Obligatory Denial of Rights to Characters - they're Rowling's, not mine.
**Thank you for all the reviews! Wow, this is honestly just something that fell out of my head really late one night. I'll try to get a second chapter out soon though, as now I'm all pumped to continue. Snapetastic fiction is my flava.
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"POTTER! GET IN THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW."
At the sound of his uncle's booming voice, sixteen-year-old Harry Potter killed the motor on the lawn mower and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at the side of the house, where his uncle Vernon was standing in the living room, glaring at him through the open window. With a look of surprise and apprehension, Harry walked into the house.
"What's wr."
"EIGHT OWLS? EIGHT BLOODY OWLS?! WHAT does Dumbledore mean, you have received EIGHT owls?! I will NOT have any more BIRDS in this godforsaken house, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
Harry looked quizzically at his uncle, and then saw what he was holding. He looked his uncle in the eye. "No, not owls. O.W.L.s, a standardized test we all had to take in school last year. It stands for Ordinary Wiz."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" his uncle roared, throwing the letter at Harry. He left the room in a huff. Harry watched him thunder up the stairs, then leaned down and retrieved the letter. He walked over to the windowsill and sat down to read.
"Outstanding in Potions?" Harry murmured to himself. "Wow." He snickered with the thought of himself strolling into Professor Snape's N.E.W.T. level Potions class, and Snape's inability to throw him out because he himself said that students had to have an Outstanding O.W.L. grade to take the class. And Harry needed that class if he ever wanted to become an Auror, which he did.
"What are you doing back inside?!" Harry jumped at the sound of his Aunt Petunia's voice, quickly moving toward the door. "Don't you DARE come back in here until the yard work is DONE! And I thought I told you two hours ago that I needed eggs from the store!"
"Going now." Harry muttered as he swept out the door. He stuffed the letter in his back pocket as he turned away from the house and started walking briskly down the sidewalk.
This was how his days went, since he came back from Hogwarts after his fifth year. He performed any chore his aunt and uncle ordered with silent indifference. The most backbreaking labor didn't faze him. Truth be told, Harry just didn't have the spirit in him to rebel. He had left school with so many feelings, mainly anger over his godfather's death. But now all that faded away into a dulling numbness. Harry just didn't care to dwell on anything right now.
He rounded another corner and headed toward the store.
*CRACK* Harry whisked his head around and stared across the street, where the noise had come from. He knew what it was, it was the sound of a wizard Apparating. After a moment, he sighed and continued walking. For the past two weeks, he'd heard this sound at random instances and he knew that Dumbledore was having members of the Order of the Phoenix tail him again. But since everyone on the job seemed adamant to not interact with Harry in any way, he took on a cool indifference whenever he felt that he was being watched. If they didn't want to at least say hi, then screw them, Harry thought. Let them be important and noble, watching over me like a damn sacred relic in a museum.
Inside the store, Harry caught wind of a whispered conversation between two batty old neighbors of his.
"Yes, he's the one who lives with the Dursleys."
"I've heard about him. that's the one they say is damaged in the brain."
"Yes, poor Vernon told my husband about him once."
Harry rolled his eyes as he paid for the eggs. He was used to this kind of reaction from neighbors, since his uncle usually went out of his way to make sure everyone knew that Harry the Crazy Nephew was forced onto them. As Harry walked out the store, he thought he heard more rustling in the large growth of bushes outside. Honestly, he thought. What a ridiculous job for an Order member. As though Voldemort was planning to attack me in the middle of the day, in the middle of town.
But to Harry's surprise, it wasn't an Order member who emerged from the bushes, it was his cousin Dudley. And four other boys in Dudley's gang. Harry froze. It was the first time he'd run into his cousin outside of the house, with other boys. And from the menacing glare in Dudley's eyes, Harry could only imagine that he still thought Harry was behind the Dementor attack Dudley suffered last year.
"So! Any of you fancy carrying out a good flogging this afternoon?" Dudley said casually, over his shoulder. The other boys grinned at Harry as well. Dudley lowered his voice. "Because Harry's not allowed to act up in any manner, or they'll throw him out of his freak school for demented boys."
Harry knew Dudley was referring to the ban on underage wizards performing magic. It took Harry a second and a half to rationalize that the only way out of this was to run. And so, he turned on his heel and raced back up the street, with the gang clamoring behind him.
*CRACK*
Harry turned his head to the left as he ran, sure that whoever was tailing him from the Order had just jumped bushes in order to follow him. Harry quickly snapped his head front again as he dodged a car in an intersection. The driver leaned on his horn and swore. Harry could hear the boys laughing behind him as they ran.
*CRACK*
Harry was panting now, looking to his right to catch a glimpse of whoever was Apparating beside him. He reached the playground now, and sprinted toward the opposite fence. The park looked completely deserted.
*CRACK*
The boys were gaining on him. Harry didn't know if he would have enough strength to jump the fence.
*CRACK*
"Forgodsake... REMUS? MOODY? TONKS?!" Harry started screaming names of Order members who could be following him. "A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE NICE!"
Harry reached the fence and flung his right leg over. It was no use, the boys grabbed hold of his left leg and threw him to the ground.
"Yer right, Big D," said a stocky and particularly ugly boy as he pinned Harry up against the fence. "This one's a raving loon."
Dudley was a few feet back from the boys, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. No doubt he was having a hellish time trying to catch his breath after a run like that. Dudley straightened up and walked toward Harry, pushing two of the boys aside.
"Then I reckon we ought to knock some sense into him."
With that, he socked Harry straight in the stomach. Harry doubled over in pain, but was quickly thrown back up against the fence as the boys punched and kicked him. Who the hell was supposed to be watching out for me? Harry thought in a panic. Surely Dumbledore would want him saved from this sort of thing as well.
"STUPEFY!" Someone screamed. All four boys immediately fell to the ground. Harry leaned forward as though he were going to retch, but then he took a deep breath and straightened up. He was bewildered. Standing there, five feet away was Professor Snape, dressed in his usual black robes, wand at his side.
"You're. you're.. " Harry tried to catch his breath.
"I'm tailing you for Dumbledore, yes." Snape's reply was cool, as usual. Harry grew red with embarrassment. He stepped out of the circle, over his cousin's Stunned body which he kicked for good measure. Snape snorted in amusement. "Charming cousin." Harry grew angry.
"Well don't let me keep you from anything IMPORTANT, now. In fact, you should have just let them lynch me and then you wouldn't have to have the crap assignment of following me around now, would you?" Harry's tone was accusatory. Perhaps he still felt some rage over Snape's role in his godfather's death.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Your manners are appallingly dreadful, Potter. A simple 'thank you' would have sufficed."
Harry tried to open his mouth, but couldn't. Too embarrassed to look Snape in the eye, Harry limped over to another part of grass and sank down. His stomach was killing him and his right leg felt like it was on fire. He examined it carefully. There was a huge gash on his shin, sustained from when he was dragged back over the fence. Blood was starting to seep through.
"Forgodsake, Potter." Snape walked over to him and glared down at his damaged leg. He pointed his wand at Harry's leg and muttered a charm of some sort. Instantly, Harry felt the pain subside as the wound healed up.
"Thank you," Harry mumbled, his eyes still looking down at his leg. He remembered how embarrassed Snape had been after he accidentally saw an old memory of Snape's where Harry's father, godfather, and friends were torturing Snape at school just for the hell of it.
Then Harry noticed the bag he was clutching in his left hand, with the carton of eggs inside it. From the looks of the bag, most of the eggs had broken. "Shit!" Harry exclaimed.
"I take it that was the point of the journey?" Snape inquired in a tone that Harry couldn't read.
"My aunt made me go get them." Harry replied incredulously. What did it matter to Snape what he was doing? To Harry's surprise, Snape sat down next to him and held out his hand, requesting the bag. Harry handed it to him.
"Reparo," Snape said. The eggs returned to their unbroken state. Snape placed the bag down between them.
Harry looked at Snape. They sat like that in silence for a moment, but before Harry could thank him again, Snape stood up and turned to face him. Snape looked back over at the Stunned boys.
"They'll wake up in about ten minutes, maybe less. I suggest you get a head start back home."
Harry nodded, grabbed the bag, and stood. He looked back at Snape, who was still looking at the boys. Harry started to speak, but the words got caught in his throat.
"Yes?" Snape turned to look at him, as though he knew that Harry was reminded of Snape's old memory. Harry looked scared, but he took a deep breath, swallowed, and started to speak again.
"I meant to say. "
"Meant to say what, Potter" Snape's tone was impatient and controlling, as though demanding Harry to not think of the memory. Harry looked him in the eye, growing determined to get it out.
"I'm sorry they were prats to you!" Harry exclaimed. " .sometimes it didn't look warranted," he added.
Harry immediately looked down. Snape grew tense. He knew which "they" Harry was referring to. Snape sucked in his breath as though rearing to reprimand Harry for bringing it up. But then he exhaled.
"The Order would like for you to limit your excursions outside your home, do you understand?" Snape's tone was businesslike.
"Fine."
"And you will be taken back to headquarters a week before term starts. Moody and Tonks will be picking you up."
Harry looked at him and nodded, then started to walk toward his house.
"And in the meantime," Snape continued slowly, "steer clear of these muggles." He looked back at Dudley and the boys lying on the grass.
Snape's tone was uncharacteristically soft. "Doesn't look like what they do is warranted, either."
Harry stopped walking and turned back to look at Snape, eyes wide. Snape looked down immediately after his acknowledgement and with a crack, he was gone.
Of all people, Harry thought. Snape actually understands what it's like for me to live here with my crappy family.
Maybe I shouldn't be so angry with him.
Doesn't help the Order much to hold hatred, anyway, Harry thought. If Dumbledore's put his faith in Snape then I need to, also.
Dudley's arm began to stir. Without another thought, Harry turned and sprinted back for Privet Drive.
**Thank you for all the reviews! Wow, this is honestly just something that fell out of my head really late one night. I'll try to get a second chapter out soon though, as now I'm all pumped to continue. Snapetastic fiction is my flava.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"POTTER! GET IN THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW."
At the sound of his uncle's booming voice, sixteen-year-old Harry Potter killed the motor on the lawn mower and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at the side of the house, where his uncle Vernon was standing in the living room, glaring at him through the open window. With a look of surprise and apprehension, Harry walked into the house.
"What's wr."
"EIGHT OWLS? EIGHT BLOODY OWLS?! WHAT does Dumbledore mean, you have received EIGHT owls?! I will NOT have any more BIRDS in this godforsaken house, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
Harry looked quizzically at his uncle, and then saw what he was holding. He looked his uncle in the eye. "No, not owls. O.W.L.s, a standardized test we all had to take in school last year. It stands for Ordinary Wiz."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" his uncle roared, throwing the letter at Harry. He left the room in a huff. Harry watched him thunder up the stairs, then leaned down and retrieved the letter. He walked over to the windowsill and sat down to read.
"Outstanding in Potions?" Harry murmured to himself. "Wow." He snickered with the thought of himself strolling into Professor Snape's N.E.W.T. level Potions class, and Snape's inability to throw him out because he himself said that students had to have an Outstanding O.W.L. grade to take the class. And Harry needed that class if he ever wanted to become an Auror, which he did.
"What are you doing back inside?!" Harry jumped at the sound of his Aunt Petunia's voice, quickly moving toward the door. "Don't you DARE come back in here until the yard work is DONE! And I thought I told you two hours ago that I needed eggs from the store!"
"Going now." Harry muttered as he swept out the door. He stuffed the letter in his back pocket as he turned away from the house and started walking briskly down the sidewalk.
This was how his days went, since he came back from Hogwarts after his fifth year. He performed any chore his aunt and uncle ordered with silent indifference. The most backbreaking labor didn't faze him. Truth be told, Harry just didn't have the spirit in him to rebel. He had left school with so many feelings, mainly anger over his godfather's death. But now all that faded away into a dulling numbness. Harry just didn't care to dwell on anything right now.
He rounded another corner and headed toward the store.
*CRACK* Harry whisked his head around and stared across the street, where the noise had come from. He knew what it was, it was the sound of a wizard Apparating. After a moment, he sighed and continued walking. For the past two weeks, he'd heard this sound at random instances and he knew that Dumbledore was having members of the Order of the Phoenix tail him again. But since everyone on the job seemed adamant to not interact with Harry in any way, he took on a cool indifference whenever he felt that he was being watched. If they didn't want to at least say hi, then screw them, Harry thought. Let them be important and noble, watching over me like a damn sacred relic in a museum.
Inside the store, Harry caught wind of a whispered conversation between two batty old neighbors of his.
"Yes, he's the one who lives with the Dursleys."
"I've heard about him. that's the one they say is damaged in the brain."
"Yes, poor Vernon told my husband about him once."
Harry rolled his eyes as he paid for the eggs. He was used to this kind of reaction from neighbors, since his uncle usually went out of his way to make sure everyone knew that Harry the Crazy Nephew was forced onto them. As Harry walked out the store, he thought he heard more rustling in the large growth of bushes outside. Honestly, he thought. What a ridiculous job for an Order member. As though Voldemort was planning to attack me in the middle of the day, in the middle of town.
But to Harry's surprise, it wasn't an Order member who emerged from the bushes, it was his cousin Dudley. And four other boys in Dudley's gang. Harry froze. It was the first time he'd run into his cousin outside of the house, with other boys. And from the menacing glare in Dudley's eyes, Harry could only imagine that he still thought Harry was behind the Dementor attack Dudley suffered last year.
"So! Any of you fancy carrying out a good flogging this afternoon?" Dudley said casually, over his shoulder. The other boys grinned at Harry as well. Dudley lowered his voice. "Because Harry's not allowed to act up in any manner, or they'll throw him out of his freak school for demented boys."
Harry knew Dudley was referring to the ban on underage wizards performing magic. It took Harry a second and a half to rationalize that the only way out of this was to run. And so, he turned on his heel and raced back up the street, with the gang clamoring behind him.
*CRACK*
Harry turned his head to the left as he ran, sure that whoever was tailing him from the Order had just jumped bushes in order to follow him. Harry quickly snapped his head front again as he dodged a car in an intersection. The driver leaned on his horn and swore. Harry could hear the boys laughing behind him as they ran.
*CRACK*
Harry was panting now, looking to his right to catch a glimpse of whoever was Apparating beside him. He reached the playground now, and sprinted toward the opposite fence. The park looked completely deserted.
*CRACK*
The boys were gaining on him. Harry didn't know if he would have enough strength to jump the fence.
*CRACK*
"Forgodsake... REMUS? MOODY? TONKS?!" Harry started screaming names of Order members who could be following him. "A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE NICE!"
Harry reached the fence and flung his right leg over. It was no use, the boys grabbed hold of his left leg and threw him to the ground.
"Yer right, Big D," said a stocky and particularly ugly boy as he pinned Harry up against the fence. "This one's a raving loon."
Dudley was a few feet back from the boys, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. No doubt he was having a hellish time trying to catch his breath after a run like that. Dudley straightened up and walked toward Harry, pushing two of the boys aside.
"Then I reckon we ought to knock some sense into him."
With that, he socked Harry straight in the stomach. Harry doubled over in pain, but was quickly thrown back up against the fence as the boys punched and kicked him. Who the hell was supposed to be watching out for me? Harry thought in a panic. Surely Dumbledore would want him saved from this sort of thing as well.
"STUPEFY!" Someone screamed. All four boys immediately fell to the ground. Harry leaned forward as though he were going to retch, but then he took a deep breath and straightened up. He was bewildered. Standing there, five feet away was Professor Snape, dressed in his usual black robes, wand at his side.
"You're. you're.. " Harry tried to catch his breath.
"I'm tailing you for Dumbledore, yes." Snape's reply was cool, as usual. Harry grew red with embarrassment. He stepped out of the circle, over his cousin's Stunned body which he kicked for good measure. Snape snorted in amusement. "Charming cousin." Harry grew angry.
"Well don't let me keep you from anything IMPORTANT, now. In fact, you should have just let them lynch me and then you wouldn't have to have the crap assignment of following me around now, would you?" Harry's tone was accusatory. Perhaps he still felt some rage over Snape's role in his godfather's death.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Your manners are appallingly dreadful, Potter. A simple 'thank you' would have sufficed."
Harry tried to open his mouth, but couldn't. Too embarrassed to look Snape in the eye, Harry limped over to another part of grass and sank down. His stomach was killing him and his right leg felt like it was on fire. He examined it carefully. There was a huge gash on his shin, sustained from when he was dragged back over the fence. Blood was starting to seep through.
"Forgodsake, Potter." Snape walked over to him and glared down at his damaged leg. He pointed his wand at Harry's leg and muttered a charm of some sort. Instantly, Harry felt the pain subside as the wound healed up.
"Thank you," Harry mumbled, his eyes still looking down at his leg. He remembered how embarrassed Snape had been after he accidentally saw an old memory of Snape's where Harry's father, godfather, and friends were torturing Snape at school just for the hell of it.
Then Harry noticed the bag he was clutching in his left hand, with the carton of eggs inside it. From the looks of the bag, most of the eggs had broken. "Shit!" Harry exclaimed.
"I take it that was the point of the journey?" Snape inquired in a tone that Harry couldn't read.
"My aunt made me go get them." Harry replied incredulously. What did it matter to Snape what he was doing? To Harry's surprise, Snape sat down next to him and held out his hand, requesting the bag. Harry handed it to him.
"Reparo," Snape said. The eggs returned to their unbroken state. Snape placed the bag down between them.
Harry looked at Snape. They sat like that in silence for a moment, but before Harry could thank him again, Snape stood up and turned to face him. Snape looked back over at the Stunned boys.
"They'll wake up in about ten minutes, maybe less. I suggest you get a head start back home."
Harry nodded, grabbed the bag, and stood. He looked back at Snape, who was still looking at the boys. Harry started to speak, but the words got caught in his throat.
"Yes?" Snape turned to look at him, as though he knew that Harry was reminded of Snape's old memory. Harry looked scared, but he took a deep breath, swallowed, and started to speak again.
"I meant to say. "
"Meant to say what, Potter" Snape's tone was impatient and controlling, as though demanding Harry to not think of the memory. Harry looked him in the eye, growing determined to get it out.
"I'm sorry they were prats to you!" Harry exclaimed. " .sometimes it didn't look warranted," he added.
Harry immediately looked down. Snape grew tense. He knew which "they" Harry was referring to. Snape sucked in his breath as though rearing to reprimand Harry for bringing it up. But then he exhaled.
"The Order would like for you to limit your excursions outside your home, do you understand?" Snape's tone was businesslike.
"Fine."
"And you will be taken back to headquarters a week before term starts. Moody and Tonks will be picking you up."
Harry looked at him and nodded, then started to walk toward his house.
"And in the meantime," Snape continued slowly, "steer clear of these muggles." He looked back at Dudley and the boys lying on the grass.
Snape's tone was uncharacteristically soft. "Doesn't look like what they do is warranted, either."
Harry stopped walking and turned back to look at Snape, eyes wide. Snape looked down immediately after his acknowledgement and with a crack, he was gone.
Of all people, Harry thought. Snape actually understands what it's like for me to live here with my crappy family.
Maybe I shouldn't be so angry with him.
Doesn't help the Order much to hold hatred, anyway, Harry thought. If Dumbledore's put his faith in Snape then I need to, also.
Dudley's arm began to stir. Without another thought, Harry turned and sprinted back for Privet Drive.
