Chapter Ten: White Light

AN from SonofLuffy: I like Snape's demeanor in this update, anyone else?
Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter or anything relevant or recognisable.

In the great hall, Harry, Malfoy, Blaise, and Rockwell were eating breakfast. Blaise had his nose deep in a book, and Rockwell was trying to eat his meal whilst playing "wizard chess" with his brother. Harry enjoyed watching, as it was a game he was already familiar with, but with the twist, pieces graphically destroying one another when they moved. Draco was still going on about 'how awesome they were the day prior' with Pansy and Millicent on either side of him, swooning. As Draco talked, Harry noticed every now and then, he would look over at the Gryffindor table.

However, Harry spent most of breakfast pushing food around his plate, lost in his own head. Finally he got itchy, excused himself and left. He had a touch of time left, so he headed to the infirmary.

As Harry walked into the infirmary, he saw Neville laying in a bed to his left. Approaching the boy who was practically in a full body-cast, Harry cleared his throat. "Hey there Neville…"

Nevile stirred slowly, barely able to adjust himself, to meet Harry's gaze. "Oh hi, Harry Potter. You will forgive me for not shaking your hand, I trust?" The oddly cheerful boy joked, a grin wide on his face, "So what brings you to my little slice of heaven?"

Fishing through his pocket, Harry produced the remembrall, and sat in on the side table. "I managed to retrieve this for you. How are you feeling?" Harry asked, almost wincing as Neville painfully pulled himself up to get a better look at the remembrall.

Taking it in his hand, the smoke began to run red, and Neville laughed till he hurt, "Well, I guess I forgot. Madame Pomfrey tells me I should be able to walk again within a month. You see, I guess most of my bones were broken in the fall- I do not think to be trying flying lessons again, safe to be said." Harry smiled. It was rather hard not to, when faced with such optimism, but also, that meant his dream was not real.

He stayed to talk with Neville a few minutes longer before he had to leave to get to class. On his way, he ran into Blaise, who looked rather confused. "Harry," he started, "Do you know how to get to potions from here?" he asked "I fear ve vill be late."

Harry looked back and forth and pointed up. "That corridor looks like it might cut over!" he deduced, and they bolted up the stairwell and up another, and through the right hand side door.

The hallway was dark. Unnaturally so. Candles were lit, but there were no windows, and the candle light seemed to radiate barely inches from each flame. Every time Harry would look at the walls, they would appear closer or farther than the last time, as if either it had a dilapidated frame, or the walls themselves were closing in on the boys. Almost halfway through, they arrived at a solid wooden door, which appeared to be bolted and locked tight. Blaise and Harry looked at each other, but in an instant, a torch brazier behind them ignited in a huge boisterous blaze, and a deafening roar expounded from behind the door. The boys, in unison, screamed, and sprinted madly for the door on the other end.

Blaise was right, and they were a few minutes late to potions. Both boys were convinced that their minds were playing tricks on them.

After several cruel worlds and humiliating insults, finished with a nice sharp smack on the cheek, Snape ordered the boys to their seats, as he continued the lesson. Blaise seemed rather upset from being struck, but Harry was used to much worse, and found this restraint to be awfully refreshing.

Today's lesson was some nonsense about turning lead into gold, and Harry was thoroughly uninterested in such trivial matters, instead opting to read the potion book in search for other, more interesting topics. For a first year wizard, Professor Snape sure was quite the alchemist. There are potions for turning botflies into bugbears, pranking classmates with blue skin, and even pulling on a dragon's heartstrings.

After class, Harry lingered behind, as did Draco, but was less obvious in his act. Severus approached young Harry, and raised an eyebrow. "Potter, just because that book simplifies… most topics… we will be discussing here… it does not give you a free pass… to not… pay… attention." Severus's common dour face appeared inquisitive, yet almost angry. "In the future you would do wise to pay heed to every word I say, regardless of whether or not you find it… interesting. It would not do …to lose your mind… this early into your schooling."

"Actually, professor," Harry retorted quickly, "I have a thought to ask you about that, yourself. I cannot help but notice how your mind tends to stray in common conversation. You show a blank look that would appear as if you had lost consciousness, but you regain yourself almost immediately. There is mention of such conditions in your potions book, and if I were not too bold for asking, would question if you were referring to yourself, as you noted that 'absence migraines' have been linked to serious health concerns." Snape's stoic demeanor faltered briefly, as he was aghast, that the boy was so taken as to be concerned, and actually try to study to help him.

But in his usual candor, Severus did not break stride, and with his momentary lapse in awareness, regained himself. He fidgeted, adjusting his collar, and craned his neck to the side, dismissively. "It is not something that you should concern yourself with. I… appreciate your concern, but no. Such musings were not about me, but of a friend, who has since succumbed to his time." Snape was rather believable, and Harry acknowledged the possibility, but was not entirely convinced. He, regardless, nodded in agreement, apologized for overstepping himself, and for not focusing.

As Harry turned to go, Draco brushed past him, placing his arm around Harry's shoulders, to pull him back around to face Severus. Draco had his usual arrogant aura and supercilious smile. "Professor, I was hoping that you could provide me, and my Friend Harry, here, some additional training in potions. We are both quite the fans of your work, and would benefit less from any other tutor known to the ministry." Draco grinned widely, almost bowing before Severus, with his arms still around Harry, pulling him down, intentionally. Harry grinned as well, realizing, for as proud and as rude as Draco could be, he also knew how to act properly when such things were called for. He was quite the orator.

Snape grew his usual half smile, fully aware of where the young Malfoy had learned to entreat as such, and his own benefit in including Harry in his request. He had hoped that no one would realize his attention to the boy, but it did not seem as if it could be helped. "Yes, yes, but run along now before you both get another detention." The boys looked up and at each other, smiling from ear to ear, and they scurried away.

-end-of-chapter-

What do you think detention holds? Concerned for Snape? Please leave a review with questions, comments, concerns, etc in the review box below. Thanks for reading!