Severus watched his snakes warily as they all trickled slowly in for breakfast. He knew the first night was one filled with duels, power plays, and alliances being forged.
He himself had not gotten involved in the politics of Slytherin until his fourth year when he was challenged by an older student who hated his blood status and his ratty cloaks.
Nobody challenged him again after that.
He nodded to Farley, who surely would have came to him if there had been any problems, and kept a close eye on the others. He almost spat out his coffee when Lestrange, one of the older students he had marked down to speak with, came in with a grisly scar down the side of his face, and his eyes lowered to the ground. Someone clearly got the best of him.
Arrogant boy.
When the first years trickled in, he was surprised to see them to allow Potter his first choice of seating and then arranged themselves around him. Even third generation pureblooded bigots Crabbe and Goyle sat near him, scowling and cracking their knuckles at any other student who dared look at him.
Not that they did.
They all seemed to avoid looking at Potter. Severus wondered what led to this display of fear and respect towards the scrawny child.
Draco, Weasley, and Zabini held no qualms about engaging Potter in a conversation though. Potter himself looked bedraggled, irritated, but with a smug twist of his lips that made Severus wonder what he had missed last night.
Severus waited to leave the Head Table until after the owl post arrived. Slytherin students were always swarmed with missives from parents advising their heirs on the best alliances to make after hearing of the opening night clashes.
He smirked when he saw Draco pouring tea for Potter after finishing his letter from his parents.
Smart boy. Lucius was advising him well.
Severus slowly approached the Slytherin table with his stack of timetables prepared for the students. He gave the 5th through 7th year schedules to Farley and Flint to distribute- casually erecting a privacy charm when he was near Farley.
"Professor," she said, nodding respectfully. "How can I help you?"
"Good morning, Miss Farley. I wanted to ascertain that there were no problems last night?" Severus sent a pointed look at Lestranges mutilated face.
Farley laughed, with only a small amount of hysteria detectable in her tone. "Well, we only had a few challenges" she said slowly. "Alexander went first and made one that he clearly lost."
Severus scoffed, arrogant child.
"Who did he challenge? And what curse left so deep of a scar?"
He pretended that he was asking in his capacity of Head of House, but he need not hide his curiosity, Farley was more than happy to share the inner house gossip with him. One of many reasons why Severus chose her as prefect and had nominated her for Head Girl, not that Albus had agreed with his nomination.
She smirked and leaned closer to him, needlessly with the privacy spell still in place, and told him, with a gleam in her eyes- "It was Potter. With a knife. After he dodged all of Lestranges curses and tortured him." She laughed again, showing glee at Lestranges misfortune. "It was amazing, Professor. Potter didn't even have his wand."
Severus sucked in a breath. It was disturbing that Lestrange had challenged a first year, but more so that Potter had clearly cut him open so easily. He glanced again at the smaller boy, assessing for any visible injuries.
Farley laughed again, entirely too gleeful given the situation.
"Everyone's intrigued Professor," she confided. "Potter's power practically rolls off him. Most of us want to see what's going to happen."
Severus raised a brow at her. "And those who do not wish to see what may happen- I trust you will inform me when they become louder?"
She nodded, shooting a look of awe to where Potter was seated. "Of course, Professor. Nobody challenged him after he finished Lestrange so we're all watching now."
Indeed.
With a nod of acknowledgment, Severus dropped the privacy spell and began handing out the schedules to the younger years.
As he approached the first years, he overheard Draco reassuring Potter about a schedule and decided it was as good as any time to insert himself in the conversation.
"Rest assured, Potter, I have your schedule rig- what in Merlins name are you wearing child?!"
The little monster was sitting there with wide eyes. Wearing his clothes from last night, bloodstains on his collar, hair mussed up worse than usual.
"Did you lose your mind this morning?" Severus hissed at him. The arrogance of the child. Sitting at his table, representing his house, looking like some unclean ruffian.
"Sir, it wasn't his fault!" Weasley spoke up.
"Quiet," Severus snapped at Weasley, without taking his glare off the fidgeting hooligan in front of him. "Draco, distribute the remainder of these schedules. Potter, with me, now."
Brash, idiotic, arrogant child.
As if Albus were not already watching him like a hawk and likely encouraging Minerva to do so as well.
Showing up in bloodied clothes, Merlin.
Severus stalked to his office with Potter trailing behind him like some sort of kicked and terrified puppy.
Innately evil, indeed. Albus has lost the plot.
Severus threw open his office door and pointed Potter to a seat. The child sat with his arms tightly crossed across his chest, tremors lightly shaking his hands, despite the fists he had them balled in. Severus slammed the door behind him and Potter flinched.
Ah, so he will be dealing with the Potter who cringes at close contact and loud noises today, as opposed to the Potter who cut open another student in front of forty witnesses.
"Explain," Severus said stiffly, watching the child's bowed head.
"'M sorry, sir," Potter whispered to the table.
The magical potential of one of the greatest wizards to walk this Earth with the confidence of a newborn niffler.
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, praying for the patience to have a single conversation with the child without terrifying him.
"I do not wish for apologies at this time, Potter. I happen to know that you own perfectly clean and acceptable clothing. I would like to know the reasoning you had which prevented you from utilizing them this morning."
He did not purposefully speak sharply but the child still inched backwards in his chair and looked upwards enough to flick his eyes wildly around the room- seeking an escape route?
Foolish child.
"Th-there's too m-many boys in the dorm. I c-couldn't w-wash or ch-change with them all th-there," Potter stuttered, face down, and cheeks flushed.
"I do not know what sort of accommodations you expected at a boarding school, Potter, but shared washrooms are expected."
This was clearly the wrong thing to say because Potter looked up at him, eyes full of some type of misery Severus could not identify.
"Then I wanna leave," Potter whispered sorrowfully.
What the fuck, Potter.
To hell with it.
"What the fuck, Potter?" Severus asked out loud, bewildered. "Why on earth should lack of a solitary washroom prevent you from obtaining your magical education?"
He wouldn't say this to the child, it would be unspeakably cruel, but why would the child wish to return to the streets? Homeless, alone, and fighting every minute of the day just to survive?
Potter curled in a little more on himself, bowing his head again, and shrugged his shoulders.
"Sir, there's six of 'em," Potter whispered desperately. "I ain't takin' my clothes off with them there. Draco said we could make a schedule for washin' but they were all starin' at me and I didn't wanna take my clothes off where they could see."
Oh for Merlins sake.
Pity and fury threatened to overwhelm Severus once he realized the child's stressors in the situation.
He took a deep breath to calm himself and spoke gently, "Potter, nobody here is going to assault you. You are perfectly safe to change and bathe around your peers."
Potter scoffed at him, straightening his back as he narrowed his eyes at his Professor.
"'Scuse me sir, but I dunno how ya could say that, I was attacked last night for no reason."
This child lives his life believing that (mostly) sanctioned duels are in the same realm of reality for him as sexual assault.
Lily's heart must be broken if she could see this.
Severus knelt down by the child- in front of the desk to keep something tangible between them.
"What schedule is Draco procuring?" Severus inquired softly, having no desire to traipse down Potters traumatic memory lane at this moment.
Potter shrugged and fixed his eyes on the wall beside Severus' head.
"Dunno. Told him I ain't takin' my clothes off with them all watchin', didn't I? An he said he'd make times so we can all 'have proper privacy'," Potter said, mimicking Dracos ostentatious manner of speech.
It was an acceptable arrangement.
"Very well," Severus conceded. "There is no need for hasty withdrawals from your rightful education if Draco has the problem well in hand."
Potter looked over at him, hope in his eyes, before twitching his gaze away again quickly.
"'Kay," he said simply. Incorrectly assuming the conversation to be finished.
"I am surprised that you were unable to clean your robes yourself, I heard that you put on an impressive display for your housemates last night." He smirked at Potters nervously twitching form. "Surely a little cleansing spell would not be too difficult for you to accomplish?"
Potter shrugged then went unnaturally still again.
"'M not so good at thinkin' up spells when 'm thinkin' bout other things, am I?"
Which Severus knew was easily translated to; 'I cannot control my magic when I am feeling threatened or scared'. Even if those were not the words Potter used.
Severus responded softly, hoping to prevent the child from further upset.
"If you would like, I can use a charm to clean both your robes and your hair. And if Draco does not complete his schedule tonight, please inform me, and I will create one on his behalf."
Harry eyed him, in the suspicious way Severus was begrudgingly becoming accustomed to.
"Why would ya do that?" He asked sharply.
Save me from the constant paranoid inquisition of a mentally ill prepubescent boy.
He sighed and stood back up.
"Because any blight on your person is a blight on the house of Slytherin which is a blight on me. If an exceedingly quick and simple charm will prevent my colleagues from believing I tolerate anything less than perfection in my house then it is a price I will happily pay. Understand?"
Emerald eyes met his obsidian ones- searching his face for falsehoods, threats, or other hidden implications.
Eventually Potter nodded tersely and, with his fists clenched and his eyes tightly shut, he whispered, "just do it."
He expects every action towards his person to be filled with pain. Has he ever known anything different? Can he ever learn different?
He pointed his wand at the child's hair and robes and quickly murmured, "Scourgify. Tergeo."
The black locks of hair ruffled with the charm then lay flatly on Potters head, sufficiently cleaned. His robes once again looked brand new and unstained.
"I am finished, Potter." He spoke lightly.
The boy opened his eyes and his body seemed to slump minutely in relief.
"Th-thanks, sir."
Severus waved off his gratitude, informing him it was not necessary.
"It is time for us to return to the Hall so that you may join your companions in your first class today."
Potter stood and began edging towards the doorway when Severus cleared his throat to regain his attention.
"I would like to inform you that your physical examination will be on Friday afternoon, after dinner. You will report to my classroom for it unless you would prefer a more public examination by Madame Pomfrey?" He raised an inquiring brow at the child. He always offers private examinations to the Slytherins whom he suspects have physical histories to hide. With Potters specific, disturbing, history however, he would leave the option to him.
Potter studied him, with an artful tip of his head, his green eyes an uncomfortable mixture of hard and vulnerable. It left Severus with an altogether unsettled feeling.
"I'll be here, sir." He eventually said politely, continuing his shuffle to the doorway- without ever once turning his back to the Professor.
Severus made an impulsive decision, his curiosity overcoming his typical propriety.
"Why did you accept Lestranges challenge last night?"
The chaotic monster turned and looked right at him, his eyes sparking and his lips twitching. All fear and submission fleeing him as his entire body radiating a mischievous sense of satisfaction.
"Ya gotta hit hard Professor. Can't show no fear, it'll get you killed."
He grinned, a truly feral thing, and walked out the door as he added, "'m sure you understand, Professor."
Severus cradled his head in his hands. He prayed to any God that may exist to listen to him that he could convince the other professors that Potter is simply a talented and traumatized child- and not a budding Dark Lord.
Don't let them inquire too deeply into the scar he gifted Alexander with.