Chapter: instructions Not Included.
Severus sat in his study, looking down at the papers from his first year interviews. It was a practice that he alone pursued. He had brought it up during his very first year of teaching, and yet none of the other heads found it to be necessary. He had gone through with it anyway. His students already had the school against them, he did not need other factors to slow their growth. His slender fingers separated the first page from the others. Harry Addams interview had lost all control. He didn't even get through half the questions he wished to. Some of the things he said were quite telling though. Seems he was on the track to be raised by Petunia.
"Lucky as ever Potter." He muttered, tossing the paper to the side. He did not want to think about the boy. Not when it conflicted so much with what he believed. He pulled the next paper in front of him. "Millicent Bulstrode." The girl was the first half-blood of the pureblooded Bulstrode family. She held their distinct features, the jutting jaw and square build. Her dark hair seemed odd out and Severus assumed she gained it from her mother. Her mother was another half-blood witch, and so Millicent knew nothing of the Muggle world. The way she had sat in the chair had been so timid, as if she wished to collapse in on herself and take up less space.
"I've been so good. I've been helpful and friendly." She had said when asked about her friends. The girl didn't have any. If her demeanor during the interview was what she considered to be friendly he could see the problem. He identified with it. Afterall he had met his own best friend by hiding in a bush. "Why am I feeling empty?" And so he told her this. Her eyes had widened at the thought of her bat like head of house having a best friend.
"We didn't become friends until I stopped hiding. You are quite…tall…for your age Miss Bulstrode. Use this to your advantage. Take up space, do not tear yourself to pieces for others to consume. Be yourself." Severus hated sappy sayings, but 'Be yourself' was one he held dear. His grades had soared after being told exactly that by Lily. It was too much work to please everyone. Hence why most of his coworkers thought him dreary.
"My days and nights are filled with disappointment." Vincent had the same defeated pose as Millicent. The difference he noted, is that it disappeared when he was with his friend Greg Goyle. Not surprising, Crabbe Sr. and Goyle Sr. where pals from the Death Eater days. Crabbe was failing to meet his father's expectations, and while there were no marks on the boy, there was other ways to hurt him. Then the quill test had come. He had each student write with a quill in front of him so he could correct their holding, dipping or strength. Crabbe was skilled with a quill, most likely from years of practice, but Severus noted something off about his spellings and such.
"Could you read this for me?" he asked, holding up a standard practice sentence meant for a child much younger than he. The boy had looked down to his lap and shook his head. "You will practice with Miss Bulstrode in one of the study rooms twice a week. In the meantime Mr. Goyle can assist you in classes. I will speak to the other Professors on your behalf." It did not surprise Severus that Crabbe couldn't read well. His father was dumb as rocks, and most certainly never taught his son. More than likely the boy was taught to write by house elves.
"Everything's fine." Gregory had said shortly when asked about his home life. Severus had not pushed the issue. He needed to prove he was to be trusted before the boy would speak out against his Death Eater father. Goyle took after his mother more, short in stature and with a rounded face.
"What do you hope to do for your career?" They spent a while talking about the Healer course. It allowed Severus to have a bit of breathing room. It seemed as if the dredges of the Dark Lord were beginning to fade away. His eyes darted back to Harry Addams' paper. Another Dark Lord. Why in the world would he announce such a thing? He would need to finish his interview with the boy. Not anytime soon. The next him he gets detention seemed more appropriate. Afterall the boy held James' genes, it would not be long before he found himself in trouble. The next student in the stack had been a surprise.
"Am I normal or not?" Hermione Granger had been blunt. The girl was definitely perceptive, he would give her that. "First it's I have magic and my family doesn't. Then it's I want to learn theory and the other girls on the train say its instinct. Then I freak out about a hand without a body, and turns out that's fine. Now this." The girl had been on the verge of frustrated tears.
"What are you referring to, Miss Granger?" He had not wanted to mention her blood status himself. He had not wanted to go down the path that led to Harry's mother.
"I'm Muggleborn."
"It does not matter." Her brown eyes had drilled into him and she had dropped the matter, finishing the interview up with enthusiasm. He could have said more to her. Such as that she was the first Muggleborn to ever be sorted into Slytherin. He could have told her to be careful. The thing he was beginning to notice with these children, was that they were much more mature than he remembered his own classmates being when he had first come to Hogwarts. The nail was really driven in when he recalled Daphne Greengrass.
"Is that a crazy goal?" she had asked. The Greengrass family held a bloodcurse. One that seemed to have manifested in her younger sister. "I know there isn't many female CurseBreakers, Pureblooded women aren't meant to do work like that. But…I want to, for Astoria. I don't even care if they disown me, I don't want my little sister to suffer."
"It will be difficult. A bloodcurse has never been cured. If you are serious, you will need to sacrifice a lot." The blonde girl had not even flinched at the prospect of sacrifice. Yes, he had a good bunch of Slytherins this year. But as always, his godson proved to be difficult.
"I've done everything right. Where is the karma, Sev, I've lost my patience." Draco, to put it simply, was jealous of Harry. The pampered boy had not been happy with being upstaged at the Sorting. He had expected to be the Prince of Slytherin, much like his father had been. What he said next had not helped.
"While at Hogwarts you will refer to me as Professor Snape." Grey eyes had grown cold, and the rest of the interview had been clipped and icy. Just before the boy left, Severus called to him. Despite the spoiled attitude, he did care about his godson. "I dislike Potter as much as you do."
"Theodore Nott, Sir." The boy was thin and tall with brown hair and jade green eyes. "And all I hope is to get good grades and eventually get on the Quidditch team. Frankly, I've been working my butt off over the summer, but I still cant seem to get it. I mean my magic's just fine, but the flying bit is over my head." Severus had raised an eyebrow at the admission. Most of the students who tried out for Quidditch did so because they were good at flying and enjoyed the sport. After asking Nott to explain, it had made a bit more sense. "Well, my mum has said that people are sometimes less clumsy in the air. Plus then people would actually know who I am, and that would be…nice." The enthusiasm had died the second he caught eyes with the Potions Master. Severus tried to be open to his Slytherins, but he could not help but be intimidating. He left the boy with the advice to practice as much as possible during his first year.
"My father's been bringing up an arranged marriage." Miss Parkinson said. "If I don't find a suitable suitor by third year, he will pick one for me and we will be married at 16. I don't even know what is supposed to be a good boyfriend let alone suitor. That's too early!" Tears had streamed down her face. "I'm so lonely and stressed out. I don't think anyone will understand." Severus did not have advice for finding love, he had certainly never found a spouse.
"By 16 you can request to be emancipated from your parents. If you dislike your suitor this much, it is an option that I will help you with. Who can tell? Perhaps your assigned spouse has no say either, and would rather remain friends. You could divorce later, and still be young enough to find love. The most important thing is that no spouse is in control of you or your body. If they attempt to conduct themselves inappropriately…hex them until they call for their mothers." This had caused a hiccup of a laugh from the girl.
"It's getting harder. The train ride alone, Light side this, Harry Potter, You-Know-Who, Dark side that. Everyone wants you to have an opinion. I don't care. I'm here to be a great Wizard, that's it. For myself only, not for either side." The Zambini's were a neutral family, and the boy had been raised well. He would adjust just fine. After Potter's fame died down no one would mention You-Know-Who.
Severus retired to his bedroom, tossing Harry Addams' paper into the fire as he passed it.
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Harry pulled his tie tight, looking over his appearance in the mirror. Wearing the Slytherin uniform was odd for him. He had expected the school to be a bit more formal, and had packed his best suits. Not that he wore suits all the time, but he could appreciate the crisp elegance of a gothic set. He was glad that he allowed his hair to grow out more over the summer, as it kept his scar well hidden. He didn't like to stand out, but rather blend in to the crowd or be avoided as a creepy child. Thing climbed onto his shoulder as he grabbed his bag from the table. It was stuffed with all of his texts as he didn't know what classes he had today. Harry opened his door and was met face to face with Draco Malfoy, whom had the room across from him.
"Morning." Harry said smoothly as he walked away from the boy's dorm. It would do him no good to fight Malfoy this early in the day. His Dad may be a fair fighter, but Harry was not. If he could get Malfoy at the end of the day, or during classes when it would mess with him more, he would take the opportunity. The black haired boy leaned against the wall between the female and male dorms, waiting for Hermione. Yes, he already had bigger plans for Malfoy, but it would have to wait until he adjusted to Hogwarts.
"H-hi." Harry blinked in surprise and looked up to see who had spoken. Millicent Bulstrode stood there, face tinged pink.
"Hello." He replied kindly, with a smile that was a tad bit too sinister. He had to work on that. A small black kitten peeked out from her pocket. "Is that a cat?" Millicent nodded rapidly, taking it out and holding it so Harry could see. "Black cat!" he exclaimed, petting it softly. The Addams did not hate cats, despite how they treated some of them. They just thought it unfair that other cats got to prance around without a care while black cats were treated as bad luck. "Most people don't adopt black cats."
"That's what the shop owner told me too." Millicent said. "So I picked her right away." The comment made Harry pause. Were most wizarding folk like this? Did the Addams kookiness stem from being magical? Harry took a moment to look over Bulstrode. He was surprised that she had picked him of all people to talk to. Then again, Malfoy seemed like a right brat. It then dawned on him when he saw Goyle snicker at something Draco had said while nodding his head in the girl's direction. Addams survived by standing strong with other 'strange' people. They had known he would be kooky and adopted him to keep him safe from those who rejected anything unlike themselves. It was why he already liked Neville and Hermione, despite never having friends outside of his brother and sister.
"Would you like to join me and Hermione for breakfast?" he asked, doing his best to look in her eyes. A smile split across her face as she nodded. They were all strange at Hogwarts, but some more than others.
It was time for the Addams family to grow.
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"Looks like astronomy first." Hermione noted as she was handed her schedule. Harry barely saved his own from falling into his bowl of cereal as it was tossed at him. He cast a glare to the back of Snape's head as he passed them.
"That's the furthest class." Millicent responded, already cleaning her hands off. Hermione followed suit, packing away the book she had been reading. Harry made sure his wand was secure in his arm holster before standing.
"Just Slytherin?" he asked as they took their leave. Hermione nodded, trusting her new friends to keep her from bumping into a wall as she reviewed the schedule.
"Looks like Astronomy, Transfiguration, lunch, free period, Charms and another free that will be filled with Flying with Gryffindor's starting next week." Harry took a quick glance at his own schedule to confirm this.
"How do you know where we're going?" Harry was trying his best to memorize the path, but Hogwarts was massive.
"Professor Snape gave us maps during out interviews." Millicent said. "I studied mine all night." Hermione's eyes sparkled at the thought of someone having studied that long. "Well, I was just thinking about what Professor Snape told me. I'm very tall, so people can see where I'm going. I want to make sure I'm going the right way." Harry glowered a bit. A map and advice from Professor Snape? All he had gotten was a scolding and his dreams thrown back in his face.
"Huh, never thought of it that way." Hermione responded. Harry noted that she did not seem surprised by advice from their Head Of House. "Though it makes sense. You were the first unsorted student to catch my attention, even when you're hunched over your still taller than Crabbe. Oh, when we're older you're going to be like a runway model."
"What's that?" Millicent asked, while directing them to take the staircase on the left.
"Oh, do you not have those in the Wizarding World? It's very tall beautiful women who show off amazing designer clothing for special events." Hermione explained, never missing a beat, and not noticing the falter in Millicent's step.
"O-oh. You know about the Muggle World." Millicent squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, but Harry kept his glowing eyes trained on her. "I'm half-blood myself, but both my parents are magical. I don't know much about the Muggle world." They had finally arrived at the tower, the first of the Slytherins to arrive.
"I can teach you!" Hermione began to rattle off the amazing things that Muggles had that might appeal to the girl. "You need to teach me some wizarding stuff too though. I saw that Muggle studies is a class we can take in later years, but there isn't anything to learn wizarding customs. I mean, did you know that eighty nine percent of Muggleborns return to the Muggle world after graduation?"
"That's because they don't belong here." Malfoy's voice carried from down the hall. "Sort of like you, Granger. How on Earth did you join the snake house when you have the insufferable know it all twittering of a Ravenclaw?" Harry opened his mouth to retort, Malfoy's comment suggesting that he had not made the connection between Hermione and Muggleborns. However, Hermione was quicker, and harsher.
"My ambition will always surpass my intelligence. As I gain knowledge my goals will increase until I'm better than all of Ravenclaw, and until I'm better than you." She challenged. "The better question would be how a spoilt brat like you gained entrance. Using Daddy's name it seems." Malfoy turned a lovely shade of pink, reaching for his wand. Blaise subtly stopped him with a hand to his elbow. The door swung open not even a moment later, their Professor greeting them. Hermione tried to tame her frizzy hair that had come loose from her ribbon during her tirade.
"Leave it. It's a good look." Harry commented, holding his hand out for the ribbon. It was poofy and untamed, but the stray hairs were illuminated by the light and gave her a golden aura around her head. She smiled, dropping it into his hand. Using some slight of hand and a tiny bit of controlled Trickster magic to make one end sticky Harry flicked the ribbon out from his palm as Malfoy passed. It attached to the boy's wand, which he had in his left pocket. Harry winked at Hermione as he tossed the wand into the corner of the stairwell, following the rest of his classmates into the classroom. Hermione and Millicent followed behind him whispering about how much they liked Harry, giggling to themselves when they found the boy glaring at anyone who tried to take the two seats he had saved for them.
The other females took notice of this treatment independently, thinking it was quite refreshing compared to Malfoy's treatment of them. Theodore Nott had noticed the theft Harry had committed, but he would not being saying anything when Malfoy had had Crabbe shoulder into him in the Common Room this morning. Blaise was still trying to figure out the mystery that was the Boy-Who-Lived.
"Hey, where's my wand?"
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Tabitha, or Tabi, McGonagall's animagus form, sat on her desk as she awaited her first class of Slytherin first years. Her eyes shifted throughout the seats that the students would take. She had really thought that Harry would be in her house. It had been a large shock to hear the hat say Slytherin. Of course she did not believe that all students from Slytherin were evil, but Harry was still a Potter, wasn't he?
"CurseBreaker. That's very interesting. My mom's a bit of a Curse Maker if you know what I mean." Daphne Greengrass laughed along side Hermione and Millicent. Tabi's tail swished. "Your determination is inspiring Daphne. I'll ask my mom if she knows anything about small curses you can practice on."
"Thanks, Addams." Daphne responded. Malfoy had laughed in her face when she had mentioned being a CurseBreaker. Hermione and Millicent took the paired seats behind Harry and Daphne. Hermione realized that there was more to be said to Daphne, and told so to Millicent.
"If they do disown you, all you have to do is wait for your parents to die, and your sister will surely take you back." Harry said, partly joking to keep the mood light. Only the flat tone betrayed it as genuine reassurance.
"Wizards and witches live to be 200 routinely." Daphne told him.
"Not when they're cursed." Harry said simply, his eyes moving to the front of the class, quill in hand. Daphne's light blue eyes widened slightly, but before she could say more Tabi shifted into Professor McGonagall, her piercing gaze on Harry Addams. She could not get him in any sort of trouble for his conversation as he had not directly threatened anyone. She didn't like the look on Daphne's face either as she seemed to contemplate the words the boy told her.
"Quiet down." She told the class, noticing the seating arrangement. Behind Granger's table was Nott. Across the aisle was Zambini and Parkinson. Malfoy sat alone in front of them, with Crabbe and Goyle taking up the front. He had received Severus' note about Crabbe's issue with reading. "Today we will be attempting to turn a matchstick into a sewing needle." She continued with the instructions verbally as chalk wrote them behind her. She had Daphne pass out the matchsticks and took a seat at her desk, subtly keeping an eye on Addams. The boy was looking down at the pine wand in his hand as if it was completely foreign. Even Ms. Granger behind him was holding her wand naturally.
"Professor McGonagall." Harry called out. The witch came over to his desk.
"Yes, Mr. Addams?" He held his wand aloft in an open palm, and it was emitting a soft musical tone.
"I don't think I should do this spell. My wand does this each time I try to use it." Minerva furrowed her brow, taking the wand from the boy. "It's pine with a Horned Serpent horn core."
"Where on Earth did you get it?" she asked. She knew that Ollivander only used three wand cores, and this was not one of them.
Harry sat on his bed, reading his Hogwarts letter once again. He could not believe that he had accepted to go. A wand…he had never seen his mom or grandmama use wands. He himself had done magic already without a wand. Nothing too controlled of course, but magic nonetheless. As he lay back in bed he heard a low musical note resonating throughout the house. Harry immediately perked up, and moved into the hall. Wednesday and Pugsley were also exiting their rooms.
"What is that dreadful noise?" Wednesday asked in her usual deadpan. Harry looked up towards the higher floors, green eyes wide.
"I think…it's like music?" his body began to move of its own accord. He was transfixed. Thing tried to hold him back by his pant leg. The note stopped for a moment. "Have you ever heard it before?"
"Never." Pugsley said. Harry shook his head. His siblings had heard it, so it wasn't a hallucination. With each passing day the note would play though the house, until Harry was almost mad.
"We're finding that noise." Harry commanded one dinner. A sly smile flitted across Morticia's face, loving the fire in her son's green eyes. She dabbed her mouth carefully with her napkin, standing from her seat, demanding their attention.
"Are you sure, Harry?" she asked softly, her hands curling on the top of her chair. Harry gave a determined nod. She held out a hand and he took with ease, the pair of them leaving the room. Grandmama prevented Wednesday from following. Through the attic door they went, coming to rest in front of a faded pattern on the wall. The noise was loudest behind it and Harry pressed his ear up to it. "You were thinking of a wand, weren't you little bat?"
"Yes! You and Grandmama don't have any."
"Easier to deny witchcraft if you don't have a wand. The average Muggle misses the subtler arts of magic. Your father's side of the family never used wands because of what lies behind this wall. Prove to it you are an Addams and it will be yours." She brandished a small silver blade. The eleven year old took it and pricked his fingertip. Once the drop of blood touched the pattern the wall seemed to melt.
"It belonged to my great-great-great-great aunt Urie Addams. It called to me and I claimed it with my blood. I just don't know what the noise means." Minerva's eyebrows had reached her hairline at the mention of blood. She was reluctant to give the wand back but the young boy's eyes were peering at her with the need for help.
"Attempt the transfiguration, I will be here to protect you from any ill effects." She promised, drawing her own wand. Harry concentrated on the matchstick in front of him as he cast the incantation. Power burst through the wand knocking over the table. Daphne gave a yelp as her stuff was thrown across the floor. McGonagall was expecting the boy to fall into a flurry of apologies, or tears, but when she looked his way he was looking at his wand reverently.
"Way to go Addams, can't even change a matchstick without messing it up monumentally." Malfoy said with a laugh.
"No, look!" Hermione exclaimed, holding up the needle from the ground. Minerva quickly took it from her, inspecting it closely.
"It's perfect." She announced, gobsmacked. Had the boy been in her house she would immediately pull him into Prodigy testing for he subject, but as it were all she could do was suggest it to Severus.
"Eh, second time not as good." Harry admitted, having tried again at Hermione's urging. McGonagall looked over the top of her spectacles to see the dull grey and pointy matchstick.
"Do you feel differently than before you attempted the first time?" Minerva asked. Harry nodded slowly.
"Before I felt like my magic was always just bubbling around. Like a wild campfire, but this is more…controlled. Not like I'm making genie wishes anymore."
"Oh, I get it!" Hermione piped up, causing Malfoy to grumble about her tone. "The first time your magic did what you wanted but not how you wanted it. Like in the Great Hall when you said you wanted to go home! All the windows cracked to give you an escape. Right now, it changed the matchstick but caused chaos. You must be pretty powerful to need a wand to temper you magic."
"Holy smokes!" Nott commented. "Your accidental magic must have been a pain for your family." He joked. "The worst I ever did was freeze an awful dinner solid." The chimes sounded for the end of lesson.
"We'll pick up this exercise next class, so don't get discouraged." She quickly excused herself, needing to find Severus before lunch. Harry knelt to pick up Daphne's stuff. Malfoy came over, intent of giving the show off a piece of his mind. Millicent stepped in his path. From behind her green eyes dared Malfoy to do anything to the girl. When it looked as if the ill mannered boy might do just that, Hermione and Daphne stepped next to their dormmate.
"Tch, having the females protecting you?" Malfoy asked. Behind him Pansy glared.
"They are protecting you, Malfoy." Harry warned, keeping his wand in his hand. It felt right, it felt warm and welcome. "Here's your stuff." Daphne took the things and placed them in her bag. He motioned the girls to precede him to the Great Hall. He paused at the door and looked at Malfoy over his shoulder. "But they won't always."
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Severus and Minerva entered the Great Hall a bit late for the lunch hour. She gave him one last nervous glance before heading to her seat. The Potions Master walked the length of the Slytherin Table, noticing the forming groups of students among his first years. Malfoy still had Crabbe and Goyle, but Parkinson and Zambini sat with Nott a few seats over. Addams once again took up the seats nearest the Head Table, Granger, Bulstrode and Greengrass with him. Severus sneered. Seems the boy had James in him after all, gaining a following of fangirls. Granger seemed to have lost the battle with her unruly frizz, her ribbon nowhere to be seen. Why was this aspiring Dark Lord friends with these girls?
"A vine type wand! That's rare, Hermione. You're going to be a great witch." Harry praised as the group compared wands, all wanting to hear the story of Harry's wand.
"Addams." Severus said shortly, stopping directly behind the boy. He saw the boy tense up, but he slowly turned to face his Professor.
"Yes sir?" He grit out. Snape did nothing to hide the sneer on his face.
"Do try and refrain from destroying any more classrooms, lest you wish to find your fortune rapidly reduced in compensation." He strode away without another word. Though he did keep his ear open, hoping for the boy to gain a detention for disrespect. All he heard however was confusion from the boy.
"My fortune?"
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The rest of the week went by without too many mishaps. Harry was gaining control of his magic more each day. Hermione was the only one in their Charms class to master the lifting spell on the first day, earning Slytherin ten points. Transfiguration was three days in a row, Tuesday through Thursday, with Professor McGonagall assigning a large stack of homework on the last day. The Slytherins had shared Herbology with the Ravenclaws on Wednesday and that morning, with the third slot being on a Monday. History of Magic with the Hufflepuffs had been a dreadfully boring class to have first thing Thursday morning, and Harry thanked his stars that it was only once a week. Thursday night at midnight the Slytherins had gone to the Astronomy tower to gaze out the telescopes and put what they had learned that week into practice. Defense Against the Dark Arts was as much of a joke as he had expected. Professor Quirrell was a stuttering mess who frequently dodged questions. Plus, he had banned Harry from bringing his wand into the class until he learned how to control it's musical note. Harry frowned down at his wand. It had only happened the once since Transfiguration, in his very first DADA class, but his Professor had not given him the chance to prove it that morning.
"Thing get out of there!" Daphne exclaimed, using the serving ladle to remove the hand from a pitcher of punch. Thing accepted a napkin and dried himself off deftly, crawling back to Harry. Thing had also been banned from his DADA class.
"No messing with anyone's potions Thing. You'll get hurt and then I'll have to put you out of your misery by feeding you the Giant Squid." Thing waved off the threat, jumping off the table to head to the dorms on his own. "Fine then you useless hand! I hope a cat eats you." The bells chimed for the end of lunch.
"Let's go. I heard Professor Snape hates tardiness." Hermione said, gathering her things. Harry gave an exaggerated sigh, pushing his hair back form his head enough to briefly show his scar. He had forgotten that he was going to be taught his favorite subject by a man whom seemed to hate him. Harry saw that Neville had risen to leave as well, and called out to him. The brown haired boy smiled, but was accosted by the redheaded Weasley in his year. The loud boy steered Neville out of the Great Hall, glaring at Addams.
"What do you know about that Weasley?" Harry asked Hermione as they transversed the halls.
"Youngest boy, he has a little sister that will be joining next year. The Weasleys are a powerful family, Purebloods, but they aren't into the blood purity stuff." Hermione rattled off. Having Hermione on his side was like having an informant.
"How'd you know that?" he asked, curious as to how she gained information.
"Percy Weasley is frequently in the library." She replied simply. Harry shrugged, feeling the air shift as they reached the dungeons. The door was open so they went in. He and Hermione took seats up near the front as usual. The classroom was amazing. Dark and mysterious, with the walls lined with creepy stuff. Just as they thought their teacher wasn't going to show he burst into the room, slamming the door shut behind him with a flick of his wand. He saw some of the Gryffindor's quaking. Snape strode to the front of the room, his robes snapping menacingly with each step. Harry quickly took out a quill.
"There will be no silly wand waving in this classroom." Professor Snape started. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making." His voice was a mere whisper, but it carried in the silence of the dungeon. "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of a the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…" Harry's eyes had grown wide. Professor Snape seemed to love potions even more than his family, which he didn't think was possible. The passion was unexpected but not unwelcome. "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death!" Severus took a second to survey the room. Only Granger and Addams seemed excited to learn. He internally scoffed. No matter how he put it, potions was a hated subject at Hogwarts. "Addams!"
"Yes sir!" Harry called back. Snape noted it didn't have even a hint of defiance or sarcasm that time. Only awe…awe inspired by his speech.
"What would I get if I added powdered asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" he snapped out. Harry burrowed his frow, muttering under his breath for a moment. Severus almost saw the light bulb go off above his head.
"Mixing powdered asphodel and wormwood would cause extreme sleep." Severus scowled, as the boy was not technically incorrect.
"What would the name of this potion be?" he stressed, pinning the boy with a cold stare.
"I don't know sir." Harry admitted, although Hermione had risen her hand next to him.
"Typical, not bothered by the little details are we Addams? What if I were to ask you to find me a bezoar?" Harry felt like sinking into his seat. Why was Professor Snape doing this to him? He wanted to like Potions, even if no one else did.
"Goat stomach, or my school trunk." He replied with a bit of dry wit. Harry didn't let bullies win, even if it was his teacher. The class laughed at his response, but it was quickly silenced by a glare from their Professor.
"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"The same difference between both of those and aconite, which is nothing." Harry crossed his arms in a challenging sort of way.
"A point will be taken for your cheek. And I will be contacting the Addams to discuss your attitude." The tension was palatable. Harry merely chuckled darkly in response. Snape, at his limit, stalked back to the front. "Well! You had better have written that all down!" There was a flurry of papers as the students scrambled to comply.
Professor Snape had explained the potion they were to brew that day, pairing them up. Harry was with Hermione, and their potion was going well. He had waved off her concern about the professor contacting his parents. His mother would not see any issue with how he had answered the questions, after-all he had been right. He needed to write to her as well. He figured he would do so after he visited Hagrid this afternoon. The half-giant had told him he had a surprise for him. Harry's wand gave off a musical note and Harry quickly looked towards his bag.
"Addams!" Professor Snape's shout had startled Neville and he dropped his quills into the cauldron in front of him. In the next instance both his and Harry's cauldron were billowing green smoke. Harry whipped around to see Malfoy's self satisfied smirk.
"Are you dense, Malfoy?!" he snarled, catching the boy off guard. No one had ever spoken to him in such a way and yet this mere half-blood wished to call him out.
"Not at all, Addams. As you can see my potion is perfectly made." Harry lunged for him, being caught by his robes at the last second by Millicent.
"Enough." Severus groused, doing a quick motion with his wand to siphon away the smoke. Neville, who had not had the good sense to step away from his cauldron when it began to smoke, was now covered in boils. "Idiot boy! How is it that not one but two of you were dense enough to add the quills to soon."
"But sir, I'm holding our quills." Hermione interjected, showing the five quills in her hand. Harry straightened, giving Bulstrode a nod to show he had calmed.
"I'm sure if you check Malfoy's table you will find it short." He said with a glare to the blond. Harry turned to face Professor Snape. "And maybe Weasley would have had time to warn Neville if you didn't shout at me for no reason."
"Detention." Harry crossed his arms.
"For who?" he said defiantly. Severus stalked towards him until he overshadowed the young boy. There was a ringing in his ears and he clenched his jaw as he attempted to reign in his anger. Acidic green stared at him with accusation and anger. He had not done a single thing to hurt this man, bu the should have been used to unjust punishment as an Addams. This ran deeper though, Harry could tell. It had to do with his father. "I don't even remember the man." There was a twitch of an eyelid, which Harry guessed would have been a flinch to someone easier to rattle. He did not know it was Severus strengthening his mental shields.
"Earning your second detention within your debut week further proves that you do not need to." Harry felt as if he had been punched in the gut. Louder, so the whole class could hear he continued. "Clean your cauldron and that of Mr. Longbottom. Everyone else is dismissed." He moved back to the front of the room, expecting the children to go running in their haste, however this was not the scene when he turned around. Goyle had slipped a hasty written paper to Bulstrode as he and Crabbe followed Malfoy out. She shared it with Hermione and the two approached the whimpering Neville. Weasley postured defensively at first, but when the girls only presented a lotion he calmed. Most of the Gryffindors then led Neville away, the others gathering his things, weary of the Slytherins messing with it. Harry had already rolled up his sleeves, and was scrubbing away at the mess. Nott and Zambini were cleaning the Gryffindor's table and chair, careful to avoid the cauldron. The girls were picking through Hermione and Harry's things, making sure they were unharmed.
"I'll tell you Addams, two more seconds and I woulda made the same mistake. Better you than me." Nott joked, causing Harry to chuckle. He liked Theodores wit. It made him miss his sister. She was a Queen of snarky comments and witty banter. He smiled to himself, imagining her going against Professor Snape.
"Potions is not a joking matter." Snape said from the front. Harry rolled his eyes, leaning back as he finished the second cauldron.
"I'm done, sir." Ah yes, the contempt was back. Severus came over, casting a critical eye on the cauldrons. Not a trace of the potion was left, and they seemed to almost shine. Harry was looking at the man expectantly. He knew he cleaned them perfect and even had the sense to neutralize any traces of the ingredients they had used. Grandmama had shocked him enough times that he would not forget such a step.
"Get out." Harry's expression turned grim as he moodily grabbed his stuff, following his housemates.
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Harry was walking back towards the castle, clutching the gift Hagrid had given him tightly in his hands. Halfway back, he paused, leaning against a nearby tree. He peered at the jar he held, the small cloud within a muted grey. This had been his many years ago, a wizarding nightlight, so to speak. Hagrid said he had not been able to get it to work, and had suggested that he go to Severus for help.
"Not likely." He muttered to himself. Harry sat down, contemplating the implications of the cloud. It meant he had been loved, sure. Would his birth parents still love him once he showed his true nature? It would seem thatProfessor Snape held the answer to that as well. Harry glowered. "Stupid Voldemort." The tree behind him cracked in two. Harry winced at that. His magic was powerful, but it was very much still wild. Controlling with with spells and a wand was proving more difficult than he had anticipated. Tipping his head back so he could look at the stars, he sighed. He regretted this decision. He wanted to be at home with his family. Being famous, and seen as the figurehead for the Light, was just not for him. Green eyes drifted over to the dark forest. Voldemort had relied on blood purity to recruit his army it seemed. So it would make sense for him to gain the creatures trust. He much preferred it to other humans. As soon as he stood up Harry saw a dark figure coming towards him from the castle.
"Potter!" Harry clenched his jar tighter in restraint.
"Addams." He corrected blandly. Severus was not amused by this.
"Care to explain why you are on the grounds at this hour?"
"And what hour is it, exactly?" Harry replied sarcastically. How on Earth was he to tell the time without a watch? Severus cast a spell, the time floating above his wand. The gleam of ambition entered Harry's eyes.
"What spell is that?"
"It is above your year. Now that you are aware of the hour, would you care to explain yourself?" Severus replied, arms crossed. Harry glared hatefully.
"Well, lets see. I don't know the spell to tell the time, so of course it is not my fault that I am missing dinner. In case it escaped your notice, Professor, Hagrid cannot cast that spell either. So I think that rather than waste your time asking me pointless questions, you should be spending it convincing the Headmaster that the charm you casted ought to be a first year lesson."
"Detention." He snapped out, arms coming down to his sides as if he were holding himself back. Harry hugged his jar closer for a similar reason.
"Fine." Harry spat, dismissing himself to the castle. Severus cast a critical eye on the damaged tree before he followed.
"I'm not suggesting that they change the lessons for everyone. Merely that they offer a sort of honors course." Severus muttered as he and Lily exited Potions. She laughed lightly, lifting his mood a bit.
"Honestly, Sev, they should just let you brew with the seventh years." She teased. Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Okay, I'm not that good, but these First Year potions are more suited to five year olds."
"Tempus." Snape begrudgingly said as they entered the castle. Harry nodded carefully. He did not thank the man. Severus did not expect him to. "Only our original detention stands. Get to dinner." Harry waited until Snape had rounded the corner before pulling out his wand, trying to mimic the motion he had see his Professor do.
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"Ah, I do believe it is your turn to feed the vipers, dear brother." Gomez said, the two of them standing outside of Harry's bedroom. Fester shook his head in denial.
"Your turn." He muttered.
"Come now, Fester, Mama is all out of that potion. You can't even be poisoned." Fester crossed his arms and shook his head again. "How bout a wager? First one to get Wednesday to smile doesn't have to feed them."
"Snakes'll starve." Fester countered. Gomez gave a look of defeat. He placed his hand against Harry's door, and it slowly slid inward before clicking open. The heat hit them immediately. Large, red heat lamps were suspended in the corners of the high ceiling. The cast eerie shadows of the thick trees along the floor. Gomez pulled at his collar as the humidity pressed on him. Harry's room was not very large width wise, but spanned two floors in height. There were small brick paths that led to Harry's furniture. Things like his desk and benches were spelled against getting wet, as the automatic sprinklers went off four times a day. At the far end was a rope ladder that led to an elevated platform. Harry's bed was there, covered by a weatherproof canopy. Another door that led to the second floor landing near Wednesday and Pugsley 's rooms was present.
"Now listen here snakes. I am going to feed you. I am not food, ha in fact I am a predator myself!" He announced the room. He knew that the vipers would most likely not attack him unless he got to close to their resting spots. It was so difficult to see them in the foliage though, so he stepped carefully. Harry kept a supply of dead animals in a storage shed near the closest corner.
"They ate already." Said a voice from overhead. Gomez looked up to see his daughter sitting on the edge of the second story platform.
"Wednesday! What are you doing in here?" The girl did not answer, toying with a small doll in her hand. Gomez made his way to the ladder and quickly climbed up. "Oh, my little raven…" he said softly. Wednesday held an unfinished voodoo doll of her brother.
"I can't find a single hair." She whispered. From behind her she pulled another doll. "He didn't even bring his one of me. I'll flay him alive."
"Where is Pugsley?"
"Trying to build a fencing robot." She replied. Gomez sighed. "It will be hard to replace Harry if he dies there."
"Please, my petite amor, have more faith in your brother." Gomez looked down at the rainforest. "Come, let us go lock you Uncle in with Kitty."
"Father, you always know just what to say."
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Severus sat in his quarters, a glass of red wine in his hand. He sipped it leisurely, looking at the blank parchment before him. Lily's son was in his House, and all he could feel was bitterness. The question was if he was in the right, and by this point he knew the answer. He had not missed how those green eyes lit up during his opening speech. Nor did he think the wave at the Sorting as sarcastic. For some reason or other, Harry Addams found familiarity and comfort near him.
"Perhaps you would not be sat here pondering the issue had you held your temper during the interview." He scolded himself. So what did he know regarding the boy?
He knew his origin, a half blood much like himself. Did a boy who claimed to be Dark realize his birth parents had been Warriors of the Light? He could only imagine how much worse the boy would have been in his dark tendencies if Petunia had gotten her claws into him. That despicable Muggle had broken Lily's heart many times over. Making a decision, he grabbed his quill, penning a letter to the Addams.
A small chime alerted him that someone had entered the common room. He grumbled to himself as he made his way to the House. They had gone all week without someone breaking the curfew. And for some reason he had a feeling he knew who he would find. Entering he was taken by surprise. Addams was in the common room, yes, but he appeared to still be sleeping. Around him were several House Elves, who looked at him with wide eyes. Taking out his wand in a flash he leveled it at the House Elf closest to the boy.
"Step away from the boy." He demanded. The House Elf squeaked and jumped back.
"Please sirs. He is being sick from the cold!" A female Elf by the fireplace exclaimed. Sure enough, the boy looked almost blue.
"How did you find him?" Severus asked.
"We be returning his Thing." The disembodied hand was held by a third elf. "Getting into the leftover soup it has been! Cerri only be stopping in to leave Thing, and the boy be turning blue!" Kneeling by the boy's side he pressed a finger to his wrist. A steady, but slow, pulse was present. Thing wiggled free from the Elf and rushed over, jumping onto Harry's chest. He promptly poked the boy in the eye.
"Ah! What the howlwood." He grumbled, rubbing his eye and glaring at Thing. He suddenly noticed the proximity of his Professor. Severus felt himself being pushed away harshly by a strong force. The Potions Master held his balance, watching as the boy stumbled to his feet. Color was slowly returning to him as the boy surveyed the room. Harry's stance finally relaxed upon realizing he was in Hogwarts, rather than at home. He winced as he realized he had just pushed away a stern Professor, rather than an mischievous Addams. "I'm sorry. You startled me." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, too tired to put up a façade.
"Addams, please tell me why these three House Elves found you practically frozen in your room." It was weary, and genuine. Harry sat on a nearby couch, sensing that his Professor was finally realizing how kooky he actually was.
"I must have adjusted to my room back home. It's usually at least 21 Celsius…I hadn't noticed I was freezing over at night, but it doesn't surprise me." He turned is attention to the creatures in the room. "So, you are the House Elves then? It's nice to meet you. Thank you for your assistance." Cerri fainted on the spot. "Er, will it be alright?"
"Follow." Severus told him, walking towards the boy's room. Harry snatched up Thing and followed. Professor Snape was in his room now, weaving his wand over his blanket. Once finished the blanket took on a red glow before fading back to its black color. "To bed." He said, leaving the room. Harry sat on his bed, feeling the warmth pouring from the blanket. He held it gently in his hand, looking towards the door his Professor had just closed. His lips quirked up briefly into a half smirk.
There was hope to add the dungeon bat to the Addams family yet.
Another chapter done. Now, Harry and Severus are far from through with their issues, as Harry will soon find out come morning. As you can see each of the Slytherin's each have their personality and goals, we will see how the looming war affects this.