At breakfast the next morning, Severus was quick to pour himself a cup of strong and steaming coffee.

"Good morning, Severus." Minerva sipped on her Earl Grey. "Did you get the 8th years settled in alright last night?"

Severus hummed softly and nodded. "I showed them to their new dormitory and informed them of their new rules. They appeared to appreciate being given their own space and a bit of freedom." He reached for some toast and scrambled eggs. "They were not, however, particularly keen on having fortnightly meetings with me."

Minerva nearly choked on her porridge as Severus' statement brought an unexpected laugh. She cleared her throat with a cough and chuckled.

"You do surprise me."

Severus stared her down with a disapproving expression and said dryly, "Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Minerva."

The headmistress laughed heartily. "Well honestly, Severus, what did you expect? You're not exactly the go-to teacher for tea and sympathy. But more than that, we already knew that they were reluctant to talk about what has happened. I'm hardly surprised that an offer from you didn't magically compel them to change their minds and spill their hearts out."

Severus sighed, "I'm not saying I expected that. I just hadn't anticipated that the reaction would be quite so hostile."

Greying eyebrows rose on the witch's face. "Why? What happened?"

Severus flicked his hand dismissively. "There was general outcry from the whole group; some snarky comments about us checking up on them and treating them like kids. Nothing especially surprising. And then Potter happened." He finished darkly.

Minerva rolled her eyes. "And what did Harry do?"

"He walked out."

"He did?"

"Not in a foot stamping, door slamming way. He just said, quite emphatically, that he was fine and didn't need to talk. Then he excused himself and went to his room."

"Oh. Was he upset?" Minerva asked, sipping on her tea once more.

Severus thought about it for a moment, remembering the way Potter had been the night before. "Not dramatically so. He just had that sombre look that he seems to carry with him these days."

Minerva nodded understandingly. "Yes, I know what you mean. It's like he's completely calm, but at the same time he's deeply sad and oh-so serious."

"He won't get over what happened if he refuses to talk about it."

"I know, Severus, but you can't force him. You just have to be patient and be waiting for him when he is ready to talk about it." Minerva looked up and saw Harry enter the Great Hall with Hermione and Ron in tow and smiled fondly at them. "At least, he's not alone. He has his family."

Severus frowned into his breakfast. "What are you talking about, Minerva? The boy doesn't have any family in the Wizarding World."

"No, Severus, look." Minerva nodded her head towards the Gryffindor Trio and Severus followed her gaze. "He's made his own family. They are his family."

Severus watched Granger put a bread roll on Potter's plate and Weasley poured all three of them juice. The three of them fit together like puzzle pieces that made a picture whole; interpreting and fulfilling each other's needs without even voicing them. Minerva was right, Severus realised: Harry had made his own family. Seeing this waylaid some of Severus' fears for the young saviour; even if he wouldn't talk to Severus, if the boy could talk to and rely on this makeshift family of his, then, whatever else he might have to deal with, at least he wouldn't be alone.


The 8th year class was the only class that day in which Professor Snape chose not to do his usual 'snarling bat of the dungeons' routine. Normally, he put a special effort to be as terrifying as possible in his pupils' first lesson of the year, just to remind them all of how fearsome a teacher he was. But he'd decided that such a performance wasn't necessary for this group of mature students; they were well aware of what kind of teacher he was already and, quite frankly, they had all experienced things far more terrifying than he in the last year anyway.

Instead of his usual bursting through the class doors with a bang, therefore, Severus was already sat at his desk when the students wandered in. They quietened their conversations when they saw him, not having forgotten their Professor's severe classroom manner.

Draco was one of the first in, his shoulders slumped and his eyes fixed to the floor as he made his way to a desk at the back of the room. Severus assessed his depressed figure from his own desk and resolved to keep a close eye on his Godson; as the lone 8th year Slytherin and with his mother and father in Azkaban, the boy had plenty of problems and no one to talk with about them.

The Gryffindors were the last bunch to enter, with the 'Golden Trio' tacked on the end in their own subgroup, though they were by no means late – they wouldn't dare.

Potter glanced up as he crossed the classroom threshold and made eye contact with Severus. The young man held his gaze for a moment and Severus thought he saw something of a flash of regret in Potter's expression before the Gryffindor broke their eye contact with a nod of his head in greeting.

When the class was settled at last, Severus rose from his seat to stand before them, arms folded across his chest.

"I will not patronize you." The Professor began in his drawling tones. "We are all aware that you have faced things far more terrifying in the last year than anything the Defence Against the Dark Arts NEWT has for you." He paused and there were a few agreeing nods around the room. "But." He narrowed his eyes. "This does not mean that you can become complacent." He eyed each of them in turn. "The war is over, but wars have been over before. You have fought monsters and won, but you would be foolish to think that is all that is out there. This world is full of evil, and it is at times such as these, when people think they are safest, that such evil thrives. This is when the damage is done."

Severus let that depressing thought sink in, hoping that some of it would permeate their skulls of naivety. Although, from the looks on their faces, he had perhaps overestimated their naivety.

"What's the point in bothering then?" Finnegan spoke up. "If the evil bastards out there are just gonna keep coming back, like chopping the head off a snake. Is that what you're saying, Sir?"

'Damnit.' Thought Severus, apparently he had overdone it.

"Not at all, Finnegan. I'm not saying there's no point to fighting the evil of our world and I'm not telling you to give up. The world is a scary place, but it is not hopeless. The key here is to be aware of what's going on around you so that you can stop these things before they get out of hand."

"Constant vigilance!" From the back of the room he heard Weasley's remarkably accurate impression of Mad Eye Moody.

Severus allowed the ghost of a smile to pass his lips and quirked an eyebrow at the red-head. "Indeed."

"Now," He continued in his lecturing voice. "You have had many teachers of this subject over the years; most of whom were entirely inadequate. Though, of course, many of you found tutoring elsewhere." He turned his gaze on Potter. "Which appears to have been proficient, given that you are all still here." A faint blush came to Harry's neck at the slight praise and he ducked his head as Snape moved on.

"Before I decide on your syllabus for the year, therefore, I would like to see each of your defence skills in action. You will pair off and duel for the remainder of the lesson. The only spells which are forbidden to you are those which are prohibited by law."

He had them stand on one side of the room so he could move their desks to the back with a swish of his wand. Most had already begun to pair up, but he noticed that Draco stood isolated and the Gryffindor trio were huddled together with no intention of splitting up.

"Granger!" He called out. "You will pair with Mr Malfoy."

Severus had picked Granger because he had expected her to make the least fuss and because he could trust the girl not to kill Draco. He hadn't quite anticipated the reaction that his demand received.

Granger froze; her spine went rigid and her face took on a greyish pallor. Before she could say anything, however, Weasley had exploded in righteous anger.

"There's no way in hell she's pairing with Malfoy!" He stormed. "Pick someone else." His red face demanded.

Snape kept his voice low and dangerous. "Mr Weasley, I do not recall asking for your opinion on the matter. Miss Granger has never had difficulty in making herself heard in class before; if she has a problem with working with Mr Malfoy, she is perfectly capable of telling me herself. Either way, I strongly suggest that you desist with your bellowing in my classroom."

Weasley's fists clenched and Severus anticipated another outburst before Granger's quiet voice intervened.

"It's fine, Ron. I don't mind." She tried to placate the boy, though her face still said that she didn't want to be anywhere near Malfoy.

Weasley must have read her expression as well, for his protests renewed with fresh passion. "No! You shouldn't have to work with him, Hermione. It's not right!"

Despite his confusion over Weasley's outburst, Snape was ready to tear into the boy for disturbing his class. Fortunately for Weasley, Potter stepped in before he could feel the full extent of their Professor's wrath.

Potter reigned Weasley in with a restraining hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's alright, Ron, I'll sort it." He murmured in Ron's ear before turning to their Professor with authority in his stance and voice. "Hermione can pair with Ron. I'll work with Malfoy."

Severus scoffed. "You and Malfoy will duel in my classroom only when I want the room demolished, Potter. What kind of fool do you take me for?"

Potter stared calmly back with no hint of backing down. "I have no problem working with Draco and I promise to destroy neither him nor your room." Harry dared to smirk at Snape before turning serious again. "You can take it or leave it, Professor, but Hermione won't be pairing with Malfoy."

Severus' brow furrowed deeply; he did not appreciate being dictated to in his own classroom. Nonetheless, they had already wasted enough time with this classroom show and admittedly, Severus was rather curious as to how the pairing of Malfoy and Potter would work out.

"Very well." He drawled. "Malfoy, you'll work with Potter, and Merlin help you both if my room isn't still standing in an hour's time."

"Yes, Sir." They both responded dutifully.

"Good." He addressed the class. "Start duelling."

Severus stalked between the duelling partners, observing their technique and assessing their spell-work. Their duels were tame to begin with, mostly jinxes and mild stunners. But, as time went on, and with some encouragement from their Professor, the spells became fiercer, the fights quicker.

Severus noted that they were all at a good standard of defence, which was unsurprising, and had improved, not so much in spell knowledge, but in their duelling speed and fighting instinct since he had last been their Defence professor. Some of the students stood out among the rest, however, as being advanced duellers.

Longbottom was clearly a superior dueller to Miss Chang, with whom he was partnered. The boy flicked away his adversary's attacks with ease, but was considerately gentle in his counter attacks.

Thomas and Finnegan were an interesting pair to watch for the opposing reason. They were so evenly matched, but furthermore, they knew each other so well that they could pre-empt each other's movements and they were aware of their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. From his observations, Severus guessed that they were regular sparring partners. It was good that they were getting regular practice, but it lacked the realism of a true battle, where your opponent's style is unfamiliar.

The most remarkable pairs, however, were at the back of the class. Weasley and Granger were engaged in a furious battle of spells. Where Weasley had the advantage of speed and tactics, Granger had a vast and varied knowledge of defensive spells that kept her opponent on his toes.

And then there was Potter and Malfoy. The long-term adversaries put on a spectacular show. Sparks flew and the air crackled with magic between them. They appeared to be evenly matched, though Severus got the feeling that Potter was going easy on Draco.

For a good 15 minutes Severus had allowed the couples to go back and forth, but now he called their attention to a change in the rules. "Your aim is always to disable your opponent as quickly as possible. Therefore, whoever in your pair successfully captures the other in an Incarcerous wins."

The duelling renewed with fresh vigour as each student attempted to best their partner. The first couple to conclude their fight was Longbottom and Cho, Longbottom having easily caught the girl with a stunner, followed by a quick Incarcerous. Severus liberated Cho with a flick of his wand and instructed them to observe the rest of the class from the side of the room, watching out for wayward spells.

Corner and Boot were the next to finish, Boot having attacked hard but left his own defence vulnerable, followed by Abbot and Bones after Susan made good use of the jelly legs jinx.

The last three couples took advantage of the extra space left by the vacating students as they ducked and dived to avoid each other's hexes. Severus stood at the side of the room with his students so he could observe all the pairs at once. Weasley was the next 8th year to succumb to an Incarcerous. After a fierce round of rapid fire, Granger finally overpowered her boyfriend with three rare spells that the boy had never heard of and that Severus could only imagine from where she had learnt them.

When Finnegan had finally overpowered Thomas, only Harry and Draco were left, and the class and their Professor watched with rapt attention. Severus couldn't help but be impressed with both his students. Their duel was like a choreographed dance; they moved synchronously, an exhibition of grace and power. The pair of them were demonstrating some seriously advanced wand-work, but Severus still had the unexplainable feeling that Potter could do it all without really trying, whereas Draco had concentration etched into his features and was panting with the effort of keeping up with Potter.

Finally, Potter took Malfoy down with an Incarcerous that knocked Draco off his feet. Severus was fully prepared to deal with a spitting Malfoy, furious at having been made to look a fool by Potter. Before Snape could run interference, however, Potter had already released his old nemesis from his bindings and was helping the blonde up off the floor.

"Good fight." Harry said, once Draco had dusted himself down, and held his hand out to the Malfoy heir once more for him to shake.

The class watched the scene unfold with a collectively held breath as Draco looked suspiciously down at the offered hand with narrowed eyes.

Slowly, Malfoy reached out his own hand and grasped Potter's in a firm handshake. "Yeah, good fight." He agreed, and then added with a smirk, "I'll get you next time, Potter."

The other chuckled good-naturedly. "You wish, Malfoy."

The tension in the room was broken like the snap of a wand and the class broke out in excited chatter, happily discussing their duels with each other.

Moving the desks back to their usual positions, Professor Snape called the class to order once more. "Quiet. Go back to your seats."

Severus used the period of bustling noise as the students returned to their seats to mull over all he had just witnessed. Not only had Granger nearly had a panic attack over the idea of working with Malfoy, but Potter had then voluntarily taken her place and proceeded to have a completely fair duel with his old enemy, before they had publically shared a joke and a handshake. Severus had seen it all, so nothing could shock him – nothing. But he could admit to being a little surprised by the day's events – just a little.

"Right," Severus got the class' attention when they were all back in their seats. "You have all proven that you are not completely inadequate at defence; some more so than others. Now, your assignment is to write a 10 inch report on your duel, detailing the spells you used and why they were, or were not, an appropriate choice. Those who lost their duel will write a further 4 inches on where you went wrong and how you should have acted differently. For those who won your duels, your prize is that you can omit this section from your assignment." He paused for the appropriate groans and smug gloating between friends. "The report is due in for your next lesson, which happens to be on Wednesday, but you may start the assignment in the remainder of this lesson."

Severus struggled to cover his smirk at the 8th years' shell-shocked faces. God forbid the evil bat of the dungeons should let them start their assignment in the lesson. Nonetheless, the students eventually overcame their stupor and reached for parchment and quills.

As they started writing, Severus returned to his desk and began arranging the 8th year syllabus based on what he had just witnessed. Thinking about the class, however, proved to be rather distracting for the Professor, who could not get over Potter and Malfoy's apparent truce. Potter had achieved the unimaginable; not only had he forgiven the boy who had been cruel and bullying since he'd known him, but Potter had also managed to make a Malfoy, the most stubborn of breeds, swallow his pride and become a sort of amicable acquaintance of his past nemesis. Severus couldn't understand it, but he was fully determined to get to the bottom of it all. After the lesson, Severus would be having a little chat with Mr Potter.