Chapter 11

Reviews are always appreciated! I seem to have got a bit more inspiration recently.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, nor am I making any money from this Fanfiction.

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Monday had been so far an uneventful day. He had been fussed over by Hermione for the past few days, which today was beginning to irritate him. On Sunday he had been quite happy for her to mother him, due to the fact that he did not have one, but today it was getting on his nerves slightly. He felt like he was tripping over her, when all she was doing was trying to look after him. Harry could feel his temper starting to fray though.

Ron thankfully who knew Harry better then Hermione had noticed and stepped in placing himself between his friend and girlfriend at dinner. Harry showed his appreciation by allowing Ron to have the last slice of treacle tart, a dessert that was Harry's favourite.

Harry swirled his pumpkin juice in his glass, watching the amber taint the crystal of the glass. He was stalling he knew it. On one hand Snape had offered him help willingly, and Harry knew he needed it. But the more immature part of him could not overcome his initial hatred, which was fuelled by the fact he helped Voldemort kill his parents.

But he was not blind; he knew Snape was in his own way trying to make up for it. Something Dumbledore had always pointed out. No matter how much of a prick Snape had been, he always had Harry's best interests at heart.

The thought was irritating him.

It was so much easier to hate the man, to blame him for everything. But Snape was being adult enough to put all aside to save the world. Maybe it was time for Harry to stop being a child and do the same. It was a scary thought going to war, but he could either mope or be angry about it forever, or he could take his destiny into his own hands.

Smiling he drank the rest of his juice. Somehow without even realising it. Snape had made him feel better then he had in months. Once again he felt normal.

This new thought energised Harry. (Strange isn't it? How your enemy can bring out the best in you.) He thought to himself. Well Snape was not the enemy Voldemort was, but the old saying came in handy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

The potion had been a way of Snape making amends to Harry he was sure of it. Which made him feel…well odd for lack of a better word. True they needed to work together. But sending him something to make him feel better? However Snape was gifted in many arts, ones which Harry needed to learn. Ones he did not have the patience for before. Occlumency. The word loomed before him. This was something that he Harry would never be able to learn.

His emotions were always near the surface and he found it difficult to suppress them. He supposed this was the reason he could not learn. Someone like Snape, well he never showed any emotions, so it was easy of him to hide them, therefore easy to make your mind blank. Harry had so much going on in his life back then, that he was surprised he did not have a mental break down. Harry made a mental note to ask Snape about it. If one could ask Snape something like that. Do you have to be a heartless bastard in order to excel in Occlumency? Yes that would go down well.

Seeing the hall was beginning to empty he guessed it was near time for his "detention" with Snape.

Saying a quick good bye to his friends he rose and left the hall, heading towards the dungeons. Harry trailed his hand, now free of the bandage along the corridor wall. He wasn't sure why, maybe this part of the castle was under the ground, but the walls always got colder down here. Maybe that's what made the Slytherin's so awful. Harry chuckled to himself. That was spiteful.

He came to a halt at the thick oak doors of the Potions class room. Harry assumed this was where he was meant to be. He hadn't been told otherwise. Taking a deep breath he rapped on the door a few times and waited. No one came to answer. Harry scratched his head. He sure he was meant to be here. He knocked again and waited. Looking down the corridor Harry pushed down on the handle. To his surprise the door opened easily and swung open.

He was presented with the empty classroom, which looked more sinister with hardly any light coming from it. Harry was faced with a dilemma. Did he enter and face the wrath of Snape. Or not enter and later face the wrath of Snape? He shifted from foot to foot nervously.

Eventually he entered to room, content to wait for Snape there. He couldn't get in trouble if he was expected surely? When he was in the middle of the class room the door slammed closed. Moody was right he should really take in his surroundings. It was only now he realized that all the desks had been removed. Well he did need glasses and it was dark when he walked in.

Harry pulled out his wand, the second time in three days. He wasn't in the mood to deal with more bullies. Harry heard the muttered incantation and fell to the ground instinctively, throwing a shield around him.

"Well your reflexes are good." Snape told him moving into Harry's line of view, sinister in the dark. "But they could be better." Snape fired another spell at his shield, this time shattering it. Harry stood and looked at him, at a loss at what to do. This was his Professor; surely there were rules against this?

"Impedimenta." Severus calmly spoke.

Harry instantly felt dreamy and felt his body relax. He could hear a voice commanding him to do something, to kneel before someone. Well that was easy. Harry felt his legs begin to move in response, when that annoying voice of his whipped through the fog. Why was he kneeling? Did he not have a job to do? His body tensed at the effort of throwing the spell off.

After he had managed to do so he was back upon the floor of the potions classroom. He looked at Snape. "Protego Horribilis." Instantly the red hued shield was around him, and Harry looked triumphantly at Snape.

"It seems you have learnt a strong shield Mister Potter, however shields can be broken." Snape demonstrated once again that he could do so. "STOP DEFENDING AND ATTACK ME!" Snape snarled blasting Harry back a few meters. When Harry didn't move he hit him with another spell, leaving a nasty cut on Harry's face.

Slowly Harry stood anger burning within his jade eyes. He raised his wand and pointed it at Snape.

"Yes Potter attack me, show me your strength." Snape whispered suggestively.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted wanting to get this fight over and done with.

Snape simply looked bored and deflected the spell easily. "Do not toy with me Potter, fight properly!" Snape sent another cutting hex the boy's way, and blasted him back a few more metres, but Harry only fell to one knee.

"I can't." Harry whispered to him.

"Speak up Potter!" Snape shouted. "Levicorpus!"

The irony as lost on neither of them as Harry was lifted into the air by his ankles. "This make you feel better about my Father Snape?" Harry growled out.

"Surprisingly it does." Snape sneered.

Harry scowled and quickly sent a blast curse to the bookcase nearest Snape knocking it over and it turn knocking Snape to the ground. Quickly uttering "Liberacorpus." To get himself down, he erected another shield and waited. He didn't have to wait long before another spell was attacking his shield.

"FIGHT POTTER!" Snape hollered getting frustrated.

"I CAN'T" Harry shouted back once again, straining to keep his shield erect under the massive barrage it was under.

Frustrated and angry Snape broke the shield once again and stared at the boy. Both were panting and both were covered in sweat. Harry was the first to move in trying to capture Snape in a full body bind, but Snape was quicker easily dodging and quickly sending another hex Harry's way. This time however he wasn't fast enough and the curse caught him straight in the arms causing them to cut and bleed heavily.

Harry looked, really looked at Snape. He could sense it was getting dangerous now, something about the professor didn't seem right. He seemed to be getting to into the duel. He dodged another attack and sent a mild one back. It didn't feel right attacking a teacher. Snape however didn't seem to feel the same way about attacking a student however.

Worse then that Harry could feel his own blood beginning to boil and he sent a nastier hex Snapes way. It hit his robes and Snape was forced to put the fire out. "Finally, it seems Potter has some bite to his bark. Pity your Father could not duel better. Might have saved his life." Snape narrowly missed the lethal curse thrown at him.

Harry was livid and red washed over his line of vision. Bottles and cauldrons rocked dangerously and Snape looked around, concerned for the first time. "Don't speak to me like that you COWARD!" Harry screamed. Bottles shattered and angry energy crackled within the room.

Snapes eyes narrowed dangerously. "You dare call me a coward! Little boy? Sectumsempra!"

Harry faltered but a little and Snapes eyes widened in surprised. Harry raised his wand ready to counter attack. He felt like a feral animal and he wanted Snape to suffer. Eventually though, his blood loss made him fall to the ground.

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Severus knew as soon as the word left his mouth it was a huge mistake. He had been too caught up in the duel and the insult from Harry and before he knew it had escaped him. He called off the spell instantly and ran to the student's side. Harry was in agony and Severus felt his hands tremble. He could have killed the boy. Checking his pulse, and reassuring himself that he was alive; he ran to his stock cupboard and pulled out some potions.

He pulled Harry up and propped him up with his leg, allowing him access to his mouth. First a blood replenish potion made its way down Harry's throat, then one to heal the wounds, one to give him back strength and one to combat any side effects from the curses he had been dealt.

Severus watched as the boy still didn't move and panic began to set in. Just what had he done? He had only been trying to gauge the boys fighting abilities and here he had possibly killed another person that might have meant something to him. Suddenly Severus was in another time and place, when he had been told about Lily's death, and the agony he had felt. But he not been with her body then. Not like he was now with Harry.

Something pushed its way into his eyes making them sting. This feeling was unbearable.

He kept checking his vital signs and kept holding onto Harry even though common sense told him he was going to be alright, the same feeling that had gripped him when he was in fear for Lily's life was taking hold of him now.

This is how he would have held his love as she lay dying. Regardless if she was in love with another man. He would have cradled her to his body, praying to anyone that was listening that she was going to make it. He looked down at the raven hair that should have been a deep red. Suddenly it wasn't Harry he was holding it was her.

Eventually the boy opened his eyes and looked at him blearily; Lily's eyes looked at him blearily. Severus couldn't help himself, he held Harry to his chest relieved. In some way at least to him, it felt like Lily was back. Harry could have just died and even though he was unable to save Lily he was able to save Harry, it made his soul feel just a little better. Even though he was the one to cause it.

"You're crushing me." Harry spoke but it was muffled by his robes.

"I thought I might have killed you." Severus moved the boy so he could look into his face. "Why did you not fight back you foolish boy?"

Harry bit his lip and looked away. "You can't kill me only Voldemort can. I didn't fight back because I don't want to hurt anyone."

Severus knew that was a lie, he could see it in his eyes. "Tell me the truth Potter."

"I don't want to turn out like him." Harry glared into his eyes, hatred burning inside their depths.

Severus was bewildered. Turn out like whom? James? Dumbledore? Voldemort? Who? He causally entered Harry's thoughts and saw Harry's overwhelming fear of becoming Voldemort. That he was going to end up as bad as Voldemort. He sighed and let Harry sit by himself and moved away.

"Potter you are not the Dark lord. To admire power is not the same as abusing it. You can wield great power to protect the ones you cherish and to fight for the greater good. But you cannot be afraid to fight. If you do not everything you know will be destroyed. Your friends, Hogwarts even Lupin will come to an end. Do you understand?" Severus spoke gently, the boy was scared enough.

Harry nodded and raked his nails through his hair tiredly. "That curse you used. It was impressive. I would like to learn it, if you would teach me?"

Severus looked down at the boy, who looked so small and fragile on the dark stones of the potions classroom. "Potter, that spell could have killed you. Do you really desire mastery of it?"

Severus waited with baited breath as the boy thought it over. He hated to admit it, but the boy was talented, and his power! Severus sucked in a breath to calm his heart that was pounding. He had always been attracted to power, and Potter had so much of it. Whereas Voldemort's power seemed endless it was also dark and oozing like tar. But Harry. It was like the boy had a supernova inside him. More endless power but hot and passionate. Just waiting to be untapped.

Those spells he had been throwing, they were not low level, and many of them could have killed people. But Potter had taken a number of them on the chin and still stood strong. Yes Severus truly recognized James before him, but for once it wasn't a bad thing. Severus found it almost, admirable.

No this boy was remarkable.

Severus almost found himself smiling. He had honestly thought all hope had been lost, but here in this child was their salvation.

He watched as the boy stood and shook himself slightly. "Yes I would like to learn." He said in earnest, and for once in his life Snape was willing to teach.

TBC

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