"What? Oh, yes, sir. It's true."
"Harry, what exactly did Professor Snape do to you during detention?" Professor McGonagall intervened, giving Snape a most unfriendly look.
Harry blinked, not sure what his Head of House was asking about. The lines? The slap? The near-caning?
Before he could reply, Snape did. "I тАУ I misinterpreted something Potter said and confused him with his father. I lost my temper and struck him. Hard enough to send him into the wall. He hit his head, broke his glasses, and suffered a cut. There is no excuse for my actions, and I would gladly submit to a Cruciatus if I could undo it."
Harry looked at him curiously. He had no idea what a Crucio-thingy was, but the other teachers now appeared a lot less angry than they had just a few moments ago. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eye had made a comeback, and if anything that made Snape look even more sour than usual. "Headmaster, if you say 'I told you so' тАУ"
"Severus, my dear boy, would I ever say such a thing?"
Madame Pomfrey bustled forward. "Don't think that you have heard the last from me, Severus," she said darkly as she enfolded Harry in her arms. "Come along, Mr Potter, let's get all those bruises healed."
Harry looked over his shoulder as he was hustled out by the medi-witch. Snape was watching him, and Harry gave him a little smile and wave as the witch pulled him away. Snape just frowned back at him, but Harry was beginning to understand that that was the professor's equivalent to a smile and nod.
"Severus, how you could strike a child like that тАУ " McGonagall began angrily.
"I agree, Minerva. It is completely inexcusable. Much like a Head of House missing signs of abuse and not being aware that one of her charges is completely incapable of holding a quill properly and is too blind to see a blackboard," Snape said evenly.
McGonagall closed her mouth, opened it, closed it again, then finally threw her hands up with a wordless exclamation. "Severus Snape, you are utterly impossible!" She marched up to him, and Snape tensed, waiting for the hex or slap that was sure to come.
It was only fair. If another professor had slapped around one of his little snakes the way he had belted Potter, he would have been a lot quicker about exacting revenge. Minerva was just as protective of her House as he was of his or as Dumbledore was about the entire school. Severus had already decided that whatever she did, he was just going to take it. He had been serious about the Crucio, and although he couldn't undo the injury to Potter тАУ and the concomitant blow to whatever sense of security Harry had been beginning to develop about Hogwarts тАУ he could at least endure his own punishment with as much fortitude as the boy had shown. Voldemort had given him plenty of practice in that regard.
To his everlasting astonishment, Minerva kissed him softly on the cheek and whispered, "Harry is lucky to have found a protector like you, Severus," before heading to the infirmary in pursuit of Poppy and Harry.
Snape was so thunderstruck, it wasn't until well after Minerva had left that he gathered his few remaining wits and protested, "I am not that brat's protector!"
A chuckle from the side made him turn to face Albus, and Snape suddenly felt as young and as vulnerable as Harry. He eyed the Headmaster warily, certain that he would not be as forgiving as his Deputy. After all, Snape тАУ the evil bat of the dungeons, the horrible Death Eating Slytherin тАУ had attacked a student, and not just any student, but Harry Potter. Surely, at the very least, he was going to receive the tongue-lashing of the decade and be assigned penance that would make even Voldemort whimper. Acting as Gryffindor's quidditch coach, perhaps? Or assisting the house elves in preparing and serving meals in the Great Hall? The Dark Lord only used Unforgivables; Dumbledore was a lot more inventive when it came to torturing people.
"I assume you will come up with an alternate plan for Mr Potter's care, now that you are no longer willing to entrust him to his relatives and the safety of the blood wards?" Dumbledore asked politely.
Snape fidgeted. "I can see that such a responsibility would not be inappropriate," he agreed stiffly.
"And you will visit the Dursleys to explain the situation to them?"
Now that was a task Severus was going to enjoy. "Yes!" he agreed instantly, a wolfish grin lighting up his dour features.
"And you will continue to do your best to repair your relationship with Harry."
"I don't have a relationship with Potter!" The retort flew out automatically, before he could stop it, and he quailed at the look on Dumbledore's face. "Yes, all right, I will," he agreed, the words falling over each other in his haste to get them out. And in his heart, he knew it was the right thing to do. He had, like it or not, reached out to the boy. Well, actually he had lashed out at the boy first, and only afterwards reached out, but he needed to make amends for the first and to be honest, he was finding the second not nearly as hard to do as he had expected.
"Excellent, my boy. Then I suggest you return to your quarters and get some rest. I'm sure you will want to visit Harry in the infirmary early tomorrow morning to make your apologies."
Snape hesitated at the door. Was that really all? Dumbledore was showing amazing restraint. Even for a wizard of the Light, his response was astonishingly lenient. Snape wouldn't have been surprised to find himself stretched over a chair while a charmed cane acted out Harry's worst imaginings. But Albus had turned away and was idly stroking Fawkes. With a bewildered shrug, Snape turned to go.
"Oh, Severus," Albus called just as he was about to close the door, "you do understand that if you ever, ever again strike a student in so brutal a fashion, you will not survive the night, correct?" The magical aura that accompanied the words was strong enough to make Snape's robes billow about his legs and blow his hair off his forehead.
Snape swallowed hard. "Yes, Headmaster."
"Then good night, dear boy." Albus smiled benignly as the door closed behind him.
Severus Snape let out a long, slow breath as he made his way down the stairs to his dungeon. He had been right тАУ with Potter around, his life would never be the same, but somehow he found he didn't really mind.
*Chapter 1*: Chapter 1
Harry's New Home
Author's Note: This is a sequel to "Harry's First Detention" and makes reference to events in that story. If you haven't read it, this story may not make much sense... If you have read the story, then this sequel tells the tale of how Snape fulfilled the tasks Dumbledore assigned him. This story picks up only a few days after "Harry's First Detention". Hope you enjoy!
"So, Severus, you wished to speak with me? About Mr Potter, I believe?" Albus Dumbledore said encouragingly, proffering a dish of lemon drops.
"No, thank you, Headmaster," Snape replied, managing not to roll his eyes at the ubiquitous candy. Really, even with magic, how did the man have a tooth left in his head? Anyone in doubt as to Dumbledore's magical prowess had only to compare his snacking habits with his dentition to confirm his enormous power. "And yes, it is about Potter. You had requested тАУ " ordered "- that I determine the appropriate substitute to those horrendous Muggles whom you considered suitable guardians for the past decade."
Albus sighed. "I doubt I will ever be able to forgive myself. I am only glad that you were able to learn the truth of their abusive behavior so quickly after Harry's arrival here and to convince the boy to speak up."