To Catch A Thief

8

Severus landed and saw Harry was sitting in a deep burgundy leather highback chair. He realized he was at Potter Manor. He remembered Potter bragging about the burgundy leather high-back chairs and showing pictures of them. "Harry, are you here by yourself?"

"There are some house-elves and Amber. I lived alone for a long time, Severus, in a one-room shack in the woods." The reminder was clear, Harry wasn't used to adults in his life. The only adults he had before in his life abandoned him. Harry had made arrangements with Ironclaw to have the goblins keep an eye on his home. "Nip will bring us tea in once you sit down." Harry indicated a matching highback chair.

Severus glanced around the room. He recognized it as a type of small sitting room that family members would use to relax in. There was a bookcase on one wall, opposite the fireplace, where they were sitting. He could see some tables with chairs around them for games. A long burgundy Chesterfield was opposite the chairs that they would be occupying. "We have a few things to discuss." Severus sat down. "Including you leaving Hogwarts."

"Agreed. Why did you give me a detention for walking around in the morning? I'm always up that early and you never did before." Harry wasn't going to waste any time. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to return to Hogwarts. He also didn't want to leave on bad terms with Severus. He wasn't sure why he wanted to be on good terms.

Severus wasn't surprised when the tea tray appeared on the table between them. "I never saw you or I would have. Harry, you just can't roam around Hogwarts as if you own it." Severus saw a flicker in Harry's eyes. Harry knew something he didn't. He was going to have to work at figuring it out as he knew Harry wasn't going to tell him.

Harry tilted his head and looked at Severus. "There is nothing in the rules that says I can't walk around in the morning. It says all first and second years must be in the common room by nine, it goes up in time as we age. The rules say no one can roam the halls after midnight till the next morning. I am not breaking any rules."

Severus should have known Harry would find a loophole. He had never really had to deal with early risers or self-sufficient kids as most in his house were pure-bloods who had house-elves waiting on them hand and foot. "True, however, most students and staff don't roam around until at least seven AM. I do get up early at times for collecting potion ingredients."

Amber slithered over to Fawkes as the kittens pounced on the bird. Harry watched them for a few seconds. "I like it in the morning, it's quiet. What about the classroom? I didn't do anything different than any other day."

"True. I learned something before class and before I could speak to you. I had an irritating meeting." Severus didn't want to go down this path. He knew if Harry discovered that Draco had come to him Harry might not ever forgive Draco.

"Dumbledore. It doesn't explain why you wanted to speak to me." Harry narrowed his eyes. "Someone went to you about me not going to your detention. However, if you had asked me, you would have found the note I put on your desk in your office saying I needed to speak to you."

Severus had found the note after spending the night looking for Harry but before heading to Dumbledore's office. If Dumbledore hadn't bothered him before breakfast, Severus would have found the note before classes started for the day. "I found it. Harry, I figured it out."

"Someone told you, not directly but subtly. So either Blaise or Draco since they were the only two who knew. Blaise wouldn't because he warned me they couldn't cover. Draco, he's your godson." Draco had bragged about Severus being his godfather. Draco bragged a lot actually, especially about his Father. Harry knew the boy used his father to get away with a lot of things.