With closed eyes Harry felt as if his body passed through a very small hole. He felt the air was getting out of his lungs only to feel again a wave of air. But not a heavy body full of teeth over him.

He still had Snape’s hand on his shoulders. Harry opened his eyes and found himself in a completely different place. Instead of being in the middle of the road in the forest they were beside an ancient looking stone arch. Snape let him go and he stumbled on the earth beside the arch.

With out turning to look at the child beside him Snape touched his wand to the wall. The arch glowed blue, Harry heard Snape pronounce some incantation and saw him moving his wand. They heard the howl again, and again getting closer.

The arch glow change to green and Snape turned towards his charge and bent to get hold of him, Harry felt himself picked up not too gently and carried through the arch. A white bundle of feathers flew beside them. The arch turned blue again and then disappeared, the howling stopped as if a door had closed between them. Harry could not be sure but he thought that he saw the yellow eyes running toward them as Snape took him toward the building.

“What was that?” Snape had placed Harry on a sofa in what looked like a comfortable parlor. Snape was reclining beside the chimney arranging logs, he casted a spell that started a fire. With out turning he said:

“One would think that you had seen this before, Mr. Potter, it’s fire. It’s a cold night.” Harry felt the sneering tone.

“Not that! There…. Outside…!”

“Articulate as always… Would you be more specific, Mr. Potter?”

Harry breathed deeply and tried again, Snape made him feel foolish. “How.., what.., how did we arrive here?”

“It was side along apparition. It is a very fast way to move from one place to other for a wizard.”

“I had heard of that. Why didn’t you use it before? When we were at the station?”

“You would refer to me as sir or professor all the time, Mr. Potter.”

“Why, sir?” Harry was getting tired.

“Because it shows some respect for the person that is in charge of you, Mr. Potter.”

“Not why should I call you sir, Sir. Why didn’t you use the apparition before, Sir?”

“Mind your tone.... Because Mr. Potter. At the station and the village we could have been spotted by muggles, they are inquisitive and would not take well at looking us disappear, also aparating with some one else takes a lot of energy from the wizard doing it, as his magic is the only one used, and it is also disagreeable for the side along. I guess you understand that IT was an emergency, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, Sir. I thought that… that thing was going to fell over us, do you know what it was? Was it really going to attack us Professor?”

“I was not able to see it well, it was moving too fast. I can only guess what it was, but it certainly would have harmed us, Mr. Potter.”

“It seemed that it was a big wolf.”

“It may have been a wolf, but it was too big, I could guess it was a Werewolf. You must remember that, in case you feel that you want to explore the forest and go outside the wards, Mr. Potter.”

“The wards? Was that blue thing under the arch. Sir?”

“Yes, they surround the property like a dome. The arch is the place where they can be crossed if you know the right words. They would recognize us now, so we may leave or enter from all around them, there is a stone wall around the propriety, the wards end there. It won’t allow anything else to cross them. They won’t bar you from leaving, but they would send me a signal. And believe me, Mr. Potter you would prefer to be caught by the werewolf than by me, if you go out of the wards.”

Harry shivered at this threat. “Yes, Sir. I won’t trespass the wards.”

“See that you don’t, Mr. Potter. We want to keep you safe from all, your Muggle world and Magic world, I advice you to be consent for once and do not go looking for trouble.”

“I do not go looking for trouble, Sir.”

“Trouble just finds you, child. As much as I would like to stay here and talk about your past follies and dumb luck, Mr. Potter, I do not have all night. Do not worry, we will talk about them. We will be here for all the Summer, I’m sure we’ll talk about your adventures eventually. For now I am tired so come with me I will show you to your rooms.”

Harry stood up, he felt like Jonathan Harker following Dracula, ‘He was going to show him to his rooms’, Harry only needed one room and a bed, and right now he felt so tired that the sofa in front of the fire would be enough. He was cold. He followed Snape up two flight of stairs to the first door. Snape opened it and the lights turned on.

“This is your room, Mr. Potter. I will show you the rest of the place later. Please refrain from night walking. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes, Sir.” Harry entered and closed the door, then he opened it again. Snape was still near. “Professor?”

“What now, Mr. Potter?

“I need my trunk, Sir, it is still small” Harry was holding it in his hand.

“Place it in the floor, Mr. Potter.”

Snape used his wand and the trunk grew back to its size.

“Do you need anything else, Mr. Potter?”

Harry was a little hungry but he felt that Snape was at his edge. He only shook his head and said:

“No thank you, Sir. Good night.”

“Sleep well, Mr. Potter.”

Harry turned pushing his trunk in. The first thing he saw was that he was in a sitting room. It had some bookshelves around comfortable chairs and coffee tables.

May be Snape had been confused. Was this a bedroom? Was Harry supposed to transform the chairs into a bed? He knew that it was possible to transfigure things like that, but they had not progressed to beds last term. Harry saw that there were three doors in three different walls in the room and he realized that the room had five walls. He was curious, he walked toward the door at his left and opened it. There was the bedroom, it was decorated simply, the walls were painted clear blue and there was a full sized bed. The comforter over the bed looked very fluffy, he touched it and it was warm and soft. He pulled his trunk and placed it on the foot of the bed. There was a wardrobe and a window and counting the door he had used, it also had three doors.

This was getting interesting.

Harry tried again the left door and entered at what seemed a play room, it was a brilliant yellow with shelves all around, it had several toys and there were comfortable chairs and a lot of boxes in the floor. Some other child had own this rooms. Harry did not stop to investigate the boxes, he found the two doors and again opened the left one. This new room looked like a classroom with blackboard and desks, there were bookshelves with books. Harry thought that Hermione would love to study in that room.

Harry opened again the left door and found the sitting room again.

He had 4 rooms. He opened the middle door and found a square bathroom. It had 4 doors and Harry supposed that they went to each of the rooms. He went back to the bedroom.

Snape had been right saying that he would show him to his rooms.

Instead of rooms this was a big apartment, the only thing missing would be a kitchen.

He felt a little sad. It was foolish. He had never had such a nice place, but he felt lonely. He had always wanted his own room, and a big bathtub to soak all his chore soreness, but he needed someone to share it with. He felt tears in his eyes, it could have been so nice if his cousin had liked him and played with him…His relatives should have been nicer. He didn’t mind the chores, but he had always been alone. And now in this lovely big room he felt more alone than ever.

He opened his trunk and took out his picture book. Hagrid had given it to him. He lay in the bed to look at it. He knew the pictures by heart but he had no memory of his family. Looking at his parents pictures suddenly he felt angry, why hadn’t they tried to live their life calmly. Why had they angered that monster. They were foolish Gryffindors as Snape would surely say. Harry closed his tearful eyes and fell asleep. The picture album fell from the bed and landed open on the floor.

Snape heard the noise and went to look. The boy had no sense of survival.

The foolish boy was in bed, wearing his clothes. All the doors in his room were opened. And the windows were opened also, the place was very cold.

He sighed, he had asked for it, now he had to do it, and do it well. He was not someone who did things by halves.

He closed the windows and placed a warming charm on the room. He pulled the covers and placed them over the child. He closed the doors to the dormitory. He realized that the child had explored his rooms.

After learning that the child’s previous room had been literally a cupboard he chose to give Potter this adjacent rooms and prepared them to serve all along the child’s day. The toys in the playing room had been supplied by Albus and Minerva. He would allow him to choose one toy each day. The boy would be overwhelmed with 12 years of presents un-received.

He went back to the bedroom and uncovered the boy. He removed the glasses, shoes and pants, the t-shirt was big enough to serve as a nightshirt. He removed the sweater, Snape noticed that Potter was breathing through his mouth, he took out a small green vial and placing it in the boy’s mouth made him drink it. He bet that this was the first time that Potter had obeyed him with out protest. He saw the boy’s owl and remembered the shrunken cage in his pocket. He enlarged the cage, and placed it on a stand near the window. Then he conjured a rocking chair and sat beside the bed. He would stay there until the potion he gave the child worked.

He saw Harry sleep and remembered the meeting in the infirmary.

+++

When the child had left the meeting all the adults kept quiet.

He had sat in the infirmary numbed, first reviewing Pomfrey’s report. It was unbelievable that a child with all those injuries and signs of abuse, could have been in Hogwarts for two years and no one had noticed. The boy practically had a bed with his name in the infirmary! How could it be possible? Even more incredible, as the child was so important for the Wizard World. A lot of eyes were constantly on him and none of them had seen the battered child. And then after they confronted him with the facts, the child would not talk about his family life. Potter was an uncared for abused child, but he had not wanted to say it. He did not trusted the adults around him, he knew that they were not going to help him and that it would be worse to go back. He understood now the child’s need to be a Hero, the adults in his life were less than reliable, including all the ones with him in the infirmary.

Snape knew that Dumbledore had his hands tied, Pomfrey had orchestrated this to give him no way out, but to help the child. If she had gone alone to the Headmaster he would have seemed saddened by the news and he would have told Poppy to leave it all in his hands. And then he would proceed to do nothing. He might have asked that squib Mrs. Figgs to keep a closer eye on the boy.

If the Weasleys had approached him, he would have told them that he was worried about Potter’s safety and that the safest place was to leave him where he was. That he would arrange it all with the boy’s relatives. And would promise them to arrange for the child to visit them. That way he would appease their doubts.

But he knew that Minerva would not be so easily appeased, she would make him act, more now, that she felt guilty for not spotting the problem with the child herself. One of her charges was in danger and she was not known to be a passive woman.

And then there was Snape. Snape that would support Dumbledore on anything, everything, but the security of Harry Potter. The Headmaster knew that there was nothing he could do, but accept the change in Potter’s residence.

Snape knew about the blood wards that protected him in his relatives house, he was safe form evil wizards, but no one was protecting the boy from evil muggles.

Snape admired Molly Weasley she had seven children and did not hesitate to ask for one more, even threatening kidnapping the boy. The Weasleys were good for Potter, but he also realized the child could not be only one more. The child deserved undivided attention, more than a bed and a place at the table, although he knew how thankful Potter would be of getting just that. But it would throw suspicion to the child’s relatives. And even if they deserved to be drawn and quartered, it was no safe to let the wizarding world know.

Dumbledore was right about not wanting the Ministry of Magic meddling with Potter, that’s why the child couldn’t stay in Hogwarts either. So Snape stood to the chance, he would take the child, would provide a safe and stable environment. He broke the silence in the room and said:

“I can take Mr. Potter for the Summer, I would take him to my Grandparents house in Wales. No one knows of its whereabouts. The wards are more than enough to keep him safe. The floo is open only to and from Hogwarts. He would spend a safe summer for a change. Mean while you may think of a more permanent solution for him.”

“You do not like children Severus and you cannot stand this child.” Minerva was not happy with the solution.

“It’s true that I do not like children particularly, but I hate abuse. I believe that he could benefit from firm discipline and I think that he need rules to live by. I do not hate this child. I have done everything in my power to keep him safe, I am angered that everyone else thinks that his status keeps him above the rules. I would see that he sleeps enough, plays enough and eats enough.”

“He may need consulting to deal with the abuse.”

“I have helped children in that situation before.”

“Minerva and I would like to visit you on the weekends and we could take him on outings.”

“That would be fine I would appreciate Potter free time once a week.”

“Severus, you will treat Harry as himself and know him as that. You won’t consider whom is him son of.”

“I will treat him fairly”

Dumbledore’s eyes started shining again, as if this had been his plan all along.

“I think this will benefit  both of you.”

“I will pick up Mr. Potter at the train station, I would appreciate it if you do not inform him with whom he would stay.”

And then Snape had found the crying Harry up the Astronomy tower. He had not forgotten who was the boy’s father. He just remembered who was his mother.

Snape saw the open album beside the bed. He knew that Hagrid had compiled it for the boy during his first year. He saw the pictures and wished it had been different.

He did not want to sleep. He was not sure that what they had seen in the forest was a werewolf. The station chief had implied something, but he could not be sure. The muggle news from this place would not get to the Daily prophet… The woods had wolves, he knew that they were protected, even fed in winter. May be a Werewolf was living with them?

He knew that if he tried to sleep he would have nightmares from the moment he closed his eyes. Black’s attempted murder/prank would replay in his mind, and in his mind Potter was always too late.

He may drink a dreamless sleep potion, but he knew that he would be no good in case the child needed him, he hoped for the boy to sleep tight through the night, but knew that it was not unlikely that he could need something from Severus. The child could find trouble even in his sleep.

Snape made up his mind. He would sleep there. The position would prevent him from sleeping too soundly and that would help to keep away the nightmares. He turned the lights off with a movement of his wand. And closed his eyes.

Harry woke up in the dark room. First he was anxious, the place felt strange, then he remembered that he was in his rooms, as Snape had said. He had no memory of getting in the bed. He had been tired. He sat on the bed. He had been dreaming, he didn’t know what exactly, but he recalled a long line of doors he had opened looking for something.

He needed the bathroom.

He didn’t know how to turn the light on. He remembered that there was a bathroom near, it couldn’t be too far. He stood barefoot on the rug and liked the sensation. He walked toward the wall and found the door. He opened it and felt the cold tile under his feet. Through the skylight the full moon was bathing the room with pale light. Harry found what he was looking for, once relieved, he walked back to his bed, he left the door open and the light slither into his room, he felt a little cold. When he was close to the bed he saw something that made his heart stop. Harry froze. He didn’t know what could it be. Maybe it was a chair with blankets that he had not seen before. Maybe it was a wardrobe. But what ever it was it was too close to his bed…

Maybe it was the owner of the bright yellow eyes from the forest. Harry wasn’t even sure that it was there when he woke up…

Curiosity made him come closer and then he heard the breathing… it was alive! But he reasoned the breathing was too calm, it was asleep… One more step and he could almost touch it. He saw the white shirt and the pale face, surrounded again by the long greasy hair.

Professor Snape was asleep in a chair beside Harry’s bed!

Harry felt ashamed, had he misunderstood and taken the Professor’s bed?

Was he supposed to sleep in the sitting room?

Why was Snape there?

Was he guarding Harry from and unknown danger?

Harry placed his hand over the man’s hand and felt it cold as ice. It was a cold night. Snape did not move.

Should Harry wake him up and leave him the bed? He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to start his first Summer with out the Dursleys in detention because he had angered Snape.

Harry decided to let him sleep and ask in the morning about the sleeping accommodations. But the professor was cold. His bed was warm, but it only had one comforter. He remembered that in the bathroom he saw some big towels, he went to get them and realized that they were big enough to cover him, but not the tall professor.

So Harry took the comforter from his bed and covered the Potions Master as well as he could. The man was sleeping soundly but Harry saw that he relaxed even more once he felt the warm blanket.

Harry lay down in his bed and used two towels to cover himself. He fall asleep very fast hearing the silent breathing of the confusing adult beside him.

Harry felt the brightness of the day before opening his eyes. And he found that Professor Snape was still asleep in a chair beside his bed.

It had not been a dream at all. Harry felt oddly rested.

He tried to recall the events of the day before. He knew it had been very taxing for him.

He had not slept at all the night before, because his mind had been so full of anxiety. Every one had been so cryptic about whom would take him, he knew that anything could be better than what he had, but was nervous and full of curiosity. He was so glad that he would not go back to the Dursleys, he was sure that they would be angry because of Dobby and his escape with Ron and his brothers, and all the damages to the windows. And even angrier to have their peaceful ‘normal’ live altered by whom ever had contacted them about Harry. He knew that his anxiety would have duplicated if someone had told him that it would be Snape.

The train ride had been normal, but he had things that he could not discuss with his friends, like the fact that Ron and his family were going to visit Egypt or that he would have a new Guardian.

Then in the station, he had been worried when he was left to wait to be picked up. He didn’t know how much time to wait. Or what to do if no one come. Would he be able to go back to the magical platform? Could he go back in the train? Could he be allowed to stay and live in the train? He could help the old witch with the candy car, and the conductor, he could shovel the coal, o clean the cabin…Then Snape appeared looking like a muggle and had taken him.

That was scary.

It had been the usual Snape in strange clothes, well not the usual at all, he had not used the sneer and ridicule Harry at all. Like when he found Harry crying in the tower.

And then the arrival to the small village with the scary yellow-eyed creature in the forest. Harry wondered if the station chief knew that it was there?

Then being escorted to ‘his rooms’. And finding latter that the Potions Master was sleeping in his room.

Had Snape stayed to keep Harry from wandering in the night? He had not waken when Harry went to the bathroom or covered him.

If he was guarding Harry, it was weird that he was asleep. Or was he…?

Harry moved nearer to the side of the bed and sitting down moved his hand in front of the man.

No movement, the breathing kept its tranquility.

Harry lay down again.

Was the Greasy Git sick? He didn’t remember if Snape had said that Hedwig would be allowed to leave the wards and take a letter. Harry could write to the Headmaster.

He kept on looking at the man. Some minutes later the man moved. He stretched his legs and opened his eyes.

Harry closed his eyes immediately.

Snape saw the movement and stretched again. It was morning, he had slept in the boy’s room! He had planned to wake before the child and leave the room. His neck was a little stiff but in general he felt rested. He saw that the boy was awake.

The annoying child was covered with towels! Had he wet his bed?

He knew that some abused children had regressions in age, had they missed that too in their evaluation? Then he realized that a comforter was around him. The comforter that belonged to the bed!

“Why did you cover me, Mr. Potter?”

Harry kept still. He did not know what else to do.

“I know that you are awake, boy, open your eyes and answer my question.”

Harry obeyed. And opened his eyes.

“Do not pretend with me, Mr. Potter, you can not fool me.”

“I was… I… You were cold. I may have miss-understood, I thought that you said it was my room, is this your bed, Sir?

“My bed…? Why would you think that, Mr. Potter?”

“When I found you there… I had to go to the bathroom… I didn’t know if I was supposed to sleep in the sitting room, or some where else… I’m sorry. You were cold. Sir.”

Harry was biting his lower lip and looking at the towels in the bed.

Snape only looked at him trying to read him. The boy-that-lived, the child that he had thought so arrogant, so selfish… had removed his comforter and covered his most hated teacher with it. If he had fallen asleep at 50cm of the child’s father he knew he would have woke up covered in syrup and feathers. And the child was worried that he was using his bed.

“Why are you covered with the towels, Potter?”

“It was cold, Sir. And the towels… They wouldn’t have covered you that well, I’m not too tall, they kept me warm…”

Snape stood up and holding the comforter in his hands placed it over the sitting child.

“It’s you bed, young man. You had left all the windows opened and had a stuffy nose, I gave you a potion and sat to monitor the effect in you. I was more tired than I thought and fell asleep. Where would you have slept in the sitting room? You are small, but would not be comfortable in the sofas.”

“I thought that maybe I had to transfigure something… It was late in the night and I wanted to keep on sleeping, Should I have woke you up, Sir?”

“Maybe”

“I’m sorry.”

“It was my fault, Mr. Potter. Do you want to keep on sleeping or do you want to have breakfast?”

“Am I allowed to stay in bed still, Sir?

“Not every day, but you may today, Mr. Potter.”

“Do you want me to stay in bed, Sir?”

“I asked what do you want, can you not make your mind to that simple question, Mr. Potter?

“Sorry. Sir.”

“Well?”

“I am hungry. Do you want me to start with the breakfast, Sir? Just show me the kitchen.”

This boy was more annoying with each minute.

“You won’t be cooking, Potter”

“I know how to, Sir, really.”

“That’s not the point here, child, you won’t be responsible for the cooking here, Hogwarts house elves will bring us food as required. I have not seen to the rest of the manor, your rooms seem in order, so I will ask for the breakfast to be served in your sitting room. I am going to have a bath and a change of clothes and meet you in half an hour, you may stay in bed or do what ever you want. Mr. Potter.”

“I need a bath too. Sir.”

Harry felt reckless and soaked himself in the tub, it was like a dream come true. Warm clean water. Not cold two minutes bath like at the Dursley’s or the hurried showers that he took at school. They were nice but he could be late if he stayed too long under the hot water.

He wondered if he was dreaming and if it would turn into a nightmare.

He had a big collection of possible bad dreams, since he was very small he had dreamt about the woman crying and the bright green light. He now knew that it was from his memory of the night his parents died. Then he had the ones in which Dudley was playing Harry hunting, or in which his uncle was after him with a belt, and also the ones in where he burned the food and his aunt followed him with a pan, or the ones where that monstrous dog ‘Ripper’ was looking for him…

In his first year he had collected a three headed dog, a troll, a baby dragon that grew too fast, that thing that was killing unicorns in the forbidden forest, and professor Quirrell with two faces… Also just as scary, Professor Snape hexing his broom, even if he knew that he was saving him… but he woke from those dreams as he fell from the broom.

And last year…by now he had already dream about the disaster at his aunt’s dinner with Dobby, the feeling of being barred or expelled from Hogwarts, the flying car against the whomping willow, the voice in the walls, the spiders, even Professor Lockhart, that man was scary. He still had to dream of the Chamber of Secrets and Ginny, he knew he would get to them eventually. And he wondered how many bad dreams would he be able to collect in the summer..

He could add the creature with the yellow eyes in the forest.

He heard movement outside one of the bathroom doors, and a knock.

“Mr. Potter, the breakfast is ready” Snape voice said.

Harry stood up and took a towel, he realized that the big towels were in his bed. He dried up fast and went out to get dressed.

He arrived to the sitting room with his hair still wet.

On the coffee table were placed a well sorted collection of food. Several fruits in slices, cereal, a jug of milk, a jug of juice, eggs, pancakes, toast and even waffles. Snape was already seated with a cup on his hand.

He looked at the boy as he entered the room. “Pick up a plate and choose you breakfast, Mr. Potter.”

Severus noted that Harry was dressed with the previous day clothes. He had just changed the t-shirt.

Harry took fruit and cheese, then waffles with butter and strawberries. All in the same plate.

“There is no need to pile the food on your plate, Potter, you may take more once you finish what you take.” Snape saw that the boy was juggling with the fruit. After what he said he saw the boy cringe and freeze with the plate in his hand. He could kick himself, the last thing he needed was to frighten the boy into not eating.

He stood up and picked another plate. He levitated from Harry’s plate the waffles with the butter and strawberries and placed them in the new plate. Then he conjured a cover plate and placed it in a corner table. He also poured milk and juice in two glasses and placed them beside the covered dish.

“Sit over here, child”

Harry knew that he was placing too many things on the plate, but he was hungry, and everything looked delicious, he heard Snape’s rebuke and his stomach implode, he thought that he would be left with out food, ‘well done Harry, it’s just the first day!’ He saw Snape as he stood up and waited for the lecture to continue, but with out a word the Professor removed from his plate what was about to fall, arranged him another plate and even served him milk and juice, maybe he was still asleep.

He followed Snape and sat beside the corner table. Snape sat again. Harry was still watching him. He took the silence as permission to eat so he took a sip from the cold milk. Then he saw that Snape stood up again and went back with a fork and napkin. The man placed them in front of the boy and went back to his place.

Harry placed the napkin over his lap and took the fork, he turned and saw Snape drinking his tea so he started eating.

“During this week,” Started Snape “the elves are going to bring us different things for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner, note what we prefer and they will bring it the rest of the time. How do you like the waffle, Mr. Potter?

“It’s good, sir, thank you”

“It looks good the way that you are having it, with cream and strawberries”

“I had never had them like this, I saw a picture in a muggle magazine, that my aunt had. I decided to try. Sir.”

Snape picked up a waffle and poured cream and berries over it. He tried it and found it tasty.

“This is good, Mr. Potter.”

They didn’t talk much. Harry poured hot coffee in Snape’s cup. Both were careful with their words and actions, knowing that it was the first day of the Summer and not wanting to make it hard to live.

Once they finished Harry placed the plates on the table and looked around to find a tray to take them to the kitchen to wash. But the moment he turned the plates disappeared. A vase of fruits and juice was left.

Harry said, “I will tidy my room now, sir, what are going to be my chores?”

“Chores, Mr. Potter?” Snape was surprised that the boy had offered to do chores! Any teenager would hide from chores. He knew that the boy should have chores, Snape wanted to give him a complete schedule to have him occupied for the whole Summer, but he felt that they should have time to accommodate in the manor and to relate to each other.

“You’ll have some chores, Mr. Potter, but they won’t include any cooking or washing.” Snape saw the boy’s face fall, may be the child thought that he would have to work as in detention, cleaning cauldrons or preparing potion ingredients. So he continued. “You are not a house elf, child, you won’t do anything disagreeable unless you deserve it. For today you will have to settle into your room. You will unpack your trunk, discard all the items that you do not use anymore, and take note of what you need, including clothes.”

“Clothes, Sir?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter you must have grown out of your clothes and need some more, we’ll go shopping for them later. I couldn’t fail to observe that your trainers do not fit, or that the jeans you are wearing belonged to an elephant in their previous life. -Harry snickered remembering his cousin.- You will need clothes for the summer, also some school supplies.”

“School supplies, Sir? But school does….”

“I know when the next term should start, Potter, but you do need to do your Summer assignments and you will have remedial courses during the Summer.”

“I would have lessons….” Snape heard the dismay behind those words.

“The days are long, Mr. Potter you will have enough time to play with your broom and take naps. And study your lessons around them.”

“I don’t need naps…”

“We’ll see to that later, Mr. Potter. We’ll make a schedule for next week. You are responsible for your rooms, the house elves will dust and clean, but you must keep the rooms tidy. And the clothes and things in their proper place. Are we clear on that?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Go trough your trunk and explore the rest of your rooms, I will call you for lunch and I’ll show you the rest of the manor, Mr. Potter.”

“Yes, sir.”