"I do not like not knowing what will happen," Severus Snape groused as he and Harry Potter made their way through the dungeons and towards the Great Hall for breakfast. "As a spy, your life could depend on knowing how others will react in any given situation."

"You do like drama though; you have to admit that," Potter grinned widely at him. "I think the most we'll get from your new look is everyone's jaws hitting the floor when you walk in."

"The difference is not that drastic," Snape glared at him, but with a fond note under his nervousness. "I am younger, but that is about all."

"Just keep telling yourself that…" the impertinent brat chuckled and nudged his shoulder with his own.

That was something else he'd noted about Potter; he seemed much more willing to casually touch him recently. Potter had been almost touch-phobic with everyone since the battle, but he'd gradually started reaching out more, most particularly to Snape, which seemed very odd in itself. It really didn't bother him; he found himself much more comfortable around Potter inexplicably than anyone else as well, but still, he wasn't a comforting type of person, so he had no clue why he was Potter's choice in this area.

As Snape thought about it, it seemed to go back most particularly to the day they'd been attacked in Diagon Alley. It was since that incident that Potter had been reaching out to him with little touches more and more. He still didn't understand why the savior viewed what he had done as important or noteworthy or anything when Potter had literally saved the wixen world and Snape had just wingardium leviosa'd a sign…a first-year spell.

"Little lions should watch where they wander in the dungeons," a high-pitched voice sneered off to their side. "No telling what could happen if one gets lost…some have just disappeared…"

Snape turned and raised an eyebrow at Pansy Parkinson who was standing in an alcove with her arms crossed and glaring at them from beside Theodore Nott. Those two were going to be problems, he mentally noted. Nott was seething in anger while Parkinson looked like she was just waiting for an opportunity to curse someone. Snape didn't know why they had come back for the eighth-year option but assumed it must have not been their ideas and more like whatever family they had left that wasn't currently in Azkaban.

"Good summer, Parkinson?" Harry just smiled inanely at the irate girl like he didn't have a care in the world. Snape knew differently. After spending so much time with Potter, he could see the man's muscles tense and how he moved his bag more behind himself, wand close to his fingertips.

Both former Slytherins looked ready to curse at the simple question, and Snape opened his mouth to cut in. Harry beat him to it though. "You both do know I live down here now, right? I have much more reason to be in the dungeons than either of you since the guest rooms where you were assigned are three floors up from here. That is…unless one of you moved in with Professor Sprout? Parkinson, maybe?"

"I'd die first," the girl hissed in much more venom than the innocent question warranted.

"We can be wherever we want, Potter. You might be the golden boy right now, but we all know how very little it takes to turn the tide," Nott sneered. Snape frowned as Potter's jaw tightened, seeming to be affected negatively by that remark more than Snape had thought he'd be. He was also stunned that it seemed the students had no clue who he was or this confrontation decidedly would not be happening.

"I may not be able to take house points since you are houseless currently, but I would be more than willing to give out detentions if this little standoff goes any further," he drawled, finally drawing the attention of the two in the alcove. "I would suggest you move on along to breakfast and avoid each other in the future if you don't want to be spending every evening in detention."

"Professor Snape?" Parkinson's jaw dropped as Harry had predicted and stared at the man in disbelief. "What happened to you?"

"Did Potter dose you with something?" Nott added on, though he didn't seem upset by the fact, more like it would be a welcome event. Yes, Nott was definitely going to be a problem.

Harry snorted a sharp laugh. "Me?…Dose a potion master?…Might need to go get your memory checked out by Madam Pomfrey, Nott. I've been called many things, but good at potions has never been one of them."

"Indeed," Snape smirked at Harry. "I am merely without my glamour since I no longer see the point in hiding I'm a vampire now that the war is over," he explained, concealing his fear at that exceptionally well. "No matter how old I am, I can still have you scrubbing cauldrons until your NEWTs if you don't move along though."

Parkinson seemed more stunned than anything as she walked away, anger forgotten in her shock. Nott though just glowered more. Snape caught very clearly with his vampire hearing a "Traitor half-breed," the student muttered under his breath as they both walked away and towards the main part of the castle.

"See…not too bad," Potter turned a teasing grin on him. "Neither of us got cursed or had to curse anyone, so that's a win in my book."

"Potter, your expectations are very low," Snape couldn't help the eyeroll as they purposefully chose a different path towards the Great Hall to further avoid the two former Slytherins. "I fully expect those two to be expelled or at least in long-term detentions by the end of term."

Harry shrugged and nudged his shoulder again…wait, did he really just think of the infuriating teen as Harry? "You know we live together, Snape. You could actually call me Harry," the young man smiled, and Snape had a brief horrifying moment wondering if Potter could actually read his mind before he remembered in relief that Potter was a disaster at Occlumency.

"Then you would expect to call me Severus or some horrific shortening of my given name, and that would truly cause me to curse you and break our tenuous peace," Snape drawled imperiously.

The man laughed deeply, and his green eyes actually glowed slightly as he stared at the potion master with humor written on his features. Snape vowed to figure out that eye thing the teen did at some point. "Merlin, a little cursing probably isn't going to do that if we survived my accidental magic outbursts over the summer. I'm probably owed a mild curse or two. How about you call me Harry and I continue to call you Snape? I'll even deign to add the 'Professor' bit when we're in class."

Surprisingly, that didn't sound disagreeable to Snape who had caught himself calling Potter by his first name in his mind more often than not recently, even though it surprised him every time. Calling him Harry separated him from James Potter more and marked the teen as even more of his own person, not connected to his bully of a father or even Lily, neither of which he was like in the slightest.

"I find that arrangement acceptable…Harry," Snape commented, hiding his pleasure by that offer behind a sneer. By the smile he received in return, Snape could only guess his efforts were not effective at all.

"Great! Next up on our shocking the villagers tour: Ron and Hermione it looks like," Harry motioned with a wide gesture towards where the other two-thirds of the Golden Trio were making their way towards them. "Let's see how long it takes for them to recognize you," Harry said way more excitedly than the situation called for.

"I am not that different. Parkinson and Nott were just not paying attention, something they should have learned before now," he rolled his eyes and waited for this new annoyance.

"Hey, mate! Sleep well? How are your rooms?" Ron asked as they met up with them. "Percy is in Professor Flitwick's guest room, and it's definitely cramped with my cot added and all three of us sharing a loo. Plus, everything is shorter for him, so I have hunch over the sink. I feel like a giant!"

Hermione reached out and whacked the back of his head. "Oi! What was that for?!" He protested while Harry just chuckled, and Snape stood there in long-suffering boredom.

"You will not be asking Harry if you can move in with him," she instructed. "You know how he feels about his space…especially with everything…"

Now Snape hadn't even realized that might be an option and he was already horrified. Ronald Weasley would absolutely NOT be moving into his chambers. He would definitely have eaten the redhead by the end of a week.

"I wasn't, honest. I was just telling him," Ron pouted at his ex-girlfriend. "Actually, it was kind of nice…Professor Flitwick has some really interesting stories, and it's been years since I actually spent time with Percy."

"Oh, Harry…" Hermione cut in, giving Snape a curious glance. "We ran into Professor Vector, and she's taking over as head of Gryffindor. Anyway, she said McGonagall fixed up a classroom on the fourth floor as a sort-of common room for the eighth years. Want to go check it out after class?"

"Sure, 'Mione," Harry grinned at them, thankful for his friends.

"Er, sorry, mate…we're being rude. I'm Ron, by the way. Have we met before? You a seventh year?" Ron held out a hand to Snape with a questioning look in his eyes like he really was trying to place the person standing beside his friend. Snape just looked at the hand with a sneer on his face, and he could see that Granger suddenly recognized who he was from his look as her eyes widened in surprise. Weasley still had his hand stuck out with that questioning look though.

"Mr. Weasley, I do not want to shake your hand, nor am I a seventh-year student. Kindly put that away as I can only guess where your hand has been," he drawled to an amused chuckle from Harry. Merlin, it seemed the former-Gryffindor savior was not only immune to his sarcasm now, he also liked it for some strange reason…oh, well, at least someone got his humor.

"Bloody hell, Professor…" Ronald Weasley gasped out in shocked amazement. "Harry said you were young, but Merlin!"

"Kindly watch your language, Mr. Weasley," Snape rolled his eyes in exasperation at the teen. "I can't take off house points, but as I have already reminded other eighth years this morning, I can still give detention. And wipe that idiotic look off your face, I do not look that different, and I am thirty-eight no matter how I look."

"I think I see it now," Granger whispered in Harry's ear, though Snape heard it clearly with his enhanced hearing and wondered what it was that she now saw.

"Vampire hearing," Harry whispered back but with a smirk towards the man who was refusing to pout at not being let into whatever it was they were talking about. He might feel it, but the emotion was very far beneath him…even if Potter's smirk just deepened at his look.

Ronald seemed to shake himself before clearing his throat. "Yeah…you definitely look different, Professor. Er, Merlin, this is weird…"

"Agreed, Mr. Weasley," Snape admitted with a sigh when they all finally began to make their way to the Great Hall once more. "We will persevere for this one last year however."

"Do you have plans for when you leave?" Granger spoke up to ask from Harry's other side. She actually seemed to want to know; Snape was confused at her interest in him.

"Not as such, Ms. Granger, though thank you for asking," this actually seemed to shock the two more than his new look. Harry might be right and he did actually thrive on drama because he was now determined to shock them again. "I would prefer to seek out a research position somewhere or work toward my own apothecary possibly. It all depends on how much animosity is still attached to my name by the end of the year."

"Hmm, a quiet life," Harry mused with a smile, voicing his own thoughts exactly.

"It does seem ideal," he agreed.

All four of them paused at the doors to the Great Hall where, judging by the sound, most of the school must already be gathered. "Just checking, Snape…but, you ready for this?" Harry actually reached out and gave his arm a little comforting squeeze.

Snape stared down at where the teen's hand had been a moment before on his arm and surprisingly felt more grounded, more solid having had that touch and being flanked on one side by Harry and on the other by Ronald Weasley who, unfortunately, now seemed less afraid of him (will rectify later).

"I am sure the news has already spread through Slytherin and by extension Ravenclaw at this point," he steeled himself. "This is insignificant in what I have faced before."

"Not insignificant," Harry assured him. "Just different and maybe less dangerous."

Minerva McGonagall had been trying to relax over breakfast the first day of classes, trying being the important word there. The welcome feast had been a disaster, and she had already dealt with a horde of owls of parents checking on their children that morning already, concerned about how they felt being back after their traumatic last year. That wasn't even addressing the owls of parents protesting a werewolf teaching their children…those she had firmly decided to deal with after she had her morning tea.

She had her teacup halfway to her lips when her three favorite, former Gryffindors (not that she would ever admit it) entered the hall with a student she vaguely recognized in the middle of them. She frowned, trying to place the student before she decidedly just placed her teacup down and sighed, reaching for the coffee over by Filius instead.

"Rough morning?" Filius raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, knowing she normally preferred tea unless it was an exceptionally trying day.

"It is about to get much rougher," she gave the young man who broke off from the others and who was heading their direction a pointed look.

"Is that…?" Filius trailed off in surprise when he recognized his former student and current colleague. "Merlin…no wonder his magic never felt quite human…I guess I really shouldn't be surprised…"

Minerva cracked her neck and took in a deep breath. "I thought he was planning to keep up his glamour for the year, but I guess he has every right to drop it…I'll add another pile of letters for parents complaining about the vampire professor next," she huffed, taking a deep sip of the coffee now in her cup. "Filius, if I retire at the end of this year, you will take over from me, right?"

The half-goblin huffed out a breathy laugh beside her. "Not if I was offered even triple my current salary…for quadruple, maybe…" he grinned mischievously at her before scooting over a bit for his vampire colleague to sit in the seat beside him.

"Asking for a raise already, Filius? A little early in the term, isn't it?" Severus Snape smirked at the man and immediately poured himself his second cup of coffee for the day…there would definitely be more to come.

"Only making my terms known," Flitwick chuckled. "You are looking quite healthy, Severus. I must ask about your skin-care routine."

"You are hilarious," the man deadpanned.

"Forget something this morning, Severus?" McGonagall looked at him over her coffee cup and already promised herself the cup would have scotch in it by that very evening.

"I could not let Mr. Weasley have all the fun, now could I…plus, it's not like I can be more hated," he drawled wryly.

"Now, Sev'rus…they all know you weren't in the wrong of it now," Hagrid cut in with a huge grin, almost squishing Filius as he leaned over the man excitedly. Merlin, he'd forgotten Hagrid's love of creatures…if he wasn't careful the man would try to move into his rooms with Harry and the rest of the menagerie.

"No, I will absolutely not be attending your class to discuss vampires, nor yours Ms. Lupin," he leaned over more to address the new DADA professor who had definitely opened her mouth to ask.

"But Percy said he would," she gave him a fake pout from where she was feeding Harry's godson (to Snape the baby was Harry's godson, it was irrelevant it was also her child). He gave it two days before the baby would be at the Gryffindor table being fed in the mornings.

"When did I say I would be an example in your class?!" Percy Weasley coughed from even further down the table. He hadn't been phased at all by Snape's appearance since that was how he had become accustomed to the man looking, but it was news to him that he'd be modeling a werewolf for a DADA class.

"Mum said you'd be fine with it," Tonks just shrugged. "And, Snape, either call me Tonks or Lupin-Tonks. I hyphenated."

"Of course, my mistake," he nodded seriously. "And no, I'm still not coming to your class."

"What are we talking about?" The new Astronomy professor arrived at the table looking confused. The woman whom Severus had absolutely not bothered to learn her name and probably never would, along with the new Transfiguration professor, was staring at him disconcertingly. "Why is there a student at our table? Does this normally happen?"

"Severus is a vampire, dear," Professor Sprout said from the young woman's other side, just taking the news in stride, she really didn't care as long as he didn't eat her plants, but Fae were pretty uncommon in Britain and they were really the only danger to eating exotic plants.

"Oh well, hello. My name is Lucinda," the Astronomy professor told him. Snape nodded and immediately forgot her name again on principle.

Overall, it seemed to be going well, though Trelawney had squeaked and left the table as soon as it was mentioned that Snape was a vampire, and Vector was glaring daggers at both him and Percy Weasley. He supposed that you couldn't win them all. The students all looked both exceptionally confused and shocked though. He sipped his coffee and smirked at the assembled group. If any of them thought he would be less strict just based on looking younger, they were going to be sorely mistaken when they arrived at his class.

"Who is that? The new Astronomy professor or the Transfiguration one?" Harry asked Hermione when they sat down at the Ravenclaw table beside Luna Lovegood and Draco Malfoy who it looked like had been kidnapped by the seventh-year girl and made to sit with her judging by the annoyance on his face.

Hermione looked at the person Harry was decidedly frowning about. She smirked as she took in the woman's broad grin and flip of her hair while speaking to Snape. Whoever she was, if she wasn't careful, she might be in danger from a phoenix-basilisk hybrid student. Thankfully, Snape didn't seem to even notice the woman's flirting looks.

"Erm, I don't know, Harry…I'm not sure who was hired for either position," she remarked.

"She's Astronomy," Ron spoke up with a minute glance towards the head table while he was filling up his plate.

"Kindly keep from reaching over me, Weasley," Malfoy groused as Ron quickly grabbed the eggs from the other side of the former Slytherin. What Ron had seen and Malfoy didn't was the horrified and nauseous look Harry had just given the eggs when his attention was drawn back to the table.

"Well, don't hog the eggs then," Ron put a small scoop on his plate before next leaning over to place the eggs on the other side of Luna and as far away from Harry as possible.

"Eggs are very plain for breakfast food in my opinion, and birds and reptiles would think it very terrible we eat them," Luna said with a bright smile for Ron and then Harry.

"We can maintain some table manners though. I swear, you all would be shunned in Slytherin," the blond groused at them again.

Harry grinned thankfully at his friend. "So, Ron…how did you know who was hired to teach Astronomy? Who is she?"

"Don't know," Ron shrugged, swallowing his food so that Hermione and Malfoy both wouldn't hit him. "I only know who the Transfiguration professor is. It's Reg."

"Reg?" Hermione frowned in question.

"Reginald Cattermole," Ron nodded, wiping his mouth with the napkin Malfoy threw at him with a disgusted look on his face.

"Was that the bloke you polyjuiced into at the ministry to steal the locket?" Harry asked after trying to place the person and the name. "How did you hear he was teaching?"

"Hm, well, I had to check up on his wife, Mary, after the war, didn't I?" He said as if it were obvious. "We kept in touch a bit. Turns out he's exceptionally good at Charms as well as Transfiguration, and understandably, refuses to continue to work for the ministry."

"That's very nice, Ronald," Luna patted his arm.

"Thanks," he turned bright red and cleared his throat. "Right, well, he's commuting in instead of living here, and his daughter, Cassidy, was sorted into Slytherin yesterday." Ron turned and gave a small red-headed girl over at the Slytherin table a wave. The girl squeaked in surprise and gave a small, embarrassed wave back.

"Told her Da that I'd keep an eye out for her…don't think she was too happy about that," Ron shrugged and went back to eating.

"You do not just wave at Slytherins, Weasley," Malfoy sighed deeply in exasperation. "You don't want to make her into a social pariah, especially by being associated with you."

"Professor Snape seems to be getting along well," Luna remarked as she joined Harry in watching the head table, hopefully cutting off the argument that was brewing.

"I do not understand why he would drop the glamour," Malfoy grumbled and poured himself some more tea. "It's bloody awkward to be the same age as your godfather."

"Not to change the subject, but how is it living with Tonks and Teddy?" Harry pulled his eyes away from the head table and glaring daggers at the Astronomy professor to ask. "I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous to not be living with Teddy."

"Would you like to trade?" Malfoy raised an interested eyebrow. "We could switch rooms. It would be the ideal situation."

"Too comfortable, don't want to move," Harry dropped his eyes and quickly mumbled, not even entertaining the thought of moving to Hermione and Luna's amusement. Harry glared at them both, not sure how Luna seemed to know what was going on, but not surprised either.

"Well…I suppose the child isn't unpleasant…especially as Cousin Dora keeps a silencing ward around her room. I refuse to change any diapers though. Malfoys do not change nappies," he huffed.

"Merlin, Snape is a bit hot, isn't he?" Padma Patel commented as she sat with her sister just down the table from the group. "Who would have thought? I definitely thought the rumor about him was bollocks."

"It's going to be like this all term, isn't it?" Harry sighed to Ron who reached around Malfoy to pat his friend comfortingly on the back. Malfoy just looked at them all like they had lost their minds and went back to his oatmeal.

"So…I have to ask…how is it to, you know, lay an egg? Like, where did it even come out?" Ron looked Harry up and down questioningly as they sat in the new eighth year common room by the fire Harry had insisted they light and behind their normal silencing ward.

"I really, really don't want to talk about it," their creature friend huffed. "I'm still traumatized. Thankfully it was super rare it even happened and won't be a regular occurrence. I don't know how you women do it," he wrinkled his nose at Hermione. "I think one kid is my definite max."

"What makes you think I want to push out a kid?" Hermione looked upset at even the thought. "Not for at least another decade if ever," she vehemently added.

"How is Little Bit doing then?" Ron was staring at the bag like he really wanted to touch it but knew better than to try. "Getting any murderous tendencies when people walk by you?"

Harry mumbled something that neither of his friends could hear. "Er, what, mate?" Ron frowned.

"I hexed three people," Harry huffed in annoyance. "It's fine when you two or Snape is there to act as a buffer since I'm fine letting you get closer to us, but I had to walk to Charms alone since you two were caught up talking with Neville. People kept trying to get close to me."

Hermione slowly reached out to take his hand so he would have plenty of time to pull if away if he wanted. "We'll try to keep closer to you and keep everyone else away," she promised. "You're going to really start racking up the detentions if you keep hexing people."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he huffed. "People really need to get better about respecting personal space boundaries though!"

"Hey, how about we have Percy and Snape escort you places?" Ron laughed. "Everyone flees when they walk into a room. It's like no one remembers that werewolves are only dangerous one night a month and that Snape has been here for decades."

"I really hope Percy is alright…Snape can handle himself," Harry rolled his eyes. "Not that Percy isn't capable, but it's his first year…when do we have History?"

"Tomorrow," Hermione looked up from her schedule. "We have Potions then too, so you get to stare at your love for an entire hour," she teased.

"Urgh! Please don't say that!" Ron grimaced and Harry also looked put-off.

"Yeah, that just sounds weird," he agreed. "Also, please remember that he can basically hear anything you say in a room. I'd prefer to not make him so uncomfortable he gets all stoic and pissy around me again. Merlin, that was annoying for six years of school."

"Hey, give that back!" Ron tried to grab his Charms notes from where Hermione had just taken them.

"I'm checking that you got everything important, Ron," she leaned back, keeping the notes just out of his reach.

"They are my notes! Whether they're a work of art or rubbish, that's my own concern, not yours. We aren't dating anymore, 'Mione," Ron stood, still trying to grab the notes back.

"Hermione," Harry spoke up loudly, cutting in and drawing their attention to him. "Give Ron his notes back. He is right, and as an adult can have agency in his own education. And Ron, stop reminding Hermione that you broke up constantly. If you're going with it being a mutual decision, then you shouldn't keep dragging up the past."

"Sorry, 'Mione," Ron awkwardly grumbled as she passed his notes back to him.

"Yeah, sorry…Harry's right. I know you can do it yourself, I just worry about you both," she said apologetically.

"Great, now…who wrote down which chapters we needed to read for next week? I have a smudge on mine," Harry wrinkled his nose, trying to read through the ink smudge on his notes.

Hermione and Ron both looked through their notes to answer his question before Hermione stopped and started giggling. "Harry! Did you…did you just parent us?!"

"Merlin, he did!" Ron started laughing too as Harry just frowned at them deeply.

"I'm blaming the hormones," he finally concluded with a sniff. "Little Bit really did a number on those."

Both his friends laughed. They spent the rest of the evening planning times to get together to study or just hang out now they were all in separate rooms. It was different, but also the same. Nothing would ever be as it was, but time was moving forward, and the trauma was at least slightly receding.

"Good evening with your friends?" Snape asked from where he was reading by the fire in his chambers when Harry walked in that night.

"I missed them over the summer," Harry nodded and joined the man on the side of the couch by the armchair Snape was sitting in. "The new common room isn't bad. The couches are at least comfortable, and Nott and Parkinson seem to be avoiding it at least. Hey, did you hear about how Goyle is? He didn't come back, and with what happened with Crabbe…?"

Snape frowned at his misplaced concern. "He was sent to Azkaban…Goyle may have been your age, but he had already been very involved with the raids."

"Oh…I didn't catch that during the trials," Harry sighed. He wouldn't have spoken for Goyle regardless, but he couldn't believe he just missed that. "Well…how was your first day as a teenage professor?"

"Five detentions and fifty house points taken from Hufflepuff," the man smirked happily. It had been quite enjoyable.

"Merlin, what did the Hufflepuffs do?" Harry laughed with a surprised raise of his eyebrow while he pulled his bag more into his lap.

"They tried to stage a walk-out in protest at having to learn from a vampire," he rolled his eyes at the stupidity. "I put an end to that very quickly. I'm thankful they had my class before Weasley's. Hopefully, they will think twice before trying it again."

"Why is it always the Hufflepuffs that cause problems," Harry mused in exasperated annoyance.

This was very confusing to Snape. "Don't you mean the Slytherins?"

"Definitely not," Harry shook his head with a chuckle. "It was always the Hufflepuffs that believed I was 'going dark' or the like and shunned me or caused problems. I'd rather have Malfoy's insults than them any day. He at least didn't pretend to be understanding and a good friend before he turned on me."

"Surprising," the man thought over that. He hadn't noticed, but thinking back, he could see it.

"You like the new professors?" Harry asked…not having any ulterior motives at all. He was definitely not fishing for if the young Astronomy professor was still flirting one bit.

"They are irrelevant," the man noted, surprisingly still focused on Harry instead of going back to his book. "I'm only here for one year. I do not plan to make friends."

Harry squelched the 'good' he'd wanted to respond with. "Oh well…Professor Cattermole is probably nice. We met him once, and he seemed decent."

"What makes you think I'm looking for a friend where 'nice' and 'decent' are their main descriptors?" Snape snorted in amusement. "By the way…I see that classes have started and you are still using Albus's wand. Does it work well enough for you for daily use, or should we take a trip to a wandmaker's and get you a new one?"

Harry frowned at the wand he now had in a wand holster on his arm, a birthday gift from Tonks. "It works fine. I think it's mine now…kind of like changed allegiance and all," he replied, still not knowing why he was reluctant to get rid of it. Frankly, it would be safer to use any other wand if it became common knowledge just what this wand was, but it felt important that he keep it for some reason.

"However, I wouldn't be against a trip out next weekend though, if you're offering," he grinned back up at the man. "I need some more lemon drops, and it's nice to be able to come and go from the school now."

"I'm not above staging an intervention for you, Harry," the vampire grumbled and picked up the thermos of blood Kreacher had given him that evening. "I'll also be checking to make sure that candy isn't laced with anything."

Fawkes squawked from his perch in the corner indignantly. "Fawkes says he's also not above setting a vampire on fire," Harry translated with a laugh. "Familiar bond," Harry poked his head in explanation of knowing exactly what the bird said.

Snape frowned. That was decidedly not how familiar bonds worked…although, he really didn't know that much about phoenixes. "Alright…" he let it go for now, but he'd definitely be doing some research. "Tell the bird that he's currently staying in my chambers, so I'm the only one that is allowed to issue death threats in here."

Fawkes squawked again and Harry laughed. "What this time?"

"I don't think it'd be in our best interests for me to translate that," Harry chuckled as the bird chirped irritatedly at him. "Well…I'm sure McGonagall could use some company," he told the bird who actually turned around on his perch and faced the wall at that.

"I'll get you your lemon drops, don't sulk," the teen called over to the bird who huffed and stayed where he was. "Merlin, I can't believe you said that thunderbird was high-maintenance!"

With an indignant squawk, Fawkes flamed out. "Don't worry about him, his blood sugar is low," Harry shrugged and stood up with his bag in his arms. "I'm off to bed."

"I should go too. I have the eighth years tomorrow; I need to be well rested or I will definitely eat someone," Snape followed Harry who just laughed and disappeared into his room. The vampire stood a minute just staring at the door his roommate had gone through. That man was strange…he found he was getting used to Harry though, so much it might be unpleasant not have his presence anymore…that was…concerning.

October 2nd

Walking out into the school as a vampire is as expected and also not as unpleasant as I believed it would be. It seems that Vector, Trelawney, and Hooch are the only staff members that seem to have anything against creatures, though Hooch seems more comfortable around Weasley…it's possible it is just me she doesn't like. The students are…odd. Most seem hesitant from last year, others seem to think I am going to immediately be a happy, approachable person, or are still murderously angry that I betrayed the dark. There is a small minority that seem to stare much more though…it is very disconcerting. I am not sure why they feel the need to keep their eyes on me at all times. Maybe they believe I will not attack if I'm in their sight. I should mention to Tonks that vampires need to be covered more thoroughly in her class.

Observation #25:

Potter…Harry, can actually understand the bird perfectly. Did Albus even understand him to this level?

Conclusion #25:

More research necessary. I am not sure about Harry's claim of a familiar bond.

Harry suggested a trip out next weekend to pick up supplies. I miss the fish and chips place by Grimmauld. I believe he could be persuaded for lunch and shopping with maybe a stop by an apothecary. There are some ingredients I need for Harry's new nutrition potion. I do not know why Healer Morris switched him to this older recipe of the formula. It has a shorter shelf-life and is harder to brew. The only difference is that it is more alkaline and stays in the body longer before being metabolized. Regardless, it is of no inconvenience to brew…I may try to convince the teen to help with Wealsey's wolfsbane though. I could use some help chopping and prepping the ingredients, and he might be convinced to help as a trade-off. It is worth asking at least.

Up Next: Care of Magical Creatures is a bit weird as a creature...

A/N: So, any suggestions/requests for who Ron and/or Hermione should end up with (or not at all, I'm cool with that too)?