The Worst Summer

Harry stepped out of the fireplace and dusted himself off, noticing that he was in Dumbledore's office. Harry looked around, but Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen. He looked across the room and noticed that Hedwig was there, sitting next to Fawkes. He strode over, and began to stroke and speak softy to his owl. "I really should be mad at you, you know."

Before he could continue, he heard Snape exit the fire. "Potter, follow me." Snape walked over to the door, opened it and motioned for Harry to follow. After leaving the spiraling staircase, Snape led him to the great hall.

Upon entering, Harry noticed that there was only one table, located in the center of the room. It was laden with what looked like enough food for an army, but the only people seated there were Remus Lupin and Professor Dumbledore. Harry noticed his headmaster, and looked at the clear blue eyes staring at him with calmness. He hated those eyes, he hated that face. That damned calm face that had told him not so long ago about the prophecy. 'No. I'm not going to think about that.' He broke off looking at Dumbledore, instead looking at the floor.

Dumbledore said, "Ah, Harry, Severus. It is so nice of you to join us." The headmaster motioned for them to sit down. Harry held back. He didn't want to sit next to Dumbledore, and he especially didn't want to sit near Snape. Snape took a chair across from Remus, and so Harry sat next to his former DADA instructor.

Remus said, "Dig in, Harry."

But Harry just sat there staring at his plate. He found he wasn't hungry. A few moments later Remus leaned down and said "Harry, you need to keep your strength up. Now put some food on your plate and eat."

Harry didn't move.

Lupin sighed, and picked up Harry's plate and filled it with food. He set the plate back down, saying more sternly, "Harry James Potter that was not a request. Now eat something before I start force feeding you."

Harry glared at Remus. "You wouldn't."

Lupin looked back, his face completely serious, "Try me."

Harry sighed and picked up his fork. This was not a battle he was going to win. Mostly he just moved the food around on his plate, but still managed to eat about half of it. During the meal, Dumbledore was getting a report from Snape. Harry was doing his best to ignore what Snape was saying, but then he said, "The woman took me upstairs and showed me to Potter's room. There was a padlock on the door. When I confronted her about this, she denied that Potter had ever been locked in the room, but she was lying. The boy has been locked in that room at some point."

Harry glared at Snape. "You didn't have to tell them about that."

Snape gave Harry one of those deep, penetrating gazes. The boy didn't want to share what went on at his relatives. If he was protective about that secret, how many more secrets was he hiding? He turned to Dumbledore and said, "I'd like a word with Mr. Potter in private."

Dumbledore looked at Snape, blue eyes twinkling over his half moon glasses. 'Of course,' thought Snape, 'this is exactly what the old man wants. He has been lecturing me for years that I should get to know the boy.' Snape just sneered back at the headmaster.

Dumbledore said, "Very well, Severus. I trust you retrieved Harry's belongings."

Snape nodded, removed the shrunken trunk and cage from his pockets and enlarged them. Turning to Harry, he said, "Come, Potter," and Harry followed him to his private quarters. After mumbling a password a portrait opened and Snape motioned for Harry to enter. Harry entered the room and stood stock still. He was afraid to move, to touch anything. He had to admit that Snape's rooms weren't quite what he expected. They weren't as dark and cold as the dungeon classrooms. A fire was burning at one end of the room; the fireplace was surrounded by several comfortable looking chairs. The other half of the room looked like a library. Shelves of books covered the walls, and there was a large oak table in the center.

Snape guided Harry to the chairs by the fire and told him to sit down. He left and returned a moment later with some tea. With a swish of his wand a table appeared and he sat the tea down before sitting in the chair across from Harry.

Harry had changed from being angry about this whole situation to fearful. He was sitting in the private rooms of his most hated professor with nothing to defend himself. Snape could kill him and no one would be the wiser.

Snape allowed Harry to squirm in his chair for a few minutes before beginning to speak. He knew from his years of dealing with students that his silence could bring a student to their knees faster that his loudest tirade. Once he was sure that Harry was suitably terrified he began. "Mr. Potter, do you know why I asked to speak with you alone?"

Harry shook his head not daring to look up.

"I wish to know why you do not want the headmaster and Lupin to know what has gone on at your relatives."

Harry wasn't sure what to say. He absentmindedly picked up the cup of tea Snape had put before him and started sipping it before he realized with horror what he had just done. He looked up at Snape and said, "Did you put anything in this?"

Snape smirked. "Why, yes Potter, I did. It is not quite as strong as veritaserum, but it will force you to answer my questions honestly."

In a fit of rage Harry threw the cup at Snape. Snape dodged the cup and allowed it to hit the wall and shatter. In a flash, he had his wand back out, trained on Harry. "Potter you will calm down or I will petrify you."

Harry glared at Snape, but sat back in his chair, arms crossed.

"Now, answer my question. Why do you not want the headmaster and Lupin to know what goes on at your relatives?"

Harry sighed. He wanted to lie, but what little tea he drank was forcing him to tell the truth. "It's embarrassing. I don't let people know anymore than I have to about my home life. Plus I don't trust Dumbledore anymore. He lies."

Snape arched on eyebrow as he studied Harry. He weighed his options, before deciding on the best course of action. "Mr. Potter, I will give you a choice. You can either submit to my questions regarding your home life, and your recent behavior, or we can leave and I will tell the headmaster everything I saw at your relatives and my suspicions."

Harry thought for a moment. "How do I know you won't tell him anyways? You told him things you saw in my mind last year."

"The only things I told the headmaster involved the safety of this school or the order. I give you my word that I will only tell him those things. Your private memories will continue to be protected.

"What are you going to question me about?"

"As I said before, I am going to question you about your life with those muggles, and the reasons for you harming yourself."

"What if you find out I did something that would get me in trouble?"

Snape knew exactly what Harry was alluding to. He had heard of the boy's attempt of the crutiatus curse, and was planning to confront him when he returned to school. It might be best to just get this out of the way now. "Mr. Potter, if you are referring to your actions against Lestrange at the Ministry of Magic, I already know about that. Is there anything else that you are hiding for fear of punishment?"

Harry just looked down and shook his head. He said in a small voice, "Does Dumbledore know?"

"No, and I will not tell him. But, if I ever hear of you doing that again, I will. There may be times in battle when you are forced to use curses to defend yourself. However, that curse is not one of them. You let your anger consume you and it almost got you killed. You may not be so lucky next time."

Harry nodded his understanding. Which would be worse, Snape or Dumbledore? Snape hated him, but at the same time Snape had saved his life several times. Dumbledore said he cared, but then Dumbledore kept so much from him that Harry wasn't sure he could trust him. He decided he needed a little more information. "What will you do with the information you find out? How do I know I won't end up having to tell Dumbledore anyways?"

"I will use the information to help you, Potter. There is a reason I was the one sent to retrieve you. The headmaster knows that I am the best equipped to help a student who is trying to harm themselves. Therefore, the headmaster will follow my suggestion without having to know the details."

"But why do you want to help me? I thought you hated me."

"I admit that I have not treated you well in the past, and that I had misconceptions about you. I do not hate you. However that does not mean that I condone your behavior. You have been reckless, and have endangered yourself and others many times. The incident at the Department of Mysteries and your recent behavior show that you do not have a handle on your emotions. You need help. I have given you two choices. Either submit to questioning or go to the headmaster. It is up to you."

Harry thought for a moment. He figured if Dumbledore found out the extent of his feelings that he would send him to St Mungos. But it sounded like Snape wasn't going to do that. He decided to give Snape a chance. In the week that he had been with his relatives, one of the things he had realized was that what had happened to Sirius wasn't all Snape's fault. It had been easy to blame him in the beginning, but Harry realized there were many things he could have done differently. And trusting Snape would be doing something differently. He looked up at Snape and said, "OK. I'll answer your questions."