As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 6

Harry spent the rest of the afternoon before dinner unpacking his trunk and putting away all his new clothes. They were, admittedly, really nice clothes and he was thankful for them. He just didn't want to owe Snape for anything. He would need to keep a count of everything Snape had given him so that he could pay him back the next time he was able to get to Gringotts. He would not be in debt to Snape.

Once he had finished putting away the clothes and his few possessions, Harry sat down on the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do next. Snape hadn't said he had to stay in his room, but he hadn't actually said he could come out before dinner either. He wished he would have just told him what he wanted him to do. This summer was going to be really long if he didn't figure out how to be around Snape without getting into trouble.

Harry thought back to earlier that day when he was being forced to take a nap. Snape hadn't even been his guardian for more than a few hours before Harry had already given him reason to yell at him and threaten him with punishment. Granted, it was a little kid's punishment, but that didn't mean anything to Harry. He had learned the hard way that just because an adult threatens you with one punishment, it doesn't mean that's what you'll get. Uncle Vernon's favorite game was telling Harry that he wasn't in trouble, only to catch him off guard later and beat him senseless before locking him in his cupboard or, since coming to Hogwarts, in his bedroom.

Biting his lip, Harry finally stood and walked over to the door before opening it a crack and peering out. He didn't see or hear anything that suggested Snape was even around. Maybe he had gone out without telling him? Harry quietly slipped out into the hallway and walked towards the parlor, stopping to glance around the corner.

Snape was sitting in the same armchair as earlier, with a copy of the Daily Prophet open in front of him, hiding his face from Harry's view. Harry stepped back. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of hanging out with Snape, but he didn't want to be stuck in his bedroom either. He'd had enough of that. Before he could decide though, Snape began to speak in his slow, dry tone from behind the paper.

"Potter, stop lingering in the hallway. Either come sit down or I will find something for you to do to occupy your time until dinner."

How did he know I was here? He thought, before stepping out into the parlor. "With options like those, how will I ever choose?" He muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Snape had heard him though and lowered the paper and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Of course, if you'd rather, you can always go back to your room," Snape said cooly.

Harry scowled at him but said nothing as he sat down on the couch and Snape raised the paper back up to read some more. Harry felt just as bored sitting here as he had in his room but he contented himself with looking at the front page of Snape's paper, where the moving picture of Sirius Black silently screamed out at him.

He had heard about him on the muggle news and then saw his picture on posters in Diagon Alley, but he didn't know anything about him. Suddenly, the question burst out of him before he could stop it. "Sirius Black escaped prison?"

Snape's hand stilled in the middle of turning the page. He didn't lower the paper but he answered shortly. "Yes."

"How?"

Again, Snape answered from behind the paper. "Noone knows. It's never happened before."

"He must be a pretty powerful wizard then, if he's the first to do it," Harry murmured. "What did he do to get chucked in there in the first place? Was he a follower of Voldemort or something?"

"Do not speak his name in my presence!" Snape snapped, finally dropping the paper to glare at the boy.

"Dumbledore says-"