Thank you every one so much for reviews. For those who want to know, this is a slow moving plot. Give it time. I know you all have questions, hopefully the next few chapters will answer some.
Disclaimers ect are in first chapter if you really want to look.
ssHPss
It was strange, sharing a room with Snape. They both changed in the bathroom and Harry felt incredibly silly emerging out in only his pj's. Snape pointedly ignored him as he quickly moved into his bed.
Before Hogwarts he had never shared a room before in his life. The fist night and the following nights had being something of a shock to his system until he got use to sharing. For instance there was that very odd snuffling sound Neville made when he was asleep. Seamus was bounding with energy during the day, was an energetic sleeper as well and never seemed to stay still. The constant shifting and moving had taken time to get use to. Ron for some unknown reason, made an occasional squeaking noise. Dean thankful seemed normal enough but still his faint breaths and occasional moments and presence had taken time to get use to as well.
Snape had noxed the lights and since he knew he was sharing, he expected noise. Instead there was dead silence. He found it made him incredibly tense and not the least sleepy. The silence drew out and even though his eyes were closed and he felt tired, he couldn't sleep knowing someone was there but not hearing anything.
He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax and breathe slowly and shallow, consciously forcing his thoughts to drift. Eventually it worked.
Harry rubbed his head absently as he sat at the bench outside. He had the book of required reading set out in front of him and a parchment to his right, a quill was in one hand while the ink sat to one side. He felt tired, he had a hard time falling asleep, then he was woken up earlier then he was accustomed to during the holidays leaving him now feeling tired. Which wasn't helping his concentration at all as he tried to understand the text in front of him.
After Snape had dragged him down for breakfast, the man dumped the book in his arms and threw him outside and told him to start studying for his classes. Made sure he had the map with him to find his way around and locked up their room, keeping the key.
"Hey there." Harry glanced up and smiled when he saw it was Estelle.
"Hi." Harry greeted as she sat down across from him.
"Studying all ready? I thought you hadn't started yet"
"I haven't" Harry groaned. "Snape sent me down here to read up. He told me that he expects me to have read the first chapter of reading on the subjects I have tomorrow"
"Not a bad idea really. Professor Trent never told me that and I spent my first day here completely lost and baffled. It was obvious other students had read up and I felt a complete idiot"
"I know the feeling." Harry grimaced. "Reminds me of my first potions class. Except only Hermione had done any reading at all, as far as I know"
"Friend of yours?" Estelle asked.
"Hermione? Yeah. One of my best friends"
"Girlfriend?" Estelle asked curiously.
"Naw, Hermione, it would be like dating a cousin or something. You know"
"Yeah. What are you reading up on"
"I'm still stuck on first class." Harry admitted. "The purpose of Mediation.
"That's easy enough. You are not expected to know much for that class. Especially first day. Mediations main purpose is to prepare yourself for the transition. A calm, collect mind will more readily adapt to the changes. It is also necessary to gain control of your emotions. Strong emotions will cause you to loose control of your magic and anything can happen. Especially after the transition when you have all this extra power and not sure what to do with it."
Harry flushed guilty. "Yeah. I caused pretty much everything in the headmaster's office to break at the end of last term"
"Wow, no wonder you got sent here early if you could manage wild magic even after four years learning to control it by re-directing it through the wand"
"Oh." Harry blinked. "Is that what happens"
"So I have being explained in Basic Magic. The purpose of that class is to tell you how magic works, it makes adapting to the intuitive knowledge easier since you already know some of it. There is so much to learn!" Estelle let out a frustrated breath. "Good to get into the habit of studying now Harry. I might grab my book and join you if you don't mind"
"No, I wouldn't mind at all." Harry told her.
"There you are Potter." Snape descended down upon him as he went into the dinning hall for dinner. He had found out dinner always appeared at exactly six o'clock. Breakfast appeared at seven, lunch at twelve and there was always a table with food available at all hours that the house elves kept stocked up ready for would be snackers.
"Professor Snape." Harry blinked. One long pale hand was held out expectantly. Harry didn't even have to ask. He handed over the notes he'd made.
Snape sat down and not knowing what else to do Harry joined him.
"Your note taking is as atrocious as the rest of your work Potter." Snape told him cuttingly, dark eyes sweeping over his notes.
"Setting up homework already Severus?" Professor Trent asked as he joined them, Estelle with him. "Bit early isn't it"
"It is never too early." Snape glared in response. 'I certainly don't trust Potter to take innovative and take the trouble to learn unassisted"
Harry scowled.
"What about you Harry?" Professor Trent looked at him.
Harry flushed slightly.
"Hermione might help me out by pointing out what books to read and by proof reading stuff and giving opinions on stuff but that's it. She does make sure that I have done my homework." Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"Well friends are always good when it comes to learning. Two heads are better then one and all that. It's partly why students who come here are asked to have a personal tutor, to make sure they have some support and help to deal with the transition, what they need to known and learn before and to deal with the effects after as well"
Harry glanced at Snape who was still glaring through his notes with a scowl.
"Considering how pitiful your attempts were Potter, I think I would have being able to tell if Know-it-all Granger had done the work for you." Snape muttered absently.
"Yeah well, I think I've proven my interest in potions isn't very high." Harry grumbled. Letting his tongue once again get the better of him.
"Without a doubt." Snape surprised him by sounded almost agreeable. "I detest to think about your other subjects"
"I do pretty good at Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures and Defence against Dark Arts. I'm not so good at Charms, History and Divination is easy. I just need to predict my own death as unattractively and traumatising as possible"
"I'd heard Trelawney predicted your death in first year." Snape put the notes aside in time for dinner to pop into existence.
"She does that every year. I've only ever known her to have two true visions"
"Two!" Snape's head snapped up. "I only know of the one. Does Albus know of it"
"Yeah he knows. It wasn't that important." Harry shrugged.
"Considering that is the only other vision Trelawney has ever being known to have. It was important enough Potter! We will discuss it later." Came the dark promise.
Harry shrugged again. "You will write out those notes again too, neatly. If that is at all possible"
"Yes sir." Harry sighed.
What was the vision about Potter!" Snape had closed the door behind them.
"It isn't such a big deal. She just told me that someone loyal would return to Voldemort at a certain time, not much more then that"
"Who?" Came the demand
"Well I didn't know at the time. Proficies are vague like that, but it was Peter Pettigrew"
"That's impossible. He's dead." Snape eyes narrowed on him. Harry dropped down onto his bed with a sigh.
"There is a long version and a short version." Harry said as he got comfortable.
"What's the short version"
"Peter Pettigrew, as well as Sirius and my Dad were illegal Animagus"
Snape blinked at him. Silently he walked across the room and dropped into the black leather armchair.
"I think you had better give me the long version Potter."
So Harry explained. The whole thing. Snape sat silent though it all.
"You made a fool of me Potter." He said softly in that deadly way.
"They would have given him the Dementors kiss. Sirius was innocent. I couldn't let that happen to him and you weren't listening." Harry fiddled nervously.
"Hell bent on getting revenge." Snape murmured. Harry turned to find him sitting in shadow, looking at nothing in particular as he thought. "He would have let me take the Kiss. Innocent or not"
Harry shifted awkwardly.
"I don't know if he would have. I would like to think he was a better man then that. Letting someone die because of a personal grudge seems kind of stupid to me"
Snape laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. It was bitter, painful, ugly.
"How very young you seem to me Potter. I am hardly innocent by any means"
Harry hesitated. Did he dare?
"Be that as it may and aside from, as Dumbledore put it, your personality quirks. I don't think you are wholly bad"
Snape snorted slightly.
"Personality quirks is it? I was merely difficult yesterday"
Harry flushed slightly. "You're certainly not the easiest person to get along with"
"Where would be the fun in that Potter?" Snape sounded vaguely amused.
"If that is your idea of fun, I'm not sure I like it." Harry muttered.
"Ah, but I am a Slytherin. We have a different idea of fun." Severus stared out the window. "Think on this, if you would Potter. If you have anything between those ears at all that is. I am the second most powerful wizard in Britain.
"Going on the fact the more magic you have, the more your mental ability is amplified. Consider I am the very best in my field, I've being learning and practising it for seventeen years and am considered something of a Master at my art and I am teaching ignorant children who have barely began to understand their abilities. Not even yet realising what their full potential could be and I try to teach them the simplest of potions there is when I am capable of so much more."
"Why do you teach at all"
"What else am I suppose to do at Hogwarts? I spy for Albus while pretending to spy for the Dark Lord. Covering under the disguise of a job is the only way. Albus allows my experiments, Pomfrey can use my knowledge effectively and the order needs my skills"
"So teaching is just a cover." Harry frowned slightly.
"It serves its purpose." Snape murmured.