A/N: Thanks to my reviewers! I really appreciate you guys a lot, you know. I hope you keep reviewing. I actually wrote this right after chapter nine, but I wanted to give you time to answer the House Points question, first.
samayn- Thank you.
Harry's Muggle Sister- Thanks. And that settles it. Your vote
was the deciding factor.
MerlinHalliwell- Thank you very much.
lara28- Thanks.
hermionegreen- Thanks. And here it is.
Anna L. Black- Thank you muchly.
HPForever2- Thanks.
Calani- More for you!
AlL rOaDs LeAd To HeLl- Yes. Points for Slytherin.
Murph4303- Sorry. But then, it wasn't supposed to be
Draco, either. It was going to be the Weasley twins. But when I went to
write it, Draco decided it was his turn to show up, and Harry wanted to
be... well, you'll see. I fully intended to make it the twins, until the
plot bunnies decided that they were going on strike unless I did it their
way. So, here we are with Draco.
ResQgal- Ahhh... one of my favorite reviewers. *grins* And authors.
The necklace, yes. What is up with the necklace. Hmm. What was up with
Glowing Harry, too? We shall see. Soon, I hope. Very soon. *maniacal laughter*
'these' are thoughts
**this** is parseltongue
*~*~*~*~*~*~ is a new perspective or scene
In the book, This is Harry, This is Hermione, This is Ron.
Chapter Ten: Malfoy meets the new Harry
As Harry and Hermione chatted, Harry telling Hermione about the shop, and Hermione exclaiming over the fact that she hadn't even noticed it, they wandered their way back towards Florean Fortescue's. They were within sight of the others when a familiar drawling voice halted them.
"Well well. If it isn't the mudblood. Who's your new friend? What happened to Potty and the Weasel? Left you so they wouldn't get tainted, did they?"
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, Hermione's bored and Harry's gleeful. The four adults also exchanged glances. They could hear what was being said, although the students didn't know they were listening. Harry turned and faced Draco Malfoy fully, draping his arm around Hermione's shoulders. She stiffened, but relaxed quickly as she realized that Harry must have some sort of plan. She hoped.
"Malfoy, right?" Harry cocked his head to the side and studied the blond boy. "Isn't your father in Azkaban?" he turned his attention to Hermione. "Didn't you tell me his daddy was in Azkaban? It's a wonder the little puppet could make it here at all without his puppet master around."
Draco glared at the boy, but something about his appearance was bothering him. Harry had let his hair down earlier in the day by the simple process of running his fingers through it and pulling the strap off. He just wasn't used to having it pulled back. So now it fell in his face and covered the tell-tale scar. But the rest of his features were visible, and the scowl he was wearing was decidedly Snape-ish. Draco gasped in shock. There it was! Now he could see the resemblance!
The professors were equally startled, although more by Harry's words and actions than by his looks. They were used to them by now, as they had been gradually changing since he had arrived at Hogwarts. But the comments he made. The biting words, razor wit, sharp tongue. Those were all characteristics that were decidedly Snape-ish.
"You... you're a Snape!" Draco stuttered.
Harry merely lifted an eyebrow at this, one of his father's trademark mannerisms, and sneered. "So?"
Malfoy's eyes grew wide and his cheeks got the faintest trace of a pink tinge on them. Without another word, Harry turned, his arm falling from around Hermione. He held his other arm out, a silent gesture for her. Hermione slipped her arm through his and they retreated to the relative safety of his father, Remus, McGonagall, and Dumbledore. Only then did they get a good look at the faces of their professors. Snape had his customary mask on, not revealing anything. Remus and McGonagall were both wide eyed, although while Remus was struggling to contain his laughter, McGonagall was shocked at the whole scene. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling, and there was a twitch of his beard that told Harry that he, too, was trying not to laugh outright.
"Shall we go then, Professors?" asked Harry.
They all nodded and the group set off for the Leaky Cauldron, Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore apparating away while Remus, Hermione and Harry floo'd back to the Three Broomsticks where they again met the others.
They made their way back up to Hogwarts, Hermione and Harry in the front talking and laughing over Draco's reactions.
"Never thought I'd see Malfoy stutter like that!" Harry laughed.
"That was brilliant, Harry! I wish Ron could've seen it!"
Harry sobered at this thought, and wouldn't tell Hermione anything but that they would talk about it later.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
While Hermione and Harry wandered through the castle, Severus Snape made his way in his brisk manner to the dungeons. Followed by Remus Lupin. This irritated Severus to no end. Finally, just before reaching the portrait guarding entrance to his rooms, he whirled to face Lupin.
"What is it, werewolf?" he snarled.
Lupin merely shrugged. "I was simply wondering what in Merlin's name is wrong with you?"
"Nothing is wrong with me."
"Are you sure? You've been awfully quiet since Diagon Alley. Normally that would be wonderful, but it's not like you. No scathing remarks to me, Harry or Hermione. No biting comments to Minerva. Not even a glance at Albus. Something is bothering, and I intend on finding out what."
Severus sighed. He knew the cursed man would never let him be until he had what he wanted. With a curt nod, he led Lupin to his rooms, whispering the password in a vain attempt to keep Lupin from overhearing. But with his werewolf sharpened senses, of course he could hear. The two sat on the green sofa, Severus' pride and joy. The sofa had cost a fortune, but was the most comfortable he could find. Made of softened dragon-hide, it was supple and almost buttery soft. Severus relaxed back on it with a sigh, closing his eyes. Remus settled in almost as relaxed, and patiently waited for the man to speak. Without opening his eyes, Severus obliged.
"Earlier. When Malfoy called him a Snape. He didn't... I mean." he growled out his frustration. He knew what he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come.
"He didn't shudder or show revulsion, you mean?" Remus supplied gently.
Severus nodded his thanks. "Exactly. He seemed... almost proud. As if he'd always been a Snape."
"He has, Severus."
"Knowingly." Severus amended.
Remus mulled this new information over for a few minutes. He had seen the way Harry had behaved, not flinching as one would expect from him. He had just taken it in stride, taken it as his due that he was a Snape and that there was no reason not to be proud of this fact. 'The boy must have done some serious thinking since he found out. Or else Hermione did his thinking for him. I could just picture it now.' And indeed she did. But that's not to say that Harry wasn't receptive to her thinking for him. She had pointed out all the good and bad things to having Snape as a father, and told him to grow up. That he needed to learn to get along with his father, because whether they knew it or not, both needed the other. Harry had taken her advice, to an extent, and thought about it. He did, in fact, grow up where this particular subject was concerned.
"Should he not be proud?" Remus queried softly. "Should he hate you?"
"He does already! What he found out should only strengthen his hatred of me. Should he not hate me, the one who took this knowledge from his mother? The one who kept this knowledge from him?"
"Severus. He cannot hate you for what you did not know. In fact, unless I am much mistaken, he may be proud of the fact that you tried to protect his mother. You do not know him, Severus. You do know who the boy really is. You are blinded by your hatred of him, by his image, and by his fame. He never asked for you to hate him, and he never asked to lose his family so he could become a celebrity. You are all he has left now. His mother is dead. James is dead. Sirius-" his voice broke on the last word, and he couldn't continue.
"I do not hate him. I don't believe I ever did." Severus' soft voice filled the silence.
"And he does not hate you. He reacts to the way you act. I am sure you know about Physics, with all the reading and referencing and such you've done over the years. So I'm sure you are familiar with the phrase 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.' He does not hate you, but he reacts in the opposite way of, say, how he reacts to Minerva or Filius. The only teacher of his that I am sure he hates is Sybill Trelawney. But then, were she to predict my death every class I had with her, then I believe that even I would hate her."
Severus snickered at this. He knew how many times she had predicted the boy's gruesome demise, and how many times he had pandered to her by predicting it himself.
"Tell him, Severus. Tell him you do not hate him. I will leave you to think, now."
Remus left the room, and Severus was left to remember the boy in pain, the boy sleeping on his couch. And how many times the boy had been belittled by him. And he thought to himself, 'How could the boy not hate me? I would hate me, were I him.' But a little voice in the back of his head insisted that though the boy may be of his blood, Harry Potter was not Severus Snape. Glancing around his living room, he noticed something that hadn't been there earlier. He wouldn't have noticed it now except the cover of it was glowing. It was a book. The cover was a deep blue, and had a picture of a serpent wrapped around the neck of a lion. But it wasn't squeezing, just enjoying the ride, apparently. He flipped it open and saw writing appearing on it's own. He would have closed it and sent if off to the Headmaster if one word didn't catch his eye.
Harry.
The book was writing to Harry. And... it was responding? He settled down to read what was sure to be an enjoyable story. One that could just very well change his perceptions about the Boy-Who-Lived.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Harry and Hermione had made it back to Gryffindor Tower and were now sitting in the common room, both of their books open in front of them. They had discussed what was bothering Harry earlier. How was he to tell Ron? Hermione had told him, quite forcefully, that he would just have to do it and get it over with. After all, he didn't seem to have a problem telling Malfoy. To which Harry had responded with telling her that Malfoy didn't know it was him, and he'd like to keep it that way. So now, after losing the argument, they were sitting to write to Ron when Ron wrote them first, unaware that Harry's second book wasn't anywhere near them. That it was, in fact, in Snape's hands.
Harry? Hermione? Are either of you there?
Hello Ron. Have you got your homework done yet?
Aww Hermione. Leave him alone. I'm sure he's done most of it. Right
Ron?
Err. Yeah. Most of it. Right.
Anyway, Ron. I've got something to tell you. I'm with Hermione right now, and we're at Hogwarts.
Oh. So that's why you're not at Headquarters.
You're at Headquarters? Why?
Something about not being safe at the Burrow. Mum wouldn't tell me much.
Harry felt really bad about this, since he knew his friends were in danger because of him.
Anyway, what do you want to tell me, Harry?
Oh. Err.. I... OH! Hermione... can you help?
Alright. Ron, Harry wants to tell you that... wow. This is hard. Anyway, Harry wanted to tell you that...
That my life has been tossed upside down again. Don't blow up, Ron. But, James Potter wasn't my dad. Snape is.
SNAPE??? YOU'RE DAD? OH MY GOD, HARRY! I'm so sorry! I can't believe that greasy git can have kids!
Ronald Weasley!
Ron! He's not that bad. I don't think. I don't actually know, since he hasn't talked to me really since we found out. But Remus seems to think he's fine, and I trust him. Besides, he did risk his life for the Order, and he has saved mine a few times.
Harry mate! Have you gone mental? He hates you! You hate him! You-
I don't hate him, Ron. I just hate the way he treats me. You know I needed Potions to get into Auror training, and now, I can't. McGonagall said she would talk to him, see if he'll let me in his N.E.W.T. class anyway, since I got an E on the O.W.L., but I'm not holding my breath.
Why would you hold your breath? I mean, I know Potions stinks, but...
It's a Muggle expression, Ron. It means that if he held his breath waiting for a favorable outcome, then he'd probably pass out, because once I pass out I think you breathe again, so you can't die doing that...
Errr. Right, Hermione, but anyway. I wanted to let you know that, and I wanted to tell you. Just in case someone found out, I didn't want you to think I was keeping secrets from you. It just took me a while to get used to it. Oh, and we went to Diagon Alley today, and saw Malfoy.
Harry snickered at this, and even Hermione giggled.
You should've seen his face, Ron! Here she told him all that had happened that day in Diagon Alley ...and when Harry turned around, and Malfoy was looking at a Snape walking with me, a Muggle born. And he was like, 'But you're a Snape!' and Harry was like, 'So?' and we left... and it was just too funny!
What do you mean, when he saw a Snape? Doesn't he know Harry?
Right. I forgot that part. I don't look like me anymore. I look like Snape, but with some of my mum's features. Actually, it feels more... I don't know. Right. Yeah this feels more right than the old me.
You look like SNAPE??????
Yeah, he looks like Snape, except he's got his mum's nose and eyes. And all the girls were watching him today, but he didn't even seem to notice.
THEY WHAT?
They were watching you, all googly eyed with dreamy looks on their faces. It was rather sickening, actually.
Harry snorted.
Well, I have to go now. It's time for dinner, and I want to catch Remus before he's done eating.
Alright, Harry. I'll talk to you later. Bye Hermione.
'Bye Ron. I'll write to you later.
Yeah, I'll write later.
With a snap of their books, both had left for the Great Hall. Where they saw Snape talking to Remus, holding a very familiar book in his hand.
A/N: So, what do you think? Please review!
House Points:
Gryffindor: 30
Slytherin: 10
Hufflepuff: 5
Ravenclaw: 5
Next House Points question:
What does Harry find waiting for him on his bed? (20 Points)