Chapter 36-New Lessons

*****Severus*****

"Harry, I would like to begin focused work with you this summer on basic defense, given the appalling quality of Defense professors you have had in the last two years. Do you have any specific requests on what you would like to learn or when you would like these lessons to take place?" It was long overdue. The other students, especially Harry's friends, would need additional instruction too but he didn't have time to teach two subjects, and frankly he didn't want to go near the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at least until someone else made it more than a year.

"Um- will it just be book work?" the child asked uneasily. "Because I can't do spell work in the summer, right?" Of course no child liked the idea of more course work.

"The Ministry's trace doesn't work wherever there are able adult wizards in the vicinity. It would not decipher your magic usage from my own or anyone else's in the castle."

Harry's mouth hung open for a moment before it turned to a frown, "So- purebloods and halfbloods can do magic in the summers? But… no one does at the Burrow. And- and isn't that really unfair for the muggleborns?"

Of course it was unfair. "Pureblood and half-blood families who intend to follow the law tend to not tell their offspring about the gaping hole in the Ministry's oversight, but I can't imagine that Fred and George Weasley haven't tried it themselves and seen that they received no missive from the Ministry. They likely do not allow their parents to be the wiser though."

"But- you don't think it's important to follow the law? This law, I mean?"

"In this case, I do not. It is unfortunate that muggleborn and muggle-raised students do not have the opportunity to practice in the summer, but they also do not have a qualified witch or wizard to watch over them if complications were to occur. I wouldn't find many wizarding parents to be competent enough to deal with their own offspring, and the infrastructure does not exist to support optional classes for muggleborns in the summers, nor would many of their parents wish to be parted from their children for longer." But it still wasn't fair.

But Severus couldn't worry about what was fair with a child to protect, so he continued, "You, however, have multiple competent instructors available, as Dora has expressed a wish to help as well. And this training is particularly important for you, as you have been in numerous dangerous situations with no training in defense to speak of, which we will attempt to correct. However, with a summer's worth of instruction, you should not become overconfident or reckless." Giving the boy the false confidence that he could handle anything could be more dangerous than not training him at all. "Does that... seem acceptable to you, Harry?"

"Er- yeah, that sounds great," the child admitted brightly. "I think I'd like Defense if the teachers weren't so..."

"Laughable," Severus supplied, which was rather generous for what he actually thought about the two men Harry had the displeasure of 'learning' from in that subject.

"Yeah."

"Do you- have any particular requests, Harry?"

"Um- whenever is good, and maybe some dueling?"

"That could easily be arranged," Severus promised, pondering over the vague lessons he had sketched out in his mind. He almost missed it when Harry gave him a swift hug, barely patting the child on his shoulder before Harry scurried off, this time to Severus's labs, of course to talk to the snakes.

*****Harry*****

"Tonks! Dad's going to teach me defense stuff, and he said you might want to help. Will you?" Harry asked excitedly as soon as she arrived the evening after Harry's dad had first brought up training. Harry only felt a little silly when his father stepped into the room a moment later.

"Of course, kid. That's something I wish I had at your age. Might have helped me with auror training. But I guess I did okay without it because… I just passed!" she squealed the ending.

"Really? You're done with auror training?" Harry asked eagerly. Being an auror did seem pretty cool.

Tonks deflated a bit, "Well, not exactly. I'm technically a trainee for another year, but I passed all of my assessments, even Stealth and Tracking, and now I can go on patrols, and missions, and join teams. And my new mentor is great, Kingsley Shacklebolt. He's really someone special in the department. I think Mad-Eye set that up for me. They go way back because Mad-Eye was his mentor. And the crazy old man's always had a soft spot for me, and now that he's finally retiring…"

"Congratulations," Harry' father joined in, with a pat on her shoulder before Tonks wrapped him up in a hug and a long kiss. Harry looked away but smiled. Tonks was like that.

"I didn't realize that Alastor Moody was retiring," his father said when Tonks let him go.

"Try harder to contain your glee, will you?" Tonks laughed, "I know you don't like the man. Never asked you too. He never liked me talking about you either, but that didn't stop me. And I think he respected that grudgingly."

Harry's father looked skeptical.

"Believe what you want. Now I believe that I deserve a special dinner in my honour. Will you two gentleman accompany me to the Thee Broomsticks?" Harry smiled.

*****Harry*****

"What electives are you enrolled in for the next term, Harry?" Harry's father asked a Harry was sipping his butterbeer waiting on their food. Tonks and even his father had a butterbeer too.

"I -er haven't turned in the form yet," Harry admitted. "I couldn't decide."

His father frowned, "Professor McGonagall needs that information to create the schedule. It's a complicated process to try to fit every student's request while minimizing the number of classes and fitting them into professors' already full schedules. It is a task that I appreciate isn't mine."

"I'm sorry," Harry said immediately. But… it did seem intimidating to pick classes that could determine which jobs he was eligible for after graduation.

"Minerva will understand," his father dismissed easily. "Which classes are you considering, Harry?"

"Well, er- Ron was thinking about Care of Magical Creatures and Divination, and- we were thinking that we'd pick the same two classes. But Hermione's been planning on me taking Arithmancy with her for a long time. I think she's trying to take almost all of them though. Um… what did you take?"

"Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures," his father replied. "Of course, you should feel under no obligation to do the same."

"What do you think about Divination?"

His father considered seriously, "I think that it would be a poor choice. It is a shaky magic at best. It is rumored that the Ministry tracks thousands of prophesies, most of which haven't occurred at all in the hundreds of years since their telling. And simply learning about such techniques does not grant any abilities. But people have wasted lifetimes and the lives of others over so called 'prophesies' that never needed to happen except for human interference."

"Oh," was all Harry could think to say. That didn't sound very promising.

"And the teacher is a less than pleasant person to deal with. I have had to deal with a few students she has taken a disliking to and persists in predicting their deaths."

That didn't sound fun. And Harry had a bad feeling that he'd become the target for that sort of thing. "Then… maybe I won't take Divination. I- bet that Ron will understand. Why did you pick those two?"

"I was certain at that time that I wanted to work in potions, and those were the most related options. Arithmancy has some application in advanced potions as well at spell development. And Care of Magical Creatures was a logical choice as many parts of magical creatures are used in potions," Harry's father explained.

"So, you always knew you wanted to work with potions?"

Harry's father hesitated and cast a look around before answering, "There were a few years when I lost sight of that, when I was perhaps fifteen to twenty and… fascinated by the dark arts, on the side of spell creation. But even then I cared a great deal for the art of potion making."

"Thank you," Harry said hesitantly, hearing the honesty in his father's words. "Er- what electives did you take, Tonks?"

"Creatures and Muggle Studies. Creatures because it sounded most interesting and possibly applicable to being an auror, and Muggle Studies because I knew I had to focus on my core classes, and since I grew up knowing some muggle stuff- Dad's muggleborns- it sounded easiest."

"How was Muggle Studies?" Harry asked, even though that was one subject he was sure he wasn't taking."

"Fine. It felt sort of like what History of Magic could have been if it wasn't taught by Binns. My third year there was a nice old lady who seemed like everyone's grandmother. I never wanted to ask, but it was rumored that she was a squib."

"She was," Harry's father confirmed off hand.

"And the last two years that I took the class I had, well- Quirrell."

"Quirrell? Professor Quirrell used to teach Muggle Studies?" Harry looked back and forth to his father and Tonks for confirmation.

"Yeah. I- never would have expected him to go so bad. He just seemed like a boring bloke, but he wasn't a bad teacher. I still can't even picture him teaching a class with practicals."

"It was a lot of theory," Harry said slowly, trying to process that information. It made sense, because Hagrid already knew Quirrell well when Harry first met the man in Diagon Alley, even though Quirrell hadn't taught Defense before. Luckily, their food arrived, giving them a break from conversation.

"I think I'll tell Professor McGonagall that I'll take Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy," Harry said after consideration. He caught a smile from his father.

"Sounds good," Tonks commented between bites.

"Yes," Harry's father agreed.

*****Severus*****

"The first element of dueling that you need to master is a decent shield charm," Severus began their first little lesson. Dora was looking as eager as Harry was. They had selected the largest convenient dungeon classroom, and after transfiguring the seating into cushions, the location seemed suitable enough.

"But I already- sorry for interrupting," Harry finished contritely.

"Yes, you have learned the spell and have practiced against another second year opponent. Practicing with peers is a method toward improvement. Working with your betters is a more efficient way, however. Tell me how dueling with myself or Tonks would be different that matching against one of your year mates." Was Dora still 'Miss Tonks?' Simply Dora?

"You'd cast better spells than Expelliarmus. And er- faster too."

"What else? What do you notice when you see adult witches and wizards using magic outside of your classes?"

"Er… Mrs. Weasley uses magic for normal stuff like cooking, I guess, but you don't use magic much for little things. I don't really know what you mean… sorry."

Harry was right- he didn't use magic very much for simple task. His brewing would require it occasionally but… he would probably go days without casting a spell outside of the lab. His teenage self would have been disgusted at how much of his muggle upbringing stuck with him.

"Silent casting. Of course, in your classes, professors speak the incantations aloud to assist in your learning by repetition, but outside of teaching, all of them should cast without speaking. In your sixth year, professors will begin focusing on silent casting. This requires more magical force and control, so it is not expected of younger students, but I believe it should be at least introduced as a concept even to first years. Raw power is another factor of course. It is a complicated matter that wizards spend their life researching with little to show for it. The results are simpler- a stunning spell with more power will keep a target unconscious for a longer period of time."

"That makes sense," Harry accepted easily, "And it would be a lot harder to block a silent spell, because I wouldn't have warning before it was cast." The boy was quick.

"Very good. Now, Dora will be casting spells at you, and I will be giving comments. She will be using a weak mild spell, as it does not cause the delays in practice from disarming charms or stunning spells."

"Makes sense," the boy agreed again, though looking a bit nervous. "Ow!" the boy yelped a moment later. "Hey, you didn't say you'd start."

"Evil witches don't give warning," Dora said smugly. She was enjoying this.

"Fine," Harry said, raising his wand and widening his stance. It wasn't a bad instinct, but not what was needed.

"Feet ready to move," Severus instructed. "You're blocking a spell, not a rock."

As in in apology, Dora was slow and pronounced in her movements, allowing Harry to block her next few spells easily. But if Harry looked too calm or confident, she would send the mild hex so quickly that Severus barely noticed it.

"Practiced wizards don't need to do the full, broad wand movements you were taught," Severus supplied.

They continued for a quarter of an hour, Dora casting curses, gradually moving around the room, forcing Harry to move with her. Harry would block successfully, or more often get stung. Severus would call out instructions when he noticed someone that needed correcting, until Severus thought it had been strenuous enough on the child. He was glad that Harry was still grinning when he sat on the floor where he had been standing.

"Tired?" Severus asked.

"No!" Harry yelped, scrambling to his feet. "I can do more. What's next?"

"I think that will be all for practical demonstration today. You did well, Harry," Severus commented as he started sorting the classroom back to rights with Dora's help.

When Severus turned back to Harry, he was sitting in one of the chairs still left in the room as if this were a formal class. The child was more tired than he would like to admit.

How was he to deliver what he had planned? "Harry, if I were the defense professor, I wouldn't mention this until the NEWTs classes, but there are some things I believe you in particular should know." Severus took a deep breath, "There are a few spells that Protego, or any other shield charm won't stop. The three worst of them are called the Unforgivable Curses, because using them on a human is meant to earn a person life in prison. I wouldn't perform them in front of you, even on the smallest, least developed animal that I would feed to Salazar without a thought. Casting those spells is harmful to the caster as well, and the only way to avoid two of them is to block them with something solid, or to move cleverly enough to avoid getting hit. Do you understand? If faced with the situation, you must do one of those two things."

"Um, what are the spells for them, the incantations, I mean?"

"I'm getting there. They are very difficult to cast, and therefore, unlike almost all other spells in dueling, it is nearly always spoken aloud. The first, Imperio, the Imperius Curse, is the subtlest but no less dangerous. It is the easiest to cast silently, and with no or almost no visible signs. Its effect is to give the caster complete mental control of the victim, to order them to do whatever the caster chooses. It was an excuse used by many Death Eaters after the war, but other innocents were used in that way, many leading to their deaths. It can be fought off, by methods similar to Occlumency, which we will work on when you are ready. I am not trying to scare you, Harry."

"I'm fine," the child answered quickly. "What's next?"

"Crucio, the Cruciatus Curse, is the most intense pain a spell can produce. There is a red light from casting it. Prolonged exposure can lead to permanent damage, up to insanity to the point of requiring institutionalization."

"Okay. And the last one?" Harry asked, this time with more trepidation.

"Avada Kadavra," Severus told him, hating even to say the words, "The Killing Curse. It means instant death to its victim. It is recognized by a green light."

"A green light?" the boy asked shakily. "Did- was that the curse Vol- Riddle used to kill my mother? Because I dream of a green light sometimes… more often when I was younger."

What? But how could he… "Yes, Harry, it was. I'm very sorry you remember that. It is also, as far as anyone can tell, the curse that gave you that scar. You are the only one known to survive the curse, and also the only one to be marked by it. Of course, you would not do anything to risk a second experience. Are you okay, Harry?"

"It's okay. I'm… I'll work really hard on staying away from those sorts of curses, and when I learn to conjure solid things, I'll pay really close attention. Are… you okay?" Harry asked.

"Yes. You did very well in your first lesson, Harry."

"Thank you, Father. Thanks, Tonks," and the boy stepped back hesitantly. He seemed… mostly fine. Better than Severus felt himself.

"Are you alright, Severus?" Dora asked him after Harry had shut the door behind him.

He wouldn't what- break down? Cry? What did he feel? "Just… thinking about those curses. I- wouldn't have thought it possible for Harry to remember that."

"It's a pretty shite thing to remember instead of a lot of happier things. Awful how that can work."

"I went to Godric's Hollow that night, after it was all over."

"I'm sure that was terrible, Severus. I'm so sorry," and he loved the way she said it, as empathetic as anyone could be without having lived through the same. Not pity.

"I knew she and Potter were dead before I got there. My spells wouldn't have been able to find the place otherwise. They were kept under a Fidelius Charm, and nothing would break that except the death of the occupants of the house, not even the death of the Secret Keeper."

"I'm sorry, Severus."

"I felt a pain in my mark, but only for a moment, and then… it faded to be just like it is now. I- knew something had happened, maybe even that he had died. I- thought to check on her because- because of the information I gave- Riddle, but I- hadn't expected my spells to find the house."

Severus paused, but Dora didn't say anything, which was probably best.

"I found her in what was clearly a nursery. I cried for- I don't know how long over her body. I left when I heard others apparating to the house and I managed to pull myself together. But I did nothing for the living, crying child. What kind of human does that?"

"A grieving one."

"I could have been meeting my son for the first time, even if I didn't know who he was, I could have done… something. But I didn't care. I was lucid enough to contemplate the workings of the Fidelius charm that it was not kept intact by the living infant inhabitant, to wonder if perhaps the child did die for a moment, but I didn't try to comfort the boy. And he remembered that night!" Severus said in a quiet whimper. He didn't want Harry to hear.

"I don't think he remembers that, Severus."

"It doesn't matter!" even in his agitated state, Severus stayed quiet. "I was a cruel bastard. How could I have claimed to love that woman if I didn't give a damn about her child? How can you stand to be around me? You should be off finding some… young uncomplicated twat who's at least capable of love." The fact that his last statement was one of the most selfless things he had ever said reflected poorly on his first several decades of life.

"Severus, you know you love Harry very much."

"Only because he was my son. I hated him before. The boy didn't change."

"I know, Severus."

"I'm too old to change," he said stubbornly

"You're not old." She didn't tell him that he had already changed. But he had, hadn't he? She wouldn't push him. He… appreciated that about her.

A/N: The scene of Severus crying over Lily's body is not in the books (though I honestly had to search the Prince's Tale chapter to confirm it), so it is purely a fabrication of the movies, and I don't consider it canon. However, I do think it was very well done, probably the best scene that was in the movies that wasn't actually from the books. It shows as near as possible to perfectly the nature of canon Severus Snape, weeping over Lily's body and completely ignoring the innocent, helpless infant. If he went down the path of my story though, I believe he would come to greatly regret that. So I inferred a bit about the nature of the Fidelius charm to bridge the gap.

Also, thank you so much for all the support. I'm almost at 500 reviews, which is still crazy to me. What floors me most is the more than 900 followers. Thank you so much!