Chapter Thirty-one

Harry woke up the next morning to see a blurry Severus Snape sitting on the edge of the bed. Reaching out for his glasses, Harry adjusted them onto his nose, giving Snape a curious look.

"Good morning?" Puzzled by the stern look on Snape's face, Harry sat up. "What's the matter?"

"I know, Harry. About last night. I heard you and that snake of yours talking while I came in to check on you. Be honest, what happened?"

"I—it was just a bad dream," Harry said slowly. "It wasn't real."

"I'd like to know anyways. Tell me what it was about," Snape said, laying Harry's head back down on the pillow gently.

Harry shook his head vigorously. "No."

"Will you tell me if I make you something to drink? You must be thirsty." Snape suggested, trying to not let his impatience show.

Harry shook his head again. "You'll put some sort of potion in it."

"I won't put any sort of potion in it," Snape promised. "I'll just get you some pumpkin juice, how about that? To calm you down."

Harry started to nod. "Maybe Slyther should watch you just in case—" He stopped as he noticed the snake curled up on the floor, sleeping. "Fine. D'you promise?"

"I promise," Snape confirmed, getting up from the bed and walking out the door to get some pumpkin juice.

Harry closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the pillows. Why was it him that always had those dreams?

"Here's your drink," Snape said as he came back into the room carrying a goblet. "With no potion."

"Thank you," Harry said quietly as he took the goblet from Snape and sipped on it.

Snape reseated himself down on the bed. "Do you want to talk about it now?" he asked as he watched Harry drink the potion-free juice.

"He knows," Harry said softly, staring into space as he grasped onto the goblet. "He knows, Severus."

Snape automatically knew that Harry was talking about the Dark Lord.

"How does he know?" Snape asked. "How is that possible?"

"You know as well as I do," Harry said, looking at Snape. "I know you do, Severus. He watches me—he told me. Besides, it was in the Daily Prophet." He let out an uneven breath. "Why is it me getting the dreams, Severus?" He asked. "Why not somebody else? I don't like them."

"I know you don't," Snape replied quietly. "We'll figure out someway to prevent you from dreaming them.

"I really do wish there was something we could do," Snape continued. "We can't let Quirrel teach at Hogwarts. It's not safe while he plays host to the Dark Lord."

"What can we do?" Harry asked, clutching the blankets as he tried to think of some way that Quirrel wouldn't be able to teach at Hogwarts anymore. "We can always tell Dumbledore about my dreams," Harry suggested. "Does he know about them?"

"He knows about the dream you had when you took the Memory Potion," explained Snape.

"So then he knows that it's Quirrel doing this," Harry said. "Dumbledore could fire him, Severus! W-we have to go tell him—" Harry stuttered, throwing the blankets off of him and trying to get past Snape, who still sat on the edge of the bed and wouldn't let Harry down.

"Why don't we do that later?" Snape suggested. "You must be exhausted, Harry, you should sleep some more—"

"I'm not!" Harry exclaimed, looking at Snape. "But we have to tell Dumbledore now. This can't wait!"

"Harry," Snape interrupted in a stern voice, giving Harry a look. "I'll take care of it."

-

Harry waited impatiently until Severus returned to the Hospital Wing a while later.

"I went to see the Headmaster," Snape said just as he approached Harry's bed. "He's allowing me a day off today."

"Why?" Harry asked. "Is it… because of me?"

"Somewhat," Snape admitted. "I didn't want to leave you here alone after what happened last night. I really don't think I'd be able to teach."

Harry grinned. "So since you have another day off, what d'you wanna do?"

"Find someway to prevent you from having those dreams without giving you a potion for starters," Snape replied. "Why? What did you have planned?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing. Just… you know… talk."

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Talk?" He repeated, and Harry nodded.

"Yup, talk," he confirmed.

"Well, seeing as we're already 'talking', there's some things I need to talk with you about," Snape said as he looked down at Harry while Harry looked up.

"Sure," Harry said. "What about?"

"It's actually about the adoption—" Snape started, and scowled as Harry interrupted him.

"Oh, no," Harry said, starting to bury his head in his hands. "You're going to tell me that they didn't let you adopt me, aren't you? That I have to go back and stay with the Dursleys… and you won't be my guardian… and-and—"

"If you'd let me continue," Snape hissed. "No, Harry, the adoption did not not work."

"So… you're officially my guardian?" Harry started to smile. "That's great! Really great! So what do we need to talk about?"

"… Things," Snape started slowly. "To do with surnames."

Harry paused. Surname? Snape told him what that meant, but it really wasn't coming clear to him. "Surname. Doesn't that mean your middle name? Why does the adoption have to do with my middle name? Do I have to change it? Oh, please don't tell me you're changing my middle name to—"

"No, no," Snape interrupted. "It means last names."

"Ohhhh," Harry said with a nod of his head, still clutching onto some of the blankets on the bed. "Continue then," he added politely.

"Well—and I'm saying that you don't have to—but…" Snape trailed off, his eyes looking as if he were searching for something to say. So Harry tried to help him out.

"Are you saying that… uh… I have to change my last name to yours?" Harry said uncertainly, looking up at Snape curiously and not exactly knowing if that was really what Snape was trying to tell him. It was the only thing that came to mind.

"No," Snape said with a shake of his head. "Not exactly—"

"That I add your last name to mine?" Harry questioned, becoming curious as to whether he was getting warmer or not. "Like… like Harry James Potter-Snape?"

"You don't have to, if you don't want to," Snape put in quickly. "Nobody's forcing you to do anything, Harry, you must know that—"

"I like it," Harry interrupted, nodding his head. "I do." He paused, searching for something to say. "What are we going to do? If Quirrel and the Dark Lord know about this..."

"I realize that," Snape replied, giving a sigh. "Right now, however, we won't worry too much about it. But it is something to worry about... though—if you feel like it—I'm allowing to come to my class tomorrow."

Harry's head snapped up, and he looked at Snape in surprise. "Really? I can go to class with you while you teach?" Snape nodded, and Harry started to smile. "Good! I don't think I could stand another day in here after today."

"And you shouldn't," said Snape. "But remember, now that the Dark Lord knows about this, Harry, we're both in danger. We have to be on our guard at all times, remember that."

"I will," Harry said slowly. "But, Severus—you mean that... when I go to your class tomorrow... you're going to let people know that… that you really adopted me?" Harry could only stare at Snape.

"Well, I don't have to tell anybody anything," Snape replied. "The Daily Prophet did a pretty good job of that."

Harry laughed. "That's true. Hey, can we leave now? I'm getting pretty tired of the hospital wing."

-

Harry tried to keep the same pace as Snape as he and Snape walked through the doors of the Great Hall. The students hadn't come down yet, and Harry was thankful, because he thought that he'd be embarrassed if there were students already sat down. He knew that all eyes would be looking at him… and he had a strong feeling that that would make him uncomfortable.

"Can you fire him, Professor?" Harry spoke up to Dumbledore as they sat down. "Quirrel, I mean. He's dangerous... and he knows..."

Dumbledore smiled calmly. "I will do the best I can, Harry. First of all, though, I'd have to trace Quirrel's whereabouts. That's all ready going on."

Harry grinned as the students started to fill the Great Hall. Nobody seemed to notice Harry sitting in one of the seats next to Snape up where the rest of the staff was seated, Harry found.

"Have you found somebody for the Defence Against The Dark Arts yet?" Harry heard Snape ask Dumbledore.

"I've offered Annabella Bellulus the position," Dumbledore replied, as the food appeared in front of them. Everybody started to dig in at once.

"Did she accept?" Snape questioned.

"Actually," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "She did. And if Quirrel is, as you say, playing host to Voldemort… well, I'm just hoping that Annabella will fill next years Defence Against The Dark Arts position as well."

Harry just started to observe that other people were starting to notice him up by the staff, and he pretended to be preoccupied with his food on his plate instead of watching everybody stop what they're doing to stare at him.

Harry started to eat his food in silence before Snape asked, "Are you all right, Harry? You're quiet."

"Fine," Harry mumbled. "Are people staring at me still?"

Snape looked up at the students. "No, not anymore. Why, what's the problem?"

"I just don't like people staring at me," Harry replied, picking at his food with his fork. "It makes me feel not right. D'you think I'm crazy, Sev'rus?"

"No," Snape replied. "I don't."

Harry glanced up at Snape with a grin. "Thanks." He looked down at his food. "Do you mind if I go back up to my room? I'm not feeling too hungry."

"Not alone," Snape said. "You can stay here a while longer."

"Please?" Harry said, looking up at Snape with pleading eyes. "I'm not going to get lost or stolen, you know. Anyway, it's not that far."

"No, certainly not," Snape said firmly. "You stay here until I leave as well."

Harry sighed resignedly and continued to stare at his plate. He could still feel hundreds of eyes on him.

Harry, where are you and why do you keep leaving me? Harry was startled as he heard Slyther in his mind demand.

I'm sorry, Harry replied with his mind. I promise that I won't leave you again. I'm in the Great Hall.

Well, let's see how long you keep that promise for! Slyther retorted. Oh, the Great Hall, eh? Absolutely... great! How am I supposed to go there now? Too many humans!

No, stay out of sight, Harry instructed firmly. Make sure nobody sees you until I can leave and come get you.

Oh, well now, this is fantastic! Slyther exclaimed sarcastically. Completely. Well hurry up won't you?

I'll try, but Severus won't let me go anywhere unless he's there with me.

A likely story, Slyther said suspiciously.

Same place where you left me. Ditcher. Leaver-person. I can see you no longer care for me—I might as well go pack my bags; hit the road. I was kidding by the way. I have nothing to pack.

-

"I told you that I'm sorry for leaving you," Harry said to the snake as he went through the portrait and into Snape's quarters—with Snape following behind. "You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you. Anyway, do you know how glad I am that I don't have to be in the Hospital Wing any longer? I'm home."

Oh yeah, change the subject, responded Slyther in annoyance as Harry walked into his room and set the snake down on the bed, before sitting down himself. Like you normally do. Especially

Especially when the topic of the human who wanted to skin me comes up! Change change change.

Harry scowled. "What are you going on about? Don't talk about Sirius that way."

What way? I'm being honest! It's been bugging me for a while. You haven't even talked of that human once. Not once since he left. Have you forgotten all about him? Pity. Did I tell you he actually sort of grew on me? Of course he couldn't understand a word I was saying, and I wasn't really paying attention to him that much anyways—

"Just stop," Harry snapped, frowning at the snake. "Why do you want to talk about him so much?"

I dunno. You haven't mentioned him lately. You used to all the time. Don't you ever wonder how he is?

"How he is? He's dead," Harry said in a dark voice. "Sirius is dead, and that's the whole reason why I don't want to talk about him anymore. I miss him too much."

I'm sorry, came the reply after a while. I forgot. Stupid, stupid me. Go ahead. Skin me now. I know you want to.

"Maybe some other time," Harry replied distractedly with a sigh, and once again pushed the thought of Sirius Black out of his mind.

-