Finally, the potion was finished. Yet, Harry wasn't in a rush to leave he still wanted to prove himself to Snape and surpass the image of his father. Leaving Snape to bottle up the potion, that he still wouldn't tell him about, Harry packed away his suppliers. Every so often he would glance over at Snape to see how much was left. It didn't take long for Snape to throw him a pair of dragonhide gloves, with the order to "Scrub the cauldron clean, whilst I wipe the side."
Placing on the size-adjusting gloves, Harry carries the cauldron to the sink. Similar to the prefect's bath, however instead of fresh scents and endless bubbles, various potions were disbursed which helped in removing unforgiving stains and molded on potions. Using potions, to remove potions made little sense to Harry. At the Dursleys, chemicals were used to clean food stains and the two weren't similar. Once clean, the cauldron was wiped dry, 'spells can ruin a cauldron just as much as they can a potion' Harry hears in Snape's drawl within his head and racked with the others.
"So," Harry says with his back against a desk, "When do you want me to show you my corporal Patronus?"
Snape, simply raises an eyebrow, "Doing it now we stop you from practicing and trying to find a way to fake it, oh wait, stop Granger finding a way to fake it for you."
Bringing out his wand, Harry recalls his happiest memories, traces the motion and calls forth his fathers stag with a clear, "Expecto Patronus."
Snape's voice came out almost like a snarl, "James animagus form how unfortunate. You look like him, you act like him, and now your Patronus is him."
"Yeah, well at least I don't have a crooked nose from my father," Harry retorts.
Stepping backward, Snape looks scared as his face pales, "How, how did you know that?"
Lifting his hands up so Snape can see they're empty, "That was inappropriate and rude I'm sorry and I know because it takes one to know one."
"Takes one to know one? What do you even know?" Snape says, regaining his normal composure.
Harry looks just as uncertain and insecure as he did under fire from Snape's questioning in his first potion lesson, " I know what it's like to be abused. Why else would I beg Dumbledore to let me stay anywhere but the Dursleys during the summer? I offered to stay in the castle and look after myself, I'm used to looking after myself, and them. I would even willingly stay at the Malfoys instead, even if they knew what I did to their son."
Snape's mouth opens and closes during Harry's confession, "Dumbledore didn't do anything about my monster of a father either. I shouldn't say this after all he has done, but sometimes I think Dumbledore does it in order to manipulate me, manipulate us. If I hadn't stayed, if I hadn't stayed in that house with him I wouldn't have joined him," Snape yanks up his sleeve, "I wouldn't have got this ... this forsaken mark. Lucius wouldn't appear so caring and I wouldn't have fallen for his charm. It's too late now, I'm even the godfather to his son. Whilst I know where you are coming from with the option of staying at the Malfoys I wouldn't recommend it as of now, the Dark Lord is staying in his manor."
Harry interrupts, "Damn, no wonder Malfoy was crying in the bathroom if he has to deal with that, especially as his privileged white arse isn't used to work."
Harry's eye widen, at Snape's almost snigger, "He certainly doesn't run to his father anymore, he runs to me instead, he trusts and respects me as I have been there for him as he's grown into the wizard he is today. Sure, he may appear privileged, and to an extent he is. However, it has been hard work for him, we didn't have a childhood due to abuse, he didn't have a childhood due to learning what was required by him as the Malfoy heir. He has been taught, almost since he was born, how to speak, how to eat, how to sit. He has never had friends, only associates his father has approved and deemed below him due to social standing. Very few people have similar social standing, and you are one of them. Except you're not. And you're not because of Dumbledore. You haven't been given lessons on how to act as a Pureblood Lord, you haven't..."
Another interruption comes from Harry, "A Pureblood Lord? Me? I'm not even a Pureblood, how does that work?".
"You didn't know you were a Pureblood Lord? No wonder I haven't seen you wear your heirship rings?"
"Rings?" Harry questions, "Why would I have more than one?"
"One for the Potter heirship, you might even be able to emasculate yourself and wear the Lordship ring instead, and Black claimed you as his heir and you may have others as I don't know the rings that you have a claim to, you'd have to talk to the goblins at Gringotts for further details."
"So I have to wait until summer to find out what heirships I have? And if I can emasculate myself? What does that even mean?"
"Techniquely you could go on the next possible Hogsmeade weekend so long as you have a Head of House to go with you. Ask Hermione if you still don't understand emasculation, but the basics are you would be able to access all the family vaults, become a school governor, claim your seat, or seats at the Wizengamot and simply allows you to become an adult wizard without reaching your magical maturity at seventeen."
With his typical Gryffindor behaviour Harry inquires, "Would you be able to take me then? Next Hogsmeade weekend if you don't have any other plans."
Snape sighs, "I suppose, I do need to go to Diagon Alley for potion ingredients anyway," it was his luck to be left to take Potter to Gringotts.
"Thank you, thank you, I owe you one."
"I'm Slytherin, Potter, I will hold you to that so be careful what you say to other Slytherin as they will do the same."
"Urgh.. well it better be worth it, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I accepted what the hat said and allowed it to place me in Slytherin and then I wouldn't owe you anything.
"Trust me on this Potter, many Slytherins owe me more than one," Snape pauses, as if he has only just taken in what Harry said, "Stan wanted you in my house?"
"Stan?"
"Just when I thought you might have some intelligence, in order to have been invited to Slytherin yet you can't add together pieces of information, Stan is the sorting hat."
"Oh, I was thinking of the Knight bus, and he did, but Malfoy put me off."
Harry could imagine Snape rolling his eyes as he responds, "Once again it is all Malfoys fault, poor innocent Potter."
"Well, Ron was the first friend the Dursleys' didn't stop me from having and Malfoy insults him. Plus as you said, it was to be like my father, someone I knew nothing about, being in the house that he was in felt like a way I could get to know him."
Snape felt his mask slipping as he understood Harry's feelings and to prevent Harry from seeing anymore of his character he says, "You'd better be off Potter, I have potions to make and I'm sure your friends cannot wait to find out what happened in your detention," as he opens the door to his classroom.
"Thank you, Professor, I'll see you for class and on Saturday, hopefully we will get lunch next time."
The door glides closed behind Harry, Snape takes a deep breathe and slouches, "Expecto Patronus, " a perfect replica of Lily's doe form shoots out of Snape's wand, "Tell Poppy I'll be up shortly." This was going to be a long year.
