Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Chapter 3: Oasis, Roo and Pele

Monday, July 3rd 1995

He was once again at the cemetery, bound tightly to the tomb of Tom Riddle Senior. Before him, the unmoving body of Cedric Diggory hovered in the air. The pale face was only a couple of inches from his own, and the dead, emotionless eyes stared at him numbly, petrifying him so badly that he couldn't avert his eyes.

Harry woke up in a silent scream, face beaded with sweat. He sat up quickly in bed, gasping for air.

It was just a dream, he was repeating inwardly, trying to calm himself despite knowing that it wasn't true. The sense of guilt was eating him alive. If only he hadn't been so stubborn that day and hadn't insisted on sharing the cup... he shook his head hard, trying to eradicate painful thoughts.

Harry went to the bathroom, took a shower, got dressed and decided to go to the department store, located in the town centre. That day, he would have his first football practice, which Tobias had signed him up for. Harry wanted to show up looking his best. He knew that in the clothes he actually owned, he probably looked like an incurably criminal boy, just as the Dursleys had always said. He knew that it was a little shallow because clothes do not make the man, but first impressions are essential.

Besides that, even though Harry felt it was a little foolish, he was scared of not being picked up by any team. He remembered how humiliated he was in primary school while being left out, standing in the middle of the field and staring at his shoes. He was aware that there was no Dudley here, so nobody would browbeat his peers into staying away from him, and nobody would measure him by a tower of lies spread by the Dursleys. However, he still hadn't had any guarantee that the teenagers here would accept him. Though he was sure that the more similar he was, the more accepted he would be.

He took the bus into town, and when he entered the department store, he felt intimidated by the number of small boutiques. Despite that the area was as big as Hogwarts, it didn't give him any sense of security. At school, dimness prevailed, meaning that he could easily blend with the crowd of students in black robes or hide in some shadowed corner in the hall. Here everything was bright and spacious, with glazed lifts and shop fronts, making him feel vulnerable, as though not sheltered with anything. From every side, he was on display. Besides, he'd never been to such an elegant and modern place, and he felt that he didn't fit in there. Barely in the entrance, a security guard fixed him with a glare, looking at him as contemptuously as though he would throw him out in a moment. Fortunately, the man didn't say anything, and Harry was grateful for that.

He entered the first shop where typical teenage clothes were hanging in the window display. However, when he got inside, he was overwhelmed by the enormous amount of choices. Harry wasn't sure where to start or even if there was a place to try clothes on, but luckily, a young saleslady offered to help. He told her that all of his things had burned in a house fire and asked her to pick everything out for him. Nearly everything she gave him to try on was loose fitting. He would have thought that after years of wearing Dudley's old enormous rags that he would have enough of it and would choose something tighter. These clothes weren't overly large like Dudley's though, it was just the style. At least it would give him a chance to hide his bony frame.

According to the saleswoman, if he wore something close-fitting, he wouldn't fit in as much. After he'd paid for the new wardrobe (which had killed his wallet), they gave him a cap because he'd purchased so much.

Afterwards, he went to find a shop with eyeglasses. He picked up the cool ones with rectangular frames, and it just so happened that he was able to see better in these than in his old ones without even seeing the eye doctor. He asked at the counter for contact lenses with the same prescription, thinking that these would help him play both Quidditch and football better.

Back at home, it took Harry nearly an hour to get the contact lenses in. He cursed the entire time, wondering what had possessed him to buy them and try to dig them into his eyes. When he finally got the lenses in, though, he didn't feel them at all. He quickly got dressed in his new clothes, took the new backpack, put on the baseball cap and looked in the mirror. He was pleased with the effects of the metamorphosis. Thanks to the cap and lack of glasses, he thought it would be hard to spot him as Harry Potter at all in a crowd. At least he wouldn't have to be afraid of being recognised in public. He smiled a little and went out for practice. It was only for o'clock, and the field wasn't that far away from where they were, as Tobias had said. He still wanted to be there a little early.

After a guard showed Harry to the changing room, he found two boys sitting inside on a bench. Both of them were big and well built. The tall blond boy was putting a t-shirt on, and the second boy, who was eating a hot dog, had a tattoo on his arm and a black eye. Harry's stomach grumbled at the sight of the hot dog. He'd forgotten to eat today because he'd been too absorbed in his thoughts and task of getting ready. Now he was starting to realise just how hungry he really was.

"Bon appétit!" he said politely, although the other boy didn't look like he knew what manners were. He definitely wasn't Hermione's type.

"And why the fuck do you care?" spat the bald one.

"Cut it out, Oasis. Can't you behave? Don't you see that the guy is new?" The blond boy gave him a dressing-down and then turned to Harry. "I'm Roo, and this is Oasis. Don't mind that idiot. I don't know who released him." He held out his hand to shake Harry's.

"Just you watch it, boy!" the bald one snapped at him, making Roo roll his eyes.

"I'm Harry," he took his hand.

"What d'ya want in here?" asked Oasis, eyeing him.

"I'm here for football practice," he responded.

"Aren't you too young? How old are you anyway?" he asked sceptically.

"Enough," chafed Harry. It seemed that it would be hard to find some pleasant company this summer. "Is there any age restriction?"

"Don't blow smoke up my ass; you've got to be at least fourteen to be on the team."

"Well, I'm almost fifteen, thank you very much," said the agitated young wizard.

"Yeah, right," replied Oasis shaking his head.

"So, you're on our team?" asked Roo.

"I guess. The guard showed me this changing room," answered Harry, and he turned and started getting changed.

"Aren't you beefy?" Oasis said sarcastically with a laugh, scrutinising him. "Don't they feed you at home?"

Harry blushed and quickly changed his t-shirt. It's not like he could do anything about his appearance.

"At least I'm not a tub of lard," he said, thinking about his cousin.

True, he was often hungry as a child, but he would rather be hungry than look like Dudley.

"Wow, so sarcastic," Oasis mocked.

"Who are you from," Roo changed the awkward topic, noticing the embarrassment of the new boy, who really looks malnourished.

"What do you mean, 'who am I from'?"

"How did you get here, who signed you up for this team, or easier: who in your family works at East Build?" said Roo, once again rolling his eyes.

"Father." This word really did sound strange in his mouth. Despite that, he had to pretend even here. "Tobias Snape."

"That... he's been fucking my aunt. That makes us almost cousins, doesn't it?" said an amused Oasis. "I didn't know that he had a second kid."

Harry widened his eyes at him, disgusted. He didn't see anything funny in that.

"I didn't know that he had the second son either," he repeated, deciding not to comment on the first part of the bald boy declaration.

"How could you not know it?" wondered Roo.

"It's complicated. Are you also children of workers?" he asked, trying to avoid any more conversation about his fake family ties.

"Yeah, but you know I'm just a common plebeian, and this is a fat cat. You know... The supervisor's son," said Oasis.

"Back off," said Roo.

Just then, some more boys entered the changing room. One of them approached Harry, Roo and Oasis. He was a slant-eyed, grinning boy. With a little irritation, Harry noticed that he was also taller than him by a head.

"Hiya, guys! What's up!" asked a hoarse voice.

"Hiya, we're good. This is Harry. He'll be on the team. "

"Hi." Harry held his hand.

"Wotcher! Call me Pele." He reached out and shook his hand. "Are you any good? What's your placing? What's your favourite team?" At once, Harry associated him with Ron, but instead of Quidditch, it was football.

"Whoa, slow down a little." laughed Roo.

"I haven't played for several years, and I don't have any favourite team. I'm cheering for the representation," Harry said evasively. He didn't want to acknowledge that he just knew a couple of team names and nothing about players.

"Of course, the patriot, But I'm telling you, Manchester is the best. Just in the last year, they beat Ipswich Town nine to null! And Andy Cole scored five goals alone! It was awesome!

Roo rolled his eyes; it seemed his habit, and firmly said: "Okay, guys. Let's go; we're starting soon." Then he added quietly, so only Harry could hear: "I had to stop him, coz he can talk like that for hours."

Fortunately, Harry's fear that he would be left alone in the field didn't come true because the coach was choosing teams. The captain of one group was Oasis, which had Roo, Pele and four other guys. The captain of the second—where Harry had landed—was Dredd, a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy.

"You, Dolly," Dredd pointed at him. "Have you ever played football?" he asked doubtfully.

"A couple times," mumbled Harry, displeased that he called him that way.

"What's your placing?"

"I don't know. We're just kicking a ball." To be honest, Harry didn't have any idea even what kinds of placing there were. He was also aware that he was looking more and more like an idiot.

"Okay, you'll be on left defence. Try not to fuck up too much," told him the irritated captain.

Fortunately, later Harry showed everyone what he could do. After the first half, Dredd decided that Harry should be on the left-wing because of his outstanding speed, helping at both attack and defence. Even though his technique wasn't good, the coach and the captain, who really wanted to beat Oasis, were pleased with Harry's skill.

"Well, despite that pretty face of yours, you don't play like a sissy," Dredd said as they walked down the field.

Harry didn't know if that was an insult or a compliment, so he just answered: "Thanks, I guess."

"Shortie, you're not bad," Oasis congratulated him as he, Roo and Pele approached Harry.

"Thanks," Harry turned to them.

"Don't tell me that you're mixed up with those dropouts from Spinner's End," jeered Dredd.

"Watch out what you are talking, or I'll curry that pretty face, you faggot," snapped Oasis,

"Don't you see? Such low class. He can't even talk properly," Dredd said condescendingly.

"I just met them today, and I think they're alright," Harry said hesitantly.

"Alright? Everybody knows that his old man got out of the can two years ago and now guzzles everything, and his mother had to become a whore, so she could buy him some second-hand clothes.

At Dredd's comment, Oasis, who despite his name wasn't an oasis of serenity, fell on Dredd with his fists.

"Stop that, whelps!" shouted the obese guard, who was making his rounds. He ran to the boys and started to pull them apart, and after a moment, the coach joined him.

"Have you already started?!" shouted the coach. "We haven't even begun the season yet, and you're already acting like you want to be kicked out? One more warning, and I'll call your fathers. And tomorrow, you'll start the practice with fifteen laps, and I'm going to count them. Run along!

When the guard and coach walked away, Dredd spoke up again.

"You aren't going to round with these paupers?" He asked Harry.

It seemed that life was never going to be easy for Harry. Why couldn't people just stop fighting with each other? Already, Harry was being forced to choose between the two boys despite the fact that he had only known these people for just two hours. This situation was already beginning to resemble his first trip on the Hogwarts Express.

"You know, I really don't care if somebody has or doesn't have money or who their parents are," responded Harry. It was true. Living with Dursleys, Harry never had a penny. He grew up believing that his mother was a whore, and his dad a drunk. Even though he wasn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of befriending Oasis because of the boy's attitude, Harry didn't want to be a hypocrite, that's why he added: "So no, I don't see any reason not to hang out with them."

'At least Pele and Roo are pleasant enough, ' Harry thought.

"Of course. Just don't get surprised when that numbskull will steal your flash shoes and flog them at some fair. Just like his father would." Dredd didn't wait for the response; he just turned around and went away.

"I hate that asshole," Pele made a face." Okay, so back to Manchester, did you hear that there's going to be an auction this Saturday? They will bid on the 1908 poster with the players on it. That's the year they won the championship for the first time. I wonder how much it'll be sold for."

Roo just shook his head while Oasis still stood with clenched fists and blood dripping from his chin.

"You know Shortie, all in all, you're alright," said Oasis as he turned towards Harry.

HPHPHPHPHP

After coming back home, Harry wasn't surprised to see Tobias lying on the couch and holding a can of beer in hand.

"Hi, I'm back," he said, announcing his presence.

"A teacher from your school was here and left a letter for ya'," slurred Tobias pointing at the opened parchment laying open the coffee table.

"Why did you read my post!" shouted Harry, suddenly extremely irritated. After the episode with the Hogwarts letters at the Dursleys before his eleventh birthday, and then with Dobby, Harry couldn't stand it when somebody even touched his mail.

"Watch who you're talking to like that! I'm your father, and you have to respect me. I have every right doing whatever I want with your letters." He threw the letter at Harry. "Don't rattle my cage. Scram upstairs!" snapped the angry man.

"You don't have the right to read it! Haven't you ever heard about the right to private correspondence?!" Harry, simmering with anger, picked up his letter from the floor.

"I said, go upstairs, whelp! Don't make me stand up and make you, or you'll be very sorry," Tobias threatened but didn't move from the couch.

Harry turned around angrily and stalked up to his room, slamming the door. He had no idea how lucky he was that Tobias was too tired to react.

How dare he!

Harry kicked his desk in anger but soon regretted it when his foot throbbed in pain.

Nobody has any right to touch my letters!

He threw himself on the bed, but after a moment, he calmed himself. He angered Tobias over a stupid letter. He hoped that after this, Tobias wouldn't want to get rid of him. Harry didn't know what had gotten into him. Why couldn't he have kept quiet? Harry wouldn't dare talk like that to his Uncle Vernon. Although Harry remembered, he did jump on Uncle Vernon's back on the spur of the moment when his Hogwart's letters had come. His uncle had been so busy trying to hide the letters that he hadn't even punished him for that.

The Snape temper is probably hereditary, Harry thought. Tomorrow he would try to apologise to the man somehow. Well, only if the man gets back in a good mood and is relatively sober, though. Then Harry remembered his letter he still held in his hand. He had been so angry that he forgot all about it for a moment. On the envelope, his name was written in narrow, cursive writing.

"Dumbledore," whispered Harry and quickly opened the envelope.

Dear Harry,

I'm a little disappointed that you didn't write to me about the latest events. It was irresponsible of you. You haven't been protected in your new place of residence. You could get hurt if certain people found out about it. Of course, I wasn't sure if this whole affair was real, but I performed a paternity charm, and it showed very close family ties. Later on, Remus confirmed the entire story.

I'm thrilled that you finally found a home. I know that you've always wanted to leave the Dursleys. I hope that you will be happier now. This is your dream come true. You have a father and a brother now. I also entertain the hope that this will help improve your relationship with Severus.

Don't worry about your safety. I enclosed your new home in a one-kilometre diameter anti-magical field. Every person or thing located in this area will be prevented from performing magic inside the barrier. I also took some measures to hide your residence's address and the identity of your biological parents.

Please refrain from contacting your godfather or your friends. The owls could be captured, and you wouldn't want to endanger anyone, would you?

Have a lovely summer,

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., D. Wiz., X.J.(sorc.), S. of Mag.Q.,

With every word that Harry read, he became paler. He couldn't believe that this was true. Have Professor Lupin, and probably Sirius as well, known about everything? Why had they hidden it from him?! He was furious with Dumbledore like never before. Dumbledore had known that the Dursleys hated him, and he didn't help him. And now, he had forbidden him from contacting his friends. Why should Dumbledore have any say in it anyway?

Moreover, it was confirmed now that Tobias was his father. All of his life, Harry has been living in a lie. Suddenly, he felt breathless. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't bear it in here any longer. He had to get out of here quickly. The teen ran down the stairs, out of the house, and ran as fast as he could. He didn't stop. He passed the park, the streets and finally came to a forest. After a while, all his strength left him. He fell to his knees and started crying as he never had before. Or at least he didn't remember it.

"I hate them, I hate all of them!" he yelled, sat down on the grass, hugged his knees with his arms and started to rock himself.

"Mum..." he moaned, but when he became aware that he didn't know which woman he was referring to anymore, Harry started crying even harder.

HPHPHPHPHP

Meanwhile:

"Severus, I'm glad that you're already here. Are you feeling well?" asked Dumbledore. Snape was paler than usual as he came into the office and fell into a chair.

"Yes, I'm alright," answered the Potions Master in a hoarse voice.

Their greetings were always like this after Severus returned from a meeting with Voldemort. They both knew that he wasn't really alright, but the headmaster didn't linger on the topic.

" You never say anything else. Do you have any news, Severus?"

"The Dark Lord wants the prophecy, but he won't go to the Ministry himself to get it as long as he isn't at his full power. He is also quite content with the Ministry denying his return. Fudge does everything that Lucius asks him to do."

"That's not good," the headmaster responded. "He'll want to use Harry to retrieve it. Only the two of them can touch it."

"You should tell him. That arrogant whelp will find out sooner or later, Snape snarled. Better from us then the Dark Lord. You know that he will seek information himself and almost get himself killed while doing so."

"I can't. Let Harry have some more of his childhood."

"Headmaster, he is spoiled, just like his father. Enough is enough. He's barely able to hold up that big head of his.

"Stop that, Severus. You know that it's not true. Harry isn't like James."

"Of course, he is just like his father. Lily was sensible and never spoke out to the teachers."

"James isn't his father," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

"Pardon?" Severus narrowed his eyes. "I really don't desire jokes at the moment."

"But it's true."

"Of course, the whelp is Potter's son. They could be twins!" Snape took a deep breath. The headmaster was still smiling. "Lily wasn't the type of woman who would cheat on her husband. Dear Merlin! Next, you'll tell me some farfetched tale about how Potter is my kid, Lily was my wife, and for the safety of her and the baby, she hid that fact and married Potter. Then she cast a charm on the brat so he wouldn't look like me, which will last only to his fifteen birthday, and you know it because she sent it to you with time-charm."

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled.

"I see that you have a very vivid imagination, Severus. You could become a writer. But back to the topic at hand, Lily and James adopted Harry. His mother gave him up the day he was born. As you know, the magical adoption of an infant leads to changes in some of the child's features to reflect that of both the adoptive parents, so Harry has Lily's eyes and James' hair.

"Forgive me, headmaster, this story is really captivating, but I'm rather tired," Snape sarcastically said. "I'm going to my quarters."

Rolling his eyes at the old man's antics, Severus turned around and left the office.


You must login (register) to review.
[Report This]


Disclaimer Charm: Harry Potter and all related works including movie stills belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, Warner Bros, and Bloomsbury. Used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended. No money is being made off of this site. All fanfiction and fanart are the property of the individual writers and artists represented on this site and do not represent the views and opinions of the Webmistress.

Powered by eFiction 3.5