“Blimey Harry, we're gonna miss breakfast if you sleep any longer!”

Harry rubbed his eyes and laughed sleepily at his best friend Ronald Weasley. Leave it to Ron to be worried about missing breakfast when Mrs. Weasley had just sent them a load of sweets for Christmas. In fact, Harry wouldn't have minded missing breakfast, he did not want to face the cruel reality that Christmas break was over. The dining hall would be packed full of children, reminding him that school was back in session, along with homework and lectures from Hermione about staying on task. This Christmas was his best Christmas, better than any he'd ever had with the Dursley's and he did not want it to end. Two weeks was an awful amount of time to expect a child to be happy with. He gave a great huff. It should have been a month.

He sighed, rolled out of bed and stretched. The first day back. It would be tough getting through the day after such a good break. Especially Snape's class. He'd only been gone from potions two weeks, but he did not remember much of anything from their last lesson and he had a sinking feeling that he flunked his mid-term exams. Surely Snape would bury him in insults today. The greasy git had it out for him.

“Harry lets GO! Hermione is already complaining about being late. Hurry up!” yelled Ron desperately. Hermione was already lighting into him, first day back.

“Alright mom” yelled Harry as he began to quickly dress. He slammed his books messily into his bag and ran into the bathroom to relieve himself and freshen up. He made it down the steps into the common room in an impressing 5 minutes.

“Not bad mate” complimented Ron, obviously impressed that Harry had just been in a deep sleep not even 5 minutes before.

One by one, the group dragged themselves out of the portrait hole, with sullen looks on their faces. Except Hermione, she seemed ready for their studies to begin.

As they neared the dining hall, Ron's face lit up. “Food!” he cried, running full speed into the Great Hall and bumped into, no other than Professor Snape---head first. “Ouch! Watch where you're.....” Ron's voice trailed off upon realizing who he had bumped into. Ron's angry face then changed into one of remorse. What would it be this time? Detention? “Err...uhh....Sorry professor” said Ron. The apology seemed rather forced, Harry noted.

“Mr. Weasley, I would like to come up from my office to eat breakfast on my own. I assure you I need no help from you to get there. 20 points from Gryffindor for your cheek and 30 points for running.” With that Snape turned around, heading towards the dining all once more.

“You slimy git!” yelled someone behind him. Snape turned around and as he assumed, Harry had yelled at him.

“I cannot believe you took 50 points away from us because you were walking to fast! You and Ron collided with each other, he didn't just ram right into you! Maybe if you cut your nasty hair you would be able to see something!” Harry had not known where this anger had come from, he supposed it was the stress of starting back school after break.

“Mr. Potter, do you think it wise to-----” started Snape, enraged.

“I forgot, bats can't see!” Harry gave Snape one of his own famous Sneers and started to march past Snape into the dining hall.

Snapes eyes were filled with true loathing. Strangling the boy would not even be enough to rid his anger.

“Mr. Potter!” Snape reached out with both hands and yanked both Harry and Ron backwards by the back of their robes.

“Ahhh” both boys yelled in suprise. Snape had them tightly by the robes, his death grip unrelenting.

“Ms. Granger you may proceed into the dining hall. I think Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley will be early to potions today.” With that he turned around sharply dragging Harry and Ron backwards with him. Hermione looked dumbfounded.

Once they reached the stairs leading to the dungeons, Snape turned the boys to him and let them go. “If you run, you will regret it” he threatened icily.

Harry and Ron took a small step back at the same time. Snape had never looked so menacing and evil. “Somebody had a rough night” muttered Ron, with a laugh in his voice. With a murderous glare from Snape, his smile disappeared.

“To my office.” commanded Snape tightly, making the boys march ahead of him. Now that they understood just how angry Snape was, their walk had turned rather slow.

“Quickly!” commanded Snape giving them each a one handed shove. The boys picked up their pace and stopped at Snapes office door.

Snape tapped the door with his wand once, muttered a hurried incantation and the door clicked open softly. The soft sound made Harry feel most uncomfortable. Snape looked as if he was feeling most muderous, such a soft, gentle sound did not belong in such a tense, dreadful situation.

“In.” directed Snape, pointing to the dark interior of his office. As soon as Ron and Harry stepped their first foot into the office, torches blazed on around the walls.

“Nice” Ron said, trying uselessly to get Snape to realize that he was starting to feel some serious remorse. They had never been down to Snape's office, and in Harry's opinion, it wasn't a good thing to be there now.

Snape only scowled at the compliment and motioned for them to sit in the two arm chairs in front of his large desk. He slammed the door shut and walked around his desk to have a seat. He looked across the desk at Harry and Ron.

Harry looked nervous, sorry indeed for insulting Snape. Ron looked confused, like he was trying to decide between fleeing or begging for mercy.

“I'll have you know Mr. Weasley that Running is not in your best interest, and I do not give in to begging for mercy either.”

Ron only glared at the teacher. “Summofbitch” he mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for Harry to hear. Harry glanced at Ron in bewilderment. They were sitting in the dungeons alone with the most evil man in the school while the rest of the school was dining quite contently in the great hall and Ron wanted to call Snape names now? Harry gave ron a panicked look trying to silently tell him to shut up and not act like such a prat.

“So...” said Snape softly. The sound made Harry jump. He had been trying so hard to communicate with Ron that he forgot Snape was silently staring at them.

“Professor--” Harry began, he had no clue what to say, but he wanted Snapes look of loathing to disappear.

“No Potter, words are rendered unnecessary right now. Seeing as though you expressed yourself quite thoroughly a few moments ago.” Snape sneered.

“I ruh-jus...” Harry stopped trying. They might as well take what ever punishment Snape dealt out. If they were lucky they'd have time to run up and grab a piece of toast before potions. Probably not.

“Detention for discrespect. With me. Two nights. Starting tonight.” Snape smirked. He was never happier than when he was punishing James Potter's son and that Weasley boy.

“Two days! You---”

“Ron shut up!” Harry could not believe Ron was being so outspoken when they were under Snapes mercy like this. “Ron, we yelled and were disrespectful to a professor, we have detention, now stuff it before he makes it worse.” Harry said, rather impatiently. Ron was going to hear about this later.

“Fine.” Ron pouted.

Snape could not believe his eyes. He had gone easy on them! After being yelled at and insulted by two first year brats, he only gave them two days of detention and the Weasley boy was going to insult him again for it? How mad would Dumbledore get if he reached out and delivered a well deserved smack to the Weasley boy? At least it wouldn't be to his precious Potter. Snape paused for a second. Had Potter just told Weasley to calm down? Could it be that the brat was feeling bad about his tantrum, that he thought they deserved their punishment? Impossible.

“Weasley, 3 nights detention for you. Leave, both of you. If you are late to my class today, you will be the test subjects of Long Bottoms potion. Out of my office!” With that he stood up and slammed the door, almost closed it on Potter. He smiled to himself at that one.

When he settled back at his desk, he thought for a moment. The mirror....the mirror. Did he really like the Potter boy? The mirror really did not lie, but Potter? How could Severus Snape of all people want Harry James Potter----as a son? “Crazy blasted mirror” he muttered to himself before he got up and left to straighten up his class room and prepare for his first period potions class. First years, Gryffindors and Slytherins.

***

“Ron what the hell is wrong with you?” Harry yelled as soon as they had reached the entrance hall. “Are you bleeding mad? We were in the dungeons alone with SNAPE!”

“Harry that git, he only gave us detention because he was in a pissy mood!” Ron tried to defend himself.

“Alright ….alright mate, but i'd like to live through my first year here if you don't mind.” Harry smiled at this. At the rate they seemed to be going, either Voldemort or Snape were going to kill him before Summer holidays.

“Ooh, great breakfast is still being served” Ron said happily, recovering from his anger over Snape rather quickly.

Harry and Ron quickly made their way to the Gryffindor table and plopped down across from Hermione.

“Hello.” she said shakily. “Are you two ok?”

“Yea, of course” said Harry as Ron said at the same time “The Stupid Git gave us detention!”

Hermione eyed Ron sternly and Harry understood why. What had Ron expected?

She then turned to Harry. “Umm Harry, is that all you got from him? Detention?” she questioned.

“Well two days of it---well 3 for Ron” Ron cut up his sausage with ferocity at the mention of his extra day of dention.

“I see Harry, but that is all, just detention?”

“Yes Hermione!” Harry almost shouted. “What else did you want us to get?”

“No-no, nothing like that Harry, but you yelled at him, called him names, Ron crashed into him head first, then started to yell at him and all you guys got were a few days detention?” She took a deep breath, clearly getting frustrated that her best friends were not processing information quickly enough. “Harry, don't you remember in potions last week, you made a mistake and put beetle dung powder in your strengthening potion instead of bat wing powder?”

“Yea Hermione, but they looked like didn't they?” Was she seriously critizing him on his potions work last week. “What are you getting at Hermione” he asked roughly.

“Harry, Snape gave you two days detention for that mistake, remember?” She gave them both a meaningful look. “And now you yell at him and insult him, and he gives you two days for that? Last week he gave you two days for a small mistake and this week for deliberately insulting him and yelling at him he gives you the same thing!” she finished panicky. Oh didn't they see it?

Harry dropped his toast. Hermione was right. Why had Snape gone so easy on them? It seemed like Snape hated him so much, yet he went so easy on them today, that was odd. Maybe he just wanted to gain his trust so later when he and Voldemort attacked, Harry wouldn't expect it. Yea, Harry thought. He just wants my trust so he and Voldemort and get to me easier.

“Yea Hermione, I see what you mean....”