Snape scoffed at this, drawing two pairs of eyes to himself. “That assessment is highly debatable, Hana,” he drawled, setting down his tea cup.

“What do you mean, sir?” asked Harry.

“At the time I rescued Hana from the clutches those bullying Ravenclaws, I was already a Death Eater,” he responded candidly. “Even still, there are those who would label me a dark wizard because of it.”

“But Potions Master was a spy!” Hana protested.

The man shook his head in disagreement. “Not then, I wasn't. I had joined the Dark Lord's ranks willingly. At the time, I found his ideals appealing,” he admitted. “It wasn't until much later that I realized what he really stood for.”

“Potions Master was young!” the little elf stoutly defended him. “Younglings is always making mistakes. Potions Master is a good wizard!”

“Hana,” Snape began admonishingly, intending to tell her to calm herself, as she was rather worked up.

“She's right, sir,” Harry interjected, causing the professor to gaze at him in mild surprise. “Mistakes you made years ago shouldn't determine whether you're good or not. Especially when you've worked so hard to make up for them.”

Snape had to swallow slowly before he could respond, the boy's earnest green eyes keenly reminding him of the one mistake for which he could never forgive himself. “There are some things which can never be atoned for, Mr. Potter,” he said quietly.

Knowing that the man would not be convinced and sensing that Hana was set to argue her point, Harry asked, “If you remember helping Hana, sir, how come you didn't know she was the same elf?”

“Hana is looking very different before Potions Master is seeing her again,” Hana answered first. “She isn't being bruised anymore and is having long hair, too.”

“How long was it until you saw him again?” the teen wanted to know.

“Well, Hana is seeing Potions Master one time before he is graduating, but he isn't seeing Hana.”

“Why not?”

Snape rolled his eyes at the boy, though, he himself was interested in the answer.

“Hana was in very big trouble, Master Harry sir!”

0o0o0

Hana glanced surreptitiously over her shoulder as she put a stack of linens away. Still there. Not that she'd expected otherwise, really. After all, not only had she blatantly disobeyed her mother, but she could have gotten herself killed in the process. That still didn't make her feel any better about having constant supervision, though.

And it was constant. In fact, she rather suspected her parents took shifts while she was sleeping.

“Who is cleaning the Slytherin dormitories tonight?” Hana asked her current companion, an elf by the name of Torie.

“You is being assigned to help clean the serving room, Hana,” Torie told her with a reproving frown as she put away her own stack of bedding with a snap of her long, calloused fingers.

“Hana is always being in the kitchens!” the younger elf whined, earning her an even sterner look from her guardian.

“Hana is on restriction for not listening to her elders.”

“How long?” Hana implored pathetically. “Is Hana's Ma telling you?”

“No,” answered Torie, “and it isn't Torie's business how Balla is punishing misbehaved elfling.”

“Hana is just wanting to help in dormitories,” the youngling wheedled, for once ignoring the elfling comment.

“Hana is wanting to see the young master that helped her.”

“Hana didn't thank Mr. Severus Snape sir. That is being very rude! Hana is needing to correct it!”

“Young master is half-blood, raised muggle. He is not knowing Hana is rude, and you is still on restriction,” Torie admonished. “Now, Hana is needing to go help in serving room.”

Hana groaned at this. In fact, had anyone been a witness to her behavior, they might have said she was behaving much like a human teenager, which was very much the case. Elf behavior amongst themselves away from the prying eyes of wizards often emulated their human counterparts a great deal.

“Can Hana at least be working in Great Hall, instead?” she pleaded.

“Great Hall isn't serving room.”

“But Great Hall is being right above serving room! Please? Hana is almost never leaving kitchens, now. Is feeling like big, crowded cage.”

Torie sighed. Though, Hana had brought it upon herself, the older elf did feel a bit sorry for her.

“Fine,” she relented, then shook her finger admonishingly at her charge, “but Torie is apparating you – and you is to be listening to me!”

Hana nodded eagerly. “Hana will!” she promised. Torie gave her a skeptical look before taking her by the arm and transporting them both to the Great Hall.

They worked in relative silence, other elves also working throughout the large chamber, ensuring the room would be spotless in the morning. It had been only a short while before the sound of the door leading into the front courtyard reached Hana's ears. Curious, she went to the door leading out to the Entrance Hall just as someone stepped outside and closed the outer door behind them.

Those is being student robes, Hana thought to herself. She hurried across to the outside door and quickly apparated herself to the other side of it. It was him. Her hero. Sneaking out of the castle and towards the Forbidden Forest after curfew. Hana decided to follow.

“Hana Igo 'n Balla's Child!” Torie hissed after her, appearing behind her just as she made to pursue the young wizard.

“Young master isn't to be outside the castle at night!” Hana exclaimed.

Torie grabbed her by the arm, looking thoroughly exasperated. “And you is not to be going anywhere alone!” she censured.

“But -”

“You leave the young master to his mischief and stay out of your own. You is already being in enough trouble!” With that, she apparated them to the serving room and set Hana to scrubbing the floor.

At the time, it was the worst night of Hana's life.

0o0o0

More than two years later...

“Ulin, you is needing to stop!” Hana declared exasperatedly.

“Stop what?” Ulin asked innocently.

“Following Hana everywhere!” she exclaimed, fixing him with a glare. “Hana is working in dungeons, Ulin is there. Hana goes to clean in towers, Ulin follows again! Hana is not liking it!

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Someone is needing to make sure Hana is keeping out of trouble.”

“Hana is not on restriction!” she fairly shouted at him. “Hana is not being on restriction for almost two years! She is not needing supervision – especially not from you.”

“You is still an apprentice elf,” Ulin stated.

“So is Ulin,” Hana reminded him crossly. Still, he remained unperturbed by her dark glower. She turned her attention back to the room below, where they watched the mingling wizards, unnoticed from the top of a large cabinet.

“Why is Hana here?”

Hana had to quell a rather strong urge to knock his head into the wall until he shut up and left her alone.

“Hana is wanting to see who is being the new professors this year,” she answered instead. “There is being a new Potions professor, too.” The elves had long gotten over the excitement and curiosity that might have accompanied the appointment of a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. They never stayed more than a year, after all, and some even less time than that. A new Potions teacher, however...

The headmaster introduced a woman who looked to Hana as though she couldn't so much as round up a handful of Cornish pixies, let alone defend herself from them – or anything else, for that matter. As soon as she thought it, however, the elf mentally berated herself. It was not for house elves to judge wizards and witches, after all, and it certainly wasn't proper to think poorly of them.

After the witch finished addressing the others in the staff room, she sat back down, and Headmaster Dumbledore motioned to a wizard clad in all black. The young man had been quietly tapping a long finger against the tabletop as he listened to the conversation around him with an air of boredom. Hana's eyes widened.

“And I'd also like to introduce our new Potions professor, Severus Snape,” said Dumbledore.

“Ulin, it is him!” Hana exclaimed, turning to her companion excitedly. “It is the young master who saved Hana!”

“You all know who I am,” the young man stated, “as many of you were my professors. After graduating from here, I went on to complete my Potions Mastery. I have returned to teach at the headmaster's request.”

“A Potions Mastery in less than three years,” Professor McGonagall spoke, then. “That is quite impressive, Mr. Snape!”

“Quite, indeed,” agreed Professor Flitwick, who was about the same size as a house elf, himself. “Horace always did say he was a prodigy with potions, though.”

There were several murmurs of agreement around the table as the conversation continued, but Hana wasn't really listening anymore. Instead, she was studying the young man, attempting to reconcile him to the cherished image in her mind. He seemed to have aged far more than the two years that had passed. His eyes were harder, his expression harsher.

“Hana?” Ulin looked at her in concern.

“He is looking so sad,” she murmured, amber eyes misting with tears.

Ulin looked between her and the new Potions professor, but all he could see was a young wizard who looked more likely to kick an elf than help one. How could anything about him be construed as 'sad'?

0o0o0

Severus Snape whirled about, wand at the ready, as the pop of displaced air announced another apparating into his new living quarters. He slowly lowered his wand upon seeing it was a house elf, but didn't turn his gaze from her.

“Yes?” he prompted when she didn't immediately say anything.

“H-Hana is come to see if Master Potions Master Professor sir is needing anything,” she said.

“Your assistance is unnecessary,” he responded sharply. “You may inform the headmaster that I have no use for obsequious house elves.”

Hana blinked in surprise. “Headmaster did not send Hana,” she uttered slowly, feeling confused by his coldness. He'd been kind and reassuring when he'd rescued her. She could not recognize her gentle hero in this sharp-tongued wizard.

“Whether he sent you or not, I will not be needing you,” Snape blandly informed her. “I am perfectly capable of handling my own affairs.”

“Hana is not thinking Master Potions Master Professor sir cannot do things for himself,” the little elf countered earnestly. “Nor is Hana being told to be helping him. Hana is just wanting to assist Master Potions Master Professor sir. You is -”

“That's quite enough,” the man cut in. “I will not be needing your help. You are dismissed.”

“Oh,” Hana murmured a bit sadly, then perked up. “But if Master Potions Master Professor sir is needing anything, he can just call Hana. Hana will come right away!”

He glared darkly at her and she shrank back half a step.

“Hana is leaving, now!” A second later, she matched action to words and disapparated away.

Snape turned back to what he'd been doing, muttering to himself about 'overzealous house elves'.