Harry Potter and the Misunderstanding

CHAPTER 10

What had happened that day to lead to Harry's one-sided argument with Severus Snape that evening - and Snape's disbelief that Harry's own family had treated him so poorly?

After breakfast, Snape had ordered Harry into the library where the same books, parchment, ink and quills as yesterday were laid out on the desk waiting for him.

'You will spend today making up the work that you should have completed yesterday,' the man had growled at him. 'There will be no playing outside for you today, Potter. When you have finished, you will stay in your room for the rest of the day.' Snape had paused here and seemed to consider Harry. 'You may bring some books upstairs, just don't leave your room until I get back. And heaven help you if I come home to find you've disobeyed me again, young man.'
And then he was gone, and Harry was blessedly alone.

Harry had sighed as he looked at the books piled high on the desk. This time he'd be sure to carry the finished papers with him everywhere. Noddy would not be hiding them from him again.

It only took a couple of hours to finish the lessons. Harry found that it wasn't easy to remember exactly how he'd written his first essay, and it was irritating to be doing the same work a second time but he had been able to insert a few points he'd forgotten from the first time.

Writing with a quill was hard work, and Harry was still trying to master the technique. Most sentences were still rife with smears and blots of ink, and it still got all over his fingers.
But soon enough, Harry had capped the ink and blown on his final piece of parchment to dry it.

But what was he to do now?
He didn't want to spend the whole day outside again. It was nice to be out in the fresh air, of course, but out there, Harry had no sense of time passing. He was had been about being locked outside too.

He wouldn't put it past Noddy to do that...

Besides, hadn't Snape told him not to go outside? He was to spend the day in his room, although he was allowed to take books with him. Harry had chosen three thick volumes and, making sure to tuck his papers into the front cover of the largest book, retired to his room.

He actually found that this was preferable to going outside. His room felt somewhat safer than the rest of the house.

And then promptly at noon, Harry's door had crashed open without warning.

Harry, who had not heard Noddy coming up the stairs, jumped out of his skin at the sudden appearance of the tiny creature who barged into his room, carrying a tray of food.

'Young Master's lunch is ready.' Noddy had spat at him, slamming the tray down on the chest of draws and glaring hatefully at Harry before leaving the room as noisily as he had arrived.

Harry did not touch the tray for a long time, fearing some kind of trickery on Noddy's part. Why would he suddenly serve Harry lunch after practically chasing him out of the kitchen the day before and lying to Snape in order to get Harry punished?

But finally Harry's stomach had got the better of his fear and he had slipped out of his chair and crossed the room to grab the tray.

A shallow bowl of soup, a slice of plain bread, and a cup of tea. It hadn't looked too bad. Not at all, in fact. However, Harry had eaten tentatively. He had nibbled around the edges of the bread, waiting for his insides to start clenching under the effects of some caustic poison.