I do not own anything. I'm just translating. The characters belong to J. K. Rowling. And the story belongs to Brigi. Her e-mail address: tbwtpbe at hotmail .com
My Beta reader, Makurayami Ookami fixed THIS chapter.
THE BOY WITH THE PIERCING BLUE EYES
Chapter 12 – Marie's leaving
One would think time had been stolen from the lovers. Marie, after finding out what happened to Harry barely let him leave the house. They spent most of the time in the Dursleys' house now that the family ran away from home. Snape was not particularly disturbed by the girl; he tried not to disturb them when they wanted to be alone.
This made it hard to hide the fact that they were from a different, magical world. They almost got caught once. Harry left a magical photo in a Muggle book and the girl found it. She looked at the picture amazed. Hermione was standing between Harry and Ron, Dean and Seamus were poking Trevor while Ginny and her twin brothers were posing. When Marie asked about the picture Harry stammered something about a holographic imaging process.
Snape was furious with the irresponsible boy when he heard about the incident. The Occlumency lessons were cancelled because of Marie's presence which made the professor even more annoyed. Remus made them promise that they wouldn't stop but there was nothing to do.
Harry felt he didn't have enough time till term started. She had to leave in the middle of August. They couldn't imagine what they would do without each other. Harry hoped they would meet next year somehow. If he must, he would run away and with his parents' money he would travel to the continent. Still, one year is an awfully long time, a lot of things could happen…
A few days later he managed to persuade the girl to go out.
"Let's go dancing!" He pleaded. "To a Latin place… you like that, don't you?" The girl always agreed to these things. Harry loved when they went to places like that because Marie always wore something nice. A tight, short dress that only covered the absolutely necessary parts of her body.
They caused some headache to the Order with this. Harry didn't always go home after these. A few nights he spent at Marie's place, and when they went to outdoor events the members sometimes lost them in the crowd. And they looked different from the other, Muggle people. One time Emmeline and Kingsley managed to get into a disco and sat at the bar, but they became nervous because of the loud music, the cigarette smoke, the flashing lights and the drunken youngsters. To solve the problem they called a meeting at the Black house.
"This is a serious problem, ladies and gentlemen." Moody said.
"But there is a solution!" Fred stepped closer with a grin.
Mrs. Weasley frowned.
"What's on your mind now?" Charlie asked.
"We thought it over and found the perfect method to let the Order keep an eye on Harry in the most unusual places."
"See?" Tonks whispered to Remus. "They just joined and they already plan for everything."
Lupin just smiled and wrapped his arms around the woman.
"So" Fred cleared his throat. "We reached the conclusion that the ones who could stay close to Harry unnoticed are us." He blurted out proudly and winked at his twin brother who nodded vigorously.
"Why you, boys?" Their father asked.
"Why, dad, you think Professor Moody would be better? Don't get us wrong, Professor." Fred apologized. "With all respect, but with your wooden leg and that magical eye you would be the best on the dance floor but you would cause a huge commotion. Bigger than us."
"But these two can't play with Muggles!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. "They would try their products on them! They would only cause trouble to the Ministry."
"But Mom!" George said offended.
"Let it be Bill or Charlie! They are older, more experienced and thoughtful than you two."
"Come on. Bill with his rocker face would never set foot in a disco." Fred said and Bill nodded. "Charlie has to take care of his international connections, with that pretty French girl."
"What's her name?" George teased. "Flower? Or Flour?"
"Fleur." Charlie coughed shyly. "What, the shop's not going well?" He tried to fight back.
"We have a huge profit. Our customers are very satisfied." Charlie turned away while George chuckled.
"Fred and I are at the age when Muggle kids go to these clubs, we can be invisible. And thanks to Dad's love of Muggle things we know a lot of things about them. At least let us try once! If we're not good enough then you can just replace us. We'll bring those little umbrellas and straws from those cocktails, Dad!"
Arthur's eyes brightened.
"I'd vote for them." Helga said. She was sitting on the top of a shelf. The adult wizards looked at each other. Moody nodded as a sign of consent.
The twins shouted.
"We're going to dance tonight, bro!" They winked at each other.
"Are you ready, pretty girl?" George asked in a mischievous tone.
He stepped closer to the figure standing in front of a full-length mirror. She tilted her head and watched her ebony hair. It reached the middle of her back. She straightened her jeans and the shirt she was wearing and used a little more make-up. Her magical blue eyes shined under the black eye shadow.
"Wait, drink this!" Fred brought a steaming cup.
The girl drank it all then belched. All three of them started laughing.
"It was very feminine, my friend." George said.
The beauty shrugged and smiled.
"Hey, just fix your breasts!" The other Weasley said. "The strap of your bra is out!"
After she finished she let the boys use the mirror. They obtained fashionable Muggle clothes. They looked perfectly identical in their matching clothes. They nodded with satisfaction then apparated.
"I can't see them." Remus said hiding among the foliage of a large tree. Lily sat next to him, while James and Sirius crouched next to each other like two giant stuffed birds.
"What is this place?" Black asked.
"It's a disco." Lily said with a smile. "It's like the dance parties in the wizarding world but for young people."
They could see the whole building from where they sat though the crowd was huge.
"Hey Remus" James began. "What's going on between you and Tonks?"
Lupin raised his eyes to the sky.
"We know everything!" Sirius nodded.
"And what exactly do you know?" He asked with a grin.
"That you… what the hell!" Sirius backed away in horror.
Snape apparated. He couldn't find a secure point to stand on so he almost fell but managed to grab something in time.
"Severus? For Merlin's beard, what are you doing?"
When the Potions Master's heart began beating in a healthy pace again he looked around and nodded toward the other one.
"Remus." He greeted curtly.
"Why are you here?"
"Molly sent some supply to Tonks." He held out a small basket filled with delicious food. "What are you doing here? I thought you had some business in Bristol…"
"I just came back." Remus started eating a sandwich.
"Right…"
"I haven't seen you around Privet Drive recently… Where do you spend your days?"
"I have a lot of free time now that Harry always stays at Marie's place." He fumbled in his bag and took a mineral water bottle and drank it all.
"What is he doing?"
Severus blinked in surprise.
"Honestly, what do you talk about with him?" He asked sardonically. "He grew up in front of your eyes and you don't know anything about him…"
Remus looked at his ghost friends. Lily's eyes glittered like stars on the night sky while James wore the 'My son!' expression.
Soon after, Tonks appeared. She hummed and danced until she reached the tree and jumped up.
"Good evening, gentlemen!" She said.
She was wearing pretty Muggle clothes: tight jeans and a top with a shiny sign on it. Her hair was long and blonde now.
When Snape looked at her he gave her an evil smile.
"What happened? You looked into a chimney?" He looked at the girl's eyes with the black make-up all around them.
"He-he." The woman frowned kindly. "Just wait! A couple of years and it will be fashionable among Muggles."
"Severus shook his head, put his bag down and unbuttoned the sleeve of his shirt. He hissed painfully when he touched the deep scratch mark on his forearm.
"Uh, what happened?" The other two turned to him.
"Just a little accident…" Snape said.
"Let me see, I'll clean it." Tonks offered her help. "I have experience with these things."
Sirius winked with a wicked grin which made Remus shudder a bit.
"It looks deep… It was a powerful, multi-fingered animal." She pointed at the four bloody lines. "Where did you get it?"
"In one of Scotland's dragon park. The eggs finally hatched…" Severus bit his lip when the woman started cleaning the wound. "Their mother was not very friendly. I went to get her eggs…"
"What do you need those for?" Lupin asked.
"The dragon egg's shell is a very useful material in potion making." Came the answer. Snape's hand trembled in pain. The wound bled and the flesh could be seen. Nymphadora wiped the blood with a clean cloth.
"Why don't you buy it in a shop? It's unnecessary to expose yourself to such dangers, when you can buy these on Diagon Alley."
The Professor's face softened and mirrored an unusual resolve.
"This is the point of making potions. The most enjoyable part of it. To gather the ingredients yourself."
"Etalon, huh?" Tonks grinned. "One would think there is nothing exciting in making potions."
"I would have never thought." Remus nodded approvingly.
"Wow!" The witch cried suddenly. "What boots you have!" She looked at Snape's feet.
"What about them?"
"These are from the new edition!" The woman exclaimed. "I read about it in the Saturday Witch! Mountaineering and hiking boots! What's it made of?"
"Short-Snout…"
"Cool! Tell me, are they comfortable?"
Severus shook his head with a grin and Remus chuckled.
"Yeah."
"I'm ready. Let someone look at it."
"Thank you."
"Do you want me to bring something for having to sit on a tree?"
Before they could say anything she hopped down and left. A few minutes later she returned with three cocktails.
"Here!" He gave them the green and pink drink. "Very tasty, try it!"
The two men tasted it.
"What's the name of this?" Remus said. He looked like he just ate a whole lemon.
"Drinitcocktail. I don't know." She grinned. "Good, right?"
Snape drank it all then put the glass between two branches so it wouldn't fall.
"Actually, what are you doing here?" Tonks asked as well.
"I brought food to you. And I have some unfinished business with Moody."
"Moody? But he's not here."
"Like hell!" Snape growled. "He's dancing under my invisibility cloak!"
"What? Really?"
"You have an invisibility cloak?"
"Actually, it's not mine…" The wizard protested. "It's Harry's."
"What?" Remus asked in surprise. "How come James' cloak is with you?"
"What's your problem?" Severus looked at him blankly. "Harry gave it to me when I had to go spying. When you were injured." He pointed toward Tonks. "But when I went back to the headquarters Moody took it and he refused to give it back."
"Vu!" Someone hooted behind them.
All three of them paled. Tonks lost her balance and fell, pushing Snape and dragging Remus with her. They both landed on the ground. Snape tried to grab something but fell back. His robes hitched and he hung next to the tree trunk with swinging legs.
"Wow, guys! The black haired girl came out of the rest room. "Someone's dancing widely in there." She shook her head with a grin. "What is it?" She asked when she saw the twins looking out the window, toward the big tree.
"Isn't that Snape?" One of them asked with a chuckle.
Fred nodded and looked at the girl who was watching the man with wide eyes. The twins hugged her and they cradled to try to make her feel better. She was touched and let the twins lead her back to the dance floor.
"Constant Vigilance!" Moody yelled and took off the invisibility cloak. "What reflexes!" He rebuked. "What frivolity!"
"Alastor." Remus felt his sore butt. "I don't think it's necessary to watch after us all the time. Are you okay?" He asked the witch.
Tonks sat up but her hair was full of leaves. Remus couldn't stop the chuckling and kissed her forehead gently.
Snape however, swore like Remus had never heard before from him.
"Let me off of here at once, Mad-Eye!" He ordered the old Auror.
But he was moving so much that his robe torn and Snape fell to the ground like a cat, took off the robe and looked at it with disappointed eyes. He hugged it and looked at Moody angrily.
"This was my favorite robe!" He said with disgust. "I'm sick of you!" The professor exclaimed. "Give back the invisibility cloak so I can give it back to Harry!"
"And how would I know that you didn't keep it?"
"James Potter's cloak? I wouldn't keep it even if he gave it to me!"
Sirius laughed when he saw James' sour look.
"Take it, son!"
Moody threw the cloak and it landed on Snape's head, but it didn't reach the ground, so the man's boots were visible. He took it off quickly and apparated.
"Lupin, don't forget! Constant vigilance!" Moody warned the other two and apparated.
"I don't think I've ever done something so immoral…" Harry sighed.
They were lying on the grass in a park looking at the starry sky. Looking at the moon reminded him of Remus.
"You don't feel well?" Marie stroked his arm while she rested her head on the boy's chest.
"I wouldn't say that." The boy grinned.
"I will miss… all of this…"
"Me too…"
On the day of parting Harry stood next to the entrance of a terminal of London International Airport. Marie, after finishing every administration about the tickets approached the boy. She didn't say a word but her teary eyes and trembling lips said everything. She stroked the boy's face who took her hand and pulled her close to him. They hold each other tightly to make the pain lessen. Harry promised himself that he wouldn't cry but a few tears escaped his eyes. He wiped them quickly while they were hugging. Marie couldn't hold herself back, she cried. But they had to say goodbye because the plane was about to leave.
"Marie!" A nun said.
"Promise me you'll never forget this!" Harry begged.
"Harry, I…" the girl whispered. "…I'll wait for you…"
"I love you so much." They said and kissed.
"Go now!" Harry said.
The girl shook her head and didn't move.
"Go! Go or it'll be more difficult…" The boy begged. "Please!"
Marie backed away then took one of the nuns' hand so she wouldn't run back to the boy. The woman began pulling her toward the entrance but the girl couldn't keep her eyes off of Harry. They looked at each other until the door closed behind the girl.
Harry felt like he was stabbed in the heart. The pain was more intense and it was accompanied with anxiety, dread and uncertainty. His stomach shrunk with eyes burning.
"Let's go home…" He said weakly to Snape who was standing a few feet away waiting.
"Don't you want to wait until…?"
"I couldn't watch as she flies away…"
The man silently nodded but he was worried.
Harry didn't say a word on the way home. He just looked out the window and felt like everyone was running around him while he just stood. He barely noticed when Snape touched his arm to let him know that they had to get off the train. He was looking out of the taxi window too. His breath left damp stains on the window and he drew letters, hearts and flowers. The tears were unstoppable so he let them fall, but his face was emotionless. He couldn't see but his red-head mother was sitting next to him and stroked his arm. She knew her son would feel nothing of it but the helplessness filled her with bitterness.
"Poor little boy." She whispered and stroked the tear stained face.
Sirius and James poked their heads from the trunk and looked at the boy too.
"Don't worry." Sirius said finally. "There'll be another!" Then he stroked Harry's head with his invisible hand.
"Another? He's not over this one! Can't you see how broken he is?" James sniffled. Lily snuggled closer to the boy and put her head on his shoulder.
"School starts soon. Maybe it'll make him forget faster…" His friend apologized. "Ron and Hermione will help him. I just wish he wouldn't have to stay with this bat for the remaining one and half weeks…" He glanced at Snape.
"Sirius!" Lily snapped. "I told you to be nicer to Severus, didn't I?"
"You can tell that to Mr. Mule Potter, but not me!"
"M-Mule?" James' eyes widened. "What the…"
But he couldn't finish because Lily jumped on Sirius and started punching him. The man was so surprised he couldn't defend himself and fell. With a kick he hit the gear and the car jerked. Harry and Snape were grabbed by the seatbelt while the driver tried to fix the problem.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"I don't know. Is everything okay?" Snape asked the driver. He was worried. One of his hands was already in his pocket holding his wand. Harry feared that they would be attacked and he looked around suspiciously but couldn't see anything unusual.
"It must be the gear. It has never happened before though…" The driver wiped his forehead. "It seems everything is fine…"
The rest of the journey passed smoothly. The ghosts sat and didn't move anymore.
When they arrived home Harry went up to his room. He stood at the window and stared out.
Snape stood in the doorway for a moment then went to his own room. He took out a quill and ink and began writing a letter…
There was death silence in the house for days. Harry moved like a Dementor, almost without sound. He barely ate. His mood affected Snape too and he felt unusually fussy. If only the boy would speak, everything would be easier. But the boy was silent like a slice of ham.
The house suffered the absence of Aunt Petunia. Dust could be seen everywhere and the plants were dying. No TV or stereo or the creaking noises of the stairs. Nothing. And it made the rest of the holiday unbearable.
Harry didn't go to the Occlumency lessons. It's not that he was doing anything. He just lay on his bed.
Snape became more and more irritated.
One morning he was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. The Muggles' letters were piled on the table. The man always read the Muggle newspapers but he didn't find anything unusual in them. He folded it and reached for the toast when Harry entered the kitchen.
His teacher gave him a questioning look then returned to his breakfast.
"If you continue like this, those Muggles will not have to worry about feeding you…" He said sardonically.
"I'm just not hungry…"
"You won't be if you continue this."
Harry frowned.
"How long do you plan on doing this?" The man asked. "There is no point on lying in bed all day long. Do something instead! Well, you should continue Occlumency. Because there is no need for me to be here. I have better things to do than watching a sad teenager day after day. There are others who can look after you."
The boy listened with wide eyes then lowered his head.
"If you start crying I swear I leave!" Severus said a little startled. To his surprise Harry smiled faintly.
"I know I've been difficult lately." He began. "I'm sorry that I stopped the lessons. I just needed a little time. I still miss her, but… I'll be fine."
"Did you tell her that you are a wizard?" Snape took a sip of his coffee.
"No. I don't think she would ever accept it…" The boy mused.
"Not every Muggle react like your foster parents." His teacher went on in a lazy tone. "Look at that clown Copperfield… He's fooling millions of people with his cheap tricks…"
"I wanted to ask this! Is he really a wizard?"
"Like hell. He's a stupid Squib, who did his fortune among Muggles."
"He learned magic the way Mr. Filch did?"
"How do you know that Filch is a Squib?" Snape asked surprised.
"I saw a paper on his desk… accidentally… but it's not important. So Copperfield really does magic?"
"Usually. Anyone can shoot sparks with a wand. And levitating something is easy too."
"And when he goes through walls?"
"He does?" A sarcastic smile appeared on the man's face. "It's just deceit. The Saturday Witch gossiped about it for moths that he does it with an invisibility cloak. He couldn't apparate…"
Harry chuckled softly.
"The Ministry sued him several times, but he always got away with it. They left him alone for a while."
"The Muggles love the elusive things. But I don't think Marie would have been happy if she found out."
Snape put his cup down.
"Look Harry, it's not sure. There is something, I… well I didn't tell you because Dumbledore asked me not to. He wanted to be sure first."
The boy frowned.
"I'm tired of the headmaster not telling me things because he thinks that's the best for me! He has no right to do that! And I always end up in trouble because of that!"
"Sit back down." The man ordered him. "You'll see, maybe it is useless to tell you."
"What… is it exactly?"
"It's related to Marie. When I first saw the picture about her I was suspicious…"
"Oh, no!" Harry said angrily. "If you want to say that she is a follower of Voldemort too, then you'd better stop!"
"What are you talking about?" Snape looked at him blankly. "Would you sit down now? It's about something else."
The boy looked at his suspiciously but sat down. At the other end of the table Sirius was leaning on the back of a chair listening to his old rival.
"Have you ever heard of the legend of Mary Salem?"
Harry shook his head.
"Honestly, you never read?" Snape looked at him frustrated. "Disappointing…" he sighed. "But you've heard about the Salem witches, right?"
"Yeah, we saw their tent on the Quidditch World Cup. Why?"
"Great… According to the chronicles the Salem witches came from the emigrated English Puritan communities in the seventeenth century. The Muggles tried to explain why they were different. They thought it happened on the continent but they were witches in England too. Back then the 'Malleus' had a huge influence so a lot of people were suspected of witchcraft then killed. You know what the Malleus Meleficarum is, right?" He asked. "Whatever." He shrugged when he saw Harry shaking his head. "It's an Anti-Witch book. Anyone found suspicious of witchcraft could be imprisoned and killed regardless of whether they really were witches and wizards or not." Harry shuddered. "A lot of European witches thought it would be better to go to the New World before being killed. The Salem witches are a group of witches that escaped to America. Of course it was hard for them to use the same methods because others were watching them. They had to live a different life. They worked in the forests, groves, away from the sight of other people. This is why everyone thinks they are the most important nature related magicians. This is the reason the Salem witches hug trees and dance naked to ask for rain, but now we know it has no effect. Their faith is much stronger and it preserved many ancestral traits. They think their spiritual leader was a girl named Mary. She was the first suspected of witchcraft there. She had to run away. Only her diary was left and it contained everything. The fact that she was a witch too. No one knows what happened to her later, but there are legends. Some thought she was caught and killed, others believed she managed to escape. According to the latter she lived one hundred and eighty years and her descendants still live all around the world. There is no proof. But a man appeared at the Paris World Fair and he bore the traits of Mary Salem."
"What does that mean?"
"As it turned out, Mary's descendants could be recognized because of their eyes. A gene of their ancestors changed and yellow spots appeared in the iris of their eyes."
Harry wanted to protest.
"Wait, let me finish it! The young man in Paris had the same eyes. Mary Salem had the same eyes and in her diary she confirms that her mother had them too. The French wizard community took notice of the phenomenon but the man disappeared. They have been trying to track him down ever since.
The boy's shoulders sagged.
"So Marie is a witch?"
"No, this is not what I said! In fact, it seems she does not show any reaction to the wizard world."
"What?"
Snape frowned.
"We can… feel the members of our kind. The wizards and witches can feel each other."
"How? So I should be able to know when someone comes near me that is a wizard or not?"
"Why, you can't? I thought…"
"No, I can't! I've lived next to Mrs. Fig for years and I just found out last year that she is related to the wizard world!"
"This is… strange." Snape said in surprise. "This… usually works intuitively. We'll talk about it later if you want! Marie's eyes might be a coincidence. After it was revealed that one can recognize the successors of Mary Salem with this, a pure paranoia had evolved among the antropomagicians and they think every yellow eyed person is Salem. This was of course proven to be false."
"W-wait a minute! Yellow eyes? But Madame Hooch has yellow eyes!"
"Yes, she has Salem ancestors and she sometimes does odd things." The man waved.
"What?" His student smile curiously. "You were spying on her?"
"I didn't have to do that to know the unusual things about fellow colleagues." Snape smiled. "Professor McGonagall likes hunting rats and mice on the Slytherin corridors… everybody knows about Dumbledore's strange habits. Madam Hooch… she goes to the forest and…"
"Dances in the Forbidden Forest naked?" Harry laughed.
Severus didn't say anything.
"So the Forbidden Forest is forbidden because of her being there naked and not because of the beasts?"
"Well, there really are dangerous creatures in that forest." The man said.
"Wow, when the guys will hear this!" Harry made his plans.
"Do not even think about telling this to anyone! You have to keep it a secret! There was a very unpleasant incident a few years ago! A Gryffindor and Ravenclaw boy went to the edge of the forest at night to play with Hagrid's new pet and they saw Madame Hooch as…"
"Ooh, really? And what happened?"
"Dumbledore obliviated them."
"Uh, why?"
"What do you mean why? It would have been a huge scandal."
"This is crazy." Harry grinned.
Snape raised his eyes to the sky then continued with a smile.
"Back to Marie: there is no indication that she would be a descendant of a Salem girl. Dumbledore has a few men looking after it…"
"Wait a minute! They watching after Marie?"
"They are just investigating her family. It's difficult that her parents have long since died… But she will notice nothing of this."
"I know that. The wizard world has a nice little spy network…" Harry muttered angrily.
"The French colleagues are handling the matter of absolute secrecy and they keep a close eye on the girl, intervening if something threatens her."
"What would threaten her?"
"You yourself are a serious source of danger." Snape said sternly. "If the enemy becomes aware of her existence or her whereabouts… They could blackmail you, Harry…"
The boy gulped.
"I've never thought I could endanger her…"
"It's better that she went back to France. She is relatively far from you and the danger lurking around you. And it's easier to protect her…"
"Why didn't Dumbledore want me to know this?" Harry asked after a minute of silence. "Why didn't you tell me this, sir?"
"You would have acted differently around the girl. You would have watched whether she was a witch or not…"
"Could it be an accident that I met her?"
"I have already realized that nothing happens by accident around you…"
Harry sighed with a smile.
"Now eat properly. You look like you're being starved."
The boy nodded obediently and put the slices of bread in the toaster.
"So what is that intuitive thing?"
"It' hard to describe to someone who does not know how it works… if you didn't know me and we'd meet on the street" Snape started a little suspiciously. "Would you know I'm a wizard?"
"Well, it depends on so many things. If you'd be wearing robes and it's not around Halloween I would think you're crazy… anyway adults don't wear costumes on that occasion." He said with a grin when he saw the man's sour face. "But if you would wear Muggle clothes, I would never notice…"
Snape looked at him for a while.
"Why?"
"Well, actually, it's kind of an advantage in the wizard world. That you can feel when a wizard or a witch comes near you…"
"Why do I have to be different in everything?" Harry groaned.
"With this capability, well basically with the absence of it you are not alone. "The professor mused. "It's easier for purebloods…" Harry looked at him angrily but he continued. "Wait! This has nothing to do with the pureblood-mudblood thing. And I don't really care about that anyway. This is easier for pureblood children because they grew up in a magical environment. The people around them always use magic so they get used to the presence of magic and they begin feeling the magic in people. Children in Muggle families can't sense it. One of the parents doesn't know that the other has magic. Their children don't even know they can do magic until the letter arrives from Hogwarts."
Harry remembered what Seamus said once. He told everyone that his mother was a witch and his father was quite scared when he found it out. He nodded indicating he understood.
"This is the hardest for those with two Muggle parents."
"Hermione… Hermione is an exceptional student, right?"
Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Exceptionally cheeky student was what you wanted to say."
"Hermione is the most talented in the school. You can't deny that."
"Of course not. But she shouldn't be too full of herself."
The boy grinned.
"She would be happy if she heard what you just said."
"You're in the same situation she is." Snape continued seriously. "You grew up among Muggles. So…"
"Yes?" Harry glanced at him inquiringly.
"Never mind. So among Muggles."
"Well, this sucks." Harry shook his hand because the hot toast burned it.
"You'll learn it someday." The teacher said and took a sip of his coffee. "What is this?" He asked.
Dudley's magazines were in his hands. One of them was a popular teen magazine, the other was about sport but two Playboy magazines were there too.
"Oooooh!" Harry grinned. "I'm curious how Dudley could hide these from Aunt Petunia…" He pointed at the cover. A woman in underwear was on it. "She would have died if she were to know about what her little son was reading."
He opened and started 'reading' one of them. He smiled and watched every picture enthusiastically.
Snape shook his head and started reading the other magazines. He read everything to entertain himself. Harry watched his reaction once in a while. However no emotions were seen on the man's face. In fact, Harry realized he was no longer reading the magazine. He watched his teacher. He looked closely and noticed that the man was considerably thinner. He was never a weak looking man but he was somewhat more muscular. His hair was longer but was black like always. As he was sitting there holding the newspaper with his long fingers Harry thought he would recognize that he was not an ordinary Muggle even if he could not feel the other magicians. His whole attitude was very different from an ordinary man. The Muggles usually sat with their legs spread like they throne on the toilet. The professor sat with his legs crossed and one of his hands rested on his leg. His whole appearance was much more aristocratic than, say, Uncle Vernon's. The pureblood is somehow showing in the wizards…
Gosh, I'm ready. This was long and difficult.
The next chapter will be up tomorrow. That one is short…
And after that chapter… a little surprise.
The next chapter is called 'Occlumency'. Guess what it's about.
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Bye
Hermina