Chapter 11
Harry and Severus
Harry's week had past tolerably. Violet insisted they all wake up early and meet in the hall before breakfast. They got used to their classes, shared horror stories about their dorm mates, and slowly began to settle into a routine. Harry knew that he should feel relived that he was in Slytherin but he almost wished he was being shunned, all the fawning made him sick.
On Friday, Harry was finally heading off to his first potions. So far, most of his classes had been tedious and frustrating. History was a catch-up-on-sleep class, Transfiguration, both boring and horrible. He still made no improvement on that stupid matchstick; despite Sal trying to give him advice. Astronomy was sort of interesting, if looking at sparkly lights was your thing. He forced himself to pay attention in Herbology, because the best potions came from the best ingredients. Charms was amusing, he and Sal had a race to see who could make their pear hop off the table first. They tied.
To Harry's absolute horror, Defence Against the Dark Arts, the class he was most looking forward to beside potions, turned out to be a bad joke. The fool of a professor smelt like sour, regurgitated milk, and taught them nothing at all. He told the class to read their books, and spent the rest of the lesson staring around the room with drifting, glassy eyes. Harry knew instantly when they came to rest upon him, because he felt a painful throb in his temples. He walked away from these lessons feeling distinctly queasy.
Harry was brought back to reality when he realised Pansy had apparently been talking to him for quite some time. She gave him a huffy look and walked into class, nose in air. Harry shrugged and followed. The Gryffindors arrived a minute later, followed closely by Severus.
Severus as a teacher held himself with a different bearing than the one Harry had become used to at home. He did not exude blatant menace, more like an implacable air of danger. Harry thought he looked prouder, and harder. While Harry was tracing the outline of his father's profile, Severus had begun the roll call. His eyes were running down the sheet of parchment, but suddenly looked up and focused on a single student.
"Simon Potter… our personal celebrity." Harry smirked. After everyone had been accounted for, Severus paused.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began, speaking in barely more than a whisper, "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death."
There was another silence, which gave his classmates a chance to exchange uneasy looks with their neighbours. Their attention snapped back to Severus though, when his voice called out loudly; "Potter what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood." All eyes turned to Simon, who was taken by complete surprise.
"I dunno" He replied haughtily. 'No surprise there. That's what happens when you spend all your life locked up with a wet nurse named Lilly Potter.'
"Pity, Potter… It seems that fame isn't everything. Maybe Mr Snape could inform us of the answer?"
Harry beamed and shot Simon a smirk that seemed to infuriate his 'brother.' "It is the first phase of the brewing of the draught of the living dead, a powerful sleeping potions that once swallowed, will mimic death." Harry felt a rush, with the instant knowledge that, for the first time in their lives, he was in a situation in which he, and not Simon, was the privileged one. He glanced at his father, looking for approval, but Severus' eyes were still locked on Simon.
"Tut, tut, let's try again. Potter," Snape said, his voice growing more venomous. "Where would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"
"I dunno, sir." Simon heard a few people snicker, and his confidence wavered. A blush light his pasty features. 'Idiot,' thought Harry. 'there's one in your own stomach, from all the bullshit you've been fed.'
"Didn't open you books before coming into my class, Potter?" Severus hissed, taking several long strides to loom over the boy. "It is clearly stated in chapter twelve! Mr Snape, fill us in if you please."
Harry only just then noticed Hermione's hand protruding in the air. He felt a slight pity for her, but ignored it. This was his chance to humiliate Simon, after so many years. "A bezoar is a stone commonly found in the stomach of a goat. It cures most basic poisons and is used in almost all cures."
"Correct, once again." Now Severus leaned down and put his face inches away from Simon, his cold eyes boring into Simon's hazy blue ones.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
Simon swallowed. "I dunno."
Severus smiled, straightened, a certain satisfaction written across his face that Harry didn't fully understand. He turned towards Harry for the answer, but Harry gave a sharp nod in Hermione's direction, who's hand was shaking slightly. Severus, getting the hint, redirected his gaze towards her. "Miss Granger, maybe you can prove that not all of Gryffindors are without brains. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?
Somewhat hesitantly, Hermione lowered her arm and answered in a clear voice, "There is none, sir, It is the same plant, also known as aconite."
"Indeed. Well, Potter, even Miss Granger, who has known about magic for perhaps a month, has out smarted you." At this, Harry was shaking with silent laughter, along with the rest Slytherin. In five minutes Simon's attitude had gone from impudence to fear to utter humiliation. Then Severus' smooth façade unexpectedly cracked. "It's fortunate that there only one Potter left," He spat, "Hogwarts couldn't handle so much stupidity." The air seemed to chill almost to freezing. Simon went white, and even the Slytherin's jaws dropped. Harry could sense that many believed this crossed a line. That even implying that the death of the Potter triplets was a good thing was below the belt. Harry disagreed. Then Severus leaned next to Simon's ear and whispered so softly that Harry had to lip read. "But then again, a Potter's stupidity is the reason they died, if I remember correctly. The question is, which Potter?" Simon's fists clenched and he looked on the verge of drawing his wand. But Severus just smiled, as though daring him to try, before strolling to the front of the class and beginning the lesson as though nothing whatever out of the ordinary had happened.
Severus instructed them to create potion to cure boils. Harry found it simple enough, but it seemed that his classmate disagreed. Harry was waiting for his potion to cool, so he could add the porcupine quills, when noticed Longbottom about to drop his own quills in, while potion was still boiling! Harry made a mad grab at Longbottoms hand, shocking the idiot but preventing disaster. He then personally removed Neville's cauldron from the heat. Neville gave him a dumbfounded look, so Harry explained slowly and clearly.
"Let it cool before you add these, or you're going to melt your cauldron." He then pointed his finger at the directions in the book, to make his point. Longbottom gave some sort of nervous nod of thanks. Harry returned to his own potion, just in time to see Simon's potion explode behind him, followed by a cry of pain
Severus was next to Simon in an instant, clearing up the mess with an angry flick of his wand. The smoke cleared, revealing an ugly sight. Simon's face was like a lumpy balloon, swollen and marked by shiny red welts. "TEN POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR! What did you think you were doing? Trying to prove my son wrong? Get out of my class!"
Simon tried to hurry out the room, but only managed a sort of pitiful shuffle, hunched over in pain. The whole class was silent, watching him leave. Harry could not wipe the vicious smile off his face. Simon's condition reminded him of another Potter face, long ago, one that also bore angry red marks. The face he always used to see, reflected in their spotless bathroom mirror. Harry felt that justice was finally being dealt.
"It potions now Potter, not puke." Harry muttered. His Dad walked past at this very moment and replied smoothly, "Indeed."
The rest of the day went fairly well for the triplets. Still, they were grateful when the weekend arrived, especially since it provided their first opportunity to visit Severus privately. Saturday morning found them gathered at the entrance to the dungeons. Harry could sense the other two's trepidation and sympathised.
"He's not going to think differently of us, Violet." Sal said, always the one to just put it out there.
"Who are you trying to convince, me or you?"
"Let's go, guys." Harry interjected, not seeing the point of dwelling on it. They would find out soon enough.
Severus was sitting in his office, waiting. This was not how he thought he would be spending his first week back at Hogwarts. It was a nightmare; three children, three houses. He had hoped that his children would be all sorted into Slytherin, but it was not so. Severus felt the sting of irony, as he remembered once remarking that Potter naming his child after a founder was idiotic, as there was no certainty that the boy would be placed in Gryffindor.
Harry knocked on his father's door. Sal gave Violet a reassuring glance. This was either going to go very good or very bad.
"Enter."
Severus was apparently marking papers, but his quill was unmoving. He took a moment to look up, his eyes shifting from one to the other. His eyes bored into Sal and Violet. Rising from his desk, he walked around it and stood in front of them.
"What did I tell you about leaving things behind when you packed." Severus asked them, coldly. Sal and Violet shot each other a nervous glance. Turning away from them, he pulled out his wand and tapped a single stone on the back wall. The entire section of stone melted away to reveal Severus' personal rooms The walls were lined with bookcases, a candle filled chandelier hung from the ceiling and a single desk was tucked away in the corner, covered with potions bottles and several photos. In the centre of the room sat a dark mahogany coffee table. On the coffee table sat two conspicuous objects.
Severus watched them silently, smirking, as recognition dawned on their faces.
Violet ran to the coffee table, picked up a large case that she knew contained her drawing paper and charcoal. She hugged it to her chest and practically squirmed with pleasure. She had brought a few sheets of paper and some basic charcoal to doodle with, but she had been forced to leave her entire collection behind for lack of room. The case was nearly as big as a medium size trunk, filled with dozens upon dozens of different charcoals, made from different woods and burnt differently. She had all kinds of textures, consistencies and thicknesses, colours ranging from ink-black to smoky gray. Everything she needed to properly draw was right in her fingertips.
Sal just smiled a huge grin of genuine happiness. "Thank you, Dad."
Severus patted his shoulder and Sal went to sit next to Violet on the rug, stroking his newly reacquired guitar as if it was a sleeping lion. Giving it a quick strum he frowned and begun to retune by ear. The instrument seemed to remember his touch and he was soon going through some basic notes and warm up exercises. Harry frowned. As pleased as he felt for them both, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that there was nothing on that table for him.
The triplets spent the next three hours with Severus. Violet made them all hot chocolate, Sal played guitar for awhile, then the two of them had a game of chess. Severus watched the game with interest, noticing how Violet worked with complicated strategies, while Sal played a game of psychological warfare, pushing Violet's buttons until she made a mistake.
Harry took the opportunity to take the arm chair opposite his father and engage him in the conversation he had been looking forward to all day. But of course he had some tact.
"How've your lessons been, dad?"
Severus saw right through the innocent question. "Mostly uninteresting."
Harry got to the point, but kept his face impassive. "I didn't find my potions lesson boring at all."
"The lesson probably wasn't much challenge for you."
Harry rolled his eyes, realising Severus would not broach the subject directly. "Okay, no not really. But I found your performance highly entertaining."
"I found your reaction to Potter's accident very, well, enlightening."
Harry's eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"You have a much sharper desire for revenge than your brother and sister."
Harry's cast a quick look over at the pair, who had begun to argue over whether Sal could take his move back or not. Leaning forward, Harry mumbled to Severus. "Maybe I do. Maybe a deeper hatred is my reward for protecting them." Severus thought he sounded suddenly older, and very bitter.
Harry slumped back in his chair and stared at the stone floor blankly.
"SALAZAR SNAPE!" Violet suddenly yelled, springing over the chessboard like a cat and attempting to pry a chess piece from Sal's clenched fist. Knights and rooks scattered across the floor. Harry watched one of Violet's bishops take advantage of the chaos, sneaking over and assassinating Sal's king. Severus had seen the same thing, and chuckled.
"I don't think that's your reward, Harry." Severus said quietly.
Sal had his arms wrapped around Violet, who was squirming angrily. But he was one of those people, almost impossible to anger, and was laughing cheekily. "What, don't was want a hug from your little bro!" Then he made loud kissing noises.
" I think that," Severus continued, motioning imperceptibly towards Sal and Violet, who was still yelling gutter obscenities at her brother, "would be your reward… If you need one."
Violet finally saw the funny side and smiled wryly. "You're a moron." Which is when he released her and they began cleaning up the mess, finding a squadron of pawns setting up a blockade beneath one of the armchairs.
Harry was silent for a moment. "I don't need a reward, but… everyone deserves a taste of their own medicine. And sometimes Karma needs a helping hand."
Harry suddenly frowned, confused at the course this conversation had taken. He thought Severus was on his side? "What about you, Dad. You seemed to quite enjoy tormenting Potter, yourself. Guess we're a lot alike."
Severus looked at Harry for a moment, weighing up how much he should reveal. He decided to be honest. Violet was busy sketching and Sal's sweet guitar melodies covered their conversation.
"It wasn't merely for fun, Harry. I set you two against each other because I needed to 'see' if Simon thought there was any connection between the Potter triplets and the Snape triplets. In order to do so, I had to bring both subjects to the forefront of his mind."
"And?" The air grew tense as Harry waited for the reply.
"In the beginning, there was some association, I don't know if it was suspicion, though… But your attitudes have changed so significantly within a few short years, he no longer considers you and them with any kind of relation. Also Potter is under the delusion that if his brothers and sister lived, they would want to return to their perfect lives and that they all loved him dearly."
Harry snorted loudly at this.
Violet looked up. "What're you two talking about?"
"Discussing the possibility of Sal ever winning a chess match… withoutcheating." Severus answered smoothly.
Harry took his cue. "I say never. It's just not going to happen. I don't know why he bothers."
"He's not a quitter," Severus replied. Harry detected a note of pride in his voice.
"Good thing, too, with the way the other Hufflepuff's are acting."
Sal's guitar gave a discordant squawk before he stilled the strings. He looked up at Harry with an expression that clearly read; what'd you say that for! Harry realised he was a complete idiot, but it was too late to take back now.
"What do you mean?" Severus asked, staring at his youngest son.
"Nothing much. I guess they just… think he should be in Slytherin." Harry continued, trying to undo some of the damage.
"Is that what they said, Sal?" Severus pressed.
"Something along those lines." Sal confirmed miserably.
"And you, Violet? How are your housemates?"
Violet's face got stormy. "No one likes me or Sal. Because we're Snape's, obviously. And they're right! I don't belong in Ravenclaw, I don't want to be there just as much as they don't want me! But it's not myfault! God they're supposed to be smart, you'd think they'd figure that out for themselves." She ended her outburst by screwing up her drawing and flinging it into the fireplace.
Severus' eyes narrowed dangerously, but all he said was "I see."
The triplets left a short while later. Sal and Violet bounded up the dungeon steps, their newly returned treasures under their arms. Harry followed behind, thinking over the visit. He had an odd feeling that their next potions lesson was going to be just as interesting as the last.
Ok sorry about the wait it's not me or my betas fault that her internet went down so she only got this chapter like a week ago when I sent it to her months ago.
This is one of my favourite chapter so far cause everyone got to love some farther son bonding AND potter bashing YEAH!
Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are going to get it! Also next chapter takes us though flying lessons and past Halloween because I can't do a chapter for each week at Hogwarts the story must progress!
Who liked it? you did that's who so R&R cause you love me and it pushes me forward which I need right now cause chapter 13 is a b''ch!
ANEMPL
