As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 3

Harry numbly followed Snape down staircases and through corridors on the way to the dungeons, with nothing breaking the silence except for the sound of their shoes against the stone floor as they went along. Harry thought it seemed louder because the castle was so empty. They hadn't passed a single person along the way. Hogwarts, Harry thought, was for the first time almost eerie. He wasn't used to the grounds being so still. It made the long walk down to Snape's quarters even more unnerving.

Snape stopped walking so suddenly that Harry only just caught himself before bumping into the man. They stood in the middle of the corridor, about halfway down from the Potions classroom, in front of a large, heavy, oak door with a brass handle. Harry looked up expectantly, wondering why Snape didn't just open the door, but instead, Snape regarded him silently for a moment before finally saying, "Place your hand on the handle, Potter."

Harry reached up and turned the handle but it wouldn't open. "It's locked," he said simply.

Snape narrowed his eyes at him. "Obviously. I asked you to place your hand on it, not attempt to open it."

Harry bristled at that but otherwise said nothing. He kept his hand in place as Snape pulled his wand from inside his left cuff. Harry almost jerked back but stopped himself just before Snape tapped his wand on Harry's hand and muttered, "Resideotem."

A pale, bluish-green light shot out of the end of Snape's wand and seemed to wrap itself around Harry's hand and the doorknob. A few seconds later it faded and Snape nodded to himself.

"Now open the door." He again tried to turn the knob, and this time the door clicked open immediately for him. Harry looked up in surprise as Snape passed him and walked into his parlor. "It's spelled to always allow you entry to these rooms. That door will never be locked to you."

Harry still looked confused as he followed him inside. "Er, thanks."

Snape had moved further into the parlor and gestured to the couch as he took a seat in one of the plush, leather armchairs sitting next to the fireplace.

"You might as well sit down, Potter. We have a lot to discuss and I'm sure that the ice cream sundae you got from Fortescue has long since gone, so we'll be having lunch as soon as we've finished here."

Harry sat down slowly, sparing barely a thought to how Snape knew he'd had ice cream, and glanced around the room. He wasn't sure what he had thought Snape's sitting room ought to look like but he hadn't been expecting for it to feel almost comfortable and inviting. There was a small coffee table in front of the couch and an end table between the two chairs.

The mantle above the fireplace was black and held nothing but a small jar of floo powder. Most of the furniture was dark wood, maybe walnut, Harry had thought. The walls were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves except for the back wall behind Snape's chairs. Harry stared almost transfixed at the long window and realized it must be spelled like the ceiling in the great hall, for how else could he explain seeing sunshine across the castle grounds from deep in the dungeons. Below the window sat a small table with a single plant perched on top. He didn't know what kind it was but he thought it was pretty with its dark blue flower petals. And that definitely didn't fit with what Harry expected to find in Snape's quarters.

Snape cleared his throat and Harry jerked his head up to look at him.

"Are you quite through inspecting my parlor, Potter? I'm sure it's not as grand as what you're used to but you will just have to make do."

Harry could feel his cheeks burning as he stuttered, "I didn't- I mean I wasn't-"

"Eloquent as always, I see." When Harry didn't respond, but instead just glared back at him, Snape began to speak. "Since you will be staying here at least until term starts, Potter, you may as well understand now that all the foolish rule-breaking and sneaking about that you have become accustomed to ends now. I will not be like the rest of the adults in your life that choose to ignore it and I certainly will not be rewarding you for it."