A new beginning

Detention and Trolls

Harry's cheeks prickled every time memories of the night before flooded his mind. So far he had not told anyone about the full series of events. And he wasn't going to. It was too embarrassing. He was not even going to bring it up while serving detention with Snape. He didn't care for whatever input the man could give him. If anything, he was going to pretend like it had never happened and hope it never did again.

Not only that but he was still annoyed at the man, and Dumbledore for that matter. Who gave them the right to decide his life for him? He was eleven years old, not two. Oh and then, Snape had to go and react that way. Again with the whole treating him like a little kid. Well, it was not going to happen any more. He would show them both, and anyone else who thought he needed someone to take care of him. He didn't need anyone. No professor, nobody. And most definitely he would not listen to anything they said. Confess to his actions. Right.

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Snape's nerves were slightly on edge thinking about the very necessary conversation he needed to have with Potter. Over and over, the events of the previous night had turned on his head and almost every time he arrived at the same conclusion. Lily would not have wanted for her son to be treated that way. She would have reproached him for not offering comfort to her child. For delivering the news so bluntly. For not giving Potter a fair warning.

He had to do it. He would do it.

As soon as Potter showed up for his first detention he would lay the rules down. He would explain what was expected of him and what he could suppose in return. Yes, in just a few hours he would do just that.

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It was the third day of the assigned detention and so far all Harry had done was write lines over and over again. His hand was near falling off. Today it was a series of I will respect the authority of my Professors and other adults. It was not fun. No matter how much he attempted to think of something else, writing it over and over again was making it stick somewhere in the back of his mind. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. But it was, on principle. This was Snape. He couldn't actually acknowledge anything the man told him as important. He was angry at the man.

Grabbing a new set of parchment rolls, Harry carefully unrolled one of them. He did not want to write any more but at the same time, he simply wanted to be done already and leave.

Snape watched Potter as he unrolled a piece of parchment just as he had done for the past couple of days. So far the child had managed to complete satisfactory work and stay away from trouble. That however could only mean that it was sure to follow soon. He had already failed for two consecutive afternoons at bringing up the subject, but he could not put it off any longer.

Uncrossing his arms and moving away from the back wall where he had been standing, Snape called out Potter's name. The child continued to scribble away on the parchment before him, making Snape's jaw tighten at the lack of response.

"There is a matter you and I must discuss Potter," said Snape after sighing at the still writing child, "stop.."

"Huh?" was the startled response Snape got from Harry, who stared at the man in an attempt to realize what had been said. Harry had not given too much thought to his actions, but as soon as he turned around and got a glimpse of Snape's face, he realized he had made a grave mistake.

"Do not address me in such a manner!" barked Snape. "I am not one of your classmates and you will not address me as one." Potter's insolence had gone on for too long. He would break the child out of that habit.