The Rules of Life

Title: The Rules of Life

Summary: There was no Harry Potter at the Dursley’s when Dumbledore sent Hagrid to fetch him in first year. Where in the world is Harry Potter? This fic is SNARRY slash, Snape!Dom, Harry!sub.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or any of the other familiar characters. Harry Potter and this magical world belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money made from this.

Warnings: This fic is Snarry slash, which means two men in a sexual relationship – specifically, Harry and Snape. This fic also contains BDSM elements with Snape as the Dominant partner and Harry as the submissive. If you don’t know what this means then please don’t read the fic – you won’t understand most of what happens. The fic starts out before Hogwarts and contains elements of chan (just mentioning of it), dub-con and non-con (rape). Don’t read if you don’t like!!

LadyIvy: I agree with you but time were against them and Severus had to make the choice between wasting time and getting everyone out of the bathroom before he conjured the snake, or, giving this one piece of information away and saving the life of a student. (Though he did give something else away to Hermione, if you caught that bit :) )

tsujton: It’s just how I write him and what I want from his character :) I like to play around with them and making Dumbledore a manipulative old man with an ego problem is fun to write :)

AN: I am sorry everyone, but Andy is really dead :( :(

Dumbledore is a manipulative old coot in this story – if anyone maybe missed that fact :) :) – and thus his Character is quite a bit Out of Character. His actions and reasoning is different from canon for the sake of this fic. If there is anything that you feel he would do/and or/ not do, please just read over it or ignore it because everything happens for a reason… :)

The first friend he had ever made, the first person to see him as a friend… de…d…, no, no, the thought was too painful to finish and with a last hitched breath, Harry closed his eyes and wished for sleep. Maybe, maybe when he woke up this would all have been a nightmare.


Chapter 7

Severus Snape was not someone who worried himself needlessly. If something bothered him, he would search out the perpetrator – for there is always one, in his opinion – and let that person/and or thing, pay for it.

It was frustrating to have to admit that in this situation, he had no idea what to do or how to react.

Harry’s small form clutched at his person as if he were a lifeline, something Severus swore to himself he would never be – anyone’s lifeline.

The students walked in silence behind him as he led the way up to the infirmary. Poppy could do nothing for Andy, but for Harry and the rest of the students, some sleeping draughts would not be out of the question.

The Granger girl kept glancing from Harry to Andy and back. Severus could see that she was reflecting back on the information he had inadvertently let slip while trying to help Harry. There was nothing for it however, if Severus had to go back, he would do everything the same. He would have a word with the Granger girl, that night if possible, and make sure the girl did not let the information out into the school – or to a certain headmaster.

Severus would have to deal with Dumbledore and his displeasure of Severus going after the students without the headmaster’s knowledge or help.

The students, especially Granger, could pose a possible threat to Harry’s secret – though they did not know that – and Severus would have to make sure that they either conveniently forgot that piece of information or impart on them the seriousness of keeping what happened that night secret.

He would not be able to convince any of the students to keep Harry’s Parseltongue ability secret and it would be too risky to obliviate that from their minds for Dumbledore would certainly be searching for the answer of how they made it into the Chamber, no, such an act would give too much away.

The mention of the Dursley’s however, was something Severus could rectify or edit. The easiest would be to obliviate that part from everyone’s mind, but detection was still a possibility if anyone knew what to look for.

The last option Severus had was to implicate his own involvement and deal with Dumbledore’s wrath. He knew that the headmaster would not be pleased to know that Severus knew something, something important, that the headmaster was not privy to.

Modifying the students – and Lockhart’s – memories would be the easiest action to take with the least consequences. Muffling his conversation with Harry would be tricky, but doable. Severus would have to impose the feeling and conviction in their minds that they could not hear a word of what Severus said to Harry, their voices muffled and indefinable.

To do so would protect Harry’s’ secret for a little while longer but it would indicate that Severus knew something he did not want the headmaster or anyone else to know. Severus would just have to deal with the consequences.

Severus looked down at Harry and realized with a start that they were in the infirmary. He placed the boy on one of the beds and shushed the quiet whimpering.



Lockhart proved a bit more difficult than Severus anticipated with the modifying of his memories, but finally after ten minutes – it took only five with the students – Severus finished and sat down at Harry’s bedside, satisfied with his work.

Severus silently thanked Poppy when she dosed the students with sleeping draughts. If he had to hear the Thomas boy express his opinion of how Harry could only be a dark wizard one more time… he would not be able to stop he hex lingering in the forefront of his mind.

By tomorrow Harry’s Parseltongue ability would be all over the school and he would be even more ostracized than before. Albus, Severus knew, would take the knowledge in one of two ways. The headmaster might decide to acknowledge that he had been wrong and see for himself the damage his decisions regarding Harry had done – thus also acknowledging the fact that Harry Patterson was Harry Potter – or, Albus would refuse to acknowledge his mistakes and put Harry’s Parseltongue ability down to coincidence or bloodlines.

Albus’s attitude regarding Severus’s charge thus far leant his belief to the latter possibility. Severus would not be surprised if Albus demanded the boy’s eviction from the castle.

Severus would put a fight up if that should happen. Albus Dumbledore had long since lost his respect and if push come to shove, Severus would give the headmaster an ultimatum: Force Harry out of the castle and loose Severus as a Potions Professor and spy, or, let Harry stay and Severus would make sure that Harry did not mingle with any of the students, except Blaise. Severus would just insist that Harry and Blaise deal with their grief together.

Blaise sat beside his brother’s lifeless form and Severus suppressed a wince at the haunted look in the boy’s eyes. Severus could not imagine the pain of losing a brother, much less a twin, and seeing one of his students in such pain frustrated him to no end.

Severus watched in silence as Blaise looked away from Andy to look at Harry. When Blaise did nothing but look at Harry with a helpless and pained expression, Severus sighed with relief. If Blaise blamed Harry for his brother’s death, Severus knew Harry would not be able to recover; that Blaise felt nothing but grief and a shared understanding with Harry was a blessing.

Harry whimpered in his sleep and Severus moved toward him, stopped suddenly by Blaise’s hand on his arm. The young boy looked at him for a long while before releasing his arm and making his way to Harry’s side, leaving Severus standing alone in the middle of the hospital wing, lost about what to do next.

Blaise settled himself in a chair next to Harry’s bed and laid his head on the mattress. Severus watched them with an uncomfortable feeling rising in his chest but he did not have time to assess it now, he had a floo call to make, one he dreaded and hoped fervently he would never have to make again. To tell parents about the loss of a child was the hardest thing Severus could imagine doing.

Taking a last long look at his sleeping charges, Severus assured himself that Harry would be fine, Blaise would look after him should he wake and Severus had no doubt that Harry would do the same for Blaise.

The path to his office was a lifetime too short.


*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*


As Severus predicted, Albus was not at all impressed by his impertinence. The headmaster insisted on knowing what Severus said to Harry in the bathroom but Severus stood his ground and refused to answer. For a moment, it seemed that Albus would evict both Harry and Severus from the castle but in the end Albus agreed to let them stay on the condition that Harry did not wander the castle for any reason and did not interact with the students. With the Zabini’s permission, Albus allowed Blaise in Severus’s quarters but that was the only friend allowed for Harry – at Hogwarts at least.

The continued silence from Harry worried Severus but he consoled himself with the fact that the boy at least interacted with Blaise. The boy had not spoken a single word since the incident but at least they all knew now that it was a mental block and not a physical inability.

Whenever Severus asked Harry a question, the boy’s first reaction would be to reach for quill and parchment but a harsh glare from Severus usually elicited a feeble attempt from the boy to voice his question. Thus far, they had no success.

Severus wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake with the boy, if he had voiced his conviction in Harry’s ability and permission to speak incorrectly. Did the boy still fear consequences should he speak?

Their conversation in the bathroom replayed itself in his head and Severus glared at his memory self when the problem became apparent. He should have seen this coming, should have known to word his request and conviction better.

You are allowed to speak Harry, if there was ever a time where no one would blame you for speaking it is now.

How could he not have foreseen the consequences of such a sentence? He had no doubt that should Harry ever find himself in a situation where a friend was in danger, the boy would be able to talk, to protect them, but in a normal setting, where no one was in danger, Harry still did not believe that he was allowed to speak.

Severus wanted to smash something, preferably Harry’s head, or his own…. but he refrained from doing so. It was not the boy’s fault that he could not speak, well, not entirely the boy’s fault.

Andy’s funeral had already taken place but it had served no comfort for Harry. Severus remembered the silent tears streaming down Harry’s cheek and could almost imagine that they had imprinted lines on Harry’s face, a reminder of his grief.

“We will go to Diagon Alley to purchase your supplies tomorrow; I do not want to wait until the last moment to do so, having the students at school ten months a year is quite enough, I do not wish to see them before that.”

Harry looked up from his book and nodded at Severus.

The boy resumed his reading and Severus suppressed the urge to shake him. Severus hoped the newest development would jolt the boy out of his depression. Reading over the boy’s school letter again, Severus let go of his doubts and fears and decided that it would do the boy some good to feel and act like a kid for a change.

“Along with your supply list, I received a letter from your school informing me that the ‘Gemstone-cut tournament’ would take place this year. They have this tournament every third year and anyone from third year and above are allowed to try out for a team.”

Harry marked his place in the book before turning his full attention to Severus.

“The ‘Gemstone-cut tournament’ is a tournament between three or more schools from all over the world, depending on the shape of the gemstone cut. This year, the ‘cut’ drawn was a diamond, and they selected four schools according to the cut. A draw took place and they chose Hogsmeade as the ‘Host school’, from which they then drew the shape of a diamond on a map to select the other three schools. From the schools selected, I gather that they drew the diamond horizontal and not vertical.

The diamond shape pointed to Thailand, South Africa and Brazil. The school closest to any ‘point’ of the diamond can participate. From Thailand’s side, a school in China will participate, as there is no Wizarding school in Thailand. From South Africa, the Wizarding school there – Toor-toring – and from Brazil the school in Rio de Janeiro.

Each school will have three teams participating, Team A, B and C. The teams will compete against each other according to rank – A, B or C – until only one team remains in each rank. From there, the two teams with the least points will compete and the winner will compete against the best team where the over-all winner will then be decided.”

Severus paused to take a few sips from his tea and let Harry digest the information. It was a difficult concept to explain but once Harry participated and was part of the tournament, he would understand it better.

Harry held out his hand and a moment later, his quill and parchment came floating through the door.

Severus kept his expression neutral even though he had the strange urge to hug the boy. It was the first time in weeks that Harry replied to Severus with something more than a nod or shake of the head. The boy would from time to time let his quill reply with a “Yes Master” or “No Master” but other than that, the boy had yet to start a real conversation – or participate in one.

You will allow me to compete in this tournament?

He should have anticipated something like this but for some reason the question still startled him.

“Yes Harry, if you so wish, you may participate in this tournament. Mind you, if you decide to go through with this, I expect you to do your very best. Is that clear?”

Harry thought about it for a while before resolutely nodding his head.

“Good. Fill in this form and I will sign it. They will place your name with all the other hopeful students and when school starts, you will do a little test to assess your abilities and determine your place in a team. Team ‘A’ usually consists of sixth and seventh years as they are the best in the school. Team ‘B’ usually consists of fifth and sixth year students and Team ‘C’ of third, fourth and fifth. Sometimes a younger student finds him/herself in Team ‘B’ but it is not very common.”

Harry nodded his acceptance of the description and Severus could already see the determination set in. There was no doubt in Severus’s mind that with all the studying Harry had been doing he would make a team, which team, Severus was still uncertain. There was a slight chance that Harry would make team ‘B’ and though it consisted of tougher challenges, Severus thought it would do Harry some good to let all of his grief and frustration out in a well controlled environment.

“Very well then, go and clean up. I will come and check that you are asleep in half an hour. No more reading!”

The last said in reference to the fact that Severus had found Harry reading one of his textbooks late into the night on several occasions. The boy seemed to turn to his books when nightmares plagued him, though Severus was reluctant to dissuade the boy from his studying, he would have to impose some new rules if the boy kept defying him. Sleep was more important than studying and Severus would make sure that Harry got plenty.


*------------------------------------------------------------------*


Blaise accompanied them to Diagon Alley and Severus bit back a smile at Harry’s enthusiasm regarding the upcoming tournament.

Severus reminded himself to buy Blaise a box of chocolates for keeping Harry’s spirits high and skillfully turning a conversation around when it seemed to wander in a depressing direction.

Harry’s quill and parchment floated between the two boys and Severus had to keep reminding Harry to hold his wand aloft – as if holding the two items in a spell – so as not to arise suspicion about his wandless magic ability.

As they exited the bookshop, Severus saw the Granger girl casting a concerned look at Harry and reminded himself to have a talk with the girl once school started. If she started digging for information on who could have possibly abused Harry to such an extent that he believed he was not allowed to speak, she might come closer to the truth than Severus would like. He decided to discuss the matter with Harry and together they could decide how much to tell the girl in order to keep her curiosity in check.

Returning to Hogwarts, Severus helped Harry with his packages before shooing both boys out of his way. He had potions to prepare for Poppy and knew the boys would not do anything irreparably stupid. Warning them against going out of their quarters, Severus closed his workroom door behind him and started a simple pain relief potion.

The next year would certainly be interesting and Severus just hoped that Harry would be able to deal with his loss and come out stronger. With Blaise’s help, Severus thought there might be a possibility to see a smiling, happy Harry by the end of the year.


End Chapter 7

This is where the fun starts!! :) :) :)

I have not decided on the tasks for Harry’s team yet. I have a few ideas running through my head – river tubing (almost like river rafting but with tubes) with a few obstacles is one thought. A nighttime ‘scavenger hunt’ for fairies… Basically, anything a boy his age would enjoy but would not be too dangerous.

This is NOT like the Tri-Wizard tournament. This is more for the fun of the challenge and the team building aspect.

Do you have any suggestions for the tasks?


Just a note: Dumbledore has this image of a 'perfect' Harry in his head and can thus not reconcile it with this Harry, which is why he can not see the truth when it is staring him in the face.

Please review!! :)