kbinnz - Harry's New Home

Harry grinned.

"Mum," Ron called, "can we take Harry and go play?"

"Of course, dear," Molly called back. Harry shot a glance at Severus and, receiving an austere nod, hurried off with the others. Ginny squirmed down from Bill's broad back and joined them, leaving Snape with Bill, Charlie, Molly, and Arthur.

Arthur sighed at the sudden quiet. "I'd forgotten what silence sounds like," he said nostalgically.

"Mating dragons are quieter than our lot," Charlie said, with what Snape was disquieted to realize was undisguised pride. What on earth was he thinking, to let polite, quiet Harry carouse with these hellions?

"Have a seat," Molly urged Severus towards тАУ oh no, not again тАУ the lumpy armchair, and he surrendered to his fate with resignation.

Meanwhile, Harry had been hastily bundled away to the farthest reaches of the wards by the younger Weasleys. "Right," Ron said, determinedly. "What did he use on you? Crucio? Imperius?"

Harry blinked. "What? Who?"

"Snape!" Ron said impatiently. "What's he using to get you to agree to this? Or is it that you haven't been given any choice? Just say the word, mate. We'll figure out some way to get you away from that greasy git."

"He's not greasy!" Ginny chimed in unexpectedly. "You always call him that, but he isn't."

"Well, no," Ron admitted slowly. "He does kinda look different today."

"Very un-Snapish in fact тАУ"

"- probably part of the plot тАУ"

"- trying to lull the parents into a false sense тАУ "

"- of security."

"They're sold on him," Ron said, shaking his head. "I can't believe Mum fell for it. I mean, Dad hasn't heard all the stories, but Mum has!"

"He nearly strangled us тАУ"

"- that time we improved the coloration of his House тАУ"

"- and never thanked us for it! Just made sure Mum тАУ"

"- paid a visit to Hogwarts with her wooden spoon тАУ"

"He practically insisted on watching too тАУ"

"- the greasy git."

"He's not greasy!" Ginny argued, only to be ignored.

"You two deserved every smack you got for that prank," Percy said repressively. "I'm surprised that Professor Snape didn't have you expelled. How would you like it if some Slytherins had turned all of us red?"

"Wicked!" the twins exclaimed in unison, much to Percy's disgust.

"Look, Harry," Ron ignored his siblings. "I've heard all my brothers тАУ even Percy тАУ talk about how awful Snape is. He's mean and nasty and I don't care what any of the adults say, you shouldn't have to live with him."

Harry was touched. What a great best mate he had! Ron and his whole family just wanted to be sure Harry was being treated well. "Thanks, Ron, but honest, Snape isn't mean at all." He ignored the snorts of derision from the twins and even Percy's more restrained mutter of disagreement. "Really, he's been just brilliant. He gave me my own room, and filled it with stuff тАУ wait 'til you see it! And he's been helping me with my handwriting and he didn't let the Headmaster expel me and тАУ"

Ron's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Didn't he give you detention? And lines? And didn't you say he whacked you after the flying lesson with Madame Hooch?"

"Well, yeah," Harry admitted. "But it's not like it really hurt or anything. And even in the detention he gave me a new quill to use for my lines and he let me have a snackтАж"

"So he didn't actually starve you тАУ"

"- and the beating wasn't too awful тАУ"

"Harry, this isn't sounding good тАУ

"- to us."

"Yes, Harry," Percy said, a bit pompously. "You need to be aware that there are rules that govern the treatment of minors in Wizarding Society. If Professor Snape has violated these rules, then тАУ"

"Stow it, Percy!" Ron put in, ducking his older brother's irritated clout. "Mate, I just dunno. I mean, I'm glad you like him an' all, but there's gotta be better guardians out there!"

Harry sighed. This was getting annoying. "Really, Ron, he's brilliant. He doesn't yell or hurt me or тАУ " He broke off as he realized what might convince the Quidditch-crazed Weasleys. "He's not only letting me play as Gryffindor's Seeker, but he also got me a new broom for it."

The twins perked up. "A new broom тАУ"

"- for the Gryffindor Seeker тАУ"

"- compliments of the Slytherin Head of House?"

"Must be sabotaged тАУ"

"- or some old splinter-filled antique!"

"It's a brand new Nimbus 2000," Harry informed them coolly. "But if you think it's sabotaged, then you don't have to borrow it."

"A Nimbus?" Even Ginny was astounded.

Ron sat there, blinking. "Snape bought you a Nimbus? A Nimbus 2000?"

Harry nodded smugly. "I got to use it at practice today. It's brilliant!" he said, enthusiasm replacing his pique. "You should see how it handles. Katie showed me this new move тАУ a Wronski something тАУ and it's a snap with the new broom." He paused. "Don't you want to try it out when we get back to school?"

Ron nodded so fast Harry thought his neck might be wrenched. "You bet!"

"Come on, Harry тАУ "

"- you wouldn't really keep us тАУ"

"- from trying it too, would you?"

"Wow! A Nimbus 2000! I've only тАУ"

"- imagined what flying one тАУ"

"- would be like!"

"Can I try? Can I try?" Ginny begged.

Harry took pity on her. "Next time I visit, I'll ask Professor Snape if I can bring it with me, okay? You have someplace to fly around here, right?"

"Come see our pitch!" Ron invited.

"Remember, we're not to go flying before dinner," Percy cautioned, hurrying after the others.

"How about if we тАУ"

"- try out that Muggle toy Dad тАУ"

"- brought us. Maybe Harry will know тАУ"

"- what to do with it?"

After what was not nearly as interminable a period as Snape had feared, Molly indicated that dinner was close to ready. Much to his surprise, Bill Weasley, whom Snape dimly remembered as an atrocious Potions pupil, had grown into a charming, witty raconteur. He told amusing stories of working with goblins, and Charlie chimed in with his own tales of life among the dragons. Between the two of them, Snape didn't have to do much talking at all, and he found he rather enjoyed the interlude тАУ though he had no intention of admitting that to anyone.

Molly called to the children, and all too quickly the youngest members of the tribe barreled through the house in a sea of red heads surrounding one dark mop. They had some kind of Muggle football that they were playing with and swept through the living room in a noisy blur. "Don't play with that thing in the house!" Molly shouted at them. "You hear me? Not indoors!"

The furor passed into a more distant part of the house, and Arthur and Severus exchanged a look. "I don't know how you manage to put up with a school full of children day in and day out," Arthur said, shaking his head.

"Yeah," Charlie echoed. "I mean, we're awful enough and at least Mum and Dad chose to have us around."

"Don't you ever feel like taking up some other, quieter job, like chief curse tester or St Mungo's doorman?" Bill grinned.

"Frequently," Snape said drily.

"Come sit down," Molly instructed from the doorway. "I'll call the children again."

The men took their seats around the table, as Molly shouted again for the others. The noise level began to rise, and Bill said, "I can hear them coming now."

"The dead can hear that lot coming," Charlie pointed out.

Before any of the children put in an appearance, however, the Muggle football did. It entered the room at speed, traversing a graceful arc that ended when it bounced jarringly off Arthur's head, careened into the wall, ricocheted off a credenza (smashing a garishly colored vase in the process), and landed with a resounding SPLAT in the large tureen of mushy peas.