Summary: Can one person and fate make the difference in Severus' life?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, sue me and become poor.
A/N: This fic is AU, not canon. and thanks! to my beta Karri
Now to my reviewers!
Since many many people have been saying review responses are not allowed I shall begrudgingly this one time simply list you all. Know that I wish to leave responses to all of you, for each of your reviews made me smile!
Zafaran, James Potter's Lily Flowe, sparkling silver angel wings, juliedecarson, deb, ChildofDarkness1988, Mystical Witch, Ceyxa, mb, silverbirch, SeulWolfe, Purple Raveness, athenakitty, AccioSeverus, Ruse, rosiegirl.
The next time I will be answering reviews, I will just make it short, and hope no one reports it as abuse for replying to reviews. Now on with the fic!
Chapter 18
Harry stepped out of the floo and into Albus Dumbledore's office. Harry tugged on his father's robes. When Severus leaned over, Harry whispered in his ear. "Daddy, we are in the old man's room."
Severus had to try and cover up the snort of laughter threatening to burst out at Harry's description of his mentor. "Harry, his name is Professor Dumbledore."
Harry stood quietly as Severus and the professor talked between themselves, and looked around at all the strange silver things in the office. He was about to ask if he could look at one of the cabinets when Severus motioned him over. "Harry, I want to explain again to you that I am not the same person at Hogwarts as I am at home. You do understand this, correct?"
Harry did not know why his father kept going on about it, but he nodded his head yes all the same. Severus, taking this as a reassurance, grasped Harry's hand and led him down the hall. When they reached the bottom of the winding staircase, Severus let go of Harry's hand and told him to follow, and keep up. Harry had to run to keep up with his father's long strides and by the time they got to the dungeons he was out of breath.
He stood outside the door, and his father gave him one last smile before he flung open the door and strode in, Harry hot on his heels.
Everyone in the classroom jumped when the door banged open, and when they saw the small boy following behind their potions master, their wonder killed any fear they had. Severus arrived at the front of the classroom and turned around.
"This is my son, he will be here in the classroom with me. As I have listed the ingredients for today's lesson on the board, I suggest you get started."
There was a scramble as the students rushed to get what they needed to begin their potion. Harry sat on a stool beside his father's desk. He saw the ingredients behind him in the cabinet. They were each labelled, and Harry remembered some of their names from the book he had read at home. Glancing around the room, Harry spotted Ron's brothers Fred and George. He lifted his hand and waved at them from his stool.
It was an hour into the double potions class, and Severus could see Harry fidgeting on his stool. He knew the poor child must be bored and walked over and gave him a book. "Here, you might as well know what I am saying to them. The material is too advanced for you, but it is something to keep your mind from mischief.
Harry opened the book and noticed it was his Dad's personal copy, and smiled over at him. In the weeks that followed, Harry had finished reading it and the next three. He felt proud of himself. He didn't really know anything except what came when in certain things because the only thing he could remember were the lists of ingredients. He however did enjoy reading about them, and what each potion did and how it affected a person or thing. During his third week, Harry thought it was great when his father was explaining something and he finally knew what he was talking about.
Severus gave them all instructions to make a simple sleeping draught, and then told them to get the ingredients. Harry sat on his stool and watched as Fred and George came up and got theirs, and then Harry watched Lee, their friend, in his haste grab one of the wrong ingredients. He was supposed to get the crushed beetles, but instead he had grabbed minced fang of snake. Harry knew that if the boy added that into his potion he would be hurt, but he also knew his father had told him to not interrupt his class for any reason. Squirming on his seat, Harry watched as Lee lit his cauldron and added the first two ingredients to it. Harry sighed when Lee put down the bottle, and hoped he would realize his error before it came time to add it.
Harry looked over to where his father usually was at and saw that he was in his office, putting away some of his private stock. Harry was beginning to worry; when the potion began to boil you were supposed to add the crushed beetles. Should he call out to his father, Harry wondered, or would that have him banished back to spending his days with Lotty? Harry watched the cauldron nearest him begin the bubble as it boiled and he saw Lee pick up the vial containing the minced snake fang. Without giving it another thought, Harry rushed over to where Lee was about pour it in his cauldron and knocked the vial from his hand.
"Hey, what did you do that for?" Lee yelled at the cowering boy. Harry was walking backwards, scared of the boy who was scowling at him, when he ran right into someone. Turning around, Harry came face to face with his father.
"What seems to be the problem here Mr. Jordan?" Severus said, glaring down at the boy.
"The kid there knocked my ingredients out of my hand, and now my potion will be ruined."
Severus turned around and stared at Harry. "Is this true?"
Harry nodded. "I had to do it, he would have been killed," Harry said, his chin trembling.
Severus leaned over and picked up the broken vial and read the label, then turned back to Harry. "Is this why you did this?"
Harry nodded again, and in a whisper he spoke. "He isn't supposed to add that, he is supposed to add the crushed beetles."
Lee looked at the boy in wonder. "It seems you owe the kid, as you call him, your life Mr. Jordan. If not for his quick thinking, you would have managed not only to kill yourself, but also would have taken all of your classmates in your stupidity. Perhaps in the future you will read the labels more carefully, but you will have plenty of time to reflect on your error as you write me three feet of parchment on the ramifications of your actions and their consequences, and then give the correct way to make the potion."
Turning to Harry, he placed his hand on his shoulder and steered him away from the still gaping Lee Jordan. "It might have been a mistake to only let you sit in on Gryffindor classes, tomorrow you shall sit in on a Slytherin class, and Harry, well done." Severus Snape ushered his son back to a seat beside his desk, and sat down his heart bursting with pride.
short I know