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Chapter 9
Rap, Rap, Rap. Three short, pointed knocks resounded from the bedroom door jolting Harry's attention away from the book he was reading. Harry had no reason to wonder who was knocking, the sound all but screamed Snape. Strange how even knocking on a door fit his personality.
The words 'Come in' were about the furthest thing from Harry's mind, he had still not forgiven the man for what had occurred the day before. The sensation of his magic ripping away from him, the feeling of it tearing apart no matter for how brief a time it had been...it had followed him into his dreams. Needless to say, he did not sleep much last night.
Harry resolutely ignored the sound, not even bothering to hope that Snape would get the point and clear off...or maybe just jump off a cliff without a broom. Yeah, that would be nice...Or not, Harry really did not want Snape dead, not deep down anyway. Perhaps he could do the cliff thing and Harry could save him thereby canceling the debt. That would be better. Maybe.
The handle lightly creaked as it turned; the door smoothly opened. Snape entered the room, completely ignoring his lack of invite, and scanned the slightly disorderly room with a sneer. After only a few seconds the man's gaze fell on Harry.
Finally noticing that he was being watched, Harry averted this attention from the man and tried to focus his concentration back on the book.
The standard charm to prevent pipe blockage as invented by Pippin Plumbly only works in the northern hemisphere due to the directional flow of the water. For wizards in the southern hemisphere, the wand movement must be reversed to achieve the desired results.
Snape was watching him. Harry could feel the man's displeasure vibrate in the air. Snape hated to be ignored. Well he could just deal with it.
Standard charm to prevent...
Didn't he read that already? Harry briefly closed his eyes in an attempt to regain his focus. He had to concentrate, ignore the imposing man with beady black eyes, sallow appearance, and issues with anger management.
The standard charm to...
Crap. Harry set the book down on the desk and swiveled in his chair to face Snape.
The man raised his eyebrow; the gesture was almost mocking and showed no sign of anger.
"So, you finally deem it time to cease this idiotic conduct and face me? Your infantile attitude is rather more infuriating than usual." The elder wizard spoke almost offhandedly.
Harry, already furious with the man quickly grew tired of the casually delivered insults. He had no plan to cooperate with Snape at all. He would not make this easy for the man, what ever it was that Snape wanted.
His face must have reflected his thoughts.
"Perhaps I spoke prematurely. Your foolishness must be an ingrained trait. Let me make it clear to you, you will either cease this behavior of yours, or we will have a repeat performance of yesterday."
"What do you want, Snape." Harry's voice turned ugly with distain.
"Respect, for one. I may not be your professor any longer, but I will in no way tolerate your insolence. You will address me with the proper title as before. Have I made myself clear, or shall I use smaller words to compensate for your absolute lack of mental capability?"
"Perfectly clear, sir." Harry spat. "If I may, sir." He continued with exaggerated courtesy. "Perhaps I could inquire after your visit. What is it that you require of me, sir."
Snape scowled deeply at the young man's sarcasm, but refrained from commenting on it. Snape averted his eyes from Harry and gazed disinterestedly around the room.
"I will be entertaining visitors the day after tomorrow who will, I am certain, desire to observe you during their stay; you will, of course, be on your best behavior." Or else. There was definitely an or else in there somewhere despite the fact that it had been left unsaid.
"As you wish." Harry said sardonically.
Snape turned back to look at Harry, his expression portraying absolute seriousness.
"Or perhaps you do not have any manners to utilize. As I know you are not lacking in imagination, from all the time you spent day dreaming in my class, perhaps you could imagine yourself a wizard with at least a common amount of etiquette, lest you find yourself in a rather unpleasant circumstance."
"Fine, you made your point. I will be a good boy, now if you would be so kind as to leave me alone..." Harry picked up the book again and found his place. He did not even bother trying to read the text before him, he would just end up rereading the same paragraph. Again.
"You, Mr. Potter, are growing more insolent every day. At one time, you used to treat me with respect. Lapsing back into your previous, appalling habits is not helping you project an appearance of maturity and further is in no way fulfilling your objective of causing me to identify with the distress you have over your current situation. Quite the opposite I assure you." Snape's voice sounded exasperated. It rather confused Harry, he had expected the man to become enraged at being ignored. In fact, he almost wanted it. He wanted Snape to feel as betrayed, hurt, and angry as Harry did right now.
"Perhaps" Harry replied, his voice heated, "I used to treat you with respect because I used to respect you. You know, back in the day when I thought I had cause to trust you with my life. Look just where that got me. To hell with respect. I will call you sir and do your little chores, biding my time until this thing wears off, but you cannot make me like it, you can not make me like you. Things change when people turn on you.
"Well, at least it is obvious why you were never placed in Hufflepuff." Snape sneered
"Only you could make that sound like an insult"
"It is only an insult if you actually fancy yourself loyal."
"Loyal?" Harry growled. "And I have reason to remain loyal to you? You used me!"
"And that is why you were not in Slytherin." Snape stepped forward and bent down to look straight at Harry "You never did have the ability to see beyond your own narrow viewpoint."
"For your information, I refused your house. Thank Merlin I did, I might have turned out just as demented as the rest of you." Harry retaliated, scooting back in the chair away from Snape. "Full of deception and schemes and...and tricks, caring for nothing beyond yourselves." Harry stood and glared at the man. "That, and of course the fact you would have expelled me my...Very. First. Day. Due to a childish grudge against a man I never even knew. All things considered, I preferred my house, thanks. At least there I never had to worry about being backstabbed by my very own head of house. At least there I was not trained how to lie and cheat my way through life."
"Yes, better to rush head first into danger without any preparation whatsoever. Your life motto, Potter? Perhaps had you actually used caution, or dare I say, cunning occasionally, you would not be in this distressing circumstance you presently find yourself. Perhaps, Mr. Potter, you should look to yourself instead of every other available person when casting blame. When one is as reckless as you have been, there is no escaping the great host of problems that ultimately arise."
"Must have really sucked when a reckless eleven year old Gryffindor got past your oh so carefully planned puzzle you created to keep the Sorcerer's stone safe." Harry read the truth in the man's eyes. "Hit a sore spot, Have I?" He challenged.
"Must have really sucked" Snape hissed using Harry's own words against him. "To be down on your knees in the dirt doing the bidding of the man's, whose conundrum you deciphered in your first year, House elf's bidding."
What could he say to that? What was worse is that while he had indeed gotten past Snape's puzzle, he was in no way the one who figured it out. That somehow made Snape's last statement even worse. Harry felt sick to his stomach; all said and done Snape had won. Harry could argue and snipe all he wanted, but the reality of the situation stayed the same. Snape would always have the final taunt. And he would be right. It was Harry's fault he was in this situation. He hated admitting it, but ignoring the fact would not make it any less true.
If Harry had acted with just a little more caution, Snape would never have been able to catch him in a life debt. In fact, Harry was not even certain how many of said debts he actually owed the man.
Harry sighed, his spark of retaliation melted away into what could almost pass as reluctant acceptance of the situation.
"I won't embarrass you in from of your guests." Harry said, all of a sudden weary of arguing.
Snape narrowed his eyes as if trying to see if Harry was serious. Finally appearing satisfied, Snape gave an abrupt nod. "See that you don't" He warned before walking away and leaving Harry alone to contemplate all that was said.
After a few moments Harry walked over and shut the door Snape had left wide open as he vacated Harry's room; the boy then started pacing as he reviewed the infuriating conversation in his mind.
Somehow Harry felt as if he was trying to put together a puzzle with half the pieces gone and no picture to work from. Snape was not acting like Harry had been expecting, although nowhere near lacking in malicious invectives, he never fully lost his temper with Harry as the man so often did back when the boy was his student. Snape also appeared to be almost hinting at something. Probably just that Harry could be sent to Azkaban if he did not do exactly what Snape wanted. Harry already knew that, but he was not altogether certain that Snape knew of his awareness of that fact.
So he was threatening Harry with Azkaban if Harry was not nice to Snape's friends.
Snape had friends? Who in the world would be friends with...no getting off the subject. Snape did not forewarn Harry of Albus' arrival, so what is different now.
Suddenly it hit him; stupid, he knew he should have seen it sooner. Hermione had warned him of it. The minister had been seeking Harry's locality ever since his disappearance. Hermione had speculated that the ministry may have already tracked Hedwig to Harry's location.
What now bothered Harry is that he knew for a fact that Snape hated the minister. Well, either that or he was a terrific actor who had a soft spot for incompetent fools who were blind to everything past their own ambition. That just did not seem possible from the man who so thoroughly discouraged ineffectual behavior in the company he kept.
So why was he so insistent in warning Harry to keep his temper? Unless what Ron said was true. Now that Snape held Harry under a life debt, he would have to answer for what ever Harry did while serving under said debt.
Great, all he needed to have happen is to share a cell with an enraged Snape while still under the obligation of a life debt. That, he knew, was one thing he would never survive. No wonder Hermione had warned him to keep a cool head. At least as it was now there was an entire house between them; Harry had no desire to reduce that down to a single cell. If only for that reason alone he would keep his word.
Now how to deal with having the minister confront him, as Harry knew he would, about the death of his relatives. He had to do what Snape had inadvertently suggested, apply a little cunning to the situation. Harry would not do well to rush headlong into the conversation like a Gryffindor. He had to work out what he would say. Even from the words of an innocent man the minister could twist out a confession of guilt.
As for what to claim he knew of the situation, Harry was not a good enough actor to hide the fact that he knew his aunt, uncle, and cousin were killed; especially not if questioned using magical means. But what to say?
Strategizing was not Harry's greatest strength, but he had the rest of the day to give it his all. He would survive this. After all, he was not given the despised nick name of the-boy-who-lived for nothing. And he would survive this, minister or not.