FIC: Expecting Harry Potter (PG)
Title: Expecting Harry Potter
Type: Fic
Age-Range Category: Four
Characters: Severus Snape, Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore
Author: goddess47
Rating: PG
Click to View [Warning(s)]Non-consensual mind reading. Morally gray Dumbledore.
Summary: Harry Potter arrives at Hogwarts and attends Potions.
Severus had been dreading August 1991 for as long as he could remember. Albus finally said the fateful phrase at the first full staff meeting, held before the start of the school year.
"Lastly, I am pleased to confirm that Harry Potter will be attending Hogwarts this year."
Severus held in a frustrated sigh. Minerva briefly glanced at Severus but returned her focus to Dumbledore.
"Remember, Mr. Potter is to be treated as any other student," Albus chided.
What about Draco Malfoy? Susan Bones? Neville Longbottom? Theodore Nott? Severus wanted to demand. Each of them were the last members of their respective Houses and had their own importance in the Wizarding World. Why was Potter the only student mentioned in this meeting?
Oh. Sure. The thrice-damned Boy-Who-Lived was coming to Hogwarts. So what?
Maybe if Severus kept asking himself that question, he might even believe it.
"If there is nothing else?" Albus asked, looking around.
Severus held his breath. This meeting had gone long enough and there was nothing really new to discuss. With Quirrell returning after his year of gadding about to prepare to teach Defense for the first time, he was the only relatively new professor but even then he had years of teaching Muggle Studies and was not new to Hogwarts.
Charity Burbage had settled easily into being the Muggle Studies professor last year and had proved to be popular among both the students and the staff, even as a no-nonsense instructor. Minerva had guided Charity through her first year, which meant she had no questions for this meeting.
All of the other professors had been at Hogwarts for at least the ten years that Severus had been there. Why Albus would expect questions from this group was beyond Severus' ken.
"Do let me or Minerva know if you need anything," Albus nodded genially. "Welcome back!"
Severus had selected his seat strategically, to be the first out of the room. It gave Albus no chance to 'accidentally' hold him back for a private conversation. If Albus wanted to talk to him, Albus could seek him out.
Fortunately, or not, Albus all but ignored Severus in the week before classes started.
It was finally September first and the professors gathered in the Great Hall for the evening feast. Most of them were excited to begin a new school year but Severus was not looking forward to it.
Minerva finally brought the First Year students into the Hall. With their school robes, they all looked alike. Although the red haired boy had to be this year's Weasley. There was only one more left after this, thank Merlin.
"Harry Potter!" Minerva finally called.
Even from here, Severus could see that the boy had the Potter hair. He found it interesting that Potter took some time under the Sorting Hat, seeming to argue with it.
Severus had a frisson of nerves go up his spine, terrified for a second that the Hat would sort Potter to Slytherin.
"GRYFFINDOR!" proclaimed the hat.
Potter scampered off to the Gryffindor table, and Severus gave a small sigh of relief. Minerva would have to deal with him.
There was a moment that Potter seemed to look at him from his seat at the table. Severus could not make out any details beyond the hair and dismissed the feeling. He had Slytherins to manage. Although he was relieved that Draco had sorted properly to his House.
Friday morning found the Slytherin and Gryffindor First Year students in the corridor outside the Potions Lab. Severus took a moment to cast a Notice-Me-Not on himself to be able to observe.
The two groups stayed mostly apart, except for some minor pushing as late-comers arrived to the queue.
Severus went around to the back entrance to the lab and then opened the door. Students flooded the room and took seats.
As he stood in the front of the room, waiting for silence, Severus got his first close-up look at Harry Potter. He had his father's hair but, in a gut-punch, Severus realized he had Lily's eyes. Brilliant green eyes looked warily back at him.
The sullen look Potter gave him when Severus said, "Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new celebrity," tripped a chilling thought in Severus. He cast a wandless, silent Legilimins on the boy and nearly fell to his knees.
He turned away, asking questions he knew the boy would never be able to answer. He had to regain control of himself and needed the time to gather himself.
Someone needed to teach Granger about not raising her hand and waving wildly. It was something 'not done' among Wixen and would draw unwanted attention to herself.
The rest of the class passed in something of a haze. Severus launched into his opening lecture, something he was glad he could do without thinking. His eyes took in the other members of the class. First Years were always a menace, most not knowing even the basics about brewing.
When the door finally closed at the end of class, Severus dropped into the chair behind his desk.
"Damn you, Albus!" Severus muttered to himself. "Just... damn you!" He threw a book against the wall and let it flutter to the floor.
Severus marched back to his rooms and shouted, "Wynde!"
"Yes, Master Snape?" The house-elf popped into his room.
Severus took a deep breath. It was unfair to take his temper out on the elf. "Lunch in my room, please."
The elf's head bobbed and she snapped her fingers. A tray with soup, sandwiches, and coffee appeared.
"Anything else?" she asked.
"No. Thank you," Severus replied.
She popped away.
Severus stared at the meal in front of him, not sure he could keep the food down.
Echoes of Freak and pain and Boy and darkness bounced in his head. A miasma of sadness and loneliness swirled through it all.
Over the years, Severus had seen students from Dark families who felt similarly. Beaten, belittled, and forlorn. The best Severus had been able to do is to get one student into a profession that would allow the boy to move away from Britain. He had heard about one girl who was paraded about in public as she married the third son of another Dark house, although she was never seen after the wedding. The rest had gone home after graduation and quietly disappeared.
The - relatively - good news was that Potter did not have a Wizarding Dark family to go back to. Although the Muggles he was living with seemed no better.
Severus was caught. Did he save the Saviour of the Wizarding World from his family? If he did so, maybe Potter would not be their Saviour and who would then save them all from the Dark Lord? Merlin forbid that a competent adult step in and do the job.
Focused on his dilemma, Severus did not hear the whisper of sound that was Albus Dumbledore stepping out from his own Notice-Me-Not charm in a corner of his room.
"Petrificus!" Dumbledore froze Severus in place. He walked over to look into Severus' eyes.
"Legilimens!" Severus could feel Albus rooting through his recent memories.
"That won't do at all..." Dumbledore muttered to himself.
Severus was confused. What wouldn't do?
"Obliviate!" Dumbledore commanded.
Severus blinked. He must have drifted off after class. The first week was always strenuous and sometimes a small nap was needed to be able to stay ahead of the students.
Good thing Wynde had put a warming charm on his soup. He needed to eat up and get to his afternoon class.