Author's Note: To those of you who have made this story a favourite and to those of you who are following this, I am largely thankful and it would mean the world to me if you could review the story and tell me what you think about it so far, yours sincerely IloveMerlinandArthur.
Chapter Two – Take Care of Yourself
"It's weird" stated Harry, who was sitting in front of the flickering flames in the hearth on the floor in the Gryffindor Common room, with his Charms and Jinxes homework in front of him and numerous books to do with the subject, however most of them were Hermione's.
"What's weird Harry?" Ron asked curiously, as he tried to concentrate on his Potions Essay, it was proving to be extremely difficult. He was seated to Harry's right on the comfortable deep red lounge with his legs crossed; he looked down at Harry as he asked his question.
"Well it started yesterday, only two days after our lesson with the unicorn. I started getting mail, you know letters. They were all full of warnings." Harry replied as he wrote his answer to a relatively easy question on his parchment about floating charms.
"Why would someone be sending you warning letters Harry?" Hermione asked coming down the stone steps that lead to the girl's dorm room.
"I personally don't know, but this morning I received a letter that wasn't a warning. It seemed to be more of a threat actually."
Harry replied shoving his hand into a robe pocket and pulling a piece of parchment out and handing it to Hermione who had her hand outstretched. She read aloud:
Dear Mr. Potter,
I have come across some information that extremely disturbs me; to a certain extent a straightforward and trustworthy individual has informed me that a unicorn has singled you out. I advise you now,do not attempt to plan anything that would challenge my authority. If you so much as cause tribulation within the school,I swear on my filthy father's grave that, it will be the very last thing you ever do. So do not go to the trouble of trying to figure out any puzzles that you come across, have a pleasant day.
P.S You are being watched, so if you do something, I will know.
"This letter isn't signed, how are we ever going to know who sent it?" Ron asked as he looked at the letter over Hermione's shoulder.
"Wait, I know that writing!" Hermione shook, worried seemingly coming to a startling realisation.
"Who does it belong to Hermione?" Harry asked in agitation as he and Ron looked at each other than back to Hermione who had started pacing.
"It's the headmaster's; I've seen his writing before. Whilst I was in his office the other day." Hermione replied shaken but more certain than she had ever been. "I'm most sure that it is."
"Why were you in his office?" Ron asked scared and befuddled as to why the girl standing in front of him would dare to enter the lair of a supposed maniac that harboured homicidal tendencies.
"Well I had noticed that he was shall we say…. acting a little off centre? This was of course after the incident with the unicorn, so I thought I'd have a little snoop around his office." Hermione replied, "I wanted to see if I could find anything that could attest to the change in his behaviour."
"So did you find anything then Mione?" Ron asked Hermione as she sat down on the lounge.
"Unfortunately, no I didn't." Hermione replied as she pulled Harry's and Ron's homework towards herself so that she could check it over.
"Never mind that, how on earth did you get into his office?" Harry questioned, as he looked at Hermione "Surely there would have been protective enchantments placed around his office right?"
"That's the funny thing; I thought for sure as well that he would. Given whom he is but then taking into account that nearly the whole school doesn't know his history." Hermione replied as she made corrections on their homework "I doubt any of them would try and get in anyway, I mean he gives off a really powerful magical aura. That said most of them wouldn't want to cross him in the first place."
"Enough of that then" Harry said, "What are we going to do? I mean we have classes and everything, maybe we could start looking for clues. Nevertheless, do it cautiously, so that we are not noticed. Than after that we can eventually put all the information we gather together like the giant jigsaw puzzle that it is, that way we see the whole picture of what's really going on."
"That sounds like a good plan" Ron replied as he took back his potions essay from Hermione to find that it had acquired a large number of red markings that crossed out a lot of the stuff that he'd written, he grimaced and sighed "I guess I'll have to rewrite it, Mione do you think you could help me?"
"I do agree that it is a good plan Harry, but we will have to be exceedingly careful." Hermione replied as she turned to face Ron, "Okay so where do you want to start?"
"Can you please help me with healing potions that seems to be the area where everything is crossed out" Ron replied grabbing his potions textbook.
"Honestly Ron, We studied those in first year!" Hermione cried exasperatedly.
Harry looked down at his own homework and found that it too had been scribbled on, however not so much as Ron's though. After a few moments of listening to his friends argue over homework and healing potions, Harry started thinking about what the headmaster had said in his unsigned letter. He found himself smiling as the phrase "When you feel in danger, go to where you are no stranger" ran through his mind.
A few days had passed in silence, classes had been normal. The reason for all the silence was because of the work that had been set for the students. There was so much homework that Harry, Ron and Hermione did not have time to look for any clues regarding their newest mystery project.
They spent hours in the library studying for upcoming exams that were all on the same day they were; Charms and Jinxes, Magical History, Potions, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures and the Dark Arts. With all the pressure being put on the students, emotions ran high and the slightest provocation would set them off.
The professors paid little attention to this and kept badgering the students to keep studying hard, it was the day that Harry Potter had Double Potions. Professor Severus Snape was being all- around unpleasant and uncaring, which of course if people did not know was the norm for him. (They would be wary of him if he was not in a foul mood for that would more than likely mean that someone had had been expelled.)
"You are just like your father; arrogant, insolent and lazy!" Snape shouted, his hair was a greasy black colour that framed his face, his hazel eyes glinting maliciously as he glared hatefully at Harry.
He took the insults a step further as he looked into Harry's cauldron, the swirling liquid of his potion was a cobalt blue in colour and smelt somewhere between a mixture of salt and rain.
"Your attempts at creating a simple peace draught are revolting Potter; it's supposed to be a light sky blue colour and smell of sweet flower."
Harry, who had sat at this very table for the past six years and always copped a dishing out from Snape about his father and his potions skills finally, had had enough.
"Will you shut up about my father, I don't know what you have against him but it has to stop now!" Harry snarled and stood up in anger "As for my potion making problems, I probably wouldn't have any if you only knew how to teach the stupid subject properly and stopped harping on me every other lesson!"
"How dare you insinuate that I don't know how to teach my own subject, you ignorant, inconsiderate and horrid boy!" Snape roared in fury "And for Merlin's sake sit down!"
However Harry was not done yet and yelled back "Now give me a reason as to why I should listen to you, I mean hey, I don't even like you!"
"I don't want you to like me you idiot boy, detention!" Snape shouted, "Class dismissed! You Potter stay behind"
As everyone rushed out of the classroom to get to lunch Harry tried escaping with the crowd of students, but before he could the professor sensing Harry's plan (Harry would later think that his professor could read minds) was there ahead of him standing predatorily in the doorway, blocking the only exit, like a hunter who stalked his prey.
"Argh! Come on, just let me go!" Harry cried clearly frustrated, he stomped his foot and ran his fingers through his hair as several glass objects in the room shattered in reaction to Harry's anger. His magic unleashing in that split second that he had lost control, it was destructive and untamed magic - that was let out due to a build up of pressure, namely stress and frustration.
"When you are done with having this temper tantrum, we will sit down and talk like proper people instead of animals!" Professor Snape said in a quiet voice that told Harry that there was no room for arguing, so he settled for glaring at the man.
"Now, come." Snape said indicating to Harry that he should follow, and Harry reluctantly did so. The professor took him to a door that contained a brass handle.
"This is where my private chambers are, I do not normally permit students to enter. However, this is a rare occasion and therefore I consent to it." Snape continued as he produced a small brass key from his pocket and put it into the lock.
"Is that all it takes to get into your chambers, sir?" Harry asked pointing to the key his professor held, his eyes wide as dinner plates at what seemed such a simple method of gaining access to one's private chambers. He wondered whether if it could be exactly like getting into the headmaster's office - Easy.
"Oh no, don't be fooled Potter. Not everything is as it appears, to you at least, all I have to do is turn a key and I can get in. You on the other hand, could put the same key into the lock and turn it to unlock the door. However, it wouldn't just simply unlock for you, no it would keep on turning as if it were an empty hole in the door." Snape replied revelling in the joy of teaching something new to someone even if it was Potter.
"Well at least that's better than the headmaster's current mode of protection," Harry mumbled to himself. Snape however had very keen hearing and replied.
"The headmaster doesn't need it, for he is very intimidating all by himself. No one would even dare break into something that was the headmasters, for fear of a most painful death."
Harry snickered silently to himself, for he in fact knew someone that had dared and knew who she was too. However, he would never tell Snape that, he could not trust him. Professor Snape led Harry to a fireplace surrounded by a dark green lounge and a matching armchair. It was now that Harry took the time to look around and take in his surroundings.
Snape's chambers were different to what he had expected; the walls were a mild grey in colour that complemented the dark brown carpet laid on the floor over the stones, the touches of green as seen in the lounges gave the whole room a comfortable and homely feel to it. Bookshelves lined one of the walls and seemed to be filled with what Harry could only understand to be Snape's passion; there were books on the dark arts and defensive magic, it was no surprise to see four whole rows dedicated to the subject that the man taught: Potions. In the right corner next to the armchair a corner table was placed, on it were a few quills and a small bottle of ink. However, none of that was what caught his eye and held his attention - there was a simple black photo frame, it contained a photograph of a woman. It was a woman he knew, a woman he lived with, in a big white house called the Potter Mansion. This woman had flowing auburn hair that rested just at her waist and had the same green eyes as his; it was his mother, Lily Potter.
"Sit, Potter." Snape said quietly as he watched Potter – the bane of his existence, look at his most cherished item in the room. The photograph of the woman he loved. The one person who held his heart, the one thing he wanted most but must be forever barred from having.
"Now, tell me, what's wrong?" Snape asked attempting to remain calm, as he took his seat across from Harry in the comfortable looking armchair.
"Well, I'm just kinda sick of it all really." Harry replied continuing to stare at the photograph of his mother.
"What are you "sick" of exactly?" Snape sighed reining in his anger.
"Well, maybe it's the fact that you keep having ago at me?" Harry questioned as he turned to look at his professor "I mean I've never done anything to you to deserve that!"
Snape looked like he was about to have a seizure, but then he just seemed to sigh in defeat.
"Remember what I said? About things not always being what they appear? Well I have a few secrets that maybe you should hear."
"Do any of these secrets have to do with the fact that you have a photograph of my mother, sir?" Harry asked interested, leaning forward in his seat.
"Yes, I…" Snape trailed off then continued, "When I was at school, I knew your mother and your father. However, we had our own group of friends, separate from each other. Your father and I were not on the best of terms; we took every opportunity we got to hurl jinxes and curses at the other. He said it was because I was on the dark side, that he would have ago at me for fun, because he liked riling me up. I have to admit I did quite enjoy the times that I got a few good hits in."
Harry was gaping like a fish out of water; he just could not believe what he was hearing. Was his father really like that, the way Snape had told him so all along? Was he really an arrogant, worthless moron, when everyone else who had known him, told Harry that his father was a good person, someone who would stick up for his friends, and do the right thing. It seemed that they were lying to him.
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why do you say he was like that and then call me the same? Because I would never do something like that, well not the same way in any case," Harry said shocked at what was being implied.
"I know that you wouldn't do that" Snape replied, "I just look at you and I see your father, blinded by the hate for your father I lash out at you even though I know I shouldn't"
"It's because we look alike, isn't?" Harry questioned, when he saw Snape nod he continued, "So why do you have a photograph of my mother?"
"When we were younger, your mother and I lived in the same neighbourhood. We grew up together, we went to school together, and we were friends." Snape said explaining, "then in our fifth year I told her was I joining Death Eater wannabes, they were a group of my supposed friends in Slytherin, she was a little unnerved by that, but she couldn't stop me. Lily was a very proper young lady if I remember correctly and didn't approve, Lily said and I quote "Death Eaters! Are you mad? You know Voldemort has to be the foulest bit of work out there; you know he practices the dark arts right? He will corrupt you; fill your head with insane ideas! Make you believe that his way is the only way!" Even though Lily was upset she still remained my friend, but that all vanished when in a heat of the moment situation arose where I called her a mudblood, she did not want to be my friend after that. She was unforgiving, I tried and did apologise on many occasions. However, she refused to mend our friendship over something silly as my choice of words and friends, then in her anger toward me she went and started dating my worst enemy; your father. That hurt, I did not understand why. That was until I realised that I was incredibly jealous of the whole affair, and that I had always loved Lily Evans. Still do in fact; you should have been my son." Snape finished sighing deeply almost sadly in a way.
Harry shuddered not at the thought of having Snape for a father, but more because of the fact that the whole story was rather sad, the way it turned out. He felt himself sympathising with Snape in a way he never thought possible, it was a kind of miserable solace they both shared.
Harry finally found his voice and said "Thank you, sir, for telling me this, as weird as it seems."
"Alright then, I guess that's it for detention. Now I trust you won't tell too many people about what I just told you?" Snape said giving Harry a pointed look that said 'or you'll be very sorry'.
"I'll only tell Ron and Hermione, they will keep it a secret. We are not very big fans of the headmaster, after all we don't want you disappearing, right sir?" Harry replied with a knowing grin about what disappearing meant.
"No, we most certainly do not" Snape mumbled as Harry was let out of his private chambers, muttering to himself he turned back towards his chambers to have lunch in peace and quiet.
