Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Blood Quill Consequences	By : EarthandWater Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 31160 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: We have no claim on Harry Potter nor any characters or locations thereof. We make no money from the writing of this.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
WARNING: Setting up Het relationships to come, More humanized Pansy, Snark, glorious snark, and Harry really starting to realize that Snape is hot in his own way.
Disclaimer: We have no claim on Harry Potter nor any characters or locations thereof. We gain only amusement from writing this.
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Neville pursed his lips and studied the chess board. Ron really was an incredible player and he had Neville in a trap at the moment. "If you're going into the Aurors after school you'll probably shoot up the ranks if you stratigise outside of chess half as well as you do playing it."
Ron didn't look up from the board but his ears turned as red as his hair. "Neville, have you met me?" He slowly moved a piece, knowing he could afford to sacrifice it for the greater good. "I lose my temper at the drop of a needle."
"So learn to control it then." Neville cheerfully resigned himself to his utter destruction and stepped obligingly into the trap. "I've seen you control your temper before, when other things are more important."
"You know I'd like to, I really want to be an Auror but they can have their pick of the litter...The best of the best, why would they ever choose someone like me?" Ron moved another piece. "It may be a cowardly thing to do but as long as I don't really try then I can pretend that it's my decision, that it's not instant rejection." He fiddled with the sleeve of the new set of robes that had been delivered by owl, it was so soft. Ron had never worn anything like it. He couldn't imagine why Parkinson had wanted to keep his ratty handed down robes and give him something like this instead.
"I don't think you'd get rejected actually. You've already got some experience dealing with dark wizards and creatures, plus when you buckle down to it you do really well in class. You just let yourself become distracted easily and besides, have you heard of Nymphadora Tonks? They said she was clumsier than a minotaur in a chinashop when she started and she was trained by Moody himself you know."
"Tonks is brilliant, I got to know her quite well during the summer." Ron stroked his hand over the silky material of the robes again, feeling a bit silly as he did it but he couldn't seem to stop. He hoped Parkinson would appreciate his feel better gift too, it was only a plushie made by his brothers but it was given with care. He turned his attention back to Neville. "You really think I could do it? By my own accord, not riding on somebody else's fame?" Ron sounded hesitant.
"Thinking about Harry there?" Neville moved a knight. "Yeah I really do think you could do it. The Aurors, well they don't care about how famous someone is. Mum and Dad were Aurors before...well you know, and they get visits from the senior Aurors. I've talked to a lot of them and they're more keen on someone who'll do the hard work, learn from mistakes, and are willing to risk their lives in the line of duty if that's necessary than on who they know and all."
"I am thinking of Harry but it's not his fault, he's not the one creating the hype. It's easy to get caught in it though." Ron looked up at Neville with clear blue eyes. "It is my dream, what I want to do with my life and maybe I should stop being scared and give it a go." He moved his hand. "Checkmate...So Neville what do you want to do after school?"
Neville shook his head as his few remaining chess pieces turned round and gave him obscene gestures. "I'm going to get a Mastery in Herbology and then I'll travel. See if I can find any new plants and get the seeds to cultivate rare ones. When I'm not doing that, I'm going to grow potions ingredients. Maybe, one day, when I start getting creaky, I'll come back to Hogwarts and see if they want me to teach Herbology if Professor Sprout isn't still at it." The calm, quiet boy smiled. "Gran thinks it's silly but it's what fits me."
"I don't think it's silly at all, it's a grand plan and you'll be brilliant at it plus you get to see the world, travel new places." Ron smiled widely. "I say go for it mate, let's make a deal, you follow your dream and I'll follow mine...We'll make it." His chess pieces had finished with their victory taunting of the other team and Ron started to box them up.
Neville beamed at his friend and held out a hand. "Pax then." Just as they were shaking hands, Harry came in and Neville gave him a short wave with his free hand. "Hi Harry."
"Hi mate, lesson went alright?" Ron smiled but grew serious when he noticed his best friend's expression. "What's wrong Harry? Has something happened?"
"Nothing's wrong, rough night that's all. Nothing to worry about." Harry shrugged and walked over to them. "Get slaughtered again?" He asked Neville.
"Of course. Ron's aces at chess, he'll make a great Auror with his talent for strategy."
Harry nodded. "Both Mione and I have tried to tell him that for ages."
"Oi, still sitting right here, no need to talk about me as if I'm not here." Ron flushed as he finished packing away the game before his brothers found it again and made the pieces do all kinds of depraved things...Ron still had nightmares about that particular chess game.
"Sorry mate but it's true...I'm just happy if Neville's gotten through your thick head."
Neville chuckled a bit at the two best mates. "We agreed that he'd go for his dream if I go for mine." He started packing his own chess pieces away. "What about you Harry? What is it you want to do with your life after we graduate?"
Harry stilled. "You know...I honestly don't have a clue. I wouldn't mind teaching, getting more integration between muggleborns and wizard children, have a greater understanding of both groups from year one." Harry thought about the conversation he'd had with Snape, that had stuck and Harry thought he could be happy being a part of a change like that and teaching kids.
Neville tilted his head and his smile turned a bit considering. "You know, I think you'd be a great teacher. Well you already are a great teacher actually. I heard Professor McGonagall say that DADA has never been better and I tell you it's not because of Snape."
Something warm spread inside Harry at those words and he smiled at Neville. "Thank you Nev but really Snape has a lot to do with how the DADA classes are going. Believe it or not but the man really knows what he's talking about and he's the one helping me plan and carry out the lessons. I'm only a TA."
"You have become really defensive of old greasy lately mate, what's he doing to you down in those dungeons of his?" Ron said it as a joke but Harry stuttered and blushed.
"I...I've just...Well...Things aren't always as they seem and you shouldn't be to quick to judge people." Harry stumbled over his own tongue as he spoke.
Neville's gaze was somewhat piercing and half-knowing as he looked at Harry but he didn't share whatever it was that he'd noticed. Rather he lifted his shoulders. "He's not a bad teacher, I know that. It's just that for people who are timid or self-conscious like me he's scary and it's hard to learn when you're afraid of the person teaching you. With you there in the classes, people like me have someone they feel they can approach if they have a 'stupid' question without being looked down on or criticized."
"I see your point." Harry nodded, glad to have the subject moving away from his thoughts about Snape...This was easier to handle even though it did make him a bit self conscious to discuss his role as a TA. "I'm happy that you think I'm useful and that you can come to me with any question. I really do like teaching and I'm glad that I'm not too scary."
The other boy grinned a bit. "Not scary at all actually. I'm sorry to say that Ron here is scarier than you are Harry." The gentle tease gained some rare wickedness. "Of course everyone know the scariest of your trio is Hermione. The only person who's ever clocked Malfoy."
"I can be scary." Harry frowned when his words caused Ron to crumple down into a laughing heap. "I can! Though yes, Mione is undoubtedly the scariest of us all." He shuddered when he thought about one of Hermione's moods, when she got those it was best to just duck and cover. "Lately though I don't think that it's clocking Malfoy that's on her mind."
"Noooo." Ron's eyes grew round and large. "Don't tell me she's got a thing for the the posh prat."
"I don't know about that but they have spent a lot of time together and he isn't as horrid as before. I think it's a good thing." Harry tried to concentrate on the friendship aspect of it, thinking about Hermione romantically involved with anyone at all felt weird and just a little bit wrong. She was like a sister to him and he knew Ron felt the same way.
Neville tilted his head back to observe the ceiling thoughtfully. "Malfoy has grown more...humane I guess is the best word for it and he's not the only one. All the Slytherins have gotten a little less nasty since what happened to Parkinson. They way they are now, I can see being friends with them a lot easier than I ever would have before. And Malfoy has really helped me in Potions, I haven't made a cauldron explode in weeks!" He looked at his housemates with a self-deprecating smile before nudging Ron's knee with a foot. "And you've been getting a lot of fluttering lashes from the Slytherin girls too."
"But of course, I'm like a piece of man candy to all the ladies." Ron smirked and flexed his moderate muscles.
"Ah modest as usual." Harry chuckled and pulled his knees under him on the couch. He thanked the fates for giving him the friends that he had, friends who could always make him feel better no matter what his troubles were.
Neville's eyes twinkled in such a way that you swear he'd been hanging out with the twins. "I think it's more your sudden chivalrous hero status that has them a-flutter than your lanky anatomy. Even Slytherin girls like a hero."
Ron flushed bright red, still a bit self conscious about his hero status. "Hm...Well."
"Oh Neville I think you've done the impossible." Harry chuckled. "You've managed to shut him up...It's a momentous occasion that will go down in history."
"We should mark our calenders." The other boy finally broke into laughter at the darker red that suffused Ron's face. "We're just teasing a bit Ron. But it is true that a lot of the girls have noticed you since you helped Parkinson. Kinda sad really, that it takes something that momentous for most girls to look past a pretty face."
"Lanky frame and not a pretty face...I feel so heartwarmed here." Ron put on a wounded face and placed his hands over his heart. "But you're right, it is sad. I'm sure it will be forgotten soon though, when something else happens." The weird thing was that Ron didn't feel like taking advantage of his fifteen minutes of fame, mindless snogging in a dark corner seemed to have lost its appeal...Maybe he was sick?
"Yeah but until then I vote we capitalize on the softening of the snakes and try to forge some friendships. I mean, the Sorting Hat told all of Hogwarts that we all needed to stand strong together this year and in the coming times didn't it? Slytherin's just a much a part of the school as Gryffindor and the other houses."
Harry nodded. "I think you're right, every bond we can create is important and I think it's time to look beyond houses here at Hogwarts and just concentrate on the people in them."
"Very profound." Ron replied dryly but he did agree with his friends. "Maybe we should ask the headmaster if we could have a gathering or a party of some sort? Where all the houses could get together without schoolwork or lessons. Not something snooty like the Yule ball, something easy going."
"Sounds good to me. Maybe some sort of fall celebration? No games or anything competitive though, we're wanting to bring people together not have them half kill each other over who tossed the ring farther."
"No, definitely not anything competitive in anyway, that would sort of defeat the purpose." Ron leaned forward. "Just a casual get-together, where all the houses can meet and talk."
"I think it's a good idea and I can't see a reason why Dumbledore would say no, he's all about unity after all." Harry agreed softly. Gatherings and parties were not really his thing but this could be useful in bringing the students together.
"Harry you get to bring it up to the Headmaster, you get in to see him the most." Neville looked over at Ron. "So how do we decide who tells Hermione? She'll get the ball rolling like none other."
"It was Ron's idea so I think he should get the honor." Harry grinned. "If you're lucky she might even let you help with the planning."
Ron blew him a raspberry which only caused Harry to chuckle more.
"I'll ask Professor Dumbledore tomorrow, I have a meeting with him then anyway." Harry continued. "But as I said I'm sure he won't have any objections."
"No he probably won't but better to ask him directly than go through McGonagall. She's great but not all that big on frivolity." That settled the three boys turned the subject to Quidditch and the Christmas Holidays that were nearly a month away.
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Pansy slipped through the common room after giving a small group of first years pointers for Transfiguration and up to the dorms. She crawled up onto her bed, drew the curtains, and grabbed two things that had been comforting her lately. The first was the slightly tattered robe of Ronald Weasley that she'd claimed for herself. In the days following the attack, she'd developed the habit of wrapping it around herself when she needed to feel safe. The other was a changing soft toy that was a pretty emerald green snake when others were looking but when she was alone it was a unicorn. Weasley had sent it with the sentiments that he knew that cuddling a plush always made the girls he knew feel better and since it changed her fearsome reputation wouldn't be damaged if anyone saw it.
She was touched, as much as she'd deny it if confronted, that he'd noticed that she liked unicorns and also kept a mind to her pride when sending her a gift. Not to mention that he'd sent her a gift at all. There was something to be said for Gryffindor sentiment after all she supposed.
Today she needed both the robe that still smelled lightly of Weasley and the comforting plush. It had been a tense, stressful day. Nothing had gone right. Her potion's homework had blown up, she'd botched the latest charm they were learning, giving Milicent a pig's nose instead of a smaller one, and in Herbology her robes had been splattered with some foul smelling, unmentionable substance spewed from a plant. She'd changed immediately of course and finished out her day but her nerves were a bit frayed.
She buried her nose in the unicorn's fuzzy mane and closed her eyes. She was slowly getting back to herself with Draco and Blaise's almost over-protective lurking and the other Slytherins rallying around her. The house meeting that the two boys had arranged and Snape had presided over had revealed a few shaky foundations in Slytherin house that had now been shored up. It had been made clear to everyone that there were things that not even the worst of dark wizards would do and no matter if you were dark, light, or in-between, if you were a Slytherin you did not attack another Slytherin. The inside house motto that Slytherin is One, Slytherin is Family had been brought home. Draco had stuck his neck out and told the assembled Slytherins that he no longer supported the Dark Lord but that he would not judge, nor expect any of his house members who threw their lot in with You-Know-Who to change their views. He'd told them that division had no place inside Slytherin, no matter the people's status, bloodline, or beliefs.
What had rocked so many though was when Snape had stood before them and revealed his mark before telling them that Crabbe and Goyle had been expelled and taken into custody for assaulting Pansy. Snape had made it clear that should any Slytherin attack another ever again, for any reason, he would personally deal with the attacker in the worst ways he knew. Then he'd dealt them another punch by sneering that it was sad that a Gryffindor had not only saved Pansy but that said Gryffindor had stayed solidly beside her until she was safe in the arms of her trusted housemates.
She giggled into the white plush fur. Their Head of House had made it a part of the inter-house competition by implying that the Gryffindors seemed to have a better grasp on unity than the Slytherins. He'd challenged them to prove that assumption wrong then swept out of the common room mentioning that he had a potion to supply to the ones who held Crabbe and Goyle in custody. Things had been churned up for a couple of days as those who held with the Dark Lord's beliefs and those who didn't felt each other out and found common ground to stand together on and bonds within house were reaffirmed. During that time Pansy had lost count of the number of times she'd been approached about giving details on how Weasley had acted and soon after the other girls had begun casting the redheaded boy interested glances.
That rubbed her the wrong way. She wasn't a fool to deny why it bothered her either. She'd seen a better side to Ronald Weasley than the one she'd always poked fun at and she liked what she'd seen. It was why she kept his robe and instead sent him one of fine quality. Not only did she get to keep a bit of that protected feeling he'd inspired but she got to give him a bit of luxury in return, in a way taking care of him the way she'd felt taken care of. Her lips curved up slyly. Let all the other girls bat their lashes at him, that was fine. She didn't intend to be so obvious and certainly not so insipid. She intended to catch herself a Weasel and was going to apply all her Slytherin cunning to the endeavor.
'Ronald Weasley, you are not going to know what hit you.'
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Severus stared at the Headmaster in a soft kind of horror. Surely he had not just heard the senile old manipulator tell him to join in on some ridiculous inter-house unity party that was happening in four days. Not even the Dark Lord would be that cruel. "What did you say?"
"Oh I'm sure you heard me Severus. With this inter-house gathering, which by the way I find to be an excellent idea. Great initiative on Gryffindor's part, the great hall will be filled with students. We need to have trusted people there to look over them. Besides house unity is not only needed for the students, the faculty need to unite too." Dumbledore gave Snape a wry smile, his beard wiggling in an attempt not to laugh out loud at the Potion Master's stricken expression. "Who knows Severus, you might even have fun."
And there it was. Proof that Albus Dumbledore actually was, in fact, a cruel man. Never before over their long and frustrating acquaintance had Snape been more desiring of wringing the old bastard's neck, which was saying something really. "Albus, I take enjoyment from brewing a potion to perfection, from finding a new and better way to brew an old potion, from sitting quietly and reading, from tormenting the little monsters by assigning hellish homework. I can not fathom what could possibly put the idea that I might enjoy keeping a leash on hundreds of hormone ridden, control challenged, loud, messy, irreverent brats while they attempt to forge some kind of friendships with people they have heretofore wanted nothing more than to hex into the middle of next week and I can only surmise that you have at last gone round the final bend in your sanity."
Dumbledore twinkled at him an amused smile on his lips. "It's never too late to try out new things Severus, go into this with a positive outlook and you might be pleasantly surprised. I've heard rumors that there may even be dancing involved." He laced his fingers together on top of the desk and beamed at Snape.
That thrice-damned, constant twinkling of the old wizard's eyes simply could not be natural as it somehow managed to negate the glare that was the ocular equivalent of Avada Kadavra Snape gave him just then. "One day Albus, one of your fine machinations will come back to bite you and I can only hope I survive this war to see that occur." Opinion made ripely clear, the potions master swept out of the Headmaster's office and down to the dungeons. It was a Sunday so fortunately no classes were taking place, for once there were no detentions on his plate, he'd have to correct that, and the Occlumency lesson for Potter had taken place yesterday so he actually had a free day for once, to do as he pleased and he was not about to let Dumbledore's latest fool notion ruin it for him.
Harry was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for Snape to return to the dungeons. He was very excited about the spell he had found in a dusty old book in the library. It was a shielding spell called Cleypeus Divina and so far it had held for all the spells Harry had hurled at it in his tests. If they could modify it just slightly it could become very useful, like sort of an invisible armor when fighting. Snape was the first person Harry had thought of when he found it and he wanted to hear Snape's opinion on it.
Snape rounded the corner and nearly groaned when he saw an excited Harry Potter outside his door. He stared balefully down at the teen. "Mr. Potter, is there some reason you are currently jumping about outside my dungeon like a demented rabbit?"
Harry's brilliant smile dimmed a little at the tone of Snape's voice but he quickly shook it off and closed in on the older man. "I've found something I really want to show you, something great." He waved the book in Snape's face. "And I'm not bouncing like a demented rabbit." He added with a pink flush to his cheeks.
A black brow winged up. "As I am the one looking at you I assure you, you were doing a remarkable impression of one." Resigning himself to the fact that he would not be brewing one of the more time consuming and delicate potions as he had planned, he opened the door and gestured Harry inside impatiently. He followed, shutting the door loudly and locking it to prevent any other of the pubescent and prepubescent twits from intruding upon him. "What, precisely, have you found that has you so," a pause and a bit of a twitch, "nearly giddy?"
The smile was back full force as Harry hoisted the the large leather bound book up on Snape's work table and turned to the right page. "Look at this, tell me what you think." He pointed at the spell with a long finger. "I have been testing it on a dummy in the Room of Requirements and so far...So far it's just bloody brilliant." Harry's eyes shone. "I think this is something we could really use."
Snape peered down at the tome. "Cleypeus Divina." He read the description, an intrigued expression taking over his face. It was a stronger shield than the Protego charm and actually used less magic as it created an invisible, formed to 'fit' veil around the user instead of a large, shielding blast. The only disadvantage he could find was that it did not protect against blows from objects or beings without magic. "Interesting Mr. Potter. Very interesting."
"I know right?" Harry went back to bouncing. "I know it's Sunday but I just couldn't wait to show it to you." He looked from the book to the Potions Master. "I wonder why it's not in use more, it seems to have been quite popular back in the days."
Snape moved to a cabinet that had more locking charms on it than the Malfoys had Galleons and opened it, revealing an astounding number of shining blades. He perused them for a moment before choosing an old fashioned fencing foil. He tested the weight, as he was wont to do no matter that he knew every single blade in that cabinet down to the very last scratch on a blade. "I would imagine it fell out of favor, Potter, around the same time metal armor did. A shield spell that can not block a sword in a duel is rather useless. Until the loss of armor it hadn't mattered and apparently no one had the desire to put forth the effort in adjusting the spell to encompass damaged caused by a blow from a muggle or a non-magical object."
Harry's mouth suddenly grew dry at the sight of Snape wielding the thin blade, it was something about the control he had over the weapon that made Harry's insides stir. "I suppose you are right, if your opponent knows you're using this particular shield all they have to do is use an non-magical object against you." He shuffled his feet. "I was sort of hoping you would know a way we could alter the spell, make it cover all objects thrown at it."
Snape held up the blade, studying the way the low light of the dungeon played over the edge. "Hm, yes I suppose I might know a thing or two about modifying spells." His eyes slanted over to Harry. "Carry the book Potter." He retrieved a scabbard for the foil, belted it round his waist, gathered a few materials, and went to the door, holding it open for Harry.
He scrambled to gather the book and walk out the door that Snape held open for him, still finding it difficult not letting his eyes drifting to that glittering blade. Harry never knew he had some sort of sword fetish before this but now he has all sorts of wicked images swimming through his head, one in particular of standing in front of Snape, licking the broad end of the blade...This was so not good. "Where are we going Sir?" He asked in an attempt to get his head back where it belonged.
"The Room of Requirements of course. I have no intention of being pestered by any more students today." The way he'd said students was much the same tone one would adopt in discussing a cockroach in their morning cereal. "I believe I will have more than enough of them come four days hence." He glanced back at Harry and lifted a brow. "Coincidentally and as you happen to be the only one of your house about, fifty points from Gryffindor for concocting the idea of a party between houses."
Harry gaped as he followed Snape’s billowing robes but there was amusement in his brilliant green eyes. Besides the loss of points didn't sting too badly since Dumbledore had awarded them a hundred points for their initative in striving for house unity...Not that he was going to tell Snape that. "No." Harry said with laughter in his voice. "I imagine that being pestered by students are a horrid thing for a teacher...I mean how dare they?"
The man cast a glance at Harry. "Sundays are meant for leisure for students and teachers alike Potter and I, much like most other people, appreciate my leisure time being uninterrupted by silly twits who do not have the good sense to complete their homework the evening it is given out or the ones who stew on a question for days before coming to ask it."
Suddenly Harry felt guilty, he hadn't given Snape's personal time a thought as he'd bounded down to the dungeons, even going so far as waiting there for Snape when it was clear that the man wasn't in his rooms. "I'm sorry if I've ruined your day off Sir." He said softly. As for stewing on homework for several days, he often did that but thankfully he had Hermione to go to so he didn't have to bother any teachers with his problems.
Snape sniffed impatiently as they began pacing for the Room of Requirements. "Fortunately for you Potter, spellwork of this sort happens to be one of the things I do enjoy. Otherwise I would have sent you packing off until tomorrow evening, your house missing even more points than you could hope to re-coup." The door appeared and they stepped in to see a complete spell testing facility.
"Yes Sir." Harry said not knowing quite why he was agreeing but it felt stupid not saying anything. He walked down into the room and placed to book on a tall, narrow table to the side of the room where it wouldn't be in the way with the spell testing. "I'll keep that information in mind if I feel any urges to disturb you on your days off after this."
Snape made his way over to the table as well and spread out the materials he'd collected. He slanted a brief considering look at Harry, his mind turning over the boy's intelligence and talent counter-balanced by his impulsiveness and occasional reckless nature. "Tell me Potter, do you think you could rein in your more...undesirable Gryffindor tendencies long enough to learn how to craft spells of your own?"
"I don't really know Sir? They are unpredictable, those undesirable tendencies but I'm certainly willing to give it a try." The sarcasm was dulled by the fact that Harry really, really wanted to learn how to craft spells and he was aware that he couldn't get a better teacher regarding that subject than Snape.
The deep black eyes of the man held Harry's for several minutes. "Spellcrafting is a sometimes delicate art that requires patience and self-control. Surprisingly I have seen you display both qualities, over-shadowed they might be by your recklessness, so I will give you a single chance to learn to craft spells. In this you will do as I say without argument, though questions as to why something works in a particular way are not amiss, to the letter. The first time you fail to do as I instruct will be the last."
Harry nodded seriously. "I will do as you say and I do appreciate this opportunity Sir. I will do my very best." He gave the Potion Master a nod and moved to stand beside him. "This may be a stupid question but is there a difference in crafting a spell from the very beginning than modifying one?"
"Stupid, no. One with an obvious answer, yes." Snape shifted the sword at his side so it would not hinder him. "Spells, like every magical thing, are woven of magical energies. Different energies cause different effects, for example the Patronus charm is almost exclusively a protective energy yet it has solidifying, movement, and knowledge retention energies threaded through. To create a spell you must carefully, willfully, and knowingly pull and weave different energies from the ley lines around you into a unique pattern. After a spell is created, anyone of sufficient power can learn it but only those who understand the weaving of spells and what make a particular spell work as it does can truly master it." Snape's face softened and almost glowed at the same time as he shared his knowledge of spellcraft. "Modifying an existing spell requires that you work new energies into the established pattern without disrupting it."
It was amazing, listening to Snape, hearing him speak of spell crafting and watching his face lit up as he explained it. Harry felt that he learnt more about Snape these few minutes than he had during his several years at Hogwarts. When Snape spoke of this he allowed a sliver of his true self to be seen and Harry liked what he saw...He liked it a lot. "If anyone can modify this spell then it's you."
The professor had to stifle the thrill of pride that the teen's vote of confidence and the shiver that the soft emotion in the green eyes provoked. He hummed a bit. "Perhaps, perhaps not. We shall see as we go. Now to understand the energies you first have to understand where they come from-" Snape's voice remained steady, calm, and rather soothing if anyone who might listen in would have discovered as he taught Potter the basic theories of spellcrafting.
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Snape studied the dummy before him. He'd assigned Potter to reach within himself and attempt to 'see' the magic within and around him while he had been slowly modifying the shielding spell. The sun was now beginning to set and dinner would be soon and so far he'd only managed to create a tiny, token amount of resistance to non-magical blows. His sword still went through the shield and sliced into the dummy but it was a start.
Once when he was very little Harry had seen Petunia weave a table cloth with very fine threads of fabric, that was how he was imagining the spell now. Like a weave brought together by hundreds of tiny threads to create a whole. To modify the spell you had to add a set of new threads without disrupting the pattern of the weave itself. Harry kept his eyes closed, picturing the weave in his mind, he was well aware that he was no where ready to try and weave a spell of his own or alter one but it helped him to have something concrete, something real to imagine when he worked on it. It was just like with the web of his mind, Harry did better with visual aids, he always had.
Opening his eyes Harry watched Snape studying the dummy with an unreadable expression. Harry thought that Snape had done wonderfully for such a short amount of time. "I think I know how to picture it to myself now Sir."
Snape nodded, circling the dummy and flicking a few bits of chipped wooden pieces from where his blade had struck. "It's coming on dinner. We'll set this aside for today and resume next Sunday." He turned to look at Harry. "In between now and then I want you to look at the energies and try to get a feel for them, for what which energy does and is."
Harry nodded in agreement. "I will Sir." He closed the book and carried it under his arm as they got ready to leave the Room of Requirements. "Once again I do apologize for laying claim to your whole Sunday."
The professor paused at the door. "Do not. It was the most...enjoyable Sunday I have had in some time." Then he pasted his usual sneer on his face. "Your company is surprisingly tolerable when you are not wallowing in Gryffindor impulsiveness."
"Funny I feel the same way Sir, you're almost passable company when you forget to cloak yourself in grumpiness, sprinkled generously by utter pratness." Harry gave the professor a serene and innocent smile as he past him in the doorway and moved down the hallway. "Pleasant dreams Sir, I'll see you tomorrow." After that Harry didn't turn around as he made his way up the two flight of stairs that lead to the seventh floor and the Gryffindor tower.
Snape kept a narrow glare on Harry's back until the teenager was out of earshot then he chuckled a bit. When not in lessons he had to admit he enjoyed Potter's smart mouth. Of course he'd never admit that aloud. He stalked back to his dungeon to change into fresh clothing for dinner. He was greeted by a note informing him of the time for the bloody party, stating that casual dress was a requirement even for the teachers. One day, one fine day he would see something bite Albus Dumbledore in the posterior and he would snicker in secret glee.
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Blood Quill Consequences