Disclaimer: Everything you recognise is J.K.Rowling's property. This story is a response to the Severitus Challenge.
Chapter three: duty
Snape sighed, relieved. It could have gone worse. He had lead Harry to his office, warded it with silencing charms, then stunned the confused boy and cast a summoning charm for the letter.
As he thought, the boy had the letter on him. Stupid emotional Gryffindor. He took it and, mimicking the mutt's handwriting, wrote a similar (thought this one didn't hold any major secret and only said to the boy not to feel responsible for his death and to live happily forever. Very Gryffindish).
He then replaced it on the boy's pocket, cast Enervate, and asked the even more confused boy:
"Are you alright Potter?" he asked, sneering.
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" asked back his son, clearly confused.
"Why, I don't know, perhaps because you just fainted on my floor. Wasn't the food good enough for you boy? Had to starve yourself just to show off?"
Yes, that's it Severus. Insult him so much that he will even forget why he came here and leave without you having to make up an excuse for wanting to see him on the first day of school.
"Did you wanted to see me for something, or was it just because you had to pass your nerves on someone?"
Shit. Now I've got to find something.
"Don't you take that tone with me boy! I wanted you to come here so that we may discuss your potions lessons."
"What about them, sir?"
"Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore were rather adamant that you had to take it even though you didn't get the needed grade. Now, as your grade wasn't so bad - an Exceeds Expectations wasn't really what I expected from you - I agreed to allow you in my NEWT class if you take Remedial Potions. Real ones this time. Every Thursdays night, at eight o'clock. Agreed?"
Plus, it will give me the opportunity to get to know my child without him suspecting anything. And with a little luck, he will discover himself a taste for potions… it's almost a genetic occurrence in the family…
"Do I have a choice?"
"Not if you wish to become an Auror."
"Then I don't."
WHAT?
"I beg your pardon?"
"If it means meeting with you once a week so that you may make fun of my dead father and godfather while teaching me nothing more than any book, and perhaps less, I'll just think of something else to do with my life!"
"(…)"
Oh Merlin. The boy despises me so much that he would prefer change his career plan than spend some time with me. What was I thinking? Even if Voldemort was gone, we could never be father and son.
Wait a minute Severus, he told himself. Have you given him any reason to think that you would use these lessons for something else than taunt him about his "dead father and godfather"?
Right. So it's up to me to change that.
Whatever you decide you should answer something, the boy is wondering about your state of mind…
"…?"
"Don't use that tone with me boy! I am willing to offer you a chance even if you didn't score the right OWL result! I agreed to teach you on my own free time just so that you may become what you want. I expected you to be at least a little grateful. "
"Oh yes, I'm sure you did it in a good-hearted move. No offense, sir, but you're a Slytherin to the bone. You never do anything without a selfish purpose! You're probably missing our old Remedial Potions when you used to taunt me about my father's death! I'm sure you're glad Sirius is dead too! It gives you something new to taunt me about!"
Merlin, if only you knew what he did to us, you would be glad he's dead too…
"I'm sorry to disappoint you Mr Potter, but the whole world doesn't turn around your selfish person. While I may not have loved the mutt, I rather regret his unfortunate death."
Unfortunate that I wasn't the one to kill him, he added silently in his head.
"Sure you do. "
"Believe it or not, Potter, I'm not such a cold-hearted bastard."
"…"
"…"
Merlin, that's what he thinks of me!
"Sir, what did Sirius wrote you a letter about?"
Oh-Oh…
"Oh, to apologise for his past mistakes. It seems that your reaction after the Pensieve incident made him realise certain things…"
"Oh. "
"Yes?"
"Nevermind. Well, I'm tired so can I please go back to Gryffindor Tower sir?"
"You may. "
Yes, it could have been a lot worse indeed. He had managed to replace the blasted letter, so his secret was safe…
Still, one thing bothered him. It had been too easy. The boy hadn't even seemed surprised to learn that he had fainted on the floor. But Severus knew the boy had eaten that night. An incredibly large amount of food for someone so thin.
Was the boy so accustomed to faint that it didn't even surprised him anymore? Perhaps he had thought he was having a vision from the Dark Lord? But you couldn't get a vision while stunned, of that he was nearly sure.
And the child's reaction when he mentioned the Pensieve incident was priceless. Guilt, shame, anger, sadness all clearly written in his face for a few seconds, then quickly an emotionless face worthy of a Snape, only letting out a seemingly disinterested "oh"…
It didn't matter. He had the bloody letter, his secret was safe. He would never be anything more to the child that his hated potion professor, and that was fine with him.
But that wouldn't prevent him from getting to know his son. These Remedial Potions were an idea that just popped into his head and he would use it. The boy was terrible at potions. And no boy of his could be that bad in the subject! Not if he had a word to say about this!
Furthermore, it would give him time with him, to study him, to let him know that perhaps he didn't hate him… and hopefully to learn more about his muggle guardians.
Because Voldemort or not, he wasn't going to let his son being mistreated if it was indeed the case…
Snape was wrong about one thing. He hadn't fooled Harry at all with his stupid story about fainting. Fainting, really! Did he expect me to buy that?
Well, he hadn't. He clearly remembered hearing Snape saying "Stupefy" before he fell unconscious.
What he couldn't understand was why. The man didn't make any sense for him. Why inviting him in his rooms only to stun and then revive him, making up some story about him fainting on the floor, then trying to talk to him about Remedial Potions of all things…
Perhaps Snape's conscience was finally getting at him and it was his way of apologising for the way he treated Sirius last year. Maybe getting Harry to think he had fainted on the floor and then helping him up was just some Slytherin plot to make him look nice enough for Harry to believe he was sincere.
But if it was the case, wouldn't he have at least try to be nice, and not act like his usual moody-self?
Whatever was going on within the other's head, he didn't have the will to find out. He had much more important matters to think about.
The prophecy, for example.
Which stated that he could either die or become a murderer. What a choice! He sure didn't want to die, but the mere thought of having to kill…
He valued life above everything. If he didn't, maybe Sirius would have been freed two years ago… if he didn't hate the thought of murder, he would have let Sirius and Remus kill Peter.
But he hadn't.
And even if he knew that it meant Sirius had had to hide, he couldn't bring himself to really regret it.
Would he have been able to get close to a free Sirius, if he had seen him cold-heartedly murdering an old friend?
Would he still be able to respect his former DADA teacher if he hadn't prevented him from becoming a murderer, just in front of three kids?
He didn't think so.
And just the same, he knew he could never live with himself if he killed someone, even Voldemort. Even if the dark wizard wasn't really human anymore. Even if he wasn't really living… he couldn't bring himself to kill him.
Because he knew that he hadn't always been like that. He had known the teenager Tom Riddle through Ginny's diary. And while the boy he had seen was already truly evil, he was undoubtedly human.
And the more Harry thought about it, the more he realised it wasn't even really Tom's fault if he was a dark wizard.
He was an orphan, just like himself. Left to an orphanage since his birth. Without knowing anything about his family, apart from the fact that his father's name was the same as his, and that his mother was dead while he was born…
Then, just like him, he had discovered he was a wizard and gone to Hogwarts. There, he was sorted in Slytherin, probably laughed at by his schoolmates because he was a half-blood… perhaps even believing himself to be a muggle-born. And of course, suspected by the other houses to be a dark wizard, like every Slytherin… Then, he must have found out that he was indeed Salazar Slytherin very heir… and decided to take revenge.
How could Harry not pity him? That was a man who had lost himself. Who had perhaps never been loved by anyone. Was that why he needed followers? To make him believe he could indeed be loved, adored, glorified?
He was an orphan due to the narrow-mindedness of a muggle, just as Harry was an orphan because of a Dark Wizard. Was it so surprising that they had both directed their hatred towards the kind that destroyed their childhood?
And Harry was the one who had to end this. But he didn't want to. As if it mattered whether I want to or not…"
The next day, he figured that perhaps, it did matter.
Their first class of the day was Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid. Not much students had picked this class for their NEWT, but Harry, Ron and Hermione had, mostly to show support to their half-giant friend.
Since so few sixth-year students still took it, there was only one class, composed of all houses (even Slytherin, by one member, Blaise Zabini).
The trio were the only Gryffindor apart from Neville. At first, they had been rather surprised that the shy boy had chosen to keep on with the most dangerous class, but Neville explained that McGonagall advised him to, because with his gift in Herbology and a good knowledge of magical creatures, he could become a great groundkeeper. He liked the idea.
For NEWT class, Hagrid was apparently more cautious. For instance, before introducing a new "friend", he would give them a theory lesson about it.
Today, he was talking about Ysalamari. Harry wasn't really paying attention, having much more to think about, but when he caught some words about what these creatures could do, he froze.
Apparently, these creatures were feared in the wizarding world because they were able to suck the magic out of someone. Harry's first thought was that his uncle would love to acquire one, but soon another filled his mind.
There is the solution! If I could just make Voldemort become a Muggle, I wouldn't have to kill him!
So he listened very fervently to this lesson.
Hermione, noticing the suddenly intent look on Harry's face, frowned. Harry had been very silent this far. He no longer seemed interested in anything, but preoccupied, and depressed. Of course, it was nothing unexpected - the depressed part anyway.
He had just lost someone he loved. Worse, he had seen him die, right in front of him. She couldn't imagine what it could be like. And coupled with what Harry had already been through… and staying with those horrid people afterwards! No wonder he felt depressed.
But she really hadn't a clue of what he was preoccupied about. And apparently it had something to do with today's lesson, for it was the first time in days that he seemed really interested in something happening around him.
Harry, for his part, was soon disappointed. Apparently, these creatures only sucked the magic while they were around. It returned as soon as they were gone. Still, it could be useful if he could bring some in his next meeting with Voldie and his crowd…
As soon as the class ended, Hermione asked Harry:
"You really seemed interested in today's class. Any particular reason?"
"Well, just thought it might be fun if Voldemort became a Muggle. Wouldn't work thought, these things are only temporary."
"…"
"Hermione?"
"Excuse me, just remembering something. Harry, it's really a great idea. I wonder why nobody ever thought of it before… I've got to check something in the library!"
As soon as she was gone, Harry shared a disbelieving look with Ron. Some things never changed…
