Poppy let out an odd noise, halfway between a sob and a snort, and left abruptly. Albus merely patted Harry's foot under the blanket for a few moments. "I see." He patted some more.
Harry looked from the Headmaster to the professor. Snape was scowling as if he was about to explode, while the Headmaster looked very old and sad. "Sir? I'm sorry," he offered. He still had no idea what he'd done wrong, but an apology was usually a good idea.
"Potter, stop apologizing!" Professor Snape snapped. Okay, maybe not such a good idea after all.
"Yes, sir, sorry, sir," Harry replied automatically, then realized what he had done. "Sor-" he cut himself off before he did it again.
Dumbledore chuckled softly, though it didn't sound like he thought anything was very funny. "I see you have your work cut out for you, my boy." He rose to his feet, gave Harry's foot one last pat, then placed the tin of lemon drops on the bed. "For you, Harry."
Then he was left alone again with Professor Snape. "Sir? I'm тАУ " Harry thought better of apologizing again. "Um, what did I do wrong?" he asked. He knew it wouldn't excuse him from punishment, but maybe if he knew what he'd done, he could avoid doing it in the future.
Snape frowned at him. "Be still, Potter. Just listen."
Harry obediently straightened up and looked attentive. "You are not being expelled, Potter. I meant what I said about your not going back to those relatives. You will not live with them again. Ever." Harry's eyes flared with hope and Severus caught his breath. Lily looked out at him, and he had to fight to keep control of his voice.
"You are staying here at Hogwarts, and even if you were to do something so egregious as to require expulsion тАУ which is hard to imagine, given the current Headmaster тАУ even then you would not return to those disgusting Muggles. Do I make myself clear?"
Harry nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak. He got to stay! He got to stay!
"My apology to you was for the injuries I caused you yesterday," Snape continued. "I should not have struck you in that fashion, and I apologize." Now why was the child frowning at him? That had been a very nice apology тАУ even Minerva would have been impressed. "What?" he demanded, aggrieved.
"Why are you apologizing for that?" Harry asked blankly. He'd misbehaved in class, messed up his lines, and tried to leave detention early. Why was the professor apologizing for punishing him?
Snape stared at him. Was the boy trying to be funny? But no, even without Legilimency, it was clear that Harry genuinely saw nothing wrong with how he'd been treated.
"We will discuss that at a later time," he temporized. "For now, you will merely accept my word that it was inappropriate."
"Yes, sir," Harry said obediently.
"Continue your recuperation," Snape instructed, his voice once again coldly formal. "We will talk after you are feeling better."
"Yes, sir," Harry nodded. "Thank you, sir."
And now Snape had pulled him from his dorm тАУ presumably to have that postponed talk? At least that's what Harry hoped. He didn't think he was in troubleтАж But then again, there were plenty of times when he'd made that mistake. Better to check.
"Sir, did I do something wrong?" he asked, trying not to sound nervous.
"Do you know something I should?" Severus asked drily.
"No, sir!" Harry assured him, shaking his head vigorously.
"Very well. Step through," Snape instructed, opening a portrait with a muttered password. Harry obeyed and found himself in a large sitting room. Tea and biscuits awaited on a low table.
"Sit down, Potter," Severus pointed to the couch, and Harry tentatively obeyed. This was a little odd. Why was he in what had to be the professor's private quarters?
The next moment, the fireplace roared, and Professor McGonagall's head appeared in the flames. "Severus? Do you have тАУ Ah. Mr Potter, you are there."
"Yes'm," Harry answered obediently.
"Severus, perhaps you could explain why half my Tower came rushing to my office to inform me that you had abducted Mr Potter and were likely in the process of disemboweling him?"
"Perhaps because your students are insolent, disrespectful idiots who have read too many heroic epics?"
"Severus Snape, there is no call for such rudeness!" Minerva, annoyingly, used the same tone on him as she did on her little lions, and Severus heard a muffled giggle behind him. He shot a look promising instant death to the brat on the couch, and Harry hastily hid behind his teacup.
"I went to fetch Potter and your students instantly assumed I was up to no good. Are they always this prone to paranoid fantasies? I had thought such ideation was largely confined to my House."
She smirked back at him. "Only where you are involved, Severus. I shall reassure them as to Mr Potter's continued good health."
"You had also best award points to them for whatever euphemism you use to refer to mindless bravado masquerading as overprotectiveness, or Mr Potter may be criticized for his part in bringing me to your doorstep," Snape added reluctantly. It hurt тАУ oh, how it hurt! тАУ to even contemplate awarding points to Gryffindor, but he did not want the brat to get off to a bad start with his Housemates. He knew too well what it was like to have to make it through seven years at Hogwarts without the friendship and support of your House.
Minerva was obviously taken aback, but then her gaze shifted to over his shoulder and her expression softened. "You are a good man, Severus Snape," she said unexpectedly. Before Severus could comment acidly upon this new habit of spouting non sequitars, she returned her gaze to him. "I think twenty points for protecting a Housemate should do it."
"Fifteen would be more than sufficient!" Snape retorted. "Ten, even, considering the rude comments that were made about my personal hygiene."
That prompted another giggle behind him, quickly converted to a cough.
"Thank you for the suggestion, Severus. You'll see that Mr Potter is returned safely?"
"No, Minerva," he snapped. "I will turn him loose to wander the corridors until he is either captured by Filch or eaten by Fluffy."
"Sarcasm is most unnecessary," she sniffed and, with a final nod to Harry, withdrew.
Harry kept his eyes firmly focused on his tea. Maybe he would get away with the snickers. Maybe Professor Snape hadn't actually heard him. MaybeтАж
"Did you find that amusing, Potter?"
He looked up, scared. "Sorry, sir!" But looking closely at the man, Harry realized Snape wasn't that upset. Oh, he was still scowling, but he was always scowling. His eyes weren't snapping, though. If anything, they almost looked a little, well, resigned. But that couldn't be right, could it? "I'm sorry, sir."
Snape rolled his eyes. "Now what are you apologizing for, Potter?"
"Um, for being here?"
"I brought you here, Potter. Did you forget that little fact?"
"No, I meant for being here when Professor McGonagall said that stuff. She, erm, she kinda treats you like a student sometimes, doesn't she?"
Snape growled, but Harry didn't think it was aimed at him. "Never take a teaching position at your alma mater, Potter. Not unless there has been a complete staff changeover."
"Um, yes, sir," Harry agreed obediently. Poor Professor Snape, no wonder he had to be so snarky all the time. It wasn't just that students were likely to blow up half the castle if they didn't listen to him, it was that the other teachers didn't show him much respect either. Harry knew what it was like to be the odd man out. He gave Snape a sympathetic look.