AN: More reviews. Yeah. Thank you to everyone who wrote to me. More soon, Angst is on the way.

Sammymc

Disclaimer: See Part 1.

Part 8

Breakfast in the Great Hall, the next morning proved to be a tense affair. The other Professors seemed to pick up on the hostile feelings Harry had toward a certain Charms professor. Harry flat out refused to look at let alone speak to Hermione, and was now feeling embarrassment for his previous nights actions toward Professor Snape. So Harry sat in his newly acquired, usual seat and ignored those sitting in either direction at the staff table. If the students picked up on the tense atmosphere they didn't show it.

Harry spent most of the day administering tests to every class in every grade, and avoiding his fellow faculty members. From what Harry could gather from the tests he had had a chance to glance at so far, the students had absorbed quite a bit of rather useless knowledge. The only comfort that this provided was that it proved the students were capable of remembering what they had learned, and remembering it well.

His students were treated to no homework for the rest of the week; until of course he had gone through all of the tests and had adjusted the curriculum plans accordingly.

When the period leading to lunch finally ended, Harry sank back into his chair with a tired sigh. He tensed as his classroom door eased open. He sat forward again, expecting to see Hermione or worse, Ron standing in his doorway. Who he saw instead was no Weasley hyphened or otherwise. Severus Snape stood there, looking at him with dark eyes and a neutral expression. Harry sat up quickly, fighting unsuccessfully to stop a blush from rising to his face. He felt the skin of his ears burn.

"Professor Snape..." he said simply. Severus moved further into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Professor Potter. I see you are feeling better..." Snape said with that same cold familiar drawl. Harry dropped his gaze to the floor in renewed embarrassment.

"Yes, much. I feel I must apologize for my actions and words last night," he paused unsure of how to word what he wanted to say. "You ... you were concerned and I acted like a spoiled little child. Your presence was much appreciated... I'm sorry for my behavior."

"Apology noted. I was a bit harsh myself. Your business is your own after all." Snape replied. A silence stretched between them. Harry's gaze drifted to the pile of ungraded tests. He reached over and let out a groan picking up a sixth year Gryffindor's paper.

"How do you do this day after day, Severus?" he asked. "This class has already had D.A.D.A. for five full years and they still don't know anything about anything. This boy, Jason McHallan... he doesn't know the difference between a banishing curse and a repellment charm. He's a sixth year!" Harry continued, simply stunned by the news. He watched as one dark eyebrow rose questioningly at his words.

"Giving tests already? It's only your third day of teaching," he asked in mild amusement.

"I'm trying to determine where to start with it all. They haven't had a decent D.A.D.A. teacher since my fifth year." Snape's amusement grew with the passing of each second. Harry's face fell suddenly.

"Who am I kidding, Severus? I can't do this. Who am I to teach someone else defense against dark magic, let alone a whole school?" Harry whispered. Severus frowned deeper, amusement fading.

"Who are you?" he asked. "You are The Boy-Who-Lived, The Great Harry Potter, The Defeater of Voldemort, Hero of the Wizarding World," the words were for once not spoken with malice or contempt. Yet, Harry still flinched.

"My Mother's love and sacrifice and a bit of luck was what saved me. I'm no hero. The heroes were people who gave their lives to the fight. The heroes were the people who endangered their lives to stop a mad man. You're a hero, Severus. Draco and Sirius were heroes. I was a little boy who did what was expected of him. If I hadn't had that scar on my forehead... if I hadn't been his main target, the center of his anger and hatred... I'd have been cowering beside every other Hogwarts student while the grown-ups risked their lives!" Harry's face was flushed with old memories and suppressed anger. Snape fought back a scowl.

"Your ability to inflict self-pity upon yourself astounds me, Harry. You did what we asked of you, you reached heights which no one, not even myself could have expected of you. And you came out of it all a strong willed grown-up. Under the circumstances forced upon you since infancy, I think you handled yourself quite well. You coped, and I believe you will continue to do so as a Professor here," he paused. "You were a child asked to fight in an adults war. No one has the right to fault you for taking control over your own life. You left for your reasons and for your reasons alone. Do not ever explain yourself if you feel such an explanation to be unwarranted. You are an adult now, Mr. Potter. Children will walk all over you if they think you are unsure of yourself as an authority figure. Remember that and you shouldn't have many problems. Now I really must be off, I have a table full of Slytherin brats to look after," Snape finally turned, heading toward the door.

"Severus?" Harry called. The older Wizard stopped and looked back at his former pupil. Harry smiled crookedly. "Thanks for the pep-talk." Severus scowled, narrowing his dark eyes; he turned and walked swiftly from the classroom without another word.

Tbc…