To Catch A Thief

Part 3

Severus woke to Fawkes staring down at him with a letter in his beak. "Fawkes, it's a bit early." Fawkes dropped the letter. He opened the letter.

"Sev, what type of birdie is this? He was kind enough to spend the night with me."

Severus looked at Fawkes. "He stole you, didn't he?" Fawkes did a bit of head bop with a flutter of his feathers. "That brat is going to drive Albus Dumbledore out of any sanity the man had." He wondered how they missed the boy walking out with Fawkes. Severus got dressed and made his way to the boys' dorms. He had a snake to speak to.

"Uncle Severus, I wasn't expecting you so soon." Draco was still in bed which didn't surprise him. Actually, all the snakes were except for one.

"I'm looking for Potter." He knew the boy should be in here.

"He's in the shower." Blaise sat up.

"I don't think he spent the night here." Draco pointed to the made-up bed. "He wasn't here when we went to sleep."

Severus wasn't sure why Draco was ratting out his new dorm mate. "Draco is just being prissy because Potter wasn't in awe of him. Draco, it isn't a good enough reason to be a tale-teller." Theo muttered from under his blankets.

Blaise started laughing. Draco threw a pillow at him. "Potter didn't know how important the Malfoy family is." Blaise starting laughing again. "You should have seen Draco's face when Potter went who."

"Still don't have a clue." Harry put his toiletries away. "However, anyone against Dumbledore is a friend in my book."

The Slytherins were shocked but Severus noticed that Harry didn't seem worried about it. "What did you do?"

"Privacy spell the goblins taught me. Nothing said in this room can be shared with anyone." Harry gave Severus a small smirk. "You know I wasn't going to trust that old fool."

"My office, Potter." Severus held up his hand as Draco, Blaise, and Theo were about to object to the privacy spell. "It works for you also." Severus turned and left the room.

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"Potter, I'm going to lay down some rules, you will follow-"

"Rules? Really? Do I strike you as a rule follower?"

Severus watched the boy sit down with a grace he had noticed only in pure blood or those who were very confident in who they were. Usually, children didn't have that type of confidence at 11. "None the less you will or you will find out what I consider punishment."

"Wow, you said that with a straight face."

"Potter, you will refrain from stealing. You will obey all of Hogwarts' rules. If you get caught breaking them, you will earn detention with me. If you lose points, it's two detention. I don't care who you are, what you have experienced. You are here in Hogwarts and you will be a model student or you will be expelled."

"Not happening. First, if I do get caught it will be a frame job. Second, I don't steal. I liberate useful items for future endeavors. Third, I'm not even sure if I will remain a Hogwarts student so threats of being expelled don't scare me." Harry slowly rose. "Now, are you done trying to exhort your authority over me so we have a real discussion?" He started to walk around the office. He stopped at Severus' bookcase with a small display on top of it.

Severus leaned back in his chair. He knew whatever choice he made now would affect him for the rest of his life. Something in his gut telling him that Harry Potter wasn't going to be anyone that Dumbledore would be able to control. The boy was Slytherin. "I will make you a deal. You don't get caught, don't liberate from me, and I will teach you what Dumbledore won't teach. You had lessons from the goblins."