What the hell is happening?

Chapter 9: Am I leaving home?

With only two weeks left of summer break, Harry was sitting at his desk reviewing his homework. Not that he hadn't already finished it, but the professor demanded perfection. Snape would begin by overlooking Harry's essays, then writing in the borders what areas needed improvement. He made Harry write at least 2 drafts for every subject until he wrote his final piece of work. The professor had also advised him in dropping divination, even without his OWL results, Harry knew he was going to drop it.

The summer consisted of Harry reading, writing and tending to the garden. The professor had some dead discarded plants, but with Harry's care they were now revived. Even though this was a task that the Dursley's made him do, he often enjoyed being outside and in the sun. Summer at the professors was not as bad as he originally thought it would be. He had now grown quite a bit and had more of a quidditch players build; he was no longer the short scrawny boy.

The professor forced him to do potions work every night in the lab. The professor would brew his own potions and Harry would either chop ingredients or brew his own potion. Harry could tell the change of behaviour in the professor, and that he was trying not to get annoyed by his poor potions skills.

"Potter, I know you can do better than this" was Snape's normal retort to his atrocious work. Due to Snape forcing him to read all his potions books from first year till sixth year, he really had improved a lot.

The last potion he brewed two days ago had been the draught of living death, which was a sixth-year potion. The professor had learnt over the summer that Harry did not like him lingering whilst he made potions, and that the boy did much better with him at a distance.

When Potter was finished, the professor came over to assess his work. Snape was surprised, Harry even thought his professor looked proud; almost like a parent would at their child. Harry had brewed a perfect potion, definitely one that deserved an Outstanding. The professor had praised Harry's good work, which only left the boy beaming.

Gathering his thoughts, Harry stopped day dreaming and turned in his chair to look around his room. 'His room', well it wasn't really his, it was his professors; but for this summer it really was his. He looked at his shrunken suitcase and tried to think of what else he needed. Over the holidays Harry would go over every Friday to Sirius' house. Today was no different, however he would be staying for the weekend as well. He was always happy to see his godfather, but he would always let out a sigh of content when he arrived back at Spinners End.

Grabbing his suitcase, he made his way down the stairs and into the lounge room. The door to the basement (potions lab) was open. Harry left his suitcase next to the floo network and entered the potions lab.

"Hey Professor, I'm ready to go" Harry said whilst leaning casually on the table next to where Snape was ladling a potion into a bottle.

"Just wait a minute, this is Lupins Wolfsbane potion, I would like for you to give this to him. If it saves me from seeing the man, by all means." After closing the lid to the bottle, Snape handed over the potion to Harry. Giving him a stern look, which said, "I dare you to drop it".

Harry used to the man's moods by now, merely took the bottle, smiled and trudged up the stairs. After Snape shrunk Harry's trunk, he bid Harry goodbye, reminding him to make sure Lupin took his potion. Waving goodbye, Harry smiled at the professor, then spoke the words 'Number 12 Grimmauld Place'.

Upon landing on the hearth of Grimmauld Place, Sirius hurled himself at Harry. Harry dropped his suitcase and enveloped his godfather in a bear hug. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the scent of his beloved uncle. Even though he saw Sirius less than 2 weeks ago, he had missed him; he loved it when he would tell stories about his mother and father. Withdrawing from their embrace, Sirius was beaming from ear to ear.