Title: Reexamining Things
Rating: K
Summary: This is a story of Harry Potter shattering what everyone thinks about him and their first impressions. Based on the First Impressions challenge posted by PyroChilde on Potions and Snitches.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of J.K Rowling's characters and I'm not making any money off of this.
To Rainbow2007: Thanks for your review.
To Ginnylove9990: I totally agree. Going Death Eater didn't help them in the slightest.
To murdrax: I totally agree.
To peruser: Don't it surprise most that people will talk about how good they are but then they'll entertain one evil thought and they lower themselves down to the very people that they believe are evil. Dumbledore and the Gryffindors that attacked Harry are no better then DE's because they entertained an idea and while Dumbledore didn't attack Harry the very spirit of the idea that Harry isn't the savior of the Wizarding World seem to reach them and they played on the idea that since Harry isn't the savior and not in a house of the light that they could do whatever they wanted and no consequences would happen.
To almightyswot: I guess you read the challenge as well. Thanks.
To Thera-Rocklynn: Thanks, I will, and I hope that you have a wonderful day as well.
To Luiz4200: Of course there's hope for Ron.
To Deby Magid: Sorry about being evil, I'll try and be good next time.
To notwritten: Thanks for your review and I totally agree.
To Jim Red Hawk: Lol, I don't have a metal. Though my mother might.
To sjrodgers: You welcome.
Chapter 11: McGonagall's Addiction
The month of January ended and February started. With no Potter around for anyone to talk about things seem to quiet down. For Snape it was just a plain nightmare. Potter was starting to turn to the bright spot in a rather unhappy week and with him in gods know where all he had to put up with was dunderheads. True with Granger in Slytherin he had another promising Potions Master but she lacked what Potter had, a deep understanding of the subject.
Soon he had another problem on his hand, Professor McGonagall. He had just ordered a giant batch of catnip for a Cat Reversal Potion that he was brewing and one Saturday he came in to find half of it gone. He knew that he hadn't used any but half of it was gone.
"Why is this happening to me?" Snape asked himself.
He thought, at first, that a student had broken into his privet stores when he noticed that McGonagall was acting a little odd. She slurred during Transfiguration to the point that she actually passed out. Granger alerted Madam Pomfrey, who came to see what had happened.
"She dead drunk," Pomfrey reported during a emergency staff meeting.
"Any idea what she could of drunk?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'll find out," Madam Pomfrey said.
Of course that didn't sound like something that Professor McGonagall would do, get herself so drunk that she couldn't teach but sure enough the next day she was drunk again and Snape was determined to figure out how she had managed to get alcohol into the school. He, himself, had a small bottle of brandy but he only drank during the weekends or holidays and not enough to make him unable to stand. He entered the office and didn't notice anything, at first, and then he smelled something. Taking out his wand he used it to tap his way and then suddenly the wand went through something.
He pull it out and then pushed it back in, it went through. Figuring that this was a doorway he went through and what he saw at once explained how come half of his catnip was gone. McGonagall was drinking a wine from the catnip plant and from the smell it was strong stuff.
"Oh great, I've got another version of my father," Snape said but he went to report what he had discovered.
This didn't go over well with Dumbledore who was still under stress for what happened in St. Mungo. He summoned a very sober Deputy Headmistress, telling her what Snape had found.
"What right did Severus have to go into my office," McGonagall told them.
"He was trying to find out why you've not been doing your job," Dumbledore told her.
"Minerva, you're my friend and I'm worried about you."
"But you're not worried about Potter," McGonagall countered, "When he's hurt you only care about him when others are around or if it's going to make you look bad."
"Minerva, I care about the war that I know is coming up," Dumbledore said, "When Harry was sorted into Slytherin I knew that I had been wrong about who Voldemort had marked."
"You're the one that's wrong," McGonagall said, "I know that you don't give a damn about Potter only yourself. So stop pretending that you care, you don't."
And she stormed out.
"Watch her," Dumbledore ordered.
"Fine," Snape said, though he did agree with Minerva.
Naturally if Snape thought that his troubles were over he was wrong. All the families of those that had attacked Harry had appealed to have a trial, which they were granted. Snape figured that a lot of money had passed, though he wasn't sure how Arthur Weasley had managed that. Snape figured that if you're desperate to keep your sons out of Azkaban money will magically appear. So that meant that Snape had to forget about watching Minerva and focus on surviving being in the same room with three Dementors.
"I want to see Harry Potter," Mr. Weasley said.
"Mr. Potter is in a safe location," said Madam Bones. "Until we know that he won't get attacked while be treated you can't see him."
"I heard that Dumbledore doesn't believe that Potter is the savior because he's in Slytherin."
Snape wondered where he had heard that from.
"I personally don't care what Headmaster Dumbledore thinks," Madam Bones snapped, her anger apparent, "This is a trial based on the attack of your daughter and several others on Mr. Potter's person. That's the crime and those are the charges."
"Well I think that Potter should be here," said Mr. Wood.
"No, Potter won't be here," Madam Bones said, "Tea, the Truth Potion."
Snape watched as a short Auror gave Oliver Wood three drops and then the questioning started.
"I'm most pleased that Dumbledore has finally seen sense and stopped treating Potter like he's someone special," Lucius Malfoy said.
"I'm afraid that he might end up seeing his so-called error," Snape told him, "Like that will stop our Master from returning, if he does."
"I doubt that the Dark Lord will ever come back," Malfoy said. "So how's spying over the little brat."
"A nightmare," Snape answered, "He shows some promise but I highly doubt that it will continue next year. He's just like is damn father."
"Well I'm glad that you're still the same Snape," Malfoy said, "From what my son has said-."
"Your son has ruined Slytherin's reputation with his complete disregard of the rules that I set out for him," Snape cut in, "I won't have him doing it again."
"Surely my son isn't that bad," Malfoy said.
"No, he's worse," Snape said, "Now if you don't mind I have a school to return to."
And Malfoy watched him leave.
"Someone told Mr. Bell that you don't consider Potter the savior of our world anymore,"
Snape told Dumbledore when he had gotten back.
"It might have leaked," Dumbledore told him, and then put a lemon drop in his mouth.
"My Gods, man, do you have any idea that you're opening him up to being attacked by those that are still loyal to the Dark Lord."
"Severus, I still care about the boy's safety but all the evidence is there that Harry isn't the savior," Dumbledore said, "First, he isn't in Gryffindor. Who ever heard of someone defeating Voldemort and that person being in Slytherin."
"How about Sirius brother," Snape said, "He died strangely."
"There was no evidence that Regulus ever left Voldemort's side," Dumbledore said, "Good god, Severus, all we know is that he failed to do something and Voldemort killed him or had it done on his orders."
"Well I still find Regulus death strange," Snape said.
"And I still think your wrong," Dumbledore said, "But I'll let you know my decision and the steps that I'm going to take."
Snape had one very bad feeling about this.
When he headed back to his quarters he thought over all that had happened. Dumbledore didn't want to see the truth and Longbottom was most likely going to have to be put in a position that he didn't want to be in. Snape felt sorry for him. The next day Snape apperated to Privet Drive and he saw the wards, bright blue in color. Snape raised his wand and added his own wards and then left. If Dumbledore decided to remove the ones that he had placed at least the house would be protected and so would Potter.
"So their all heading for Azkaban," Dumbledore said to Bones when she came to report.
"Yes," Madam Bones said, "Now what have I heard that you don't consider Mr. Potter to be our savior."
"Well he's in Slytherin," Dumbledore told her, "And we know that nothing good comes from that house."
"What about you're Potions Master," Bones said.
"He's only loyal to me because I have something over his head," Dumbledore told her, "The moment that he hears that Voldemort is back he'll change sides. I'm still watching him, though he doesn't know that I am."
Madam Bones nodded.
"So who is our savior?" Bones asked.
"I'm thinking about Neville," Dumbledore said to her, "Though I'm not sure yet."
"And your willing to have some of us change our minds, not protect Mr. Potter," Bones said. "A lot will say that you have to do more then just say that Mr. Potter isn't the savior for people to believe it."
"I'll tell you the moment Potter takes the Dark Mark."
"I hope that you're wrong about this, Albus," Bones said.
"I'm never wrong," Dumbledore said, though most would say that he was wrong about that.
"Well I'll hold you to that," Bone said and then she left his office.
Snape was very happy to hear, from Dumbledore, that Oliver Wood and the rest were heading to Azkaban. However he knew that the danger wasn't over to Potter. Dumbledore was getting close in making his decision and he would have to be willing to go against two Masters to protect a child that had no say in what happened with his life.
Note: Stupid, stupid, Dumbledore. Does he actually think that Harry would take the Dark Mark after what Voldemort did to his parents? I'll post tomorrow.