Disclaimer: All JKR's world, and a guest character from the Chronicles of Narnia, which is not in the same time frame, but I like the character so temporarily ignore any time frame from Narnia.
A/N: I am so very sorry about the previous chapter and how it was all bunched up like that. I don't know how that happened, but hopefully it won't happen again, and thanks to those who pointed it out to me.
Harry Potter was a very excited boy. Today his class would be pairing up with a fifth grade class. For the rest of the year they would have a buddy. Harry hadn't actually had someone who was his real friend before so he was looking forward to seeing who he would be paired up with.
The fifth grade class came into their room warily. They all bunched around the door, darting their eyes about, most likely searching for the nearest escape route. Harry thought that they might have just stood there forever if it wasn't for a very familiar voice which filled all of their ears, "Are you waiting for a formal invitation? Enter the room!"
Harry's heart leapt at this. His class was pairing up with Mr. Snape's class! At that moment, the fact that he had no proper clothes, broken glasses, and that he lived in a cupboard under the stairs melted away. Harry was solely focused on the fact that Mr. Snape would be in his class two times a week from then on. Of course, Harry was sure the man wouldn't say that he was glad, but Harry knew that very deep down he had to be at least a little happy about it! He just had to!
~*~
Ms. Watson looked at Mr. Snape with a disapproving look. She had heard that the man was a bit on the testy side, but he was being downright mean to those poor children. Someone really needed to speak with the man about that! Well, she was never one to back down and she wasn't about to start now.
After she paired all the children off, she looked around to see if the children were having any problems. Today they were just talking and getting to know each other. She looked over at Harry who she had paired off with Eustace Scrubb. The boy used to be as horrible as Dudley Dursley, yet for some reason, over the summer, he had changed and became a really nice boy. She knew he would be nice to Harry.
Knowing this, she sidled closer to the man she knew as Severus Snape. He wasn't handsome by any means, but she had to admit that he did have some strange pull around him, a bit like Harry, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. She went up to the man, who was currently glaring over at two children, who had just fallen into hysterics over something or other, and introduced herself.
"Hello, I don't believe we have been formally introduced. I'm Delia Watson, pleased to meet you," she said in the most exuberant voice she could muster. Unfortunately, the man in front of her seemed horrified by her very presence. He merely deepened the sneer on his face and gave her a piercing glare.
"I assume you would like my name in exchange?" he said in the smuggest tone he could generate. Ms. Watson looked at him, horrified, 'Good Lord, this man was worse than I'd thought!' Figuring that perhaps he was just in a bad mood, she nodded her head.
"Severus Snape, madam." Ms. Watson couldn't help but feel that he was mocking her with the tone he used. She was beginning to get angry and they had only just barely managed to exchange names! This man had some serious problems, and Ms. Watson didn't think that he had any right in subjecting innocent children to his foul manners and dreadful mood.
Snape had gone back to glaring at the children in the classroom when she failed to say anything else. She noticed his gaze fall on young Harry Potter and Eustace Scrubb.
"I see you have Potter in your class. I feel sorry for you," he mentioned. Ms. Watson looked at him like he was crazy. Harry? Why would he feel sorry that she had Harry in her class? It just didn't make sense. Maybe he had an identical twin in another class who was a complete horror.
"Do you mean Harry?" she asked as politely as she could.
"No, the other Potter standing right in front of you," Snape sneered at her. Why did she get the feeling that if he had been younger he would be rolling his eyes at her? For that matter, what did he have against Harry, possibly the most easy to please and pleasant child she had ever met?
"What do you have against Harry?" she asked, genuinely interested.
"The boy? Where would I start? The boy thinks he is better than everyone, acts like a brat, and is completely spoiled!" Snape finished with his little rant, interested at the increasingly red face of Ms. Watson.
"WHAT?" she screeched, causing both classes to stop talking and stare at them curiously. She turned an even deeper shade of red, and was glad of Snape's mysterious power of the glare to make the children stop staring at them. She lowered her voice.
"How could you think that of the dear boy? He is one of the sweetest children I have ever met and certainly not spoiled!" she told him vehemently. Snape just quirked an eyebrow up at her and sneered again.
"So, he already has a fan club, complete with even grown adults willing to worship the ground he walks on. The boy does work fast," Snape informed the stunned woman. Ms. Watson was now, quite frankly, incredibly confused. Why would Snape expect people to want to worship the ground Harry walked on? For that matter, if he knew Harry, like she assumed, what would make him think that Harry would even want this? Something just wasn't adding up.
"For your information, Mr. Snape," she said in a very good imitation of a mocking voice if she did say so herself, "I do not worship the ground Harry walks on, nor does anyone else. He is a very kind boy who is quite and caring and he would never set out to be as horrible as you are making him out to be." Ms. Watson had to stop herself there. She could feel her voice rising to dangerous levels and she did not want to alert the class yet again.
Snape merely shrugged at her and said, "I am sure, madam." Ms. Watson was now fuming and was not trusting herself enough to open her mouth. She merely nodded at him and practically stomped over to the other side of the room. Anything to get her away from that horrid man. Good thing that Harry was living with his Aunt and Uncle instead of someone like that!
~*~
Once Harry had been introduced to Eustace, they had hit it off immediately. Eustace was really nice and they had a lot of fun talking together. They went on chatting for a while when Harry asked Eustace to tell him a story. Eustace began telling him about this strange adventure with a boat and an annoying boy who sounded suspiciously like Dudley to him.
Harry was quick to tell Eustace that his story couldn't possibly be true, though. Eustace looked at Harry strangely for a moment.
"Why can't it be true, Harry?" Eustace asked Harry. Harry looked at him like he had suddenly grown an extra head. Well, more like he was crazy. It was impossible for anyone to grow an extra head, Harry knew that.
"Um, Eustace, maybe it can't be true because there is no such thing as magic," Harry offered to the boy. Eustace looked appalled. 'What kind of five-year-old didn't believe in magic?' he thought to himself.
"Harry, of course magic exists! How do you think Father Christmas gets presents to all the children of the world in one night? Or the Tooth Fairy! How would she know which children exactly to come visit when they lost a tooth? How about the Easter Bunny, Harry? How can you explain all that?" Eustace looked down at Harry as if the boy must be joking.
"Well, they only go to certain people," Harry stated simply. Eustace looked at Harry suspiciously.
"What do you mean?" he finally asked the small boy next to him.
"Well, they don't go to the people who don't deserve anything, why waste their time on good-for-nothings?" Harry replied easily. Now Harry was the one looking at Eustace like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Eustace was a little suspicious of why Harry would think this way, but he let it drop. He then informed Harry that magic definitely did exist and that he had seen it at work.
"But Eustace-" Harry began, but was very quickly cut off by the bigger boy.
"No buts, Harry, it's true! I was the boy in the story," he informed Harry. Harry looked at him with his intense green eyes for a moment, then burst out laughing. When he had finally calmed down, he said to Eustace, "Sorry, but you can't be. That boy is horrible and you are nice. You can't be that boy."
Eustace sighed and responded, "Let me finish the story, Harry, then you'll understand." Eustace did finish the story. Harry stared at him in awe. Harry had never met anyone who had gone on a real live adventure before, much less an adventure that included magic! Harry was so happy that he felt like he was about to burst. Maybe one day he would open his cupboard and get to find another world! Eustace didn't know it at the time, but that day he had given a little boy something that nobody else in the world could give him. He gave him some hope.
~~~~~
Thanks to my betas Devonny Rose and semirhage!!!
Thanks also to my reviewers:
Anora – Thanks for telling me! Sorry!
Molly Morrison – Yeah, it is really hard to read that way.
ER – Yep, sorry it got messed up.
Arafel2 – Thanks and sorry.
SilverKnight7 – I update weekly!
Samara-Chan – I'm glad you like it! Your reviews always make me laugh! Sorry about the length of the chapters, I'll try and make them longer!
Litze – We will see!
Kristendotcom – thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I know Dudley and his gang probably beat him up. I might even have something like that in the future… anyways, I'm glad you agree with me about that, it makes me glad that I'm not the only one who thinks that way!!!
Ahappyjtm – Haha!!! Yay! I get strawberries! Thanks!
Fyre – thanks so much! I am so glad you like it and it is wonderful to get feedback like that! I definitely do take suggestions and will definitely keep yours in mind! I actually did plan on having a chapter with Aunt Marge in it, but was saving that for perhaps Christmas so she would have a reason for visiting the Dursleys! Thanks!
Pip3 – Thanks! I'm so glad you read it!
Barbara Kennedy – Thanks, and yes, if Voldemort was around that would be awkward to explain!
Kateri1 – Thanks!
Kady Rilla Wholi – Thanks! I hope this chapter turns out all right, I'm sorry about the last one!
A Reader – I'm glad you liked it, sorry about the spacing!
ping*pong5 – Yeah, I have noticed all the things that
happened on Halloween, and I was disappointed when nothing happened in the
fifth year. It was kind of a let down. Oh well, sorry about the spacing, hope
this is better!
Gaina Katrea – I'm glad you liked it and still read it! Very sorry about that, I'm gonna try my best to make sure it doesn't happen in the future!
Amirathis – I think Ms. Watson is already suspicious enough. She probably just figures that Harry isn't doing as well because there is starting to be more material and more difficult. She is still keeping an eye on Harry, though. Sorry about the paragraphs!
Alamarang – Thanks a lot!
Tanya Dinocrisis01 – Thanks!
Mystical Witch – Sorry about that! I visited a website that said that trick-or-treating was originated in Great Britain, I guess it wasn't correct! Sorry about the spacing! I don't really know what happened, but I'll try not to let it happen again!
Prd2bAmerican18 – Thanks, yeah, I'm gonna try!
Phoenix Flight – Thanks! I totally agree with you that it will take a while.
Anonymous – Thanks for the review. I don't think I can make the Dursley's meaner because I am trying to stick to the book and the impression that I got is that this is what they were like. Their behavior now, if discovered, is still enough to get Harry taken away from them, so don't worry!
Slimpun – Thanks, I will!
Badassgothicgirl – Me too!
Melissa – Here you go!
Cally – I've always loved Harry's ability to do that!
Doneril – Thanks, I dunno, you'll just have to keep reading to find out!
Watcher Tale Neith – I love Halloween too! Wow, those are two really different costumes! Thanks for reading!
Shezan – Thanks! Hopefully he will!
GoddessMoonLady – I know! I love Halloween!!! I hope you liked this update!
Eva McGregor – Oh no! So glad Harry's not visiting you on Saturdays! LOL! I know, hopefully Sev will find out soon!!!
Tati1 – No problem, thanks for reading and reviewing!!!
Miriamqwebster – I'm glad you like this story! Yes, I do update once a week, usually on Fridays! Thanks for reading!
UW – Thanks! Hope I don't let you down!
Gina – Thanks! I'm glad you're so emotionally involved, it's a sign that I'm at least doing something right!
A/N: Well, thanks so much to everyone who has been reading and reviewing! Please review and feel free to offer any tips or suggestions! Thanks!
