A/N Sorry for the long delay! I'm working on updating all stories.
Severus eagerly made his way to his advanced Potions class. Professor Granger had allowed him and a few other of the top students to enter an advanced class, fearing that the material on the regular first year curriculum would bore them. Truth be told, it did. She had put them on an accelerated program that would enable them to take their OWL a year, or perhaps even two earlier. They could then take the NEWT in their OWL year, she had promised, if they worked hard.
All subjects taught were fun, in Severus's opinion, but Potions was his absolute favourite. Uncle Harry made history fun to learn, even though he had to admit he already knew most of their material. Uncle Harry had read so many children's history books to him over the years that he had a distinct advantage to the others in his class. Far from his classmates resenting that, it made him a very popular homework helper, and Uncle Harry provided a list of extra credit assignments each term.
Transfiguration, Charms and DADA gave him no trouble at all. The magic seemed to flow from his wand freely. Care of Magical Creatures, however, was not as easy. The theory was alright, but he had huge trouble getting the creatures to trust him. Even the Centaurs looked at him strangely and either broke out in hushed whispers, or made vague allusions to all sorts of solar systems.
A sniffling brought him from his muses. Against the wall, held there by two larger boys, was a small Hufflepuff girl.
"Look at the ickle firstie crying," one of the boys, a second-year Gryffindor, taunted. "Give us your money."
"I don't have any," the girl replied fearfully, "I'll tell a professor that you hurt me…"
"You do that, little punk, and you can be sure no one will ever talk to you again!" the other boy threatened.
"Your homework will disappear…"
"Your things will be ruined…"
"Your pet will be found killed, perhaps…"
The girl yelped. "Don't you touch my cat," she kicked one of the boys in a very sensitive area.
"You little shit!" the other boy raised his hand to hit the girl.
"HEY! You leave her alone!" Severus snarled, stalking up to the trio, his robes billowing behind him. "Put her down NOW."
"Well, well, if it isn't the Headmasters grandson. What are you going to do about it? Run to granpa? Coward."
"Don't call me coward!" Severus's eyes flashed angrily.
The boy punched him in the stomach unexpectedly, giving the girl a chance to escape.
"Shit, she'll run to a professor," the now slightly recovered boy moaned.
"Yes, well – we can still remodel this one's face," his friend hit Severus in the eye.
That was it. Severus flung himself at the older boy and started pummelling, until the boy was sporting several scratches and a bloody nose.
"Get him!" he yelled to his friend, who seized Severus's arms and pinned them behind his back. The other boy raised his fist to beat the now helpless Ravenclaw.
"What is this?" a voice said. Professor Lovegood appeared, accompanied by the Hufflepuff girl.
"P-Professor," the boys quickly released Severus, "he started it. He broke my nose!"
The Ravenclaw Head of House surveyed the mess of children. "Off to the hospital wing with you. I'll escort you there."
In the end, all boys were fixed up by the grumbling nurse, and the two Gryffindor second-years had received a week of detentions. With Professor Potter. Who had no tolerance or patience at all for bullies. They nearly burst into tears at the very thought.
"I know, I shouldn't have fought," Severus started before Aunt Luna could home in on him, "but if I had run for help, they would have beaten up HER," he pointed out.
"I know," Professor Lovegood nodded, "but you will still receive a detention. Tomorrow night, with me. There may be ginger newts involved, so do take care not to overeat on dinner," she added before sweeping out of the room.
The Hufflepuff girl smiled shyly at Severus. "Thank you so much," she managed, "do you…I had better send my cat home," she sighed.
Severus shook his head. "If you ask Professor Lovegood or your own Head of House, they'll know plenty of charms to protect your cat and your things," he suggested, "I'm sure they'll be happy to cast them for you."
"Oh, I will!" the girl smiled brightly, "thank you again, Severus."
sssssssssss
Severus quietly ate his dinner that night. The two Gryffindors avoided him, but he was quite sure they had some things to say about the fight. His grandfather swept by the House tables and took his customary seat.
"Hey Dumbledore!" one of the older Ravenclaws called over, "heard you got into a fight today."
Severus nodded.
"Protecting a Hufflepuff firstie, right?" the boy continued in a more quiet voice, and he nodded again.
"Well good for you," was the only comment. Most of the house sent him approving looks. The Hufflepuff table seemed to be sending grateful glances as well. Slytherin, who had missed all of the commotion, seemed to be filled in on the situation by Severus's friend Cedric.
All the attention was a bit much for Severus. He looked at his family at the Head table, but to his surprise, his grandfather seemed to be angry about something. Severus decided this was not a good day and he had better retire early.
Just as he was on his way back to his dorm from the library, his grandfather stopped him.
"I am very disappointed in you, Severus."
Severus realized with a jolt that the Headmaster was angry with HIM.
"I heard you have fought today and sent two boys to the infirmary. I have never been so ashamed of you!" Dumbledore chastised the child.
"But Granddad…" Severus made to protest.
"Quiet! I expected better from you. It seems this Christmas holidays you will be staying here in the castle instead of going on a holiday with me," the old wizard decreed.
Severus looked devastated. "Please, Granddad, you don't understand…"
"Not another word, Severus," the Headmaster was already on his way to his office, "you don't want to get into more trouble than you already are."
The harsh words left Severus reeling with shock. The Christmas holidays had always been the time when he and his granddad went out on a short trip, together. When no one disturbed them, not even by Owl, and everyone knew that those few days were sacred to the two. Tears began to form in the dark eyes. Why had his grandfather been so mean?
He quickly went back to his dorm and climbed into bed, not wanting the others to see him cry. Still, his pillow was wet when he finally slept that night.
The next day, he did not bother with breakfast. The Professors shot glances at him throughout the day for the lack of his normal attentiveness, and only Cedric's efforts kept their potion together during Professor Grangers class. He skipped both lunch and dinner.
It was three minutes to eight when he remembered his detention with his Head of House. Fortunately her office was just down the hall from the Ravenclaw tower, and he barely made it in time.
"Hello, Severus," the Professor greeted him, shoving a sandwich in his direction. "You haven't eaten all day, you must be hungry."
"Not really," he muttered, picking at the sandwich.
"Hmmm," the Divinations teacher replied vaguely, giving him time.
"Granddad is really angry with me," Severus finally offered after fifteen minutes.
"Oh? How come?"
"He heard I was in a fight. He told me he was disappointed in me and he is ashamed of me. And he said I'm not allowed to come on our Christmas trip." Tears started again and he pressed his hands to his eyes as if he could physically push them back.
He failed to see the slight frown that formed on the Professor's face. Finally he got himself under control and opened his eyes again. A goblet of juice appeared in front of him.
"Drink this," his teacher ordered, "dehydration is a terrible thing. For one, it leaves you awfully susceptible to Nargles. I will be back shortly."
Luna quickly walked up to the Headmaster's office and entered calmly.
"Miss Lovegood, how may I help you?" the Headmaster offered a lemon drop.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Luna accepted the treat, "A first year Hufflepuff has been bullied. It appears the boys threatened to kill her cat and demolish her possessions if she told a professor. It would be wonderful if a charm could be placed on the animal and her trunk to keep them safe. She is quite distraught over the possibility of harm coming to her pet."
"Naturally, naturally," the Headmaster nodded, "I will cast them myself if you wish. It was brave of the girl to tell a professor despite the threat."
"She felt she had no choice," the witch stole another lemon drop from the bowl on his desk, "another student came to her aid, and when the bullies turned to him, she managed to escape and find me. When I arrived, the second year boys were about to completely beat up the younger boy."
Dumbledore's eyes very slowly started to lose their twinkle.
"Of course I took all three to the infirmary. The two Gryffindors will be doing detention with Professor Potter for a week. I gave Severus a detention with me, which he is currently serving by drinking his juice and eating a sandwich, considering he skipped all meals today."
The Headmaster looked at her in distress.
"As you can see, this is why I wanted your agreement that I would handle all school-related disciplinary actions against Severus," Luna commented, as she suckled on her sixth lemon drop.
Dumbledore rubbed his forehead. "I made a grave mistake," he concluded painfully.
"I was so upset when I heard about the fight – All I could think of was that last time he was eleven, he got into his first fight this early in the year as well…"
"And you reacted in exactly the same way you did then," Luna pointed out. "It isn't so much Severus who needed to change to make his school years better, Headmaster."
She leaned back into her chair. "Severus is in my office. Leave the lemon drops and Fawkes here for company, and I am certain I shall not need my office for some time."
ssssssssss
Severus had dutifully finished his juice and taken a bite of the sandwich when the door opened again.
"I did drink it all, Aunt Luna…"he trailed off as he turned around and saw his grandfather.
Dumbledore swallowed. The spike of fear on the young face was also something he distinctly remembered.
"Severus," he said softly, "Child, I am so sorry."
The dark eyes met his with a little hope. He opened his arms, and it barely took a breath for Severus to cling to him, his head hidden in his grandfather's robes.
Locking the door behind him to protect Severus's eleven-year-old dignity, Dumbledore sat in one of the chairs and pulled his grandson in his lap, rocking him slightly.
"I just wanted to help her, I didn't mean to end up in a fight," Severus's small voice wafted up from the folds of lurid material.
"I know, and I am very sorry for what I said. It was very wrong of me, even if you HAD deliberately been picking fights. " Albus cuddled the boy as if he were still a toddler, "Can you forgive me?"
Severus nodded and sighed deeply, for once not protesting the closeness. Albus cherished these few moments. From around the time Severus had turned nine, he had not often allowed cuddles and certainly thought it beneath him to sit in his grandfather's lap.
"Do I still have to stay here during Christmas break while you go away?" the child looked up.
"Of course not," the old wizard pulled him close, "I promise I will never threaten to take away our Christmas outing as punishment again. I was very cruel, and to make it up to you I am going to take you and a friend out to the Three Broomsticks for dinner on Saturday. How does that sound?"
"Wicked," the events of the past twenty-four hours had had a deep impact on Severus, and he had no intention for the moment of leaving the safe arms, needing to know that his granddad wasn't angry with him anymore, "can Cedric come?"
"Certainly. I will let Uncle Harry know we are taking Cedric with us."
Silence reigned for a few minutes longer.
"Granddad?"
"Yes?"
"Why did it make you so angry, when you thought I had been fighting? I've been in trouble before and you were never so angry."
Dumbledore kissed the dark head. "I'm afraid that it had more to do with me than with you, little one," he confessed, "it were some very old memories that set it off. It wasn't your fault."
"What kind of memories? Of my father? Everyone says I look like him," Severus eyed him curiously.
"Ah, Severus," Albus sighed, "I'm afraid a full explanation would take a long time, and you would understand little of it." He smiled at the yawn. "I think it's time for bed for you, my boy. Come, I'll walk you to your dorm before I check to see if Aunt Luna has eaten my entire supply of lemon drops."
The Headmaster walked back to his tower ten minutes later, hoping that if he couldn't stop himself from repeating all mistakes of the past, perhaps it was possible to minimize the damage.