Disclaimer: JKR gets credit, Slash implied. English is not my native language please excuse errors.

Summary: HP/SS, In the Wizard world magician is an insult similar to how Mudblood is to muggleborn's. They are wizards or witches, Not "Magicians" which is a muggle doing a variety style sideshow, to be compared as such is a tremendous insult. Harry calls Snape a magician and all hell breaks loose. Now he must make amends....

Mad Magician

By Tracev

The heavy wooden door banged back against the stone wall of the dungeons as Harry Potter stormed from the potion classroom in a fit of rage. The resounding bang echoed down the corridor and traveled up the stairwell that was the only exit of the dungeons.

Open school bag slung over his shoulder, quill still in hand, tucked under one arm a cauldron with a half done potion in it slopped on to the stone floor leaving little burn marks in his wake. Harry stalked down the hall seething red and muttering under his breath.

"Harry..." Hermione ran out of the potion classroom after him, clutching a heap of books to her chest. Parchments went flying in all directions. "Harry," she called again when he didn't stop. He was halfway down the hall.

"Oh," flustered she bent over to pick up her falling papers and stuffed several of the books into her bag.

"Hermione," Harry rounded suddenly ready to rant, seeing she was not behind him, he stalked back down the hall, picking up her fluttering parchments, "He's mad Hermione... he's simply mad". There was no need to say who made him mad. Only one man could cause such anger. Such irritation. Such provoked hatred. Severus Snape, the potions master.

Harry bent down to help her as several of the other students exited the classroom nearly tripping over Hermione Granger as they did so.

"Hermione, I don't know how anyone can learn anything in this class." Harry snapped, pulling his fellow Gryffindor to her feet. He would drop this class in an instant if he didn't need it so badly in order to become an Auror. Not to mention McGonagall would kill him. She had had to argue with Snape prior to his 6th year in order to get the man to allow him to attend the class. Harry had been half a point off on his OWLS from getting an Outstanding, the grade needed to take potions in 6th and 7th year, and apparently Snape made no exceptions…not even half a point exception.

Seamus Finnigan exited the class smiling pleasantly with the lone Hufflepuff taking the course, Susan Bones. "Oi, Harry haven't seen that great a show since Neville was in the class." The two laughed as Seamus took Susan Bones's hand in his. She smirked shyly as they passed by.

Harry rolled his eyes, it wasn't his fault, it really wasn't. Somehow the knife he had been working with disappeared and the fig he had been about to chop (it had to be freshly done) didn't get done in time and his cauldron had begun to smoke…violently. Then boil over. By the time Snape had come over he had been covered in the mess and his knife had suddenly reappeared. He knew Malfoy had nicked it…had to of but Snape heard none of it.

He hated Snape. Hated the man with every fiber of his being. Nothing he ever did was right, no answer he gave on a test was ever correct enough.

Harry waited for several of the students to pass before he spoke again, "He mad in the head Hermione... he's a mad magician," as soft as he had been trying to keep his voice it seemed to ricochet down the hall.

The dark dungeon corridor went silent.

Slowly every head in the dungeon turned to look at him.

The few girls in the class gasp, covering their mouths with their hands.

The two Slytherins in the class looked furious, Draco Malfoy pulled his wand, "How dare you call him such a thing?", his voice was deadly.

A full body bind hex went sailing past Harry Potter's head. He ducked as it hit one of the portraits in the hall causing it to spin on its hook and then burst into flames.

Students moved back from the fire still gapping at Harry.

"What is the meaning of this?" Snape slid down the hall, a quick water spell on the portrait drenching it and the floor.

"Sir it was Potter..."Malfoy came forward, his pale skin turning red in anger "he called you a magician..."

Hermione whimpered suddenly. Harry looked at her... why was everyone acting so crazy. He looked at Snape bracing himself for the anger, the loss of housepoints, detention...maybe a week's worth or a month.

But Snape didn't do any of those things. His dark eyes simply bore into Harry.

"I see " he finally whispered, his tone even.

Snape moved forward swiftly. Harry stumbled as the man advanced on him. His back hit the wall, Snape loomed over him, "Is this true Mister Potter?"

Snapes long nose was inches from his. His black eyes locked on Potter's green ones. Harry visibly swallowed.

"Y-Yes sir." Harry tried to muster all of his Gryffindor courage.

What happened next frightened Harry more then any Death Eater attack ever would. More than if Lord Voldemort himself was to walk into this school right this very instance.

…...Snape smiled, his thin lips widened in a closed mouth grin. Then an amused snort.... A dry chuckle followed by an out right laugh.

Harry looked down the hall to where the other students stood, two Slytherins, four Ravenclaws and three Gryffindor's. All were in shock. Seven years of schooling and Snape had never cracked a smile nor laughed so freely.

Snape stepped back pulling his formal robes around him, his face still showing a hint of amusement, "I assume Miss Granger will fill you in." He winked at Harry Potter flattened against the wall in fright…

He turned suddenly, "Come my Slytherins... chocolate frogs and tea in my office."

The students parted as Snape started down the hall towards his office, his two Slytherins trailing behind him. Malfoy looking over his shoulder threateningly at Potter.

Hermione grabbed Harry's sleeve looking over her shoulder as if she expected Snape to change his mind and come charging back down the hall to attack them.

"Damn Harry," Seamus clapped him on the shoulder, "You're just asking for your own death."

"What is going on? Snape, smiled... the greasy bastard smiled at me... what was all that about?"

"Oh, Harry... You really shouldn't have called him a Magician... This is really really bad Harry...really" Hermione worried, starting to chew on her bottom lip.

Seamus snorted, that was an understatement. He followed them to the library where Susan was already sitting with several of her year mates and gave a small wave to Seamus as he entered.

They made their way to the back of the library where they usually sat by the windows and where Ron was already pacing franticly.

"What the hell is going on?" Ron barked at them as soon as they neared him. Madam Price gave a stern look.

"I just heard the most crazy thing from Colin Creevey... who heard from Terry Boot... who heard from Susan Bones that Harry called Snape a... a… umm... Magician." he whispered at the end, his eyes darting around to see if anyone had heard.

Hermione beckoned him to their table and for him to keep his voice down.

They sat in silence, Ron across from Hermione, Seamus across from Harry. Harry still wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. He was still confused about why Snape hadn't assigned him detention, nor taken points and why Magician was such a bad word.

And the way the man had actually laughed…laughed and then that sudden wink. The wink that went straight to his groin. Which he was certain was a new development. That wink made his stomach flop, that voice made him shiver…smooth and silky. It felt as if that voice had reached out and licked his body, purring against his skin. Harry was sure he had never felt anything like this before and he knew he would remember that voice until the day he died.

"Harry... Harry.... Listen" she tapped his arm. "Harry you really should know better... you have been in the wizard community for nearly seven years now.... If you had only read Hogwarts, a history these types of things wouldn't keep happening to you."

Ron and Seamus both snorted.

Hermione ignored them.

"Yes Hermione..." Harry sighed slumping forward onto the table, perhaps it was truly time to pick-up that book and took a look.

"Magician is a very derogatory term for a wizard or witch to be called." Hermione shifted uncomfortably, going into lecture mode. "Harry, to call a pureblood wizard such is to compare them to a muggle... something a pureblood wizard never wants to be compared to. It refers to court jester, a fool... a joke."

Ron paled at the definition. Seamus kept his eyes focused on his schoolbooks. .

"I didn't mean it like that" Harry argued. "It's a muggle Television show. You know that... Seamus knows that... it just came out."

He slumped down in his chair, arms crossed over his chest.

"We know that Harry... but Snape doesn't know that. Many wizards don't watch television... he's most likely never seen the show Harry. There's no reception or electricity at Hogwarts."

Hermione started to rummage through her school bag pulling quills and inkwells out and setting them on the table. Bits of parchment followed and finally several books. It was the History of magic book she finally settled with and began to flip half-hazard through the book.

"You are going to have to make amends, of course."

"Detention?" Harry Potter and Ron Weasley said at the same time. Harry imagined walking up to Snape and volunteering to scrub out his cauldrons. He wondered if that would get another smile…or a wink.

"No." She said, "It has to be in such a way to show you honor him, his family and his magic as a proper wizard." Hermione pressed her lips together and forced a smile to her lips, "It must be a public display."

Harry frowned, this was not going to be good. And he had such high hopes for his final year at Hogwarts. Go out with a bang... not in humiliation.

"How?" he almost didn't want to know. But with the fight against Lord Voldemort coming up he certainly didn't want Snape on his bad side... well anymore then usual.

He wasn't sure about this look Hermione had on her face...it was to fake, to much like she knew something he didn't, it's the look Hermione gave when she lied.

She wasn't a very good liar.

It made Harry nervous.

"Okay, what do I have to do?"

"You have to...um..."

Sweet Merlin she was stumbling over her words. Harry wasn't sure he wanted to hear this.

"To present him with a gift...every night till he accepts...the gift..." she trailed off at the end, a jumble of words. She looked sheepishly to the floor.

"Well that's not so bad... I could get him some potion ingredients... I could offer to let him test them on me..." he ventured.

"No, Harry, it's a little more complicated then that," she sat up straight in her chair and took his hand in hers, "It is to be a homemade gifts, something you tooled with your own hands... After you present him with the first gift, you may ask him a single question and from his answer he will direct you toward the line of gift he wants in order to forgive your insult to him and his family. You will continue to gift until he forgives....mohohpfh…." she covered her mouth with her hand as she trailed off.

Ron who had craned his neck as she trailed off looking confused then suddenly a realization dawned on him, "Oh," turning Weasley red.

Hermione and Ron's eyes meet across the table, Ron giggled and both looked to the floor, the wall, anyplace that wasn't Harry.

Getting control of herself, she looked straight into Harry's emerald eyes, "It could be anything, Harry...anything." She pronounced the last bit slowly, arching her eyebrows and gave them a wiggle.

"I see." he said slowly.

I see indeed.

TBC

Review Please... don't be shy.