CHAPTER THREE-TO DIAGON ALLEY
Harry tried to say "hello" but no sound came out. So he just mouthed it to the person in the doorway. This was the last person Harry would have expected to pick him up. Didn't Dumbledore know that Harry had never gotten along with him? They had been mortal enemies since Harry's first day at Hogwarts.
"Well Potter, is this how you normally greet visitors at your house? Women nearly fainting at the sign of someone at the door?" sneered the greasy haired Snape.
"No. Sorry Professor," said Harry trying to dismiss the situation. Harry had the feeling that potions would be a lot worse this year. He would be hearing many more mockeries and ridicules about his muggle family than even Malfoy could throw at him.
"Would you like to come in?" Harry gestured, trying to look pleasant.
"No, I just love standing in doorframes all day," Snape said sarcastically.
He walked into the little hallway. He was in his usual black cloak. His hair was a little longer, now it lay just below his chin. He looked weaker though. His eyes were dull and had small bags under them. He no longer held the sharp and cold gaze that he normally had. His hand was clutched around the golden handle of an empty, black, canvas bag. The light shone on his disgusting hair, making the oil more obvious under the electric lights than it had ever been under the candlelight in the castle. His eyes darted around the environment. No doubt he was absorbing every detail to ridicule Potter with during class. He gave a small nod of the head to Aunt Petunia, who looked like she was about to run out of the house and down the block screaming bloody murder.
"Well? Are you going to get your things boy? I swear you are worse than Longbottom," the cold, cruel voice said with a snide.
Without saying anything Harry ran upstairs to get his trunk. He caught one more glance of Aunt Petunia's face before leaving the situation. He threw his book back inside the trunk and heaved it down the stairs. It was much heavier than it looked and slid down with a great amount of noise. He sprinted back up to grab Hedwig's cage and his cloak which lay on his bed. He dashed downstairs to find that Snape was trying to make conversation with his aunt. Hedwig was making a small fuss over the unsteadiness of her cage.
"You are Mrs. Dursley I presume?" Snape asked in his low voice.
"Yes," Aunt Petunia had managed to say with a great amount of difficulty. She was obviously frighten of this wizard standing before her. Her eyes twitched to his wand tip poking out of a pocket.
"I am Severus Snape, Harry's Potions Master. I've come to collect him," Snape said. "Is that your boy there?" Snape was pointing to Dudley, who was poking his head out of the kitchen door, hiding as much as he could in the kitchen. Dudley certainly didn't want to have a tail again.
"Y—yes. I think is best if you wait outside for Harry," Aunt Petunia had gathered up her strength to say. Her mind was jumping to what the neighbors would say, seeing this strangely dressed man walk into her house during the middle of the day.
"I think he is ready to go," said a highly amused Snape who had spotted Harry on the steps. "Why are you not wearing your cloak Potter?"
"Makes the muggles nervous," Harry said quietly and shrugged, tipping his head towards Mrs. Dursley and Dudley.
"We must be on our way. Thank you for the chat Mrs. Dursley," Snape said just before walking out the door. He offered no help to Harry, who was trying to drag his trunk and carry Hedwig's cage to a car out front.
Aunt Petunia quickly shut the door behind Harry. It made a thunderous "thunk." He could just imagine her running to the phone to call Uncle Vernon. Vernon would not be happy at all to hear of Snape's visit. He would be pulling up the driveway in about 10 minutes. His purple face shaking with rage.
Harry had just put his trunk in the back of the car when Snape said, "Get in." He was pointing carelessly towards the passenger door.
Harry quickly responded. He sat down and was thinking that this would be one of the longest car rides he had ever been in.
Snape turned on their car and started on the trip to London. Harry spent much of the journey twiddling his thumbs. When they were about halfway there Snape looked over at Harry and just couldn't resist saying, "I thought you would at least be able to afford some decent clothes Potter. Or did your parents leave you nothing?"
Harry had never thought Snape had a need to mess with him outside of school. But then again, it was Snape and coldness should always be expected. Harry was sick of having to deal with people and their rudeness.
"What's the matter Snape?" Harry said as he gathered up his courage. "Have you finally overcame the fears of your past?" He paused for the dramatic effect. "Decided to leave Hogwarts grounds, have you? No Dumbledore to protect you now. Better be careful. Don't want any old enemies to see you transporting Harry Potter." He knew this was way overstepping the line but it was too late to take it back.
Snape slammed on the break. The muscles in his face contracted. Harry saw a look of shame then anger in his eyes.
"How dare you even speak of protection boy," hissed Snape. "With that small brain of yours you may not have noticed that you are very well protected yourself. You wouldn't have survived your first year in the muggle world if it had not been for Dumbledore," he said in a deadly tone.
He stared at Harry determinedly for a few more moments to see if he would try to say something in reply. Harry wasn't stupid and he knew better. Snape was daring him to say more.
"10 points from Gryffindor for being an over cocky twit," Snape added as he began driving again.
He would not let Snape's jeering get the better of him. He stared steadily at the dashboard. So what was 10 points? It was worth the look on Snape's face.
The rest of the ride was spent in complete silence. Finally, they arrived at the road which held the pub with the entrance to Diagon Alley. Snape parked the car and turned to Harry.
"I expect you to be in the pub at 5 sharp. I will not wait. I have other things to do and you will need to find your own transportation back to the castle." With saying that, Snape stood up and exited the car. He walked into the pub and Harry followed his lead.
Author's Note: Sorry it's a bit short. There wasn't much to put in this chapter. I tried to put a lot of detail to make it longer.
And thank you for the information Piri Malfoy and Athena Black. For some reason's I thought that Harry's birthday was in August. So ha! My story fits with the book so far! The timing works out fine.
So please read and review. And remember, if you review with an e-mail address or signed entry I will e-mail you when I update. 1/11/02
Harry tried to say "hello" but no sound came out. So he just mouthed it to the person in the doorway. This was the last person Harry would have expected to pick him up. Didn't Dumbledore know that Harry had never gotten along with him? They had been mortal enemies since Harry's first day at Hogwarts.
"Well Potter, is this how you normally greet visitors at your house? Women nearly fainting at the sign of someone at the door?" sneered the greasy haired Snape.
"No. Sorry Professor," said Harry trying to dismiss the situation. Harry had the feeling that potions would be a lot worse this year. He would be hearing many more mockeries and ridicules about his muggle family than even Malfoy could throw at him.
"Would you like to come in?" Harry gestured, trying to look pleasant.
"No, I just love standing in doorframes all day," Snape said sarcastically.
He walked into the little hallway. He was in his usual black cloak. His hair was a little longer, now it lay just below his chin. He looked weaker though. His eyes were dull and had small bags under them. He no longer held the sharp and cold gaze that he normally had. His hand was clutched around the golden handle of an empty, black, canvas bag. The light shone on his disgusting hair, making the oil more obvious under the electric lights than it had ever been under the candlelight in the castle. His eyes darted around the environment. No doubt he was absorbing every detail to ridicule Potter with during class. He gave a small nod of the head to Aunt Petunia, who looked like she was about to run out of the house and down the block screaming bloody murder.
"Well? Are you going to get your things boy? I swear you are worse than Longbottom," the cold, cruel voice said with a snide.
Without saying anything Harry ran upstairs to get his trunk. He caught one more glance of Aunt Petunia's face before leaving the situation. He threw his book back inside the trunk and heaved it down the stairs. It was much heavier than it looked and slid down with a great amount of noise. He sprinted back up to grab Hedwig's cage and his cloak which lay on his bed. He dashed downstairs to find that Snape was trying to make conversation with his aunt. Hedwig was making a small fuss over the unsteadiness of her cage.
"You are Mrs. Dursley I presume?" Snape asked in his low voice.
"Yes," Aunt Petunia had managed to say with a great amount of difficulty. She was obviously frighten of this wizard standing before her. Her eyes twitched to his wand tip poking out of a pocket.
"I am Severus Snape, Harry's Potions Master. I've come to collect him," Snape said. "Is that your boy there?" Snape was pointing to Dudley, who was poking his head out of the kitchen door, hiding as much as he could in the kitchen. Dudley certainly didn't want to have a tail again.
"Y—yes. I think is best if you wait outside for Harry," Aunt Petunia had gathered up her strength to say. Her mind was jumping to what the neighbors would say, seeing this strangely dressed man walk into her house during the middle of the day.
"I think he is ready to go," said a highly amused Snape who had spotted Harry on the steps. "Why are you not wearing your cloak Potter?"
"Makes the muggles nervous," Harry said quietly and shrugged, tipping his head towards Mrs. Dursley and Dudley.
"We must be on our way. Thank you for the chat Mrs. Dursley," Snape said just before walking out the door. He offered no help to Harry, who was trying to drag his trunk and carry Hedwig's cage to a car out front.
Aunt Petunia quickly shut the door behind Harry. It made a thunderous "thunk." He could just imagine her running to the phone to call Uncle Vernon. Vernon would not be happy at all to hear of Snape's visit. He would be pulling up the driveway in about 10 minutes. His purple face shaking with rage.
Harry had just put his trunk in the back of the car when Snape said, "Get in." He was pointing carelessly towards the passenger door.
Harry quickly responded. He sat down and was thinking that this would be one of the longest car rides he had ever been in.
Snape turned on their car and started on the trip to London. Harry spent much of the journey twiddling his thumbs. When they were about halfway there Snape looked over at Harry and just couldn't resist saying, "I thought you would at least be able to afford some decent clothes Potter. Or did your parents leave you nothing?"
Harry had never thought Snape had a need to mess with him outside of school. But then again, it was Snape and coldness should always be expected. Harry was sick of having to deal with people and their rudeness.
"What's the matter Snape?" Harry said as he gathered up his courage. "Have you finally overcame the fears of your past?" He paused for the dramatic effect. "Decided to leave Hogwarts grounds, have you? No Dumbledore to protect you now. Better be careful. Don't want any old enemies to see you transporting Harry Potter." He knew this was way overstepping the line but it was too late to take it back.
Snape slammed on the break. The muscles in his face contracted. Harry saw a look of shame then anger in his eyes.
"How dare you even speak of protection boy," hissed Snape. "With that small brain of yours you may not have noticed that you are very well protected yourself. You wouldn't have survived your first year in the muggle world if it had not been for Dumbledore," he said in a deadly tone.
He stared at Harry determinedly for a few more moments to see if he would try to say something in reply. Harry wasn't stupid and he knew better. Snape was daring him to say more.
"10 points from Gryffindor for being an over cocky twit," Snape added as he began driving again.
He would not let Snape's jeering get the better of him. He stared steadily at the dashboard. So what was 10 points? It was worth the look on Snape's face.
The rest of the ride was spent in complete silence. Finally, they arrived at the road which held the pub with the entrance to Diagon Alley. Snape parked the car and turned to Harry.
"I expect you to be in the pub at 5 sharp. I will not wait. I have other things to do and you will need to find your own transportation back to the castle." With saying that, Snape stood up and exited the car. He walked into the pub and Harry followed his lead.
Author's Note: Sorry it's a bit short. There wasn't much to put in this chapter. I tried to put a lot of detail to make it longer.
And thank you for the information Piri Malfoy and Athena Black. For some reason's I thought that Harry's birthday was in August. So ha! My story fits with the book so far! The timing works out fine.
So please read and review. And remember, if you review with an e-mail address or signed entry I will e-mail you when I update. 1/11/02
