Yeah, sometimes it happens that way.  Moony will be lucky if Sirius listens to him. 

Thank you, i try really hard to keep my dialogue believable and let my readers feel it.

Not all Slytherins are abused, but I rhink it's more likely the children of the Death Eaters are abused.  Crabbe is scared of his father, because he got into trouble at school for doing something to his Head of House, which is a really bad thing according to how I see the Death Eater mentality.  The parents would be angry and suspicious of Snape if he were punishing their kids for something they did to another student--say a Gryffindor--but this was an attack upon their Head another Slytherin--which is NOT a good thing.  I see Death Eaters as a cross between a terrorist cell, nazis, and the Mafia.  You don't attack your own , espcially not your leader, which is what they did==they stole from Severus, invaded his privacy, and harmed his familiar.  So I would say they are in HUGE trouble with their parents and they have a right to be scared.

Like I said before, not all Slytherins are abused, nor do I think all the teachers hate them.  I also disagree with the notion that all Slytherins are evil.  That's just not realistic.  In canon we always get to see the nasty ones, but there's more than just those few in that House.  And you can't say that 1/4th of the student body is bad.  Ambition is not a bad trait to have, half the world leaders have it and so do many successful people and that is not evil.  But it can be turned to evil, as can any trait.  Intelligence used the wrong way can be evil, so can loyalty to the wrong person or ideal, so can courage, if it's blind and unwavering.  The terrorists who blew up the World Trade Center were brave--suicidally crazy and brave--but they were EVIL.  I never understood why JKR had four Houses and said they were supposed to all be necessary and all needed to get along and yet never showed any Slytherins with good qualities, except Severus.  It didn't add up.  So this is my answer to that, there are good ones and bad ones--Crabbe, Severus, and a few others here I've shown to be decent representatives to balance out the ones like Malfoy and Goyle and Voldemort.  I also think there were Death Eaters from all the Houses--you just didn't hear of them, but that doesn't mean they weren't out there. Every House has dark and light, that's what I'm attempting to show here.

You'll see more interaction between Sev and Harry hawk later. 

And oh, is he going to give it to them good! Draco should have, but he got cocky . . .and now he'll pay for it.

I love Hagrid and always felt he was underrepresented, so I've made him the wise mentor here, so Severus has someone to talk to and understand him.  It just seemed wise to me.

The bullying Marauders are andalways have been, a sore point with me, in canon.  I do agree that Lupin wouldn;t have participated actively in hexing or beating up Severus, i think the bullying was both physical and magical, but sometimes the worst wrong is to watch and do nothing, especially when you know it's wrong.  So he's guilty by association.  The three main perpetrators are  James, Sirius, and Peter, and while I think Severus could handle them okay one and maybe two on one--three on one when you're alone is too much for anyone and you'll end up getting pounded.  I'm speaking from pesonal experience here.  I was tormented for most of my elementary school days by a gang of bullies-boys and girls--popular, arrogant, ones with nothing better to do than pick on the less popular students, like me, the shy bookworm, and even though I knew a few self defense maneuvers, it didn't matter if someone's got your arms or legs pinned and is holding you down.  That description in Snape's Worst Memory made me detest James and Sirius big time--old memories were roused there--and I know what it's like to be in Sev's place.  I don't think the Marauders just played pranks on people--they might have said they did and Dumbledore might have thought that was all they were doing--but I highly doubt it.  And as for Severus knowing dark curses, I'm not following that line, it's just too convenient an excuse, like the old "All Italians are in the Mafia, or know someone" . . .it's prejudice, and I'm Italian American.  Not all Slytherins are bad just because some are evil.  "Well, we were only fooling" is a standard bully line, I heard it so many times and it was a lie.  I tend to think it was the same with the Marauders, they were awful at school but something made them change and grow up. 

Wonder what it was . . .I have an idea that I put forth in this story as to why they changed, well Peter  didn't, but the others did.  And that's rare, it doesn't happen that way in RL.  I'd bet those who bullied me are still the same nasty people. Hopefully they don't have kids.

Thanks! 

I believe Sev can be very gentle if he chooses to be, and this is one time.

Since Harry is an Animagus, his system would be able to tolerate more than an ordinary hawk's.  The Bone Mend Elixir is similar to the Skelegrow, but a lesser version, so the hawk should tolerate it better.

Yes, Harry biting Severus was NOT fun.  I've been bitten by a parrot before and it HURTS.  Yes Sev's dire threats, what he says and what he means in this case are two different things.

Dumbledore is very much himself here, twinkle and all.

Thank you!

Yes he certainly is.  I love scones too . . .chocolate chip & orange cranberry are my faves.

Frustration is for sure! Poor Harry!