It took three days for the Board of Governors to approve Snape's request to use Harry as an assistant, a record for the eleven men who usually took months to decide anything without threats from Lucius Malfoy. As luck would have it, this had Harry starting his work on his mostly empty day, giving him plenty of time to prepare. Hermione had insisted he take his bag so he could do homework or take notes on any teaching advice Snape may give him, and so he had it on him when he knocked on the door to the Potions classroom. McGonagall had excused him ten minutes early, so he could get to the Potions Classroom well-before the next class.

"Enter."

Harry opened the door, and struggled not to shrink under the twenty-odd stares of the Gryffindor/Slytherin Third Year class. He shook his head as a few of his fellow lions tried to wave, but remained the object of their curiosity until Snape looked up from the front of the room.

"I believe you all have potions you should be working on." The Potions Master's rumbling voice washed over the classroom, his students immediately returning their attention to their cauldrons. He looked at Harry, who couldn't help a small blush. "Come here, Potter."

The Gryffindor swallowed thickly, suddenly nervous about his first day of work, as he walked down the aisle between the desks to the front of the room. Inwardly, he knew he was only meant to be observing as a start, but outwardly he was a ball of nerves that he was going to screw even something as simple as that up. Hell, they weren't alone, and he'd shown up perhaps too early; that might be reason enough for mean-Snape to nullify their agreement.

Harry came to a stop in front of Snape's desk. "Sir, I'm sorry, I never meant to interrupt your class."

"Life will go on, Potter," The man said blandly, not looking up from his grading. He used the feather end of his quill to point next to and slightly behind his desk. "You may sit there until I have concluded this class, and then we will go over what I expect from you in these first few lessons."

The young Potions Assistant looked to see a cushioned stool and a tall round table in front of the blank wall where the hidden door to Snape's private lab stood. "Yes sir." He murmured before moving over to the provided seating. He set his bag down on the table, which was just large enough for him to take notes or do homework, and hefted himself up onto the stool to wait. It was surprisingly comfortable.

Snape stood from his desk. "You should all have finished by now, despite the interruption." Harry did shrink now under the stares from his housemates, the glares from the young Slytherins, but mostly under the dark glance from those forbidding black eyes. "Bottle your potions and leave them on my desk. You're dismissed."

There was a sudden, mad scramble that could only be born of disorganized thirteen year olds, though several of the Slytherins paused long enough to send baleful looks of jealousy at Harry. It had come as quite the surprise to the adult Gryffindor that so many Slytherins, Fifth Year and under, craved the attention and approval of their Head of House. He smirked at the leering children, resisting the urge to taunt them further. After several minutes of clambering movement, the class began to file out just as the bell for release echoed magically through the corridors.

When the last student had left, closing the door behind them, Snape turned to Harry with a playful smirk. "I'll thank you not to tease my Slytherins with your recent advantages. It is hard enough already for them to realize that, though I play the part admirably, I am not their father."

Harry gave an unrepentant smile. "Sorry, sir, I couldn't resist. I've been catching hell from your proverbial sons and daughters since Saturday."

"Not all of them, I assume."

"No," Harry conceded with a shrug. "But enough to make me want to gloat a bit."

The Potions Master's black eyes grew serious, though the smirk remained on his thin, pale lips. "In the future, avoid doing so within my classroom. Outside of these walls, you are a student like any other, but here, you are my assistant, with a position of authority even over the peers in your Year."

The smile on Harry's face disappeared, to be replaced by a look of chagrined guilt as he turned away from that burning gaze. "Yessir, I apologize. I guess I didn't realize just what being your assistant implied."

Well, at least that explained why Snape was so different when they were alone, though it failed to explain why, after nearly seven years, he was suddenly being nice at all. It felt strange and somehow exhilarating for someone in power to consider him, even on a temporary basis, as being on even ground rather than below, or worse, above them. The Gryffindor started slightly when a shockingly warm hand gently caressed his shoulder. He turned to see Snape standing almost on top of him, his face almost kind.

"An adjustment period is to be expected, Potter."

Harry smiled shyly. "Thanks."

A short, slow nod before the older wizard stepped back and turned to his desk. A quick wave of his wand had the student phials vanishing. Harry watched this with interest.

"Where do they go?"

Snape smirked at him over his shoulder. "A cupboard, in my office, with shelves labeled for each class. I will grade them tonight before I begin my rounds." He turned to Harry again. "In time, you will assist me with both."

Harry's eyes widened. "I'm going to help you with your rounds?"

The smirk widened slightly to a half-smile. "Fear not Mister Potter, it will only be on the weekends that I ask that of you."

Harry chuckled breathlessly. "No, no, sir, I trust you to keep in mind my classes and stuff when you're scheduling my job as your assistant, I'm just amazed that you'll be giving me permission to be out of bounds, even if it is under your supervision." He said.

"Well, you will actually be working, Mister Potter," Snape told him seriously. "Don't make any mistake about that. You will be expected to perform a number of tasks outside the parameters set for the typical student."

"I understand," The Gryffindor answered, just as serious, his laughter gone.

Snape nodded. "Let's go over what you will be doing in my classroom as an observer. For the most part, you will be taking notes for now. I want you to observe how I run my classroom, and I want you to think about how you would behave differently in your own classroom. Don't worry about what you say in your notes, they are for your use. We'll do that for the next few weeks, so that you can make adjustments as you see fit."

"So," Harry started, unsure. "I'll start really assisting by about Christmas?"

Another nod. "Before, if I think you're ready."

Harry grinned. "Brilliant." He paused, looking away as he thought. "But…I know you said my notes were for my use, but can I ask questions? Obviously not during the classes, but before or after, am I allowed to ask questions?"

"Such as?"

"I dunno," Harry admitted. "I guess about your teaching style. Like, say, if you react to an event, am I allowed to ask why you did this instead of that?"

Snape smiled again. It was disconcerting how much he was doing that, but Harry couldn't help but love that he was the only one who got to see it. "You may ask, but I can't guarantee I will always give you a satisfactory answer."

The door to the classroom opened again before Harry could ask anything further, and students began filing in, the First Years chattering away like so many monkeys. Almost instantly, the Gryffindor opened his bag and dug out his self-inking quill and some parchment. The students were naturally rowdy, and he could already see Snape working to quiet them so he could start the day's instruction. It made sense now why he wanted his classes silent, the disruption of gossip was just that, a disruption, not to mention grating. When you were in on the conversation, it seemed important, but from the front of the room it all just sounded like noise. Now he understood the purpose of these observations. Things were already looking much different from up here.