Sidle Into Seventh Year

On the crest of a foothill bordering the Glenballyeamon, a delicate silver instrument circled methodically around the perimeter of an imposing mansion.

Hidden in a thicket of Birch trees on a nearby knoll, Remus and Tonks anxiously watched the progress of the small sphere as it executed its precise passes.

"How much longer is that thing gonna take?" Her voice was breathy with trepidation.

"It all depends on the complexity of those wards," Remus whispered back as he kept his keen eyes trained on the far corner of the massive edifice, waiting for the small object to appear back into view.

"I can't believe there aren't any proximity detectors."

"I wouldn't speak too soon, for all we know…" Remus stopped mid-sentence, "Wait a minute — here it comes!"

"Thank Merlin," she parted a couple of branches, trying to get a better look. "Come on baby, hurry up."

Flashes of wand fire erupted suddenly from ground level.

"Damn it!" Remus turned and grabbed Tonk's shoulder. "You wait here for the permetiorscope; I'll try to draw their fire."

"Remus No!" She snapped back, "It's too dangerous!"

"Give me a signal as soon as you've Port-keyed the scope back to Dumbledore, then Apparate to the Inn. I'll join you there."

He was off in a flash and Tonks turned back to watch the round orb float towards her at a blasé pace, far too slowly, considering that any moment one of those Death Eaters might spot Dumbledore's contraption and blast it out of existence.

A volley of wand fire ensued off to her left. Moments later, the dawdling device finally reached the tight clump of trees. She shoved it unceremoniously into a smooth suede pouch then into the awaiting shoebox Portkey and tapped it with her wand. As soon as it disappeared, she cast her Patronus in the direction of the fighting, and then Apparated back to the Inn.

~~~~~SH~~~~~

"Doubled?" The word echoing around the table was accompanied by wide eyes and open mouths.

"Yes, doubled," Dumbledore confirmed. "But I assure you…"

"Should the boy be allowed to remain a student at this institution?" queried Solomon Priestly, the new Defense instructor. He had only arrived at Hogwarts two days previous and his stern dispassionate attitude had quickly evoked a chilly reception from the other professors.

At this comment, Severus, who had been sitting poker faced throughout the seemingly unending staff meeting, slid a cold, black glare toward the unwelcome instructor.

"As I was about to say Solomon," Albus determinately kept his voice light, "We have worked diligently with Harry over the past three weeks. I assure you, he is quite capable in gauging the strength of his spell casting. He has truly been quite amazing, I must say.

"How so, Albus?" Arora Sinistra asked, genuinely curious to understand Harry's newfound ability.

"Yes, do enlighten us," Professor Priestly added with sarcasm ringing in his voice.

Dumbledore went on to explain that since Harry's transition into his full power, his awareness of the interaction between objects and magic exceeded explanation or even comprehension.

Even that wasn't enough for the dubious newcomer. "Are you referring to iall/i areas of magic?"

Severus seethed.

"Yes Solomon," chimed in Minerva. "I've taught Transfiguration to Harry for six years. It had always been a struggle for him. But now — he excels at it!"

"It's the same thing with Charms!" Filius added enthusiastically." Harry is a natural. Well, at least inow/i he is."

"And of course, in Offensive and Defensive magic, which has always been his forte." Dumbledore's tone of voice was finite, bringing a close to this line of conversation. Then he drew a breath and leaned forward elegantly. "And while we are on the subject of Harry…In light of all he has accomplished this past year and indeed, his entire time here at Hogwarts, I would like to nominate him for the position of Head Boy."

This was unexpected news and the reaction it inspired in Severus caught the normally stoic man off-guard, filling him with a sense of pride and a warm feeling in his heart. He reached for his glass and took a sip of water in an attempt to quell the unexpected emotions.

"Oh Albus, that's a wonderful idea!" Minerva's response echoed around the table as most of the attending professors agreed.

"Then, may I see a show of hands? All those in favor?"

Everyone in attendance raised their hands, all but one.

~~~~~SH~~~~~

"You were very quiet today Severus." Dumbledore's voice echoed through the Floo as the two wizards stepped into his office.

"Perhaps."

"Cup of tea?" offered Albus, but Severus was already en route for the side table supporting the decanter of Scotch. Albus changed his mind, "On second thought, a glass of Scotch sounds perfect."

Severus poured two and joined Albus in the window encased alcove. He remained silent as he stared at the sun setting on the distant horizon.

Albus waited. Severus was preoccupied and had been for some time now. The mere fact that he had even agreed to come to Albus's office meant that perhaps he was ready to talk.

Severus toyed with his glass and added subtly, "That was good of you to nominate Harry."

"I am very proud of him. He has worked so hard this summer and put forth so much effort, despite everything…" Albus shook his head and added, "I wish there was more I could do for him."

His words were greeted with silence, so Albus decided to take matters into his own hands. "Is something troubling you?"

Severus gazed out at the last sliver of the sun before it dropped below the horizon then raised a hand to his brow, "I don't know what to do."

This was a first, and far more then Albus ever imagined to hear coming from lips of Severus Snape. "What is wrong my boy?" He set down his glass and stepped closer.

After a sigh and a few moments hesitation, Severus explained what had happened when Harry looked into his eyes immediately following the transition; that somehow he had seen into Severus's soul and now knew all his memories, all that he felt — everything. Then Severus looked squarely at Albus and his desperation was clearly evident in his ebony eyes. "How can I live with this exposure?"

"But how did it happen? Did he use Legilimency?"

"No. Well, at least not intentionally." He ran his hand through his hair showing his frustration. "I believe it occurred because I was standing on the fringe of his magic."

Dumbledore literally gaped. "What do you mean 'the fringe of his magic'?"

Severus and took a fortifying swallow of the Scotch. "During Harry's transition, an energy field encircled him. I could actually isee/i it. I believe that this light was Harry's magic radiating from him.

"Dear Merlin," Albus whispered in awe. "In all my years, I have never heard of such a thing."

"It was foolish of me, but I walked as close as I could, and stood at the edge of his magic."

"It's amazing you weren't killed."

"Yes." Then Severus peered desperately into Albus's clear blue eyes. "And now he knows ieverything about me/i."

The old wizard was quiet for a long time as he stroked his long beard and pondered what Severus had just told him. "It would appear that some sort of connection was formed between the two of you."

"And it's terribly compromising," Severus interjected. "I don't see how I can continue as his Professor."

"Harry is a good person. I have faith in his character; he would never violate your privacy. The only threat would be if Voldemort were to…"

Severus interrupted, "Harry's shield against Legilimency is strong, even more so now than it was before. He would have to lose total control of his mind for the Dark Lord to gain access."

A flash of light and the sudden arrival of the shoebox on Dumbledore's desk interrupted their conversation.

They had been waiting days for the arrival of this Portkey, and knew exactly what it contained. Members of the Order had been working in and around the town of Ballymena ever since the discovery of Neville Longbottom's postcard. In the three weeks hence, they'd located the mansion and determined that it must be Voldemort's hide-out.

"Who was supposed to accompany this?" asked Severus. "Shouldn't Lupin or Tonks..."

"They're staying in Ballymena to continue surveillance of the area," Dumbledore answered as he strode quickly to his desk and retrieved the permetiorscope from the shoebox. "They'll send word if they need any help." He placed the silver instrument atop a large piece of blank parchment then tapped it with his wand and incanted, "Ostendo sum."

Immediately, the permetiorscope started to clink and chime and then began rolling across the parchment leaving in its wake, a trail of umber colored ink which outlined the perimeter of a building via a complex series of Arithmancy notations.

They had stared at the notations for a minute when Albus commented, "I believe I can decipher these, but it's going to take time."

"Perhaps you should find someone to assist you, what with the students arriving on Sunday."

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll see what I can accomplish this weekend. If it proves to be too much, I'll bring it to Channon." Then he looked with concern to Severus. "I do sympathize for your situation, but I believe that you can trust in Harry's judgment to safeguard his knowledge."

"It seems I have no choice."

Albus looked from his friend then down to the recording. "I had better get started on deciphering these notations."

"Very well, I'll leave you to it." Severus finished his drink with one swallow then turned to leave.

"Would you do me a favor on your way down to the dungeon?"

"Certainly."

"I was going to inform Harry about his nomination as Head Boy, but I," he simply pointed his hand to the recording. "Would you please deliver the news to him?"

"Of course I will. But before I go there's one more matter I wish to discuss."

"Yes?" Albus was now anxious to get started on the recording.

"Do you think it wise to stay with Priestly?" Severus asked.

"He simply needs to settle in."

"I'm serious Albus," his voice became hard. "He's going to be trouble and besides which..."

"What?"

"I don't like his attitude regarding Harry."

"What do you propose I do? I couldn't find anyone else and classes start Monday. Now if you wouldn't mind, I really do need to start working on this recording."

Severus's robes swirled as he turned and exited the room. But just before the door closed, he heard Albus add in a reassuring tone, "Try not to worry about Harry, he is quite capable."

~~~~~SH~~~~~

"Were we really that small?" Harry asked softly as he leaned into the wild bush that was Hermione's hair.

"Shhh! You're supposed to be setting an example," she retorted while keeping her eyes trained on the approaching group of intimidated eleven year olds.

Professor McGonagall stopped the crop of first years just outside the doors of the Great Hall. "Attention children," she turned and spoke in her thick Scottish brogue, "we will be going into the hall momentarily, but first I wish to introduce you to this year's Head Boy and Head Girl: Mr. Harry Potter and Miss Hermione Granger."

Sudden intakes of breath echoed round the stone foyer as the small children gaped in wonder at meeting 'The Boy Who Lived.' Their expressions were followed by an assortment of whispers: "Wow!", "Can you see his scar?", "Is that really Harry Potter?"

Harry squirmed at the unwanted attention but managed a pacifying smile and a nod of his head, "Hello."

Hermione was a bit more verbose, "Welcome to Hogwarts! You are going to ilove/i being a student here and you'll learn so many wonderful facts regarding magic and history. I remember imy/i first day," she continued enthusiastically, but McGonagall cleared her throat determinately to interrupt the verbal avalanche.

Hermione smiled sheepishly at the stern witch then finished up quickly, "If you have any questions, bring them to your prefects. Good luck!"

McGonagall redirected her attention back to the youngsters, "You will follow me to the front of the hall and wait for you name to be called to receive your house placement. Be on your best behavior and show the student body what fine little witches and wizards you all are. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," came a resounding chorus of small voices.

The tartan clad professor led the group of frightened fledglings into the Hall, with Harry and Hermione bringing up the rear.

As the group of first years reached the front of the hall and came to a stop, Harry, who had glanced up and saw the new Defense professor sitting next to Severus, missed the halt and actually bumped into the back of little Matthew Zunich.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized then sidled quickly over to the Gryffindor table and immediately got a teasing elbow in the ribs.

"Good one Harry," chuckled Ron and Harry rolled his eyes at his own blunder.

The noise in the hall silenced when the sorting began, and as Harry watched each timid youth climb on to the stool and disappear under the hat, he thought back to his own sorting and what a very great distance he'd traveled since that night six years ago. All the events, everything that had happened to himself, his friends…and to those he had loved.

He shook away the heavy thoughts and instead pondered how the atmosphere in the castle had changed so much in just one day. Earlier it had been quiet and peaceful, now the castle rang with voices and energy from the returning students. That morning he had woken up in his private bed in his private suite, but tonight he would lay down on his old four poster and fall asleep listening to Ron and Seamus snore, Neville mumble and Dean...well, Dean was pretty quiet.

"I hope they hurry up, I'm starving" grumbled Ron then he pressed his leg against Hermione's, "Hey, did you get a chance to tell Harry?"

"There wasn't time," she whispered back.

"Tell me what?" whispered Harry as their conversation suddenly took on a stealth like quality.

"Malfoy, on Friday," Ron answered enigmatically.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Hermione clarified, "Friday, when we were in Diagon Alley, we saw Draco and his father head down Knockturn Alley."

"So? I've seen them down there before…at Borgin and Burkes."

"That's where they were headed this time!" Ron added excitedly, but still whispering.

"I don't understand why this is such a big deal."

"Harry," Hermione's voice was low and serious, "it was their iattitude/i that drew our attention. Then..." Hermione looked left and right to make sure no one was listening, "I think that Malfoy was summoned."

"Draco?" Harry's whispered aghast.

"Not Draco, you dolt," rectified Ron, "his father."

"Oh," Harry now looked over to the Slytherin table. Draco would typically be boasting and bragging in full bravado to his cronies, but the blond haired boy seemed oddly silent and tense.

Harry turned and whispered to Hermione, "What time did this happen?" and got a face full of hair in the process.

"Friday afternoon, around two," she answered.

Harry rubbed his tickled nose and leaned back on the bench. Severus had worked with him that evening and all of Saturday. iWhy would Malfoy be called, but not Sev?/i

~~~~~SH~~~~~

The next morning after breakfast, Harry stood examining his class schedule that he had just received from McGonagall. Defense was the first class of the week, both a lecture and a practical session which would fill the entire morning.

"Damn," he whispered quietly then looked over to the Slytherin table where Severus was up to his neck of his with students and schedules. Harry had hoped that potions would be his first class. iGuess I'll just have to wait to ask him about Malfoy./i

"Come on Harry," called Ron. "We've got to get going or we'll be late for Defense."

When the Golden Trio entered the third floor classroom, they saw Professor Priestly standing at the front, facing the students as they entered. His arms were folded across his chest. He'd drawn his wand and was holding it pointed toward the ceiling at an angle and on his face he wore a stern expression.

That greeting set the mood; all the students silently took their seats without preamble.

Priestly introduced himself and began walking slowly up and down each aisle, still holding his wand, and explained exactly what the students could expect from this seventh year Defense class.

"There was a great deal of material to be covered in order to prepare for the upcoming N.E.W.T.'s," he stated, and there would be "no time or tolerance for chatter or horsing around." "This is not to be a social hour," he continued and informed the class that they were only allowed to speak when answering a direct question from him, or to ask him a direct question. Additionally, he had charmed the room to identify each student as Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, so that if one of them idid/i speak outside these guidelines, five points would automatically be deducted from his or her house.

Ron's cheeks had reddened with ire. The expression on Hermione's face had gone from exuberant, to a downright glower. The majority of the Gryffindors in the room sat bristling in their seats and the poor Hufflepuffs were simply terrified.

With all his work over the summer in strategy and intelligence, Harry sat and listened to Priestly's verbal diatribe with an impartial perspective. Instead of reacting, Harry was analyzing, thinking only that the new professor was using the tactic of intimidation to establish his position of authority.

"We will begin with the Hex Reversing Hex," continued Professor Priestly. "I am certain all of you read the note attached to your book list, stating that you were to read the first chapter of your text in order to prepare for this first class."

The students weren't quite certain if Priestly was asking them a question or making a statement, so no one dared take a chance to speak out of turn.

Priestly took the silence as confirmation, "Fine. Then stand and partner with the student closest to you."

Harry immediately looked encouragingly over to Neville, indicating that he would partner with him. But before he could take a step, Priestly had moved to his side. "I am told Mr. Potter, that you are quite accomplished in defensive magic," his tone nearly dripped with cynicism.

"I suppose that would be a matter of opinion Sir."

Priestly stared momentarily; disappointed that Harry hadn't taken the bait. "Do you feel confident enough to assist me in demonstrating this Hex?"

"Yes Sir."

The professor narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he were eyeing a fresh kill. "Very well, Mr. Potter, please follow me to the front of the class."

Everyone had paired up in record time. When they realized that Harry was now standing at the head of the class facing Priestly for a duel, they looked on with concern.

"Attention students. Mr. Potter will demonstrate the Hex Reversing Hex. He will attempt to cast a Twitchy Ears Hex upon me; I will in turn deflect the hex downward toward the floor using the Hex Reversing Hex. Pay close attention to my movements. Are there any questions"

"No Sir," they answered in unison.

"Very well." He turned to face Harry. "You may precede, Mr. Potter."

Harry started to raise his hand when Priestly suddenly yelled, "Stop!"

The students nearly jumped at the sudden outburst.

"Use your wand Mr. Potter. I will not tolerate show-offs in my class."

"I'm not trying to show-off Sir. I just need to cast that hex wandlessly."

Priestly actually gasped. "Neither will I tolerate backtalk. Now do as you were told."

The students shifted their attention from Priestly to Harry, as if they were watching a tennis match.

"Respectfully Sir, I can't … I won't do it."

"Draw your wand," Priestly spoke deliberately, emphasizing each word, "and cast as you have been instructed or I will assign you detention."

Harry stared in disbelief at the thin lipped professor. "Sir, if I could just explain…"

"Out! Get out of my classroom and report to the infirmary for detention. You are to wash every soiled bedpan there and have the Mediwitch document your work. Do you understand?"

"You can't do that," called out Ron in disbelief. "He's the Head Boy!"

"Ron no!" returned Harry. You'll just loose points for Gryffindor." Then he added in a softer voice. "It's all right."

"I'm not going to say this again Mr. Potter. Get out — and don't bother coming back."

iWhat does he mean 'don't bother coming back?'/i thought Harry. iDoes he mean just today, or did he just kick me out of the class?/i "Sir, what do you…?"

"Out!"

Harry was stunned. It took him a moment, but he turned and walked quickly over to fetch his book-bag, then left the classroom post haste without saying another word.

Madame Pomfrey was checking her supplies and looked up in surprise when Harry walked into her office. "Not again, Harry. It's only the first day of classes."

"Pardon?" he asked in confusion.

"What's wrong this time? Are you injured?" She walked over and eyed him. "You're very pale."

"I'm not sick Madame Pomfrey. I'm here to serve my detention." Harry dropped his schoolbag on the floor. "I'm supposed to clean all the bedpans."

"What bedpans?" She pointed toward the doorway leading to the infirmary. "I have no patients."

He gave a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"What in the world did you do to warrant a detention?"

Harry slumped onto a nearby chair and lowered his head onto his cupped hands. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."

Poppy smiled sympathetically, sat down next to him and took hold of his hand, "Try me."

~~~~~SH~~~~~

"Here you are! We've been looking all over for you!" exclaimed Ron and Hermione when they opened the door to the dorm room and saw Harry and Hedwig sitting on his bed. Hermione walked straight over and sat next to him.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," his tone was subdued. "What happened after I left?"

"That Priestly is a blinking jerk," proclaimed Ron. "I swear Harry, I don't know if I can take it!"

"He takes all the fun out of spell casting," Hermione said in a downcast voice.

"Did he kick out anybody else?"

"Nah, we all did what he told us."

"He was very methodical and we all managed to do the hex — even Neville," she added as an afterthought.

"So mate … did you do the detention?" Ron cringed at the thought.

"There weren't any patients, so no bedpans. Besides, Madame Pomfrey wanted to know what happened … so I told her. Then she took me up to see the Headmaster.

They waited for him to continue, but Harry simply sat staring at the bedcover as he stroked the top of Hedwig's head.

"Go on, tell us what happened," encouraged Hermione.

"Do you know," asked Harry, "if in the history of Hogwarts, has there ever been a Head Boy that received detention?"

Hermione furrowed her brow and thought a moment. "I don't think so. At least I don't recall ever reading of such an incident."

"Great," mumbled Harry. "It's bad enough that I'm the 'Boy Who Lived,' now I'm also the first Head Boy to ever receive detention."

"Come on mate … worse things could happen."

"Such as?"

Ron pursed his lips and thought a moment, "I know," he stated in triumph, "Malfoy could catch the Snitch instead of you."

Harry tittered.

"Why wouldn't you cast that spell with your wand?" Hermione redirected.

He looked at Hedwig as he continued to rub his thumb along the top of her head. She liked it when Harry did that and hooted softly in appreciation. "If I had cast that easy hex with my wand … the professor would have wound up in St. Mungos for months."

"What are you saying?" Hermione asked with some unease.

"You know about my magic level now that I've come of age."

"Yeah," answered Ron, "but what does that have to do with…"

"I know." Hermione interrupted as she suddenly realized. "Your spell casting is too strong now to use a wand, right?"

Harry nodded with embarrassment. "It depends on the spell and what I want to accomplish, but as far as classroom work — yeah, I have to stick with just wandless casting.

"You should be proud of that mate," Ron stated emphatically. "Don't pay any attention to that bum Priestly. He's just a dolt anyway."

Hermione quirked a frustrating look to Ron, "What happened with the Headmaster?"

"There's going to be a meeting tonight."

"What about?" she pressed.

Harry shrugged, "I don't know. Dumbledore was quiet for a long time after I told him what happened, then he apologized and told me to come back tonight for a meeting."

"Apologized?" Ron burst out, "the Headmaster apologized?"

Harry kept his head down. He was shaken by this awful turn of events. "Why did this have to happen?" He tipped his head back and let it thump against the headboard of his bed. "I really hoped that this year would be … well, normal."

"It doesn't work like that for you mate," said Ron as if he were stating a proven fact. "But it'll be okay. The Headmaster will fix it, you'll see."

"Come on," Hermione tugged lightly on Harry's hand, "let's go eat lunch."

"I'm not very hungry."

"You gotta eat mate. We have Charms iand/i Transfiguration this afternoon."

"Well…"

"Come on Harry, let's go."

~~~~~SH~~~~~

"Thank you for coming this evening," Dumbledore addressed the group assembled in his office: Solomon Priestly, Minerva, Filius, Severus and Harry. "I've asked you here in response to the events which transpired today."

They had already received a recap of the entire Defense class fiasco.

"Let me start by assuming full responsibility for this morning's misunderstanding," stated Albus in a clear voice.

"Misunderstanding?" Severus asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes Severus, a misunderstanding. None of this would have happened if I had taken the time to brief Solomon in regards to Harry's advanced level of casting."

Solomon sat stony faced and made a point of not establishing eye contact with anyone present. He was livid at Dumbledore for his oversight and didn't appreciate being called out like this. Even worse, he was embarrassed to be sitting in front of Harry now that he realized the young man had forsaken his own pride to assure his professor's wellbeing.

Priestly wasn't the only person feeling livid. Severus angled his head ever so slightly to look at the newcomer. "And are we to assume that he is now fully briefed?"

"Yes Severus, he is," assured Dumbledore.

"So what is it you want of us, Albus?" asked Minerva.

"Clearly, Harry is beyond the skill level of his fellow classmates. My question is: can you continue teaching him in the classroom environment?"

The professors all pondered this question, all but Severus. He was sitting next to Harry and turned in his chair to face the tense young man. "Have you given this matter any thought?" he asked softly.

Just sitting next to Severus had been a relief, "Yes Sir, I have."

"And what might that be?"

Harry felt a subtle sense of pride at being treated as an adult. When he finally spoke, he gave extra care to his choice of words, "My additional training has been primarily in offensive and defensive magic." Then he looked to McGonagall. "I still struggle with Transfiguration…"

"Not now," she countered.

"But I still have a lot to learn."

She nodded her head, "That you do."

"And Charms are always so tricky," Harry looked over to Professor Flitwick.

"This is true," interjected the tiny wizard. "But since your majority, I have seen a marked improvement," he added encouragingly.

"Filius, do you think Harry is beyond the level of the other students?" Dumbledore asked pointedly.

"Not at all," answered the professor in his high squeaky voice. "You know as well as I do Albus, that Charms are all about subtlety and nuance. I think it is not so much a case of iwhich/i charms Harry knows, but the level of finesse he uses in casting them." Flitwick smiled at Harry, "No offense Harry, but there is always room for improvement in that regard."

"Then it appears the only area at issue is Offensive and Defensive magic," clarified Dumbledore.

"Yes Sir," agreed Harry.

"Do you have any input with regards to this matter?" Dumbledore asked the silent Defense teacher.

Priestly cleared his throat and shifted his position, "Frankly, I think that Mr. Potter would be bored if he remained in the class."

"Perhaps he could assist you," offered Minerva.

Priestly bristled at the suggestion, but before he could voice his opposition, Severus interjected quite emphatically, "Harry has a tremendous calling awaiting him. His time should be devoted to preparing for this undertaking — not wasted as a teacher's assistant."

Severus's words hung in the air like a beacon, bringing a renewed light upon the dark task that lay ahead for Harry.

"Very well then," offered Albus, "I believe any further consideration regarding this matter can be handled between Harry and me. I will brief each of you tomorrow morning regarding my decision. Thank you for coming."

They all rose from their chairs and Priestly left the room without speaking to anyone. Filius offered words of encouragement to Harry and stated clearly that he would be delighted to work with him to further refine his technique. Minerva laid a supportive hand on Harry's shoulder then whispered softly to him. Whatever she said, it made him smile.

After the others had left the room, Severus resumed the conversation, "We could continue on as we did this summer."

"Your schedule is already full Severus," Albus pointed out, "but perhaps if we split the duties..."

Harry and Severus waited for Albus to consider this possibility.

"I will compare your daily schedule with my own and Harry's and will attempt to devise a plan."

"Thank you Sir," Harry's voice was almost a whisper. It had been too long of a day and he felt totally drained. "I'm so sorry this happened."

Dumbledore stepped to Harry and placed a hand on each of the young man's shoulders. "You have no reason to apologize. In fact, I commend you for your courage and conviction to do what was right. We all know what the outcome would have been if you had cast that hex wanded."

Harry looked down, "Yes Sir."

Albus gave Harry's shoulders a squeeze and stepped away, "It's been a busy day and I have schedules to compare, so if you wouldn't mind gentlemen, I will bid you Good Night."

They returned the salutation and exited the office, but halfway down the stairs Severus stopped and turned to face the upset teen. "Are you all right?"

Harry kept his sights lowered, "I can't believe this happened."

"Priestly is a fool," Severus nearly spat the words with contempt. "Yet sadly, his actions remind me of my previous attitude toward you."

"That was a long time ago," Harry whispered.

Severus noticed the Head Boy pin on his collar, "You're a fine young man; I regret it took me so long to realize that."

Finally Harry looked up and Severus saw the emerald eyes full of emotion. "Come here," he said softly as he pulled Harry to him and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm proud of how you handled yourself today and if Priestly gives you any more trouble, I want you to come to me immediately."

"I'll be okay ..."

"Harry?" the sage wizard interrupted. "You are continually trying to cope with your troubles singlehandedly."

"But …"

"And," Severus refused to be cutoff, "this propensity of yours often leads to your own detriment."

He had Harry on that one. "I suppose you have a point," he mumbled.

Then Severus pulled back slightly and placed his index finger under the slight chin, encouraging the teen to look up, "Now promise me — if you have any further troubles with Priestly or anyone for that matter, that you'll come to me."

It took Harry a moment to find his voice but finally he whispered, "Okay Sev, I will."

~~~~~SH~~~~~