Ignorance Isn't Bliss

Chapter 3 - Tempers Flare

Harry couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone as he walked back to his hotel. A strange chill seemed to sweep over him. He kept looking over his shoulder but never saw anyone; not that it meant anything in the Wizarding World, a world of invisibility cloaks and such. Since Harry couldn't use magic he decided to just run back to the hotel and hoped that his stalker wouldn't go into the crowded muggle hotel.

After running for several minutes, a soaked Harry finally reached the hotel. The muggles looked at him suspiciously as he fought to catch his breath. He took the elevator up to his floor, and walked to his room, relieved. As he opened the door, he was pushed inside by an invisible force, and the door was slammed shut behind him. Lying on the floor where he had landed, Harry could hear the room being warded with many spells. He just followed the sound of the voice with his eyes. Luckily or unluckily, the voice was a bit familiar so Harry figured it was someone from the Order, and not a Death Eater.

He may not want to be brought to Dumbledore, but he certainly wasn't prepared to deal with Death Eaters.

The figure removed an invisibility cloak to reveal...

"Professor Snape!" Harry had jumped quickly to his feet, furious that Snape had invaded his personal space. "What are you doing here? I'm not going with you." He started pacing around the room frantically, trying to figure out his next move. Was Snape even here for the Order? What if here was here on Voldemort's orders?

"Potter, I'm not taking you anywhere, yet, you miscreant. Why did you leave the protection of your relative's house?" Professor Snape asked, his lips thinning to almost nothing.

Harry's head shot up to glower at his professor, as he spat, "Maybe, because I choose not to be a frigging house elf for those arsehole Muggles anymore. What's it to you anyway. I'm sure you have your orders."

Snape took a step back, his expression showing the slightest hint of shock, but quickly retorted. "What do you mean a house elf? Did they not overindulge in you enough? Did they actually make you do something?"

Harry shot a look of pure loathing at his professor. "How dare you?" Snape moved to interrupt, but Harry rounded on him, wand drawn. "I'm not at school and you are not my professor right now, especially when you're in my room of all places. You want to know if they spoiled me? Pah! If I didn't scrub the fucking floor good enough I didn't get to eat for that day. If I talked back I was sent back to my old room, the cupboard under the stairs. I'm tired of you parading around like you know my life. You know nothing, Sir."

Snape had his wand pulled now as well, as he spat back, "Watch your tone with me, Potter. Why didn't you tell someone if it was so bad?" Snape stared into Harry's eyes, probing his mind He had seen last year during Occlumency lessons that Harry's life wasn't perfect, and sought further into Harry's memories. Seeing all he had to, he realized that Harry was not lying about this.

Harry felt invaded at the Legilimency, but knew it would have the desired result. He smirked as he saw the dawning realization on his professor's face. "The headmaster knew, you know. He had to of. He even addressed my bloody acceptance letter to the Cupboard Under the Stairs. "

Snape started taking up the pacing that Harry had stopped moments ago. He was trying to figure out where to go with this but he was also trying not to look at Harry, who had changed a lot since the beginning of summer. He was brought from his thoughts when Harry started ranting again.

"You're not taking me back there. I'm not going to listen to you or Dumbledore any longer. I'm tired of being manipulated by him and his damned Order. I have half a mind to walk up to the nearest Death Eater and ask him to take me to Voldemort so that I can join him instead. I'm not going to be a fucking puppet anymore."

The professor flinched slightly at the Death Eater reference, but his lips parted as he gasped when he worked out what Harry was saying. He closed his mouth promptly and tried to keep his mask in place. He wasn't sure how serious Harry was and how much he could tell him. "Mr. Potter, those are strong words. Do you still intend on fighting the Dark Lord, or just let him take over the world?" he said nonchalantly.

Harry glared back at Snape, "What would you prefer I do? Which Master do you serve? Frankly, I'm more than a little disillusioned right now, and after the way I've been treated, hurting Muggles doesn't seem like such a bad idea. I know three of them that I wouldn't mind hurting very badly right now."

"Potter it couldn't have been that horrible. They took you in didn't they? What's a little hard work?"

Harry stomped over to his professor and stared into his eyes, "You just saw! Do you want to know what else they did? I was locked in my room one year and they only let me out to go to the bathroom. They put bread through a slot in the door for me, and put bars on my windows." Harry said all this while gesturing wildly. "I did every bit of cooking and cleaning in that frigging house and if they didn't like it I starved. They allowed my cousin to beat me up. I was hated. Why? Because, to them, I'm a freak. We're all freaks. If you came near that house right now they'd try to kill you just because you're a wizard. And when I'm a fully trained wizard I plan on showing them just how much of a freak I am." Harry's voice had dropped to a menacing whisper by the end of his rant.

Harry backed off when he saw how pale his professor had gotten. Snape had dropped down to the sofa and covered his face with his hands. Harry could hear him trying to slow down his breathing, but he wasn't sure why the professor was so upset. 'Why should he care?'

Without warning, Snape jumped up and began ranting, the mirror on the far wall cracking. "That conniving bastard! How dare he do this to us? He said you'd be fine. He said they'd take care of you, that you'd be safest there. I will kill him with my bare hands!"

Harry was startled by the outburst. 'Who is he talking about?' Harry thought. He grew concerned and approached his professor, but was motioned to sit.

The professor took a seat opposite Harry and took a few deep breaths before continuing. "Potter, you must promise me that you will not repeat what I am going to tell you to anyone. No one, do you understand?"

Harry nodded his head, "Yes, Sir. Go ahead."

"Potter what I'm about to tell you would lead to my immediate death if certain people knew that I was telling you. Not even your closest friends can know this. And besides me, there is only one living person who knows and that is the headmaster."

Harry nodded again.

"James Potter was not your true father."

Harry's face paled, "How? Who is then?"

"I am"