A/N: I didn't mention this in the previous chapter, so here it is. I will be bringing this story over 2 or 3 chapters at a time. I am reading through them again to not only make sure it meets what is rated M here without going into MA (18+ fiction, which isn't allowed here). I am also a bit stuck on how I want to approach Year Three stuff. I am hoping going through the story again will help with that.

Chapter 6: Badger School Days

It took Harry a moment or two to gather his bearings as he woke up. His usual bed was pretty good, but this one was much finer. He then remembered he was at Hogwarts, a magical school! He quickly threw open the bed curtains and gave a morning yawn while covering his mouth and stretching.

He had to blink when he heard a very cute, "Eeep!" Which was then followed by a, "H-H-Harryyyy…" He then realized it was Hermione who made the sound and said his name.

"Morning, Hermione," he said before standing up.

"M-m-morning…" she said with a cute blush. He also loved how she looked with her mane of bed head. It was as if she was a beautiful Woodland Nymph wearing a night gown.

"Everything all right? Hermione?" he asked in concern as she kept looking to him while blushing. She was almost staring as if in a daze.

"Ummmm… Y-y-you're shirtless," Hermione said in a voice higher than her normal pitch.

"Oh…" Harry said before he causally put the shirt he wore before going to bed last night on again. "Sorry about that. I took it off in the middle of the night. These beds are the perfect temperature," he said.

Hermione was both relieved and disappointed Harry had his shirt on again. He really looked good without it. It was clear working out was part of his morning routine with the Street Knights. She looked at herself and wondered if she could even stand next to him, or if she would be too plain. She shook her head of such thoughts. They were silly and needless. They were just friends... He was just very good looking.

"Well then. Off to shower," Harry said as he gathered up his stuff and left the room.

Hermione was in a daze again. She was very tempted to slip back into her bed for a moment of privacy at the thought of Harry in the shower. Seeing him without a shirt didn't help matters either. She didn't fully get why though. It wasn't as if she had never been to a pool or the beach before with her family. Then again, she didn't usually see guys close to her age shirtless looking that fit.

While Hermione was having her first… crisis… Harry made his way to one of the bathrooms and knocked. The door opened and it was empty. "That's pretty cool. And it leaves no doubt on if it is available or not," Harry marveled aloud to himself.

It didn't take Harry long to shower, but he could have stayed in there a lot longer. The water was magically perfect! In the future once he starts his usual morning routine of working out, it will be amazing to come back to a shower like that every time.

Harry was a bit surprised when he returned to the room and Hermione seemed to just be getting out of her bed again. He didn't really register her face was flushed or that she was breathing a little harder than normal. He did after a moment smile to her. "I'll tell you what, Hermione. The showers here are amazing! Magic is awesome. I've never had a perfect shower like that before in my life," he said cheerfully.

"Really?" she asked in question.

"Yep. The knocking thing is cool too. The doors seem to just open on their own if the bathroom is empty," he added.

"Guess I better get going then and see for myself," Hermione said eager to experience more magic. She didn't care it was just for something regular like a shower. She gathered her things and left.

[-] [-] [-]

"You were right! The shower was amazing!" Hermione said as she went with Harry down to breakfast.

Tonks gave a mighty yawn from behind them and smiled at two of her first years. She really hoped this would be a fun year… when she had free time. Today her hairstyle was long turquoise twin tails. If it wasn't for her magic, they would probably be kind of heavy with their length and how voluminous they were.

"So, what do you two plan on doing today, since classes don't start until Monday?" she asked once the three of them sat down. Hannah and Susan were barely getting up when the three of them left.

"I haven't really thought of anything yet. Any recommendations?" Harry asked.

"I would recommend finding your classrooms. Schedules should be here before you finish eating. You also won't have to panic as much come Monday," Tonks said.

"That does sound like a good idea. We can see the castle and find our classes! We should Harry. We can wait to ask if Hannah and Susan want to join us after they eat," Hermione said. There was a part of her that wanted to go alone with Harry, but she was not here to just find one friend and alienate herself from anyone else.

"Sounds good to me. Thanks for the suggestion, Tonks," he said cheerfully as they started breakfast.

[-] [-] [-]

Harry, Hermione, Susan and Hannah did go around and find their classes after breakfast. They learned a good bit about the castle as well. "I can't believe the stairs have such a poor sense of humor…" Hannah grumbled.

"We were told they change, but changing their incline like that…" Susan said with a frown.

"I'm glad it was at least a gentle change and not too sudden. We didn't really lose our footing," Hermione said.

Hannah gave a giggle. "Only because we all grabbed on to the banister, or in your case Harry," she said with a smile.

Hermione blushed. "I'm not really a fan of heights…" she admitted as her excuse. It was true, but she wasn't really complaining about using Harry to support herself like that.

"I say we look to find if there is a secret passageway that will allow us to bypass them all together. I really don't like the idea of the stairs making us late to classes. Do you think they will count that as an acceptable excuse for being tardy?" Harry asked.

Hermione bite her bottom lip in thought. "I doubt it. They will probably say we should have planned for that."

Harry sighed. "I figured as much…"

"At least we found all of our classes," Susan said.

"And just in time for lunch!" Hannah said with a smile. She and Susan grabbed a light breakfast once Harry and Hermione asked them if they wanted to come for Operation: Find your Classrooms. It didn't matter to the two girls Harry and Hermione said they'd wait for them. They still made quick work of their first meal for the day. Hannah and Susan did not want to hold them up too long.

After lunch, the group explored a little more together and eventually went their separate ways. Harry and Hermione looked around together and even went outside. "It really is gorgeous here," Hermione said with a lovely smile as she took in a deep breath of fresh air. A breeze picked up a little and blew her hair in a way that it was extra beautiful. Harry kind of wished he had a camera to capture the moment, but he didn't know how that stuff worked in the magical world.

"I like it too. Hopefully it won't be too bad come winter. We are in Scotland after all," he mused.

"Then we will just have to fully enjoy the time we have before then," Hermione said with a nod. Harry smiled to her as they kept walking the grounds together.

[-] [-] [-]

"So today we have double Herbology first and double Transfiguration after lunch," Hannah said as it was finally Monday.

"Yep, we start off with Gryffindor I've heard and end with Ravenclaw," Harry said.

"From what I know, most of the houses don't really have anything against us. For better or worse they usually leave Hufflepuffs be," Susan said.

"Even muggleborns?" Hermione asked.

"Mostly yeah. Slytherins will give the occasional snide comment, but they usually do that for everyone. Gryffindor is the house they really go after for whatever reason," Susan said.

"I guess that makes me feel a little better. Professor McGonagall warned me a little bit about that stuff. There was that encounter with Draco on the train too," Hermione replied.

"Draco sought you two out?" Hannah asked.

"It was actually Harry he was looking for. He mostly ignored me," Hermione answered.

"He said something about hearing I was on the train and found our compartment. I think he was just going from one to the other or something though. No idea how else he could find me. There's no way Neville would have said anything. I'm guessing he sat towards the front along with you two," Harry said.

"Why do you say that? I mean you guessed right regarding us," Hannah said.

"We kind of went through the train helping Neville look for his toad. I got pre-introduced to a lot of students that way, but still none of them would have known which compartment we were in on the train," Harry said.

"How did that encounter go?" Susan asked curiously.

"Alright. I guess. Crabbed and Goyle tried to intimidate me, but it didn't work. Maybe if they had their wands out and pointing to me, I might have been concerned," Harry said.

"They're so big though!" Hannah said.

"Not anything for me to really worry about. I've encountered people far scarier and more intimidating then them," Harry said.

"What did you mean by the whole wands thing?" Susan asked.

Hermione actually answered here. "Harry told me that wands really make up for size differences. He told me physical size doesn't matter compared to magic pretty much. I agree with you on that, Harry," she said as Harry nodded.

"That is true… I'll keep that in mind," Susan said as Hannah nodded with her. They didn't think anyone would try anything, but hearing someone actually say wands would make that big of difference, really made them feel more confident in case something did happen. It was something people usually overlook, since they are so used to having a wand period in the magical world.

"We should probably get going. Classes are about to get started and I doubt Professor Sprout will take kindly to members of her own house being late to her class," Harry said as the three girls nodded in agreement and followed him.

[-] [-] [-]

Monday was actually a pretty good day for classes. Herbology was a lot of fun and Hannah really loved it. Harry did find it interesting too. Hermione found it equally interesting, but she was probably going to find all of their classes really exciting and interesting.

Transfiguration was pretty good too and they loved Professor McGonagall's demonstration of her animagus abilities. The class itself was a bit more difficult, but the lesson interesting. They spent the first half of the class learning about Transfiguration as a whole.

The second half was how to turn a matchstick into a needle. Hermione was the first to figure it out and she earned their house ten points which caused her to beam and glow with happiness. Harry was the second to figure it out close to the end of class and got five points.

"Isn't this great?! We already earned our house 15 points!" Hermione said excitedly.

"It is good, but I don't care about house points. It is a nice reward, but learning the material itself is even better," Harry mused as Hermione nodded eagerly in agreement.

He personally didn't like the house cup thing. He felt it was too open for abuse and seemed rather arbitrary. He felt it could do more harm than good. Detention and/or almost getting hurt bad should be enough punishment.

Adding point deductions to that meant it could get your own house to turn on you. Singling people out like that wasn't good. This wasn't on too large of a scale, but it was still something that could be unnecessarily troubling. His background also really caused him to dwell on it. Punishment was needed, but you could go too far.

[-] [-] [-]

"So today we have double History with Gryffindor. Charms for one period with Slytherin after lunch and then Astronomy with Slytherin at Midnight," Hermione said to her friends as they nodded.

"Ouch! Double History to start off the day… Maybe that is a good thing though," Tonks said in thought from where she was sitting next to them.

"How bad is History? I was really looking forward to it, but you seemed less than pleased with it from what you said in your introduction," Harry said.

"It is very disappointing. It is fairly easy, but the books are where you should get your information from. Professor Binns is just as lively in teaching as he is being a ghost," Tonks said with a chuckle.

"He's a ghost?!" Hermione asked in shock.

"Yep. But it only makes things worse. He has an impossibly dry and boring monotone voice and doesn't interact with the students much, if at all," Tonks answered.

She then gave a snort. "In fact, the books even include footnotes correcting 'facts' he brings up in class. His information on history is very outdated. The extended edition even lists which lecture is which, if you got that version. The tests are also based on the book instead of what he teaches in class. I think Professor Dumbledore or someone else makes the test for him… Maybe it's the school that does it."

She held a thoughtful expression at her last comment. There were many who believed Hogwarts was in a way alive at times. It would be really interesting if the school did make their History of Magic tests.

Hermione blushed a little. She did get that edition of their school book. She couldn't help it. The book looked more grand that way. She hadn't bothered too much with footnotes and such in it yet. She was too busy reading all she could about the subject hoping to learn more about the new world she was a part of. She was very disappointed to hear this about the class though and she gave a pout. Harry seemed to sense she was upset and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder causing Hermione to brighten up again.

"Most of the students use it as a free period. They either talk with each other or take a nap. Professor Binns barely even takes role for the class," Tonks finished after her moment of pondering.

"Well, I guess that can be good if you look at it the right way. I'm making sure to use it productively," Hermione said with a determined nod.

"That sounds like a good idea," Harry agreed.

"What is the rest of your week like?" Tonks then asked.

The four students looked over their schedule more carefully. "Tomorrow we start off with DADA followed by Potions. Then we have double Charms," Hermione said.

"Thursday, we have Transfiguration followed by Herbology before lunch and then just History. It says we will have Flying lessons, but will be notified when they start," Susan said.

"Friday, we have double Potions in the morning and DADA again after lunch but just for one period," Hannah finished.

"That isn't too bad of a schedule," Tonks said.

"I guess not. I'm worried about Astronomy though. That is so very late…" Hermione said in concern.

"I'd advise you to try and take a bit of a nap in the afternoon, if you can. Just set an alarm to wake you up in time for supper or class if you nap after eating. Some years it isn't as bad as others, since it isn't always at midnight," Tonks said.

"That's good to hear. Thanks for the advice," Hermione said with a smile.

"What I'm here for as your RA," Tonks replied with a smile as she finished up a last bite and left after bidding them good day.

[-] [-] [-]

History turned out to be just as boring as Tonks warned them. It was interesting to see Professor Binns come through the chalkboard as if it was nothing above the ordinary. The reaction from the Gryffindors was funny. It seemed the other RAs also warned their first years about the ghost professor, since they didn't react as much to Professor Binns.

Hermione was a bit worried about Charms since they had it with Slytherin. Harry offered her an arm and she grabbed it quickly to help calm herself down. "Sorry about this…" she said in a small voice. "I'm just worried what they will do."

"No worries," Harry replied with a smile.

Hermione's heart beat faster at seeing him smile and those intense beautiful green eyes he had. She felt a little guilty in taking so much comfort and such from Harry alone like this. She wasn't about to stop though. Harry, Susan and Hannah didn't seem to mind so she figured it wasn't a problem to them either.

It turned out when it came to Charms at least, Slytherin more or less just left Hufflepuff alone. Some did snicker a little at Harry Potter being a Puff, but not even all of them did that. A couple of girls looked at him in thought. Draco did as well.

When Harry was unaffected by the others and proved he was focused on the class, it actually gained him a bit of respect from some of the Slytherins. It probably helped that he was clearly not stupid, since he did get the couple of questions Professor Flitwick asked him correct. The smarter Slytherins were also a bit impressed by the muggleborn girl as well, though they would never admit it out loud.

The class was interesting and fun. Professor Flitwick was tiny and taught from atop a stack of books on a stool, but he had a lot of energy. It was also very clear how much he loved the subject.

Astronomy was a little tough for Harry. He couldn't really find a way to get himself to take an afternoon or after dinner nap. He had to struggle to keep fully attentive, even though the subject was interesting. "I'm going to have to figure something out…" Harry said to the others.

"I couldn't nap either…" Hannah frowned.

"I managed to," Hermione said. She gave a yawn just then "Well… I rested my eyes at least," she admitted a bit sheepishly. The others might have chuckled a little, but they were too tired.

Harry was disappointed in Defense Against the Dark Arts the next day. Professor Quirrell kept stuttering the whole time and it was annoying. He was also pretty much pulling straight from the book as well. He didn't even add any additional commentary. "At least we have another class that can be considered nap time after Astronomy," he said quietly causing Hannah and Susan to both giggle.

Hermione gave a slight frown to him. She wanted to get on his case, but he was kind of right. The book was actually better in her opinion, since it didn't stutter the whole time. She hoped the class would get better, but they wouldn't have an idea about that until Friday at the earliest.

[-] [-] [-]

Potions did have the Hufflepuffs a bit concerned. They did feel some relief when it turned out they had the class with Ravenclaw. "If what people say about Professor Snape is true, then I kind of feel sorry for Gryffindor. They have this class with Slytherin and those houses hate each other," Hannah said.

"I personally won't complain or feel too sorry for them. I'm too glad we don't have it with Slytherin," Hermione said. She had a feeling the house of silver and green would be a lot less reserved in this class simply because it was taught by Professor Snape, their Head of House.

They had been seated for a good while when it was time for class to start. The doors shut rather loudly and the Professor wearing all black with his greasy hair walked forward with his robes billowing behind him. He stood at the front and looked them over for a good minute before speaking.

"I won't be holding your hands in this class. Your success or failure will be entirely up to you. I am not here to give you the answers. I am here to teach you how to find them. There will be very little wand waving in this class. Some don't even appreciate Potion brewing as magic," he said.

"They are foolish and take it for granted by just buying the potions they want or need. They can't understand the subtle science of liquids flowing through veins and how they can affect the human mind and senses. I can teach you how to brew glory, bottle fame, and even put a stopper into death. If you're brains aren't a complete waste of space in your head."

He then took role of all the students. He paused on Potter's name and looked at the boy. He had thought about calling the boy out earlier as he was writing something while he spoke. However, Professor Snape tried his hardest not to let his feelings towards James Potter get in the way, since the boy was a Hufflepuff. He then noticed Potter was actually writing notes. Something that impressed him a little bit, since only a couple of others did the same during his little introduction.

"Now then… A bit of a test," Professor Snape started. "Mr. Potter. Where could I find a Bezoar?" he asked singling out the boy with the first question. He was curious if the boy had done any reading in advance. Lily had loved reading her books in advance, since she couldn't get away with practicing spells being a muggleborn.

Harry was in thought for a moment. Just before Professor Snape was about to call him out, he answered. "In the stomach of a goat," Harry answered.

"What is it used for?" the professor asked giving Harry Potter a calculating glance.

"It neutralizes most poisons. It is recommended for any witch or wizard making a habit of experimenting in Potion making to have some on hand. So they don't die by their own poisoned failure of a potion brew," Harry said.

Professor Snape gave him a very small, almost unnoticeable, nod. "None of you better be thinking about experimenting in such a manner. You are far too early and uninformed to do such a thing," he said making sure the students understood the graveness of his words.

"Who can tell me what the difference is between Monkshood and Wolfbane?" he asked.

Hermione's hand shot up. "Miss… Granger," he called.

"They're the same thing. They're also known as aconite," she answered.

"True. There are many ingredients that have multiple names. Sometimes they're usage can be a hint as to how they should be prepped for certain potions," he said.

He looked over the students and noticed many more were writing notes now. It was actually a little surprising the few students not doing so were in Ravenclaw. "Who can tell me what you would get if you added powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?" he asked.

Hermione raised her hand once more. However, Professor Snape was not going to call on her again. He instead called out, "Miss Patil."

"They're used for the Draught of the Living Death," she answered.

"A very powerful sleeping potion. One tiny misstep with it in either brewing or administering is more likely to be fatal than just a lifetime sleep. Many students like to test the line in this class at first. They feel it is perfectly fine to take shortcuts or to change around steps."

"Later you will learn how to recognize if a potion can be saved or not and how to do so along with ways to improve brewing techniques. Until then! Follow my directions carefully. A mistake can cause a wound closing potion to be a wound opening poison. This is not a class to treat as playtime," Professor Snape said.

Professor Snape knew how to hold his class' attention. Unlike Professor Flitwick who made it a joy, he preferred to keep them in line and set a grave atmosphere. "Now. On to your first lesson. It should be simple enough and won't be too dangerous, but it will tell me how hopeless or not you are," he said before going to the board and writing out the directions.

[-] [-] [-]

"That was intense. He really doesn't let up," Ernie said to the other Hufflepuffs around him as they made their way to lunch.

"I'll agree with that. There is a part of me that can appreciate it though. Hopefully this lesson will be a good measure for his others," Harry said.

"Are you sure about that?" Justin asked. "I kind of thought it was a little too intense."

"I can see where Harry is coming from. I don't mind hard and strict teachers. So long as they don't go too far. If he really means it is up to us, I'm fine with that," Hermione said.

"I hope you're right," Susan said as they entered the dining hall for lunch.

The Hufflepuffs would admit it was kind of nice having double Charms after Potions. It was also a good way to end the day. Harry would admit he kind of liked Professor Flitwick's approach to teaching more than Professor Snape's.

Thursday was an alright day. Harry just wished they could have Flying lessons already. He really was looking forward to that. The free period in the meantime was nice though. He spent the time in their common room. It was really very comfy and homey.

Hermione was perusing the library at the moment. He had to admit it was amazing, but he was pretty sure Hermione would get upset if he dared read a book she hadn't yet, at least judging by that look in her honey brown eyes. He chuckled as he decided she actually meant she would eventually read every book in the magical world during their first meeting with Tonks.

Eventually a trio of older students came over to him. They were led by a very handsome and well built boy with dark hair and grey eyes. He gave a grin as he said, "You're Harry Potter, right?"

Harry gave a friendly smile in return. He realized the boy was trying to make conversation without it being too awkward. "I am. Who are you?" he asked.

The boy seemed to relax a little as he extended a hand and said, "Cedric Diggory. I'm a third year." Harry shook his hand and smiled to him. "How are you liking Hogwarts so far?" the older boy asked.

"It really is something. I can't believe how large the castle seems on the inside," Harry said.

Cedric nodded. "Magic after all. It just seems to expand, but never shrinks. Kind of sad to see so many empty classrooms at times, even if it is convenient from time to time," he said.

Harry raised an eyebrow in question jokingly. "F-F-For studying… Nothing else," Cedric said with a blush. Harry chuckled and Cedric did as well. "So, finding your classrooms alright?" he asked to change the subject.

"Yep. My RA, Tonks, recommended we use the first couple of days before classes start to find them. She's been really helpful so far," Harry said.

"I've been thinking I might volunteer to be an RA during my seventh year," Cedric admitted.

One of his friends gave a chuckle. "Wouldn't surprise me one bit. Cedric here makes it a point to check in on first years ever since last year. I'm Dave Hall by the way," one of the other boys said.

"I know how hectic first year can get. I was lucky one of the older students apart from just my RA did the same for me," Cedric said.

"Is Professor Snape… severe? With everyone?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, he is. Slytherins sometimes get a lucky break, but it isn't anywhere near the level Gryffindor's would have you believe. They also many times do kind of bring his ire down onto them on their own, but claim it's because he hates their house," he said.

"What are Flying Lessons like?" Harry asked eagerly.

Cedric chuckled. "I loved them! I purposefully attended extra lessons just to get to fly more! When it comes to Flying Lessons, you only attend until Madam Hooch gives you a pass. You are allowed to continue attending them to improve your skills a little more if you want, but she will stop if it is too obvious you are just looking for an excuse to fly more. Well… after it happens a few too many times that is. I'm actually on the Quidditch House team, so I get to fly a lot now," he said.

"What is Quidditch? I was raised in the muggle world," Harry explained.

The trio of boys grinned widely. "It's the best!" Dave Hall said. They then started telling Harry all about the sport and the teams and much more. Harry was very interested in it and paid attention until it was actually close to supper time.

Friday was a very different day. At breakfast, Harry got his first owl post letter. "She really is very beautiful, Harry," Hermione said in awe as she reached out a finger carefully to pet Hedwig. The snowy owl approved of her and happily let the bushy haired girl pet her. "Her feathers are so soft…" Hermione cooed.

Hannah and Susan also timidly reached out a finger. Hedwig swelled in pride at the attention she was getting from them and let them pet her as well. Harry gave a chuckle before he read the letter.

Dear Harry,

I know you get off early on Fridays. If you want, I would like it if you came by for some afternoon tea and told me about your week. It would be around three. Send a response back if you want to come by. You can bring any of your friends you want as well.

Hagrid

"What does it say?" Hermione asked.

"It's from Hagrid. He's asking if I want to have some afternoon tea with him. Do you three want to come?" he asked.

"Really?!" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. "I'd love to come with you. I really want to meet Hagrid after you told me about him on the train," Hermione replied with a smile.

"We can come too?" Hannah asked.

"I did ask you three," Harry responded.

Hannah and Susan looked to each other for a moment and soon smiled. "We'd love to!" Hannah replied as Susan nodded her agreement.

"Three in the afternoon it is then," Harry said as he wrote his reply.

[-] [-] [-]

Harry was frowning as they left DADA.

Hermione sighed. "It does seem like Professor Quirrell's class will be just as disappointing as History…"

"Mom told me it was sad how poor DADA was at Hogwarts now. She told me they haven't managed to keep a professor longer than a year for well over a decade. I didn't think it was really this bad," Susan said with a frown.

"At least class is out now…" Hannah said.

Harry was in quiet thought as he nodded in agreement. There was something that rubbed him the wrong way about the DADA Professor. He would have to see if his thoughts were right. It would take another class for him to be sure. He didn't like it though. It was not adding up to a good picture for the class or man.

"I'm just glad we only have about an hour until we go and meet Hagrid," Harry said.

"Do we need to dress up or anything?" Hannah suddenly asked in worry.

"I don't think so. I was going to just wear my uniform without the outer robes," Harry said.

"I think our uniforms are actually rather nice. They should be enough. This isn't a formal afternoon tea," Hermione said.

"Good. I really don't have anything like dress robes with me anyways," Susan said and Hannah seemed to let out a breath in relief.

The four first years spent the rest of their time waiting in their dorm before they headed down to meet with Hagrid. Harry was happy about meeting his friend again. He was also going to ask Hagrid if he told Dumbledore about his living situation.

Harry planned on telling Professor Sprout about it after talking with Hagrid. He figured knowing Hagrid's choice would help his case. He doubted just having told the man alone would be enough for his head of house. Either way, Harry and three girls were smiling and eager as they made their way to the giant of a man's Hut. The weather was nice and it was looking to be a wonderful afternoon.

A/N: At first, it took me a bit of work to figure out how I wanted to write Professor Snape here. He won't be a Daddy Severus or Uncle Sevy type, but he won't be as terrible to Harry as he was in canon. I'm going for a tough but fair Professor Snape in this story.

The way I see it part of the reason things were the way they were with the two was because Harry, being in Gryffindor, made Snape think he would be just like his father. With Harry's looks he couldn't get past that. This isn't really justifying his behavior though.

Harry also kind of unintentionally exasperated the situation, which is still not really an excuse for Professor Snape, but it is what it is. I felt it seemed Harry took more after his mother personality wise. He did really disapprove of how his father acted in Snape's memory from book five.

There's also the fact I don't really like book Snape. Many people don't. The only reason Alan Rickman, may he rest in peace, even played the role of Professor Snape is because JK pretty much begged him to play the role.

He tried to see some good in the character, but he couldn't get past Snape's bullying of Harry and the other students. Rowling eventually went so far as to tell him what happens with Snape in the end, which only she knew about at the time. That was when he agreed to the role.

I've actually had discussions with people about that. One of the people I talked to about this made a good point. The movies started well before the books ended (the first movie came out a couple of years before the fifth book) and JK Rowling admitted many times the final books were very different from her original plot.

The person I was talking to at that time said it made you wonder if maybe she changed the role of Snape in the books, because she wanted Alan Rickman in the movies. Who knows if it is true, but it did get me thinking. She very could have. There was plenty of time for her to change things up.