Chapter Forty-eight

Harry hated having a cold. For starters, he had to stay in the chambers until he was better. Which meant that he wasn't allowed to go to the Great Hall to eat, and even though Snape brought his food to the chambers, it still wasn't the same.

Having a cold also meant that Harry wasn't allowed to go to classes with Snape. It just seemed like he was never going to get rid of the cold; that he'd have it forever…

You're not eating, Slyther pointed out as Harry lay on his bed in the chambers with a tray of soup on his lap. You never even touched it.

"There's too much soup," Harry complained. "I had it for breakfast, too."

You do want to get better, don't you?

"Of course."

So you can go back to your daily routines of exploring Hogwarts and whatnot?

"Yeah."

Then eat! So you can get rid of the cold.

"How do you know that soup helps for colds?" Harry asked suddenly. "Does it have something in it to make you feel better and make the cold go away?"

I suppose, Slyther replied, though he wasn't absolutely sure. But… that wasn't the question, now, was it?

"No," Harry admitted. "But I'm curious. And I'm not hungry."

Well, if Snape says that it'll help with your cold… well then… it must.

That definitely took Harry by surprise. Not that Slyther was agreeing with Snape, of course, but the fact that Slyther didn't identify Snape by the 'greasy human'. Actually, he hadn't for a while; it had since been "Snapey". This was the first time he actually referred to the Potions master as "Snape" though.

"What?" Harry asked.

Do I have to repeat myself? Slyther said. It's just soup! Eat it and don't argue. Not only do Snape and I want you to not have this cold, Harry, but I know that you don't want it either. So, instead of arguing, just eat it.

"Not about that," Harry replied. "You called Severus… Snape."

Yes, Slyther said blandly. Your point being?

"Never mind," Harry said, a smile playing along his lips. He picked up his spoon and dipped it into the soup, taking a bite without another word.

No, really, what is it? Slyther said, sounding curious. I called Snape, Snape. What's the—oh.

Harry laughed. "Yeah. Oh."

Well, I never meant it, Slyther argued. He's still a greasy human. Stop acting as if I'm actually turning human.

"You're not turning human," Harry explained with another sip of the soup. It was actually pretty good. "You were born one. So of course there's human in you, it's who you are. Not a snake."

Stop being so clever, Slyther said. Just eat your soup, will you?

Harry looked at the annoyed snake innocently. "I am eating my soup."

After that, none of them said anything until Harry finished his soup.

So… are you better? Slyther asked as Harry set the bowl on the floor by his bed. I mean, do you still have a cold? 'Cause… I'm bored… and I thought we could do something if you don't have a cold anymore.

Harry sniffed. "No… I still have a cold. Only a bit of one, though. We can do something here, can't we?"

Well, yeah, Slyther admitted. Nothing fun, though. I was thinking the snow… Snow's always fun. I've never tried jumping in it, though. I suppose I could turn into a human and try jumping in the snow, right? I bet that'd be fun. So, how about it?

"Sure," Harry said automatically. "Let's go."

Wait—are you sure? Slyther slithered up onto Harry's lap. You sure you feel better?

"Yeah, tons," Harry replied eagerly. "I can go out in the snow no problem."

"I think it'd be a big problem," Snape spoke up from the doorway, causing Harry to groan. "After all, you're sick. You don't want to go out in the cold and get even more sick, do you? Then it'd take even longer for you to get better."

"But I'm better," Harry insisted. "I'm not sick anymore. I—I do have a cough, and a stuffy nose, but that's nothing."

"That's still a sign that you're not completely better," Snape pointed out. "So you won't go outside. You'll stay in the chambers, just as we agreed upon."

"Just as you agreed upon," Harry corrected. "I didn't agree to anything like that."

Snape ignored the boy. "You're staying in the chambers, and that is final. No outside or Great Hall. I will take time off classes to look after you, so you don't have to worry about not coming to classes with me."

"Thanks," Harry said, though he was still disappointed that he wasn't allowed to go anywhere other than the chambers. He let out a sigh and turned his head around to stare at the wall beside him.

"I only want you to get better," Snape said as he came forward. "I'm not doing this because I enjoy it."

"I know," Harry said, turning his gaze back on Snape. "I never said anything."

"Your face reflected it."

"Well… my face never meant it," Harry said. "I just don't like not being able to go to the Great Hall or outside, or even to your classes."

"Yes, but you have whenever you want to do that," Snape explained, sitting on Harry's bed. "You'll be starting Hogwarts yourself soon enough."

"I know," Harry said with another sigh.

-

It could've been the happiest day of Harry's life when his cold was finally gone. Of course, it wasn't the happiest day of his life, but he was certainly very happy. Slyther seemed happy that Harry's cold was gone too, since that meant that Slyther didn't have to stay cooped up in the chambers along with Harry anymore.

By the time April rolled around, all thoughts and memories of Aureus seemed to have vanished, which was a good thing, since Harry really didn't want to think of Aureus and everything that had happened.

Slyther was becoming used to his human form even more over the months since Voldemort had disappeared, and Aureus was locked away in Azkaban. Everyday after breakfast for twenty minutes or so he would go from Slyther to Nathaniel and practice his walking and reading (which he was becoming very good at), and then he would continue for the same amount of time after lunch and supper.

Harry currently sat on the couch in the chambers with Nathaniel sitting beside him, both waiting for Snape to return so they could go down to the Great Hall for lunch. To occupy themselves, Harry had decided to help Nathaniel more with his reading by getting parchment and quill and writing down random words, then getting Nathaniel to try to read them.

"Er—" Nathaniel paused, looking at the word on the parchment intently. Finally, he gave an exasperated sigh. "I can't read that. You write too messy."

Harry raised his eyebrows as he glanced down at the parchment. "I do not! You bumped my arm, that's all."

Nathaniel frowned. "I did not bump your arm. You don't write—you scribble. I can barely make that out."

Harry looked down at the parchment again. "You're mental. I can make that out perfectly, but you're probably saying that I 'scribble' because you don't know what that says, so you're making up an excuse about it."

Nathaniel pretended to look hurt. "You really think that? Oh, wow, just goes to show what you know about me!"

"I know you well enough to know that you don't know what this says," Harry replied with a smile. "Go on, Nathaniel, admit it."

"I'm not admitting anything," Nathaniel said, raising his chin. "Because I do know what that says."

"Oh? Go on, then," Harry said, thrusting the parchment forward. A smile still danced on his lips as he watched Nathaniel's expression.

"Um… It says… Hogwarts-Hogwarts," Nathaniel declared, giving a swift nod of the head. "That it does."

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "It says Nathaniel Jacobs. Why would I write Hogwarts twice?"

"Hey, that's my name," Nathaniel said to what Harry had first stated, but then sighed. "All right, all right! I'll admit it. I didn't know what that said."

"You've been getting really good at this," Harry said. "What happened?"

"We never went over my name yet," Nathaniel pointed out. "But don't worry, Harry. More I practice the more I'll get to know it."

"Next one, then," Harry decided, ready to pick up his quill and start writing, but he didn't get to write down the word since he heard Snape come into the chambers.

"Severus!" Harry said happily as he turned his head around to see Snape. "Your home. How were the classes?"

"Exhausting," Snape replied with a sigh. "Ready to eat?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, turning to Nathaniel. "After I'll show you how to write. We never went over that yet, did we?"

Before replying, Nathaniel changed back into Slyther. Nope. I'll be looking forward to it, though. It'll have to be better than trying to read words, right?

Harry picked the snake up before he stood, then gently slid Slyther into his pocket. "I don't know. We'll just have to see."

Harry walked by Snape's side as they walked to the Great Hall. "Is Dumbledore still looking for V—the Dark Lord? Or is he really, really gone?"

"So far, nothing," Snape replied. "Don't worry. You haven't thought about them in months, now shouldn't be the time to start."

"I know," Harry said cheerfully. "I was just asking. It's just really hard to believe that Voldemort—"

"—The Dark Lord," Snape interrupted.

"—would just leave like that," Harry continued on, before Slyther interrupted.

Especially without killing anybody yet! I'm pretty sure that's what he's good at.

"However," Snape continued. "I'm not taking any chances while you're asleep. Every night starting tonight you will take the dreamless sleep potion. You never know what could happen."

Harry screwed his face up. "It must taste really yucky. Do I have to?"

"As I said, I'm not taking any chances," Snape explained as they approached the Great Hall. "If the Dark Lord can still reach you in your dreams, there's no saying what he would and could do. It'd be better to stay cautious instead of doing nothing at all."

"Ah, Severus, Harry," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I trust everything is well?"

"Yes, Albus," Snape replied as he took his seat, Harry sitting next to him. "Everything is well."

"Excellent, excellent."

Just then, the students started spilling into the Great Hall, and each took their seat at their house table.

You'll never get tired of watching students come into the Great Hall and take their seat, eh? Slyther said as Harry took Slyther out of his pocket.

"Soon, I will be one of those students," Harry said to the snake with a smile. "And you'll be there with me, right?"

Of course. Ah… Your first day of Hogwarts. It makes me wonder what my first day was like.

"You don't remember?"

Not that much. Bits and pieces… not the full story, though, Slyther explained. I really don't remember all that much about being Nathaniel Jacobs, to be honest. Some of it's clear as day while others is foggy as… well, fog. Bit annoying, actually.

"It must be really annoying not to know your past," Harry said as the food appeared all over the table. He smiled at the crisp looking chicken that he held in his hands. "I kinda know what it's like, too. Remember when I drank that juice and I forgot everything?"

Who could forget? Slyther responded dryly. But, yes I do suppose that is a way to put it… Slyther trailed off, then started again. Ah, now Harry, can you help me on my quest to find some fish?

Harry smiled faintly, putting a strip of fish on his plate. "Tuck in."

-

Once Nathaniel and Harry were back in the chambers after their lunch, Harry plunged his quill into the black ink and handed it over to Nathaniel, who already had a piece of parchment on his lap.

"Go ahead. Try writing your name."

Nathaniel bit his lip as he placed the quill onto the parchment.

"Remember the alphabet," Harry said. "I think that'll help."

"Okay," Nathaniel said, starting to write letters on the parchment. As soon as he finished, he glanced over it one more time before handing it to Harry.

"Er—" Harry paused, his eyes skimming over the words. "You have Nathanael Jakobz." Harry frowned. "Spelled N-a-t-h-a-n-a-e-l J-a-k-o-b-z."

Nathaniel peered onto the paper. "What, isn't that how you spell it?"

"No," Harry said. "At least, I don't think so. I got the feeling that it was spelled N-a-t-h-a-n-i-e-l J-a-c-o-b-s."

Nathaniel pondered that. "I suppose, it sounds more rational than what I had. And after all, you are the smart one here."

"Let's try another one," Harry said, biting his bottom lip in thought before passing the parchment, quill and ink to Nathaniel. "Try my name. Harry."

Nathaniel took the offered items and started to write Harry's name. When he finished, he passed back the parchment.

Harry smiled after he read it. "That's right."

Nathaniel's eyes widened. "Really?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, really. Here, try another one. Try… Hogwarts."

When Nathaniel finished and passed the parchment to Harry, Harry only noticed one mistake. The end was a 'z' instead of a 's'. Harry told Nathaniel, and Nathaniel quickly corrected it to the right way.

"Try your name again."

This time, Nathaniel had both his first and last name correct.

"You're getting really good at this," Harry complimented. "Try thinking of some words and writing them down. I'll check them over. But first I have to get a new piece of parchment."

Harry stood up and went into Snape's 'work room', which he found out recently was just his study room, but he knew that Snape had some extra parchment in there.

"Got some," Harry called as he grabbed the parchment and went back to Nathaniel, handing him the paper before sitting down beside him.

And for the first time in a long time, Harry didn't once think about Voldemort or what any of his plans could be.

-