"It's good to see that you've formed a strong bond there," said his teacher. "I must admit, Harry, I've had my doubts all along about your adoption. I suppose I didn't think you and Severus could get along well enough to... but enough of that. I was obviously in error."
"Is that why you didn't want me moving down to the dungeons in the first place?" blurted Harry. He'd always felt a little hurt by her attitude.
"Considering the level of animosity that had existed between you and Severus... well, frankly, I was unable to imagine that you weren't going to end up hexed into a puddle. Not to mention that Mr. Malfoy was already living there."
"Yeah, I thought Draco might kill me at first," said Harry. The memory was almost a fond one now, it seemed so ludicrous. "He kept trying to get me to trust him and I just couldn't. Well, wouldn't. But things are all right now. I like having a brother."
"About Severus dying, though," McGonagall said, smoothing directing the conversation. "Have you discussed your concerns with him?"
"Um... no, not really."
"I think you should. At the very least, ask him whom he has appointed to be your guardian in the event of his death."
Harry blinked. "I don't think he's appointed anyone."
"That's very unlikely. Wizard Family Services would have demanded he make arrangements."
Harry cleared his throat. "Um, another guardian won't make a difference if I lost my father. It's not like anyone could replace him..." A sick feeling twisted in his gut as events of a year ago rose up to haunt him. He'd thought that nobody could ever replace Sirius, either. And before that, hadn't Sirius sort of replaced his parents? Helped fill the aching chasm inside him, the one that said he was just a child and he wanted somebody to really care about him? Even if he was nearly grown, now?
McGonagall's expression softened. "But you're obviously concerned about losing Severus, Harry. You ought to broach the matter with him."
Harry's lip started hurting; it took him a minute to realise he was chewing on it. "You think I should tell him about the boggart?"
"I think you ought to let him know, one way or another, how events are affecting you. I imagine that asking him about his contingency plans would be more comfortable than discussing what you just witnessed that boggart doing."
That made sense, so Harry nodded. Then another thought occurred to him. "Do you know that because it's you he's appointed to be my guardian if... um, anything happens?"
"He's never discussed the matter with me."
"Then is it Dumbledore?"
"Professor Dumbledore, Harry. And as for who it is, I suggest once more that you ask Severus... that you ask your father. I honestly have no idea whom he would have selected."
"All right." Harry waited a moment, but when she said nothing further, added, "Am I dismissed?"
"Yes, certainly."
Harry stood up, then hesitated. "Those ten points, Professor. I don't suppose you'd reconsider? I really am putting up with an awful lot of sh-- um, shoddiness, from Professor Aran."
"I realise that now. Very clearly, yes," announced McGonagall in what Harry thought of as her professional voice. "But you must nonetheless maintain a respectful demeanour, Potter. I will not reconsider the points."
"But half of them will come from Slytherin and Severus warned me I'd better not lose Slytherin any points."
"A pity you weren't as anxious to avoid losing Gryffindor points throughout the past five years."
"Please, ma'am--"
"No, Potter. The points stand. Though I do have a question. If Professor Aran does not require his students to ward away any actual Dark Creatures, then why didn't you simply cast the spells using the standard incantations for your practical? He wouldn't have known they were ineffective, not without an actual boggart or such to demonstrate as much."
"Um, principle I guess," said Harry. "I didn't want to let him think he'd won."
McGonagall's voice was as dry as Snape's often got. "Not very Slytherin, if I may say so, Potter."
Harry bristled slightly. "You want me to give in to his prejudice and pretend I'm something I'm not?"
"No, but you might consider choosing your battles."
"Yes, ma'am." Harry sighed, and let himself out.
Ron and Nott were out there waiting, still glaring at each other. Hermione had evidently tired of their argument; she was standing at the end of the hall.
"You just had the steal the show in Defence, didn't you?" asked Nott. He seemed pretty good-natured about it, though. "Nobody's going to be talking about the way I turned the test around on Aran, not after the things you said to him. And you even kept him from taking points from Slytherin. Now that was bloody brilliant."
"I'm just tired of his shite." Harry glanced at Ron. "Why are you two fighting?"
"He has something to ask you."
"Yeah, he said that in class." Turning back to Nott, Harry gestured for him to get on with it.
"There's a Hogsmeade Saturday coming up," said Nott. "And your little Gryffindor friend is jealous, I suppose. Because I mentioned to him that you're being invited to go with Slytherin this time."
"Go with Slytherin," Harry repeated doubtfully.
"Yeah. You remember when Snape introduced you officially, he said he expected us to include you in study groups and the like? Well, it's taken me a while to talk some of the others 'round, but Blaise and Daphne agreed to... er..."
"Be seen with me?"
Nott flushed slightly. "Something like that."
"I told him you already had plans, Harry," Ron said, his voice fierce. "Said you wouldn't dream of breaking your word."
What word, Harry almost said, but then he figured out what Ron must mean. He'd promised Severus to go nowhere without his bodyguard, so to speak. And that wasn't just so that Ron and Hermione could look out for him if he had a problem with his magic. It was also to bolster the impression that he was vulnerable and needed protection.
It was to preserve the tactical advantage of surprise.
For all that though, Harry was tempted. He needed to get closer to Nott if he was going to figure out the mystery surrounding the Slytherin plague... which in turn could reveal the details of Pansy Parkinson's death. Harry wanted more than anything to get Draco's name cleared so that the other boy could get reinstated into Hogwarts.
And, if he was honest with himself, he could also use a break from Ron and Hermione's constant squabbling.
Not to mention how proud Snape would be if Harry could find a way to get himself more accepted by Slytherin.
This wasn't the way though, and he knew it.
"Yeah, I already have plans," Harry said. "I promised Ron and Hermione I'd go with them."
"You always go with them," wheedled Nott. "Come on, Potter. We want you to tell us what to do to knock our Reserve Seeker into shape--"
"Like he would!" yelled Ron.
"He's a Slytherin too, or are you too stubborn to really believe that?"
"Look, I hardly believe it sometimes," Harry said to shut Nott up. "Thanks for the invitation, but maybe some other time. And as for your Seeker, have him practice dives and turns. Seeing the Snitch is only half the battle; you have to be able to catch up with it as well."
Ron scowled.
Nott didn't look satisfied, either. "There's some other stuff I wanted to talk to you about--"
"Then you come with the three of us," suggested Harry.
Nott immediately backtracked. "Uh, no, that's all right. Well, maybe I'll see you in the village, then."
"Maybe." Harry shrugged. "I still have to ask if I can go, actually. Severus might refuse."
"But you missed the last Hogsmeade Saturday, too!" Ron complained.
"I said might. I'll see what I can do."
Nott gave him a long, thoughtful look. "Snape's really strict with you, I guess. Strange, I thought you'd be able to get away with more."
Snape hardly needed defending from his own students, but Harry felt fiercely protective all at once. "He's a good dad."