A/N : Sorry for the delay. I was kept busy for the morning. (Fyi, I live in a different time zone to most of my readers.) Anyway, here's the story. Hope you enjoy it! Please review if you like my story! Really motivates me to read your feedbacks!
Chapter 5 : A New Snape, the Old Harry
Harry just woke up and was yawning when he noticed a letter on his bedside table. He didn't remember receiving a letter yesterday, but it was clear that the letter was addressed to him. Weird.
"Hey, did any of you put a prank letter from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes on my table? Better confess now, or I will have Ginny bat-bogey hex you if anything happens to me when I touch the letter." Harry shouted to his roommates who were all stirring. "Nah, I didn't," Neville replied. Dean and Seamus murmured their agreement while Ron simply snored.
Harry touched the letter cautiously. Five years at Hogwarts and he had never received letters in ways other than Owl Post. Nothing happened. Harry tore the seal apart and almost jumped when he saw the letter addressed to Potter. There was only one person who called him by his last name, Snape. Harry glanced at the signature, which confirmed his suspicions. "Damn! Snape wants to meet me. Definitely something bad." Harry started to panic. His watch shows 7.45 a.m. He had 15 minutes to get ready and arrive at the dungeon. Nice, now he will have to miss breakfast.
Harry brushed his teeth and showered in record speed before sprinting to the dungeons. Thousands of reasons why Snape wanted to see him early in the morning rushed through his mind, none of them having a less than disastrous ending. Before he knew it, he was knocking at Snape's door. His thoughts were interrupted by Snape's "come in". Well, it didn't sound harsh, even a little gentler than usual. "A good sign," Harry presumed.
"Good morning, sir. Is there anything I can do for you?" "Take a seat, Harry," Snape replied, pointing towards the sofa. Harry gasped at the use of his first name. When he first started off at Hogwarts, most of his professors called him Potter but they rarely did now, except for when he was in trouble. Snape was the only one that continued using his surname, and although Harry would most possibly deny, he had hoped that Snape might use his given name too. That would mean Snape had seen past his Potter-ish appearance and knew him as a person. Snape merely raised an eyebrow. He felt weird using Harry's first name too, but he wanted to lighten the atmosphere before starting the abused topic.
Harry sat down after overcoming the 'Harry' shock. By Snape's kindly expression, realization dawned on Harry. The only thing that can make Snape look at him sympathetically was being abused. He felt the urge to run and slam the door on his professor. He didn't want to talk about the experiences, not now, and least with his most hated professor. As if reading his mind, Snape muttered "Colloportus" together with the incantation for anti-alohomora charm under his breath. Harry heard him, so he crossed his legs and arranged his expression to a scowl, as if daring Snape to try asking him things that he didn't want to answer.
However, Snape didn't seem to notice Harry's glare, or rather, pointedly ignored it. Instead, he started the dreaded conversation quite tactlessly. "Harry, I would like to have a chat with you about the memories I saw in previous Occlumency lessons. Please tell me more about it." "Why professor, I thought most of my life at Hogwarts is well-known to all professors, and often exaggerated too, so to speak. I even remember you giving me detentions for 'misusing my fame'. So what exactly do you want me to elaborate on? Quidditch cup? Or my love life?" "Don't play innocent, you fully well know what I mean. Your family life." Snape snapped. He regretted it immediately when he saw Harry's strained expression. "Sorry, sir. I don't think I want to talk about that." With that, Harry stood up to leave. "Open the door, please." From Harry's determined face, Snape knew he wouldn't be getting any useful information from the boy, so he countered the spell. "Just remember that it's okay to have emotions," Snape managed to add before Harry left without a word.
Snape sighed. He knew it wouldn't be easy for Harry to trust him, especially when he had been mistreating him for the past four years. He preferred not to report the incident to other teachers without Harry's consent, so he knew he couldn't leave it for too long. After pondering for some time, he decided to give himself a chance. He would try to get Harry to open up, but if he couldn't after a week, he would pass the case to Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey.
Harry found himself having more one-to-one conversations than usual with Snape. Snape would request for a word when they meet in the corridors, keep him in after lessons, and even write letters to him. It was not long before Ron and Hermione noticed the change in Snape's attitude towards Harry. They had a few talks with Harry about it, but Harry wasn't exactly willing to provide them with the truth. Instead, he came up with several excuses that weren't convincing at all, but Ron and Hermione sensed his distress and decided to drop the issue for the time being.
Harry found the new Snape a nuisance for the first few days, but he started to feel Snape's sincerity afterwards. In fact, he started to waiver on his decision of keeping his past a secret. However, the dangers that occurred on his friends and family just because they knew him made him keep his mouth shut. His parents. Ginny. Ron and Hermione. Arthur. He still somehow believed that he was responsible for Arthur's injury. Those weren't pleasant memories. "Uncle Vernon wasn't abusing me for the past few years," Harry consoled himself.
Harry's sleep was disturbed. He had nightmares of Voldemort killing his friends, Uncle Vernon whipping him with a belt, him being expelled from Hogwarts for accidental magic. He had hot and cold flashes, and was shouting in his sleep. Unfortunately, the silencing charm he placed around his bed prevented his friends from noticing.