Chapter Six

"I have a meeting today," Snape said coolly the next morning as Harry walked slowly towards the table where Snape sat. "So you'll stay here and make yourself useful."

"Can I come?" Harry asked promptly.

"No," Snape responded. "Definitely not."

"Why not?" Harry frowned. "I won't make any noise, I swear."

"No," Snape repeated firmly. With a cool, stern look, Snape left. Harry sighed and glanced down at Slyther, who had slithered over by Harry's feet.

Grumpy in the morning, isn't he? Slyther asked.

"More like grumpy all the time."

You've only known this human for a few hours. How can you be sure?

"It's pretty obvious," Harry said with a shrug, shivering. Severus Snape's 'chambers' were a lot colder than he had expected. "Even if I have only known him for a few hours."

What are you thinking about, Harry?

"Why?" Harry asked, frowning.

You look too thoughtful.

Harry shrugged, scooping Slyther up and setting him gently down on the table. "Just thinking…about stuff."

I see, Slyther hissed, pausing. Well? Do you want to tell me of what or not?

"Since when have you become so nosy?" Harry asked with a grin.

Curious is all.

"About the day. Today. The Dursley's are probably celebrating Dudley's birthday as we speak," Harry muttered.

Birthday, mmm? What is it that you speak of?

"You know a lot of things," Harry started, "but you don't know what a birthday is?"

I'm not that full of knowledge. But this thing, 'Birthday', is indistinct to me.

"Well," started Harry slowly. "It's when a person is born, and the…parents usually celebrate that certain day with cake, presents…"

Then why sound so envious?

"I don't sound envious!" Harry scowled. "I don't sound like that at all."

Well, then, since you don't sound 'envious' like you say, why are you 'complaining' about it?

"I've never had a birthday," Harry admitted. "Or if I do, I usually throw it for myself in private."

Is that a bad thing?

"I dunno," Harry replied with a shrug. "I think so."

Do you want a birthday?

"Well, I have one," Harry said, "no one has just ever…celebrated it."

When is this day?

"On the thirty-first," Harry said. He sighed. Would he like Hogwarts any better than he did the Dursleys? Were the Dursleys ever going to come back from Mexico? What would they say when they found him gone? Would they even care? How long was he going to stay at Hogwarts for?

He shook his head, trying to rid the questions that ran through his mind. No one was there to answer all of those questions, so he might as well wait until Snape would come back from his meeting to ask him.

Well, why don't we start to explore this Hogwarts?

"Good idea," Harry said, picking Slyther back up and getting up from the chair. He felt the snake's body slither up his arm and up the nape of his neck, settling on top of Harry's head. He laughed. "What are you doing?"

I'll get a better view up here. You're tall, you know.

The corridors were quiet, Harry found as he walked to wherever the halls would take him. "I wonder what class Snape teaches when the students return to Hogwarts," Harry mused.

'Class' is when humans get 'educated', isn't it?

"Yeah," Harry answered.

I pity every one of the humans in his class. I'll bet he yells at them every second of every day.

"I wonder what he teaches," Harry said. "What if it's maths? I'm not good at maths. Or what about Social Studies? I'm better at that."

What is this you speak of? All of this doesn't make any sense.

"Later, Slyther," Harry said. He continued on with this musings. "Or what about Health? Health's easy. Hm…what if he teaches cooking lessons?" Harry paused, and then started talking to himself again. "I'll bet that's it! Cooking lessons. I've never had cooking lessons in school before, but I'm already super good at that. I cook all the time for the Dursley's." He rounded a corner, only to find another corridor.

I've stopped listening. How can you turn you off when you don't want to listen to you anymore? Do humans even have an off button?

"Huh?" Harry said, just tuning into what Slyther was saying. "An off button? Where?"

Never mind, Slyther answered. Would you stop moving, Harry? I feel as if I'll fall off of your head.

"You're the one who wanted to go up there," Harry reminded Slyther. "And I can't stop walking. I have to find Snape and see if he'll let me watch the meeting now."

Does the greasy human even want you to come to his meeting? Isn't that...disrupting?

"I don't know," Harry said. "Maybe. Probably. But I want to show him that I will be extra quiet."

All right.

"Harry?" An old voice startled Harry, causing him to spin around. His head shot up, and was startled as a slithery voice started yelling.

He bit his lip as he saw Slyther fall to the ground in haste. Y—you threw me off your head! How could you do that to me? After all I've done for you—

"Sorry," Harry mumbled, bending down to pick Slyther up.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Harry," Albus apologized.

"It's all right," Harry said, standing up straight. "Not to be rude, sir, but isn't there a meeting going on that you should be at?"

"Indeed," Albus said with a chuckle. "But they are just going to have to start without me, aren't they? I need to talk with you in my office for a minute."

"Really?" Harry asked. "About what?"

"Well, about someone who'll be visiting for a while," Albus started.

"What does that have to do with me?" Harry said, trying to ignore Slyther's ramblings of, "After all I've done for you! You throw me off of your head!"

"Well, if you follow me to my office, I'll explain." Harry followed the headmaster down the corridors until they reached a statue of a gargoyle. "Lemon Drops," Albus said, causing the the gargoyle to move. It revealed a staircase, that Harry hesitantly stepped forward onto.

"Wow," Harry said under his breath. Was that gargoyle electronic? Is that how it was able to move?

"Take a seat," Albus said, sitting in a chair of his own, behind the desk. Harry sat in the one in front. "Lemon drop?" Albus offered.

"No thank you, sir," Harry said politely, setting Slyther down on the ground.

Now you set me on the ground! What, do I not deserve your arm? Or your head? After all the fish I've offered you—

"So," Albus started. "You know why you're here, I presume?"

"Because you wanted to talk to me about a…visitor," Harry explained slowly.

Albus smiled in response. "Excellent!" Harry only nodded, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "And you're also here so I can explain some things to you."

"Okay," said Harry.

"Now, you do know of your mother and father, Lily and James Potter, do you not, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "I know a bit of my mom. Not so much of my dad." His hand subconsciously went down to the pocket of his too big, hand-me-down jeans from Dudley, where the photograph of his mother was.

"Remus Lupin was a close friend of your fathers, Harry," Albus said. "He is the visitor."

"Okay," Harry said slowly. "But, why are you telling me this again, sir?"

"Because he will be somewhat of a…lookout for you."

"A look out?" Harry repeated, frowning. "What do you mean a 'lookout'? And why does 'Remus Lupin' have to come, what about Snape?"

"Well, Severus is already doing this much for you," Albus said carefully, "which was very reluctant of him considering his differences with your father. I really do not think he would do this, even if I had never left him alone about it. And, Remus Lupin was only too willingly happy to watch over you."

"Why do I need to be watched over?" Harry asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so, Harry," Albus said gravely, clasping his hands together and resting them on his desk as he stared at Harry with grim eyes. "That's why Remus is coming to watch over you until this is cleared up."

"What is it?" Harry asked, trying not to let it show through his face that he was starting to become frightened.

Oh, the Lobster is coming to get you! Slyther hissed from somewhere in the office. Ooohhhh, better watch out Harry-human! Ah, you'll probably just toss him off your head as you did me. It's not as if me and the Lobster matter much to you, huh? Of all the things to do...

A/N: Ahh, well, another chapter! I hope to get these up soon so I won't leave you Commencement-reading-people too long of a wait :-P