"I'm here," Potter walked in to Severus' classroom bright and early Saturday morning. "Can I come in?"
Severus chuckled at his ward.
"I am aware that you are here, as I do have two working eyes. And yes, please, do come in."
Potter had the presence of mind to blush at Severus.
"Guess I'm already inside, huh?" He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, sir."
"It is no bother." Severus stood up and cleared the desks that were in the front of the room and gestured for Potter to stand in the center of the clearing. "Now, did you eat breakfast?"
"Yes sir," Potter bobbed his head. Severus looked him over carefully and was relieved to see the shadows beneath his eyes had lessened since Wednesday. Hardly surprising considering he'd sent Mavis with a Dreamless Sleep every night since then. Though he wouldn't put it past Potter to still be have fitful sleep even with the specifically tweaked potion Severus designed for him.
"Good," said Severus. "Now, do you recall our conversation once before regarding how grey magic is entirely intent based?"
Potter bit his lower lip as he tried to remember.
"Oh! When you traded three spells for me to put my knife up? Yes sir."
Severus should have known Potter would remember conversations in relevance to deals he enacted.
"The Patronus Charm is considered to be a light oriented spell because it requires a vast amount of positive energy to be channeled through a happy memory, are you following?" Potter nodded again so Severus continued. "You will clear your mind and then focus on a single powerful happy memory. Once you have that memory pulled up you will flick your wand-" Potter smirked up at him and Severus rolled his eyes. "Flick your impertinent wrist then, brat. And you will say the charm 'expecto patronum'. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir. But- are we doing it in here?" Potter asked. "I thought we'd do it outside or something."
"Why would we go outside?" Severus asked bemused.
Potter shrugged, "Don't we need a dementor or something to practice on?"
Severus raised his brows incredulously. The child truly had no sense of self-preservation.
"Perhaps you have missed the many times I have conjured my patronus in front of you, but contrary to your belief, we do not require the presence of a dementor to complete the charm."
"Oh... yeah..."
Potter blushed again and ducked his head. Severus chuckled lightly so the child knew that he was not unhappy.
"Are you prepared to clear your mind?"
Potter nodded and Severus watched as he breathed deeply.
"Very good," he said in a calming tone. "Now pull up a happy memory- a powerful one that brings you joy just by recalling it."
Potter twisted his lips to the side and thought for a moment before nodding.
"Okay," he said.
"Now, while I am pleased with your penchants for nonverbal magic, today I would prefer you speak the incantation aloud. This way I can ensure you are using the correct pronunciation. Focus on your memory and pull the magic through your body to your hand: 'Expecto Patronum'."
Potter took a deep breath and held his right hand in front of his body.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A sudden woosh of silver gas erupted seemingly from Potter's fingertips.
"Excellent!" Severus said, genuinely impressed. "Harry that was excellent!"
Potter looked up at him with his mouth agape.
"But I didn't do anything!"
"You did," Severus assured him. "That is much more than any other thirteen year old would be able to conjure."
"But- but it was weak!" Potter said. "You make an entire animal and I just made some smoke."
"Did you truly expect to achieve a fully corporeal patronus on your first attempt?"
The expression of indignation on Potter's face was answer enough.
"Arrogant," Severus scoffed. "The power is obviously there Harry. You need a stronger memory. Which one were you using just now?"
"When I cut Lestrange open after he dueled Ron," Potter grinned.
Of course that would be a memory Potter has classified as 'happy'.
"Perhaps you should try again with a less bloody memory," Severus suggested. "If you are able to recall, I did say this was an incredibly light oriented spell."
"Oh. Oh yeah."
"Let's try again with a happy and blood free memory," said Severus. "Whenever you are ready."
Severus watched as Potter took another deep breath, his face becoming blank and impassive.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Nothing happened.
"What the fuck," Potter snarled.
"Language," Severus warned him. "What memory was that?"
Potter glanced around quickly before he smirked.
"When I stole that red rock," he whispered.
"For fucks sake Harry," Severus groaned.
Severus hated hearing Potter refer to the priceless, unique, and powerful stone as 'that red rock'.
"You're a terrible influence," Potter laughed. "C'mon, that was a great memory! And nobody was bleeding! Well," Potter grimaced, "I mean the glass from the mirror left some cuts, but that wasn't my fault was it?"
It was actually. If Severus remembered correctly, which he absolutely did, Potter was the one who shattered the mirror. But that was hardly the point.
"Clearly vindictive pleasure does not count as true joy," he said drily. "Why not a memory of flying, or spending time with your friends?"
"Good idea sir. I'll think about flying," Potter grinned before clearing his mind and his face again.
"Expecto Patronum!" Potter cried.
A silver cloud materialized from Potter's mere fingertips and hovered between the two of them.
Potter hissed loudly, Severus was sure it was a swear.
"That is already an improvement Harry," said Severus as the cloud disappeared. "Much better than your first attempt."
"It's not enough," Potter said through a clenched jaw. "I don't want to 'improve' I want to do the spell. I don't understand why it's so hard!"
Severus had multiple theories on why the charm would be difficult for the mentally ill, grey-oriented, chaotic demon standing in front of him. Most of which Potter would not enjoy hearing.
"This charm can oftentimes be more difficult for Occlumens such as ourselves due to the emotions required for the patronus," Severus assured him with the nicest of the possible explanations. "It took me nearly a full year of continuous practice before I achieved it."
"What memory do you use, sir?"
Severus felt remarkably wrong footed by Potter's seemingly innocent question.
"I used to use memories of your mother and I at a concert," he said evasively.
"Used to?" Potter said. "What ones do you use now?"
"Typically you, you brat," he grumbled. "One last try now, okay? This charm can be exhausting both magically and mentally."
Potter grinned at him, a bit shyly.
"Okay let me think of a real good memory," he said, furrowing his brows down in thought.
"No blood, nothing 'vindictive'..."
Severus watched in both amusement and exasperation as Potter mumbled to himself and struggled to find an appropriate memory. Potter's misunderstanding of a happy memory would be much more entertaining if it didn't break Severus' heart the slightest bit.
"Maybe I have one..." Potter eventually said.
"Very well, whenever you're ready."
Potter raised his hand to chest height, scrunched his eyes closed and cried; "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
The largest silver cloud yet materialized between the two of them. It was indistinguishable, yet Severus felt sure that when Potter did master the spell he would find himself with a four-legged patronus.
"Very good," he said as Potter panted and stared wide eyed at the cloud. "Come, sit now, that is enough for one morning."
Potter slumped down in his accustomed seat in front of Severus' desk. Severus summoned a coffee tray and poured them each a mug.
"Thanks," Potter mumbled, drinking deeply.
"You understand the theory and the incantation, you are doing everything correct," Severus said. "I believe you will just need to work on identifying the proper memory. Incidentally, what memory did you use that last time? It was your strongest attempt yet."
Did he need to know? No.
Was he incredibly curious? Yes.
Potter blushed and stared at a spot behind Severus' head as he answered.
"Susan said she loves me," he mumbled. "I was thinking of that, wasn't I?"
Severus was surprised that Potter was able to identify a memory that made him happy that did not involve any of his usual unethical antics.
"It must have made you happy when she said that for your charm to be so strong," he said.
He actually had no idea why it hadn't been strong enough to work.
"Suppose so," Potter said, shifting slightly in his seat. "Never heard that before, have I? So I didn't know what to say."
Severus could have cursed himself. Of course Potter had never heard it before. Who would have told him? Petunia?
"I regret that you have never heard it in a memory you can recall before now," he said slowly. "Though I am confident your parents would have undoubtedly said it multiple times a day to you before they passed."
"Doesn't really matter, does it?" Potter shrugged. "Even if they loved me, they're dead now. But Susan says she loves me and she hasn't ever lied to me before, so I suppose she's not lying now, right?"
"It is unlikely that Miss Bones would lie about her adoration of you, no," Severus agreed. "I'm sure the vicious badger that tormented Albus, cursed me out verbally on multiple occasions, and redecorated the Defense corridor likely holds you in high regards."
Potter suddenly grinned, his green eyes sparkled with mischief.
"You heard about the Defense corridor?" Potter said.
Severus snorted. As if any of the professors missed it. Pomona herself had came to ask Severus what Lupin had done to Potter for Bones to attack him. Apparently Severus was not the only one who immediately identified the girls handwriting along with her unique style for leaving profanities on Professors' doors.
"I did," he said.
"Lupin told our class he was being pranked, I said it's a good thing he likes pranks then, right?"
Severus laughed sharply at that.
"Lupin was a big fan of pranks when he was in school," he agreed, his dark eyes now sparkling with amusement.
"Oh don't worry sir, he said, 'people do grow up," Potter scoffed. "Told him if people didn't try and make up for what they did then they didn't really change, did they?"
Severus looked at Potter with a sense of fond approval.
"What did he say?"
"Kept me after class after I caught his pet on fire and-"
"Stop." Severus sighed and summoned a pain reliever to head off the headache he knew he would have any moment. Potter watched curiously as Severus downed it. "You may continue, though I would like to hear more about you catching Lupin's pet on fire."
"Not my fault," Potter defended himself. "He asked how I'd stop a Red Cap from attacking me so I caught it on fire."
Severus stared at Potter for a moment.
"You... you burnt the Red Cap alive because Lupin asked you how you would stop it from attacking you?"
"Yeaaah," Potter said slowly, his brows furrowed once again. "And it would have worked, right? I mean, if it was attacking me then it would be trying to kill me, so catching it on fire would save my life."
Severus had been extremely wrong in his earlier observation of Potter's sense of self-preservation. The child had morphed that sense in to something feral, vicious, and unrelenting. If his life was in danger then he would end the threat.
Quirinus was attempting to kill him so Potter fought to kill him first.
Gilderoy threatened his and Draco's lives so Potter killed him.
Lupin asked how he would stop an attack from a deadly creature so Potter caught it on fire.
In Potter's mind it was simple. He truly had no idea how his instincts were warped in to something terrifying.
"Were you assigned detention?" Severus likely wouldn't have given Potter detention for it. But he also would have known better than to ask Potter such an open ended question.
"Nope," Potter rolled his eyes. "He apologized to me."
"Did he?" Severus asked curiously. "For what?"
"For last Friday night."
"He apologized for telling me about your boggart?" Severus was begrudgingly impressed with Lupin. He didn't think the man had even comprehended how angry Potter would be at his actions.
"See! I knew I wasn't the only one thinking that!" Potter cried. "He didn't even properly apologize for that really! He just said he was sorry for pushing me see my boggart. Then I asked if he apologized to you-"
"To me? Why would Lupin apologize to me?"
Potter gave him a look of disbelief so strong it was nearly comical.
"Seriously? Didn't he try and kill you? Drive you crazy when you were students? Accuse you of being mean to me after he saw my boggart? Should I go on?"
As warped as Potter's sense of morality and ethics may be, his fierce loyalty to Severus never failed to make him smile.
"I do not require an apology, nor would I accept one from him." Severus sighed as he eyed Potter. As much as he wished ill on the wolf, it would be childish to not make sure Potter was aware of the view Severus had of the situation.
"Lupin was likely unaware that Black had sent me to his hideout that night," he explained. "While it was incredibly irresponsible of Lupin to allow his friends to know of where he transformed at, I do not believe he alone would have orchestrated an attempt on my life." He sighed before resentfully adding, "I do not believe that Lupin would have done it at all. Considering the penalty for a werewolf who commits murder during a full moon is death."
"Then he should have kept better control of his friends," Potter said coldly. "Made them take a vow not to tell anyone, right?"
Severus felt uneasy at Potter's casual way of believing that Lupin should have enacted Unbreakable Vows with his school aged friends.
"Harry... How many Unbreakable Vows have you enacted?"
Potter looked incredibly guilty as he glanced around the room quickly.
"I dunno," he said. "Maybe seven?"
"Seven?!" Severus nearly choked. "Fuck. Harry, what on Earth were you thinking? Do you know how dangerous it is to bind people to a secret that will kill them if they reveal it? Let alone that many secrets?"
"Oh, I don't bind them to their lives," Potter said airily. "Unless it's something important like the prophecy or Lockhart. Usually I make them swear on their magic, like you did when we met."
When Severus first regret making that Vow it was because he was afraid he may one day snap and accidentally attempt to shake some sense in to Potter. Now he can see what a terrible influence he was on Potter for more than just his language.
"That was an extreme and rare thing of me to do," Severus stressed. "You should not enact Unbreakable Vows for anything less than life or death situations. I apologize for leading you to believe otherwise."
"But... but how else are you supposed to tell someone a secret?"
Severus shook his head at Potter's deep distrust of people.
"You have told me a great many number of secrets without requiring me to take a Vow," he said.
"Yeah, because I trust you," Potter shrugged.
"Exactly," said Severus. "You have to trust people. Not everyone, mind you. But you have to decided which people you can trust and decide if your secrets are worth sharing with them."
Potter gave him a disbelieving look.
"But people lie," he said. "And words don't mean anything, right? So when someone says 'I promise' if there aren't any consequences then they'll just break that promise, yeah?"
"Or, they may keep their word and be even more trustworthy because they protected your secret even without consequences," Severus pointed out.
"Pft," Potter scoffed again. "D'you trust anyone to keep your secrets?"
"I trust you," Severus said simply. Which, as wild as it was, was not untrue. He had no secrets from this scrappy little harbinger of chaos. Potter knew his past, his regrets, his accomplishments, and his many mistakes. Severus could scarcely imagine a scenario where the incredibly loyal child would cause him to regret the trust he placed in him.
"Anyone else?" Potter asked.
Severus hesitated, thinking quickly. He had used to trust Albus nearly as much as he did Potter before he realized Albus was willfully blind to a great many things.
"Lucius, for some things. Narcissa, for most things," he said instead.
"But you only trust me with everything?" Potter accurately guessed.
"Harry I have trusted many people in my life. Most of them happen to be dead now," Severus said, exasperated. "I had complete trust in Evan, Regulus, and Barty. Your friends are still alive and have thus far proven themselves trustworthy."
"Your friends were all Death Eaters," Potter smirked. "I dunno if you're a good judge of who I should trust."
"Your friends are in a gang," he said sardonically. "I am unsure how you determine that to be better."
And truly, it wasn't. Potter and his gang had already wrecked more havoc in two years than Riddle had his entire school career. Severus could only hope that Potter was capable of change with the guidance Riddle never had.
"Oi!" Potter cried. "My gang is nothing like yours was!"
"I believe if you added a tattoo to their forearms the differences would shrink quite a bit," Severus smirked.
Potter visibly perked up at that.
"What is the point of the tattoo?" he said, glancing at Severus' covered arm with interest. "Because-"
"No," Severus stopped him immediately. "If I see even a drip of ink on any of your friends' arms I will have you in detention well into your thirties."
Potter huffed and crossed his arms sullenly.
"I almost got a tattoo once," he said petulantly. "A kid at one of the shelters had a kit and offered me one. I was gonna do it but he wouldn't tell me what he wanted for it first."
Severus silently thanked Merlin for once that Potter's barter system has apparently been a long established habit.
"I cannot imagine the level of unsanitary that a tattoo given in a youth shelter would have been, but I find myself incredibly grateful you declined his offer," Severus said.
Potter shrugged before glancing at the clock.
"I should go. Luna wants to find that dog today. Told her it was starving and she said we should bring it snacks," Potter grinned. "Luna and Draco are both mad about animals." He hesitated before asking, "I have practice next weekend. Flint's crazy about winning the Cup again for his last year. I dunno when I'll be able to come try that charm again."
Severus waved off his worries as Potter got to his feet.
"All you need to do now is find the proper memory. So- I will give you homework that I would like you to achieve. Firstly, attempt to find a memory that brings you true happiness. Secondly," he gave Potter a serious look. "Make an honest effort towards trusting at least one of your friends with a secret. Nothing illegal," he said hastily. Merlin forbid Potter confess to murder to one of his less loyal friends. "But something you wouldn't normally tell them."
Potter gave him a wary look, "What if I don't do that second one?"
"Nothing," Severus said simply. "But I believe you would be pleased to learn you can trust your friends without enacting an unnecessary Vow."
Potter rolled his eyes as he edged towards the doorway in the vigilant way Severus has grown used to.
"We'll see," he said evasively. "I'll let you know, yeah?"
Severus shook his head as was his own routine after having lengthy conversations with his ward.
Was it any surprise Potter had difficulties trusting others? The first time someone told him they loved him, in his memory, was last week.
His lips twitched as he created lesson plans later that evening. Potter demanding an apology on Severus' behalf was very like his mother. If Potter hadn't confessed to setting a caged creature on fire immediately after that, Severus could almost trick himself into believing the child ever stood a chance at resembling Lily Evans for more than her eyes.
Lily was a rare soul. Kind to a fault, loyal to those she considered her friends, and more joy in her heart than anyone Severus had ever met. She had her morals and values and held others to her exacting standards. Severus knew when he insulted her that it could never be forgiven, regardless of the circumstances.
Potter also held others to his standards, but as the child had such a relaxed idea of right and wrong, it was a much lower bar. Keep his secrets, don't touch him, fight on his side when fights arose, and Potter was as loyal as they came.
In the deepest part of his heart, Severus preferred the company to Potter than that of Lily's.
Before he fell asleep that evening he suddenly remembered what Potter admitted to him.
'Susan said she loves me. Never heard that before, have I?'
"20 points to Hufflepuff," he murmured as he extinguished his lights.
***
Over the next few weeks Severus had yet to decide which was more annoying during this time; Remus Lupin or Harry Potter.
Potter had developed a new habit of popping up at the least likely times with the most horrifying ideas for a patronus memory.
Immediately after dinner;
"What about when I started my gang?"
"No."
Whispered as he turned in his potions during class;
"When I broke Parkinson's wand?"
"No."
Potter even had the audacity to send him a note during breakfast one morning;
When I sued Dumbledore?
Severus sought his eyes out at the Slytherin table and shook his head slightly.
He was incredibly fond of the child, but damn if he wasn't exhausting.
Remus Lupin began his own annoying approach towards making Severus wish for an early retirement.
"Thank you so much Severus," he said when he brought him the Wolfsbane Potion one evening. "I really can't explain to you how much this means to me."
Severus curled his lip up and made to leave the office quickly when Lupin called him back.
"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you," he said.
God damn you Potter.
Severus had no interest in hearing a meaningless apology from Lupin for actions he took fifteen years ago.
"What?" he asked sharply, turning back around.
Lupin pulled himself up straight and looked Severus square in the eyes.
"I wanted to apologize," he said. "I know that my friends and I were gits to you in school. And I want to believe that if James and Peter were here they would apologize as well." Severus rolled his eyes as Lupin swallowed (sentimental fool) before continuing. "But they aren't, so I'll say it on behalf of all three of us; we were immature, unreasonable, and hurtful and I am sorry for that."
Severus would one day find a way to make Potter as terribly uncomfortable as he now was.
"Contrary to what Potter may have insinuated, I do not require an apology Lupin. We can continue on as we have until now- by pretending the other does not exist."
He turned on his heel and strode quickly out of the office before Lupin said something else insufferable.
Unfortunately, it seemed as if Lupin took Potter's chastisement to heart. Severus found himself being chatted up by the wolf multiple times a week.
Finally, one evening during dinner, when Lupin was blathering on about a potion he read about that he thought Severus might find interesting, he snapped.
"We are not friends," he interrupted Lupin with a hiss. "I have no idea what is going through your mind but you and I are not friends."
Lupin looked surprised for a second before giving Severus his typical cheerful smile.
"We could be," he offered. "Maybe we should have been friends this whole time."
Severus had a fleeting reminder of his burning envy at the close knit group of self proclaimed marauders in his school days. Twelve year old Severus would have done anything to be friends with Remus Lupin. Thirty-three year old Severus was not quite so desperate.
"I have no interest in friendship Lupin," he sneered. "Especially not yours."
"Why?"
Severus slammed his fork down and gave Lupin a look of incredulity.
"Were you not just weeks ago in my office accusing me of behaving abusively towards my ward?" he hissed quietly. "You broke Potter's trust, you disregarded his mental health in allowing him to vanish after a traumatic event, I do not like you, and I have no want to be your 'friend'."
Lupin blinked at him in surprise.
"You and Harry are a package deal, aren't you?" he mused. "Harry doesn't like me because I was cruel to you in school. Now you say you don't like me because I handled the boggart situation with Harry very poorly."
"Potter is my student and my ward," Severus said stiffly. "I do not make his decision for him. And I dislike you for a great number of reasons. Few of which have anything to do with Potter."
Lupin gave him a crooked smile.
"I doubt anyone makes decisions for that kid," he chuckled. "But you influence him quite a bit, don't you? Harry would never befriend someone who he thought you didn't like."
Severus was sure he was right, but decided he'd said quite enough for the evening.
"If you'll excuse me, I have better places to be."
"I'll see you at the feast tomorrow?" Lupin asked as Severus quickly made for the exit.
Severus ignored him. Perhaps if the man spent more than half a minute near Hermione Granger he would know that feast days have mandatory attendance, thus making Severus' appearance a foregone conclusion.
***
The next evening, as Severus made his way to the Great Hall, he was once again waylaid by Potter.
"Sir! I thought of one!"
Severus sighed at the sight of Potter's bright eyes. That likely meant another terrifying memory that child has classified as happy.
"Let's hear it," he said.
Potter was practically beaming now.
"Remember the day you gave me my letter? That one! What'd'ya think?"
That... that actually may work.
"That is an excellent idea," he said. He saw the corridors were mostly empty as most students were already at the feast. "Would you like to try now?"
Potter nodded eagerly before inhaling deeply and clearing his mind.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he shouted.
Potter opened his eyes eagerly and his face filled with disappointment at the sight of the rather large, and unformed, patronus cloud.
"Son of a bitch!" he swore. "Why won't this damn spell work?!"
Severus' lips twitched the very slightest amount at Potter adopting his own swears.
"Language," he murmured. "I suppose it wasn't a happy enough memory." He tried to consider the encounter through Potter's point of view.
"Were you not initially under the mistaken belief that I was attempting to kidnap you for some nefarious purpose?"
"Yep," Potter admitted shamelessly. "Thought you were a creep, didn't I? Shouldn't'a wore your robes. But I wasn't thinking of that, I was thinking about being special and going somewhere with beds for 10 months a year."
Well, that explained it.
"Your memories all seem to have multiple layers of emotion attached to them," Severus explained delicately. "I believe even the happy ones you are choosing must have a layer of anxiety or other negative emotion that is impacting the charms ability to work."
Potter hissed loudly and rolled his eyes.
"Whatever," he muttered. "I'll get it eventually."
"You will," Severus assured him as he guided the child towards the Great Hall. "Have you made any progress on the second assignment I gave you?"
Potter hummed evasively.
"Haven't made up my mind, have I?" he eventually said. "I'll let you know though."
Severus held the door open for Potter as he sighed again.
One secret. He is asking Potter to tell one friend one secret without the use of an Unbreakable Vow.
"Very well," Severus said. "Enjoy your evening and you will find me in the Astronomy Tower tonight if you require anything."
Potter gave him a curt nod as he made his way to the Slytherin table.
Severus suffered through the Halloween feast with its usual fanfare- made worse only by the moping presence of Lupin beside him.
Apparently on the anniversary of the Potters' death Lupin wasn't up for chatting. Thank Merlin.
He watched curiously as his snakes stopped by Potter's seat and offered handshakes (which Potter rejected) and condolences (which Potter scoffed at). According to his current seventh year prefect, the rumor that Potter was the Heir of Slytherin was still rampant in his house. Clearly the accolades that came along with it earned Potter some form of respect to be shown on this night.
Before the entertainment began Severus slipped from the room. His presence was mandatory for the feast, he wouldn't linger longer than he had to.
He made his way to the Astronomy Tower and leaned against the railing as he thought of the many changes that had occurred since last Halloween.
-Potter was expelled and scrounged around the underbelly of London for two weeks.
-Potter nearly died from a basilisk wound.
-Potter killed a man.
-Potter forced Lucius in to the role of a follower.
-Potter had openly named Albus Dumbledore as a enemy to himself.
-Potter may or may not have a severe mental illness that he refuses to acknowledge or treat.
It had been an eventful year and Severus was struggling to find positives.
"I'm a terrible guardian," he groaned as he rubbed his eyes wearily. He looked up at the stars and hoped that somewhere Lily was reassuring him that he was trying his best.
Because he was.
But damn if it was good enough or not.
Severus summoned Mavis and asked him to bring him his scotch and a tumbler from his private quarters. It would be recklessly irresponsible to summon them and allow any wandering student to pluck the bottle from the air.
Severus was working on his second glass as Minerva's silver cat appeared beside him.
"Hogwarts is on lockdown. Meet me in the Hospital Wing immediately. Send any students you encounter to the Great Hall. I have your ward."
"Son of a bitch," Severus swore as he ran quickly down the stairs. He very nearly stumbled in his haste and cursed himself for drinking.
He knew better.
Potter seemed to be cursed to have something outrageous happen every damned Halloween.
Though, Severus couldn't imagine what his ward could have done to cause the entire castle to go on lockdown...
He burst in to the Hospital Wing and searched frantically until his eyes landed on Minerva. She was standing beside Poppy and Potter, who was seated on the bed.
"Snape," Potter said, relief filling his face. "Tell them I'm fine!"
"What happened?" Severus demanded from Minerva immediately.
"Sirius Black happened," Minerva said, her lips thin and her nostrils flaring. "And your foolish child attempted to duel the maniac."
"Sirius Black?"
Potter's curse on Halloween truly had no bounds.
Severus looked Potter over from top to bottom and felt his chest loosen as the child appeared to be unharmed. "Someone, quickly, explain what happened."
Minerva gave Potter a look of irritated exasperation. Potter sighed.
"So we got back to the common room, yeah? And Ron was upset because Scabbers was clawing him and freaking out and jumped-"
"I don't care about a rat," Severus hissed. "Inform me of what happened with Black."
"That's what I'm trying to do," Potter hissed back. Severus saw Minerva smile and gave her a cold look. Potter was not amusement in the slightest at the moment.
"Anyway, so Scabbers runs off and Ron goes up to our room to see if he went there and he screams bloody murder, so I go running after him."
"Of course you did," Severus groaned. "Continue."
"Guess who was in our room? Black! So I start trying to cur- er..." Potter caught his eye and Severus shook his head slightly. Potter did not need to admit to curses in front of present company. "I tried to stop him," he said instead. "But he shoved me and just ran. I couldn't get a clear shot in the common room. But-" Potter pulled a large knife from his robe pocket. "I summoned this at the last second."
Severus would be a naive fool to not believe Potter would not take to carrying the damn weapon around with him.
"And then?" he asked with a pointed look at Minerva.
"I was alerted by Miss Owens that Sirius Black was inside the castle," she said. "By the time I arrived your child," she gave Potter a disbelieving look, "was attempting to sneak out to search for the man singlehandedly."
Potter shrugged.
"I alerted Albus immediately, who is now organizing a search of the castle. The students have all been corralled in to the Great Hall for the night, and I brought Potter here to ensure he was not injured."
Severus gave her an appreciative nod before glancing towards Poppy who shook her head.
"Besides a bad case of idiocy, I believe Mister Potter is fine," she sniffed.
"'M not an idiot," Potter muttered.
"You said that the students are all congregated in the Great Hall?" Severus asked Minerva.
"Yes. I believe Albus should be there shortly as well to check in with the Prefects and Head Boy and Girl," Minerva said.
"I will speak with him regarding the search then. Come along Potter, I will return you to the Great Hall."
Potter jumped to his feet with a smug look towards Poppy.
"They were talking about keeping me all night," Potter said the second the doors closed behind them. "Knew you'd come get me."
Severus rounded on Potter at the flippancy in his tone.
"Have you lost your god damned mind?" he snarled. "You confronted Black on your own?!"
"Don't say that," Potter said coldly. "I didn't lose my mind. I told you I was going to kill him and I will. He was in my room with a giant fuckin' knife, wasn't he?"
"You are a brain-dead moron Potter," Severus sneered. He knew his worry and fear were coming out as condemnation and fury, but Potter made the wrong choices every single damned time.
"Am I?" Potter hummed, inching away from Severus slightly. "So I suppose if you're so smart then you know how Black got in the castle and in our room?"
"You've given the password to half the damned castle!" Severus said harshly. "Who knows which idiot child left the password lying around!"
"Don't call them idiots," Potter said, taking half a step further from Severus. "They're not idiots and neither am I, sir."
Severus glared at Potter even as he recognized the own unfairness of his words.
Potter was no idiot.
But Merlin if he wasn't the most arrogant and reckless child Severus had ever met.
"You will stay in the Hall with your friends," he said. "You will not even attempt to leave the Hall, is that clear?"
"Crystal," Potter spat.
Severus strode towards the Hall, beckoning Potter to follow alongside him. He kept a watchful eye out as they went for any sign of someone who did not belong in the corridors. Once they reached the Hall entrance Severus stopped before opening the doors.
"Stay away from Lupin," he said. "It is unlikely that Black entered the castle unaided and he is still the most likely perpetrator."
"Brill," Potter said, clenching his jaw and rolling his shoulders. "C'n I go now?"
Severus hesitated at the visible signs of stress Potter was exuding.
"I apologize," he said with a sigh. "I was worried for your safety and shouted unfairly at you. It will likely happen many more times as you insist upon putting yourself in danger."
Potter looked up warily at him.
"It's not a real apology if you aren't going to change," he said with his green eyes narrowed.
"Perhaps not," Severus allowed. "Though it is an honest apology."
Potter chewed his lower lip for a moment before nodding curtly.
"I didn't lose my mind and my friends are not idiots."
"I am aware," Severus said, counting his breaths to keep his voice level. "I believe I already said that I apologize."
"'Kay," Potter said. "But you're being a bastard."
"You attempted to kill a man in a crowded common room," Severus pointed out. "You have practically defined the phrase; delinquent brat."
The edges of Potter's lip curled slightly up, apparently pleased with Severus' sardonic retort. Severus opened the Hall doors and was immediately surrounded by Potter's entourage.
"You stupid idiot!" Miss Bones yelled. "What were you thinking?"
Potter rolled his eyes and ushered his friends to an empty corned. He caught Severus' eyes once more and nodded slightly.
Severus watched for a moment as Potter spoke in a hushed tone to his friends before he left the Hall in search of Albus.
As he told Potter; there was no way Black entered Hogwarts without assistance and the most likely culprit was the damned wolf.
He swore that if he discovered proof that Lupin was assisting Black in any way he would borrow Potter's sword himself.