Chapter Seventeen
"Please," Harry said, looking at Snape with his most pleading expression possible. "Can you please, please, please, please, please get me one?"
Snape looked absolutely exhausted and irritated as he looked down at the boy wearily, who was down on his knees in front of him. "Stop acting so childish, Potter," he snapped. "Get up. Up!" Harry sighed and got up to his full height. "Good. Now what did I tell you before, Potter?"
"Stay quiet and go get dressed so we can go eat breakfast," Harry quoted glumly. He shuffled his feet. All he wanted was Snape to get him black robes—exactly like his—so he could try and make it billow.
"Good," Snape said. "Now go get cleaned up before we go down to eat, Potter," he instructed.
You could be an actor. That was some fine acting, Slyther said, sounding impressed. You two are never going to get along, are you?
"I doubt it," Harry replied, slipping into some clothes that Remus had bought him. "He's just the most hardest person to get along with."
Were you really serious about the cape? Slyther asked as Harry picked him up and walked back out to the kitchen.
"Completely. Really truly absolutely and seriously serious," Harry said, hoping that Snape was listening to them. That'd show him how serious he was about the robes.
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"Just eat," Snape instructed Harry. "You're as light as a feather."
"And you're concerned about my health?" Harry put on a look of feign shock and surprise. "Wow."
"Brat," Snape muttered, turning back to his food. Harry frowned.
"I'm not a brat. I'm polite, respectful, considerate…" Harry ticked everything off with his fingers, remembering what Remus had said to Snape.
"And an impudent, self-centered, spoiled brat," Snape put in. Harry ignored Snape.
"I'm not hungry. Can I go to the Owlery?"
"I don't think so," Snape said. "Not until you finish your breakfast."
"But—" Harry started, and scowled as Snape interrupted him with a glare.
"No 'buts', Potter. Sit down and eat." Harry sighed and obeyed the professor, sitting down and pushing the chair back in.
"It's Harry," Harry corrected Snape under his breath, but the Potions Master heard it.
"It may be perfectly easy for you to call me 'Professor'," Snape said coldly, "but me calling you 'Harry' is highly doubtful."
Harry grinned in triumph. "You just did!"
Got you there, Slyther said, contently sitting on top of Harry's head. Hah.
Harry just grinned.
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"All right, I'm done," Harry said to Snape after he was finished his meal. He nudged his empty plate forward. "Can I go to the Owlery to see Ember now?"
"Yes you can. Don't forget that snake of yours on your way out, Potter," Snape responded.
"Right." Harry paused, biting his lip. Where exactly was Slyther, again? A few minutes ago all Harry heard was Slyther going on about fish, but now—now it was quiet.
"Professor," Harry said to Snape quietly. "Do you know where Slyther is?"
Snape shot Harry an irritated look. "It'syour pet, Potter. Why should I possibly know where it is?"
Harry sighed, looking around the floor of the Great Hall nervously. It was empty except for some of the staff, so locating Slyther in the Hall wouldn't be that hard. The floor was spotless though—no snake was slithering around.
He then tried communicating to the snake with his mind. Slyther? Where are you?
There wasn't any answer from the snake.
"He's gone," Harry said worriedly to Snape, wringing his hands as his eyes frantically swept through the Great Hall once more. "Where could he have gone to?"
"Calm down," Snape instructed. "He should be here somewhere. It's not like he has two feet and could just walk out. Are you positive that he's not here?"
"Yes. He's not answering me." Harry said, trying to calm down. It wasn't working. Slyther, his snake, was gone. Where could he possibly be?
"What do you know about snakes?" Snape asked. Harry looked at Snape.
"Nothing!" He cried. "Ooh…where could he be? He can't be that far—"
"Be quiet," Snape hissed as Harry rambled on. "Potter—"
"Where could he be?" Harry continued on babbling, not even listening to Snape who was trying to calm down Harry.
"Will you just calm down for a second so I can help you find that snake, Harry?" Snape exclaimed. Harry finally shut his mouth and looked up. Did he just—
"Did you just call me 'Harry'?" Harry asked, looking at Snape in surprise. Snape seemed surprised, too, but tried to hide it.
"A simple mistake," he said briefly. "Slip of the tongue." Harry stayed quiet, just looking at Snape. He had actually, for once, called him Harry. "Now, you know nothing about snakes?" Harry nodded in reply. "Well, it's sunny out, is it not, Potter?"
Harry slowly nodded. He was at least a little sure that it was sunny out. "Yes, Professor."
"And snakes spend time basking in the sun to warm up," Snape stated.
"So Slyther could be outside…in the sun?" Harry said, giving a sigh of relief.
"It's worth a try." Harry made a mad dash to get up, but suddenly stopped.
"But why isn't Slyther answering me?" Harry asked as he stood in the middle of the doorway. "If he was only in the sun, he should answer me."
"Well, he could just be lazy," Snape suggested with a look. Harry shrugged. Like Snape had said: It was worth a try.
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"Slyther?" Harry called out as he crawled around on the grass outside on the Hogwarts grounds. Snape, who firmly refused to bend down on his knees and crawl through the muddy grass (which Harry had to argue wasn't that muddy) stood on his feet and watched Harry search for the snake.
Hey, watch it! Slyther exclaimed as Harry put his hand on Slyther's tail. I'm basking here. Can't you just leave me alone for now?
Harry couldn't be more relieved to hear the snake's demanding voice. "Slyther!" He cried, picking Slyther and looking at him fondly. "I'm glad I found you! Why did you leave like that?"
Hey, I needed to get warmed up. You and the greasy humans' conversation wasn't exactly what I'd call exciting and interesting, Slyther replied matter-of-factly.
"You're pretty fast," Harry said. "But don't ever do that again, understand?"
Sheesh, you make me sound like I'm a human child or something, Slyther said. Harry just sighed and got back up to his full height, with Slyther still in his hands.
"Thank you," he said to Snape. "For helping me find Slyther." Snape gave a curt nod and turned on his heel abruptly, heading towards the entryway to Hogwarts. Harry quickly followed after the Potions Master, having to pick up his pace until he was just barely trailing behind the professor.
"How did you manage to get out of the Great Hall, Slyther?" Harry questioned as he followed Snape back into the School.
Well, while you and the greasy human were talking, there was another human that was leaving, so I followed them.
"Just... don't do it again unless you tell me first. Okay?"
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"Can I help?" Harry offered cheerfully as he leaned against the door frame of the Potions classroom. Snape looked up from the potion cauldron that was on top of one of the desks. When Snape didn't answer, Harry continued. "Weren't you working on a potion before?"
"Yes," Snape replied curtly. "This is a new one." Harry raised his eyebrows and walked over to the desk, where the cauldron was placed.
"A new one?" Harry repeated. "Did you mess up on the other one?"
"No," Snape replied. "It was perfect." Harry furrowed his brow in confusion, peering into the cauldron.
"Then why are you making a new one?" Harry questioned. "For fun?"
"Precisely," Snape said. Without another word, he turned back to the Cauldron and continued what he was doing, as if Harry wasn't even there.
"So what's the potion called?" Harry asked innocently. When Snape didn't reply, Harry sighed. It was useless to try to start a conversation with him. Harry looked away from the cauldron and decided to use this opportunity to examine the classroom which Snape would teach in. He wasn't surprised to find that the classroom was the coldest room in Hogwarts, and he guessed that it was because it was set in the Dungeons. There were two ways to enter the classroom, Harry found: through the main door, and from the private storage room which lead to his office. The room was aligned with Potion ingredients, and Harry noticed there were also creatures (which he assumed were dead) that floated in ooze.
"A shrinking solution," Snape finally said distractedly, as he added something to the potion. Harry looked at what Snape had added in disgust.
"What was that?" Harry asked.
"A rat spleen," Snape replied, glancing at the disgusted boy. "Why?"
"It's gross," Harry said. "What is a 'shrinking solution' suppose to do?"
"It's to make things shrink. It can also retract the aging process," Snape explained almost suspiciously. "Why so interested?"
Harry looked up from the cauldron in surprise. "Am I not suppose to be interested?" Snape added just a dash of a juice of a sort before answering Harry's question.
"Well, it's up to you whether you're interested or not," Snape replied, looking pleased as the potion turned an acid green. "But I am, I have to say, surprised that you are."
"Why?" Harry asked.
Snape didn't look up. "I just am. Can you stop asking questions and leave me be so I can finish this potion?"
"Sorry," Harry apologized, a look of embarrassment crossing his features. "But…aren't you finished?"
"Well," Snape paused, "… yes."
Harry grinned triumphantly. "Then I can stay… right?" Snape sighed and starting to fill the potion up into a potion vial.
"If you must."
Harry seated himself into one of the seats in front of the desk in which Snape's cauldron was on top of. "What's all in the potion?"
"Chopped daisy roots, skinned shrivelfig, sliced caterpillar, one rat spleen and a tincture of leech juice," Snape explained without any hesitation. Harry fought back a grin as Snape continued filling the vial up. He had just found a conversation he could have with the Potions Master—a decent one, at that.
"Are you going to make any more potions?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," Snape admitted, and at that moment he forgot that he was having this conversation with Harry Potter.
"If you do," Harry said, "can I help?" Snape seemed surprised, but quickly collected himself.
"If you want," Snape replied. Harry's eyes widened and glinted.
"Really? Can I pick the potion out?"
"If you want," Snape repeated, going over to where a stack of books lay. "Pick one out." He handed the book to Harry, who quickly took it from the mans grasp and riffled through it until he came to a particular potion.
"This one," Harry said, pointing to a 'Draught of Peace.'
"The Draught of Peace?" Snape read. Harry nodded.
"What do we need, Professor?" Harry asked, rubbing his hands together.
"Well, first off we need powdered moonstone—" Harry quickly jumped up from the chair and rushed over to the wall of the classroom, where Snape had lined the potion ingredients up at.
"Powdered moonstone and—?" Harry looked at Snape expectantly.
"Syrup of hellebore," Snape finished. Harry came back to the desk with both ingredients.
"What's this potion suppose to do, Professor?" Harry inquired.
"It will compose anxiety and tranquilize agitation," Snape said. Harry looked at the professor in confusion.
"What?"
Snape, forgetting that Harry was only ten, corrected himself. "It will calm anxiety and soothe agitation."
"Hmm," Harry said, looking excited. "Wow." Harry looked down at the potion in the black cauldron before looking back up at Snape, and saying, "Did you really mean it when you called me Harry?" Snape seemed taken aback by the question.
"What do you mean, 'did I mean it'?" Snape asked, trying to not let his expression change.
"You know," Harry said. "When we were looking for Slyther, and you called me Harry. Did you mean it?"
"Of course I didn't," Snape said with a scowl. "Like I said before, it was just the slip of the tongue. Speaking of, where is that snake?"
Harry, not liking how Snape changed the subject, just shrugged. "Probably off somewhere. Don't change the subject, either," he warned. "Just answer me."
"I just did, P—Potter," Snape said. "Did you not hear me?"
"You just stuttered," Harry pointed out with a smile.
Snape frowned. "I never stutter."
"You just stuttered! You weren't sure what to call me, were you?" He was going to continue on, but was cut short as a tawny owl flew into the Potions classroom. "Hello, there," he greeted. "Have a letter for me?" Harry gently took the letter out of the owls mouth. Who would ever write to him, though? He wondered. And how did the owl get in?
Harry opened the letter, glancing at the signature at the very bottom.
Remus Lupin.
With a disappointed sigh, Harry folded the letter back up without reading it and set it aside. Looking around for the tawny owl that had delivered the letter, Harry found that it had left.
Looking up at Snape, Harry asked, "Professor, do you know Remus Lupin?"
Snape seemed surprised. "Do I know Lupin? Why do you ask, Potter?"
"I just… Slyther seems to think that Remus is keeping something from me. Or, was," Harry admitted. "And I wanted to know if you knew him. Because if you did, you might know if Remus is keeping… something from me."
"Well, I definitely wouldn't call us 'friends.' I wouldn't at all, actually," Snape replied.
Harry sighed. "But do you know?" Snape seemed to study Harry for a minute before answering the young boys question.
"I do believe that is something that you shouldn't discuss with me, Potter. I think that's something you should talk about with Lupin," Snape replied. Harry sighed.
"I'm not talking to him," he said firmly. Changing the subject with a new breath, Harry glanced down at the potion. "Is it ready to put into those bottles?" Harry asked, looking at the Potion vials.
"I think it is," Snape said. A grin slowly started to form on Harry's face.
"My first potion. Can I try a drink?" He asked, as if it were some kind of homemade drink or a freshly baked piece of cake. Snape let out a laugh.
"Not unless you have anxieties. Which means your nervous or scared, worried. Are you?" Harry thought for a minute before shaking his head no. "Are you agitated? Unable to relax?" Snape continued. Harry shook his head again. "Then no, Potter, you cannot try a drink of this potion."
"Did you just laugh?" Harry blurted out questioningly. Snape looked at Harry oddly, but said nothing. Not believing what he had just asked, Harry quickly changed the subject. "So do you just make these potions just to…have them?"
"Yes," Snape replied, filling up the last of the potion into the vial.
"Do you…always stay at Hogwarts for the summer?" Harry asked, running out of questions to ask to keep up his and Snape's conversation. "Or do you usually go home?"
"I can," Snape said, setting the vials on a shelf. "But I chose to stay here for the summer."
"What's it like where you live?" Harry said, finding that the questions kept coming out of his mouth without his own say in it. "I hope it's not as bad as the Dursley's."
"Why do you keep asking questions?" Snape snapped. Harry shrugged, not looking or acting startled from Snape's sudden outburst of anger.
"It keeps our conversation going," he replied. "Now you can ask some questions. Then our conversation won't stop, and we won't be awkward."
Are two almost done your lovely conversation? Slyther questioned suddenly. I'm done my bathing in the sun. Very nice. And if I come back, I really don't want to listen to the two of you arguing all day.
Don't worry, Harry said. We won't. You can come back.
Thank goodness, Slyther said in a relieved voice. Harry grinned as he settled back into the chair. He would never forget this moment: the moment when he finally had a decent conversation with the Severus Snape.
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