Harry followed the dark professor up the stairs. He was expecting Snape to take him down to the dungeons but his professor clearly wasn't planning on it. Harry had a hard time keeping up with Snape. As always the professor strode through the hallway with his robes billowing behind him. Harry who was so focused on holding back his tears and not making sounds, didn't notice Snape who had stopped in front of the headmasters chambers. " Chocolate frogs" Snape's voice disrupted the silence. The door to Dumbledore's chambers went open without Harry having to knock. The headmaster was expecting them.
"Ah Harry, my dear boy. Come in!" Albus Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk. He looked exhausted. His face awfully white, his hand as black as Snape's robes. Harry thought the headmaster might actually be sick. "Would either of you care for a lemon drop?" Albus looked up to both man standing before him, only now noticing something was off. "Did something happen on the way over, Severus?" The man might be weak, but his mind is still as sharp as ever, harry thought smiling to himself. Snape shrugged: " I found Potter as reluctant as ever to come with me. Finding his own problems more important." Harry threw Snape an ugly look but the professor just ignored him. When Harry looked over to Dumbledore to explain what happened, he saw the headmaster holding up his hand. " Harry, my boy. I need you to sit down for a minute. I have something to say to you." The headmaster voice sounded grave and Harry got chills. He didn't want to know what Dumbledore was going to tell him. " Harry as you can see for yourself now, I'm becoming old. Old and weak. Which is not a state in which I can fulfil my duties as headmaster of this school. I am retiring." Harry, who had sprung up halfway through Dumbledore's sentence, started to interrupt. "But Proffesor! – " Potter!" Snape, still standing close to the door, snapped. "Potter, shut your mouth, and wait for the headmaster to finish speaking. Ungrateful brat!" Harry, still stuttering, sat down again. Not happy in the least. He had so many questions. Albus Dumbledore not longer wanting to be headmaster of Hogwarts? How can it be? Who would take his place? What about Voldemort? "Harry, there is so much you need to know, you need to learn. I wanted to-" Dumbledore started to cough. Badly. " Albus, be still!" Snape was at the headmasters side in a matter of seconds. "I told you earlier you were not ready for this." Snape was irritated. And Harry thought he saw a look of worry passing over his potions professor's face, but when he looked again to check, it'd already disappeared. Professor Dumbledore looked as if he was in pain and thus Harry wasn't surprised at all when Snape took over. "Listen very carefully Potter," he hissed. "I'm only explaining this once. As you can see the headmaster is in no state to teach anyone anything. Professor McGonagall will take over as headmaster once he has left for good. However, the headmaster had wished to teach you one on one this year. Learning you occlumency – No Potter! Do not interrupt me when I'm speaking to you!- There are several things, apart from your normal classes you will have to learn. Since Professor Dumbledore is no longer able to teach you, I will have to take up this burden and try to teach your feeble mind the art of duelling and occlumency. "
Snape had finished speaking. And there was an awkward silence. ALbus was the one to break it by saying: "Harry it is of the upmost importance that you'll learn these things. It will not be easy or fun and I know you and professor Snape are not the best of friends." Snape smiled maliciously. " But you need to master these forms of magic to be able to continue fighting Lord Voldemort." He gave Harry a stern look before asking: "That is still what you want to do right?" Harry felt a cold rush of air ripping through his body when Dumbledore asked him the questioned. Of course he didn't want to fight him, why did the headmaster make it sound like he had a choice? He was the chosen one, wasn't he? The whole magical world was expecting him to stop Voldemort and his deatheaters. His voice shook when he answered: " yes professor." To mask his uneasiness he continued quickly. " But I don't understand why you would choose Snape to teach me all of this? He hates me! I hate him! I would never be able to learn anything from someone who isn't willing to look at me for more than a minute unless he can insult me!" Dumbledore let out a deep sigh. "Professor Snape Harry. And for what it's worth, I do believe that he is willing to teach you. If you give eachother a chance, I know you can learn from each other." Harry had his answer ready but Snape interrupted him again. "Potter. Enough. You're childish behaviour is annoying and making the headmaster even more exhausted than he already is. Go to the great hall. Have diner. I will contact you with the details before you and your friends leave for the summer." Snape's face twisted when he spit out the word friends. Harry knew this was his cue to leave. He sighed. With one more pleading look over his shoulder he said: " Goodbye professor Dumbledore, I hope you'll get well soon." He closed the door behind him and went to find Hermione. Now he had even more to explain.