What if

List of Firsts

"Dilligrout."

"Now, now, young Slytherin, you really shouldn't be here," the portrait of Fat Lady responded calmly.

Snape glared at her. "You need an update, woman. I'm a teacher here! Now open up before I draw a snake there to keep you company for this school year," he growled.

Fat Lady gave him an appalled look crossing her arms on chest, "That's no way to address me, young man!"

Severus rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I don't have the patience for this, just open," he snapped throwing his hands in the air.

"Then you should amend your tone!" the portrait spat back, infuriating Snape further.

Severus really didn't have time to argue with her. He needed to get Potter and send the boy to bed. The autumn holidays ended and tomorrow was the first school day in Harry's new school and Severus didn't want to deal with a cranky child in the morning. Not that Harry was ever even remotely cranky. The boy tried so hard to behave, Severus felt like a douche whenever he even contemplated raising his voice to the kid. Nevertheless, he had absolutely no desire to waste his time haggling with the portrait, so he simply took his wand out and pointed it at Fat Lady in a silent threat.

That sobered her up right away. "It is not the correct password!" she huffed taking a protective stance ready to bolt to the neighbor if necessary.

"Again?!" Snape scowled annoyed, "What do Gryffindors have there that they feel the need to change the damn password every week!"

The door opened revealing a guilty-looking Bill Weasley. "Professor, sorry, it's Tapeworm now," the 6th Year said with a sheepish smile, stepping aside and letting the man through.

"Weasley, why did no one bring Harry? It's quarter to nine," Severus asked the redhead teen sternly.

Harry has spent the last couple of evenings in the Gryffindor common room. The boy gained popularity among students within the first two days, marching around the castle in his cute Hogwarts robes praising anyone who managed to do the simplest magic with supreme adoration. Harry quickly became universally liked and Gryffindors pretty much adopted him as one of their own right away. Snape was not afraid to leave his young charge in their common room as long as the upper years were present. Usually, somebody (mostly Kathryn) brought the child back to the dungeons. However, today no-one did and rather than waiting, Severus decided to pick Potter up himself.

"Sorry, we are having a tournament in Exploding Snap. Harry is doing pretty well," Bill explained, rubbing the back of his head with an apologetic grimace.

"Well, I'm afraid he will have to forfeit because it's his bedtime," Severus remarked as they entered the common room.

There was a crowd of Gryffindors surrounding the players and just as Snape approached the table, Charlie Weasley's cards exploded and the room broke out in cheers and groans. Kathryn gave Bill a high five as they started collecting sickles from the weepers who lost their bets.

"You've bet against me?" Charlie whined at his brother.

"Of course Char, my money was on Harry since the beginning. Kids are always lucky," the older Weasley replied patting the teen on the shoulder.

Harry was glowing like a Christmas tree. "Mr. Snape! I won! I'm in semifinal!" he squealed happily. His delight was so contagious Severus found his lips stretching in a warm smile.

"You are schooling the Gryffindors I see," he observed, smirking at the sulking teenagers being robbed of their pocket money by the duo of redheads. Harry giggled tilting his chin proudly.