Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Author's Chapter Notes:
Final chapter :)
The Greater Exchange
"I can't get used to wearing these colors," Ron complained, pulling at the collar of his robes to look down at them. He was sitting at Hufflepuff with his back to Harry who was at Slytherin table. Hermione had yet to come down to breakfast and join the Slytherins.

"It's just colors," Harry told him. He hoped Ron didn't complain too much while he was in Hufflepuff, because Harry really liked it there and wanted Ron to like it too. He hoped Ron would like the exchange enough to continue visiting other houses.

"It's not just the colors," he said. "Someone's going to be sleeping in my bed in the dorms. It's bad enough people have been in and out of the dorms all year as it is."

Harry wanted to say something else to Ron but couldn't think of anything he could say to get his friend to change his mind. Ron would have to figure it out for himself. Either he would embrace it after a few days in Hufflepuff, or he wouldn't. Instead Harry turned back around to the Slytherin table as Hufflepuffs began asking Ron questions. Harry loved Ron even for all his complaints and gruff. It was just part of who he was. Ron didn't like change, and that was becoming more obvious as the year wore on. Maybe he just didn't like to step out of his comfort zone as much as Harry and Hermione did.

"Here comes Gryffindor invasion part two of three."

"Be nice," Harry told Draco as Hermione approached the table wearing her new Slytherin colors. She looked both nervous and eager and Harry hoped there wasn't going to be a repeat of last night with Draco calling his friends names.

"Hey Hermione, you can sit here," Harry said, moving his bag from the spot he'd saved for her.

"Thank you Harry."

"Right, you two just sit there and leave me all by myself in Hufflepuff," Ron moaned from behind them, and noticing for the first time that he was just a few feet away, Hermione giggled.

Harry was looking forward to spending the day with Hermione, but it appeared the Slytherin girls had other plans and had come to lead Hermione away right after breakfast.

"No, you stay here with the boys," Pansy told Harry, holding her hand flat out in front of his chest to stop him.

"What do you mean?"

"No boys allowed. We have things to discuss that you wouldn't understand."

"Such as?" Harry dared her. There were a few groups in Gryffindor that were all made up of boys or all girls, but mostly Gryffindor's intermixed and had groups of friends that had both genders. The Slytherin girls had hung out with the boys sometimes, but from what Harry saw the groups mostly stayed separate unless there was a couple who was dating.

"We're going to show her the girl's dorms and the girl's personal supply cupboard, and then we're going to gossip about you and Ron Weasley."

Harry raised his brows and looked to Hermione who looked shocked at the honest proclamation.

"Right then," Harry said, sticking his chin up a little and trying not to look rattled. He had to keep reminding himself how direct Slytherins could be. The girls turned to leave and Harry heard Ron sniggering behind him.

"I can't believe you asked that!" he laughed.

"I can't believe she told me," Harry said quietly, causing his friend to laugh harder. Harry told Ron he'd see him after dinner and then followed Draco out of the Great Hall. Blaise, Teddy, and Crabbe, (Goyle was visiting Ravenclaw this week) were all busy working on their projects in the library and said they would be for the entire day. Harry didn't have much to write down for his paper just at the moment, and Draco seemed to be taking a break from his Elvish translations.

"What, are you going to follow me?" Draco snipped at him as Harry followed him out onto the grounds and into the chill, snowy morning air.

"Well the others are all busy and I'm not allowed to go with Hermione," Harry said.

"I didn't invite you to come with me," Draco pointed out.

Harry frowned. "You're still mad about last night," he accused.

"Not everything's about you Potter. Don't you have a project to work on or something?" He left Harry standing there on the steps and went on his way down towards the lake. Harry sighed. It looked like he'd be spending the day on his own. He went back into the castle, stamped the snow off his shoes, and made his way down to the dungeons. All his homework was done and he was bored. At the bottom of the dungeon steps, Harry had half a mind to turn around and go to the Owlery to see Hedwig, but his thoughts were cut short when a familiar voice called out his name.

"Ah Harry."

Harry turned and found the Headmaster walking up to him. It looked like he'd just come from Snape's office.

"Sir," Harry said.

"How are you enjoying your time in Slytherin?"

"Well enough sir."

"I thoroughly enjoyed your project and it gave me great insight into the exchange. It has helped with my decision about whether or not to continue the exchange in future years."

"Will it be continuing?"

"Yes. I have been talking with other staff about doing an exchange like this every two years for fourth year and above. And in the years in between about doing a 3 night exchange for years 1-3, to help with house rivalry, as you put it. I have given a copy of your report to the board of governors to aid in their approval. They do not believe the exchanges should take place with the younger years at all."

When Harry didn't respond to him, Dumbledore asked, "A penny for your thoughts dear boy."

Harry looked up, startled that Dumbledore cared about what he thought at all. "Well sir, you don't have to do an exchange with the younger years. What about a sleepover once a month in the Great Hall? You could make a barrier or something to keep girls on one side and boys on the other. And girls and boys could still talk to each other through the barrier. It'd give them a chance once a month to interact with other houses, play games... ask questions. The same stuff we do in the exchange, just all in one place and with staff to watch. It could start with a board game night or something after dinner for 1st-3rd years, and then by eight the second and third years would have to be out and the first years could just stay up all night and play games and talk."

"An interesting suggestion," Dumbledore said, and looked like he was calculating all of the possibilities and mishaps in his mind.

"I for one do not want to supervise a sleepover every month for nine months." Harry and Dumbledore turned to see Snape coming down the hallway. He didn't look angry, just irritated.

"There's at least nine staff in school," Harry said. "One staff per month. Maybe you could offer 20 extra house points per Prefect who volunteers to stay at each sleepover to help staff."

"Do I detect the beginnings of a new project Harry?" Albus asked cheerfully.

"He has a project," Snape said, "which he should be working on instead of loitering in the halls."

"I'm done," Harry said. He wasn't, his paper was still in rough draft form, but he didn't want to spend the day working on it either. He was thinking of crashing the girl's party to break Hermione out so he could have someone to spend the day with.

"Then perhaps you should show me," Snape said.

The Headmaster smiled at Harry and then excused himself, saying he had a lot to think about, leaving Harry and Snape alone in the corridor.

"Now sir?" Harry asked.

"Why put off until tomorrow what can be done today?"

Harry sighed and left him there to retrieve his notebook. When he came back Snape was gone so Harry went down the corridor to his office and knocked. The door opened on its own and Harry went inside.

"It's not done," Harry confessed. He didn't really want Snape to see it.

"I generally check in with students several times during the term about the progress of their project so I can offer suggestions or render help." He held out his hand for the report and Harry reluctantly opened his notebook to the correct page and handed it over.

Snape's eyes scanned down the rough draft and Harry narrowed his eyes, wondering why the man was smiling.

"Really, it's not done," Harry protested.

"I think this will do just fine," he said.

"What do you mean?"

Snape ripped the rough draft out of the notebook and handed the notebook back to Harry.

"You have grasped the concept of the assignment. A final draft is not necessary."

"It- it's not?" Harry asked.

"It is not. After this week you will return to Gryffindor."

"But you said-"

"I said I needed more time to advocate for you. I have done all the advocating that can be done, and whilst you are in the Slytherin dorms, there are other students who cannot exchange in."

Harry frowned. He almost felt like this was punishment for something, but Snape didn't seem angry.

"You are not in trouble Potter," he said, and Harry nodded before leaving the office. At least he'd have a week with Hermione before he had to go back to Gryffindor. Then Hermione would have a week by herself in Slytherin to finish out her exchange.

When Harry was gone, Severus unfolded the paper he'd taken from Harry's notebook and read it again. This was just the type of thing he needed Albus to see, to convince him once and for all that Harry shouldn't return to his family during the summer. He'd been talking with Albus for weeks about letting the boy stay with the Weasleys, but the man hadn't budged on his position. He'd only given the faintest hint that he might be leaning towards letting the boy stay in the castle, but that was doubtful knowing how stubborn the aging man could be.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore read the letter again. Then he read it a third time. His chest felt uncomfortably tight reading the words of Harry's latest project as he sat alone in his office, contemplating what these words meant to Harry if he'd written them down. Harry was a thoughtful boy, and put a lot of effort into projects he cared about, such as the exchange, or Quidditch, or his defense club. He'd obviously thought a lot about what having a different family would mean to him. He knew what he wanted and had goods reason for wanting it.

‘My new family makes sure I have clothes that fit good and aren't holey. I have a coat and I'm always warm in the winter. I never have to borrow other people's things.' Those were the first words of his project. If it was important enough to be the first thing Harry put down, then Albus was certain the clothes his relatives provided him with weren't fit for him to wear or to keep him warm. Harry knew hardship.

‘My new family realizes I don't like loud sounds or to be yelled at. It's nice that they make an effort to talk to me nicely.' I have my own room and a soft bed to sleep in. I have a soft blanket and a pillow. I don't have to sleep on the floor in the cupboard under the stairs like I have to at the Dursleys. I prefer to be here with my new family instead of counting down the days until I go back to school.' Albus knew the boy was jumpy and cautious, but had assumed it was from his many regrettable encounters with Voldemort and his followers. Albus had tried to protect Harry from having traumatic experiences or from having too much to do with the war or Order, but his best laid plans hadn't worked as well as he had wanted them to. This letter wasn't about Voldemort or the war though. It was about what Harry wanted in a family. It was about what his own family had failed to provide for him. Harry wanted a loving, stable home and to be cared for. Albus didn't know how to provide that for him however. The Ministry wanted to gain a tighter hold on Harry to keep him under their thumb for political reasons. If Albus relinquished his guardianship, (which he would have to do to get the boy to a new home), he was certain the Ministry wouldn't allow guardianship to go to the Weasleys.

‘My new family writes to me while I'm at school and checks with me to see that my grades are being kept up and to see if I need anything. I know I have someone to talk to. My new family are always happy to listen to me and answer my questions. They don't lie like the Dursleys. My new family notices when something's wrong. They take me to the doctor when I'm sick. They take me fun places too and we do fun things together like play games and go flying. I'm not lonely. It's nice to have someone that wants me around. ‘It's nice to have someone that listens to what I have to say without judging me or jumping to conclusions. It's nice to have someone to step in and help me work things out when I don't know what to do.' Albus set the letter down. Harry was lonely, and Albus wanted to give Harry the home he longed for. He only wished he could find a way. If he couldn't, he would have to live with this uncomfortable lump in his throat to the end of his days, knowing that Harry would never know what it was to have a real family, or to be loved. Albus loved him. So did Minerva and Remus. Sirius had too, as well as James and Lily. Knowing that wasn't tangible for Harry though. It would never be enough for a boy who had spent all his days living in a cupboard under the stairs...

* * *

Harry had gotten to spend a lot of time with Hermione, though it was at the price of joining the girls of Slytherin in study groups and following them around instead of sticking with the Slytherin boys. The girls had seemed irritated at first, but adjusted to his presence with speed. Hermione had also thrown herself headlong into her project however, and was soon spending her time in a corner of Slytherin common room studying portkeys and the laws surrounding their creation and use. His last week in Slytherin seemed to speed by, and it was soon Saturday morning again.

No one in Slytherin told Harry goodbye, and Hermione was too busy to say much of anything about Harry not appearing at Slytherin for breakfast. Harry sat with Ginny at Gryffindor table, but found himself lonely, and thought it was strange since he was finally back in his own house. Dean, Seamus, and Neville were busy talking to Mathe  though, who was visiting from Ravenclaw in Ron's place, and Ron was still at Hufflepuff for another week.

"It's nice to have you back," Ginny told him. "It almost seems like you've been away all year."

"Well, I have been, haven't I?"

"I think it'll be nice when everything starts to settle down again. Hermione's only visiting one more house after this, and Ron told me last night he was going to be done after Hufflepuff."

"He doesn't like it?"

"He said it was interesting, but there was no place like his own dorm room."

"It has been a strange year," Harry thought out loud. They hadn't encountered Voldemort or had to deal with any especially crazy defense professors, but he felt like he'd been everywhere and done everything already and it was only January. "I guess it'll be good when everything's back to normal," Harry said.

But normal meant spending a lot of time by himself while Ron and Hermione were out of the house. Harry was starting to appreciate how Ron felt all the time Harry had been gone, even though they'd seen each other regularly in classes and in the library after dinner hour. Ginny tried to spend time with Harry, but she was also involved in her studies and had her own friends in fifth year that wanted her time.

Harry was glad when Ron and Hermione came back to Gryffindor table the next Saturday.

"Well?" Harry asked Ron. "How was it?"

"It was good," he admitted, digging into his breakfast. "Better than spending time with the Slytherins I'll wager."

"It was interesting," Hermione said. "They're very studious. More than I think the Ravenclaws are actually."

"Ravenclaws study because they want to and find it interesting. Slytherins do it because they have to, but they have fun while doing it," Harry said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Ron told him. Harry supposed it wouldn't since Ron hadn't experienced what he had.

* * *

Harry was irritated. His new crimson shoes had been destroyed during Quidditch practice. He'd tried to keep them clean but the Pitch was coated in inches deep mud, and every time he landed the mud came up over his shoes and slopped inside. He and Hermione had tried to get them clean with spells and potions again afterwards, but it had been no use. His shoes weren't caked in mud anymore, but they were filthy and wouldn't come clean. One of his shoelaces had also broken from being wet and getting frayed during the attempted cleaning, and Harry had had to resort to tying two ends of the lace together. They looked ugly. Two of his shirts had also gotten ripped, one in Defense and one in the hall when he'd tripped over his own feet and gone sprawling. He knew he wouldn't be getting new clothes any time soon, so it was frustrating. His only consolation was that Teddy Nott stopped to help him up when he'd tripped in the corridor and advised him to be more careful.

Harry wasn't sure if Teddy had told Snape or not, but the next day Snape spotted Harry in the hall outside the library and confronted him about his dirty shoes and the hole in his shirt.

"One would think that you might learn to take better care of your clothing Mr. Potter. Clearly some things never change."

Harry frowned, not in the mood to talk about his clothing just then. He hoped Snape wouldn't be mad and take points since he was the one who had purchased the clothes.

"I try to sir," he said.

Snape gave a doubtful look down to Harry's brown shoes with one broken lace.

"I didn't do that, it happened at Quidditch."

"I see. Why did you not ask someone for help in repairing them?"

"Hermione tried."

"An adult Potter."

"What adult?" Harry asked, feeling testy. "Who was I supposed to go to?" McGonagall flickered through his mind just then, but it had never crossed his mind to ask her for help before now. He'd only thought to try to remedy the situation himself and Hermione had offered her assistance.

"I told you you were to come to me with issues or unmet needs."

"While I was in Slytherin," Harry shot back at him. "You said I was your ward while in Slytherin, but I'm not now because you sent me back to Gryffindor."

When Snape didn't reply or start to yell at him, Harry turned and stalked away. Some things never change... Snape's words played through his mind. That wasn't true. Harry had changed. He had changed a lot because he'd seen a lot and been involved in a lot of new things. You couldn't help but change under those circumstances. But Snape was right and it made Harry angry. Harry had changed, but things around him had not. He still occasionally heard kids in the halls say nasty things about other houses. He still had no one to fall back on. He still had to return to the Dursleys in a few short months...

As Harry lay in his four-poster that night, staring at the dark canopy, he thought about the wasted time he'd spent on his last project in Slytherin. What good had it done to write down what he wanted from a family? It was cruel to make him wish for a new family all over again, only to have to return to the Dursleys. If Snape complained about his clothes again Harry would throw that in his face and see how he liked it.

As he drifted off into a series of strange dreams that left him feeling more empty and alone than normal, Harry had the strange notion that Snape should know better than to snatch dreams away from him. It wasn't nice when he was the one that inspired most of what Harry had written.

‘I don't want just anyone to be my family,' dream Harry told an imaginary Muggle case worker, but he couldn't explain to her why. Putting him with just anyone would be the same as putting him back with the Dursleys. It wouldn't be fair.

* * *

Harry fell back into a comfortable routine in Gryffindor, and was glad when Hermione had finally visited Ravenclaw and gotten that exchange out of the way. Hermione surprised both he and Ron when she said she preferred Slytherin to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Harry had liked Hufflepuff a lot, and Ravenclaw was nice, but he also thought he prefered Slytherin to the other two houses. Ron was fine with what his two friends had said, so long as they agreed that the one and only true place for them all was Gryffindor, and they all agreed.

Towards the end of the school year the exchange started to putter out since most of those wanting to exchange had already done so. It became rare to see students from other houses milling around the common room anymore, although Harry noted that a lot of new friendships had been forged with students in other houses, and in the Great Hall the tables weren't as segregated as they had been before. Students from every house were mixed in, wanting to have a meal now and again with friends from other houses. Harry was surprised when Teddy and Blaise had asked him to spend his lunch hour at Slytherin with them a few times, and when Mathe or Justin and Ernie came to sit with he and Ron at Gryffindor. Dumbledore, Harry thought, could not have looked more pleased if he'd received a pair of striped purple and yellow socks with bells hanging off of them.

"It's been kind of a wild year," Ron said two weeks before summer holiday. A girl from Hufflepuff had just asked him out right in front of Hermione, and Ron had turned red before stuttering something about already having a girlfriend (he didn't, but Harry knew he fancied Hermione and she liked him back).

"I'm glad we got the opportunity," Hermione said, "but I'm also glad they're not doing it next year."

"I heard they're going to do some kind of board game thing amongst the younger years next year," Ron commented.

"Really?" Harry asked. "That was my idea."

His friends smiled at him as they headed to the library to find a book Hermione wanted to read before the school year was over.

Once in the library, Ron followed Hermione to the back to help her look for a book, and Harry sat at a table by himself to study for an upcoming Charms test. He wasn't able to concentrate however so gave up entirely. In two weeks his friends would all return to their bedrooms at home and go on vacation with their families. Ron had invited Harry to come visit for part of the summer, but Harry wasn't sure if he'd be allowed. Instead of having a break from school, he'd be doing chores, sleeping on the floor, and staying busy being completely ignored by his aunt, uncle and cousin. His mind flitted to Snape and the advocation he'd promised, but Harry was no longer in Slytherin, and nothing had come of it anyway aside from new clothes, half of which already needed replaced.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ron asked when he came back to the table. Hermione was still looking through bookshelves out of earshot.

"Nothing," Harry said, looking up.

"I know you better than that."

"Just- summer," Harry mumbled.

"Yeah," Ron acknowledged in a sympathetic tone. He didn't know most of what Harry dealt with, but he and his brothers had flown the car to Harry's bedroom window and broken the bars off to help Harry escape in third year. That was the last time Harry had been allowed to sleep in the bedroom. When he'd returned the next year, it was back to the cupboard under the stairs. There were no windows there for him to escape from if he was being punished and had been locked in.

"We'll come get you on your birthday. It'll be your choice then."

"Thanks," Harry said, though it didn't make him feel any better. Birthdays never did.

* * *

"Mr. Potter."

Harry looked up from his homework in study hall. He was sitting at the end of Gryffindor table by himself reading his defense book.

"Sir?"

"I'm giving you permission to leave study hall early. I have something to discuss with you."

Harry packed up his books and followed Snape out and down to his office in the dungeons. When the door was closed, the Potions Master sat down behind his desk and Harry sat in the visitor's chair.

"The Headmaster has relinquished custody of you to the Ministry, and they have found a placement for you with a family in Stirling. Their children are a few years shy of attending Hogwarts."

Harry frowned, and didn't say anything for a few moments. What family in Stirling? Why hadn't anyone told him the Headmaster didn't have custody anymore? "What do you mean?" Harry finally asked.

"I believe their name is Webb."

"I'm not going," Harry said. His tone was so final that it made Snape stare.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not going to stay with the Webbs from Stirling. I'll go back to the Dursleys."

"What would possess you to do such a thing?"

"Because I can," Harry said. He could tell Snape looked irritated, but he didn't care. They were treating him like a thing, just passing him around to another family without even talking to him about it. He was going to be 17 in a few months... not a thing and not a child either.

"So for the sake of stubborness you would rather return to a family that abuses you?"

"Stubbornness? What is this? Nobody asked me what I wanted. Nobody told me anything like this was happening until the decision was already made. It must be so nice for you to just wash your hands of me like this."

"No one has washed their hands of you Potter. I think I have gone above and beyond what was required to advocate on your behalf and make sure your needs are being met."

"Right, you gave me clothes, like a house elf. Congratulations, Harry is free," he said sarcastically. "So you can clear your mind now, because Harry is once again somebody else's problem. Well I'm sorry I had to be your problem at all. For the record, I never asked anything of you, I only put my name on a list of names to try out Slytherin house. My only expectation was two weeks of trying something new."

Severus was going to say something but Harry was still talking and sometimes he found it more beneficial to listen to what others spouted off about when they were upset. There were usually details there that people weren't willing to share in polite company.

"It's not like I asked you to buy me clothes, or advocate for me, whatever that means. I didn't ask you to do anything. You act like I just waltzed in here one day and asked you to be my father or something! Just another burden for you. Well clear your mind sir, now that I'm free and you found a family to dump me off with, you can spend your summer feeling good about the contributions you've made to my life."

Severus was surprised by what Harry had said and he let it show, causing Harry to give him a funny look. Father? Where had that come from? He'd never thought the boy's thoughts would have strayed there, yet the words had come out of his mouth. James Potter would have a heart attack if he knew what his son had said.

"I never suggested such a thing," Severus said carefully.

"No, you just assign me to write a paper that will make me think about everything I can't have. Just get my hopes up again just for a while, then send me on my way to Gryffindor. Just like you plan on sending me on my way to Stirling or wherever."

"I did not intend to get your hopes up. I used the letter as evidence and when the Headmaster read it, he finally agreed it was time for you to part company with the Dursleys. As I said, a family has been-"

"That's not a family. I don't even know them! You expect me to just go stay with strangers for a few months til' I turn 17 and can go out on my own. Just be a burden on another set of people. Well I can do that just fine with the family I already don't have!" Harry turned and reached for the office door handle.

"You cannot return." Snape's words hung there in the air, like some solemn proclamation that Harry was just expected to abide by. He turned back to the Potions Master.

"Why should I listen to you? I'm not in Slytherin. The Headmaster's already given up custody of me. That means it's just me, on my own like I always am. There's nothing you'll do about it is there?"

Severus' mind was working frantically. He'd thought Harry would be happy to find out he'd have a safe place to stay, but that wasn't what he wanted. Or maybe that wasn't all of what he wanted.

"What are you thinking?" he suddenly asked, causing Harry to narrow his eyes at him. The boy was still angry and Severus could practically see the white hot coals in the pit of the boy's stomach.

"You don't get to ask me that anymore," Harry said. "Not a Slytherin, and not your ward, remember?"

"Tell me anyway." He was betting on the boy's rage to fuel his tirade just a little longer. Severus wanted to get to the bottom of the issue once and for all.

"You're stupid, that's what I was thinking," Harry snapped. He seemed angry, but as soon as he'd said stupid Severus could see the boy's hands start to shake and the anxiety start to creep in from the confrontation. "You think you know what's right just because you stepped in to meddle in my life. I was just thinking how ironic it all is, how stupid you actually are. Did you even read my paper?"

Severus pulled open the top drawer of his desk and pulled Harry's rough draft out. He'd made a copy to give to the Headmaster but had kept the original. Harry's eyes fell on the paper.

"I didn't even realize what I wanted until you showed me, and that's why you're an idiot. You go telling me I'm your ward and I can talk to you and you're supposed to take care of me, and that's the only time I've even glimpsed what that was supposed to look like. You don't even consider how I feel after you made me think of everything I'll never have. You just take my paper and send me away, like you're done with me. I'm not trash, even if everybody thinks of me that way. "I'm not," he insisted. And then Harry didn't give his Professor another chance to goad him into letting his thoughts and feelings tumble out of his mouth. He grasped the door handle hard, pulled the door open and was gone.

Severus was still left trying to work through everything the teen had said. 'I'm not trash. I'm not.' Severus didn't think he was, but if he were honest with himself (which he hated to be if it meant he was wrong), the boy was right. Severus had felt some relief at finding Harry a place to go for the summer. Harry had hit the nail on the head. He had seen his job as complete. He'd fulfilled his promise to give Harry the full Slytherin experience by advocating for him until his needs were met. But they weren't met. Harry didn't want someone to take him in. He wanted a family. Severus stared down at the letter and tried to work out what the boy had meant about him showing the teen what he wanted. What had he shown him?

‘My new family makes sure I have clothes that fit good and aren't holey. I have a coat and I'm always warm in the winter. I never have to borrow other people's things.' It was the first thing Severus had done for him beyond yelling at the Headmaster. He'd clothed him and made sure he was warm. ‘My new family realizes I don't like loud sounds or to be yelled at. It's nice that they make an effort to talk to me nicely.' He supposed he had stopped yelling at the boy and had started speaking to him on a level he would have with any of his other Slytherins. ‘My new family writes to me while I'm at school and checks with me to see that my grades are being kept up and to see if I need anything.' He always checked in on the students in his house. That was his job as head of house. He paused though. He had made it a point to check in on Harry more often than the other students though, just as he did Draco once Narcissa had written to him about Draco struggling under the strain of his studies. And he'd made it a point to tell Harry to come to him if he needed anything. ‘I know I have someone to talk to...' Severus let his eyes scan further down the paper. There was mention of his family knowing when something was wrong and making him see a doctor... he'd done that twice when he'd seen Harry needed to go to the Hospital Wing. There was also mention of doing fun things together, and Severus had invited Harry to play games. At the time he'd only intended to try to get Draco to take a break, but when he'd looked over at Harry and seen he was listening with interest, he'd felt it would be wrong to exclude him. He didn't read the rest of the letter. He knew Harry had taken the majority of his expectations from how he'd been treated by Severus. And then he'd gone and made the comment about having a father. Severus straightened up. He couldn't see the boy wanting him as a father though. Not after their long animosity. Yet he was refusing to go anywhere but back to the Dursleys at the conclusion of the term.

It didn't make sense. Severus just wanted to find wherever the teen had run off to and ask the new questions circling in his head. He hated it when people got upset and ran off because it meant he couldn't bring a conversation to its full resolution.

In the corridor on the way to the steps leading out of the Dungeons Severus came across Draco. "Did you happen to see Mr. Potter pass by?"

"He's in the common room," Draco said.

"Our common room?" Severus asked. He felt it was a silly question but had to be sure.

"Yeah. I let him in with the new password."

"Why pray tell would you do such a thing?"

"He spent longer in Slytherin than anybody else who exchanged in. What was he gonna do, damage our furniture and prank the house?"

"That will be all Draco."

"He's probably in the dorms," Draco said, glad his Head of House was going to investigate since Harry had seemed- off. Draco would have investigated himself but he had plans to meet with several Hufflepuffs he'd made friends with during the exchange to play cards in the Great Hall and was already late.

Severus didn't find Harry in the common room, but did find him in the dorm sitting at the empty desk. No one else was inside.

"You are no longer in Slytherin," he said as he closed the door and sat in Draco's empty desk chair. Harry didn't look up at him from where he stared at his own desk.

"Thanks for reminding me," he said quietly.

"I was merely curious why you chose to come here."

Harry shrugged.

"I want to know more about what you said a few minutes ago."

"Never mind," Harry told him quietly. "You don't have to worry about it. I'll just go back to the Dursleys, or whatever that other place was."

"When you were so angry about those options mere minutes ago?"

"You don't have to worry about me Professor," Harry said dully, "just forget about it. I was wrong to shout at you. You were right, you've done more for me than anyone ever has. That just makes me a jerk for not appreciating it."

Severus was frustrated. He usually knew exactly what to say to get the information he wanted, but couldn't come up with anything that seemed appropriate now. He wanted to know if he had completely misread him or if the teen really had had some notion of becoming his ward, as crazy as that sounded. No one in their right mind, aside from perhaps Draco, ever looked up to him enough to contemplate something like that.

He must have been quiet for some time because Harry soon asked, "What are you thinking?"

"You said-" he paused, uncertain if he should ask at all, "- it wasn't like you came in demanding for a father."

"I didn't," Harry said. "Prince Potter doesn't demand things because Prince Potter doesn't exist. He knows he's not supposed to," he snarked.

"To demand things?"

Harry turned and gave the Potions master a dark look. "To exist," he said. "Everyone knows I'm a fluke. I wasn't supposed to survive."

"I think perhaps, that instead of looking at it as a fluke, it might be better viewed as a miracle."

"Me?" Harry laughed but it didn't sound like he found humor in it. "I'm not a miracle. Nothing about me is miraculous. I'm scrawny," Harry held up a finger, "I'm always in trouble," he held up a second finger, "I mess everything up," another finger. Snape wasn't surprised that he had an entire list about himself and continued on until he was out of fingers. He'd never had anyone to tell him any different and had been left to come up with conclusions about himself. Severus had to admit that perhaps some of the harsh conclusions had been fueled by things he himself had said about the boy.

Severus held up a finger in the quiet room. "In the past you may have been given a number of undeserved detentions." Harry raised his brow as a second finger went up. "You're not scrawny, you're underfed." A third finger, "Everyone makes mistakes, and you should not think yourself above everyone else in this case."

"Why are you here?" Harry asked with a frown before Snape could try to counter more things he believed about himself.

"I want to know about what you said in my office."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know if I've misread the things you've said to me."

Harry seemed to be considering it. "Do you know what Ron's father does?"

Severus sat up straighter then. No, he could only imagine what the Weasley patron did. Albus and Minerva often held the Weasley's up as the golden standard of how a family should be run. Harry didn't wait for him to answer though.

"He acts like he's interested in whatever Ron has to say. He's not, I can tell he's bored listening to him, but he acts like he wants to hear everything. He's always there when Ron has questions to ask about girls or school or arguments he's gotten into. I'm not going to go to some family that's just going to pretend because they feel sorry for me because of who I am or where I've been. That's not what I want. I want someone who listens because they actually like me, even if they're bored with what I'm saying. Someone who's going to be there even if I mess things up. You don't know what it's like to not know what that's like. Nobody does."

"And?"

Harry frowned at him. He clearly didn't want to talk about it anymore. "And nothing. I want what Ron has ok? And Hermione, and Blaise, and Teddy and Justin and Ernie... I always wanted that, I just tried to forget about it until you made me do that stupid paper."

Severus wanted to see Harry's eyes, but Harry was busy fidgeting with his broken shoelace. He wanted what his friends had: a parent. And then he'd been made to write about what having a parent would mean, and the only person he had to look to for answers was his Potions Master. "Apparently it wasn't fair to make you think about all you didn't have, without offering you a suitable choice to gain what you want," he said quietly.

"I'm sure whatever their name is are fine," Harry grouched, looking back at his hands. "I said I'll go."

"I would not expect any Slytherin to go where they don't feel wanted."

"I'm not a Slytherin."

"Perhaps you should be for the last few days of the term."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"As I've said previously Mr. Potter, whilst you are here in Slytherin you are my ward. I would suspect that whatever house you end the year in is whatever house you would begin the next year as part of, making you a member of that house for the summer. I would also expect that the prior magically binding agreements the Headmaster had entered into before relinquishing your custody would still be in effect."

Harry shook his head and gestured with his hands like he was confused. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"I'm saying that since you returned to Slytherin instead of your common room, you are currently in Slytherin house. I am your guardian, and I will continue to be so over the summer. Therefore, as a Slytherin, you will not have to go any place you are not wanted."

"You don't want me," Harry said, staring at him like he was certain of just this one thing.

"I would not make such an offer to just anyone, and seeing as how you are once again my ward, I recommend you begin taking a more respectful tone with me."

Harry hesitated, uncertain. "I- don't know what this is supposed to look like." What would it mean to actually be the man's ward outside of school?

Snape pulled out the folded term paper and handed it to Harry. "This is what it looks like. If either of us forget that, we'll have a template to work off of, won't we?"

Harry's hands shook holding the paper, and the paper rattled to give him away. "Yes sir."

"I believe Mr. Malfoy went to the Great Hall to play games. Perhaps you should join him."

Severus opened the door and left Harry to his thoughts. He was almost back to his office, wondering how this decision would affect him and Harry both when hurried footsteps could be heard behind him. He turned to find Harry looking out of breath.

"You have something you wish to add to the paper?"

"Only-," Harry flashed him an uncertain look followed by a grin, "-can I borrow Goblin Fire to take to the Great Hall?"

Severus turned his back on the teen with a small smile. This summer he suspected would be the greater of all the exchanges the boy had experienced this year, and he suspected the same would be true for himself as well.

The End.
Chapter End Notes:
When I started this story the only thing I knew for sure was that there was going to be a house exchange and that Harry would see all four houses. Beyond that I wasn't sure and just let the story lead me where it would. And here we are 125 pages later, finally at the end. I did a lot of research about the different houses on Pottermore and the Harry Potter Wiki, and tried to describe them to the best of my ability. From what I researched about each house and their traits I imagined how the different houses might work and how students in each of those houses might act or might see themselves. Making each house unique and special in it's own ways was a challenge, but I think it turned out pretty well. I always wanted to know what the other houses were like and now my curiosity is satisfied.

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