A Slytherin's Strategy

Severus Snape had been in the stacks when the trio had burst into the Library to confront Potter. He was always in the stacks when his house had a library time scheduled and he made certain that schedule corresponded as much as he could with when Potter would be roaming the halls or sitting here as well.

That was the trouble with being Potter's Guardian/Protector here in the school. It was his sworn duty to protect the brat and he couldn't do that if he had no idea what the brat was up to now. Sometimes he really wished he'd refused the Ministry when the issue had come up and the Minister had wanted to appoint someone to the role simply because the boy was a famous orphan under a great deal of personal threat. But he hadn't. Though he still didn't know why the Ministry had chosen him. Of all the teachers in the school, why him?

But it was also why, when the brat had been moved out of Gryffindor Tower back in his second year and given that private room, he was the main person the other Professors had expected to escort the boy to the places he needed to go. Like to take a daily shower. They said it was his duty. Not theirs. He'd hated it. The whole situation had annoyed him. Yes, the brat had hurt Draco by throwing the firework in Draco's cauldron. Yes, that could've really injured Draco had Draco been a step further in his work. But could haves weren't did. And what Potter had done was no worse than what so many other students had done over the years. Including Draco. Yet none of them had been put into isolation. None of them had been set up for the benefit of games being played behind their back or over their heads. And Potter had apologized to Draco. Twice. Immediately once he realized just how badly he could have hurt the boy. Sincere apologies both times. Draco had refused to accept them and no one said a word.

Nor did the punishment of Potter end as it should have once he'd realized what he'd done wrong. Punishment didn't work if it was carried on for too long a time. Or was administered too heavily for all manner of offenses. And no matter what Potter did or supposedly did, his punishment here was always the same. Isolation. And criminal treatment by the staff and his peers.

So he spent a lot of time shadowing Potter around the school between classes. Because, regardless of what the Headmaster claimed, the brat wasn't safe in the school. And he saw and heard a lot of things the rest of the school did not. It's why he'd schedule his fifth year Slytherins to be in the Library at the same time Potter would most likely be here as well. Because he was expecting the school darlings to try something on Potter. Because they always did at this time of the year. Because when there were games being played, those three were always involved. And if he was going to be able to save his charge this time, he had to know what the game was. And exactly what Potter's role in the yearly game was supposed to be.

He'd naturally heard the entire proceeding today. When he'd figured out exactly what their grievance was with the boy, it infuriated him. Harry Potter was being lied to, cheated and stolen from by these three children! He'd known the trio were using the boy. Hell, he'd have needed to be deaf, blind and stupid not to know that after four years of shadowing the boy everywhere. But he hadn't known they were actively stealing from him. They'd actually dared to come here to confront him about their thievery and demand he allow them to continue stealing from him! They were either completely immoral or just plain stupid. Maybe both.

He narrowed his eyes and the vein in his jaw started ticking a clear sign he was gritting his teeth as he automatically began thinking of ways in which he could pay them back for their treachery. He was good at getting payback against misbehaving students and these three wouldn't be the first time he failed at it. They would pay. He expected to have to extract some revenge for the boy since it was virtually impossible for Harry to get it on his own. Dumbledore and his stooges made it nearly impossible for the boy to be anything but a doormat. Any attempt on his part to stand up for himself only got him knocked on his arse again in the most humiliating way possible. And that was if it wasn't life endangering.

But it quickly became clear, revenge wouldn't be necessary. Not for Potter anyway. Potter was living up to his name in dealing with these three. He was getting his own revenge on them. In true Potter style, no less. If he dealt with the other two as he'd dealt with Granger the trio would be a long time recovering from this encounter. This Potter's revenge was meant to last. He smirked happily.

Of course, he'd never expected to witness exactly how Potter went about getting his revenge. And under no circumstances had he expected events to play out as they had. Potter was supposed to be dim-witted and stupid. Brave. That went without question. And loyal past the point of it being a virtue. He wasn't supposed to actually have the ability to stand up for himself. Not like this.

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