Disclaimer: No I don't own these characters, and I am not going to commit character-theft upon them, so you can all have them back when I'm finished.
This random little scene just invaded my brain the other day, so I'm posting it, thinking maybe it will become the prologue of something longer. Or, it could be the epilogue of something. R/R and tell me what you think...
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H. J. Potter had just returned from several years of working on mainland Europe. He had come to Hogsmeade, for the first time since he'd graduated Hogwarts almost a decade ago, and was walking around, noting how much it had changed and trying to remember how it used to be.
It was nice, he reflected, that no one recognized him now. He had grown up quite a bit - he'd won the battle with his hair so that it now sat flat on his head the way hair ought to do; he'd gotten small, unobtrusive glasses....he even had learned to enchant his scar to make it less noticeable. If he concentrated very hard on maintaining the flesh-like color, he could make it completely invisible, at least for short periods.
The name H. J. Potter looked very nice on paper, much more imposing than "Harry" did. He was still Harry to his friends, his family, and himself, but the name change was necessary so that he was no longer immediately picked out of the crowd as "The Boy who Lived." In his adult life, Harry was blending in perfectly with everybody else.
For this reason, he was certainly startled, walking across the street into the good old Three Broomsticks, to hear a soft, familiar voice in his ear... "Well, well, well... if it isn't The Famous Harry Potter..."
Harry froze for just a second. Then, without looking behind him, he asked tentatively, "Snape?" Receiving no answer, he turned around and was suddenly face to face with his old teacher. "Professor, I haven't seen you in years! How'd you recognize me?" Harry almost laughed when he saw that Snape looked almost exactly the same as before - unhealthy and unfriendly and with the same icy stare.
"Oh, how could anyone fail to recognize such a celebrity?" he asked sarcastically. He looked into Harry's face for just a minute. "You managed to get rid of your scar, though?" he asked.
"Oh, no. I only enchanted it so people can't see. I figured the spell out myself," he added, a little proudly. He couldn't help but feel like a child again in the presence of this man who had always loomed so large and frightening... "although now", Harry noticed with amusement, "I'm taller than he is".
"Figured it out?" Snape sneered, bringing Harry even further back into his childish mindset. "*I* could have taught you that spell." Of course, Harry realized. Snape's own scar was certainly pretty well hidden most times.
"Speaking of teaching...are you still at Hogwarts?"
"Yes." said Snape, then quickly added, "I hope you're not thinking of applying there. We haven't got any vacancies. And I will take the greatest care that it stays that way, for as long as you are out job-seeking."
"Don't worry - I have no intention of trying to work at Hogwarts." Then, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Did you ever get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job?"
Snape hesitated. "I was offered the position. I declined."
"But why? You always wanted-"
"I thought it best that the new Defense teacher be a simple, congenial young lady. There is no reason to frighten the students by having me teach the course, or by dragging Moody out of retirement again, or anything of the sort. Had the Dark Lord not fallen, I might have said otherwise." Harry got the feeling that Snape wasn't telling the truth, but figured that it was none of his business. "Of course, for those children who enjoy being terrorized and learning to do a little terrorizing themselves, I do run the dueling club now... It is a *real* dueling club..." he added, seeing the disgusted look forming on Harry's face. "Nothing like what that fool Lockhart tried to set up."
Harry laughed a little, remembering Lockhart's sad attempt at teaching the students to duel. Speaking with Snape of Hogwarts naturally led to memories of the torturous Potions classes in the dungeons, though. "You know, my kids will be going to Hogwarts in a couple years... I suppose you'll look forward to terrorizing them like you terrorized me..."
Snape narrowed his eyes. "Potter, I do not look forward to ever meeting any of your children, just as I did not look forward to meeting *you* after knowing James. However, if I do have the misfortune to come across them, I shall certainly do my best to be as unfair and menacing as possible. I wouldn't want to disappoint precious Potter's precious children, or fail to live up to the stories they've undoubtedly heard from you."
He said this with a perfect mixture of spite and seriousness, which made Harry laugh again. Somehow, without the derisive laughter of Harry's enemies that had always been present during Potions classes, Snape's sarcasm was much easier to bear... it even bordered on being funny.
"Well, Potter, I've got to be going. I've got work to do. With any luck, I will never see you again. Until then," Snape said silkily, holding out his hand with a fake pleasantness that made Harry's skin crawl. They shook hands very briefly and then parted ways, hoping to avoid any further meetings... though, if truth be told, both had a funny feeling that that would not be possible....
--- The End ---
Or is it? Like I said, this might be the prologue for something. It was just a little tidbit that popped into my head one day...should I continue it? Review and tell me (please!).
This random little scene just invaded my brain the other day, so I'm posting it, thinking maybe it will become the prologue of something longer. Or, it could be the epilogue of something. R/R and tell me what you think...
********************************************
H. J. Potter had just returned from several years of working on mainland Europe. He had come to Hogsmeade, for the first time since he'd graduated Hogwarts almost a decade ago, and was walking around, noting how much it had changed and trying to remember how it used to be.
It was nice, he reflected, that no one recognized him now. He had grown up quite a bit - he'd won the battle with his hair so that it now sat flat on his head the way hair ought to do; he'd gotten small, unobtrusive glasses....he even had learned to enchant his scar to make it less noticeable. If he concentrated very hard on maintaining the flesh-like color, he could make it completely invisible, at least for short periods.
The name H. J. Potter looked very nice on paper, much more imposing than "Harry" did. He was still Harry to his friends, his family, and himself, but the name change was necessary so that he was no longer immediately picked out of the crowd as "The Boy who Lived." In his adult life, Harry was blending in perfectly with everybody else.
For this reason, he was certainly startled, walking across the street into the good old Three Broomsticks, to hear a soft, familiar voice in his ear... "Well, well, well... if it isn't The Famous Harry Potter..."
Harry froze for just a second. Then, without looking behind him, he asked tentatively, "Snape?" Receiving no answer, he turned around and was suddenly face to face with his old teacher. "Professor, I haven't seen you in years! How'd you recognize me?" Harry almost laughed when he saw that Snape looked almost exactly the same as before - unhealthy and unfriendly and with the same icy stare.
"Oh, how could anyone fail to recognize such a celebrity?" he asked sarcastically. He looked into Harry's face for just a minute. "You managed to get rid of your scar, though?" he asked.
"Oh, no. I only enchanted it so people can't see. I figured the spell out myself," he added, a little proudly. He couldn't help but feel like a child again in the presence of this man who had always loomed so large and frightening... "although now", Harry noticed with amusement, "I'm taller than he is".
"Figured it out?" Snape sneered, bringing Harry even further back into his childish mindset. "*I* could have taught you that spell." Of course, Harry realized. Snape's own scar was certainly pretty well hidden most times.
"Speaking of teaching...are you still at Hogwarts?"
"Yes." said Snape, then quickly added, "I hope you're not thinking of applying there. We haven't got any vacancies. And I will take the greatest care that it stays that way, for as long as you are out job-seeking."
"Don't worry - I have no intention of trying to work at Hogwarts." Then, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Did you ever get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job?"
Snape hesitated. "I was offered the position. I declined."
"But why? You always wanted-"
"I thought it best that the new Defense teacher be a simple, congenial young lady. There is no reason to frighten the students by having me teach the course, or by dragging Moody out of retirement again, or anything of the sort. Had the Dark Lord not fallen, I might have said otherwise." Harry got the feeling that Snape wasn't telling the truth, but figured that it was none of his business. "Of course, for those children who enjoy being terrorized and learning to do a little terrorizing themselves, I do run the dueling club now... It is a *real* dueling club..." he added, seeing the disgusted look forming on Harry's face. "Nothing like what that fool Lockhart tried to set up."
Harry laughed a little, remembering Lockhart's sad attempt at teaching the students to duel. Speaking with Snape of Hogwarts naturally led to memories of the torturous Potions classes in the dungeons, though. "You know, my kids will be going to Hogwarts in a couple years... I suppose you'll look forward to terrorizing them like you terrorized me..."
Snape narrowed his eyes. "Potter, I do not look forward to ever meeting any of your children, just as I did not look forward to meeting *you* after knowing James. However, if I do have the misfortune to come across them, I shall certainly do my best to be as unfair and menacing as possible. I wouldn't want to disappoint precious Potter's precious children, or fail to live up to the stories they've undoubtedly heard from you."
He said this with a perfect mixture of spite and seriousness, which made Harry laugh again. Somehow, without the derisive laughter of Harry's enemies that had always been present during Potions classes, Snape's sarcasm was much easier to bear... it even bordered on being funny.
"Well, Potter, I've got to be going. I've got work to do. With any luck, I will never see you again. Until then," Snape said silkily, holding out his hand with a fake pleasantness that made Harry's skin crawl. They shook hands very briefly and then parted ways, hoping to avoid any further meetings... though, if truth be told, both had a funny feeling that that would not be possible....
--- The End ---
Or is it? Like I said, this might be the prologue for something. It was just a little tidbit that popped into my head one day...should I continue it? Review and tell me (please!).