Chapter 2: Questions
Snape looked at Potter very closely. He looked as he always did. He was short and skinny with the same messy black hair and bright green eyes. He wasn't much taller than a first year. In fact, Snape thought he hadn't seemed to have change at all from looking like an eleven year old. Could he be hiding under a glamour charm? Snape quickly dismissed that thought. Glamour charms weren't taught until 6th year. Potter wouldn't have knowledge or the power to accomplish such a feat yet. Unless…
No, he wouldn't, it was that simple.
Snape felt a headache starting right behind his eyes and enter his temples. It was late and he was tired. He needed to think about this before doing anything.
Potter was still crying. He had started shaking and rocking; holding himself as is if he was cold.
He sighed and said, "Tomorrow, Potter. You will come to my office after dinner and you will answer my questions."
"Please," Potter muttered almost inaudibly, "Please."
Snape spoke low. "Please what?"
"Don't tell Dumbledore." Potter said sadly, "Please."
He thought very carefully about what the boy had just said. He didn't looked worried that he had cost Gryffindor a hundred points. He hadn't feared expulsion. He just didn't want Dumbledore to know. Most curious. Then Snape than realized why. After all the rules broken over the years, Potter was never in any real trouble; just detention and a lecture. He always earned Gryffindor the points back doing something brave and foolish. Potter really didn't have anything to fear by this. The only person he could disappoint in his own mind was Dumbledore. Potter did not want to disappoint Dumbledore. Snape could understand this; he felt this way himself.
Should he just tell Dumbledore and be done with it. No, there were just too many questions still.
Snape felt something tug on his robes and looked down. Potter's tear stained face was looking up at him with begging eyes. Tears dropped one by one on his robes. He spoke, "I'll do anything. I will, I will…" and then his little voice faded
No, this wasn't like Potter at all, Snape thought. Something wasn't right here at all. "For now, I will not tell Dumbledore. I will not tell anyone. You will come to my office after dinner. You will answer my questions. Then I will decide what to do. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir." Potter sniffed, sadly.
"Get up." Snape sneered. "Clean yourself up. Go back to your tower and go to bed. And do try to keep yourself out of trouble; at least, until tomorrow."
He stalked out of the room without looking back. He tried not to think of what had just happened as he headed down the stairs. He only slowed when he was in the dungeons. Here he let out a puzzled sigh. Then he continued stalking towards his private rooms; only thinking about a headache relief potion that he kept next to his bed. When he got there he mutter the password, "Dumbledore is sexy."
He downed the portion and felt his temples lighten. He sat at his desk and grabbed a blank parchment then he set out to organize his thought and what he had learned tonight.
1. Potter can brew 2 complex potions.
How did he know how to brew these potions?
Did Granger teach him?
Where did he learn to make these potions?
Could he brew other complex potions?
Or
Could he only brew these 2 potions?
2. Potter took both a strong healing potion and a menstruation potion.
Could he be just testing them though taste?
Or
Did he need both potions?
If this is true then
What had happen to need such a strong healing potion?
Why didn't he just go to the school nurse?
Why hadn't his relatives helped him?
Did he not tell them?
Then why?
If it didn't happen over break, when did this happen?
On the train?
At the school before the feast?
Why did need a menstruation potion?
Is he really a girl?
If this is true then
Why was he hiding it?
Or
Why did he, a boy, need it?
3. Why didn't he want the headmaster to know?
What was he hiding from him?
Could it have something to with the Dark Lord?
If so, what?
4. Why wasn't Potter acting like himself?
What was he scared of?
What was hiding?
What if that wasn't even Potter?
Would he really do anything for him not to tell?
Snape looked at all these questions. He didn't really like the answer the questions were pointing to. He decided to just go to bed and work on the answers the next day. He sighed. He turned off the lights and crawled into bed but he never did fall asleep.
Snape got out of bed just before dawn. He leisurely went about his day. He soaked in a very hot bath that last over an hour where he tried not to think at all. Then he lazily got dressed. After that he started a potion for Madame Pomfrey that removed hair. Children had the strangest diseases, he snickered to himself. The potion, Martino's Mane Less Mixture, took two days to boil and when it started to simmer, he left his private lab. Then he stalked the hallways, sneering at anyone in his way, and taking points as he pleased. By breakfast time, he was in a very good mood.
After he entered the great hall, he went straight towards the teacher's table. He nodded to Dumbledore and sat in the empty seat next to Professor McGonagall. He poured himself some coffee and scanned the tables. Potter and his sidekicks weren't there yet.
"Severus?" Professor McGonagall said.
"Yes." He sipped his coffee.
She looked him over, "Did you know someone last night removed a hundred points from Gryffindor?"
"Why yes," He smirked. "I did."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you also know that this morning that the same someone returned the points back to Gryffindor?"
"Why yes," He repeated. "I did."
The point system was very old. It was almost as old as Hogwarts. There were also a few loopholes in the system and Snape prided himself on knowing them all. Whenever a professor removed points it appeared on list in the deputy headmaster's office; it said who removed them, what student, and why. The loophole in this case when a professor changed his mind and returned the points all this information disappeared. The only thing that remain was how many points were removed and then returned. The same happened if the points were awarded and removed. The only reason any record of the points taken and returned were in case anyone noticed. Snape had returned the points this morning when he first got up. He thought it might help figure out this mystery if Potter had some trust in him staying quiet plus he didn't want to answer any questions just yet. Snape just wanted to solve this puzzle, he had thing for puzzles.
"Well," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"
He turned to her and said simply. "No."
All the teachers meet before breakfast on the first day of class to talk about anything they had forgotten to mention in the summer holiday staff meetings. He never attended it. Nothing was usual forgotten that was important. He felt it was a waste of time considering it always turned into gossip. Professor McGonagall had probably asked everyone there if they had removed the points. Since they didn't and he did, it left little to the imagination on who did. He wasn't going to deny it but he wasn't going to tell them what had happened.
"I am the head of Gryffindor house." Her lips thinned, "They are my responsibility. I want to know what happened."
Snape noticed all the teachers were watching. He looked at them and said. "No."
"Snape," Moody grumbled out of his mouth. "You are going to tell her."
Snape paled. Why did Moody still have that effect on me, he wondered. He leaned towards and whispered in her ear. "No, I am not going to tell you. When it concerns you, maybe I will tell you."
He could tell she was angry. She turned to the headmaster and opened her mouth but Dumbledore beat her. "There were no points taken so he doesn't have to tell you anything. He doesn't have to explain himself to you. If he was concerned with a student's behavior, as that student's head of house, he would go to you. Wouldn't you, Severus?"
"Of course, headmaster." He lied to the headmaster. He hated lying to the headmaster but he did make a promise. He wouldn't tell him anything until after he talked to Potter, then maybe he would.
Professor McGonagall was fuming but she didn't say a thing. The other teachers were still very curious. Moody was looking suspiciously at him. Dumbledore looked idle and thoughtful at the same time. Snape knew why. Returning points were rare in the school, but that many and everyone knowing how he hated Gryffindor. No wonder why they wanted to know. But he could keep quiet and he could be patient.
Earlier in the morning, Snape had decided to watch Potter all day. He knew you could learn a lot by watching people and he was hoping to find some clues. Potter had not yet arrived at breakfast so he started watching his friends. You could learn about a lot about a person from watching his or her friends. Neither Granger or Weasley were there and most likely arrive with Potter. No one at Gryffindor table seemed concerned. Neville Longbottom was quite cheerful. Thomas and Finnegan were the same but sleepier. Even the littlest Weasley was relaxed as she giggled with another 3rd year. Obviously, they knew nothing.
Snape could learn nothing more there so he watched the other tables looking for trouble makers. Also, he was thinking. Potter, who was popular and famous, didn't have many friends. The only people he seemed to close were Granger and Weasley. While he was deciding if that was odd or not, Potter and his cohorts walked into the great hall. They were laughing and talking. They walked to Gryffindor table without looking at him at all. When they got to the table, Granger and Weasley sat right down. Potter hesitated as if waiting for something. When nothing happened, he sat down. No one even noticed this. After a few good mornings and hellos, no one notice him turn away. He was looking at the hourglasses where the house points were listed. He looked blank. His eyes were surprised for a second then he turned back to his friends. He laughed lightly at whatever Granger and Weasley were bickering about.
Snape looked away and back at the other houses. He didn't want Potter to know he was watching him. Also, he knew the other professors were watching him. He ignored them all but was still secretly watching Potter and he knew that Potter was watching him out of the corner of his. He did think Potter could notice though.
He learned a lot about Potter this morning. Potter laughed only when it was expected of him, no longer than necessary. He talked only when it excepted of him to say anything and said no more. He acted exactly like everyone expected of him. He did learn a lot about him indeed. He was a great actor, one of the greatest he had ever seen. He interpreted the subtle body language of everyone around and acted accordingly. He smiled when he should and he frowned when he should. Not one of the people knew. Not one of his friends really knew him at all. Snape was almost impressed.
Snape left the hall and waited in shadowy corners for Potter. He did not say goodbye to any of his fellow professors. He timed it well for five minutes later Potter came out. He followed the three to their first class. There was nothing of importance to notice. The he hurried to own first class.
He watched them go to all their classes. He watched them during lunch. He learned nothing new. After lunch, he had a free period so he reviewed his list. Then he frowned, number 4 was wrong.
4. Why wasn't Potter acting like himself?
What was he scared of?
What was hiding?
What if that wasn't even Potter?
Would he really do anything for him not to tell?
Snape wrote this under it.
5. Potter is acting like Potter
No one knows, no one has noticed
Potter is scared because he is hiding something
What is he hiding?
It may not really be Harry Potter.
Snape thought for the rest of his free period. If it wasn't Potter than someone was using either polyjuice potion or a powerful glamour charm. He would solve this part of the puzzle tonight. Then he would research Alleviation Ale and Regina's Solution. Why Potter didn't want Dumbledore to know may be solved tonight on its own. Once he had a responsible plan in his mind, he relaxed.
He continues his day as he did, he followed Potter to his classes and to dinner. Did Weasley go everywhere with him? That was bothering. He never saw him on his own. Therefore, he watched Potter pretend to be Potter. It was annoying, really. Then he followed him to dinner and watched. No change, none at all.
After dinner, he went to his office and waited. He didn't long. There was a knock.
Snape smiled. "Enter."