Love, Lies & Loneliness

Chapter 6
(Moving in)

Harry watched as Ron’s face turned from ghost white, to red in a matter of seconds.

“You’ve got to be kidding me Harry. No way would Dumbledore force you to stay with them, you’re not even in their house!” Harry pushed his potato idly around on his plate, his appetite lost long before the food had arrived.

“I didn’t believe it at first either but it’s true.” Harry muttered quietly to himself his friends still staring at him in shock. The weasley twin’s looked positive horrified, as did Neville, who Harry was sure was going to pass out any minute. Seamus and Dean didn’t look crash hot either, the very thought of their star seeker spending his nights with the entire Slytherin house alone and unprotected was beyond comprehension.

“Dumbledore wouldn’t have done this if he hadn’t thought it necessary for Harry’s safety Ron.” Hermione while still looking disturbed at the prospect seem to see the reason where everyone else failed.

“His Safety!?” Ron nearly choked on his pumpkin juice as he stared incredulously at Hermione. “Do you know what they’ll probably do to Harry, when they find out. He won’t be able to sleep at night incase they try to, you know…” Ron ran his hand across his neck his face screwing up in what Harry assumed to be pain. Until now Harry hadn’t thought of what the Slytherin’s were going to do when they found out about this information, and all of a sudden a whole new set of problems now presented themselves. Groaning in misery Harry pushed his plate away from him in disgust and threw his head down onto the table.

“Come on Harry, its not that bad. At least they’re not making you stay with them all the time, you’ll still spend most of your time with us and we will make sure you know the passwords into the common room, incase you need to escape.” Harry opened his eyes and smiled at Hermione mildly, his gaze straying however from his friends to the head table where Snape was sitting staring at him. Resisting the urge to give the potions professor the finger Harry turned back to his friends with a sigh.

“Yeah look on the bright side mate, at least they haven’t banned you from playing Quidditch.” Harry nodded at George and Fred who were both now plotting the revenge they would be getting on the Slytherins. Glancing at his watch Harry decided that enough was enough. There was still a full fifteen minutes before he had to meet Snape in the corridor, but Harry had had enough of his friend’s sympathetic looks, and the food in front of him merely made him feel sick.

“I’m just going to go to the bathroom, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Harry stood up from the table and collected his things. He would probably not see his friends till breakfast the next morning that was if he survived the night. Word it seemed had spread quickly along the Gryfindor table and everyone from the house sent him sympathetic glances as he moved towards the exit of the hall.

“Hey Potter.” Malfoy’s voice rang through the chattering in the hall and Harry paused to turn towards the Slytherin and his group of cronies. “Heard about your summer, hope they don’t snap your wand.” Harry couldn’t help the shudder that swept over his body as Malfoy removed a small wooden stick from his pocket and snapped it audible over the edge of the table, causing his friends to snigger loudly. “But don’t worry, I’m sure Hagrid’ll teach you how to live without it. You two will have more in common then won’t you Potter.” Without thinking Harry drew his wand out from his robes and aimed it squarely at Malfoy’s head but the hex died on his lips as he caught sight of Dumbledore and Snape on their feet both of them with their wands out and aimed at him. It took a moment to realize what he was just going to attempt, not that it mattered about what damage an unstable hex would do to Malfoy, but Harry didn’t want to break the Ministry’s rule, when Dumbledore was trying his hardest to get Harry out of trouble. With an exaggerated sigh Harry lowered his wand, Malfoy’s moment of fear drowned as he began laughing nastily in Harry’s face. “Don’t even have the guts to do that Potter, Ministry really have got you under control haven’t they.” Ignoring the Slytherin’s taunts Harry turned and walked briskly from the hall the doors slamming behind him as he stumbled over to the stairs and flopped down onto them with a defeated groan. Inside the hall he could still hear them laughing at him. The world just wasn’t fair, everything bad always had to happen to him.

With his head buried in his knees Harry didn’t notice the approach of Snape until a gentle hand came down to rest upon his shoulder. Reluctantly Harry looked up at the imposing form of the potions professor who merely stared at him blankly.

“I’m going to die aren’t I. They’re going to hex me into an oblivion and there’s nothing I can do about it cause the stupid Ministry have stopped me using magic.” Harry watched as Snape tutted and rolled his eyes at Harry’s dramatics, obviously not impressed nor concerned by the boy’s worry.

“I assure you Mr. Potter, should Malfoy or any one of my Slytherins attempt to harm you in anyway while you are under my care, their time at Hogwarts will be cut extremely short.” Not in the least comforted by the professors comment Harry reluctantly rose and followed Snape towards the dungeons.

Harry was forced to run to keep up with the Professors quick strides, ensuring that he made mental notes of what stairs and turns they made so that he didn’t get lost, and then would be forced to ask for directions. Harry nearly ran into the back of Snape, as the professor came to a dead end corridor, and stood directly in front of a portrait. There were hardly any pictures down here in the dungeons; the damp causing them to grow mould and rot, yet here at the end of this corridor was a single painting. From what Harry could see of it, it appeared to be that of a snake, it’s coils twisting and turning around a singular sword.

“The password is ‘Aspindodle’.” As Snape spoke the password, the serpent in the picture tightened its curls around the sword before the wall slid away to reveal the entrance into the Slytherin common room.

“Aspindodle? What’s that?” Harry followed Snape into the common room, somewhat relived that the Slytherin’s were still at the feast. The password Snape has spoken was strange but easily remembered, and Harry wondered where it had come from.

“It’s a potions ingredient Mr Potter, rare and not easily used. It is not in the curriculum so you don’t need to worry about it, save for remembering its name.” Harry nodded and began looking around the Slytherin common room. He had been in here once before during his second year, but they hadn’t entered through the door Snape had brought him in through. Like the Griffindor tower, the common room was furnished with plush armchairs and sofas, a roaring fire keeping the place warm. Bookshelves lined the walls, and tables strewn with student’s things lay scattered around the place.

“This is the common room. I do not expect that you will spend your time in here, but by all means make use of its facilities.” Snape cast an approving eye over his own houses common room before gesturing back at the door, Harry and he had just entered through. “That entrance was created for my use only although you may use it on the understanding that the password and its position not be revealed.” Harry knew the look that Snape threw at him was one of secrecy and Harry obediently nodded, not wishing to upset the man who would ultimately become his lifeline in the coming year. “My own private chambers are situated in the corridor we just walked along, if you should need me outside my normal office times, tell Yassalin in the portrait and she will inform me of your need.” Again Harry nodded and quickly followed the professor as he led the way across the common room and up a flight of spiral stairs. Harry found it strange that any steps would lead upwards in the Dungeon’s but kept his comments to himself as Snape came to the top of the staircase and pushed open the wooden door. Harry followed Snape into the small room, surprised that compared to the common room, this room had a window. “Due to the strained relationship between yourself and members of my house, I thought it prudent to give you your own room. This is a privilege Mr Potter, do not abuse it.” Again Harry nodded smiling as he noticed that along with the green and sliver décor, splashing of Griffindor color stood out, someone having made the effort to make him feel comfortable. “The window looks out over the lake, it is the only window in the dungeons, and I thought that being so unaccustomed to the Slytherin way you would appreciated the natural light.”

“Thank-you.” Harry smiled mildly at Snape who merely acknowledge him with a curt nod of his own head.

“Naturally there are going to be some rules Mr Potter, and although I am somewhat skeptical of you being able to keep them, will attempt to enforce them none the less.” Harry remained standing opposite Snape listening intently to what the man had to say. There was no way in hell Harry was going to upset Snape this year, the results of the man’s anger would undoubtedly be disastrous considering his situation. “To begin with you will return to your room here every night before curfew, if you fail to do so be assured I will know. Secondly you will not attempt to bring any one not of Slytherin house into the Slytherin student areas, my students will tolerate your presence but in turn you will respect their rights as Slytherins.” Snape paused and Harry quickly whispered his agreement to the first two rules.

“In accordance with the headmasters wishes you are to return to having me tutor you in Occlumency. I will of course arrange a timetable for our meetings, and will get back to you, when you have settled in.” Harry didn’t manage to stifle a groan at the news. Occlumency lessons had been disastrous from the very beginning, he and Snape far to volatile together for anything constructive to come out of them. “Finally I will ask you to try and not disrupt the students in my house. While I understand this is difficult for you, you must realize that it is no different for them.” Harry huffed a contemptible laugh inwardly to himself; yeah he was sure it was going to be difficult for the Slytherins. Downstairs Harry could already hear voices in the common room, the Slytherin’s obviously returning from the feast. “If you have any questions please come and see me, or if I am unavailable then Slytherin house prefect, Angus Bricherland is aware of your stay and has been instructed to help you as well.” Harry nodded, already knowing the boy that Snape was referring too. Angus was at least half polite, if not more sensible than his peers. “Now if you’ll follow me, I think it is time to break the news to the rest of my house.” With a swish of his robes Snape headed back down the staircase, Harry cautiously following him.

The common room was packed by the time Harry made it to the bottom of the steps their conversations varied from topic to topic, but all noise ceased as everyone became aware of the Gryfindor now standing in the center of their common room.

“Potter. What do you think your doing down here?” Malfoy’s voice was the first to break the silence, Harry barely remaining upright as Malfoy pushed him in disgust. Malfoy went to push Harry again but was stopped as Snape situated himself between them both and glared down at the blonde boy.

“Listen up. Mr Potter will be staying with us this year.” Snape didn’t wait get to the point, and Harry cringed as he heard a muttering of shocked anger begin in the room. “You will all respect his presence here. His rooms are strictly forbidden to everyone, accept Mr Potter himself. You will all refrain from interfering with Mr Potter’s daily routine while he is with us, and should I hear of any altercations involving Mr Potter and any of you, you can consider all your student privileges revoked until I see fit to restore them. Am I understood?”

“Yes Sir.” There was a unanimous muttering of agreement; most of it Harry knew would be reluctant.

“Very good.” With a wave of his hand Snape dismissed his students, and turned around sharply to face Harry, who kept glancing about himself unable to relax with so many Slytherin’s staring at him in hatred. “Mr Potter you will report to my office at the start of classes tomorrow, you may be prohibited from formal tuition until next week but you will instead be taking up independent study under my charge so that you do not fall behind your peers in your chosen subjects.” Harry nodded and watched almost longingly as Snape disappeared from the common room, using the student doors. Now alone in a room full of Slytherins Harry backed himself warily towards the steps leading back to his room. Finding his path unhindered Harry turned and began quickly up the steps, pausing only when he heard Malfoy addressing him from the bottom of the steps.

“You’re not welcome here Potter.” Malfoy sneered up at Harry but Harry merely shrugged his shoulders uncaringly.

“I wouldn’t have expected otherwise Malfoy. I never agreed to this.” Not bothering to wait for a reply Harry ran up what remained of the steps to his room and quickly shut himself in. Not being able to use magic, Harry went about pulling his trunk over in front of the door to prevent anyone from coming in. Harry sighed heavily as he flopped down on his bed and began unpacking his things. It was going to be an awfully long and painful year.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A/N Okay I\'m going to try this last time to see if you guys are actually enjoying this, I have appeased the gods and hopefully rectified the mistakes in the first few chapters, thus the repost, Anymore mistakes and you\'ll just have to live with it. Please review if you are enjoying it, it does make writing worth it to hear what others think.
Cheers RIFF RAFF