The bed squeaked in annoyance as Harry tossed in turned. Light trickled in though the two small single pained windows on the back wall of the room. They teased Harry with their small rays of warmth. It was if the windows were beckoning Harry to go outside, and considering the icy room that he was in their offer was very tempting. Reluctantly Harry declined their offer as he turned over in his bed to face the wall. It would not be fair for him to go outside and soil the chance of adoption for the children down stairs. He knows what the day meant for his fellow orphan at St. Mary's orphanage and the last thing he wanted to do was to ruin that chance. He had ruined enough of them already.
It was not that Harry himself did not want to get adopted; in fact that was what he wanted most in the world. However, he knew what would happen if he joined the other kids in the orphanage in the monthly "Showing" as the kids in the orphanage call it. The "Showing" would go start to up in flames. Sometimes it would literally go up in flames. It was like that Harry was a bad omen during the Showing. Everything that could go wrong would go wrong as long as he joined in.
The last time that he participated in the Showing every toilet in the house backed up flooding the main room where the Showing was held. The Showing before last a candle burned the drapes in the orphanage. However, the candle was nowhere near close enough to the drapes to set it on fire. Needless to say Harry was considered to have stopped many children from getting adopted from his fellow orphans.
Though the odd behavior would stop once the Showing ended the other orphans at the orphanage would still treat him like he was the son of death himself. This had ultimately crippled his social life. The only friend that he had from the orphanage Jason had already been adopted when they were seven, and after close to five years with no phone calls or letters he had come to the conclusion that their friendship was over.
Harry sighed as he sat up from his bed. His feet hit the cold floor and sent a shiver up his spin. He spread his feet enough to allow him to grab the small black box under the bed. The box read St. Mary's in big gold painted letters with a small sliver of silver lettering at the bottom which read Harry Potter. Harry opened the box to reveal the few possessions that he had. He grab the small picture of his childhood friend and himself smiling like lunatics at the camera in their worn out clothing with their prized green ball presented in his friend's hand; the ball that they won at the local carnival. Which as Harry thought of it was probably the most expensive ball in history, as he and Jason had both wasted over ten pounds each to win the tiny ball before his friend finally won the carnival game. Putting the photo down Harry grabbed the ball out of his possessions. When Jason left the orphanage in the middle of the night all of those years ago he left all of his possessions behind. They were in turn given to Harry.
The happy chatter from the Showing echoed into Harry's room. Sending waves of irritation though Harry's mind. He chucked the small rubber ball at the sliding door in frustration. The sliding door seemed to be just as annoyed as the ball flow right back at Harry landing right in his lap.
Harry quickly threw the ball even harder at the sliding door as if to show his superior prowess only to have the door quickly throw the ball back with its own might leaving the door rattling in rage. Harry Tossed the ball at the door with as much force as he could muster; only this time the door didn't return his ball. The ball crashed into the unsuspecting man's stomach.
Harry sat in shock looking at the man the words of his apology not able to reach his lips. The man was obviously disgruntled as he peered at the green ball at his feet then at Harry.
"Has anyone every told you Mr. Potter to not throw objects in the house. " said the scolding man with a small snarl on his lips
Harry did not answer in his shock. The shock was less about the fact the ball had hit the man and more on the lines on what the man was wearing. I mean Harry knew that he was not the best groomed boy in the world with his worn out blue jeans and red shirt, and his messy hair adding to his appearance of a properly untamed young man. However, this man was dressed in a dress! Not only was he dressed in a dress his semi long hair seemed to be oozing with grease.
"Do you not know how to properly greet a guest boy, or is hitting stranger with small balls your way of saying hello." The man mocked
"Is, is that a dress?" Harry stuttered stifling a laugh
"This is a robe you insolent child. You would do well to not insult your future professor." The man replied gritting his teeth
"You force me to wait though mundane chatter with your care takers, and then you throw a rubber ball at me. I can already see you are a waste of my time." The man ranted
Harry quickly regained his composer and gave the man a puzzled look. Professor, that would imply a school, he didn't apply to any schools. His grades were surely not good enough for the man to seek him out on his own accord. In fact he did not have any grades for the man to see in the first place come to think of it. The orphans at Saint Mary's where taught from the caretakers at the orphanage.
"What school sir?" Harry said inquisitively
"Think Mr. Potter, why would I come see you out of all these children in the world? What makes you special? " the Man asked annoyed
"I'm not special sir. I don't have any gifts." Said Harry Then harry remembered the man's dress robes
"Am I being recruited into the circus?!"
"This is pointless" the man exclaimed to himself
"Have you never noticed anything weird happening around you boy." The Man said
"Weird thing always seem to be happing here sir you have to be more specific ."Harry said cheekily
"Has anything out of the ordinary, something you can't explain ever happened " The Man asked annoyed with the child in front of him.
Harry gave the man a puzzled look.
"Magic, have you ever preformed magic. Maybe you have change the color of an object, or floated a toy to yourself." Said the man
"Yes, I once summoned a baby dragon out of thin air." Harry said sarcastically
The man sighed a deep breath "Looks like I will have to spell it out for you then. I am Severus Snape a professor at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am here because Mr. Potter you have the Ability to wield and control power beyond your wildest dreams." Said Severus Snape
"These powers are like a trade skill, be it a very useful one. However, like ever trade skill you have to be trained Mr. Potter to use the tools that would allow for you to be successful. Hogwarts will teach you how to use these tools. How well you do with these tools is up to you." Professor Snape The speech sounded rehearsed which reaffirmed to harry that this was a very poor joke.
"Let's just pretend for a moment and say that I believe you, which I don't; How would I pay for this schooling? It doesn't exactly sound cheap. "Harry retorted in a joking tone
Inwardly Harry was taking the situation very seriously, but he could not let this man know if this was a joke. Even if the so called professor was lying this was a way out from the environment he was in. He did not like the orphanage it was a depressing place. If Harry could find any way to leave it he would.
Professor Snape sighed as if to show he had been asked the same question a million times before. "The school will provide you with the necessary items which are required for class. The school will also pay for items such as school robes and other such necessities. Are you questions properly quenched Mr. Potter? I don't have all day; if you do not want to attend I will be on my way." Professor Snape
Harry sat on his bed silent as if to contemplate the question. If this really was a joke and he answered yes he really would be considered an idiot, so he said the only thing that he could think of
"Prove it."
The ball on the floor suddenly flew from the floor and impacted with Harry's forehead.
"It would seem Mr. Potter that we are even. " Professor Snape said with a smirk on his face as he left the room.