Harry awoke the next morning and looked at his suitcase. He knew what he had to do but he was not really looking forward to it. Wearing Dudleys old clothes that were about 5 sizes too big for him was never the highlight of his summer. How they quickly turned into rags because the Dursley’s would have him scrubbing the house, weeding the garden and a large list of chores which would make him wet and dirty and cause holes due to them literally dragging him down whilst he worked.

He sighed and put on what he thought to be a loose dirty t-shirt and a pair of trousers that he had to keep up with rope. Then he walked downstairs for breakfast. Cold porridge was sitting on the table waiting with no Snape to be seen. Harry sat and ate the porridge even though it seemed gluggy and difficult to get down and he ventured outside.

Snape was found weeding the garden just outside the back door, Harry almost hit him in the head with the door on the way outside.

“Harry! I’m glad that you finally decided to grace us with your presence,” Snape stated. The two dogs were playing on a patch of grass nearby whilst the cat just sat there licking her paws and watching them. Harry never really liked cats, felt that they were sitting, watching and judging to see what kind of a bad job he could do. But he still gave the cat a scratch behind the ears as it rubbed his leg. Snape looked up to tell Harry what to do to help when he noticed the rags the boy was wearing.

“Harry...when I told you to not wear your best I didn’t mean for you to wear clothes like these..why don’t you go back inside and change into something a little more slim fitting,” he said.

Harry sighed as he walked back inside and back up the stairs to his bedroom to try to find something that looked a little nicer. But how he could possibly find something that looked nicer considering what the state of his clothes were..he just didn’t know what he’d do. It took him the better part of an hour but finally he found what seemed like the best of what he had. He went back downstairs and outside to help Snape with his garden.

“Potter! Didn’t I tell you to go find something else that fits you properly?” Snape fell into old habits as he scolded the teen which he had done more than once in the last two and a half years.

Harry ignored him as he walked over and said “just give me some work to do, I’ve wasted enough time trying to search through those clothes as I’m going to.”

Snape stood up and looked at Harry, “what was that young man? I don’t think I like the tone of your voice.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Harry said, “all I said was since we’re out in the garden and its dirty out here anyway, why don’t I just leave these on. They fit ok and can help you in the yard.”

“Ok Po...Harry..if that’s what you want,” Snape stated, “we will have to do something about your name too now that we know the truth. Or do you like it that way?”

“It’s the name my mother gave me,” Harry said, “it’s fine.”

“Ok, well what I want your help with is over here. Have you ever seen this plant before Harry? No I suppose you wouldn’t, not where you come from. It’s called the xslejedmne its purpose is mostly used in nutrition potions. It’s seed is really what you are after, but to grow enough you need to ensure that you still release some of its seed. Watch this. Snape gently grabbed a flower that looked like it was wilting away, “you take it by the head, break it in two, do you see in there Harry? That’s the seed. You spread some like this” he moved his thumb along the flower, “then you take some out with this,” he took out a little spoon and put some of the yellow powder into a dish. Now you try!” He indicated another wilted flower and Harry imitated Snape.

“You can do this so easily Harry its a suprise that you can’t do better at potions!” Snape said,

“well maybe it’s your big bad bat of the dungeons image that frightens people into making mistakes,” Harry said.

Snape just ignored him. After all he knew what other people called him behind his back. It was nice that at least Harry was one of those that would also say it to his face.

Snape showed him several more things in the garden including how to recognise wizarding weeds and how to get rid of a gnome if one happened to appear. Snape and Harry worked for the rest of the day in silence with Snape correcting a few things that Harry did wrong. But gently, “no Harry, you don’t pull the whole plant from the ground to get some of the root, just tilt it, like this, you see?”

Maybe the idea of gardening being a calming activity which can soothe any savage beast is true, at least for potion masters. Harry giggled thinking about that as he noticed a bunch of wizarding weeds over grown in one area.

“Harry, no! Those aren’t weeds,” Snape stated, Harry stopped still in his tracks and Snape stood up and walked over to him.

“You see how they are all collected like this? We call it a pwrethie and the only way to remove it is by saying a spell.” He took out his wand, “prethia thresailps” they disappeared leaving behind a single multicoloured flower. Even the green stem had several shades of green.HHHHHeH

“You’re really lucky to see that Harry,” Snape said as he pulled the flower out of the ground including the roots, he walked over to a nearby pot of dirt and put it in. “It needs a place separate from other plants to be able to thrive properly. Good work son, finding that.” Snape put his hand on his son’s shoulder and Harry smiled.

Then Snape showed Harry the orchard, which contained oranges and apples and lots of other trees which Harry couldn’t name. “Be carefull son!” Snape said holding him back when he tried to enter the orchard. Snape whistled four times quickly in succession and coming out from the trees was a large creature. It was a surprise that Harry didn’t see it as when it moved the orchard seemed to grow lighter and lose some of its shadow. It was a large animal, round stomach and 2 sets of arms with two feet. On the end of its arms were what looked like hands, with right where the wrist is, what looked like pruning shears.

“werswre pswrd threse” Snape said. Harry looked at him rather strangely. That wasn’t any form of English that he’d known.

The creature bowed low and Snape said, “come Harry” leading him into the orchard, “that Harry, was a Veitros also known as Orchard Helper, it is a magical creature that actually lives off the rotting fruit which falls from the trees. In a four acre orchard such as this one it is important to keep the fruit from piling up, particularly wizarding fruit which tends to fall a lot faster than your average fruit tree.”

Wow Neville was going to be so jealous! Harry thought as he listened to Snape.

“These trees are pretty basic,” Snape indicated the fruit trees, “we just need to pick the fruit. But these trees at the back, you need to twist them in a certain way to come off. Some you need to stroke gently and others you need to speak with. I shall show you when we get down to there.”

True to his word Snape showed Harry about the trees and Harry was completely in awe. Who was this strong, understanding and compassionate man and what did he do with Snape?

“Did you have to do a spell on that creature before we came in here?” Harry asked.

“No,” Snape said, “it’s an ancient wizarding language, the only one that the creature understands. I merely reminded it of who I am.”

“um....” Harry said thinking what does that mean, “oh....ok.”

It was starting to become twilight when Harry and Snape finally finished their work in the gardens. Although Snape did use his wand to help them finish most of the work was done by hand. Snape wanted to get the garden done in the one day to ensure good growth for the garden and to help him get his potion stores, and those of St Mungos, and some of Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey kept her own garden and helped with those things as well. As Snape was constantly reminded with her onslaught of letters seeing how things are going with the garden and asking his advice on ensuring proper plant growth and gardening.

Harry and Snape returned to the manor feeling dirty and tired and ready for a good meal. Laid out on the table was a wonderful spread. There was roast beef and vegetables and beside it a beautiful steaming apple custard tart.

“Wash up and then come to dinner,” Snape said as he went directly to the bathroom with Harry following. Harry obeyed and soon they were sitting in front of the beautiful meal enjoying it immensely after such a big day. They didn’t even have time to stop for lunch!

“Ok, upstairs for a shower and then you can put on your pajamas for the rest of the night,” Snape stated. Harry got up after his second piece of apple and custard pie and walked up the stairs to his room and through to his ensuite to have a nice relaxing shower.

The water felt good after a good meal and all of that work. He chose to wash his hair and just relax for a while under the hot stream of water. Then getting out, drying and putting on his pajamas and wrapping himself up in a dressing gown. He laid on his bed just relaxing until Snape came in.

“Harry, I’d like to show you something from when I was a boy,” Snape said walking into Harry’s bedroom with a book under his arm, “it’s called The House Elf’s Wish, it’s something that my mother used to read to me when I was, ooh probably a few years younger than you are now but I’d like to show it to you. It might help you with your friend Hermione.”

Snape sat on the bed next to Harry and read him a story about a house elf called Hetty, who was mistreated by her owners, just like Dobby was. But on the death of the father of the house, a man who distinctly reminded Harry of Lucius Malfoy, the son received the manor and the elf. The elf was frightened because she feared another cruel master. But what the elf found was a loving man who loved his wife and children. A man who was gentle and kind to all around him including the house elf. A man who asked the house elf if it would like to be free. But the house elf refused saying “I belong to the family for the longest time. I wouldn’t know how to live if not for your support and kindness in allowing me to stay here. To help is all that I ask. Treat me as a friend and equal and allow me to stay here. That’s all I ask.”

Harry loved the story and was closing his eyes just at the very end.

“I’d like to send Hermione that book to read, I think she’d like it,” Harry said.

“As long as she returns it son. The book is one of the last things I have from my mother. A treasured family heirloom and now..it’s yours.” Snape smiled sadly as he left the book on the chest of drawers beside the bed and left the room.