Harry Does Different CDLXXXI

Write Your Family

"Were your fate in MY hands I assure you ! The both of you would be on the train …TONIGHT!" the Head of Slytherin was actually a enjoying himself, not that he would allow the rotten Gryffindors to know that "As it is - -"

From behind the students another voice interrupted "- - they are NOT Severus. It will be for Professor McGonagall to determine their punishments."

"We'll go get our stuff." Moped Ron, already slinking out.

The witch queried "Whatever for Mr. Weasley?"

"You're going to expel us ain'cha?" if it was possible the redhead looked more miserable.

The Head of Gryffindor gave a look "I most certainly am not! However! To impress upon you the seriousness of what you have done, you will both be serving detention. Your families will receive correspondence on this matter."

Harry laughed sarcastically "Mad I didn't die."

"What was that, Mr. Potter?" it was only that McGonagall spoke first that she was focused on.

At first embarrassed he shrugged and said "As far as my aunt and uncle are concerned I could break every law we have and kill everyone in this castle. My only crime would be not dying too."

"NO parent would act that way toward a child Harry." Dumbledore chided lightly.

The barely teen's sneer was impressive, for his age "My aunt and uncle are anything but."

"The poor pampered prince didn't get the newest Muggle toy?" the Potion Master's taunt was delivered with well-practiced venom.

Ron looked desperate to escape the scene, but Harry's temper spiked "What is it with you? You've hated me since day one. Probably before that for all I know. Huh?" Ron almost fainted.

"I shan't have you disrespecting professors, Potter." McGonagall's tone was brittle.

Blood up, Harry snapped back "Hermione scolded me for bad grammar on that. Disrespect's not a verb."

"Never mind that." She waved off that matter "I'll not have students making false accusations about their professors."

The student gave all three teachers a dirty look and complained "Really? Alright, Professor McGonagall, when did you learn about a potion called Living Death?"

"I do not see any relevance Potter." She chastised, but then answered "The Draught of Living Death is generally a part of the Seventh-Year curriculum."

With a glare at the Potion Master Harry pointed out "Then I guess you wouldn't expect a student on his first day of school to brew it? According to HIM, I should."

"As I recall" Snape's tone was the stuff of nightmares "your little girlfriend seemed to know."

Now Ron's temper got the better of his fear "Hey now! Git!"

"Cut it." Harry snapped at his friend, then ignored the protest "Hermione's twice as smart as me and Ron put together and studies more than anyone else but maybe Percy. Did you see anyone else with their hand up? Including YOUR pet?"

Everyone knew exactly to whom Harry was referring and Snape chose a different attack "Irrelevant Potter. Besides, the most important consideration at that moment was your inattentiveness to my introduction."

"I can show you how to bottle fame, brew glory, or even put a stopper in death itself." Though the boy's tone lacked the gravitas, he did affect the teacher's mannerisms enough to make his point "Those were your exact words? Were they not, sir?"

He was right, and everyone knew it, so Dumbledore asserted himself "Harry, as a general rule, professors have neither positive nor negative opinions of their students. Certainly not prior to even meeting. And, regardless, as a matter of professionalism, we do not allow feelings …should they exist… to affect the performance of our duty." This, he felt, would conclude the matter.

"So? What reason did he have for calling Hermione a silly girl?" Harry shot back angrily "It couldn't be about me that first day! Maybe later like the way he kept taking points from Hufflepuff during the year just because Susan Bones was Ron's Potions partner. See, what we figured is because of HIS age, Snape was here with my parents- - - -"

Almost as one the administrators ALL interrupted to scold "That is PROFESSOR Snape, Harry/Potter."

"Yeah him .Anyway. " the boy half-acknowledged the correction, then glared at the Potion Master "It just clicked that one thing Hermione and my Mother have in common is them being Muggleborn. Everyone says how Mum should've been a Ravenclaw. Looks like hate from YOU is something else they share."

Ron looked like he wanted to ooze right through the floor. He muttered a barely audible "Bloody hell Harry. Didn't know you were going there! I mean Bloody hell!" And it was just as well for his discipline record that he may as well have.

"Since the pampered prince is getting his way again! I will be departing." Snape's voice was angry, rage even. But his face did not quite match that.

And as the Potion Master exited the office Dumbledore remarked "I fear you have made an implacable enemy, Harry."

"After Voldemort and Vernon, Snape and Malfoy are a joke!" Harry was sure his voice was loud enough to be heard, but he could not be positive as there was no visible reaction from the target of the taunt.

The Head of Gryffindor gave a cross look "A mere Muggle cannot be compared to You-Know-Who!"

"Hermione couldn't find anyone named Voldemort in the records, but she guessed …at most… if you didn't teach him, you were in school when he was." Harry retorted, and followed up "And, like Hermione pointed out in the bookstore, fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."

McGonagall could not formulate a response to that, Dumbledore jumped in "Voldemort notwithstanding, the matter of Professor Snape's history with your parents is not what you have deduced. Though I must compliment the processes by which you conclusions …even if inaccurate."

"And where, sir, have we erred?" asked Harry, not liking the explanation …or lack thereof.

The Headmaster offered a benevolent smile, colored with regret "Alas, young Harry, Professor Snape's story is his own to tell. However I strongly urge you to exercise restraint. And certainly not leap to conclusions based on incomplete information."

"Ahh, of course, Professor Dumbledore. I understand completely." Said Harry, sounding completely compliant. He nudged his friend toward the door "Come on, Ron, let's go."

Abcij

Out in the corridor the redhead grumbled "So what good did this get us?"

"Well start with the fact McGonagall didn't actually tell us WHEN any detention would be." The dark-haired boy pointed out "And we learned a WHOLE lot about why Snape hates me."

This produced a frown "But Professor Dumbledore you can't say anything. And you promised not to."

"I did? When?" there was some mischievousness in the retort, but it was rather dark. "I can't help what questions people ask me. And I certainly can't lie. It'd be nice if someone asked me why Snape hates me. Especially in the Gryffindor Common Room. Be nice if the twins were present. Parvati or Lavender too. Don'cha think?"