I do not own anything. I'm just translating. The characters belong to the great J.K. Rowling. The story belongs to the amazing Brigi. Her e-mail: tbwtpbe [et]

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Beta-read by Seerstella.

THE BOY WITH THE PIERCING BLUE EYES

Chapter 32 – The confession (part 3)

It seemed that the argument at the DA meeting changed the group's mood and some of them changed their behavior for the better. A lot of them sat together during Potions with an understanding smile and asked questions regarding their future assignments from the Professor at the end of the lessons.

Snape was so surprised by this that he practically feared stepping into his own classroom. Every time he witnessed the students' kind gaze on him, he had a suspicion that something was not right about the way he looked. He kept looking at the glass of the cabinet to see his reflection, however his hair wasn't messy, he had no food on his clothes and all his buttons were right.

This was something he had never experienced since becoming a teacher. He shared his findings and their behavior with the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, who only smiled. Rowena kept thinking about his words as she made her way to her classroom. She found the students in the room and closed the door.

"Welcome," she greeted. She tried not stepping into the mud that formed on the floor. "How are you?" she asked while putting her things on the table.

The answer came in some tired groans. Some complained about the too much homework, while others told her enthusiastically how much fun they had had in the yard.

"I hope the snow won't avert your attention from studying too much," she smiled at them.

With her wand, she pointed at the bucket and mop and they started to clean the mud the students brought in with their shoes.

"I have a Christmas-y feeling," Harry muttered while watching the falling snow through the window.

"Me too," Ron grimaced. "I'm curious what color shirt Mom will send this year…"

"Ron, your mother makes those because she loves you. That way you won't get cold," Hermione reproached.

"Thank you…"

"I corrected the tests from last week," the professor raised a stack of parchment.

Some students hissed while the papers found their owners. Ron coughed his excitedly. He got an 'E' and looked at Hermione's and Harry's 'O's with a bit jealousy.

"It's not uncommon that Hermione gets an 'O', but how come you get them now too, Harry?" he asked under his nose.

"But Ron, this wasn't difficult!"

The boy looked at his girlfriend for a moment then turned back to his friend.

"It really wasn't difficult," Harry shrugged. "I don't understand why you only got an 'E'! We studied together…"

"You got an 'E' because on the aethonan question you forgot to write…"

"Leave my test alone, Hermione!"

"Don't argue!" Harry tried stopping them with a smile.

"Ron, please," Rowena looked at them. "We have to go on with the lesson, but I need your attention."

The three of them nodded silently.

"Can we finally start the sixth year lessons?" Pansy Parkinson sneered.

Professor Dareling smiled awkwardly. "Well…"

"Can we finally start on the Unforgivable curses?"

The woman leaned against the table and said seriously with her hands crossed in front of her. "I'm not really sure why you want to learn about those so much. Those curses are… terrible. Ones you should never use."

Hermione looked at Draco who looked back at them with just as much disgust.

"But we still need to know them."

"To protect ourselves from them," Dean added darkly.

Nott's eyes shined when he heard those words.

"I wanted to continue with these," Rowena admitted softly.

"Professor, have you ever used any of it?"

"Of course… not." The question was surprising for her. "You know they are banned by the law."

"Unfortunately, not everyone who uses them gets into prison," Harry added.

"Using them on people ensures a life sentence in Azkaban. It was possible to demonstrate them on animals, but from this January the National Organization of Wizards will ban that too. And they are completely right."

"So you won't be demonstrating them, professor?"

"I understand that I don't have to do that, Draco, since…"

Harry was waiting for the malicious end, but it never came.

"…since Professor Moody already showed them using spiders. I'm sure everybody remembers that." She looked up, waiting for confirmation.

The students nodded.

"You all know what three curses I mean. Good. We will talk about their origin today and how the law applied to them. Please open your books at page two hundred three."

A little boring lesson started with a lot of writing, but Harry could feel the happiness coming from the Slytherins. He could hardly wait to start learning defensive spells to show them that he wouldn't be such an easy target. He wanted to show off about how much they've learnt on their private training.

He was proud of their achievement….

In the evening, the common room was filled with students. After dinner, all of them gathered there, some of them to study, while others just to talk. Harry, Ron and Hermione also sat there, surrounded with books. Ron looked at his Herbology book in annoyance, since Dean and Seamus kept making fun of him.

"Don't be like that! Give it to Neville, he'll write it for you…"

"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Hermione snapped. "Don't tell me you make Neville write your homework?"

"What's wrong with that? He's happy to help!"

"Neville!" the girl turned to the silently writing Longbottom boy. "Don't write their homework! They are just using you!"

"Hermione!"

"Do you want a detention?" the prefect looked at them angrily. Both boys stopped talking.

"Ron, say something!" Seamus groaned.

However, the Weasley boy straightened with shining eyes and pulled his books closer. "Let's study or else we won't get good jobs at the Ministry!" he said with pretended seriousness.

The others started laughing around him, earning disapproving glances from the fourth year girls.

"That's great! But I…" Dean sat down in one of the armchairs, "… I don't want to work at the Ministry. I'll be a photographer! The things we did at the end of the year made me certain that's the thing I want to do for the rest of my life."

"Photographer?"

"At some paper?" Hermione picked up a cookie and stopped writing her Runes in Healing essay.

"Maybe. But I'd like to be a freelancer…"

"Well, Luna will probably be able to get you work at her father's paper. That way you will have at least a little bit of money," Colin joked.

"Anything but that!" Dean shook his head. "I'd work anywhere but at that paper! Don't tell this to Luna…"

"But don't forget that they printed the interview with Harry. No one would know the truth if it weren't for them."

Harry looked up for a moment then continued writing his DADA homework.

"That's true."

"And did you tell this to the Muggle Studies teacher?" Hermione turned back to the original subject.

"Yeah. I talked to the professor yesterday. She said if my NEWTs will be good, she'll get me into a good place to get some routine."

"That's great!"

"I wish my future was so clear too!" Ron sighed. "Everyone has goals now except me… I'll end up without a job in the end…"

"Talk to Professor McGonagall again, she'll help," Ginny said. "I visited her yesterday and we talked a lot."

"What did she suggest?" Lavender asked.

"She said that looking at my grades, I should become an Auror."

"Oh yeah, that bat spell of yours is something," Neville grinned at her.

"Come, be an Auror, brother!" the girl whined like a baby.

"Done!" Harry put the last dot at the end of his homework and leaned back. "I can't handle anything more!"

"Harry's out…" Ron smiled. "We really should stop studying…"

"But we still have…"

However, her boyfriend's gaze stopped Hermione's protest.

"We have to go patrolling too! Can't we relax a little?"

"I thought it was Anthony's turn today!"

"Wrong…"

"Fine, I give up…"

Harry stretched but flinched when Ginny poked his butt with a quill. "Hey!"

"Don't take up so much space! I want to sit down too!"

"Okay, okay…" Harry rubbed his backside. For a while, everyone watched the fire silently.

"Oh yeah, what are you doing during the winter holiday?" Neville asked.

"We all know that Hermione will study all the time," they said in union.

"That's not true," the girl tried protesting, but she knew it was unnecessary.

"Who stays here?"

"We are going skiing," Dean said. "So don't count on me."

"I have to go home too," Seamus shrugged. "Mom said she at least wants to see me during the holiday… I don't know why…"

"I think I'll stay. Most of the prefects want to go home, so at least Hermione and I will stay. Harry's staying, as well as Ginny…"

"Um, no, I'm going home."

"What? Mom didn't tell me…"

"We talked about it a long time ago… she must have forgotten," his sister said and looked at Harry.

"And you, Neville?" Hermione asked.

"I won't be here either," the boy sighed, looking at the flames. "Grandma wants to visit my parents… as always…"

The others didn't really know how to react to that.

"Are they… are they getting better?" Seamus asked quietly. "I mean…"

"Seamus wants to ask," Hermione helped out, "… if there is any improvement…"

"No…" Neville still didn't look away from the fire. "The Healers say that they won't ever get better…"

"Hurry up, Hermione!" Harry shouted back.

After Fencing they didn't have enough time to change clothes and so they had to put on their shirts and robes while running.

"I'm coming!"

"You know we have to give Snape the potion today. If we're late, we'll get a bad mark!"

"He won't do that! He likes you; he won't bite your head off for being a little late!"

Ron was a corridor ahead of them already. "Where were you?" he asked while slowing down to match their paces.

"Hermione's so slow…"

"Harry!"

"Oh yeah, Harry, when's Marie coming?"

"In less than two weeks!" the boy winked happily. "The plane is landing around noon on Thursday. But how she'll get to the train is a mystery."

"Thursday?"

"Yes. You know, before everyone gets home."

"Oh…"

"In her letter, she wrote that she managed to get the two wizards that were protecting her to come out of hiding. They will escort her. I can't wait to see her!"

They turned the corner and almost ran into Lamerin.

"Oh, God! It this broke now…" Ron breathed out, watching his unharmed vial.

"Are you headed to Dad's office?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah. Is he still there?"

"Yes, but you don't have to hurry. They are consulting about the marks with Honeybourne. It'll probably take some more time…"

"See, I told you there was no reason to run," Hermione said while rearranging her clothes.

"What's that?" Lamerin asked looking at the vials.

"Our homework we need to give to your father."

They sat down on the dark, green-lit corridor. The light changed their healthy skin color into a sickly greenish, with only their eyes shining brightly.

Harry didn't like the Slytherin corridors. There were no windows and the moldy air reminded him of his old room. He spent most of his childhood in a small cupboard without windows. He never had the chance to watch the sun rise because he always had to get up early to make breakfast. And seeing the sunset was a rare thing too.

He couldn't imagine how people could live down here without feeling caged. How could someone not want to see the sun? Did everyone want to be a vampire here? He would have gone crazy if he didn't have the chance to sit at the window in the Gryffindor tower… if he didn't have the chance to watch the beautiful scenery.

After waiting for a little while, the door finally opened and Honeybourne stepped out, still holding his quill.

"Good afternoon, Professor," they greeted him, Ron being a bit louder than the others.

"Oh, Weasley," the man nodded. "Don't worry, we don't plan on letting you fail," he tried joking.

"Great," Ron grimaced.

"And the young Snape," the man regarded Lamerin with narrowed eyes. "He's all grown up," he added while ruffling the boy's hair. Lamerin looked like he wanted to strangle him.

Harry watched the man who seemed to notice him too.

"Potter," the man watched him stiffly. He hadn't had the chance to talk to the boy since he started working there. "The young celebrity…"

The light in Harry's big green eyes shined brightly thanks to the torches. His gaze was so penetrating that Honeybourne shivered visibly. That was when Snape stepped out of the office too.

"Harry," he greeted in surprise.

"Good afternoon, Professor," Hermione began. "We'd like to give you the finished potions…"

"Right…" He took the small box from the girl that already contained Ron's vial too. Everyone was waiting for Harry, who kept watching the other man. "Harry," the professor coughed.

A strange smile appeared on the boy's face and he complied without a word.

"Then… bye," was all Honeybourne said.

Snape took the box into the office and looked the door after coming out then looked at the children.

"Can we have some tea in the staff room?" Lamerin asked upon seeing his father's tired face. He was still wondering about Harry's strange behavior.

"Sure."

"Can they join us?"

The two prefects didn't have any objections; with their prefect duties, they spent quite a lot of time there.

"Yeah," Snape sighed and rearranged his son's hair.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked quietly, but Harry only shook his head and told him that they will talk about it later.

"So how many students failed?" Lamerin tried starting a conversation.

"No one in his class. He doesn't ask much from his students."

"We don't just laze around…" Ron murmured, but the empty corridor made his voice louder so everyone could hear it.

"Professor," Hermione started. "I'd like to ask you about the test. Are we going to have it before the holiday?"

"Probably…" Snape admitted with a smile. He still felt odd walking with the three students he punished the most in the last five years.

"Oh, well… thank you…" Hermione paled. She had two big tests to study for, so this news wasn't making her happy at all.

Harry walked next to them silently, waiting for the time they finally reach the light. When they left the Slytherin corridors, the sunlight was blinding, but felt good. They reached the staff room and saw a few teachers talking with a few parents in front of the door. A man in his late forties wearing a yellow and black robe was talking to Professor Sprout. Snape sighed and hoped not to be disturbed throughout the afternoon.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his tightly, almost like it was searching for something to hold onto.

Lamerin tried holding him back… and hide behind him with a pale, sweaty face and wide eyes. He scared his father so much that the man dropped everything he had in his hands. He turned around slowly, his robes billowing behind him and knelt down in front of his son who was sitting by the wall, shivering.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

However, the boy held his head like he was trying to protect himself from something or someone. Hermione froze behind them, but Ron, seeing Lamerin like that, wanted to do something.

"Professor Snape, do you want me to get Madame Pomfrey or the teachers?"

"No!" Lamerin yelled, watching the man standing in front of the staff room.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Dad, keep me safe!" he pleaded quietly. "Please, hide me! Don't let him see me!"

"Who?"

"That man!" his son pointed towards the end of the corridor.

Snape took the boy's hands.

"Why? Who is he?"

"One of the people who raised me! I don't want to go back there! Please, dad, don't let him see me!"

"Oh, God!" Hermione whispered.

However, the professor's eyes filled with anger. He stood up and looked at the man. Harry had never seen him like that. The way he pulled out his wand and his eyes shined with rage…

Yes, there was never any light in Snape's eyes, but now… He had black eyes like Hagrid, but they never shined. They lacked the friendly light that was always present in the half-giant's eyes. They weren't like that now either… they were like some rare jewels… Harry couldn't really understand what he saw, but he grabbed the man's hand when he wanted to run to that man. Ron tried holding him back as he grabbed his other hand.

"No!"

"Professor! Don't!"

"You can't!" Hermione screamed.

"Leave it! If you…"

However, Harry couldn't finish it, as Snape shoved him and his friend away with much force. Ron looked at his aching elbow while Harry watched his professor confusedly. The man looked at his son who tried to stop him from hurting that man with shining blue eyes.

Wha…? What's happening?

"Dad, please, don't! Don't do it! That would ruin everything!"

"But why not? That man hurt you… he deserves to…"

"I'm more afraid of what would happen to us after you do that…" the boy said and his tears finally spilled.

Snape calmed down slowly and sat on the floor. The boy hugged him gratefully, still shivering. The man blinked and his eyes turned back to the usual black without any light in them. He looked at his students who were still lying on the floor and Hermione who was leaning against the wall. He helped his son up and they made their way back to the Slytherin corridors.

"What the hell was that?" Ron asked.

"You saw it too, right?" Hermione whispered.

"What?"

"You saw it! His eyes!"

"Yes, but…"

"Come with me!"

"Hermione, what the…"

"Come on!"

The girl didn't stop until they reached the library while the two boys ran after her.

"What?"

"Quiet!" the girl whispered while walking between the shelves.

Harry recognized the books they used during DADA. "Hermione, what…?"

The girl picked a black, dusty book from the shelf. "You want to know?" she sounded hysterical. "Look!" she turned the book towards them after opening it at a certain chapter.

"Okay, now I really don't understand! 'Recognizing vampires and blood-line research'?"

"Can't you understand, Ron?! Professor Snape really is a…"

"…vampire…" Harry finished the sentence in surprise.