Harry gritted his teeth, stuffing his things into his book bag. Ron next to him was also seething. Snape, once again had vanished their potion, this time because it was not the right colour of green. How were they supposed to create the right potion if Malfoy threw flobberworm pus in their cauldron? Of course, once again, Snape had completely ignored the boys bullying behaviour and then docked points from them when they had spoken up. He had also waited just long enough that Ron and Harry hadn't enough time to redo the potion before Snape vanished the potion. It was infuriating. Snape had always been bad, but this year was worse and it was only the first week.
Before he had mainly berated Harry, being snarky and sometimes belittling. Now he was downright mean. In every one of the three classes they had so far, he had given Harry zero points and gloated about it. Also, his insults had turned nastier by the minute. While before they were mostly about being famous and not as great as the stories, something Harry deep down somewhat agreed with, even though he didn't like the stories either, now Snape made quite a few comments about his father. How he was similar to him in arrogance and other really unfavourable traits. In one of the worse moments, Snape had implied that it was good that James Potter was dead. Harry had snapped his quill at that implication and bitten on his lip so hard, he had drawn blood. He knew Snape tried to rile him up and bait him. The man wanted Harry to flip, he wanted him to scream, so he could put him in detention, as he did with Ron when Harry's friend called him out on that statement. Of course, Snape stated that was what he meant and had taken 20 points from Gryffindor for implying that a teacher would say something like that add to the detention.
The only silver lining was that this evening would be Friday and Harry would have his last detention with the greasy haired potions professor and that was a good thing. Harry wasn't sure if he could hold up if that would have continued. Every evening he would walk down to the dungeons, his mood getting sadder and sadder already. Dawn would coo and chirp demanding deepest cuddles. She understood by now what it meant being down there in the evening and the little bird hated it. Every evening, Snape would force him to put Dawn in his office and then lock it. For the entire evening, he would berate Harry, gloating about the boy's misery and make him do demeaning things. Yesterday had been particularly bad when Snape kept him for three hours. Harry hadn't even gotten out of the potions room, Dawn huddled against his chest before the tears had streamed down his face. It had gotten worse and worse and he had barely made it back into the dorm rooms, not stopping in the common room, before he broke down and just cried for an hour. It had been horrible. Then his mirror had vibrated, signalling a call from Sirius.
Harry swiped his hand across his cheek, grabbing the mirror and holding it up. Dawn was snuggled against his chest while he was lying on the bed, curled to a ball. The small familiar still made very glum noises and pecked him into the chest a few times. Her warmth had seeped into his chest, trying to fight the sadness inside, while both of them cuddled together, trying to forget what happened the past three hours. Again the mirror vibrated. Harry didn't want to answer it, but knew he would cave. He again swiped away the tears and allowed the connection to happen. Harry sat up, leaning against the headboard of his bed. The mirror clouded, while Dawn was scooped up by him and pressed against his chest. He planted a kiss on her head, getting a bittersweet chirp from her. That made him smile sadly before his eyes focused on the mirror again.
The clouds disappeared and the grinning form of Siris appeared on the surface. Harry's godfather wore his long black hair down, cascading over his shoulders. He was apparently sitting at his desk, considering the background with the big Black crest on it. The late evening sun was casting a red and orange glow over the godfather's appearance as he tried to avoid work. His smirk played testimony to that, because he had this mischievous look on his face, grinning like a boy who stole a cookie.
"Harry, hey, I know we said I would just call but Narcissa has been up my ass the entire day I just need someone to complain to for..." His voice trailed off and he leaned a little closer, his smile faltered a little.
"What's wrong?" He asked, looking at Harry with a little bit worry. His grey eyes were darting around, taking in his godsons appearance. Eyes bloodshot and puffy, his nose red and he held Dawn much closer than usual. It was obvious the boy had cried and not just a little bit. Sirius was worried, his godson was a sensitive boy but not really a crybaby. Also, he looked really dejected. Sirius felt a lump of ice slide down into his stomach and he shifted a little. His first instinct was to jump out of his chair and make his way over to Hogwarts to find his godson. Harry rubbed over his right eye with the palm of his hand before he shook his head.
"It's nothing, Sirius..." His voice trailed off and he looked down. He couldn't look into Sirius steel grey eyes at all, so he looked down at his beloved familiar. Dawn looked up in turn, hopping a little on his chest, trying to reach the sad face of her beloved boy. It made Harry smile again. This little ball of feathers loved him so unconditionally, with no reservation, he hadn't felt this ever before in his life and it always made him smile. Sirius frowned deeply when Harry shook his head, leaning forward even more. His eyes roamed around the boy's face, trying to tell him to raise his gaze. Please, Harry, look at me. He pleaded in his head and for a short while it was quiet between the two of them until Sirius let out a quiet word.
"Prongslet..." He just whispered, unsure what to do. He had never before dealt with a downhearted teenager and this could be anything from girls, to friends, to worse. Harry finally looked up with his emerald green eyes. He frowned too.
"It's nothing...just...Snape." He whispered out and Sirius decided this was definitely in the worst category. The tall man stood up in his chair, needing to move, while his face change from worry to worry and anger.
"Snivellus? What did that greasy haired buffoon do?" Sirius hissed angrily, walking up to the window, needing to move, to act in any form. Harry looked so sad and defeated at the moment. Harry squinted his eyes, casting them down again. He groaned rubbing over his forehead.
"He, just..." He groaned again, then sighed. "After last year he got worse. He never liked me in any way, a sentiment I return dearly. But this year it got even worse. He always vanishes my potion for no reason, stating there is Phoenix dust in it and that rendered it useless and gave me zero points two sessions in a row." Harry tried to keep it in, yet a fit of certain anger came through in his voice. Sirius tilted his head slightly.
"Is Phoenix dust even a thing? Never heard of it before." He said a little confused. Yet even Sirius had to accept that Snape was an extraordinary potioneer and a master of his trade. Harry shrugged slightly, still angry.
"I have no idea. Hermione said she found nothing about Phoenix dust in any book and had never heard of it, so I think it is just another way of him making a fool out of me." Harry was now more focused on his anger. Sirius raised his head from still thinking.
"Yet another? What is he doing to you?" He asked with an alarmed voice. He never liked the man. He was a greasy bitter asshole.
Harry shook his head, suddenly wide-eyed. "N-Nothing doesn't matter." He had not wanted to say what he had said, he didn't want to pull Sirius into this. His godfather had more than enough to do, getting involved with the Wizengamot, staying on top of the obscenely complicated financial part of House Black and also the Potter fortune, taking care of Narcissa and also dealing with the aftermath of being exposed to Dementors for a decade. He didn't need Harry's baggage, some small schoolboy problems, some little things he should be old enough to take care of by himself. He had so many more important things to do. He would deal with this himself and-
"Prongslet?" Sirius' voice wasn't angry, it wasn't sad, just worried. Harry looked up into the eyes of his godfather and he saw worry and love. The man was staring at him with such devotion that the black-haired boy felt his throat clench close. No one had been like this for him, looked at him like he was the most important person in the world to them. Sirius had said it over and over again but the knowledge of being the single most important person to such a great man was incomprehensible for Harry. A decade worth of being told he was a freak, that he was worthless to than everyone around him, a decade worth of being told that he was a bother, it was ingrained in his mind, on a fundamental way. Harry once again cast down his eyes, while Dawn snuggled closer, offering comfort in this whirlwind of feelings.
"S-Sirius, it's okay, I don't want to bother you and-"
Sirius voice cut his words off, but warm and considered. "Prongslet, look at me." Harry raised his eyes again and felt his throat once again clench at the love in these steel grey eyes.
"You are my godson, the most important person in the world. Your parents wanted me to look out for you when you need me when they couldn't be there for you. It is the greatest and most wonderful gift these two wonderful persons could have ever given to me. So tell me. You are no bother, I want to know. What does Snape do in class?" He asked with a soft voice. Harry felt his eyes burn when they started tearing up again and Dawn chirped loudly, ruffling on his chest. he could feel the wave of love and gratefulness that swallowed Harry at the moment and buried him deep. The whole world outside of the bed stopped existing at the moment. It took Harry a few moments, but then in a slow and croaked way, he began telling his godfather about the past years.
He told him about his first Potions lesson, when Snape had made an utter fool out of him, asking questions that were way to advanced for him. He told him about the shame he had felt, about thinking it was his fault for over half a year when he had thought he should have been more prepared. He told him about the anger his embarrassment had turned into when he realised that Snape had it out for him even more than the other Gryffindors.
He told Sirius about the time Snape had given him detention because his potion had turned out a smelling mess, even though it wasn't his fault at all. He had been distracted due to their research about Flamel and he had dropped Fairy wings instead of legs into it. It was half decent and Harry knew by now it would still have done the job, it had only smelled bad. Yet he had gotten detention while Goyle got five points for Slytherin because the desk under his molten Cauldron hadn't melted too.
He told his godfather about the fact that Snape was Neville's boggart and how wrong that was. A teacher shouldn't be a student's greatest fear. He told him about the mean behaviour that followed after Professor Snape had learned about the fact that Neville had ridiculed him in front of the entire class, giving his boggard the clothes of his grandmother including her strange vulture hat. That memory made him smile for short.
He also told him about the hundreds of times he had been ridiculed, belittled, made fun of, been yelled at and been punished unjustly by the head of house Slytherin, while his own house could reign free. He ended with the insults that Snape had used about his own father, making Sirius seethe in anger. He had been mostly quiet during the tale, not speaking for quite some time. Hearing what that slimy bastard said about his best friend made his blood boil. He had tried to stay calm, listening, he didn't want to frighten Harry. After a few calming breathes, he nodded, gritting his teeth.
"I will take care of this Prongslet, I promise. Keep your head up for a couple of days and it will all be well, trust me." He said it with much determination making Harry smile. It felt good. That his fears had been deemed noticeable by Sirius felt great. He felt again the warmth and thankfulness wash through him and he ruffled Dawn's feathers. He felt way better than before the call. Telling someone about all this had felt great and he was happy that he did it.
"I will hang in, don't worry Padfoot." Then his smile fell a little. "I have just to survive detention tomorrow." Harry felt a little of the happiness fall of again when he thought about the next evening and his hand came around Dawn in a possessive manner. The bird chirped and huddled closer like she was cold all the sudden. Sirius frowned again, asking carefully.
"What happens in your detention?"
Harry sighed, looking at Dawn and he played with her feet for a moment, trying to distract himself from the question. "He makes me scrub cauldrons, something we often do but..." He lost himself in the sight of his familiar jumping up on his hand and he nuzzles her with his nose.
"But?" Sirius wouldn't let go now, like a dog with a bone he would pull until he got it. Harry took a deep breath and sighed. Then he looks at Padfoot with such sadness.
"He locks Dawn in his office during the time and she hates it." For a moment it was quiet, Sirius just stared at him. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open for a little bit.
"WHAT?" He yelled, blinking at Harry. The boy winced and said nothing. Sirius stared for a moment again, then his face turned angrier and angrier until he looked furious.
"That mother fuc...Damn bastard! I...I will take care of this Harry I promise! That will NOT happen again, you hear me?" He pressed it out. The only time Harry had seen him so angry was when he had seen the bruise on Narcissa's cheek. He was a little worried. Sirius had a temper, hopefully, he didn't do something terrible.
"Okay Harry, I will take care of this, immediately. Stay safe and don't worry I will take care of it. You better go down to your friends now, take your mind off it. And cuddle Dawn extra tight for me today."
Harry wasn't sure what to say, so he nodded and said goodbye.
After that Harry had gone down to the common room and spent the evening with his friends. He had tried to take his mind of things but he was worried Sirius would do something stupid or rash. They had played wizarding chess but Harry had no chance against Ron when he put his mind to it and in his absentminded state, he almost bored his friend with it. That night, after nuzzling close to Dawn and placing Gryf on a warm pillow Harry had laid there, thinking and worrying. More than once he had the mirror in his hand, thinking about calling Sirius but he never did.
The next morning Snape was at the head table and nothing had been different. Harry decided to call Sirius after school that day, trying to stop him from doing something stupid. Harry ate his breakfast, thinking and thinking. Dawn noticed his glum mood and tried cheering him up, jumping around him with even more energy, trying to cheer him up and while Harry did smile about her antics, he didn't put his heart into it.
So he had gone to potions and it was obvious that Snape and Sirius hadn't clashed. Snape had been the same nasty mean bugger he had been before no less no more. Yet more would probably mean hexing Harry or hitting him. He stood up with a groan and made his way to the exit only half-hearted listening to the voice behind him.
"Remember today you still have detention Potter." Snape's cold voice was cutting into his core and Harry just barely got the needed Yes sir out of his lungs. He pushed open the door and walked out only stopping a few feet out of the door.
In the corridor, wearing a well-fitted long robe of dark blue velvet, her hair pinned up in a complex hair duo, her one hand stemmed to the hip in a perfect manner was Narcissa. She stood there like she owned Hogwarts itself, her head slightly tilted and the eyes cold and aloft. Harry froze for a moment, then he picked up the pace, stepping closer.
"Narcissa. What are you doing here?" He said in a quiet way. She turned her head and her steel grey eyes leveled on the boy. There was a little bit of judgement in her gaze, due to his lack of formal approach in a public scenario.
"Lord Peverell, good day to you." She said with a cold and emotionless voice and made a curtsy in front of him. Harry remembered his manners, bowing his head slightly like he had learned from her and he cleared his throat.
"Miss Black, I hope you are well. May I ask, what brings you to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, the moment Ron and Hermione came up next to him, curiously looking at Narcissa. She turned to the two of them shortly.
"Miss Granger, Mr Weasley." Then she turned back. "Yes I'm well Lord Peverell, thank you. I came here due to the letter you send a few days ago as well as taking care of a little business for Lord Black." Her eyes trailed up and to the door, where just now a platinum blond boy walked out of the classroom.
Harry followed her gaze, seeing his old rival in the corridor. The boy has his trademark smirk plastered to his face and he was talking to his friends Crabbe and Goyle. Both bigger boys chuckled and grinned at whatever joke the Malfoy heir had made. Draco had made a point of wearing the symbol of house Malfoy proudly now, so large that Professor McGonagall had forced him to reduce the size of it because there was a regulation in Hogwarts to what size scions of noble houses were allowed to wear their house crest on their school robes. Draco turned his gaze, seeing his mother standing in the hallway. He raised his eyebrows surprised. He stopped in the middle of his step. Narcissa shifted a little, but before she could move to walk over, the boy sneered and turned away, walking down the corridor followed by his little gang. Narcissa sighed and turned back to Harry. The boy stepped a little closer, placing a hand on her forearm for comfort. Dawn chirped at her, and she managed a small and sad smile.
"I'm sorry Lord Peverell." She said quietly. Harr shook his head and gave her a comforting smile.
"No need Narcissa, you said you came because Sirius asked you to?" Harry said trying to distract the glum woman. Narcissa smirked a little.
"Something like that."
-Flashback-
"I will kill that damn bastard!" The yell outside of her room jolted her from her thoughts. Narcissa stood from her desk. She had been writing the last half hour and only the yelling of Sirius in front of the door made her stop. Quickly she made her way to the door and looked outside. Her cousin was in the middle of the corridor fighting with his outer robes, trying to put it on. Narcissa frowned and stepped outside.
"Are you alright? What is going on Sirius?" She asked, closing the door to her room behind her back. Sirius stopped struggling with his coat and turned to her. Narcissa flinched back a little. His eyes were flaring with anger and there was the madness she had seen once or twice now, glistening through. It was well known that the Black family tended to insanity more often than not. Her own sister Bellatrix had lost her mind far before she had been turned to Azkaban. It had been when she was with child, for the first time. Bellatrix had fallen on the stairs, breaking her arm and worse, losing the baby. After that her sister had never been the same again, turning to anger and mad mumbling. For all Narcissa knew it had only become worse in Azkaban.
Her aunt and uncle, Sirius parents, had also been nutjobs. They had turned to crazy rants about blood purity and they were paranoid. Grimmauld Place had more protections and trap wards than any other house in the entirety of England and quite a few of the more nasty traps had been laid out by Sirius parents. Sirius had disabled most of them, keeping them in some kind of hibernation, in case it would be needed someday. Yet their crazy paranoia had led them to abuse her cousin, even though their Grandfather had stopped most of it. Yet he lived in Black Manor and therefore hadn't seen everything.
Now Narissa saw once again that unstable flame burning in steel grey eyes. She probably wouldn't be able to stop him, if he decided to attack her, even though that was highly unlikely. Sirius was a very loyal person and he wouldn't hurt her. Yet Sirius' hand was twitching a little, but Narcissa stood her ground. This was more like not flinching when a dog barks at you than anything. He prowled closer.
"God damn Snivellus is what is going on Cissy." He hissed at her. He was almost half a head taller than her, staring down. She crossed her arms frowning.
"Yes, what is Severus doing?" She asked, calmly, like they were talking about the weather.
"He...He...He is making Harry's life a living hell!" Sirius growled, stepping a little back. His posture was a little hunched down, and the lights in the lamps were flickering in response to his flaring magic. Narcissa felt it like a thick blanket pressuring all around her. She tilted her head slightly, unimpressed.
"Is this really Severus doing something wrong or you just wanting him to be wrong?" The moment she said the words, she knew she made a mistake. Sirius' eyes flashed again and his hand twitched towards his wand, not pulling it still. The pressure of his magic increased tremendously. The floorboards arched and cracked and one by one the lamps turned off in a really creepy way. The pressure got more around her, and she had difficulty breathing. Like a big hand that was crushing her lungs under an enormous force. Sirius robes were billowing in a breeze that wasn't there and his face was contorted in a feral snarl.
"Siri!" She called out. Sirius blinked and all the sudden the pressure was gone and she tumbled to the ground. Sirius knelt next to her in an instant, unsure whether he should touch her or not.
"I'm so sorry Cissy, I just...the anger...I...Merlin, damn, shit shit shit." He whispered, finally taking up her hand. She sat up and leaned against him, his arm instantly coming around her shoulders.
"It's okay Siri. You are angry, it's okay. Please, take a deep breath."
The panicked head of house Black took a deep breath, then a second one, then a third. This continued for a while, Sirius just breathing, while Narcissa waited. It was a game of patience and almost two minutes later Sirius raised his head again. By then he was a little calmer, sighing.
"He forces Harry and Dawn apart. I just, I just saw red." He whispered, more ashamed than anything. Suddenly he had a feeling how Remus must have felt all these times he woke up bloody and naked in the Shrieking Shack. He had been this close to really hurting Narcissa! This close. She placed her hand on his arm, smiling sadly at him.
"Azkaban has left more marks on you than you care to imagine yourself, Siri. You have to be more careful." She said. Sirius nodded. Still, a little shaken, Narcissa stood up. She then turned a strong face.
"You will not go out there and deal with Severus. Let me handle it." She said, firmly believing in her voice. Sirius frowned, shaking his head.
"This is about Harry, I'm his godfather, this is my obligation." He again started walking towards the stairs.
Narcissa placed her had on his chest stopping him. "And I am his proxy. If you go out there, you will kill him." A moment of silence followed that. "And when you do, being Lord Black will not save you. And Harry would be alone." Both of them stared at each other in the eye. A battle of will was fought, Sirius' passionate need to protect his beloved godson versus Narcissa's rational point of view. The moment stretched out and none of them blinked. Finally, Sirius flinched, letting his head hang low. "But I must protect him." He whispered. Narcissa smiled.
"You do. By staying out of prison and being there for him." She smiled softly at him.
"And Snivellus gets away with this?" He said with bile in his voice, his hands rolling to fists. Narcissa shook her head, smirking.
"No. As I said, let me handle this. I know that man and where to put in the lever so it really hurts. Separating Dawn and Harry. When I am done with him he will wish you had killed him." Sirius smiled a little at the furious and deadly tone his cousin used. This was the Narcissa that he knew from school, the Ice-Queen of Slytherin, the one from before her son had denounced her. Snivellus had his sympathy. Almost.
"Is there something I can do?"
She smirked, winking at him. "It would be really helpful if you could write a few letters for now."