Part Three: Where the Deer and the Antelope Play
Hogwarts hadn't changed much since Harry had left. The building looked empty to his critical eye, but since he had never seen it during the summer before he supposed that he had nothing to truly compare it to. However, other than looking forlorn, the building was as beautiful as always.
"'Arry!" Hagrid's voice boomed. The half giant came forward to greet the returning wizard.
"Hagrid," Harry smiled as he was pulled into a crushing embrace. "How is Olympia?"
"She's wonderful!" Hagrid beamed. "We're 'pecting our second baby at the start of the term."
"Congratulations," Harry hugged the big man. "I'm glad for you."
"Aih," Hargrid nearly crushed the younger man for a second time. "So when are you going to settle down and get married? You need to carry on the Potter line after all."
"Uh," Harry stepped back. No matter how often he had this talk with Hagrid, the half giant never seemed to truly understand what Harry was saying. "Sometimes I'm sure," the wizard temporized.
"'Ave you any girl who strikes your fancy?" Hagrid winked in what was probably supposed to be a sly manner, but fell somewhat short.
Harry remained silent, unsure of what to say. A throat being cleared saved him from having to continuing his mental scrambling. "I'm so glad that you feel it necessary to keep our newest teacher from his first meeting with the Headmistress."
"Ach," Hagrid boomed. "I'm jus catching up wit' Harry."
"Indeed," Snape drawled. "But we need Mr. Potter inside the castle."
"Right you are Professor," Hagrid smiled. "I'll see you later 'Arry."
"Later," Harry agreed as he followed Snape inside.
"You looked quite uncomfortable toward the end of your chat with Hagrid." Snape observed as they crossed the entrance hall.
"Well," Harry shrugged. "He was asking about when I was going to get married."
"Ah yes," Snape sneered. "The million galleon question."
"Though I don't know why," Harry sighed.
"No matter what," Snape raised his eyebrow. "You will always be the 'boy who lived'."
"What if I just off myself?" Harry inquired.
"Is this an imminent danger?" Snape countered.
"Well," Harry considered this. "As you noted some weeks ago, I am trying to drink myself to death."
"If you read the sheets then you'll know that they'll just blame it on your 'tragic' childhood." Snape smirked.
"I think I'll blame my drinking on that too." Harry grinned. "Think I'll have grounds to take the Dursleys to court?"
"You have proof of abuse?" Snape stopped.
"Well," Harry shrugged. "I have my memories."
"Huh," Snape started walking again. They soon came to the Griffin that guarded the Headmistress's office. "Now Potter, listen carefully. Each teacher has their own private password to this office. When you bring a student here you will use a password that Minerva will change at her whim. To set your password just step up to the statue, look in it's eyes and say your password."
Harry rolled his eyes but stepped up to the statue anyway. "Voldemort is God."
Harry smiled when he heard a choking sound behind him. "Do you have a problem Severus?"
"Not really," Snape said, regaining his breath. "I just wasn't expecting that to be your password."
"I just reasoned that it was something no one would be able to guess." Harry grinned at the older man.
"Well reasoned." Snape allowed. "Now listen carefully to the public password, 'Scott'."
The Griffin moved aside and Harry looked at Snape expectantly. "Scott?"
"Minerva said that she was heartily sick of candy," Snape explained as he ushered Harry up the stairs. "So she started on Authors instead."
"So will she offer me a set of books instead of lemon drops when I first walk in?" Harry asked.
"Nope," Snape paused in front of the office door. "Catnip and kitty treats."
"Telling stories Severus?" Minerva McGonagall asked as the door swung open. "Or should I get out my cat o' nine tails?"
"Meow." Severus teased.
Harry's eyes widened at the banter between his former professors. He never would have thought that they were friendly, not after watching them fight for the House and Quidditch cups all his Hogwarts years.
"So Harry," Minerva smiled at the look on her former student. "Come in and sit down." Harry moved to one of the chairs in front of her desk, Severus sat down in the other one. "How have you been?"
"I've been well," Harry smiled. "And you?"
"I have also been well," Minerva's eyes twinkled in a way that was very reminiscent of Dumbledore. "And how is Oliver? Still playing for the Hornets?"
"He is back at Puddlemere these days," Harry's smile faltered slightly. "And I haven't talked to him in a few weeks. We've... parted ways."
"That does happen," Minerva said gently. "Such a shame though, I'd have put money on you two making it."
Harry ducked his head, unsure of how to answer her. Snape cleared this throat saving Harry from embarrassment for a second time that day. "As enlightening as this discussion as been I'm sure Mr. Potter has somewhere to be when this is all done."
"Well actually," Harry said before he could stop himself. "I'm pretty sure that our previous topic of conversation proved that I don't have anything to do later."
Minerva laughed at the dumbfounded expression on Severus's face as Harry blushed in a fashion more befitting a Weasley.
"Very well," Minerva took pity on the two men in front of her desk. "Lets go over Harry's class for the next semester."
"I was thinking that Narcissa Malfoy's books pretty much covered what the students needed to know." Harry fought for his composure.
"I figured that was what you would want, so they were on the list we sent to Flourish and Blotts." Snape told him. "I also added Riddle's autobiography."
Harry's eyes light up. "That will be perfect for the seventh years."
"That was my line of thought."
"So you've already put all my books on order?" Harry asked.
Snape handed him a sheet of paper. Without a word from the younger wizard Snape had pretty much told the students to acquire what Harry would have chosen. 'We spent so much time contemplating why he wanted the Defense position. We never did think that it was because he just wanted to have someone teach it right.'
"Any objections?" Snape drawled. Though Harry fancied he that he caught a hint of nervousness in the other's eyes.
"No," Harry smiled. "Though I probably wouldn't have chosen one of the Lockhart books for the first years."
"The man might have been a self important prig," Snape allowed. "But he did know how to tell a story."
"True," Minerva sighed, reminded the men of her presence. "Though thank Merlin we only had to suffer him occasionally through out his tenure here. There is something to be said for dieting."
Harry grinned. "Well he did have that 'perfect' figure to maintain."
"And the amount of toothpaste he must have gone through," Minerva marveled.
"As the person most asked to resupply his stock," Severus grinned. "I can assure you that he never used a glamour charm for those pearly whites."
"He admitted himself that he wasn't good at anything but memory charms." Harry laughed. The others gave him a confused looks so he explained. "It's what he told Ron and I before attempting to wipe our memories in the Chamber."
Severus raised an eyebrow. "If he was so good at memory charms how did he manage to get it to backfire?"
"Do you remember how Ron and I arrived at Hogwarts that year?" Harry asked.
"How could anyone forget?" Minerva smiled. "Especially since there is still a Ford Anglia roaming in the forest."
"Well," Harry took a deep breath. "Our meet and greet with the whomping willow left Ron's wand broken."
"Slugs," Severus said with a fond smile.
"Slugs," Harry rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Lockhart grabbed Ron's wand to cast his charm."
"So it...." Minerva wiped eyes streaming with tears from her laughter. "He...."
"The man really took the prize for stupidity," Severus shook his head. "The slugs were the talk of the staff lounge for weeks. Lockhart even went so far as to say that he would never try something that strong with a broken wand."
Minerva, having gotten herself under control, took one look at Severus and broke into a fresh bought of laughter. Severus merely rolled his eyes. "Do you have any other questions Mr. Potter?"
Harry took his fascinated gaze off the still laughing Headmistress. "Not really."
"Then I'll show you to your rooms before you leave." Snape stood up. "With your leave Professor?"
Minerva, still gasping, waved them out.
"Is she always like that?" Harry glanced back over his shoulder as he followed Snape down the stairs.
"During the summer she tends to let her hair down." Snape smiled. "It took me a while to get used to it because I came to teach right after my seventh year."
"Poor baby," Harry murmured.
"So Juvenile, Mr. Potter." Snape smirked. "Maybe you should go through detentions again."
"Professor." Harry said.
"Yes?" Snape stopped walking and turned to face the younger man.
"You should call me Professor Potter." Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Oh." Snape turned around and began walking again.
"Just, oh?" Harry demanded. "Aren't you going to at least acknowledge the fact that my complaint has some validity?"
"Oh give it up Potter." Draco Malfoy turned into the main hall accompanied by a witch that Harry didn't know. "I still haven't gotten him to call me that."
"Not that Care of Magical Creatures really makes you a Professor." The witch teased gently.
"It is a valid career choice." Draco protested.
"It's useless except in how not to get yourself killed, especially when collecting potions ingredients." Snape snorted as he waited for the group to catch up to him.
"If that was truly all it taught, then only you and I would be needed." Harry pointed out. "There is a lot to be said for animal husbandry, and the general training of all witches and wizards so they know when to call experts like Malfoy in."
"Why thank you Potter," Draco beamed.
"Oh dear," the witch murmured. "You've actually complimented him. You'll never be rid of your new 'best friend'."
"Sally darling," Draco drawled in a bemused fashion. "Do you have any idea as to who the person you've just dubbed my 'best friend' actually is?"
"Ooh," the witch blinked. "Not really."
"I know I've said this before," Snape glared at her. "But you need to take your head out of your charts and occasionally pay attention to current events."
Sally gave him a look then turned to Harry. "I'm Sally Waterson, the current Professor of Astronomy."
"Harry Potter," Harry smiled as he shook her hand. "The new Defense Professor."
"Harry Potter?" Sally asked. "Why does that name seem familiar?"
"Because he's the bloody 'man who killed Voldemort'." Draco sneered at her.
"Really," Sally's brow creased. "I think I heard about that. A lot of people died right?"
"Americans," Draco muttered rolling his eyes.
Sally rolled her eyes back. "So Harry, what's your poison?"
Harry raised an eyebrow at her, then turning to Snape he asked. "Are all Americans insane?"
"That is my theory." Draco laughed. "But what she is asking is what do you normally drink. Really Potter, it seems that you need to get out about as much as she does."
Harry was tempted to take that literally, but threw Sally a bone. "Ogdens."
"Ah," Sally blinked. "Come out with us tonight. We're all going to be a the Three Broomsticks."
"Oh yes," Draco drawled. "Harry Potter, you, and a bunch of former Slytherins. Add alcohol to the mix and then see what happens."
"It might be fun," Snape came to a stop in front of a nice landscape that Harry had seen hundreds of times through out his schooling. It was of a lighthouse on a lonely beach, today the beach was calm. Snape leaned toward the painting and a light from the house flashed across his face. The portrait slide open to reveal a long corridor.
"These are the faculty rooms. This place is so well guarded that it doesn't even appear on that map of your father's." Snape smirked. "We all value our privacy that much."
"I can't imagine that our founders would really have loved kids enough to have them traipsing through their sleeping quarters whenever the mood struck them." Draco agreed stepping through. "Salazar especially, though there is a tale or two about Gryffindor and Rowena hexing the daylights out of a student or two in their day."
"There used to be nothing you wouldn't say," Harry observed his former rival. "Now you seem much more..."
"Circumspect." Draco supplied. "It's living with Minnie. She gives you these looks if she doesn't approve of you."
"You were swearing in front of the students..." Snape murmured as they passed tapestry after tapestry in the corridor. "She could care less if you do it on your lonesome."
"Minnie can swear with the best of them." Sally smiled.
Snape stopped again. The tapestry showed the Hogwart's crest with the Gryffindor Lion posed as if to jump out at the hall. Snape glanced at Draco and Sally. "Are you two lost?"
"No," Draco grinned.
"Then why are you still here?" The older man glared.
Draco sighed. "I'm sorta hoping that Potter will take pity on me and invite me into the infamous Gryffindor Suite."
"Infamous?" Harry questioned.
"Yep," Sally broke in. "Weird things happen in there all the time, but the rest of the staff is left in the dark as to what those things are."
"Go," Snape nearly growled. For the first time since he had left Hogwarts that Harry saw Snape's nasty side.
The two teachers didn't leave. Instead they both turned to look at Harry expectantly.
"A quick peek couldn't hurt?" Harry asked of the deputy Headmaster.
"They can't actually enter the room," Snape explained. "They aren't bound to Hogwarts."
"You mean that only Susan, who ever took over for Flitwick, you and Minerva are the only ones who can enter?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "There goes my love life."
"If a person is bound to you, they can enter. So your Goddog can visit you, he can even bring the werewolf with him." Snape sneered. "But unless you marry one of them, or form another kind of legal bound with them, these two may only look from out here in the hall."
"Does this have anything to do with the infamy of this room? And if it does can I change it for another?" Harry pouted.
"It has to do with you being a Head of House and therefore bound to Hogwarts." Draco groused.
"Any
current student of your house can enter, as can anyone bound to you.
This is supposedly because you have enough to worry about without
having to look out for yourself in your own rooms."
"So this is the end of my love life." Harry sighed.
"Should you desire one night stands, or even repeated encounters, then I suggest you make use of the rooms above the Three Broomsticks. Rosmerta's rates have always been found reasonable." Snape messaged his neck. "Anymore questions? Or may we actually get you inside of your rooms today?"
Harry shrugged. He pushed the tapestry aside and opened the door. A glance to the others showed that they were getting their fill of looking inside the suite. He smiled slightly and stepped through, feeling a wave of magic was over him. He turned back to those beyond his threshold. "So?"
"Yes?" Snape raised an eyebrow.
"When were you going to mention what happens when I step into the room?" Harry matched his expression.
"Ah," Snape smirked. "That."
"You didn't mention something?" Sally grinned. "How mean."
"How Slytherin." Draco corrected her.
"No," Harry smirked. "It was just mean, and so is what I am about to do."
The door to the Gryffindor suite closed in the trio's stunned faces. Harry smiled in satisfaction before turning to survey his new home.
End Notes:- Please Review.