Title: A Question Within a Question
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is a trademarked brand owned by J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers. Any material used belongs to the aforementioned parties. This material is only used in recreational purposes and I receive no monetary or material rewards from using it. Please don't sue me.
A/N: Dedicated to silver-nightstorm as part of the first place prize in the 'Trio of Trios' competition on the HPFC
Severus Snape isn't sure what he expected for his first incounter with Harry Potter, but it certainly wasn't what he saw last night.
(There's something unspeakably disturbing about seeing Lily Evans's eyes peering out of James Potter's face.)
Perhaps he should have been more prepared for this. Hagrid did say that the eleven year old looked exactly like his loathsome father, but Severus hadn't really believed him, because the half-giant's word can rarely be trusted under normal circumstances, let alone a situation where he holds such obvious bias.
(There's something unspeakably disturbing hiding underneath the idea that Petunia Evans could be trusted to care for anything with more sentience than a small goldfish.)
Lily Evans had been the smartest witch of her generation and she had worked long and hard for that distinction. James Potter had neither the dedication nor the willpower to commit to something as plebian as studying and flew through life by the seat of his pants.
Despite himself, Severus can't help a slight flicker of hope that Lily's son takes after his mother in the personality department. After all, children are supposed to be equal halves of both parents, and it's already evident that Potter's the dominate contributor in his spawn's appearance.
(There's something unspeakably disturbing about seeing Lily Evans's eyes peering out of James Potter's face.)
He'll give the boy one chance. One chance to prove that he's inherited more than just his mother's striking emerald orbs. One chance to show that he, like Lily before him, would never allow Petunia's disdainful ignorance to smother out an innate sense curiosity, eagerness, and thrill for discovery.
One chance.
(There's something unspeakably disturbing in allowing the public to make an infant their savior.)
"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
