A/N:  It's not too good if you get bitten by a rat and it turns yellow, is it?  I thought not…so, if I die, I leave this story in the capable hands of…whoever takes over.  Just remember, if you mess it up, I will haunt you.  Sleep?  Okay…on with the fic.

Chapter Nine:  Change of Heart?

            A few minutes after Harry had fallen asleep, Aeria Feenland came to Severus's office.  "How's Harry?  Thespia told me what happened."

            "He's okay for now.  He's just a Gryffindor, thinks rules don't apply to him."

            "My daughter is a Gryffindor, and she has a respect for the rules!" Aeria retorted.

            "Well, I'm not saying that all Gryffindors disregard all the rules, just most," Severus explained.

            "I see, the enmity between Slytherin and Gryffindor."

            "What's that supposed to mean?" Severus asked, trying desperately to keep his tone level.  It was one thing to shout at a student, or his godson, but not a new professor.  "She'll likely be gone by the end of the year anyways, nobody's lasted longer than that since Potter came to this school, two years was the longest before that, at least that I know of.  Maybe the job is cursed."

            "Just that, from what I understand, Slytherin and Gryffindor have never gotten along, and they often stereotype each other."

            "You're saying I'm being stereotypical?  I've taught here for fourteen years, I think I'd know the Houses well enough."

            "I'm not saying anything, other than the fact that from what I've read, Slytherin and Gryffindor don't take the time to know each other.  I bet you don't even try to understand Gryffindors, or even Harry, even though right now," she paused, "okay, so when he's conscious, you have the chance of one on one time with him!"

            "She's been here for three days, and she's already insulting me," Severus thought to himself.  "There's nothing to understand!  I've seen rule-breaking Gryffindors get away year after year, especially Potter.  They all think that they cannot be touched."

            "Listen to yourself.  Try to reach out to them."

            "Reach out to them?!  I'd be betraying my own House, my own image, myself!  Who does this woman think she is, Dr. Freud?  Or some other psychiatrist," Severus thought bitterly.  "What would that do?"

            "Give them confidence, they'll know you care about their safety, not that your House gets the most points every year, wins all of the Quidditch matches.  What makes you so conceded to think that you deserve all of the awards?"

            "Definitely Dr. Freud," Severus's mind concluded.  "I'm not saying that.  I work hard to make sure that they do their best, and if all of the other Houses fall behind, well that's their problem."

            "How did such a self-centred person get the job of a role model?" Aeria said aloud to herself.

            "I am a teacher, not a role model."

            "I would hope so, I pity those mad enough to try to 'live up to you'.  But, fact is, you spend ten months out of the year with them, that's more than with their own parents, in a crucial part of their lives.  You're a sort of father-figure to almost every Slytherin, I'd bet."

            His face took on a look of shock, "Me?  Father-figure?  She's definitely mad," Severus thought.  He decided to change the subject, "Did you come down here to taunt me, or is it just an added bonus?" he said sarcastically.

            "You think this is free?" Aeria answered, equally sarcastic, "it's two sickles a minute."

            Forgetting his anger, Severus laughed, but quickly regained his composure.  "Quite an inappropriate time for a joke."

            "Nah, you think?" she said with sarcasm, she paused before saying, "Hey, it made you laugh," with a shrug.

            "Women!" Severus thought with a snarl.  "Maybe, once you actually meet the Gryffindors, you'll learn to hold your tongue."

            "And why would I need to do that, my tongue's perfectly fine."

            Severus rolled his eyes.  "If you'll excuse me, I've got work to do."

            "Goodbye, Sev," she answered, exiting.

            "Severus!" he growled after her.  Seemingly, she either hadn't heard or didn't care, probably the latter, because she strolled on.

            "The hat was wrong," Harry whispered to himself, making Severus jump.  Apparently, he was awake.

            "You think another House suits you better than Gryffindor?"

            "No, I think Gryffindor is right," Harry answered defensively.  "The hat said that I'd do well in Slytherin.  After being awoken by your argument, I'm even more sure that it was wrong."

            "The Sorting Hat is never wrong.  But, seeing as you're in Gryffindor, it was right in the end," Severus answered.  "Wait a minute…Wait…a… minute…The rule-breaking, praised, arrogant, Boy-Who-Lived was supposed to be in Slytherin.  My own House?!" Severus sat down at a near-by chair with a confused look on his face.  "You…Slytherin?  Never!"

            "That's what I thought!  Slytherin…" Harry stopped, "Best not complete that sentence," he thought to himself.

            "What about Slytherin?" Snape asked, regaining his malice.

            "N—Nothing, sir."

            "You were about to insult me, weren't you?"

            "No!" Harry said, thinking, "well…maybe, yes."

            "Then what were you about to say?"

            "What if I just…fall asleep?"  Harry thought, closing his eyes.

            "Oh no you don't, what were you about to say?" Snape interrogated.

            "I'm tired…I'm exhausted!" Harry whined.  Snape fixed him with a glare.  "I was just going to say that Slytherins and I wouldn't mix well…that I wouldn't fit.  Anyways, if I wasn't in Gryffindor Quirrel would have gotten the Philosopher's Stone for Voldemort, Tom Riddle would have taken over Hogwarts," Harry, going in chronological order paused to skip Third-Year for obvious reasons, "and I wouldn't have made it through the Tri-Wizard tournament.  I don't think Malfoy, or any of those other Slytherins could have been nearly as helpful as my Gryffindor friends."

            "Your lackey and the know-it-all?" Snape thought to himself with a laugh.  He was about to insult the aforementioned, when Aeria's voice, "Reach out to them," came into his head…so now the shrink was in his brain…great.  "Yes, I'm sure.  I could never picture you as a Slytherin anyway."

            "Exactly," Harry said with a weak smile, "Nooo, I'm having a civil, insult-free conversation with Snape…the world has ended!"

            "Go to sleep," Snape ordered.

            "Not tired," Harry said, still grinning.

            "Maybe you wouldn't make too bad of a Slytherin," Snape said.  "Now, time to sleep."

            "But!" Harry protested, trying to sit up.

            Snape pulled a Sleeping Draught off of a table, and gave it to the boy, gently laying him back down as his eyes closed.

A/N:  Done.  Er, someone gave me the idea for the second half of this chapter, lemme go check who it is…Oh, yes, Mikee!  Thanx for your help again!

Corgi—Yes, yes they are.  If no one's got the point yet, Corgi is my most faithful reviewer, and I love her for it.

Mikee—He helps with ideas (most likely unintentionally).  He's my second most faithful reviewer, I love him too!

Cataclysmic—Thanx, I wish it had as well, oh well, at least some people like it, and it's fun to write.