kbinnz - Harry's New Home

Harry let out a muffled squeak of surprise as, instead of delivering a stinging rebuke, his professor's hand instead began kneading his back muscles, soothing away all the tensions of the day. Once again Harry marveled at how completely pants the man was at discipline, and he worried that the other students must surely take advantage of him. But then all coherent thought was quickly banished as the man's velvety voice and strong fingers eased away knots and stress.

"Mmrglph," Harry mumbled in utter bliss as the professor reached up and gently massaged his scalp. He felt like he was floating on a cloud as his muscles unkinked and the stress oozed out of him.

"Clear your mind. Imagine you are surrounded by velvety darkness. You are surrounded by it, floating in the void. Nothing can harm you. Nothing can trouble you. Nothing can touch you. You are safe and protected," the professor's low voice purred hypnotically, and Harry relaxed even further, practically melting into his mattress as both mind and body let go of the day's excitements.

"You are floating in the deep black void тАУ"

"Flying," Harry muttered, the last spark of his consciousness making itself felt.

"What?"

"N't floatin. Flyin'," Harry slurred. "I like flyin'."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Fine. Flying. You are flying in the void. Your mind is calm, your body is relaxed. Nothing can touch you. Nothing can see you." Beneath his fingers, he felt the boy's muscles unwind, his breathing slow and deepen. Ha! So much for Mister 'I Won't Go to Sleep and You Can't Make Me', he thought smugly. That should show the brat who was in charge. He kept up the slow, gentle massage and the compelling murmuring until he was certain the boy was deeply asleep.

Well. That had been disgustingly easy. And here he had been worried about teaching the boy occlumency. Obviously such a skill was imperative for The Boy Who Lived, lest any Dark Legilimens try to tear his mind apart, but Snape had worried that with the boy's background it would be impossible for him to develop enough trust in another person to follow their instructions as to how to clear the mind. Clearly he needn't have worried. If this were any indication, Harry was almost too trusting, following Snape's instructions without demur.

Snape decided that they would have to make this a regular routine тАУ getting the boy in the habit of clearing his mind before sleep. It would teach him the basics of occlumencyand simultaneously ease him into a deep, restful sleep. And avoid further juvenile posturing about "not being tired". The fact that it would mean that he would have to engage in a regular bedtime ritual with the little monster was irritating, of course. He had many more important things he could be doing rather than sitting at the little brat's bedside, soothing him and lulling him to sleep with his words. Why, an uninformed observer might even think he was cuddling the brat!

Snape glowered. He was not being affectionate or caring; the relaxing massage was merely an aide to the occlumency training. That was all.

He looked down to where his hand was, inexplicably, brushing the hair back from the little horror's face. Sleeping like that, it was almost possible to forget what an impossible brat he was тАУ always getting into difficulties and creating havoc wherever he went. Snape scowled, thinking of the evening's events. How dare those Ravenclaws imagine they could attack Potter? If Granger and the boys hadn't happened upon themтАж Snape shuddered, his hand becoming even more gentle as it absently stroked Harry's head. Obviously he had started the boy's tutelage none too soon.

He heard the roar of the floo, then the Headmaster's voice called to him. He rose hastily from the bed тАУ it would not do to be found sitting here, petting the brat. Albus would be sure to misunderstand things and imagine that Snape was becoming sentimental, rather than merely applying necessary techniques for the instruction of occlumency.

Snape shut the bedroom door behind him and went to meet the Headmaster. "I'm here, Albus," he called.

"Ah, there you are, my boy. Is Harry all right?" Dumbledore tried to peer over his shoulder but was defeated by the closed door.

"He's sleeping."

"Hmm. This was an interesting turn of events, wasn't it?"

"If you consider the ambushing and assault of a first year by four upper level students to be 'interesting'."

Dumbledore's twinkle faded a bit. "Yes, I confess I had somewhat underestimated the risk to Harry from his classmates. I did not anticipate that some parents would have so corrupted their children's minds with hate..."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "No?" But in fact, Snape wasn't at all surprised. Dumbledore's greatest failing, in Snape's eyes at least, was his boundless capacity to believe the best of everyone. Giving people the benefit of the doubt, extending second (and third and fourthтАж) chances, all these were Dumbledore's stock in trade. Deep at heart, the Headmaster was a romantic, endlessly believing that everyone would eventually do the right thing, if only they were given enough opportunities. By contrast, Snape's suspicious nature meant that he distrusted everyone on sight and, unfortunately, he had all too often been proven right. On the other hand, it meant that he was rarely surprised.

"Regardless of your astonishment, Headmaster, I trust that you now appreciate the threat to my ward and will support his accelerated learning of defensive spells?" Dumbledore's expression was sad, but he nodded his acquiescence.

"And of course, you have expelled the four Ravenclaws," Snape continued, though he held little hope that Dumbledore had taken such an action. The Headmaster loathed expelling anyone and would go to almost any length to avoid such an ultimate punishment, as Snape knew all too well. On the other hand, the Potion Master was almost looking forward to being able to exact his own revenge on the four boys тАУ not to mention imagining what his House and the lions of Gryffindor would do to them when no faculty were around. Knowing they'd have Snape's tacit approval, his students would be sure to make it indelibly clear to the rest of the school that picking on a Slytherin was an extremely bad idea.

Snape's pleasant fantasies were rudely shattered when Albus sighed. "Yes, I had little choice in the matter."

Snape's jaw dropped. "What? You mean it? You expelled them? All four of them?"

Albus regained a little of his twinkle at the Potion Master's gobsmacked expression. "Well, Severus, I knew perfectly well that you would never permit me to do otherwise. Even if the boys' assault hadn't been so clearly murderous in intent, you have made it clear that you take Harry's safety extremely seriously. I knew you would not permit him to stay at Hogwarts if his attackers remained at large, and given that circumstance, it was of course only fair that his attackers be the ones to leave." Albus gave him a sharp look. "Not that the boys argued with my decision. They were all too apprehensive of what might have happened to them if they stayed on campus. I believe they felt their own safety might beтАж in jeopardy."

"Dear, dear," Severus raised an eyebrow. "Why would they think that?"

Albus didn't deign to reply. Instead, he continued, "As a result of this belief, the four were all too willing to make a complete confession. I had no choice тАУ the Aurors were summoned and took the boys away. I suspect that Messrs Peterson and O'Leary will be released to their parents after questioning, but Jeffreys and Smythe are likely to face imprisonment."

"Good," Snape snapped, unsympathetic.

Dumbledore sighed wearily. "No, Severus. It is not good. It is very sad to see such youth and potential squandered on bitterness and old grudges."

"They made their choices, Headmaster, and they are now being held accountable for their actions. Is that not what you should be instilling in these children?"