Christmas day had always been a lonely affair for Severus Snape. He had no family (that he wanted to see), his home was cold and unwelcoming, and he resented the amount of cheer and happiness everyone tried to shove in his face constantly.
He grimaced as he saw Hagrid lift the Christmas tree into the great hall on Christmas Eve as if hearing his thoughts and wanting to taunt him. The tree was even bigger than the half-giant, which was a feat, but Hagrid seemed to lift it with ease, his hearty grin in place as ever.
It was the same every year. He volunteered to stay at Hogwarts with the few students who decided to stay for the holidays as he saw no difference between being at home alone and wallowing in his thoughts. At least this way he could keep an eye on some of the volatile potions he was brewing in his lab.
Students came and went from Hogwarts and Severus stayed every year and observed, but the difference this year was the most confusing student in his house, currently dancing beside Hagrid as if he can’t contain his excitement any other way. Perhaps he can’t, the boy is only young, he supposed.
Harry James Potter. Despite his middle name and facial similarities, Severus was struggling to see any more similarities between the senior and junior Potter. It had taken time, yes, for Severus to spot but now it was as if the little brat was the only thing on his mind.
Perhaps this was James Potter’s spirit still striving to torture Severus even beyond the grave, by sending such a puzzle even esteemed potions master and spy for the light, Severus Snape cannot even solve.
The boy was just that: a perplexing puzzle. Every assumption, every false idea of what the Potter spawn would be was proven to be a deep mistake, again and again. Perhaps the boy getting sorted in his house should have been the wake-up call that he was different to his father. After all, Severus himself detests the idea of being anything like his own father.
To judge someone on parentage seemed grotesquely unfair. Yet that is precisely what he had done.
And for far too long, causing some of the worst bullying Severus had seen at Hogwarts to fly under his nose. It rivals the bullying Severus had received himself, yet bullying inside houses themselves was incredibly rare, especially in the tight loyal bonds of his Slytherins. He had prided himself on such bonds before, what else had been going on right under his nose? Had the struggles of Harry only been the tip of the iceberg of neglect he had ignored in his house?
That was another perplexing thing. When had the boy become Harry ? He had no idea, perhaps he was only trying to distance the boy and his father in his mind, it was easier without the noble Potter name tagged on the end. Or perhaps the young Slytherin boy was someone he saw himself in, someone he wanted to now protect? Be the person he so deeply needed when the Marauders gang was bullying him…?
He shook his head firmly, what a ridiculous notion.
He was simply doing his duty as head of house. It seemed like the boy was happier in his new dorm with the older boys, he had doubted his decision at first, but he also knew it could take more than a stern word with the young Malfoy and his friends to stop their pursuit of bullying. And it was a matter of safety to move Harry- no, Potter to a new place. There he goes again, Potter taking up all notions of his thoughts.
He now watched the boy make his way over the hall to sit beside his Slytherin Prefect Lucas Moore who had also stayed at Hogwarts and the two boys began to set up for a game of wizard’s chess. It was difficult not to worry for the boy, he clearly wouldn’t let on to anyone if he was suffering, evidenced by bruising littering his arms of which Severus had to sneak balm into his bag to get him to accept help. Unfortunately, it was yet another thing Severus could relate to.
And then there was the issue of the boy’s broom in the quidditch match. He’d noticed it behaving strangely and with his heart in his throat he’d tried to counter the magic creating the curse as discreetly as he could, but it was difficult from so far away. He would have interrogated the first-year Slytherin’s if not knowing it was advanced magic to mess with a quidditch broom so far away, ruling them out. That left someone in the audience, an older student or maybe a staff member, and he had his suspicions of who. Dumbledore had unfortunately dismissed his concerns and left Severus to instead watch the young boy closely from a distance, in case anything else happened.
He told himself he’d do this for any student in danger. But even Severus was beginning to doubt himself on that notion.
----
“Merry Christmas, Harry!” Harry stirred to a voice he recognised as Lucas’s. “Wake up! We have presents to open!”
Harry sat up, rubbed his eyes softly and reached for his glasses, his mind thick with sleep. “Presents?” He asks softly.
“Yes, come on!” Lucas pushed Harry’s curtains open and pulled him out of bed to the common room just as Harry placed his glasses on his nose.
The Slytherin common room was always beautiful and elegant, but for Christmas, it was breathtaking. Each pillar in the room was decorated by spiralling greenery and white flowers and a huge Christmas tree stood proudly in the corner of the room. Beneath it, presents with bows and gifts were in abundance, it was like nothing Harry had ever seen. Even Dudley didn’t get so many gifts.
Some Slytherin girls had already woken up, they sat beside the Christmas tree, one of them Harry recognised from the Quidditch practice pulled a thick green sweater out of some brown paper and giggled in delight.
“Come on, firstie.” Harry didn’t realise Lucas was pulling on Harry’s arm and stumbled to follow the older Slytherin, still dazzled by the beauty of the common room.
“Merry Chrissstmasss.” Harry hissed to Solas as they passed, no one deserved to be ignored on Christmas, he knew the feeling too well.
“Ssssilly human tradition.” The stone snake replied, but Harry shrugged thinking perhaps that that was his way of saying thank you.
“Merry Christmas!” The girls chimed and a few other Slytherin boys joined until there was a small group of Slytherin students crowded around the tree. “Here, Harry? This one has your name on it!”
The Slytherin girl who had opened the present before plonked a box on Harry’s lap before he could react and began to distribute some other gifts.
“For me? Are you sure?” He asked, looking down at the gift like it was precious. He checked the label:
To Harry,
Merry Christmas!
From Hagrid
Sure enough, it truly was for him. He carefully opened the gift, treasuring it like he did when Hagrid gave him his first-ever birthday present. It was a small wooden flute, Harry giggled in delight and hugged it to his chest.
And it wasn’t the only gift waiting for Harry beneath the tree. Hermione sent him a soft blue scarf, Neville sent him some Bertie Bot’s every-flavour beans, and Ron sent a chocolate frog and a vibrant red jumper with a big H knitted on the front, which he guessed was courtesy of Mrs Weasley. He put his jumper and scarf on, snuggling into the warm fabric, he stuck out like a sore thumb with such vibrant colours in the Slytherin common room, but Harry couldn’t bring himself to care. His friends had got him presents. It was almost too good to be true.
Harry sat cosy in his new presents while watching Lucas open some of his, his parents had got him a wizarding game called Gobstones, which he said they could play later that day together. Harry’s heart was so full, that he thought it might burst.
“Oh, Harry this came for you too!” Milicent Bulstrode, who had stayed for the holidays too, handed Harry a small, white envelope.
Harry furrowed his eyebrows, confused what it was and who it was from. He turned it over in his hands and opened it and a 50 pence piece tumbled into his palm. His smile dropped, if the muggle paper wasn’t a giveaway, this certainly gave clues as to who it was from. The Dursleys.
It was odd that something so small as a coin could dampen a mood, but Harry couldn’t help but stare at his palm. The Dursleys had never gotten him anything for Christmas before, he never expected they would send anything apart from a thank-you note for not returning for the holidays.
This felt purposeful, as if to say they hadn’t forgotten about him, just didn’t care.
Just as his thoughts began to darken, his felt fingers snatch the coin out of his hands roughly.
He looked up to see Millicent again, holding the 50 pence up to the light with, inspecting it closely. “Hey! Look what Harry’s family sent him!”
The other few Slytherins looked up from their gifts or conversations and were curiously looking at the coin. Harry remembered most of Slytherin came from wizarding families, they probably had never seen muggle money before.
“What is this?” Millicent held it up in the air, her eyebrow arched. “Muggle money?”
Harry grits his teeth, it was embarrassing enough that this is what his relatives sent him, he didn’t want it projected to the whole common room, but it seemed it was too late for that. He tried to get it out of Millicent’s hands, but she tossed it to another Slytherin girl, Harry thought she was called Daphne Greengass, who caught it to inspect it.
She gawked; her eyes full of wonder. “How much is it worth Harry? Thousands of galleons?”
Harry’s cheeks reddened from the attention as he tried to reach for it again, but they held it above his head.
“Can I see!” Someone else chimed.
“I wish my parents would send me that much money.” Someone else added, then the coin was being passed around the room and Harry was running trying to get it back when the door to the common room suddenly opened and all heads turned towards the door. Harry’s eyes widened as Professor Snape entered the room. Harry watched him warily, he wasn’t sure if he trusted the confusing man.
“Merry Christmas sir.” Lucas chimed. Harry admired such courage to be the first to speak as their intimidating professor entered.
“Merry Christmas all of you,” Snape said curtly, nodding at each of his Slytherins, Harry thought his gaze lingered a little longer on Harry than the others but perhaps he imagined it. “I trust you are enjoying your morning?”
Chimes of agreement sounded throughout the room and a little tension lifted as the excitement returned. Harry watched the Professor carefully, he needed to be wary of the man, especially after what Hermione told him before. He watched Snape’s hand carefully as it reached for his wand and pointed it at the group.
Before Harry could blink, the Professor had waved it sharply and Harry flinched, his hands raising above his head, his heart in his throat. Was the Professor trying to hurt him again?
Exclamations of surprise and glee made Harry slowly open his eyes, realising he was also unharmed, he took a deep breath and looked around. Around them, a small gift had floated towards each Slytherin, in emerald green. He looked towards his professor to see him staring straight back, so intense Harry had to duck his head.
“Thank you, sir!” A Slytherin third-year said, a small smile on her face as she unwrapped the small gift.
Harry snuck another glance up to see the Professor nod curtly before muttering “Happy Christmas.”
Harry watched everyone unwrap their green parcels and looked down at his own. He hesitated opening it, what if it was another ploy to hurt Harry?
Instead, he watched Lucas open his to reveal a small notepad, bound in soft, Slytherin-green leather. Lucas grinned, looking at Harry and nodded for him to open his. Harry took a deep breath and tore at the wrapping gently, revealing a matching green notepad. Harry let out a breath of relief. A notebook couldn’t hurt you, right?
“I trust you will all make good use of these when term starts,” Snape spoke again, Harry looked around to see everyone with matching green notepads. There was a chorus of agreement as everyone thanked the Professor for the gifts. Harry couldn’t really bring himself to be thankful, the man had tried to kill him after all. But it was kind to give his Slytherins a gift, he didn’t have to, Harry supposed.
Excited murmurs returned to the common room, Harry ignored them as he inspected the book a little more closely.
“Professor Snape sir, look what Harry’s family gave him for Christmas!” That caught Harry’s attention, and he looked up just in time to see Millicent showing his 50-pence piece to Professor Snape whose eyes narrowed on the silver coin.
Harry jumped to his feet, hurtling over to where Millicent was standing beside Professor Snape. With Snape walking in Harry had hardly remembered the girl still had his measly gift from the Dursleys. Not that he cared if he had the coin or not, it just felt humiliating.
But Harry was too slow, and Millicent dropped the coin into Snape’s waiting hand and inspected it. Harry gulped, watching his professor warily.
“It’s muggle money, it must be worth lots!” Millicent said, innocently. Harry gritted his teeth.
Snape’s eyes narrowed on the coin, a gaze of uncertainty clear on his face. Harry guessed the man must have seen muggle money before, after all the Professor was very intelligent. He waited for the inevitable exposure where Snape would tell everyone how much the coin was really worth, and therefore how little Harry was worth to his family.
“Indeed.” Snape finally spoke before his gaze lifted from the coin to settle on Harry, who squirmed uncomfortably under his heavy gaze. The man then held the coin out to Harry in offering. “Don’t spend it all at once will you, Potter?”
The coin plopped into Harry's outstretched hand as he gaped. Perhaps the Professor hadn’t seen muggle money before either. That was lucky. Harry shoved the coin into his pocket quickly and nodded hastily before scurrying back towards his seat beside Lucas, away from Snape’s intense gaze.
Once back in his seat, he snuck a glance to see Snape once again staring at him, an unreadable expression on his face. He then shook his head and swiftly nodded to the Slytherins.
“I will see you all at the feast later. Behave yourselves until then.” And without another word, he swept out the common room, the Slytherins returning to their happy Christmas cheer and excitement. Harry’s coin felt heavy in his pocket.
Chapter 17