kbinnz - Harry's New Home

Snape's eyes flew open as he realized that Black and Lupin would have to move into Hogwarts, probably soon after this term ended. "Oh, yes. I'm certain you will," he replied gloomily.

Harry grinned wickedly, even though he didn't bother to open his eyes. "Good, 'cause then I can practice all my new spells by pranking Padfoot."

Snape's eyes widened and he recalculated the benefits of having the mutt and werewolf nearby, especially with Harry displaying heretofore unsuspected Slytherin tendencies. "Hmmm. An excellent way to gain practical experience," he finally agreed, but the brat was already fast asleep.

Snape smirked as he thought of watching Harry prank his godfather over and over again, all summer long. Naturally Black woud be too sickeningly affectionate to remonstrate with the brat, let alone retaliate. Hmmmmm. This definitely had potential, especially if certain of his own boyhood notes found their way into Harry's hands. Snape decided that adopting a Potter might have been a very good idea after all.

The next morning, he had second thoughts, as he woke up, shivering, to find the brat had stolen not only his pillow but his blankets and was now happily snoozing away in a warm little cocoon, while Snape - the rightful owner of the bed and linens - froze at his side. He debated waking up the wretch with an Aguamenti but decided that would only mean the brat would get the shower first too. He rose with what dignity he could muster while blue and shivering, cast a quick heating charm on himself, and stalked to the bathroom with all the outraged sensitivity of an offended cat.

TBCтАж

*Chapter 52*: Chapter 52

While Harry settled down to the final weeks of his first year, Snape decided to make a much-needed visit. He wanted to avoid leaving Hogwarts at the end of the term when not only Harry but all the other students as well would be in a highly excited state and his workload as Head of House and Potions professor would reach a peak. That meant that he had better go sooner rather than later, and frankly, he had neither reason nor desire to delay. He dispatched Harry's owl with a letter and was unsurprised when he received a terse invitation in reply.

"Well, well, Severus тАУ this is a surprise," Lucius Malfoy drawled as he stepped through the floo and into Lucius' study at the appointed time. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

Snape rolled his eyes at Lucius' false modesty. Malfoy Manor was no more humble than its owner. "I assumed you would want to talk to me."

Lucius frowned. "About what?"

"The debacle of your little plan to test Potter."

Lucius' eyes narrowed further. "What test?"

Snape sighed and seated himself, not waiting for an invitation to do so. "The Diary, Lucius. Need we play these tiresome games? Are you asking me to believe that a Dark artifact just happened to show up at the school at the same time you had to speak with Dumbledore?"

Lucius smirked. "Dear, dear! A Dark artifact at Hogwarts? I hadn't heard anything about it. Was some poor little Gryffindor badly injured? Perhaps dear Harry himself?"

"No, you wouldn't have heard of it, nor will the matter become public. There's no reason to spread panic now that the artifact has been utterly destroyed."

This time Lucius couldn't mask his surprise. "Potter destroyed the Di тАУ Dark artifact you mentioned?" he tried to cover his slip.

"For Merlin's sake, Lucius, you need to realize you're not as bright as you like to pretend," Snape snapped. "Do you really imagine that I wouldn't know that a diary that belonged to the Dark Lord as a boy would have to come from one of His inner circle? Or that I would forget your boasting that your manor holds one of the largest collections of Dark artifacts in Europe?"

"Not that I'm admitting anything," Lucius replied carefully, thinking quickly, "but what exactly happened to this object?"

"It was destroyed, along with Nagini and Salazar Slytherin's familiar, which had been roused out of its hibernation."

The blunt announcement destroyed any hope Malfoy had of masking his feelings. He stared at Snape, gobsmacked. "Nagini is dead?"

Snape tugged down his high collar, revealing the healing fang marks. "She came after me. Harry objected."

Lucius gulped. Audibly. "She тАУ you тАУ and the boy saved you?"

"He did. And then he led the way to Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets where the Diary and the basilisk were destroyed. All before dinner, by the way."

Lucius wet his lips. Maybe the Potter brat's defeat of the Dark Lord hadn't been a fluke after all. He stepped over and sloshed some fire whiskey into a glass.

Snape leaned forward. "And Lucius, to be clear, I don't appreciate your little games."

Malfoy managed to sneer. "Since when do I care what you appreciate?" But the speed with which he gulped the whiskey belied his arrogant tones.

Snape ignored the jibe. "What is more, you're getting sloppy. Leaving the Diary out for anyone to pick up?"

Lucius shrugged. "Not my problem. I made sure Draco knows enough not to touch anything suspicious."

"Not all of your confederates have been so careful in raising their offspring," Snape said silkily, leaning back in his chair. "I think perhaps the Parkinsons might like to know how Pansy got hold of the Diary that nearly drained her magic and soul."

Lucius nearly dropped the decanter. "The Parkinson girl was the one who found it? But I put itтАУ" He abruptly broke off.

"I spoke with her, Lucius. I know where you put it, but you were slipshod. You didn't make sure of your victim, and one of my students has paid the price for your carelessness."

Malfoy's head jerked up proudly. "Do you imagine I care? Parkinson may be a, shall we say, colleague тАУ but he's hardly a powerful wizard. I don't fear his wrath. Tell him if you wish."

Snape studied his steepled fingers. "You purebloods are always so interested in lineage. Do you know who Pansy's maternal grandmother is?"

Lucius shrugged, uncaring. "Some Pureblood тАУ I made sure of that before considering her as a wife for Draco. A Thistlethwaite, isn't she?"

"Yes. And the granddaughter of Anna Lucia Emilia Borgia."

He waited.

There was a distinct pause, then: "One of THE Borgias?" Lucius asked faintly.

"Yes тАУ I understand it's a very close knit Italian family in Italy and closely allied with the de Medicis as well." Snape gave him a mocking look. "Of course, you'd know all this much better than I."

Lucius managed to regain his bravado. "So? I know better than to fall victim to a poison."

Snape looked mildly quizzical. "Why do you imagine that you would be the target, Lucius? Surely to the Borgias, the fact that you nearly killed a daughter of their family whilst she studied at Hogwarts would suggest that their logical target would be-"

"Draco!" Now Lucius was genuinely terrified. It was one thing for him to spot poisons from behind his manor's wards тАУ quite another for Draco to be able to remain safe with neither his father's experience nor the manor's safety spells.

Snape watched with satisfaction. Malfoy was a typical pureblood parent. He was stern, remote, aloof, and quick with a slap or a thrashing if he believed his son was not living up to his high standards. He also had an explosive temper that his son had obviously learned to fear. But for all that, he loved Draco, and not merely as a continuation of the family line.

Snape remembered Lucius' pride when Draco had been born тАУ the man had come as close to a sappy grin as his arrogant features would allow when he first held his infant son, and Snape was well aware that for all his many flaws as a parent, Lucius adored the boy. Of course, he adhered to the purebred code which insisted that any show of emotion тАУ even parental affection тАУ was undignified, so he tended to demonstrate his love through material goods and austere comments and using a slipper to communicate displeasure instead of the Crucio that his own father had preferred.