[A/N]: Wow, over 200 reviews, I'm so excited! Thanks to all who reviewed
the last chapter: Kate Wisdom, Angel Baby, Mikee, Lily, Iniysa, jstarz927,
Saavik, Ariana Deralte, morgaine, travelgirl, and fizzysoda. I really
appreciate it! Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome. In
answer to queries and comments:
jstarz927: Patience, my friend! Voldemort will play a role eventually, never fear. This will be an angsty fic, but I don't plan to make it as dark as some I've come across. I just couldn't bear to torture Rowling's lovely cast of characters...too much!
Saavik: Will Sev let Harry tell Lupin? Well now, if I told you that, it'd spoil the plot for you, now wouldn't it? (*grins*) Lupin, will, of course, have a significant role, and he is going to know the truth- at some point! Can't say much more than that, though!
Ariana Deralte: Yes, I thought it was high time Harry had a nice long chat with some adult about what his mother was like. Poor kid, never having known anything about his parents!
morgaine: Sirius will definitely play an important part in this fic. How big, I haven't decided yet. And as for the time span, that remains to be seen.
Lily: Thanks for the feedback! A cure for Sev's Dark Mark or a potion to destroy Voldie? Hmm. We'll see.
Mikee, Angel Baby, and Kate Wisdom: One of the best fics out there, eh? Aww, thanks, I'm so flattered! (*blushes, shuffles feet and stares at floor in pleased embarassment*)
Bellum Domesticum
Chapter 13: Temptamine
Harry got through the rest of the week in a sort of daze, automatically going to classes and completing homework without really noticing what he was doing. He pored over the Daily Prophet every day at breakfast, looking for any news on the status of the Dementors of Azkaban, but there appeared to be none. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed this amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of it. Harry insisted that his vision had occurred in the same manner as his previous ones, and they had all been images of actual events. So why hadn't the Daily Prophet included an article about the Dementors?
"Well, it's quite obvious, isn't it, really?" said Hermione.
"What do you mean, 'Mione?" asked Ron with an air of long-suffering patience.
"Fudge is making the reporters keep quiet. He doesn't want to believe that You-Know-Who has returned, remember? And stop calling me that!"
"Great," groaned Harry. Out of habit, he started to push his glasses back up his nose before realising he wasn't wearing them anymore. "There's probably so much more going on out there that we don't know about because Fudge must be covering it up!"
"I just can't believe that he'd misuse his office so much as to withold information like this from the public!" fumed Hermione. "We have a right to know what's happening! This just as rotten a crime as the condition of house-elves-"
Fearing where this conversation was leading, Ron hurriedly changed the subject before Hermione brought up S.P.E.W.
School continued as usual, despite the trio's anxiety. As all three of them were stressed out over current events, any extra stress exhibited by Harry was able to pass by unnoticed. He hadn't seen his father since being told off, so it was easy to put the man out of mind. After a couple of days, Harry even calmed down enough to stop panicking inwardly every time Snape's name was mentioned. However, the next Potions class was approaching, and Harry grew increasingly apprehensive. This would be the real test of his acting abilities.
He needn't have worried.
It was only a single hour of Potions; the fifth years only had double Potions once a week. Still, as Ron always said, one hour was bad enough. Ignoring the students' groans of dismay, Snape had given them a pop quiz on the potion they had brewed last class. They were supposed to list the ingredients and give a brief description of the properties of each.
This shouldn't be too bad, thought Harry. He had aced that potion, after all. Dipping his eagle-feather quill into the ink bottle that rested on his desk, he began writing. A short time later, he finished describing the properties of the final ingredient and set down his quill on top of the parchment with relief. Looking around, he saw to his amazement that the entire rest of the class was still struggling with the quiz. Well, not everyone was- Hermione finished not long after he did- but the other students were gazing down at their parchments blankly in an effort to remember an ingredient or property. Some were biting the ends of their quills or drumming fingers on desks in nervous desperation.
Harry remained quiet at his desk, waiting for everyone else to finish. It didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. Snape, at his desk in the front of the classroom, was occupied grading homework assignments. Finishing the one he was working on, the Potions Master set the stack of parchments aside and surveyed the class.
"All right, time's up. I'll be collecting your parchments now."
There was a chorus of grumbling and protest, which was pointedly ignored by the Professor. He began to move from desk to desk, collecting quizzes from students who (with the exception of Harry and Hermione) shook their heads or slouched lower in their seats in despair. Snape tutted in condescending disbelief, slender dark eyebrows arched, as he glanced at some of the responses he saw on the quizzes.
"Honestly, Mr. Finnegan. You should know by now that most potions have more than just three ingredients. This particular potion is supposed to have twelve."
Seamus' freckled face flushed in embarassment as the Slytherins tittered. Other students could be seen wincing as they realised they hadn't listed all the ingredients, either.
"And Miss Granger, I believe I asked for brief descriptions, not a textbook analysis. I really ought to take points off."
The Slytherins looked smug and hopeful at this. Ron, on the other hand, had bristled and was glaring at Snape furiously. The other Gryffindors also looked resentful. Harry, too, was none too pleased at the professor's attitude. The boy knew Hermione was nothing if not a dedicated, hard worker. He had seen Hermione memorising all the information she could get her hands on about that potion and its ingredients. But Snape's next comment did far more to displease Harry, to say the least.
"Ah, how could we forget our dear Mr. Potter? I do feel obliged to comment upon this piece of work- if it can be called that. Really, your parents would be ashamed of you."
Harry glowered but remained silent, steadily meeting his father's dark-eyed gaze. That last comment was especially cruel- it would have been even if they hadn't found out the truth. Was Snape saying he was ashamed of Harry? The Potions Master hovered menacingly before Harry's desk.
"I find it hard to believe that a student such as you- who has passed Potions every year by the skin of his teeth- could complete an assignment worthy of full marks, such as this appears to be. I don't know how you managed to see Granger's paper from where you're seated, but I can come to no other conclusion than that you must have cheated."
At this, Harry's jaw dropped in shock- as did Hermione's and quite a few other people's. Snape didn't really think Harry had cheated, did he? Quickly, though, Harry felt his shock replaced by indignant anger.
"I didn't cheat!"
Snape brought his face close to Harry's, black eyes locking onto green in a battle of wills.
"Don't lie to me, Potter," growled Snape, a dangerous tone in his voice.
Before Harry could retort, Hermione piped up: "He didn't cheat, Professor! He wouldn't, I'm sure of it! I really think he knew the material; he's been studying really hard lately, and-"
"Be quiet, Granger! This is between me and Potter."
"But sir, he didn't-"
"Did I not just tell you to be quiet, Granger? That's ten points from Gryffindor you've lost!"
It looked as though Hermione was torn between breaking down and weeping in frustration or hitting Snape as she had once hit Malfoy. The bushy-haired witch's eyes were watering, and her hands were clenched into fists by her sides. The situation was so unfair that Harry would've liked to hit Snape as well- even if the man was his father. Ron's expression was one of pure fury. It looked as though the Weasley temper was about to boil over at any moment.
"She was only standing up for him, how can you take points off for that! And I don't believe Harry cheated, either!" burst out the redhead.
"Detention, Weasley. I don't want to hear another word from you today. And as for you, Potter, we'll be taking this matter to the Headmaster. Class dismissed. Weasley, Potter, stay behind."
Suddenly something clicked inside Harry's brain. Snape must've planned this whole thing out, he realised. It was part of the game. Accusing Harry of cheating was perfectly in character for Snape, plus it gave the Potions Master an excuse to meet with both Harry and Dumbledore at the same time. Still, the incident angered Harry. Not only was the accusation humiliating and false, but Snape was doing the exact thing he had told Harry off about: attracting attention. He'd better have had a good reason, Harry growled to himself.
End Chapter
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[A/N]: What IS Severus up to, the crazy man? What happens at the meeting with Dumbledore? Find out next chapter! In the meantime, PLEEZE review!
jstarz927: Patience, my friend! Voldemort will play a role eventually, never fear. This will be an angsty fic, but I don't plan to make it as dark as some I've come across. I just couldn't bear to torture Rowling's lovely cast of characters...too much!
Saavik: Will Sev let Harry tell Lupin? Well now, if I told you that, it'd spoil the plot for you, now wouldn't it? (*grins*) Lupin, will, of course, have a significant role, and he is going to know the truth- at some point! Can't say much more than that, though!
Ariana Deralte: Yes, I thought it was high time Harry had a nice long chat with some adult about what his mother was like. Poor kid, never having known anything about his parents!
morgaine: Sirius will definitely play an important part in this fic. How big, I haven't decided yet. And as for the time span, that remains to be seen.
Lily: Thanks for the feedback! A cure for Sev's Dark Mark or a potion to destroy Voldie? Hmm. We'll see.
Mikee, Angel Baby, and Kate Wisdom: One of the best fics out there, eh? Aww, thanks, I'm so flattered! (*blushes, shuffles feet and stares at floor in pleased embarassment*)
Bellum Domesticum
Chapter 13: Temptamine
Harry got through the rest of the week in a sort of daze, automatically going to classes and completing homework without really noticing what he was doing. He pored over the Daily Prophet every day at breakfast, looking for any news on the status of the Dementors of Azkaban, but there appeared to be none. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed this amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of it. Harry insisted that his vision had occurred in the same manner as his previous ones, and they had all been images of actual events. So why hadn't the Daily Prophet included an article about the Dementors?
"Well, it's quite obvious, isn't it, really?" said Hermione.
"What do you mean, 'Mione?" asked Ron with an air of long-suffering patience.
"Fudge is making the reporters keep quiet. He doesn't want to believe that You-Know-Who has returned, remember? And stop calling me that!"
"Great," groaned Harry. Out of habit, he started to push his glasses back up his nose before realising he wasn't wearing them anymore. "There's probably so much more going on out there that we don't know about because Fudge must be covering it up!"
"I just can't believe that he'd misuse his office so much as to withold information like this from the public!" fumed Hermione. "We have a right to know what's happening! This just as rotten a crime as the condition of house-elves-"
Fearing where this conversation was leading, Ron hurriedly changed the subject before Hermione brought up S.P.E.W.
School continued as usual, despite the trio's anxiety. As all three of them were stressed out over current events, any extra stress exhibited by Harry was able to pass by unnoticed. He hadn't seen his father since being told off, so it was easy to put the man out of mind. After a couple of days, Harry even calmed down enough to stop panicking inwardly every time Snape's name was mentioned. However, the next Potions class was approaching, and Harry grew increasingly apprehensive. This would be the real test of his acting abilities.
He needn't have worried.
It was only a single hour of Potions; the fifth years only had double Potions once a week. Still, as Ron always said, one hour was bad enough. Ignoring the students' groans of dismay, Snape had given them a pop quiz on the potion they had brewed last class. They were supposed to list the ingredients and give a brief description of the properties of each.
This shouldn't be too bad, thought Harry. He had aced that potion, after all. Dipping his eagle-feather quill into the ink bottle that rested on his desk, he began writing. A short time later, he finished describing the properties of the final ingredient and set down his quill on top of the parchment with relief. Looking around, he saw to his amazement that the entire rest of the class was still struggling with the quiz. Well, not everyone was- Hermione finished not long after he did- but the other students were gazing down at their parchments blankly in an effort to remember an ingredient or property. Some were biting the ends of their quills or drumming fingers on desks in nervous desperation.
Harry remained quiet at his desk, waiting for everyone else to finish. It didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. Snape, at his desk in the front of the classroom, was occupied grading homework assignments. Finishing the one he was working on, the Potions Master set the stack of parchments aside and surveyed the class.
"All right, time's up. I'll be collecting your parchments now."
There was a chorus of grumbling and protest, which was pointedly ignored by the Professor. He began to move from desk to desk, collecting quizzes from students who (with the exception of Harry and Hermione) shook their heads or slouched lower in their seats in despair. Snape tutted in condescending disbelief, slender dark eyebrows arched, as he glanced at some of the responses he saw on the quizzes.
"Honestly, Mr. Finnegan. You should know by now that most potions have more than just three ingredients. This particular potion is supposed to have twelve."
Seamus' freckled face flushed in embarassment as the Slytherins tittered. Other students could be seen wincing as they realised they hadn't listed all the ingredients, either.
"And Miss Granger, I believe I asked for brief descriptions, not a textbook analysis. I really ought to take points off."
The Slytherins looked smug and hopeful at this. Ron, on the other hand, had bristled and was glaring at Snape furiously. The other Gryffindors also looked resentful. Harry, too, was none too pleased at the professor's attitude. The boy knew Hermione was nothing if not a dedicated, hard worker. He had seen Hermione memorising all the information she could get her hands on about that potion and its ingredients. But Snape's next comment did far more to displease Harry, to say the least.
"Ah, how could we forget our dear Mr. Potter? I do feel obliged to comment upon this piece of work- if it can be called that. Really, your parents would be ashamed of you."
Harry glowered but remained silent, steadily meeting his father's dark-eyed gaze. That last comment was especially cruel- it would have been even if they hadn't found out the truth. Was Snape saying he was ashamed of Harry? The Potions Master hovered menacingly before Harry's desk.
"I find it hard to believe that a student such as you- who has passed Potions every year by the skin of his teeth- could complete an assignment worthy of full marks, such as this appears to be. I don't know how you managed to see Granger's paper from where you're seated, but I can come to no other conclusion than that you must have cheated."
At this, Harry's jaw dropped in shock- as did Hermione's and quite a few other people's. Snape didn't really think Harry had cheated, did he? Quickly, though, Harry felt his shock replaced by indignant anger.
"I didn't cheat!"
Snape brought his face close to Harry's, black eyes locking onto green in a battle of wills.
"Don't lie to me, Potter," growled Snape, a dangerous tone in his voice.
Before Harry could retort, Hermione piped up: "He didn't cheat, Professor! He wouldn't, I'm sure of it! I really think he knew the material; he's been studying really hard lately, and-"
"Be quiet, Granger! This is between me and Potter."
"But sir, he didn't-"
"Did I not just tell you to be quiet, Granger? That's ten points from Gryffindor you've lost!"
It looked as though Hermione was torn between breaking down and weeping in frustration or hitting Snape as she had once hit Malfoy. The bushy-haired witch's eyes were watering, and her hands were clenched into fists by her sides. The situation was so unfair that Harry would've liked to hit Snape as well- even if the man was his father. Ron's expression was one of pure fury. It looked as though the Weasley temper was about to boil over at any moment.
"She was only standing up for him, how can you take points off for that! And I don't believe Harry cheated, either!" burst out the redhead.
"Detention, Weasley. I don't want to hear another word from you today. And as for you, Potter, we'll be taking this matter to the Headmaster. Class dismissed. Weasley, Potter, stay behind."
Suddenly something clicked inside Harry's brain. Snape must've planned this whole thing out, he realised. It was part of the game. Accusing Harry of cheating was perfectly in character for Snape, plus it gave the Potions Master an excuse to meet with both Harry and Dumbledore at the same time. Still, the incident angered Harry. Not only was the accusation humiliating and false, but Snape was doing the exact thing he had told Harry off about: attracting attention. He'd better have had a good reason, Harry growled to himself.
End Chapter
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[A/N]: What IS Severus up to, the crazy man? What happens at the meeting with Dumbledore? Find out next chapter! In the meantime, PLEEZE review!