AN: A bit darker than my previous chapters. I noticed that I don't have the fortitude to write all seven years so the story will skip some years and only give a summary type version. Explaining some events and so on and so forth.
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Chapter 8. Time flies when you're having fun or not…
Severus never did find out what task the dragon had set for Harry. Harry refused to talk about the matter after their first talk. Severus had watched from the side lines as Harry had a shouting match with his fennsey companion. If you could call two beings furiously hissing at each other a shouting match. Apparently one of the talents of having a dragon fennsey was being a Parselmouth, someone who could talk to snakes. Harry had told him later that being a Parselmouth was a dark gift, so they'd kept quiet about it with their Gryffindor friends.
Time flew by, years passed and slowly both boys grew up to be teenagers, with teenagers' problems. Fourth year arrived almost without their knowledge.
The Marauders, as the four Gryffindor boys were called, still remained on friendly terms with Harry and Severus. Severus had found that he had the most in common with Remus. They shared many of the more intellectual interests that the others weren't so interested in. The only draw back with Remus was his frequent absences from school, apparently he visited a sickly aunt every month or so. Severus never really understood why, even if he always remembered to ask for her health when Remus returned from his visits exhausted.
The Marauders were all pranksters, who frequently caused mishaps in class or the common rooms of other houses, even Gryffindors were hit occasionally. Their first prank had apparently been silencing Professor Slughorn in their first year on Halloween. Narcissa Black, Sirius' cousin had apparently helped by making the potion for her cousin. She was only a second year, but even then a brilliant potions maker. Severus loved working with her, on the rare occasions when they could. Narcissa was already betrothed to the obnoxious Malfoy kid. The match had apparently been decided when she was four. So Malfoy watched her pretty closely for "bad behavior", which included meeting with Severus.
Potions had become a passion for Severus. He found that he had a flair for them. Other classes were difficult for him, because his brand of magic was too subtle. Where other children worked hard for control of their magic, he'd always had it. This naturally didn't occur to the teachers right away, they just didn't notice his subtle tries, only the more powerful wild magic of the others. Harry was the one who finally pointed it out to Professor McGonagall, who had been amazed. After that classes were easier as he was given different instructions that most adult wizards could handle. But that wasn't until second year. So he'd buried his hopes for the other classes and focused all his attention on potions, where he could shine. Professor Slughorn became his favorite teacher even if he despised some of his characteristics; the famous Slug Club had been a pet peeve of his as soon as he found out how it worked. Fortunately for him only fifth years and up could be invited.
Harry's status as fennsey had automatically put him on the radar of the Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn. The Headmaster would periodically call Harry to his office and according to Harry offer lemon drops and tea. Professor McGonagall occasionally held Harry after class to ask on his well being and Professor Slughorn usually tried to corner Harry at every chance to impress the importance of remembering that Slughorn was his head of house and would love being his confidant. Harry always ran back to Severus shivering and pleading Severus to never leave him alone with the man.
Harry usually visited his fennsey companion, Spot as Harry insisted on calling him (the dragon had a black mark on his forehead), on the weekends alone and on rare occasions with Severus. He'd sometimes come back laughing, but more often than not, he'd come back crying or shivering in shock. His companion was apparently telling him of what would come to pass in later years, a future Harry was now furiously trying to prevent coming to reality. Some nights Harry would crawl into bed with Severus and just sleep tightly holding him. Those were the bad nights. Severus would sometimes catch Harry looking around himself with a sad look on his face and an ancient look in his eyes. It was as if he could only see death and pain around him.
Harry's friends were a steadily growing bunch. A Ravenclaw named Anna Williams, a trio of Huffelpuffs Jackson Daniels, Steve Howie, Marie Ellington and others. Severus could never keep track of all the people Harry was on friendly terms. As long as he was sure of his place as Harry's best friend he could tolerate these dunderheads, James Potter being the exception. A coolness existed between the two. Severus never forgave James for his actions in hurting Harry and James until recently had been indifferent that is until he found out that his crush Lily Evans frequently worked with Severus. The little red headed girl was growing into quite a beauty, even if she was a know-it-all. Sirius rutinely teased James on that.
Sirius' relations with his family were slowly worsening. After a cold reception after his first year as a Gryffindor, things progressively got worse. With the Dark Lord Voldemorts steadily worsening campaigns against muggles and muggleborn, the situation deteriorated with his family. By fourth year he was getting fowlers every week for consorting with mudbloods. Slytherin house was also drawing in itself as rumors of dark wizards and dark magic were steadily increasing within the school. At first the political campaign against muggles by Lord Voldemort and his cohorts, was just that a political campaign. But as time went by the methods of Voldemort and others began to change. Deaths began to occur, disappearances, and violence was becoming the answer for most problems with the muggle world. Voldemorts followers were given the name Death Eaters and a war was slowly appearing on the horizon. Even the name of Voldemort was disappearing and epitaphs like You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were rising. Terror ruled the wizarding world.
TBC…