As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 25

The sound of Snape's fork forcefully stabbing at the carrots on his plate, drew the attention of Minerva as they sat at the Head Table during the feast.

"By all means," she started quietly, "continue taking out your anger on your dinner. I'm sure that will be most helpful."

Snape didn't even look up as he spoke, "It helps me to feel better."

"Does it?" She asked evenly.

Snape looked up then, only to see her staring across the hall to where Harry sat with his friends. He seemed happy, talking and laughing between Ron and Hermione as they ate their fill of pumpkin tart. The sight, however, did nothing to quell the burning rage that Snape felt every time he thought of what Vernon Dursley had done to the boy. How dare he come after him! Threaten him!

Snape tossed his napkin onto the table and the remainder of his food disappeared. "I'm finished," he said curtly. But just as he was about to stand, Dumbledore also stood and addressed the students.

"That certainly was a fine feast," he began, his usual twinkle in his eyes as he glanced about the hall, "but now I must insist that now everyone should be off to bed. Classes begin first thing in the morning and wouldn't it be nice if we were all well-rested and ready to learn all that Hogwarts has to teach us?"

When he had finished his remarks, the students and staff began dispersing, but Snape was surprised to see the trio walking towards the head table. It was Hagrid, who had been sitting on the other side of Snape, that they were coming to see, though and Snape overheard them congratulating him on his recent assignment as Care of Magical Creatures Professor.

When Hagrid began crying into his napkin, Minerva stood up and told them to go on to bed.

"Good night, Hagrid," Harry said.

"Yes, good night, Hagrid," Hermione then turned to Minerva and Snape, "Good night, Professor McGonagall, and thank you for earlier. Good night, Professor Snape."

Snape raised an eyebrow at her but gave a nod to the three of them. Harry gave a slight nod back in his direction before turning and leading the way back down between the tables and out the tall oak doors.

"Good kids, those three." Hagrid was saying. His eyes were still wet as he stared after them. Snape rolled his eyes and left the table.

***

Upstairs in Gryffindor Tower, Harry was rummaging through his trunk, tossing things aside in his search.

"What are you looking for, Harry?" Dean Thomas asked as he finished hanging a poster above his bed.

"The new defense book that I got from-" Harry cut himself off abruptly. He hadn't been back at Hogwarts for a whole night and he had already almost spilled the biggest secret of his life. There was just no way that this was going to work. He sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Oi, I need to tell you guys something."

The other boys in the room turned to look at him in confusion. Only Ron knew what Harry needed to say, and he wasn't looking forward to the reactions he would get from them.

"What is it, Harry?" Neville asked, "Did something happen over the summer?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you could say that."

Dean and Seamus both stopped what they were doing to come to stand next to Neville and waited for Harry to go on.

"Well," Harry began, "It's sort of a long story, and I'm not supposed to say much about it. You have to promise to keep it a secret. Nobody can know about this. Well, the teachers do, mostly anyway, and Hermione and the Weasleys, but that's it."