Chapter - 40 : Track Part - 3
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When one Dementor tried to move past Prongs, the stag gored it with his antlers. The Dementor screamed soundlessly, a high pitched shrieked that echoed through Harry's head. It hurt almost as much as when Snape rifled through his brain. It was the best feeling Harry had ever felt in the presence of a Dementor. Harry smiled widely as Prongs shook that particular Dementor off of his antlers then menaced another with them. As the Dementors skittered away from Prongs, warmth and feeling finally began to burn through his nerve endings.
A quick glance at the area under the Gryffindor stands showed the dog to be gone. Harry wilted. Of course Sirius was gone. There was no way he would stick around with the Dementors hanging about. But what if the Dementors had caught him before he got away?
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked as she, Ron, Neville, and even Hagrid rushed onto the pitch. Her face flushed, Hermione hugged him then shoved him at Ron. Ron, his face far too pale, hugged him. After that Ron shoved Harry at Neville, who was still shaking and his eyes were huge. Neville hugged him before Hagrid literally swept him off of his feet into a nearly bone-crushing hug. Harry had never been hugged so often in such a short amount of time in the previous timeline.
Fred and George must have told the others that he had the snitch because his team mauled him next. Wood was so happy that he was nearly crying. Harry had a strong suspicion that Wood's happiness was directly linked to winning quidditch and nothing else. Fred and George hugged him purely as an excuse to ruffle his hair, mock him, and knock him about. It was actually really comforting. Suddenly there were Gryffindor everywhere hugging each other and shouting as if there had never been Dementors on the pitch.
The party that night was mind blowing. It was the first time that Gryffindor had won against Slytherin since Charlie Weasley had left school. Harry enjoyed it but some small part of him was stuck with the nagging worry: What if Sirius had not escaped the Dementors this time?
The next morning, after a sleepless night and before breakfast, Harry made his way to Professor Snape's office. His heart pounding wildly, Harry knocked on the door.
"Go away!" snarled Professor Snape. "It's Sunday!"
Harry kept knocking.
"Enter!"
Harry straightened his shoulders and marched into the office of a man who literally could not stand the sight of him. Currently, that man was hunched over essays, his quill tipped in the dreaded red ink scratching incomprehensible comments. It was probably best for all parties that even Hermione could decipher only one in four comments.
"Potter" Professor Snape sneered when he caught sight of his visitor. "What do you want?"
Harry took a deep steadying breath. If someone had told him a year ago that he would thank Severus Snape for anything, he would have laughed then hexed that guy's balls off.
How things changed.
Gryffindor courage marshaled, Harry took another deep steadying breath then blurted "Thank you sir."
Professor Snape stilled. Even his face and fingers stilled. One hand still held his quill and the other was curled around the rolled top of a scroll. The look in his glittering black eyes changed from thinly veiled loathing to something else. Harry had a long, emotionally charged relationship with Severus Snape. They had spied on each other, screamed at each other, frightened each other, and driven each other half-mad. Their long history was filled with their highs, lows, and worst possible moments. But in Harry's experience with Professor Snape this was a completely new expression and a completely unknown emotion.
"For what?"
There was no emotion in Snape's voice. It made Harry nervous. Harry's eyes darted about. There were still nasty potions ingredients on the walls. There were still no rugs on the floor or paintings on the wall. Snape was still staring at him. Harry took another deep breath, focused on how grateful he was not to be dead, and carefully met Severus Snape's eyes.
"You saved me from Professor Quirrell even though I'm pretty sure that you hate me. So thank you."
The lightest of mental touches skimmed across Harry's mind. The fact that Harry knew it and could feel the intrusion was a huge step in his Occlumency skills. At least he now knew when people were casually violating his mind. Professor Snape merely touched on Harry's gratitude then withdrew.
'He wanted to make sure that I meant it' Harry realized. 'Did he think this was a prank?'
"I don't know what you're talk about" Professor Snape said at last. But a lot of the bite and vitriol that he usually directed towards Harry had gone out of his tone.
Harry smiled. "Yes sir. And I'm also very sorry sir."
Harry watched Professor Snape's eyes narrow. This time he was careful not to catch the professor's eye.
"For what?"
"Yesterday – at the match – someone may have set you on fire."
"Who was it?"
"That person thought you were cursing my broom."
"Who – was – it?"
"I'm sorry that person set you on fire. It's just that you're a lot more frightening than Quirrell and –"
"Potter! The name!"
"That person was only trying to save my life!"
"Now!"
Harry flinched in spite of himself. He focused his eyes on Professor Snape's large nose. "No sir."
Professor Snape's voice became low and ominous. "You will tell me the name or you will have detention for the rest of the year."
Harry was silent.
"Very well Mr. Potter. I will see you Monday night at the usual time."
"Yes sir."
Harry left, slamming the door behind himself.
'That miserable greasy git! I apologized! For something that Hermione did! And there was no way that I set Snape on fire! Snape knows that too so why –'
Harry drew in a deep shuddering breath. He tried to find that calm place in his mind, the one that he had worked so long and so hard at Occlumency to create. He was still toweringly angry over Snape's unfairness but it was more distant from his thoughts. His feelings were still there and still required dealing with but at least he could think around them.
Snape was being unfair. They both knew that. And they both knew that neither Dumbledore nor any other professor would protect Harry from it. Well fine. Harry could make this work. He could! Because Professor Snape from the previous timeline had already given Harry everything Harry needed to deal with that miserable bastard. He was James Potter's son… but he was Lily Evans' son too.
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