Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Author's Chapter Notes:
Apologies for the gap, and the slightly shorter than normal chapter. I've been away and also planning a novel to write next month, and I've been stuck on the next scene for a while. I thought considering how long it's been, you would appreciate a shorter chapter sooner than a longer chapter later. I can't promise I will be very active between now and August because of said novel, so heads up.
Reasonable Trust

“I put Potter under a magical leash to keep him out of trouble,” Severus muttered.

“You did what?

“Idiot!” Severus hissed at Lupin. “Wake the whole castle up, will you?”

Lupin reduced his outburst to a furious whisper. “You put Harry on a leash? When was this?”

“During the summer, I caught him in Knockturn Alley. I was only trying to keep him from getting himself killed. Then first night of term I caught him in my private stores, so I cast another one.”

“I can’t imagine that made it easy for him to find meals, Severus, can you?” Lupin snapped.

“Yes, I know, I managed to work that one out for myself! Hence the guilty conscience! But it’s not like I knew he—”

“What on earth possessed you to put a student under—”

“Look, keeping Potter out of trouble is a full-time job at the best of times. With your old pal Black on the loose—” Lupin’s face clouded, “—I knew it was only a matter of time before he got himself killed.”

“And the fact that you hate him had nothing to do with it.”

Severus bristled, but the indignation was short-lived. He knew Lupin was right, and he hated the werewolf for pointing that out.

“We’ve ascertained I was wrong to cast it. There’s really no need to have a post-mortem on the subject.”

“No,” Lupin agreed. “I’m sure Albus will be asking all those questions tomorrow.”

Severus squirmed again. He hadn’t been afraid of Albus for many years, but he hated letting the man down.

“But,” Lupin continued, and Severus’ heart sank, “what I don’t understand is …” He trailed off. “Ah. I see.”

“Informative as ever, Lupin.”

“Who was it?”

Severus frowned as the other man met his eyes. “Who was what?”

“The vampire in your family,” Lupin replied, stunning Severus into silence. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Subscribing to petty student rumours is beneath even you, werewolf,” Severus growled.

“I don’t subscribe to any rumours. I just logically deducted based on your behaviour,” Lupin said calmly. “And Albus’. He wouldn’t have shared the information with you unless he knew for absolute certain you wouldn’t react the same way most wizards would—the same with all of us. I empathise because I am a werewolf, Hagrid because he is half-giant. Minerva’s known Albus long enough and well enough to trust his judgement. Poppy’s proved over the years that her first priority is the well-being of the students no matter who or what they are. But with you—considering how much you despise Harry—it had to be a very strong reason. The most likely scenario was that you personally knew, or have known at some point, a vampire, well enough to understand that what the Ministry teach is pure propaganda. Since you don’t appear to have any friends outside the staff, that left a relative. So, who is it?”

There was a long silence. “None of your business,” Severus muttered.

“But I guess that’s the reason you’re beating yourself up over not having seen—”

“Lupin,” Severus growled, “shut up.”

To his surprise, the werewolf did so.

-

When Harry woke up, he choked. Something long and hard was inside his throat.

As he gasped and spluttered, the horrible thing was pulled out. Harry opened his eyes and instantly squeezed them shut again against the blinding white light; he massaged his neck and took note of his senses.

Soft bed. So not in the Forest anymore. Most likely not the afterlife either. White … the Hospital Wing?

Dread filled his gut, and he slowly opened his eyes, squinting before they grew used to the light. He was right—it was the Hospital Wing.

Before he could swear in exasperation, a voice spoke next to him, cutting off his train of thought. “Afternoon, Harry.”

He turned his head, and saw Professor Lupin sitting in a chair beside his bed, smiling calmly.

Harry wracked his brains to try and work out what had happened. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in the Forest with Snuffles trying to force dead animals on him. He’d been going to die quietly, far away from the people that now hated him. What had gone wrong? How had he ended up here again?

“What …?”

“It’s all right,” Lupin said in a soothing voice. “You’re safe here, Harry.”

Yeah, right, Harry thought sourly.

“How do you feel now? Stronger?”

Harry blinked. Now Lupin mentioned it … he did feel stronger. By no means able to run a marathon, but at least able to sit up. He did so, not taking his eyes off his teacher.

“What happened?”

“Ron raised the alarm when you didn’t show for classes this morning,” Lupin said. Harry’s eyes widened. “Some of the other teachers and I conducted a search of the Forbidden Forest, on Professor Snape’s suggestion. He was the one that found you.”

Interfering git …

Harry shook his head, trying to get his head round Lupin’s first statement. “Ron raised the alarm?”

“Yes. He told the Headmaster about your—er—spat, and that he thought you had run away. He was extremely worried about you, Harry.”

A lump arose in Harry’s throat; he hardly dared believe it. “He … was?”

“Oh, yes. And he insisted on helping with the search.” Harry sat in stunned silence, and Lupin gave a sad smile. “Friends can surprise you sometimes, Harry. Yours are certainly loyal to the last.”

“Even though they know I’m—” Even now, Harry couldn’t get the word out.

“Actually, I’m not sure Hermione knows yet. Ron was very careful to keep your secret as, well, secret as possible.”

“You mean—everyone doesn’t know?”

“Ron told Dumbledore, and he and I informed Madam Pomfrey, Hagrid and Professors McGonagall and Snape. Nobody else knows, I swear.”

“Y-you told Snape?

“Harry, he saved your life,” Lupin replied earnestly. “If it hadn’t been for him, we wouldn’t have even known where to start looking. Now—I’m aware of the, er, leash he put on you …”

“You are?” Harry said, astonished. “Well then, you know he nearly killed me in the first place.”

“Yes, I know,” Lupin said heavily. “But everyone makes mistakes, and I also know he can be trusted to keep your secret.”

Harry wasn’t convinced. “What about the others? You said you believe I’m n-not Dark, but—”

“Harry, do you really think Dumbledore would have told the others if he thought there was even the slightest chance that the information would turn them against you?” Lupin asked, surprised. “For that matter, why did you try and shoulder this alone in the first place? Why didn’t you go straight to Dumbledore?”

“He told me not to.”

“Who?”

“The—the vampire who Turned me. H-he said that if I told anyone—anyone—the life I had w-would be gone.”

Lupin was silent for a moment. “Maybe he never had anyone open-minded enough, who knew him well enough, to be able to trust. But you do.”

“I didn’t know that.” Harry blinked furiously. “I-I didn’t want t-to l-lose my friends.”

“Believe me,” Lupin said quietly, “I understand completely.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Harry …” Lupin glanced around the ward. It was empty, but he dropped his voice anyway. “I’m going to trust you with my own secret. Promise me you will never repeat it to anyone.”

Harry nodded, his eyes widening. “You’re not—you’re not a vampire too?”

“No, no. I would have said before if I was, and let you know you were not alone. No, I am a werewolf.”

There was a long silence. “Oh.”

“Unlike you, I am dangerous. But only at the full moon, so you needn’t worry right now.”

“I wasn’t worried.”

“My point is, it took me years to tell my friends what I was. But they surprised me by being the most supportive friends in the world. And now, teaching here, the rest of the staff—well, most of them, at any rate—have been very accepting. Obviously, you need to be careful, Harry, but you should never be completely alone.”

Harry didn’t know how to respond. He could hardly believe it. All that fear over someone learning his secret …

Lupin’s talk of trust made him pause. There were different types of trust, and he had never been very good at the kind required to ask for help, probably thanks to ten years of never having anyone to help him. Maybe other people in his position would have done the sensible thing and sought it out, but he’d been too afraid. Too ready to believe that there was no-one he could rely on.

His throat burned, though it was nothing to do with the tube that had been in there.

“C-can I see Ron?”

Lupin nodded, smiling. “Of course. I’ll go and fetch him for you.”

To be continued...

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