Chapter Two: Alnwick Manor

Of all the things Harry had imagined happening, this scenario was not one of them. He stared blankly at his Professor, unable to understand why he was standing in front of him.

"Snape." Harry stated dumbly. He clutched his wand tightly, heart pounding. "What are you doing here?" He asked accusingly, eyes narrowing.

"It's Professor Snape to you, Potter." Snape said menacingly, he took a threatening step forwards, towering over Harry and blocking his escape route. "Tell me Potter, do you usually make a habit out of barging into people's homes uninvited or -"

"Home?" Harry blurted out, blanching considerably.

"Yes Potter. Contrary to what you and your dunderhead friends may think, I do not spend all my time at Hogwarts. I too, have a personal life and do not wish to spend all my time being inundated with foolish questions from students."

"I thought this was Alnwick Manor?" Harry was mortified. Had he pronounced the name wrong when he used the fireplace? Was Snape following him, sent on behalf of Dumbledore?

"This is Alnwick Manor." Snape ground out impatiently. Harry opened his mouth, more questions on the tip of his tongue but Snape quickly cut him off. "I suggest that you return to wherever you came from, Potter."

"I can't Professor." Harry said desperately. "I came here because I'm looking for the Pendant of Time." Snape's eyes bored into Harry's for a few moments, as if he was trying to ascertain if he was telling the truth or not. Harry stared resolutely back, his resolve strengthening.

"The Pendant of Time does not reside here anymore. Perhaps it once did, three hundred years ago when Icobeus Knight lived here, but not anymore." Harry seemed to deflate on the spot. He knew it was stupid to get his hopes up as much he had, but it didn't stop the stinging sensation that entered his eyes. It had been his last hope, and now he was going to get his wand destroyed for certain.

"Potter, you're dripping blood onto my floor." Snape frowned at the young man before him before taking out his and and casting a simple spell which stopped the blood from his nose. It had started bleeding again.

"Thanks." Harry mumbled, trying his hardest not to give into crying out of frustration. Nothing could ever be simple in his life could it? Day after day he had to suffer through some sort of hardship -

"Whatever escapade you're plotting, you can stop it right now. I will be alerting Dumbledore to your presence here, and then you shall be swiftly returning to where you came from. Follow me." Snape ordered curtly, sweeping back out into the dimly lit hallway. Blinking hard, Harry followed his Professor sourly.

Severus Snape had been sipping tea and thumbing through a book in his favourite armchair in his study when the alarm went off. He frowned immediately; he had not been expecting any visitors, and Dumbledore usually gave him notice before turning up at his home. No one had arrived in his study either, so he was at a loss. Standing up, he stalked towards where the alarm was leading him and ended up outside the cellar.

He knew that there was an old, derelict fireplace in there, but it hadn't been used for centuries. The newer fireplace came out straight into his study on the top floor. He didn't even know that this one was still functional. He reached out to open the door and was surprised to find one Harry James Potter standing on the other side, who looked as perplexed as he felt.

"Mr Potter, what an unexpected surprise." He had immediately noticed the dry, crusted blood that was caked around Potter's nose, but decided not to comment on it immediately.

Curse Potter! Can I not have a single moment to myself? A moments peace, without having to deal with him and his penchant for finding trouble?

Snape had then paced quickly up to his study after their short conversation, not bothering to slow down for Potter who was trotting to keep up with him. He pushed open the study door and pointed firmly at a small armchair off to the side.

"Sit here and don't move." He ordered, glaring at Harry.

"Yes sir." Harry all but collapsed into the chair, suddenly exhausted from the days events. The side of his head hurt, and his nose was aching fiercely. No matter what Dumbledore or anyone else said, he was adamant that he was not going to go back to the Dursley's.

Harry watched as Snape disappeared in the green flames of the fireplace. He started to fidget anxiously; he hoped he would get a chance to speak to Dumbledore himself in person. The Headmaster had been noticeably absent from Harry's life recently. He hadn't even heard anything from him all of the Summer. Arthur had sent Harry that letter on Dumbledore's behalf! Suddenly incensed, Harry abandoned his book on Snape's desk and paced around, inspecting the study.

It was plain but in much better condition than the cellar he had arrived in. There was a handsome, dark mahogany desk, a large window behind it framed by dark green curtains, and a rich rug in the middle of the room. There was a chair behind the desk, and two armchairs in the room.

So this is Snape's home? He wondered how his Professor had managed to afford a Manor. Snape didn't look like the richest person around, especially being a teacher. Harry didn't think the staff at Hogwarts made that much money.

"Snooping around are we Potter? Couldn't resist the urge to stick your nose in where it doesn't belong? You won't find anything here, much to your dissapointment I'm sure." Harry jumped around guiltily, even though the young man felt as if he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Typical, strutting about just like your Father, thinking you can barge into people's home with complete disregard for anyone but yourself. No prior thought to what you are doing. You're a foolhardy Gryffindor through and through." Snape sneered at him, a look of disdain on his face.

Whatever Snape and Dumbledore had spoken about, it clearly hadn't been good.

"What's going to happen to me?" Harry asked worriedly, deciding to ignore Snape's snide remarks.

"Congratulations, Mr Potter. You won't be returning to your relatives tonight." Harry should have felt elated, but the horrible grin that Snape was giving him filled him with dread instead.

"But...?" He ventured nervously.

"But indeed. It seems that you are not as oblivious as you constantly make out to be, Potter. You will be staying here tonight, since you do not want to return to your Aunt and Uncle's house."

"Why can't I go to the Burrow? Why do I have to stay here with you?" Harry demanded rudely, forgetting who he was talking to.

"It is not advisable for you to go to the Burrow just yet, Mr Potter. Professor Dumbledore says you are to remain here tonight, and I shall escort you tomorrow. Of course, you are more than welcome to return to your relatives house." Snape smiled nastily, his eyes glittering as he saw how distressed Harry was.

Bloody sodding git! Harry thought angrily, his face flushing. I bet he's just loving this, isn't he? His enemy's son, trapped with him in his home.

"I do not have all night Potter." Harry weighed his options carefully. If he went back to his relatives house, he would once again be kept out of the loop, unaware of his fate. If he stayed here however, at least he would get to see Ron and Hermione again and stay with them for the rest of the summer.

He eyed his professor suspiciously. "If I stay here, you're not going to poison me with some gross potion are you? Or hand me over to Voldemort?" Snape winced at the mention of the Dark Lord's name.

"You are not to use that name in my presence Potter, do you understand? You will obey my rules for the short duration of your stay here and you will not cause trouble. This is not Hogwarts, where you can go as you please or snap your fingers and everyone comes running to your every beck and whim." Snape threatened, one finger pointed threateningly at Harry's face.

"I wouldn't want to go exploring here anyway." Harry retorted hotly, "The sooner I get out of here the better."

He followed his professor out of the study, noting the dusty portraits that lined the halls. Rows of disapproving faces staring haughtily down at him.

"You will sleep in here tonight, Potter." Snape opened a door and Harry stepped inside the room. There was a double bed, with green silky looking sheets and big fluffy pillows. There was a window, a small desk and a fireplace. He glanced around, spying a large wardrobe tucked away in a corner and another door that he assumed lead to an en-suite.

"Oh." Harry was not expecting the room to be so nice. He thought Snape would have given him the worst room in the Manor, cold and dreary with nothing but a mattress on the floor and no sheets.

"Of course, the Hero of the Wizarding World clearly expected better. Perhaps a room fit for a King? I apologise that my humble abode does not live up to your standards." Snape sneered from behind him.

Harry blushed and could not meet his Professors eyes. Harry felt ashamed that he had thought that about Professor Snape. He had not expected the room to be so nice. It was definitely nicer than his room at the Dursley's house.

"No it's fine Professor. It's nice. Much nicer than my own room at the Dursley's anyway. Thanks." Harry stumbled over his words. He felt awkward to be thanking his Professor, however he had clearly invaded the man's home and privacy and now he was letting him stay the night in a nice room, and Harry did have some manners. It was only right that he thanked him, no matter how weird it felt.

Snape had clearly not expected that reply, as he swallowed whatever cutting remark he was going to say and instead settled on scowling at the young man in front of him.

"Wash your face in the bathroom through there. I will bring you a pair of pyjamas and the book that you were carrying. I expect you to remain here for the rest of the night, and to keep yourself occupied. Under no circumstances are you to start one of your nightly wanderings which I know you are so fond of back at Hogwarts. I will know if you leave this room, and you will suffer the consequences if you do." Without waiting for a reply, Snape exited the room and left a confused Harry standing alone.

"Wash your face, Potter. Don't leave the room Potter or you'll suffer the consequences." Harry mimicked bitterly, glancing around the room again. At a loss, he decided that he could do with cleaning his face anyway. He was sure he looked a state, with dry blood and especially messy hair.

The person staring back him from the mirror looked awful; there were dark circles under his eyes, his hair was the most unruly it had ever been and there were flakes of crusted blood around his nose. He splashed his face with water, instantly feeling better and slightly refreshed.

Making a beeline straight for the bed, Harry jumped onto it and landed on his back. He immediately noted that it was one of most comfiest beds he had ever been in.

"If you're quite done acting like a child," Snape cleared his throat as he placed Harry's book and a pair of dark green pyjamas on the bed, "they may be slightly too big for you, but they should suffice for the night." Snape eyed Harry's smaller than average frame which caused the young man to blush profusely.

Snape paused in the doorway and turned back to face Harry. He stared at the young man who looked so much like his hated enemy, but then he remembered Lily...she had exactly the same eyes.

Blasted Potter. Snape huffed internally. He did not want to be responsible for the Potter brat turning up at the Order, looking haggard and weak. He could imagine the boy whining to everyone about how his hated Potions Professor had neglected to feed him, and how he had been locked away in a bedroom the whole night.

"Are you hungry?" He asked curtly.

Harry was in fact starving, but he felt too awkward and too shy to tell his professor that.

"No sir. I'm fine." His tummy rumbled loudly in disagreement.

"I have not had dinner yet. You may join me in the dining hall if you so wish." Snape said it blankly, watching carefully as Potter had an internal conversation with himself.

"Err, okay." He got up and followed Severus down a flight of stairs, marvelling at how big the Manor was. He could see numerous hallways and lots of doors lining them. All of them were shut of course, and there were candles dotted along the walls every so often which provided a soft, dim light.

It must be lonely living here by yourself. Harry thought absent-mindedly.

The dining room was just as Harry had expected; dim, plainly furnished but not shabby. He took a seat near his Professor, and wondered what they were going to eat.

"Minnie." Snape commanded, and immediately a little house elf appeared with a crack. Her large eyes swivelled from her master to the young man sitting near him.

"Yes, Master Snape?"

"We have a guest joining us for dinner and for breakfast tomorrow. Are you allergic to anything?" He directed the last part to Harry, who shook his head quickly. Minnie bowed before popping away again. Harry tried not to jump as food suddenly appeared on the table.

There was two different bowls of salad, pasta and chicken covered in a creamy white sauce and pumpkin juice. A hot steaming bowl of soup appeared in front of them both as well, tomato Harry judged by the smell and look, with a soft roll of bread next to it.

Harry took a small sip of the soup, painfully aware that Snape was watching him, ready to snap at him for the slightest sign of ungratefulness, however Harry realised that it tasted wonderful and started to tuck in with gusto.

"At least you have no objections to the food." Snape sneered, eating his own soup at a more leisurely pace. He watched in mild disgust as Harry inhaled the soup and moved onto the main, piling his plate with pasta and chicken. "Vegetables." Snape ordered automatically.

Harry glared at him, and Snape glared back just as fiercely, which left no room for arguments. Almost sulking, Harry took some salad too and began to eat enthusiastically. When he was at the Dursley's, he rarely ate and when he did it was bland, watered down cabbage soup or Dudley's leftovers. This was a heavenly feast in comparison.

"Really Potter, you would think no one had fed you over the summer." Snape said in a bored tone. He had a suspicion though that the boy had in fact not eaten very much at all, judging that he looked much more fragile than he had when he left Hogwarts for the summer.

Probably worrying and plotting ways to get into mischief. He thought savagely to himself.

"Why can't I go to the Burrow now? What's going on? Why haven't I heard from Dumbledore all summer as well? And also, what's going to happen about the Ministry?" Harry fired all these questions at Snape in quick succession, giving him no time to answer. Snape held up a hand, silencing the young man.

"If you wish to have your questions answered, you must first allow the other person time to respond." Snape snapped. "You will not be heading to the Burrow, Potter. Instead, we will be travelling to where the Order of the Phoenix is based, in London."

"The Order of the -"

"Potter, I do not have the time nor the patience to explain every little thing to you. Accept that information for now and do not bother asking me about it again. I will allow someone else to fill you in on the details. Suffice to say, you should be grateful that I even told you as much as that." Snape glared at Harry, daring him to argue back. Harry was in no mood to have information hidden from him again, however.

"I deserve to know!" he said passionately, hand slamming down on the table.

"If you're done with your little outburst, I will continue to answer the rest of your questions." Harry scowled at Snape, furious that the man had just disregarded what he had said. "Dumbledore is extremely busy-"

"Doesn't mean he can't send me an owl every now and then." Harry interjected sullenly.

"Potter," Snape sighed tiredly, "had it ever occurred to you that the Headmaster has not been in contact with you because there are infinitely more important things that he must attend to other than your incessant whining? He is a powerful, busy man who is working tirelessly against the Dark Lord. You should respect that he is doing all in his power to help you. As usual, you fail to see the larger picture and have thought of nothing but yourself and your own feelings." Harry felt thoroughly shamed by the older man. Of course Dumbledore wasn't ignoring him on purpose. Harry probably hadn't helped by now piling the whole ministry fiasco on Dumbledore's plate either.

"And as for your escapes in Little Whinging and the Dementor...Dumbledore is handling it. I will allow him to tell you the specifics tomorrow."

"But they're going to snap my wand." Harry whispered, looking every bit as young and vulnerable as he felt.

"If you had remained at your relatives house as instructed, instead of gallivanting off believing that you know better than the adults around you, you would have received another owl telling you that the ministry are not going to snap your wand, pending a hearing to take place on the twelfth of August."

"Oh." Harry mumbled. He still had a million questions in his head, but he decided to give Snape a break. The man was not very forthcoming as it was, and he was lucky to get the information that he had received already. He was filled with excitement at learning what the Order of the Phoenix was though. It was clearly a secret organisation dedicated to fighting Voldemort. Harry was itching to join if that was the case.

Dinner was a short affair. After Harry had stuffed himself with as much food as possible, he went upstairs and changed into the pyjamas Snape had given him. They were clearly his Professors old pyjamas, perhaps from when he was a bit younger as there was no way they would fit him now. Harry was pleasantly surprised to find that they were soft and comfortable. He placed the book on the bedside table along with his wand and glasses, and found that he was asleep within minutes.

Snape opened the spare bedroom's door, expecting to see Potter wide awake planning mischief, but was surprised to find him fast asleep. Snape glared at him for a few moments, expecting him to be pretending, but it was clear that the brat was fast asleep.

"Good." Snape muttered, and closed the door quietly.