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!
Ok since I have not figured out a way to officially reply to reviews I shall answer reviews this once and PRAY for the best.
Ruse: Yes he saved him! Harry is smart like his Dad
viva rose: Thanks!
AccioSeverus: LOL
sparkling silver angel wings: that is why I am taking the chance
ChildofDarkness1988: I just have them seperated for now.
debzthepadfootmoonyprongsfan: Long name! and thanks!
Alexis Granger: He is not attending yet, more like homeschooled
PureBlack: Thanks!
rosiegirl: yes he did thanks!
juliedecarson: thank you! Lots!
PurpleRaveness: Thankie
athenakitty: yes they will
serena23: I love Daddy Snape!
Ceyxa: here is more!
mb: Harry NOT get in trouble with the SLytherins AHAHAH I mean ahem
All of you brought a smile to my face, and I hope I kept the replies short enough as not to be turned in for it.
Chapter 19
Harry had been thrilled when his father had congratulated him on him catching the incident. That night they had ice cream to celebrate. As Harry closed his eyes that night, he started getting scared. He had heard the Weasley twins talking about the Slytherins and how they were evil and ruthless. Harry didn't want to believe they were right, his Dad was the head of Slytherin and he was nice to him, so the twins must be wrong.
As Harry rolled over, the sweat poured from his brow. The Slytherin's were trying to get him, trying to hurt him, and his Dad had told him to remain quiet. He wanted to call out in his sleep, but the dream would not release its grasp on his mind. Instead, Harry just tossed and turned, soaking his sheets with tears and sweat. Finally wrenching himself free from the dream world, Harry sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes. He was a big boy; he would not let his Dad know he had a nightmare. He would face those Slytherins with his chin up. Turning to look at the clock, Harry lay in his bed and waited for the last couple hours of darkness to turn to dawn.
When Severus heard the chime strike six, he stumbled out of bed, and went to shower. If his students saw what he looked like before class they would laugh, as Severus Snape was not a morning person: his hair was sticking up on his head, and he had sleep wrinkles still on his face. After a long hot shower, Severus thought he would let Harry sleep a few more minutes and have his cup of coffee in silence. To say he was shocked when he opened the door and saw Harry sitting at the table was an understatement. Walking over, he looked closely at his son.
"Are you feeling well?"
Harry shook his head and swatted the hand creeping near his forehead away. "I'm fine Dad, just hungry is all." Harry did not want to reveal he had waited for the sun to rise and got up once it did, sleep not coming after his dream. Returning his gaze to his plate full of pancakes, Harry did not see the quirk of his father's eyebrows. Severus decided he would let the matter drop, as Harry seemed to be fine. He really didn't have too much time before they had to leave, as he had spent far too long in the shower, letting the hot water beat out all tension in his muscles.
After breakfast, Severus took Harry's hand and led him once again to the dungeons, only this time Harry was not as eager to enter. His father swopped past him and Harry meekly followed. The Slytherins did not smile at Harry; they looked at him with cold calculating stares. Harry made his way over to the stool sitting by the front table and lowered his gaze, hoping no one would speak to him. He was happily amused as his father gave the Slytherins the same glare he had seen him give the Gryffindors. Harry had even let a small snicker out when his dad had yelled at one boy for tripping over his stool and spilling his ingredients.
Dominic Nofton was not smiling however, he saw the boy laugh at him when he tripped. No one laughed at him. He shoved Harry's stool as he walked by and watched with an innocent expression as Harry fell. Dominic was not expecting the firm grasp on his collar as his professor, and Head of House grabbed him. "Mr. Norton, did you just purposely knock my son off his seat?"
"No, Professor, I would not do such a thing, I merely tripped again."
Severus saw Harry get up, but he did not look hurt. Turning a cold gaze back to his student, Severus pulled him close. "If I ever see something of that nature against one of your own house again, Mr. Nofton, you will be serving detention scrubbing toilets like a house elf. Get back to your seat without knocking over anything more along the way, and you can stay after class and clean cauldrons for your clumsiness."
Dominic leaned over and spoke to one of his friends, and both stared right at Harry. This could not be a good sign, and Harry wished to melt away into the stool at that moment. When the bell rang, Harry was so happy. He waited until all the Slytherins had filed past him before getting up, but he had not missed the evil smirk Dominic had given him. Harry walked over to his father and asked if they were going home now as Severus had only one class that day.
"I think we shall grab a bite to eat in the Great Hall, and then I am sorry to say I have to stay and grade these papers. You can stay with me if you wish, or if you have become bored you can floo home." Harry seemed to weigh the pros and cons of each option and decided he was going to tough it out. He was not going to be a baby and have the others laughing at him. He had heard that Slytherins were tough and hardy, and very cunning and wise. He would be all those things and show his father what a good boy he was.
As they walked into the Great Hall for lunch, Harry was upset when his father dropped him off at the Slytherin table. "Get to know some of your future housemates," he had told Harry. This was not good, not good at all Harry thought as he saw Dominic walk in with his friend Charles. Thanking his lucky stars, Harry saw them sit two seats away from him. He did however hear bits and pieces of the conversation.
Dominic leaned over his plate and was mocking Harry's father. "How can you not know the first ingredient in the potion, even my son who is only nine can tell me what goes in it." Dominic had done a fair impression of Severus, and his friends had laughed. Harry was no longer hungry, and now he was just pushing his food around on his plate. Harry would have gotten up without eating, but one look up at the teacher's table told him he would not be allowed up without eating unless he had a reason, and the reason he did not wish to divulge. Grabbing up his fork, Harry stabbed a piece of the roast, and started eating. He did not see the girl beside him knock his spoon to the floor on purpose; he merely leaned over to fetch it from underneath the table. When Harry bent his head down Dominic had Charles pour an orange vial into Harry's goblet of pumpkin juice.
Twenty minutes later, Harry still had not eaten much and everyone had left the dining hall but him. He waited for the Slytherins to slowly leave, and even managed a weak smile to the Weasley twins when they passed by, but Harry wanted to go home. He wanted to tell his father he did not want to sit in on the Slytherin classes because they were cruel to him, but did not have the courage to do so. "You have not touched your food, is something wrong?" Harry heard his father say from behind him.
"No, honest Dad, I am just still full from this morning," he said to quickly cover up the full plate and hoping his father would not hear the rumble of his stomach.
"Very well, but finish your juice, we have to go back to the dungeons and grade papers, and I think you can help me make a potion later if you wish before we go." This lightened Harry's mood, and he downed his juice in one big gulp. Then taking his father's hand he walked with him down to the dungeons. If he had looked behind the staircase, he would have seen Dominic and Charles snickering.
"Just wait. By tonight his father will be wondering how his precious son became so ill."
"You didn't put anything in there to kill him, did you?"
"Don't be stupid Charles, the potion will only make him break out in a rash and have a fever. See how he enjoys those ice cold baths, and the lovely ointment, once his daddy finds out the cause of it."
"You know he will find out don't you? I mean, there is no potion that Professor Snape cannot make, and if he finds out it was you..." Charles shuddered openly.
"He is not going to find out, besides I only want to teach his son a lesson. Welcome him into Slytherin House as it were."
"I will be sure to have that written on your tombstone. My father said Professor Snape is a fearsome man, and one who is not to be tangled with."
"Come on," Dominic said, pulling Charles by the sleeve. We have Herbology, and I need my sleep because we have Transfiguration first thing in the morning."