Most of the characters in this story are J.K Rowlings, but the plot is mine.
It was about an hour after dinner on Friday, August 18th that the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry called on his Potions Master for a favor.
"Severus" calls the Headmaster as he steps out of the fireplace and into the living room.
"Yes" Severus says as he steps into the living room coming out of his potions lab, "what do you want Albus? Can you not see that I am busy or have you finally gone blind?" Severus asks sarcastically.
"No, not blind...at least, not yet." *sigh* "Anyways I have come with a request of great importance."
"Yes, well what is it? I have millions of things I could be doing instead of talking with someone who can't get to the point."
"Maybe we should sit down, and have a cup of tea with this conversation?"
Severus sighs, but does as the old man asks and orders two cups of tea knowing that arguing would just waste more time as Albus bloody Dumbledore ALWAYS gets what he wants.
After ordering the tea Severus goes and sits in the chair to the left of the fireplace, opposite the couch that Albus is occupying to the right of the fireplace. The two men sit in silence waiting for Peony (Severus's house elf) to bring their tea.
*pop*
"Heres you goes Master Severus, sir." Putting the silver tray holding two teacups and one teapot on the coffee table between the couch and chair where the two men are seated in front of the fireplace.
"Thank you Peony, you may go now."
"Yours welcome Master Severus, sir." *pop*
"Alright Albus you have your tea, now what do you need from me?"
"Know that I have thought this over for a while now, and I have very good reason to believe that you are the only one for this job" the Headmaster said with his light blue eyes twinkling while sipping his tea. "As you know Harry Potter is to start school at Hogwarts in 2 years. As of right now he is in fourth grade at a muggle elementary school with his cousin Dudley. They are both in the same grade and I do believe the same class as well. A few days ago Arabella Figgs gave me some disconcerting news. I will not tell you what she said as all you need to know is that she is worried, and wishes for someone to go and check up on the boy. I believe that you, Severus, would be the right person to do that."
Standing in outrage, Severus pinches the bridge of his nose and starts to pace in front of the fireplace while saying, "No, absolutely not! I will not go, and watch Prince Potter be pampered by his relatives and every other person in the vicinity of him!"
"Severus" Albus says turning towards the Potions Master calmly having already expected this, "I think you'd be surprised at how similar you and Harry..."
"DON'T you EVER compare me to your Golden Boy Albus! We have NOTHING in common!", Severus growls while spinning around to face the Headmaster.
"Oh, you'd be surprised my dear boy." Albus murmurs, "anyways like I said before I need someone to go check up on the boy, and you're the only one I can think of."
"Oh really, you can't think of anyone else to go check up on your Golden Boy, hmm?" Severus sneers, "Oh, I have an idea. How about Minerva or Filius or Pomona or one of the Weasley's the list goes on and on Albus!"
"As I said Severus, I have reasons why none of those people would work. You're the only one who I know can do this."
Walking back to the chair opposite the Headmaster, Severus asks while sitting down, "And do tell Headmaster, what these reasons could possibly be?"
"Well as I've said before, you and Harry are similar in a lot of ways." Holding up a hand to stop the Potions Master from protesting the Headmaster says, "ah ah ah, do let me finish my boy, as that is not the only reason I have for asking this of you. Would you like to hear my other reasons or no?" Severus could only nod as the Headmaster fixed him with a stern gaze that wiped the thought of protesting out of his mind. "Good, the rest of my reasons are one because you can see things in which no one else can, two you know how to spy WITHOUT being caught, and three I need someone who knows the muggle world enough to be able to fit in with them."
Knowing the reasons behind the Headmasters choice did little to convince the Potions Master to check up on Harry, but they did sway him enough to ask what this dire mission was.
"You see my boy, I need you to become Harry's science teacher that way you can observe him closely; see how he acts in school and how others react around him" Albus says jovially.
Once again standing up, Severus sneers, "I will not willingly teach that brat before I have to!"
"As I have already stated, if there was anyone else I would ask them, but there is not, so I ask you. You may find out that your thoughts on how you perceive the boy will change."
"What about my classes here?" Severus grumbles, agreeing to the mission.
Albus grins, "Your classes have been taken care of, my boy. I have convinced Horace to take over your classes as well as be Slytherin's Head of House once again, at least for this year."
"Well I should be going as it's getting late" Albus says getting up, and walking over to the fireplace. "Oh, I almost forgot, you need to leave for Little Whinging, Surrey by noon tomorrow as school starts for little Harry in a few days, and you NEED to be hired as his science teacher. Good night my boy, and thank you for the tea."
And with that the Headmaster grabbed a pinch of floo powder before throwing it into the fireplace and yelling out his destination "Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts!" before stepping into the emerald green fire, leaving Severus to contemplate what he got himself into as he walked back into his potions lab, put statuses on all of the potions he was working on, and started to pack what he would need with him in Surrey, England before going to bed himself.