Harry felt tired. People were glaring at him again. Sometimes his soul curled upon itself and wanted nothing more than to hide. The need to run and run and never look back was so strong that he actually could feel the wind in his hair. He closed his eyes and dreamed of that calm place he visited in the dead of night. That place where Harry could just sit and listen to the wind blow through the trees. That place where nobody bothered him. Opening his eyes he found Ron and Hermione giving him a worried look. Harry smiled back tiredly. He was so tired of showing a brave face. He wanted nothing more than to rage and scream against the injustice of it all. He couldn’t help that he could talk to snakes. How dare they blame him for something that was not his fault, but an accident of birth? Besides didn’t they have enough faith in him that he would never hurt a living soul, especially a defenseless cat?

Looking at the clock Harry said, “I need to get to Lockheart’s detention.”

“How did you get another detention mate?” Ron asked with exasperation.

“I breathe don’t I?” Harry asked bitterly. A couple of boys laughed and pointed at the trio and Harry closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. Sometimes it didn’t pay to get up in the morning.           

Hermione looked away from Harry, but not before he saw a tear slide down her cheek. Smiling Harry took her hand and squeezed it to show he was okay. How anyone could think he was the Heir of Slytherin when he had such a friend as Hermione were crazy. This whole school was crazy.

Harry shuffled down the hall, hoping that nobody decided he would make a good punching bag. When he made it inside Lockheart’s office, Harry felt relieved, but that was short lived. He glanced up and saw that hungry thrilled look in Lockheart’s eyes and he felt a sick feeling in his stomach. Two hours of that look was going to drive Harry to distraction and madness. He couldn’t stand it anymore. All of this unwanted attention was going to make him lose his mind.

He sat down in a desk opposite of Lockheart. The man still hadn’t told him what he wanted him to do. That made Harry decidedly uncomfortable. Finally Lockheart smiled at Harry and said, “I want you to help me sort though all of this mail Harry. What do you say?”

Harry nodded and Lockheart patted his hand on the seat next to him, behind his desk. The sick feeling returned when the hungry look in Lockheart’s eyes deepened. It was almost a gleeful look. Harry felt like he had to throw-up but he swallowed instead and took the seat. An hour passed with Harry becoming even more uncomfortable by the minute. He was so uncomfortable that he was shivering and shaking. He just wanted to go back to his dorm and die in a heap on his bed. Maybe hide somewhere in the dudgeons, if he could get past the entrance to Slytherin common room. Suddenly Lockheart said, “Are you cold Harry?”

Harry shifted nervously and said, “No sir.”

“Harry,” Lockeheart said standing and giving Harry a reproving look, “Do not lie just so I will not make a fuss.”

He took off his cloak and Harry stiffened as Lockheart placed it around Harry’s small shoulders. It smelled of a spicy after shave and it made him dizzy.

“Feel better?” Lockheart purred, in a low husky voice. He was behind Harry now, rubbing his hands up and down Harry’s arms in a way that could be taken as a way to help with the cold, but Harry knew better. Harry felt a panic attack come on and he wanted nothing more than to run away, far far away.

“Calm down Harry,” Lockheart cooed in his ear, “We’ll get you warmed up soon, don’t worry.”

            Harry opened his mouth to assure the man that he wasn’t cold and he shouldn’t worry himself when a loud bell rang throughout the office. Lockheart sighed, and Harry felt the tension leave his body. He could leave!

            “Well…that’s it I suppose,” Lockheart said with a bemused expression, “Try to stay out of trouble Harry.”

            “Yes sir,” Harry replied biting back the retort that he was minding his own business when he was given the detention. Harry took off and handed Lockheart his cloak and all but ran out the door. He made it back to the Tower in record time, trying not to shake. He didn’t want anyone to know what almost happened. It was too unreal to even think about, besides…it wasn’t like anyone would believe him. Not even the teachers would believe something like that.

            Severus was sitting in his rooms reading a book, or rather trying to. His mind kept going back to Lockehart’s face in the infirmary. He had seen that expression before, but on someone else’s face, but he could not place it. Gritting his teeth in frustration he threw down his book and began to pace. He could not ignore Potter’s situation, so very like his own had been. The only difference was that Potter had good friends standing by his side, and for that he was grateful. The Weasleys were good people and Granger was slowly worming her way into his good graces. Snape sighed and hung his head. This worry was starting to get on his nerves. If he didn’t know any better he would say that he almost cared for the boy.

            Harry ran down the hallway and skid in front of the DADA class room. The door was shut and he could hear Lockheaert lecturing on the other side. This was bad. If he walked in there he would lose points, and worse he would get detention. He did not want to get detention. If last night was an indicator he was not going to like his punishment, not at all. But there was nothing for it. There was no one he could go to, nothing he could do. Lockeheart could quite literally, have his way with him and no one would ever care, or believe him. Not even Ron and Hermione would believe him. They tended to believe in adults too much. Holding back the tears he put his hand on the door knob, and then a Slytherin idea came to him. He had potions next, and all he would have to do was get detention. Lockheart would not be able to give him detention for a long time, not if he did something so bad that Snape would go crazy. He knew that Snape would never hand him off to anyone else, preferring to punish Harry himself. Snape worked rather hard to instill inside Harry a work ethic; he would literally implode if he knew the truth. While he despised Snape, he almost didn’t want to burst his bubble. Almost….he would much rather have Snape off his back.

Shaking his head Harry made his way to the dungeons and sat outside Snape’s class door. He would wait and finish his homework. An hour and a half passed and he was finished. He laid his head against the cool wall when Snape opened the door. He stopped short at the door and narrowed his eyes.

“What are you doing Mr. Potter,” Snape asked with ice in his voice.

“I’m waiting for your class to start,” Harry said promptly.

“And why are you not in your first class?” Snape growled.

Harry smirked and said with a very pompous voice, “Lockeheart is an idiot.”

Now, Snape was caught in-between amusement that Potter picked up on it and fury that Potter sounded just like his father. Still, the boy had a point.

“Ten points from Gryffindor for not being in your first class,” Snape growled he was about to turn around when he snapped, “Get inside!”

Shocked Harry gathered his things and all but ran inside. He sat at his workstation and puzzled over Snape’s reaction. He knew Snape hated disrespect, and he had disrespected a Professor….so why wasn’t Snape angry?

“While I agree that Lockeheart is an idiot,” Snape snapped. Oh…that was why he just took points, “You are to go to his class. Understood?”

“Yes sir,” Harry replied with a sigh. He knew he had to, but he just couldn’t make himself not think about Lockeheart’s smooth hand’s on his shoulders…rubbing them in that way…it caused him to have nightmares that kept his year mates up, that caused them to exact revenge: namely drowning him with putrid water.

“Now….we have ten minutes,” Snape growled, “Take this time to finish any assignment for your classes today.

“I already did,” Harry replied quietly. Snape looked at him in surprise and said, “Very well then, shut-up and I don’t say a word.”

“Yes sir,” Harry replied very respectfully. He needed a Plan B.

            Ten minutes later the students started pouring in. Hermione and Ron made a bee line to Harry and Severus couldn’t help but smile. Yes, the boy had excellent friends. Granger looked like she wanted to hurl and Ron was looking worried. They must have been quite anxious.

            Harry shook his head and pointedly looked at his text book. About halfway into the ten minutes Potter had taken out his Potions and book and stared looking for something in it. Now usually Snape would be thrilled, but he had seen a glint in his eye that would undoubtedly prove to make this morning unpleasant.

            Harry hated to do it. He really wanted to find another way, but there wasn’t one. Harry was a desperate little boy and he did what he believed he had to do. He knew, deep down in his heart of hearts that he would hate himself for this. After all Snape had done for him yesterday… he was to repay him this way. It was selfish, but Harry didn’t want to be punished in that way. He would rather die at the hands of Voldemort.

            He had done his homework. He knew that the bezor would create an explosion, but do nothing else. The potion would be harmless, messy, but harmless. For this Harry was grateful or he would have to come up with a Plan C.  Looking at Malfoy, he found that the boy was concentrating on his work for once. Casually, so casually that not even Hermione nodded Harry pitched the bezor. The classroom was filled with a loud BOOM, and harmless green goo slashed the students. Harry sighed and looked at the floor. Doing his best to look guilty, he hung his head and hoped it worked.

            “WHO DID THAT!” Snape screamed. Snape on his part knew who it was. He was looking guilty, extremely guilty, horrible guilty… too guilty. Was the boy actually trying to look guilty?

            “Potter,” Snape growled in his soft silky voice. The class learned long ago that the softer Snape’s voice got, the more dangerous the man really was.

“Did you explode Mr. Malfoy’s cauldron?”

             Taking a deep breath Harry wined, “I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to ruin Malfoy’s potion, not make it explode.”

            Snape blinked, and almost took a step back. Snape had heard Potter yell, scream, sneer, rage, growl, and even curse, but never wine. In fact that was the one thing Snape could count on that Potter would never do, yet here the boy was winning just like a spoilt little brat. Interesting…. Just like? Wasn’t he already one? Suddenly Severus’s mind was becoming too full of questions and not enough answers. Glaring death at Potter he growled, “Twenty points from Gryffindor, and a week’s worth of detentions. Meet me here at seven o’clock sharp.” Turning his back on Harry he yelled, “I want a foot on this potions and how it works. If you find any other reverent information about this potion I want that as well. Class dismissed.” Watching Potter leave Severus couldn’t help but compare the arrogant boy that was leaving his classroom, to the sweet helpless little boy from the infirmary. Suddenly a horrible thought struck Severus….which one was Harry’s true self?  Or was he just manipulating everyone like an expert pianist would manipulate the keys on his piano?