A New Story

Chapter 4

For the next few days, Harry was chatting with Severus in his free time to avoid the vast amount of people that want to know about the incident. He learned a lot about the man, mostly about potions and once he mentioned Harry's mother and Harry became very interested. He found out that Severus was neighbors with her mum and aunt and had been Lily's playmate. He showed him a locket that Lily gave him as a birthday present for his twelve birthday. It had her voice recorded in it and it said in Lily's childhood voice, 'Happy birthday, Sev!'

That was actually Harry's first time hearing his mum and his eyes welled up with tears. Severus gave him a handkerchief and Harry wiped his unshed tears on it. 

'I really miss her you know. I didn't spend a lot of time with her but I still miss her.'

'I know how you feel, Potter. Let me confide in you something that I have never told anyone before. When we were in Year 5, my emotions were wild and I was a foolish child, I was going through a hard time and called your mother a slur. I regretted it immediately and went to apologize but our friendship ended that day. I still feel regretful for succumbing to my teenage hormones, and going down a dark path. I wish I could see her again to apologize for that.'

'I'm sure that my mum would have forgiven you when she was older because she was also just a hormonal teenager and maybe she would mature and forgive you if she had the chance.'

The day after that, Severus was discharged and when he left the hospital wing and walked to the Great Hall, he saw that several students swooned after he walked past them. While he was eating, he saw some students cast him curious glances. Dumbledore made his speech,

'Students, I am sure most of you have noticed that Professor Snape's appearance has changed. He was under a glamour charm and has now stopped using it. Please treat him with the same kind of respect for him.'

Severus felt like he was going to melt under the the gaze of every single student in school so he started to eat quicker and rushed to his potion's classroom to prepare for his first class with first year Gryffindors and Slytherins. Then Severus's mind wandered to when he was talking to Harry in the Hospital Wing.

Flashback

'Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why do you always have to make some students  be scared you. Like: you always criticize Neville's potions or the way he makes them, when you do that, do you know that you're actually making him more nervous and clumsy. I'll bet if you do not say mean things about your students' appearance or skill, a lot of them will become more relaxed and do better in potions.'

End of flashback  

Severus decided that he will try to be nicer to his students and see if there is any improvement, hell, he might even think about giving extra lessons to some of the students that seem to need it. 

Students started rushing into the classroom and when everyone was there, he greeted them and wrote some instructions on the blackboard. That day they needed to make quite a complicated potion, the Forgetfulness Potion, when he saw that Longbottom was fumbling with the ingredients, instead of going to make fun of him, the potions professor walked over and said,

'Mister Longbottom, remember to stir it three times clockwise or your potion will not work.'

At the sound of his voice, Neville trembled, sure that he will make a snide comment. But to his surprise the Professor actually demonstrated how to do the Memory Charm again so that he won't forget. 

That was his first time being so relaxed in potions and so he made the potion well and even received 10 points to Gryffindor for brewing it the quickest and making the potion almost perfectly without having an accident.

He was filled with pride when the class ended and walked over to Harry,

'Hey Harry, did you notice that Professor Snape was nicer in the class,  I can't believe it. What do you think happened during his sick leave to make him be like that. I cannot believe I'm going to say this but what happened to his face? It's way easier to look at.'

'Hi Neville, I think it's because I had a talk with him in the Hospital Wing while he was recovering, he seemed to want to change his teaching style.' 

For the next few days, Harry still liked to go to the professor's quarters and chat with him or do homework there and the professor always welcomed him, sometimes he even gave him snacks.  

'Thank you for letting me be here, the common room is always really noisy and I can't concentrate on my homework with that many people talking around me and I enjoy talking with you professor.'

'No problem, Potter.' 

Then, he noticed something, there were a few cuts and scrapes on Harry's hand and he saw a big bruise on his shoulder. They were not very obvious so Severus never saw them before but now they were slightly worried about them.

'Potter, can you let me see you arm please?'  

'Umm... why?'

'It seems that there are some injuries on your arms and your shoulder. What happened?'

'Oh you know, I'm clumsy and I love quidditch, probably hurt myself playing.'

'He's obviously lying.' Severus thought.

At that moment, he remembered---Petunia, and asked bluntly,

'Did you relatives hurt you?'  

Harry's eyes widened and that confirmed Severus's suspicions.

'No, course not.'

'You do not have to lie to me, Harry. You can trust me, if they are, I'll get you out of that hell hole.'

 Harry found himself quietly sobbing and Severus awkwardly hugged him and Harry immediately hugged him back.

'Do you know why they do that?'

'You won't understand, sir.'

'It's because you have magic, isn't it?'

'How did you know?'

'Did you forget? I was neighbors with your mum and aunt, and Petunia has always been this way since she was little. She was envious of Lily's magic and hated it whenever Lily performed some. '

'I've been doing chores, getting good marks in tests and doing basically everything in the house but it never...' Harry broke off crying.

'It never seems enough.' Severus finished.

'You do understand.'

'Indeed, my father was also like that. He was a muggle and thought that my abilities were not normal so he would often want to "beat the magic out of me".'

'That sounds horrible, sir.'

'Yes, no one should have to endure that. I will talk to the headmaster to see where you can stay for summer.' 

'Thank you so much, sir!'