After his last class of the year, Harry was sitting in front of the common room fire with the other Slytherin boys.
He was only slightly bitter that they were all talking excitedly about seeing their families tomorrow. It didn't really matter that he didn't have a family to go home to or parents to send him gifts. None of it really mattered.
It didn't.
He was so focused on how much none of it even mattered that he almost missed Parkinson taking a shot at him.
"It's just so sad that some people just don't have families to go back home to," Parkinson's saccharine drawl carried across the common room.
"Shut up Parkinson," Ron growled.
Harry waved him off, "It's fine."
"Weasley why don't you see if Potter can go home with you? Surely your parents wouldn't even notice one more child- even if they couldn't afford him."
Bulstrode laughed like the pathetic minion she is at Parkinson's petty insult.
"Pansy is your face supposed to look like that, or is your makeup smeared?" Blaise asked lazily, not even giving her more than a condescending glance over his book.
Harry thought he should remember that insult to use later when he saw how red Parkinson face get.
"I didn't think you'd bow down to a dirty tramp like Potter," Pansy spat Blaise.
The other boys froze and looked at Harry, who had leapt to his feet once he realized what a gift she was offering him- a target to finally take his frustration out on.
"She's done it now," Draco whispered.
"What'd ya call me?" Harry snarled at her. "'Dirty tramp'? Huh?"
He stalked closer to her, the eyes of every student in the common room on him.
He didn't notice any of them. His vision had gone red and he was focused on Parkinson.
"You don't scare me!" Harry heard a shake in her voice that refuted her claim. "You aren't special, you're just a loser little orphan!" She shrieked.
Harry couldn't hear them through the angry buzzing in his ears but Nott whispered to Ron, "1 galleon he makes her bleed."
Harry went to grab Parkinson's robes but Bulstrode stepped in front of her and pushed him backwards a few steps.
"Leave her alone you freak," she yelled.
Harry waved his hand and threw her to the wall.
"Don't fuckin' touch me."
Unhindered now, he walked up to Parkinson, who was cowering rather badly against the wall he had backed her against.
"Freak, am I? 'Loser little orphan'? Dirty tramp? Who told ya that one, huh?"
Parkinson glanced frantically around the common room- searching for someone to come to her assistance no doubt.
Unfortunately for her Slytherins value self-preservation; and they could all sense the venom in Harry's gaze. Nobody was coming to the defense of a girl who should have known better than to provoke the boy who took down Lestrange without a wand.
"Ya think Blaise bows down to me?" He hissed.
Make her bow. On her knees. Kissing the floor.
The common room was filled with gasps and laughter as Parkinson was forced down to her knees, kissing the floor in front of Harry.
"Quit it Potter!" She shrieked, hateful even from her bent position. "Stop!"
"Make me," he taunted her. "C'mon, I'm just a little orphan, make me quit it."
He laughed, cruel and mocking, as she struggled to break the position he was using his magic to force her in.
"C'mon Pansyyy," he said softly. "Do somethin'."
Parkinson didn't move but Harry was still hit with a cutting curse in his shoulder from another student from behind.
He whirled around, eyes searching for the threat.
There. Dolohov.
The older boy had his wand out and his eyes gleaming with anger. In the back of his mind Harry recalled hearing that the Parkinson's and Dolohov's were related but he just smiled at the boy.
"Whoops," he sighed as he threw Dolohov to the wall where Bulstrode had previously been. The girl must have fled after hitting the wall- Dolohov wasn't so lucky. Harry told his magic to keep him in place.
"Attacked him from behind? Guess we know why you aren't in Gryffindor, coward!" Draco jeered through the group of students.
Harry ignored them and turned back to Parkinson, who was now openly crying.
"Give me her wand," he whispered.
He twirled her wand through his fingers as he bent down in her face.
"Can't do anything now, can ya?"
"Y-you're a freak! A monster!" She whined.
Harry admired her ability to still be so cruel even when she'd obviously lost the fight.
He was deciding between trying out the lightning bolts or relying on his pocket knife again when the portrait burst open.
"What is going on here?" Professor Snape called, sweeping easily through the students up to where Harry and Parkinson were, Bulstrode at his side with a smirk on her face.
Harry's eyes narrowed at both Snape and Bulstrode. Of course she ran off to tattle, she was a coward. But Snape... did Snape tell Parkinson about Harry living on the streets? He hadn't made a vow, in fact, he hadn't even promised not to talk about it. She called him a 'dirty tramp', which was awfully specific. Did anyone else know besides Snape?
"Release her, at once," he told Harry sternly.
Harry used Parkinson's wand to do it, grinning viciously at her as he did.
"Potter, with me, now."
Snape spoke in an icy tone, stalking back towards the entrance.
Harry made to follow him, but turned back to the sniveling girl sitting on the floor. He had one more thing to do.
He snapped Parkinson's wand in half, ignoring her wail of dismay as he did.
"Who's not special now?" He whispered, dropping the two pieces at her feet.
He turned to quickly follow the Professor out the entrance, ignoring the stares from his housemates.
It didn't matter if they looked terrified of him. It was better for them to be scared than for them to think he was an easy target.
They didn't matter anyway, not really.
None of this did.
As he followed Snape to his office he kept himself calm as he reminded himself that it didn't matter if he was being expelled. He knew how to do magic without his wand- and he was better at it now.
He would figure it out. And maybe Susan and Ron and the rest of his gang would write to him? Would they be allowed to?
It would be fine. Really. They couldn't trap him at the Dursley's, he'd just leave. And nothing was worse than being by himself on the streets, so really what was there to fear?
"In," Professor Snape held the door open for him and spoke in a clipped tone.
Harry stalked right past him, not even caring if the man had struck him.
He was still feeling restless and angry and thought a bit more fighting might make him feel better actually.
"Explain yourself, immediately," Snape said icily.
"You explain yourself!" Harry yelled. "I didn't do nothin' to Parkinson, she was being a fuckin' arse and I noticed she didn't get drug in here!"
"Language, Potter!" The Professor snarled. "You are a student, not a common street rat!"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT! You told her didn't ya? About what you saw? Bet ya laughed huh? Poor ol' Potter, sleepin' on sidewalks with no way to get any food 'cept lettin' men use his body," he snarled. "Or didn't ya tell 'em that part, huh? Why not Professor?" He tried to push Snape, hoping to provoke him into taking a swing at him.
"Were ya hopin' I'd be so bloody thankful for your help that I'd let you do it? Cause you were wrong, weren't you? WRONG!"
"STOP THIS AT ONCE!" Snape roared, finally looking angry.
"MAKE ME!" Harry screamed back, pushing the Professor again and no longer caring about the consequences. It felt like he had fire in his veins and he needed a way to let it out.
"Potter do not touch me again."
Harry ignored his hissed warning and hit him multiple times in the chest with his fists.
"WHY?" He screamed. "Why not? Don't matter anymore, does it? Hit me back! HIT ME BACK!"
Snape grabbed both his wrists, and held them above the rest of his body. Harry snarled and kicked out at him, barely able to stand on his toes from the angle he was being restrained.
"LET GO OF ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!"
He frantically continued kicking at Snape until his body had exhausted itself. He panted and allowed his body to hang uselessly by his wrists.
"I don't care," he croaked out, his voice raw from screaming. "Do whatcha want to me. 'M done."
Snape abruptly let go of his wrists, dropping Harry into a heap on the ground.
"Do you truly believe that I would lay a single hand on you, on any student, in violence?" Snape asked, his face blank.
Harry was sick of these games. He didn't know what the Professor wanted, or why he was so nice to him, but he was going to figure it out today.
"Maybe it's not violence ya want," he sat up and looked at the Professor from top to bottom with a cool tone and a curled lip. "Maybe you just want to be 'nice' so I'll let ya do whatever ya want to me. After all, who would care? I don't got no parents, no real friends, no guardian. Who would believe me if I told?"
He made his way to his feet and held his arms out to the side.
"Go ahead, sir, I don't care."
Snapes face turned an interesting shade- some sort of mixture between grey and green.
"You are being purposefully repulsive," the older man said calmly. "I have told you before- I have no interest in laying a single hand on you, in any way."
Snape eyed him with pity in his eyes and Harry, who thought he was too exhausted to fight anymore, found another surge of energy at that look.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT THEN?! What do you want from me?! Why are you being so bloody nice? I don't want your damn pity! I hit you! I cursed at you! What are you gonna do 'bout it?!"
Snape stepped back a few paces from where Harry was standing and drew his wand out. Harry flinched backwards, closing his eyes and preparing for the retaliation he thought he'd wanted.
"Open your eyes Harry."
Harry opened his eyes and saw that he had put his wand down on the desk in front of him.
"I was summoning parchment and a quill," the Professor sounded tired. "I understand this may take time for you to comprehend but I will continue to repeat it- I am not going to hurt you in any way. You are quite safe with me."
Harry crossed his arms across his stomach, tucking his trembling fists where they couldn't be seen. He was breathing hard and covered in a light sheen of sweat.
If he wasn't going to be expelled before this, he certainly was now. He's pretty sure that punching the Professor goes against most of the school rules.
You don't care, his mind reminded himself. It doesn't matter.
"Sit," Snape ordered. "You will begin writing a detailed account of what happened today. You will put exactly what was said, by everyone in the common room, how you responded, and what your thoughts and feelings during the incident were."
"Why?" Harry asked, genuinely confused. Was this like a confession they'd include in his file when they expel him?
Snape raised a single brow at him, looking supremely unimpressed.
"Because it is a punishment, Potter. Because I am in charge and I say so."
"But 'm being expelled!" Harry exclaimed. "What's it matter now??"
"Foolish, chaotic, monster," the Professor muttered as he walked to his desk chair, where he promptly collapsed in to it.
Snape looked tired and he spoke very slowly when he said, "You are not being expelled."
"But- but- but I hit you!" He sputtered nonplussed. "And I broke that girls wand!"
Both of the Professors eyebrows nearly disappear in his hairline as Harry realized that he just admitted something that the man must not have seen before he left the common room.
Shut your mouth, idiot.
"Until I hear an official complaint from Miss Parkinson, I will pretend that I did not just hear you confess to such an act."
"Why?" Harry asked, desperately trying to keep the strain he was feeling out of his voice. "Why ain't ya mad?"
"Would you like me to become enraged? Demand your immediate expulsion and give you a black eye on your way out the door?" Snape asked with his brows still raised.
Harry shrugged when it seemed like the man was looking for an answer. He didn't really want to be in a fight now, but he knew he deserved it after how he treated the Professor.
"You are a child, Potter. A foolish child for attacking your housemate, but a child no less. You will not be expelled for a fight. You will write this paper and I will then decide on any further appropriate punishment." He paused, holding his palm up, "An appropriate punishment will be detentions- not expulsion."
"W-what about for hittin' you?" Harry asked.
Snape mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "For Christ's sake".
"Potter," he said louder, sounding exasperated. "Surely you do not wish to be expelled?"
"Well- well- no," Harry admitted. "But bloody Dumbledore ain't gonna care 'bout that when he tries to send me back to Surrey, is he?"
Professor Snape looked at him sharply.
"Why would Professor Dumbledore send you to Surrey?"
Harry rolled his eyes and flopped down in the desk chair a few rows away from Snapes desk, where the parchment and quill were placed.
"Dunno. But he did it once, didn't he? And I ain't goin' again."
Snape looked evenly at him for a moment before seemingly coming to a decision and nodding his head shortly.
"I am going to use my wand to ward the door against eavesdroppers, do try and remain calm."
Bastard.
Harry grimaced at the man's reminder of his previous weakness and made himself sit straight as he ignored the flicks of Professor Snapes wand.
"Now," Snape leant closer to him, "Let's have an honest conversation, shall we?"
Harry nodded and tightened his fists at whatever was about to come out of the Professors mouth.
"When I warned you of people who will never understand you- I spoke of more residents of this castle than solely Minerva," Snape said with a solemn look in his eyes.
Harry thought about what he was implying for a moment before furrowing his brows together and asking, "Dumbledore?"
The Professor just hummed noncommittally but Harry saw the slight tilt with his chin.
"What I suggest Mister Potter," Snape continued casually, "is that you put more of a Slytherin effort in to... quieting your more disagreeable peers."
Harry was silent while he tried to puzzle out his instructions.
... a Slytherin effort to quiet my disagreeable peers?
His eyes lit up and he grinned as he realized the Professors meaning.
"Yes sir," he said, mimicking Snape's prior casual tone. "I understand."
Snape's lips twitched the smallest amount.
"Be sure that you do Potter, I would be highly displeased if we had to have a much different conversation in front of our illustrious Headmaster."
Harry shrugged and nodded solemnly.
"Yes sir," he said simply.
The Professor gestured to the parchment in front of Harry on the desk.
"Write," he said. "I would like a full account of what happened this evening- sparing no detail."
Harry huffed in annoyance but picked the quill up. Even though he despised writing, it was still an easier punishment than being kicked out of Hogwarts.
He wrote about Parkinson taunting him, and how Bulstrode put her hands on him. He included Dolohov's cutting curse and how he wanted to humiliate Parkinson for what she said to Blaise. He hesitated over whether or not he should include breaking Parkinson's wand and eyed the Professor carefully.
He'd said that he would pretend he never heard it, but he also said to include all the details. Which was it?
Harry cleared his throat lightly, hoping to catch the Professor's attention away from the essays he was marking.
"Yes?" The man drawled, without looking up.
"Er- d'ya want all the details or d'ya wanna pretend ya didn't hear 'em?"
Snape's black eyes met his for a moment, considering.
"Include all details," he decided. "I shall ensure that I am the only one who reads it."
Harry nodded and went back to his assignment.
'... then you showed up and made me follow you to your office and I was still pretty mad. The end.'
"'M done, sir."
Professor Snape wordlessly summoned his parchment and began reading it. Harry assumed since he hadn't been dismissed that he should remain seated so he watch the Professor as his brows furrowed the further his eyes got done the page.
Finally he snorted and tossed the parchment in to a drawer of his desk.
"You do have a flair for the dramatic, don't you Potter?"
"No sir," Harry carefully responded politely. "'M just not gonna listen to someone as daft as Parkinson say all that stuff 'bout me."
Snape raised a disbelieving brow at him.
"And you could be no more subtle in your retaliation than attacking her in front of the entire house?"
Harry tried to keep his face blank so that the Professor didn't see his glee behind making Parkinson look weak in front of most of the Slytherins.
"She didn't," Harry shrugged. "Plus, they ain't gonna be linin' up to come after me now, are they?"
Snape's lips did fully curl up at the edges at his comment.
"No Potter," he said with his small grin. "I believe they will simply do their best to attack you in a more private manner now."
Harry finally allowed his own sharp grin to show when he responded.
"Good, cause then there ain't so many witnesses around."
The Professor let out a short and sharp laugh at that.
"You make an excellent Slytherin, don't you Potter?"
Harry shrugged, he didn't get the big deal everyone made over the houses. The hat said he would have been fine in any of them, except Hufflepuff. Bloody hat said he wasn't 'fair' or 'honest'.
... Which okay, yeah that was fair.
"After the holidays you will have three detentions with me, is that clear Potter?"
Harry's eyes snapped up in indignation.
"Three?" He exclaimed. "How come?!"
Professor Snape gazed at him silently until Harry rolled his eyes and tacked on a 'sir'.
"One for attacking Miss Parkinson in public, one for attacking Miss Bulstrode in public, and the third for doing the same thing to Mister Dolohov in public."
Harry didn't dismiss the way he emphasized him doing these things in public. So he could fight all he wanted if it wasn't in front of a bunch of witnesses?
Brill.
"Fine," Harry huffed, standing to leave. "Guess I'll be seein' ya after Christmas, sir."
"Potter," Snape called as Harry was about to leave the room.
He gave the man a curious glance over his shoulder, "sir?"
"I did not share a single detail about your life with Miss Parkinson, nor any other student. And I never will, without your express permission."
Snape looked very serious, which made Harry feel the tiniest twinge of guilt for accusing him of doing exactly that.
Harry just hummed as he turned back towards the door.
"'Kay, night sir."
The door slammed behind him before he could hear the Professors softly spoken, "Goodnight child."