Harry went back to his room, he knew it was foolish to fight Snape, but he didn’t want to be trapped in the ‘rooms’ as big as they were and he didn’t want to study. He knew that he had to complete the Summer assignments but not yet, not before his birthday at least…. He felt foolish to sulk, this was way better than the Dursleys…, but he felt a little rebellious, the man was going to make him study!, he knew with out asking that he would make him do potions, and that thought alone made him shiver, he would have the Potions Master breathing down his neck all the time, here was where the nightmare begun.

He looked at his trunk and wanted to kick it, Snape wanted to buy him clothes!

He wanted Harry to make a list of what he needed!

Harry should have been happy, he didn’t know why he felt so angry? maybe it was the realization that even his most hated professor treated him better than his own family.

He went to the room beside his bedroom, he had seen that it was full of boxes. Now in the daylight he saw that the boxes had toys inside. The color on the walls was festive, so he realized that it really was a playroom, he wondered who had owned the toys? they looked new. There were some more on the shelves. He didn’t feel like going through his trunk just now, so he may as well move this boxes and clear the room. He went out of his room and found Snape in the hall.

“Professor?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“There are some boxes in the playroom, where should I place them, Sir?”

“Boxes? O yes, you must unpack the boxes and place the contents on the shelves or where ever you like, Mr. Potter.”

“But sir…? The boxes have toys and games…?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter, did you expect instruments of torture? you will need that to entertain yourself sometimes inside the house, as some days would be too wet to go out.”

“But Sir, I don’t…. I had never had any toys” Harry felt foolish tears coming to his eyes… and he had been angry at Snape! The dark man made as if he did not noticed the watering eyes. But he softened the tone of his voice.

“You are a child, Mr. Potter, a child made to grow up too fast, but a child in the end, it would do you good to remember it. Open the boxes and see what you find, all is yours, see that you do not get in too much mischief with them.” Snape’s idea about allowing him only one toy per day was forgotten.

“Yes, sir.”

Snape saw the child run back to his room, such a bundle of emotions! those Dursleys had a lot to pay for. He realized that he would like to see the child opening the boxes. So he went after him.

Harry was seated on the floor, a box was empty beside him, and he had some games around him. And was holding a book with moving pictures. Snape realized that the book would suit a younger kid, not the pre-teen on the floor, but he noticed that the boy was reading it and smiling a spontaneous un-aware smile. He turned around and left the room.

Snape couldn’t understand what he was feeling, he had to almost run from the room, to stop himself from kneeling beside the child and hugging him. He, the dungeons bat, wanted to hug the son of his enemy! But the boy was the picture of innocence!! And Lilly, his Lilly….. Snape went to his lab and looked for the nastiest potion to prepare, he needed to take his mind from the boy upstairs mesmerized by the picture book.

Snape recited the potion several times before he felt composed enough to start preparing it, it wouldn’t do to blow the cauldron like Longbottom.

He went up stairs again at lunchtime, he asked the elves to serve lunch in the sitting room.

He entered the boy’s room and saw with satisfaction that the bed was made and that there were no clothes scattered around, the boy was tidy, of course he couldn’t have guessed as he was always scruffy looking. He had a whole list of things he had to buy for the child to make him look presentable.

He entered the playroom and saw that almost all the boxes were empty and the contents were placed on the shelves, the boy was still on the floor, this time with several building blocks around him.

Harry felt someone beside him and stood up quickly, scared, the pieces scattering on the floor.

“Guilty conscience, Mr. Potter?”

“No, Sir”

“Pick up your blocks child, and wash yourself, lunch is ready.”

“I haven’t gone trough my trunk yet, Professor.”

“You’ll have time after lunch.”

“Yes, Sir”

Snape saw that the boy had a healthy appetite. He served himself some salad and a sandwich.

“Did you find anything interesting, Mr. Potter, did you get to your study room?”

“No, sir, I almost finished placing the toys away.”

“After lunch I would appreciate it if you would go trough your trunk. I want us to came back before dark.”

“Would we walk through the forest, Sir?

“Where is your Gryffindor recklessness, Mr. Potter? Don’t you want to investigate the creature habits…?”

“Not really, sir.”

“I am amazed! you do have some common sense, Mr. Potter, we may only have to improve it.”

Harry kept quiet, he had common sense! He finished his salad.

“We will use the floo connection to go to Hogwarts, from there we’ll walk to Hogsmead, I want to go early to avoid the afternoon shoppers, have you been to Hogsmead, Mr. Potter?”

“Not really, Sir, first year, only when the train arrived.”

“Oh! Yes, how could I forget? Your arrival last year was …. More spectacular. Third years are allowed on specific weekends to visit the place, an authorization slip would arrive with your book list. It have to be signed by your guardian and delivered to your Head of House prior to the first trip.”

“Would I be allowed to go, Sir?”

“If you show that you posses the common sense we were talking about earlier, Mr. Potter I would consider signing the authorization.”

“I have finished my lunch, Sir, may I go back to my room?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter, I’ll see you downstairs in half an hour with a list of what you require.”

Harry walk inside his bedroom and closed the door. He would consider it! How dare he! He clearly could predict that Snape would find any excuse to forbid him to go to Hogsmead with his friends! But… Harry thought, Snape would only be his Guardian for the Summer, surely Dumbledore would find someone more permanent before the term started, and the Headmaster would not forbid Harry to go.

++++

“Do you know what you need, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, Sir”

“Do you have it written down?”

“No, Sir, I… I can remember.”

“Here is a list of what I want you to have, add what you need to it.”

Harry read the list:

3 jeans

2 grey trousers

2 blue trousers (dress)

5 polo shirts (neck)

5 t shirts (sorted colors)

3 dress shirts

4 short pants (blue, 2 grey, black)

2 sport short pants

1 Swimming trunks

8 knee socks (white with colored stripes red, grey, blue)

8 sport socks (white)

6 color socks (2 brown, 2 blue, 2 black)

12 underpants

12 undershirts

1 dress shoes

1 trainers

1 slippers

1 rubber slippers

4 pajama (2 pieces each)

1 bath robe

2 jackets

2 sweaters

1 rain coat

2 black all use robes

Snape saw Harry eyes as they went over the list.

“Any questions, Mr. Potter”

“Is there a Gringotts Branch in Hogsmead? Sir.”

“Yes, Mr. Potter.”

They arrived to Hogwarts, to Snape rooms in the dungeons.

Harry had to pick himself up from the floor, he couldn’t get hold of this kind of travel. Snape waited until he was standing up to say.

“Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall are out on a visit to the Ministry of Magic, they would be here by dinner time, although I would rather be back at the manor at that time, I would appreciate it if you cooperate to make this outing as painless as possible, Mr. Potter.”

Harry thought that what would be painful was going to be how to carry all that Snape wanted to buy.

Snape placed a disillusionment charm on both of them to avoid being recognized, and they walked out of the castle to the town of Hogsmead.

“May we go first to the bank, Professor?”

“Let’s see to your clothes first, child, you have to try them in order to get the correct size. That usually takes a lot of time….”

“But, Sir…”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“Could I try the clothes and would they wait until after we get back to get paid?”

“Why would they have to wait?”

“I don’t have enough money with me, Professor, I need to go to the bank or I won’t be able to pay for all the things on your list.”

“Why would you pay for your things, Potter?”

“They must be very expensive, Sir…. I…. How am I going to pay for them?”

“You are not going to pay for them, Potter, do not worry about it.”

“I’ll pay you later, sir.”

“You won’t do anything like that, Mr. Potter. Now get into the store and be smart about it.”

Inside the store a young witch in purple robes greeted them.

“What can I do for you, Gentlemen?”

“We need several things for this young man.”

“Of course, Sir, come with me.”

She took them to a side of the store that had several shelves packed with clothes. Harry could not guess how to find all that was in his list.

“Mr. Kraft, would help you, Sir.”

Mr. Kraft was a middle aged, thin, tall wizard that received Snape instructions with out flinching, soon Harry found himself surrounded by clothes of different sizes, colors and textures, Snape insisted on Harry trying everything, once the size was determined some of the piles disappeared, then it was a decision of color and making. When everything was decided, Snape said:

“I have to place an order at the apothecary, Mr. Potter, it will take me only a few minutes, they need to pack it all and shrink it, please check it against the list and get the receipt. I will be back shortly, I trust that you won’t have any problem.”

“No, sir”

When Snape came back he found just what he expected. Several parcels ready for shrinking and a receipt. Potter was talking with the cashier and turned when he heard Snape.

“Ready, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good.” Snape went to the table where the parcels were being shrunk and placed them all in his pocket. He was glad it took less time than what he thought. “Would you have tea here, Mr. Potter or would you wait to have dinner at the Manor?”

“Dinner at the Manor, Sir. But could we walk a bit around the town? I wouldn’t buy anything else, Sir I just want to look around...”

“I guess we could do that, Mr. Potter”

They walked around and Harry felt the same amazement that he felt his first time in Diagon alley. Colorful stores with incredible things. There was a sports store, with a complete moving quidditch display in the window.

“Would you want to go into the store, Potter?” Asked Snape as he saw how interested the boy was.

“No thank you, Sir.”

“Are you leaving the best for when you come with your friends next term, Mr. Potter?”

“Maybe, Sir, it’s just that… I don’t have any money and I have already been very expensive to you.”

“As you wish, Potter. It’s time to go.”

They walked back to the castle and to Snape quarters with out finding anyone, even Hagrid’s hut looked deserted, with out friendly smoke rising from the chimney.

They arrived to the manor and Snape took the parcels out of his pocket and un-shrunk them.

“Take your things away, Mr. Potter and place them in your room, starting tomorrow I want you to look presentable. Dinner will be ready in half an hour, take your time.”

“Yes, Sir”

Harry went to his room and placed everything as neat as possible. He felt strange knowing that all those things were for him. And Snape had not even looked at the note. May be the man was loaded, but any way he would try to be as obedient as possible so he wouldn’t regret expending so much in him.

After dinner he went back to his playroom and kept placing the toys away. He felt tired after a while, but not having a watch to see the hour he kept at his task. The toys were so interesting, Harry had never been allowed a new toy, much less a room full of them, he played a little with some of the things he found and even placed some close on hand to play the next day. He felt tired and went to his bed, he was asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.