Author's Note: Enjoy!
Is the Ministry still insisting that the last spotting was in Ottery St. Catchpole?"
"They are."
"And I presume that they still don't see the irony that he was spotted in the town that just happens to be less than a mile from the Weasley household?"
"They do not."
Snape practically snorted at these words. "Is there anyone with half a brain involved in this?"
"Now Severus do you really think that the dog Harry spotted was Sirius Black? I am sure you are well informed in what you are speaking about but it is a stretch and-"
"A stretch in what way?" Snape cut the man off immediately. "He and his blasted friends managed to become animagi years ago whether you were aware of it or not and I am telling you the fact that Harry just happened to see a dog on the Quidditch pitch is far too much of a coincidence!"
"Harry," Dumbledore smiled.
"Yes Harry, the whole reason for this concern."
"Forgive me Severus but this is the first I've heard you refer to the boy by his first name. It's usually Potter is it not?"
Snape felt his face grow warm at the words. "Yes…well…that is entirely beside the point!"
Harry had been nearly asleep when he heard Snape yell in the other room. He jumped up into a sitting position and strained to hear what was going on. It was obvious that someone else was in the quarters. Harry guessed it was Dumbledore, he couldn't think of anyone else who would be visiting so late in the evening.
"He claimed it was on the pitch just barking at him," Snape's loud voice echoed down the hall.
Harry's feet swung over the side of the bed…they were talking about him.
Without even stopping to think about what would happen if he was caught, Harry pulled open his bedroom door and slipped into the hallway.
Quietly he crept down the long hall, careful to stop a few feet before the entrance to the living room.
"It's very obvious to anyone with half of a brain," Snape said in an annoyed voice. "First he was spotted less than a mile from the Weasleys and now the incident today. It doesn't take a scholar to realize that he is obviously trying to get to Harry just as we suspected and if the Ministry doesn't see that and won't protect him than I am going to do everything in my power to keep the child safe."
Harry's heart nearly jumped into his throat. What did Sirius Black want with him and what did the dog have to do with it? Then there was Snape's promise to keep him safe and the warm feeling it was giving Harry.
"I will be meeting with the Ministry in the morning and I will certainly make them aware of your feeling regarding this matter as well as the facts that are currently piling up…"
Dumbledore's words trailed off causing Harry to practically strain to hear them.
Harry was leaning against the cold dungeon wall listening as hard as he possibly could when Snape's figure appeared in front of him.
"I…" Harry muttered in a low voice.
"If you'll excuse me for a moment," Snape spoke in Dumbledore's direction. "It appears someone needs some assistance in finding his bed."
Harry felt the blood drain from his face as Snape took a firm grip of his upper arm and led him roughly down the hall. Harry was sure that he didn't even touch the ground for more than half of the walk.
"I can explain," Harry mumbled under his breath. He wanted Snape to hear him but he certainly didn't want Dumbledore to do so.
Snape made no effort to answer him and instead pushed open Harry's bedroom door before using that free hand to deliver a hard smack to Harry's backside.
"He'll hear you," Harry whined in a low voice. He attempted to get away from his guardian but the man wasn't loosening his grip on his arm at all. Instead Snape pulled the boy close to his body, tucked the upper half of his body under his arm and let his hand fall once more.
"I hope he does," Snape barked before his hand fell for a third time. "How dare you eavesdrop on our conversation!"
"I'm sorry!" Harry offered up the words in an audible tone. He tried with all his might to blink the tears out of his eyes but despite his efforts the first one rolled down his hot cheek.
Snape's hand fell one final smarting time before he released the child. "To bed with you this instant before I decide to put you over my knee and give you a proper spanking."
At these words Harry quickly climbed into his bed. Snape leaned down over him and roughly pulled the blankets up around the child.
"If I ever catch you listening to one of my conversations again you will be punished right then and there in front of whomever I am talking to. Am I perfectly clear?"
Harry nodded frantically despite the darkness of the room. "Yes Sir."
Snape was silent as he stood over the boy. Harry's right hand moved out from under the heavy covers and hastily brushed away the tears that had found their way down his face.
"We will finish discussing this in the morning," Snape said before he turned and walked out of the room shutting the door firmly behind him.
Harry brushed the last of his tears off of his face before rolling over onto his side. How thick could he get? What in the world had possessed him to leave his room and listen in on the conversation? Had he honestly thought he wouldn't get caught? Snape seemed to always catch him.
The man had said they would finish the discussion in the morning and Harry silently prayed that that didn't mean he was in for more punishment though from what he knew of Snape he was sure it did.
The scene that had just taken place replayed in his mind causing him to blush profusely. There was no way Dumbledore hadn't heard; no way that the Headmaster didn't know what had just happened. And then another realization hit Harry...Snape had just tucked him in. Albeit roughly, he still did it.
Harry was sitting at the table reading his potions book the following morning. Breakfast had been uneventful and though Snape did seem a bit irritated he hadn't brought up the previous night. Instead the two had eaten mostly in silence aside from Snape informing him that he would be spending his morning reading. Harry had wanted to ask if he could spend his afternoon flying but he couldn't quite work up the courage to do so.
Besides, Harry had more important questions that he needed answers to.
He glanced up at Snape to see the man hunched over a stack of papers. Before he noticed that Harry was looking at him, Harry quickly dropped his head pretending to be concentrating on his book. "I'm sorry about last night." Harry offered up the words. He was truly sorry but he also hoped that if Snape forgave him just a little he could ask some of the questions that he was dying to ask.
"I know that in the past you have eavesdropped with little regard to whose privacy you were invading but it ends here. As I promised you last night if I find out about you doing so in the future you will be an exceedingly unhappy child. Am I perfectly clear?"
Harry nodded silently. He could feel his ears burning at the words.
"I haven't entirely decided that you don't need further punishment as it is," Snape continued. He looked up from his papers for the first time since the conversation had started. "Perhaps an afternoon of cleaning vials will help you remember to behave."
Harry felt his shoulders slump as all the visions of his broom vanished from his mind. He wanted to argue that he had already been punished and that he was sorry but he didn't want to anger Snape any further. "Okay," he agreed in a calm voice.
"I was hardly asking for your approval or agreement."
"Don't be mad at me," Harry muttered in reply.
"Don't be mad at you?" Snape sneered. "Am I supposed to be pleased with your behavior?"
"Well no," Harry admitted. "But I apologized. You can't stay mad when I apologize and mean it."
"Is that so?" Snape replied dryly.
Harry nodded earnestly but Snape's only reply was to turn his attention back to the stack of papers in front of him.
Silence reigned for several moments before Harry spoke once more.
"So are you?" Harry asked. "Still mad I mean?"
Snape sighed softly to himself. "I am not. However I did mean what I said. Your eavesdropping on others will discontinue immediately and you will spend your afternoon helping me clean vials."
Harry nodded in agreement as he went back to pretending to read his book. He waited for what felt like at least ten minutes and then he spoke once more. "Can I ask you about something?"
"If you must."
Harry noted that his voice didn't sound nearly as annoyed as it had at the beginning of their conversation; a small detail that Harry would have overlooked completely a few weeks ago.
Harry took a deep breath. His question was going to cause one of two things, either Snape would answer him or it would anger him and Harry would wind up in trouble again. Either way Harry decided that the risk was worth it. "What does the stray dog have to do with Sirius Black?"
Harry kept his head lowered, his eyes locked tightly on his book as he waited for Snape's reaction.
As the seconds ticked by, Harry mentally cursed himself for asking such a stupid question. Snape was going to belt him for sure. He was going to murder him. He was going to make him clean every vial in the castle.
"Do you know what an animagus is Harry?"
Harry's eyes slowly roamed up from his book. Clearly he wasn't going to be murdered after all. He shook his head in response to Snape's question.
"Are you aware that Professor McGonagall can transform herself into a cat?" Snape asked.
Harry noted that his voice was surprisingly calm.
"Yes," Harry answered thinking back to his first class at Hogwarts.
"She is able to transform into a cat because she is a registered animagus. It is quite a hard process to master," Snape replied. "Sirius Black is an unregistered animagus, meaning that he can transform into an animal but he is not registered with the Ministry to do so. Being an unregistered animagus is illegal, though for someone like Black that is really the least of his problems."
"You think the dog was him?" Harry asked as the pieces came together. He hoped the fear he was feeling wasn't evident in his voice.
"I'm nearly certain."
Harry couldn't help but feel a bit shocked by how calm Snape's voice was.
"Once the Ministry is aware of his ability to transform they will succeed in capturing him. I am absolutely sure of it."
"Why does he want me?" Harry asked. "Because of Voldemort?"
"Do not speak his name," Snape said in a deadly voice that sent a chill up Harry's spine.
"Dumbledore says that fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," Harry replied in a soft voice.
"Professor Dumbledore to you young man," Snape said sharply, "And I don't care what he says, he is not your guardian, I am, and I am telling you what to do, and that is not to speak his name."
"Sorry," Harry offered.
"Enough of this! Finish your reading quietly before you find yourself reading alone in your room."
Harry remained silent as he dropped his head back down. He was surprised that Snape had answered his questions. He was annoyed at the fact that he had made the mistake of referring to Voldemort by name though. He noted that Snape hadn't answered his question. He still didn't know if Voldemort was the reason Black was trying to get to him.
Harry had exactly one week left before he would be going to the Burrow until September 1st. One week to get the answers to the rest of his questions. As far as he was concerned, that was more than enough time as long as he could stay out of trouble and in Snape's good graces long enough.
TBC...