Er... I was supposed to update this a few hours ago but I got lost in playing the witcher. Sorry! So, without further ado, here we go.
I, starting up, the light did spy,
And to my God my heart did cry
Chapter 3: The light did spy
For Severus, this was quickly turning out to be the worst year he had ever experienced since he became a teacher. Not only had Black escaped from Azkaban and was Lupin prowling the hallways like the deranged beast that he was, but now the Potter spawn had been resorted into his own house. If that pathetic wretch Pettigrew had still been alive, Snape would have expected some sort of sinister ritual to get the Marauders back together with the sole purpose of spiting him.
As if the Weasley twins now sitting at Slytherin table weren't enough of an issue.
Severus stared at the boy wonder as he awkwardly sat down beside the identical redheads. The animosity coming from certain Slytherins was almost tangible but their loathing could never even begin to compare to his own.
Yes, he had saved the child from the freak fire. No matter how much he hated the boy, he was still his teacher and therefore in charge of his well-being. He had no choice but to act, even if that meant saving the boy from his own recklessness. The dull pain left in his left arm was Severus' constant reminder of that fear-inducing night. For a brief moment, he had panicked when the children had proclaimed Potter missing in the fire. Not only his sense of duty but also his oath had spurred him into action. The position in which he had found the boy had been pitiable but…
Severus took a large gulp from his water to try and swallow the bitterness in his throat. Yes, the boy had shown bravery but in this context, it had been synonymous to stupidity. A flaw that often ailed the Gryffindor ilk.
Some of which were now sitting at Slytherin table.
"Is everything quite alright, Severus?"
Severus glanced to his right to find Dumbledore looking at him, infernal twinkle as in place as it ever was. That knowing look in his eye told Severus that the man knew exactly what he was thinking about.
"As much so as possible considering the… circumstances," Severus replied evenly. So, Dumbledore was not surprised. He had seen this coming. But how? The boy had no Slytherin traits whatsoever! That smirk on the old man's face was enough to fan the flames burning in Severus' chest. In what way was this development amusing? How could anyone see this end well?
To Severus' dismay, Dumbledore chuckled. "The circumstances aren't quite as dire as you make them out to be, you know," he said calmly. "Sure enough, I think that you might find yourself perplexed by how much you don't yet know about your new charges."
Severus snorted. "That would be the day," he grumbled.
Infuriatingly enough, that would be the moment that Lupin decided to butt in on their private conversation. Something that Severus would expect the wolf especially, to respect. But once a Marauder…
"He's really a very good kid, Severus."
Always a Marauder.
"I sense a great change coming for you, Severus," Trelawney decided to weight in.
"You don't say," Severus grumbled sardonically.
"Oh, absolutely," Trelawney continued airily. "It is clear from the way the stars aligned last night."
Lupin coughed awkwardly. "Either way, I hope you'll be able to er… set aside your animosity."
"Are you insinuating I don't look after my Slytherins, Lupin?" Severus asked darkly.
"Not at all!" Lupin replied quickly. "I'm just saying that – well – since it's Harry –"
"As head of house, my snakes come first," Severus interrupted snidely. "No matter who they may be or how… temporary their stay."
Lupin sighed in defeat. "As you say, Severus," he said.
Having had quite enough of their accusations and entirely out of place well-wishes and platitudes, Severus decided to make short work of his meal and pushed his plate aside. Without even a single word, he rose from his seat and strode towards the exit of the great hall. If he was to prepare one last Slytherin's arrival, he'd best be going now. Besides, it was easier to mull things over without the presence of his colleagues.
Harry watched as Snape swept out of the great hall, not even glancing in his direction as he walked past. He could only imagine what the greasy git was thinking. It was no secret to anyone that the man hated Harry. And now that he had such easy access to him, Harry wondered just how long he was going to stay unscathed. No doubt the man had left earlier to prepare some traps or potions for him. Or something cruel and unusual at least.
He glanced at the high table and noticed that Lupin was looking a bit worried whereas Dumbledore was positively beaming. Harry shook his head. Sometimes that man didn't seem to have a firm grasp on reality.
A snide voice drew him from his reveries.
"Just so you know, Scarhead, you won't have people catering to your every need down in the dungeons."
Malfoy was glaring at Harry with contempt in his eyes. Crabbe and Goyle just laughed as if he had made the funniest joke they ever heard.
"Ah, but he'll have us, won't he?" George replied before Harry could even open his mouth.
"However may we be of service, today?" Fred asked. "Would you care for another roll?" And promptly he stacked five more onto Harry's plate.
"No need to be shy," George said. "He stacked Harry's plate with some more sausage."
Harry chuckled, trying his best to ignore the dangerous glares coming from Malfoy's side of the table. "I think that's quite enough," he said quietly. "I still have to live with these people for the rest of the year."
"Have it your way Harrykins," Fred said and he switched his empty plate with Harry's now over stacked one. "Hey, what do you think Snape left in a hurry for?"
"Plotting my early demise, I guess," Harry whispered to them. "Maybe dump some cockroaches into my bed."
"As head of house, he has a lot of duties to attend to," a girl said airily. Harry looked up, sort of spooked that someone other than the twins had heard him only to find a blond girl daintily cutting into a piece of meat. Her eyes didn't even glance up to meet his. Daphne Greengrass, he knew, though she had never really said or done much to make her stand out to him.
"Right," Harry said uncomfortably. "I guess that's true."
The rest of the meal progressed in awkward silence, though Fred and George's pleasant back and forth was able to distract him from it for the most part. It was quite clear how much the Slytherins distrusted him. And, to be honest, there weren't a whole lot of Gryffindors stuck here with him. The twins were there, of course, but other than that there were two first years that Harry didn't even know by name and one seventh-year that looked entirely disgusted by the fact that he was there. It was kind of how Harry felt as well.
It was different for him than it was for the twins, for example. Harry was, after all, supposed to be someone on the opposite side of Voldemort. It was the man who had killed his parents and this house was his. He expected a lot of people to be disappointed in him at this point but wasn't able to get a clear look of the faces at the other tables from where he was sitting. McGonagall looked miserable but her expression hadn't really changed since Harry's resorting. It was sort of odd, Harry thought, that Dumbledore seemed more than happy about this development. That, at least, helped him feel a bit better about things.
"Harry!"
Someone was waving a hand in front of his face.
"Geez, you were out of it," George said. "That's the third time I've said your name. Now, come on."
Harry looked around him to find a lot of the Slytherins had gotten up already.
"To the dungeons, I guess?" Harry said miserably.
"Yeah," Fred said. "Come on. We wouldn't want you to get lost."
"I already know the way," Harry said, thinking back to his second year.
"You do, do you?" George asked. "Why is that, I wonder?"
"Why, George, I think that Harry must have been a little mischievous during his time here, don't you think?" Fred said.
"Ah, he'll make a fine apprentice yet," George said, clapping Harry on the back. "But seriously, Harry, we have to stick to the rest of the group like glue or Snape will throw a fit, first thing."
"What?" Harry asked. "Why?" Though he started walking, nonetheless.
"Something about a house divided can only crumble or something," Fred said. "I wasn't really paying attention."
"He wants us to at least look like we get along," George added.
"Smoke and mirrors," Harry sighed. "Of course."
"Smoke and mirrors?" Fred repeated. "What would you use those for?"
"Magic," Harry said easily. "Well, fake magic, of course."
"Ah, muggle magic," George pointed out. "Yeah, dad's talked about that a couple of times."
"It's remarkable how amazed he can be by things that we can just do with a wave of our wands," Fred laughed.
They walked in silence for a couple of minutes when they walked past a few portraits of snakes Harry hadn't noticed before.
"That reminds me, Harry," George said. "You'll likely have an advantage over us here."
Harry snorted. "Advantage?" he said incredulously. "You do realise that they all hate me, right?"
"Not all of them," Fred said. "Most of them don't even know who you are except for all the stories going around about you."
"Some of which we might have started," George added with a wink.
"Anyway, most of them do know that you're a Parselmouth."
Harry glanced at the twins and was sort of amazed that neither of them seemed at all disgusted by that fact. At the contrary, even.
"The things you could do with that skill," Fred said dreamily.
"I suspect that there are a lot of secrets down here that only you could discover," George said, careful not to let the Slytherins walking ahead of them hear. "Can you imagine the kind of stuff Slytherin kept hidden down here?"
Harry chuckled awkwardly. "I'm not sure if I really want to find out," he said. "The last time I got involved in Slytherin's secrets, I was almost killed by a basilisk."
"Almost!" Fred said victoriously. "But almost doesn't count. And besides, you'd have two of the best wizards in the school ready to accompany you."
Harry frowned. "You've already given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" he asked. "Wait, did you expect me to be resorted into Slytherin?"
"Expect it?" They said in unison. "We were counting on it."
The twin smirks on their faces were both familiar and oddly unnerving.
When they finally arrived at the portrait, Snape was already waiting for them. He stood there, stiff as a statue with his hands clasped behind his back. As the other Slytherins passed him, he merely nodded at them, motioning for them to enter their dorm but when Harry arrived, he raised one of his potion-stained hands to stop him.
"Not so fast, Potter," he said evenly. "It would appear that you and I have a few things to… discuss." The words rolled off of his tongue as if they were venom and Harry couldn't help but swallow nervously.
Fred put a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, let's go then," he said.
"Not you, Mr Weasley," Snape snapped at him. "You're already acquainted with what I wish to tell him. There is no need for you to sit through this lecture once more."
George winked at Harry. "What if we've already forgotten it?" he asked merrily.
Snape narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Messer's Weasley," he growled. "I imagine that you both think yourself some sort of comedic geniuses that are able to outsmart even Professor Dumbledore himself. But I assure you that this is not the case. You will be going into your common room right now or be granted a couple of weeks of detention. Do I make myself clear?"
Fred squeezed Harry's shoulder gently before letting go. "As you say, Professor Snape," he said.
"We'll talk to you later, Harry," George said. "Be good until then."
It was only Snape's sharp gaze that stopped Harry from rolling his eyes. It was nice of the twins to want to stay by Harry's side for whatever was coming now but he was sure that it would be something very routine. Sure, he hated Snape but he was capable of being alone with the Potions Master without anyone's reassurance. It was nice to know that the twins cared, though.
When the portrait closed, Snape turned around in one smooth motion and swept away in the direction of his office. Harry assumed that he was to follow and did so at a mild trot, to keep up with Snape's large strides. Once they arrived at the office, Snape opened the door and motioned for Harry to go inside.
Harry had been in there many times before but this time seemed… different somehow. Nothing had visibly changed, no, but there seemed to be a change in atmosphere that was more familiar. Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it but there wasn't any time to dwell on it either. Snape closed the door behind him and went to sit down behind his desk. Harry took the only other chair, getting a bit unnerved because of the silence.
Snape steepled his fingers and watched Harry fidget for a while before granting him mercy.
"Mr Potter," he said. "It would appear that you are a Gryffindor no more."
Harry wanted to argue that he would always be a Gryffindor first, but he didn't have the energy to do so.
"The event of your resorting has been quite a surprise to most of us," Snape continued. "But the hat doesn't lie and it would seem that, for the time being, the dungeons will be your hearth and home."
"Yes, sir," Harry said.
"With that home come a few rules," Snape said, narrowing his eyes at Harry. "Rules that I expect to be followed at all times. I am aware of the amount of freedom you were all granted in Gryffindor house but I assure you that I will not allow the same kind of lenience simply because your house burned down or – for that matter – because you're Harry Potter."
"I never asked for any special treatment," Harry snapped. "And McGonagall never gave me any, anyway."
Snape smirked. "No?" he said. "You expect her to give special permission to play quidditch to any first-year that shows a bit of promise? Did she hand out broomsticks to every student playing, or even to any other student in her own house?"
"That's –"
"Different?" Snape finished for him. "It is not. You have been allowed to break the rules time and time again and – as I've also told your Weasley friends – those times will be over. There is a reason for every rule and most of them have your own safety at heart. Running back into a burning tower, for example, would not be allowed."
"I was helping someone else," Harry mumbled.
"Yes, yes, I know," Snape said. "That's all very noble, I'm sure, but one of the first rules of aiding another person is that you have to make sure that you can do so safely yourself. If you cannot, you will only make things more difficult for those who actually know what they're doing."
Once again, Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and crossed his arms instead.
"But I'm getting ahead of myself, it seems," Snape then said calmly. "Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
"The first rule, and arguably one of the most important ones, is that Slytherins stick together. Outside of the dungeons, you will form a united front with your housemates, no matter what your quarrel behind closed doors."
"Why?" Harry asked. "Is it that important to keep up appearances?"
"Slytherin house already has a bad enough reputation," Snape said darkly. "And the attitude of the other houses does not help with that. I cannot be everywhere at once and, sadly enough, sometimes other students think it's… funny to gang up on my Slytherins."
The accusatory look on Snape's face made Harry want to talk back again. He had never attacked a Slytherin. Even his fights with Malfoy only happened because he started it.
"In essence, that means you're not allowed to walk the corridors by yourself. Always try to remain in a party of three at least."
"No one's going to attack me!" Harry said in disbelief.
"Do not raise your voice at me," Snape snapped. "I am still your head of house and you will treat me with respect. Furthermore, you have been attacked every year so far, haven't you? At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if the fire was meant to target you as well. And let us not forget about the deranged killer that is on the loose." And when Harry opened his mouth again: "No more arguments, Mr Potter. I still have a lot to go over with you and if you feel the need to comment on every little thing, we will be here for an excruciatingly long time."
Harry kept his mouth shut and nodded.
"Good," Snape said. "The second rule is that you are to be in your common room by eight and in your dorm room by ten. At this time, you will go to sleep. There will be no night-time adventures nor even any pillow-talk. If I catch you trying to entice the other Slytherins to do so, you will be punished."
This time, Harry did role his eyes. Punished. What was Snape going to do? Take away points? Doubtful. Make him scrub cauldrons or slice up ingredients? Fine. He was used to much worse.
"Third, You will always do your best for your house," Snape continued. "Our house pride is important to all of us and we will not have a few Gryffindors sabotage us from the inside out. Earn the points you can and those you lose, you will explain to me personally."
"I would never lose points on purpose!" Harry exclaimed, angry because of the accusation.
"Perhaps not," Snape said. "But your track record shows a lot of loss of points nonetheless. Great amounts of it at once. In a house such as Gryffindor, this might work out in the end but in Slytherin, it would be quite detrimental to our status."
"Yes, sir," Harry said, not even sure what he was supposed to say to that.
"Good," Snape said. "Lastly, there are two more things I need to discuss with you. First of all, quidditch."
"I suppose I won't be allowed to play this year?" Harry asked. Even if he would be, his broom was gone.
"That depends on how well you do on your try-outs," Snape said. "By all means, if you feel up to it, give it a try."
Harry barked a laugh. "As if the team will replace the one who gave them all new brooms," Harry said. "Yeah, that won't happen."
"As you wish," Snape said, obviously not wanting to add more to that particular point. "Lastly, you will need an overall check-up."
Harry frowned. "No offence, but I was just released from the hospital. I'm sure I'm fine."
"You misunderstand me, Mr Potter," Snape said. "I do not wish to know your current health status but rather your clinical history. It's something I demand from all of my first-years and have noticed that the same hasn't happened in Gryffindor house."
Harry's heart started speeding up a bit. "Because it's ridiculous," he said. "What could you possibly hope to find out? And what would you do with that information, anyway?"
"There's no need for theatrics, Mr Potter," Snape said, raising his voice a little. "Only Madame Pomfrey and I have access to these files. As for why these are mandatory, well, it's for your own safety even if that is a matter you don't quite grasp."
"My safety?" Harry stumbled. "I'll only be here for a short while. There's no need –"
"Unless you know more than I do about this matter, Mr Potter, I can assure you that this will not be for a short while. I expect you to be here until the end of the year at least."
"But still –"
Snape slammed his hands down on his desk. "I have had enough of your constant interruptions," he snarled. "This might not be what you're used to but you better get used to it soon. If you don't follow the rules, you will not like the consequences. Your appointment with Madame Pomfrey is this Saturday at three. Do not be late."
Harry opened his mouth to try and plead with the Potions Master one last time but when he saw the furious look in the man's eyes, he realised that he had already pushed him too far. Truth be told, Snape had been more patient up to this point than he ever had been with Harry. He sighed and cast his gaze down.
"Yes, Professor," he said in defeat.
After a short moment of silence, Snape replied. "Good," he said. "Now head back to the dungeons. The password is prejudice. Your dorm room is with the third year Slytherins."
Of course, it was. Harry would have rather slept with the other ex-Gryffindors but he supposed that had never been in the cards, to begin with. Knowing that this was one battle he couldn't win, he nodded once and got up from his chair.
"Good night," Snape said evenly.
"Good night," Harry replied automatically and walked out of the office.
This was a disaster. He had to sleep with a pack of Slytherins that hated him. Especially Malfoy wasn't just going to let him be. There was no way. But the worst of it all was this general check-up or whatever it was. There was no way he was going to be able to hide the scars on his back. The Dursleys hadn't exactly been kind to him over the years but it was definitely not something he wanted to get into with Snape. Dumbledore had already told him – in no uncertain terms – that he would have to go back to the Dursleys no matter what. So what was the point of filling Snape in about his stupid little life in Surrey? It would only result in the man mocking him in front of the other Slytherins. Harry was sure of it.
Deflated and anxious, Harry gave the portrait the password and climbed inside of the hole. The common room itself was filled with Slytherins, most of which were apparently studying. Fred and George were sitting in their own little corner but no one was bothering them, at least. They were whispering among themselves but when Fred noticed Harry come in, he waved at him.
Feeling a bit better already, Harry smiled and walked to the twins, ignoring the awful glares in his back and the malicious words whispered in his vicinity.
"So, how did it go?" George asked quietly.
Harry shrugged. "Not too bad, I guess," he said. "He just told me the new rules and everything."
"Then why do you look like someone just kicked your favourite puppy?" Fred asked.
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. He wanted to talk to someone about his troubles. And the twins were really all he had right now. "It's this stupid check-up," he said. "It wouldn't be a big deal if McGonagall did it or something but there are things that I really don't want Snape to find out."
Fred and George nodded in understanding. "Oof, that's annoying," George said. "Giving that man more ammunition wouldn't be good at all."
"So, what is it that you're trying to hide, anyway?" Fred asked. "Is it the stature of certain… body parts?"
Harry quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard them. "No," he whispered harshly. "That's not it. It's more like an ah… allergy I don't want him to know about."
"Ah, makes sense, I guess," Fred said, seemingly disappointed that this was about something so underwhelming. "Wouldn't want a Potions Master out for your hide to find out your weakness."
"Actually, Fred," George then whispered. "Maybe we can help him out. Don't we still have a little bit of -"
"Ah, but of course!" Fred said a tad too loudly. "Excellent idea, Forge. When's your appointment, Harry?"
"Er… Saturday at three," he said. "Why? What are you planning?"
Fred and George smirked widely. "Oh, don't you worry, my friend," they said in unison. "We know just what to do."
"You won't even need to go in on Saturday," George said, tousling Harry's hair.
Fred winked at George. "Leave it all to us."
Harry didn't know if he was supposed to feel relieved or scared about what the twins were planning. But, for now, he would have to trust that they would want to help him.
"Okay," he said. "Thanks!"
A/N: I told you Snape wasn't too far behind. And while I know the whole check-up thing has been done a lot in resorting fics, I just love the idea to bits and had to use it myself. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!
