Chapter 13: Dumbledore and McGonagall (or couldn't think of a better chapter name)
Snape did not knock nor did he quietly walk into the headmaster's office. He wrenched open the door, banging it against the wall and stalked in. An indignant and furious look etched across his face. Though he wasn't really that mad, he wanted to insure that Dumbledore and McGonagall thought he was. From the looks of surprise, he was quite sure he achieved his goal.
Before they could even open their mouths, he told them all what Madame Pomfrey had said and Harry's reaction. Then he said. "Now what are you planning to do?"
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "We are going to help him."
"Good." He snarled.
Professor McGonagall nodded sadly. "But what are we going to do to help?"
The headmaster said. "That is what we need to discuss."
"The Dursleys needed to be prosecuted. How could they do such a thing to a child?" McGonagall stated.
"No." Snape sneered. "If you have the ministry investigate the muggles there will be a press leak."
"But they need to be punished." She moaned.
"Oh, they will be. I plan on doing it myself and it will be very painful." Snape said with a satisfied and evil smile. He looked away towards the window but an eerie, dreamy look that showed he was thinking about all the delightful, painful ways he intended to show the Dursleys about how not to treat a wizard.
"Severus, I can not let you do that but I agree with the notation. And you are right, the Ministry can not be informed for Harry's situation will be revealed and he's recovery would be jeopardized." Dumbledore said.
"How would his recovery be jeopardized?" She frowned. "Those muggles needed to be punished for the fullest extent of the law. He would feel better, knowing that they were punished."
Snape rolled his eyes. "How would you feel if your life and everything in it was placed on the front page of the Daily Prophet? How would you feel if you knew that everyone knew all of your pain and suffering? He is ashamed and blames himself for what has happened to him. He thinks he deserves it."
"He thinks he deserves it? I have never a more ludicrous thing in my life." Professor McGonagall roared.
"Then plainly," He snarled, "You are an idiot. He was raised in house where everything that went bad was blamed on him. He was told that he was freak so much that he believes it. He was told he deserved everything that happened to him. Why do you think he fought so hard to hide it from us?"
"Enough of this," Dumbledore hushed them. "We will not press charges if Harry doesn't wish it. I believe we should discuss what we need to do to help Harry."
Snape nodded. "He needs time to heal. He needs time away from classes."
"Yes." McGonagall agreed.
"Yes, you're right." The headmaster said.
"Poppy said about two weeks. That should be plenty of time." She mused.
For some reason, this statement started a laughing fit that no one had ever seen from the potion master. His deep voice lightened as he chuckled then turned almost girlish as he began to giggle. When he stopped he looked at the concern face of the headmaster and the annoyed one of Minerva McGonagall, then he started again.
"What is so funny?" She frowned.
"Two weeks." He laughed but felt cold in his gut. The matter wasn't funny but he couldn't help but be amused at the ranges of her stupidity but then again the wizarding world didn't have child abuse and certainly didn't know how to react to it.
She sniffed. "Yes, two weeks. He should be physically fit then and his friends should be able to help him emotionally. It should work out fine."
All of the amusement of this situation disappeared in a moment and he stood up and snarled. "That's it, you old cow! I demand secondary and apprenticeship of Harry Potter!
Every now and again, sometimes a student's head of house is not the best of choice for them. There maybe family feuds about or personality clashes. There could be thousands of problems because people are complex. Though the house may be right, their head of house is not. The head of house is supposed to guide the children in their house as well as discipline and encourage. A sort of parent away from home. A person to talk too about their future, careers, and problems. But what happens when the head of house hates the child or if the child hates the head of house.
Once there was head of Slytherin house by the name of Amour Odium, a noble transfiguration professor and metamorphamigus. His family and another, by the name of Row, had been feuding for years to the point of thirteen dead wizards, 710 curses, and at least three missing limbs. Then one day a boy by the name of Marcus Row was sorted into his house. At first there was a great shock for everyone knew all Rows were generally sorted into Ravenclaw and this was the first one to ever been sorted into Slytherin. Amour Odium was delighted and used his stature to torture him and pursue his other Slytherin to do the same. That was when the headmaster at the time created the rule of Secondary.
Secondary means that that a child can have another head of house instead of the one given but still be in the same house. It is means of protection for either the child or the head of house. There are many reasons for the rule of Secondary but for the most part not generally used unless it was an emergency. The second head of house may change punishments, rewards, and even housing of the sake of protection.
It has not been used in two hundred years.
It has been three hundred years since a master has taken on an apprentice either.
Back in the days of the founders, a witch or wizard took in a child and taught them everything they knew in exchange for services like a parent would have a child, basically chores. Over the years, it changed. It became more specialized. A charms master would take in a student who seemed to excel in charms. A vampire hunter would take in a child interested in hunting vampires. So on and so forth.
Even at Hogwarts, the rule of Apprentice was still in affect but never used. For three hundred years ago, the great potion master Nigel Platter, who invented several potions used in herbology, took a witch by name of Selene Spin as his apprentice. By the age of thirteen, she invented the first shrinking solution and Platter knew she would go far so he took her under his wing. At first there was some angry cries for the wizarding world thought this were old fashion but when she was fifteen and they created the four greatest invisible and visible potions, they quickly quieted. They continued working together until he died. Some say they were lovers.
"What!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed.
"I think you heard me." Snape said silkily.
She snarled. "You can't be serious."
"But I am." He smiled, "You obviously have no idea how to treat the boy. Two weeks. You'll be luck if he gets out of bed by then."
She blanched and turned to the headmaster. "Albus!"
He sighed and some time later, lazily stroked his bread. "We never had this type of situation in Hogwarts. This type of trauma is unheard of. I think it is best that Severus be involved with healing Harry as it was he who discovered it. We both know he has dealt with a similar situation, the physical mistreatment of Margot Twinge by her father. Harry chose him to talk with. I grant both the secondary head of house as well as the apprenticeship."
Snape smirked. "Thank you headmaster."
"How?" Professor McGonagall frowned and her face was pale.
He stared at her. "'How?' It's easy. I asked and the headmaster agreed with me."
She sniffed. "No, I mean how will this work. Never in my career have I had a student who needed a second. It hasn't been used in hundreds of years. How will this work?"
"Blow to your pride." He grinned evilly.
"Severus," The headmaster silenced them. "The rule of secondary is neither a punishment nor a reward. It has only been used when a child needs additional help. This doesn't mean you have been a bad head of house, Minerva. It means that Harry needs additional help. You don't know anything about child abuse, as the muggles call it, and Severus has been the one that Harry trusted with this. That is the reason that this task was given to him because Harry presented it to him and he accepted."
"Very well." She said and Snape nodded.
Dumbledore sighed. "I think you two should meet once a week to discuss any issues regarding Harry and any additional as needed."
They both nodded.
He continued. "Now, what do you suggest with this apprenticeship?"
"I thought about this afternoon while watching Harry sleep. Right now, he needs total support and someone to keep an eye on him incase he tries to harm himself again. Healing, after a lifetime of pain and misery, will take time much longer than physical marks. Therefore, I want him as my apprentice so I can watch him."
"Yes, I understand." The headmaster frowned. "Harry will be moved into your spare room until you deem he may return to Gryffindor tower."
McGonagall cried. "Headmaster!"
Dumbledore said calmly. "Severus is his master, Minerva. The rule of Apprentice has been given. It is up to him where Harry lives now."
Snape ignored her and continued. "I will take over teaching him his classes until I feel he ready to return to them. This will probably happen slowly and one class at a time."
The headmaster nodded.
"I will limit his interaction with the rest of the school until he is ready to deal with them. We will be eating in my rooms, and then when he is ready, he will eat next to me. Then he may return to eating at Gryffindor table if he wishes when he is ready. He will not see his friends or family until I deem he is ready. He will see no other teachers, past or present, until I say."
Professor McGonagall looked at Snape as if he was mad. "You are making him a prisoner!"
"Hmmm, you're right I am." Snape said coolly. "And he will continue to be one until he is ready to deal with you and the rest of you twits."
She snarled.
"Isn't that a bit rough, Severus." The headmaster said.
"No, he almost died today. He is being punished in a way. He also needs this time away from being The-Boy-Who-Lived. He is an excellent actor, neither of you know the real Harry. He might not either. He needs time to find himself." He stated.
"Very well." Dumbledore said sadly.
"What about the tournament?" She asked.
The headmaster said. "He has no choice but to continue with the tournament. It is a binding magical contract."
"I know." Snape said sadly.
The headmaster said. "We also have other problems. Lord Voldermort is back and we may need a spy again. Also, how do we explain Harry being an apprentice to you? He is not well known for his potion making. And why now? We don't know if any one saw Harry being taken to the hospital wing. Harry's friends will worry and will search for him. They think you responsible for his current state. Plus, Rita Skeeter has been nosing around. This may leak."
Snape knew that he would be required to spy again if the dark lord returned and having Harry Potter living with him would prove his alliance to Dumbledore despite his years of working and helping his old "friends." Lucius Malfoy still thought him an ally, as it was he who helped him when he was arrested for being death eater. Plus he handed him juicy insights about the school. He knew Dumbledore mentioned this again to remind him of his delicate state of balancing as a spy.
"I plan on pretending that I am not happy about this situation in public and in a few conversations with Malfoy about being forced to be responsible for Potter. You see, after the boy was attacked in the school by persons unknown, you thought he need special protection so you asked me to take him on as an apprentice. I regrettably agreed. I am to teach him, as his master, Defense against the Dark Arts because we both excel at it dispute me never being the professor of it. I am to teach him to protect himself. You would have asked Moody but he is only staying for the year. You may tell both Skeeter as well as his friends this." He sighed and looked away as if bored.
"Very clever." Dumbledore smiled.
"I don't understand." McGonagall said, clearly confused.
He smiled at her. "Severus has taken care of all my main worries, so don't worry. There is nothing to concern yourself about."
Snape stood up. "If you'll excuse me. I have a boy to take care off."
Snape went to his office after leaving Dumbledore to deal with the rest of McGonagall problems; he was sure she was still upset over the current events and was complaining to the headmaster. He wanted some time to think before having to get back to Harry. He sat in his chair and lazily rubbed his temples while thinking he should have a much bigger headache than what he had.
He had been surprised by he had gotten what he wanted. Dumbledore had a tendency to agree with McGonagall and a way of disagreeing with him. It wasn't something on purpose to punish him for being himself but he and Dumbledore had two versions of the same world. They did care for each other as mentor and student would or something to that effect that much Snape was sure of. Albus had helped him when no one else could and Snape was going to do the same for Harry. What a strange world, he thought to himself. Dumbledore, the powerful and half-mad, crazy headmaster, who loved wool socks, read bed time stories to his phoenix, was the one person who helped him become his own person. He knew he was a greasy, ugly dudgeon crawler who sniped and snarled at everyone. He was alone in the dark because he liked it there. He was hated because he at least understood that. And now he was supposed to fix the Boy-Who-Lived.
Snape pulled himself out of thoughts before they became too depressing. He murmured to himself, "You are yourself."
He grabbed a piece of parchment and began writing hateful and annoyed things about what had happened to night and having to watch Potter. Then he sent it to Malfoy. By tomorrow morning there should be a nice and thick reply from him.
He poured himself a whisky that continually had been hidden in his desk for such an occasion. He sniffed, looked disgusted at the amber liquid and swallowed it all in one mouthful. He sneered and felt a tear drip down his face. He wasn't sure who that tear was for. Himself? Harry? Maybe for the headmaster for having to fix messed up children? McGonagall? He laughed bitterly. Her world had ended; she was wrong. Her hero student had been taken away and given to her least favorite person on staff, himself.
He grabbed a blank parchment and wrote a new list.
People to Punish
Durselys (all)—abuse will not be tolerated
Will wait until Harry wants to join in
Research on torture—borrow books from Malfoy
Granger—privacy invaded
Embarrass her, lots of detentions
Where did she learn the virginity charm?
Make sure Harry doesn't know.
Weasley (boy #6)—being a prat
Trick him, make him overreact
Detentions with Filch
McGonagall—for being her, doubting me
Punishment—loss of favorite student
Achieved—both Secondary and Master
But needs verbal reminding until she loses control
He smiled to himself as he stuffed the parchment in a private file. She got hers all right. Sure, the main reason of course was helping Harry, but to take him completely away was beautiful. He knew sooner or later she would over-react, causing Dumbledore to give him complete control over Harry. She would only remain his Head of House in name only.
He returned to his rooms. Poppy was still sitting with Harry. He asked her, "Has he said anything?"
"No," she said, "How did the meeting go?"
He sat on the bed next to Harry but he faced her. "Well. I got what I wanted. What has happened will remain secret."
He turned to Harry but he was really telling her and said all that had been discussed in Dumbledore's office. He explained what apprenticeship and Secondary both meant. He smirked at McGonagall's reactions when he mentioned them.
At the end, he called a house elf and some food brought to them. He and Poppy both ate while Harry couldn't because of the potions he was on. He had the house elf clean out the spare bedroom and led the school nurse to it.
He sneered softly at the room, "This will be Harry's room once you leave but for now it will yours. Get some rest."
She glared, "I have to stay with my patient."
"You have been with him all day," He grumbled, "I am tired. I want to get some sleep before I teach tomorrow. This is the plan for the rest of the week you are here; you will stay with Harry during the day while I teach. At night, you will sleep in this nice, warm, bed. Understand?"
She frowned, "Where will you sleep?"
"With Harry." He said. "It is a very big bed and we have shared it before."
"Really." She sighed. "This is the plan."
He yawned. "For the last time, this is the plan. You will be here until you are satisfied with his healing progress. During the day, you stay with him and do what ever; I don't think he'll want to do much of anything. At night, you will sleep, in this room, in this nice and cozy bed. During the day, I will teach my idiot students and when I come back at night I will sleep with Harry in my very large bed. Because outside of here, no one knows he is here. He is with a sick aunt and you are where ever you are. Of course, soon enough no on will believe the sick aunt or you just leaving because Harry Potter has been attacked and I am his Master and Dumbledore has finally cracked and is stark raving mad. Got it?"
"You know, you talk a lot when you're sleepy." She giggled.
He glared at her. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." She said as she closed the door behind him.
He underdressed quickly and happily slid on his nightshirt. Harry had turned and faced the wall, continuing to refuse to look at anyone. Snape was sure he wasn't peaking at his body but if he did he didn't care. He knew he was ugly, nothing to look at, and Harry had seen it before during the night he snuck in his bed. He jumped into bed and pulled Harry close, feeling him pull away. He whispered into his ear before letting him go. "Welcome to your new home."