing contests. People in all kinds of disguise, he and professor McGonagall invented a game where they had to guess if the person was Muggle or Wizard. They lost count of the Wizards. The place was filled with food booths and Harry practically kept on eating all day. He tried not to eat too much, but everything was delicious. They flooed back from Hogwarts to the Manor in time for dinner.

Harry only had a glass of milk and went to bed.

He woke at 4 in the morning with a stomach ache. Snape found him walking around his rooms.

“Pray tell me, Mr. Potter what in Merlin’s name are you doing?”

“I… walking helps with the pain, sir.”

“What is hurting you, Potter?

“My stomach, but I did not want to wake you, sir, I was waiting until the sun came up. It hurts less in the morning.”

“You do not have to suffer the pain, Potter, drink this,” Snape had the white digestive vial in his hand. “Mr. Potter I do not mind being awakened.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Harry drifted to sleep immediately.

On Sunday Snape allowed him to sleep late and to have breakfast wearing his pajamas.

All day the food was bland, and it helped Harry’s stomach. Snape made him take a nap at mid-afternoon and after it told him to keep on reading his History books. Snape told him that for their next class they would start with the Goblins history. Harry fell asleep in the living room, after dinner, he did not remember going to his bed, but he woke up there the next morning.

On Monday Snape continued with charms. The boy recalled the class from last week and had practiced enough, Snape started teaching him some hexes, and jinxes, also he taught him some defensive spells, he said that they would come handy for the Duel sessions they would have later.

Tuesday, and the course was Defense.

“Well, Mr. Potter, we have gone through first year Defense, now take out your books from second year and lets start reviewing.”

Harry’s face fell.

“I don’t have the second year books, Sir…”

“Why not, Mr. Potter?”

“We… I… I burned them in the common room fireplace at the end of the term… Sir”

“But why?! Mr. Potter that is the most preposterous prank I ever heard of!”

“I can explain…. Sir, I…” Snape was furious! He saw red.

“There is no good explanation for defiling books. Potter! No child of mine would even dare to think about that!”

Harry was surprised about Snape calling him, his child. He couldn’t react at all.

“Go to your room this moment and stay there until dinner, Potter! And do not make plans for the following days you won't be able to leave your room for the rest of the week. And you won't be able to sit comfortably at all. And I will let Professor Dumbledore know not to come here this weekend!”

“But Sir….”

“Your room now!”

Snape saw the boy as he went to his room.

He was furious. Of all the stupid pranks…! How dare he burn books?!

Books were burned by scared people, people scared of what books may teach.

He was not going to remember having to save his books from the fire-place, where his drunken father had placed them!

He went to his study and opened his liquor cupboard, it was early in the day to drink, but he was about to burst. How dare he? That boy was in for serious punishment. He had to calm down, the fire-whisky helped him to sort his thoughts.

He was going to make him copy the second year defense books with out magic, he would not be allowed free time until he finished! And he would give him a proper spanking this time… defiling and burning books! Snape went to his desk and looked for last year’s courses.

Dumbledore insisted that all staff send each other the text books and programs. He had not read Lockhart’s program, he couldn’t stand the man. He found the parchment and started reading it:

Wandering with Werewolves?

Break with a Banshee?

Gadding with Ghouls?

Holidays with Hags?

Travels with Trolls?

Voyages with Vampires?

Year with the Yeti???

Was this a joke? Where was the Basic Defense Book 2?

Were this the books that Harry had burned? These books were a waste of good paper!

Suddenly Snape felt like hexing himself. He should have allowed the child to explain.

He went to his bookshelves, his books from school were there. He found the place and took his second year book of Defense Against the Dark Arts, the book was old, it had been old when his mother gave it to him…. It should be enough to study with Harry.

He went to the child’s room. He knocked and waited until the Green-eyed-child opened it. The boy looked pale but composed. Snape was glad of that. He felt enough guilt with out the kid's tears.

“May I come in, Harry?”

“Yes, sir.” Harry noticed that Snape was using his name, did this mean that he was no longer angry with him?

Snape entered and sat on his rocking chair.

“I have reviewed your program for second year Defense class, Harry, I am sorry. I realize that Lockhart was using his own books for the lessons. I do not condone the burning of books, but I understand that the trash was too good for them. Here is the book you should have learned from. Study it until lunch time Harry. We’ll discuss it later.”

Harry took the book.

“Yes, sir….” Harry opened the book and read a little of the table of contents. Snape was looking at him. “Are you going to spank me after dinner, sir?”

Snape felt like hitting his head against the wall.

“No, Harry. I wont spank you, nor will you be on restriction for the rest of the week. I should have let you explain. I got angry. The burning of books is like the Muggle custom of witch burning. Every book may teach you something. I understand that those books were useless, and I understand that you had no good memories of that man. Even though I do not want to hear you talking ever again about burning books or a spanking would be the least of your problems.”

“No, sir, I’m sorry….”

“Study the book, we’ll talk about it latter.” Snape stood up from the rocking chair. He was stopped by Harry saying:

“I did read the books, sir. They were like a journal explaining how his wardrobe was maintained or the products he had to apply to his hair to keep it nice and clean… He talked about his favorite colors and his wishes to save the world, one beast at a time. He made me act his favorite parts…!!”

“What I don’t understand, Mr. Potter is how come everyone complains about me and my classes, where you could learn if you tried, and you accept these nonsense from ignorants like Lockhart…?”

“I had never complained about you… Sir.”

“Your head of House and Professor Dumbledore are always complaining about my treatment of students, principally her precious Gryffindors….”

“I had to worry about the voice I was hearing in the walls and the people getting petrified….”

“I told you, it’s not your place to save everyone, Mr. Potter, you should have told someone about the voices.”

“Ron said that even in the wizarding world it was not normal to hear voices…” Harry felt that he needed to explain…

“The books were too bulky, sir, they did not fit in my trunk. It was a last minute thing. A lot of us burn things that don’t fit in the trunks. Usually shoes or clothes, no one questions what… This term one of the older girls tried to burn a chess board. It had been a gift from a boyfriend, but they broke up. The pieces kept getting out of the fire and carried the board upon their heads, until she decided to leave it in the common room.”

Snape would have to investigate that end of term tradition.

“Tell me, Mr. Potter, what else did you burn?”

“I was going to burn my Potions Notebook, Sir… but… you had been nice to me on the tower and…”

“It was already packed in your trunk…”

“Yes, sir.” Harry smiled, that seemed so impossible that morning.

“The burning of books is the most uncivilized act that a man can perform, Mr. Potter. It not only brings him back to the caverns, it shows a complete lack of humanity. The only reason that the human race, and I am talking about Muggles and Wizards, has progressed and advanced is because of writing. It allows them to be and to build. It makes the progress. Books are a link that go through time and distance. Only barbarians burn books. People so ignorant that are scared of them. Killing a human being ends with a life and it’s potential, burning a book kills the potential of many lives.”

“Lockhart stole the stories…”

“Any way, Potter, some one could have been inspired by them.”

“I am sorry, sir. I do appreciate them, it was not usual for my relatives to let me have books.”

“Well you know what I think, Mr. Potter, please act accordingly.”

“Yes, sir. As you said no child of yours would burn any book, sir.

Snape left the room and went to his lab to brew. What had the child said? He tried to remember his words from earlier, he had said it, he considered Harry James Potter his child. What was more surprising, it seemed that the same son of James Potter considered himself his child!”

Lunch was calm and Harry asked to use his broom. Snape went out to see him fly, the potions were piling in his lab, and he knew that he had to take them to Hogwarts soon. This weekend he planned to brew some more and he needed the space. He felt his heart going out each time that Harry flew down, he knew he should have placed those safety charms to the broom!

After Dinner and between a puzzle game Snape asked Harry about his Defense classes with Lockhart. They both laugh as Harry explained how he had to act the parts from the books.

“I'm sorry to say it but it fell so good to burn those books, Sir… But I promise I would never do it again.”

“Have you willfully destroyed any other book, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, Sir” Snape was not waiting for that answer!

“Tom Riddle’s Diary... I used the Basilisk tooth… I took it out of my arm and…. The book bled ink….

“You stopped it child, that was well done.”