If there was one thing Harry would have never expected, it was a trace of worry in Severus Snapes' face. It was almost anxiety. Panic.
It happened yesterday in a private potions session with him, when Harry collapsed and found himself paralysed in Godric's Hollow, watching Loona Lovegood being tortured to death. God knows what he had really done. God knows what actually happened. Harry didn't know.
But Snape did.
And whatever happened, it must have been something really strange because that look on his face was the most extraordinary one he had ever seen.

It wasn't the incident itself that kept him awake this night. It was that certain look in Snapes' face that he couldn't interpret. It was a look he'd never seen that made him feel almost sorry for Snape for what happened; for what he'd done. It made him feel sorry for never really bothering to practise occlumency as everyone else had advised him to; Hermione Granger more than everyone else.
Because Snape was the one who always cared about that. Now that he was thinking about it, Snape had always been eager to teach Harry in the most responsible and just way, yet it was Harry who had been ignorant and lazy.

He knew what was about to happen. The next day he would receive an owl from Dumbledore. Then he would go to his office and be told to continue his occlumency lessons with Snape.
This time he wanted to try really hard. At least once. Because now he knew his potions teacher better than everyone else. He had looked into his mind. And he felt sorry.
The teenage Snape had been in love with his mother and his father James had been a dick to everyone.
In first grade Snape had insulted his father in his presence. Harry had been hating the professor since that day. But how could Harry have known what a bully his father had been? After all, he was his father and although Harry was angry and couldn't quite believe James had done such horrible things, he couldn't stop loving him, even though he'd never had the chance to meet his father. All he could do now was make amends to Snape. At least once. For once he wanted to try to be a good student.

He looked at the phosphorescent hands on Ron's alarm clock that his muggle-obsessed father had given him on his twelfth birthday.
In four hours he would have to get up and start the normal day of school of a seventh grader. He'd better try to go to sleep now.

The crowing of a rooster woke him from a weird dream. It was Ron's alarm clock.

"For God's sake, Ron, can you stop using this clock?!"

There was a certain spell in Hogwarts that woke every student at the time they were supposed to get up.

"I didn't even set it!", Ron mumbled angrily, "Fred and George, I'm gonna kill them!"

They got dressed, brushed their teeth and stumbled into the Great Hall to have breakfast.
Just as Harry was about to bite into his toast, he noticed it: an owl flew toward him and dropped a letter that hit his toast, making it drop on his plate.
He recognised the headmaster's fine cursive handwriting.

Good morning, Harry.
I was worried when I heard about the incident that happened in your yesterday private lesson with Professor Snape. I'd like to ask you to come to my office right after breakfast. I have already talked to Professor McGonagall; you don't have to attend today's Transfiguration lesson and she will prepare some extra homework for you instead.
The password is: apple tart
Albus Dumbledore

Harry wasn't sure if he should be happy or annoyed by the fact that he could skip Transfiguration to talk to Dumbledore about his most favourite subject with his most favourite teacher.

"What does it say, Harry?", Hermione tried to take the letter from him.

"Nothing", Harry said. He hadn't told his friends about what had happened yesterday and wasn't planning to if it wasn't tremendously necessary. They had a lot more to worry about themselves.

Hermione had selected four elective subjects and was chronically stressed. Ron was absolutely failing Potions class and had received a howler from his mother yesterday for that matter. The fact that he had started a fight with Malfoy over the last pair of earmuffs in Herbology didn't help the situation at all. What kind of Chosen One couldn't do anything on his own? He knew he had to prepare for Voldemort who was trying to kill him every second. Secretly, he was terrified but he told his friends different.

But Hermione wasn't satisfied with that answer. She looked at him angrily.

"Fine.", she said, "I will find out eventually and don't think I'm not mad at you now for lying to me. I do recognise Dumbledore's handwriting, too, you know. It is our seventh year in Hogwarts, you're of full age now, in case you've forgotten and there is next to nothing that can stop Voldemort from killing you in a heartbeat."

Of course she was right and he was sorry. But he couldn't tell her right now. He wanted to progress in occlumency first to have something to show them; to prove that he could take care of himself. He didn't want them to have to worry about him.

"Apple tart", Harry said and frowned when the stairs to Dumbledore's office didn't move. He heard something snore.

"WAKE UP!", he screamed and the stairs bounced angrily.
"Apple tart", he said to the stairs yet again and they moved, "I'm sorry, I know it's early."

"Ah, Harry!", Dumbledore gave him a friendly smile, "Have a seat."

Harry took a seat on the big chair opposite to the headmaster who looked at him calmly.
They remained quiet for a while. It was Dumbledore who broke the silence:

"I'm concerned about you. I think you're aware of the seriousness of this situation; that you need to be prepared for what is about to happen and will happen eventually."
Harry nodded and when he didn't respond, Dumbledore continued:

"You know why you're here?"

"You want me to continue my okklumency lessons with Professor Snape, Sir."

"Precisely. I can't force you to do so but I think you're a clever boy and the differences you have had and might still have with Professor Snape shouldn't stop you from doing the right thing."

"I won't, Sir. I mean, I will give it a try."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Good. Will you tell me what you saw yesterday in your vision?"

Harry hesitated. There was something he needed to ask and he wasn't keen to do so. He was afraid of the answer. This morning he hadn't seen Loona anywhere. Although she could be a little nasty sometimes, she was still his friend and she had a good heart.

"Professor, how and where is Loona Lovegood?"

Dumbledore frowned and Harry explained:

"What I mean is, I saw Voldemort kill her in Godric's Hollow. For as long as I can remember I have always seen things that he did in the exact moment or things that were about to happen in the near future."

"Loona is alive and well; I've seen her myself this morning. She was late for breakfast as always."

Harry was relieved at first but then a terrible thought entered his mind.
"Do you think he will harm her, Sir? Do you think she will be killed?"

"We will make sure she won't. She will be fine." Harry knew Dumbledore was just saying that to comfort Harry. He knew he was concerned himself because that was something new. Voldemort was just playing with Harry's mind now.

The door opened and a tall man with long, black hair entered the room.
"Ah, Severus. Excellent. We're done here; Harry has already agreed to my offer."

"Good.", Snape said in a weird voice Harry had never heard before, "I will see you in my office this afternoon, Mr Potter, and you will receive an owl with our schedule at lunchtime. That'll be all"

"Thank you, Sir.", Harry said and left.

He still had an hour of Transfiguration and if he went to attend it, maybe he wouldn't have to do the extra homework Professor McGonagall scheduled.