Malfoy Flavor Chapters 1-14

Chapter Seven

  Chapter Seven

So with the two weeks left before school started, Harry started his crash course of the Dark Arts. It was intense, and could get pretty nasty at times, but Harry was learning it quickly. If it would help him against the Death Eaters, then so be it.

Harry knew that he'd usually just gotten very lucky in his previous encounters with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. A little bit of skill and talent with a lot of luck had gotten him this far in life.

Now Harry was beginning to feel that even if his luck ran out, he'd still have a damn good chance of succeeding and fulfilling the prophecy.

Harry was a powerful wizard and he was finally realizing that. Severus was helping him to reach his potential. It wasn't about luck so much anymore, although Harry would still accept whatever good luck he could get, of course.

But now, Harry had the skills to back up that luck. Harry was now able to win a fair amount of the duels he had with Severus. Harry had knowledge, strength, power, and quick reflexes that he was bringing to the duels now and he was working to perfect these skills every day.

Around the same time Harry was getting started on the Dark Arts, he was also thinking through some possible plans for the coming year. A couple of nights later, he finally brought it up with Severus.

"I've been thinking," Harry said.

Severus looked at him wryly. "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" he asked.

Harry just glared at him before going on with what he had been about to say.

"No one but you, me and Dumbledore know about my change in appearance. And Dumbledore knows that I'm your son but he was asked to keep it quiet until we decided to let everyone know. So basically no one knows anything. I look completely different from when I last saw everyone, and even my voice has changed some. Personally, I think my attitude has changed drastically as well. So really, I don't think anyone would even recognize me right now. Wouldn't you say that was true, Father?" Harry asked.

Severus nodded his head but didn't say anything. He wasn't sure where Harry was going with this discussion.

Harry carried on with his rambling. "I've been hiding out here all summer and it's been effective. No one has a clue as to where I'm at or what I've been doing. Which is good for a lot of reasons. For example, the Weasleys have probably been safer this year because Harry Potter wasn't around at all. Because we all know that trouble is attracted to Harry Potter."

Severus snorted at that statement. Harry grinned at him before carrying on. "Yes, Harry Potter, just by being Harry Potter, tends to run into more difficulties. And those around him end up in more danger as well. Voldemort tends to go after Harry Potter on a regular basis."

Harry paused there. Severus finally asked him, "Where are you going with this rambling, Harry?"

"Well, what if Harry Potter went into hiding this school year as well as this summer? Wouldn't that help protect him as well as everyone else around him? Wouldn't there be less chance of trouble from Voldemort?" Harry asked Severus the questions, but he didn't actually wait for any answers before he moved on to the question he really wanted to ask.

"What if Harry Potter went into hiding and Dustin Snape went to Hogwarts this year instead?" Harry dropped the main question finally.

Severus' jaw dropped and he stared at Harry.

Harry hurriedly tried to explain. "If I enrolled as your son, Dustin Snape, I really don't think anyone would recognize me as Harry Potter. If I used one of mum's charms for my scar and then got some dark contacts to make my eyes look like yours, I wouldn't look anything like when I left last spring. We could just tell everyone that I had lived with my mother, but she died this summer so I went to live with you now. With Harry Potter as such out of the school, hopefully Voldemort would be less likely to target the school in any way this year. Especially with Dumbledore backing me, I think I could still follow through with all of my plans for the DA. And actually, I think as Dustin Snape I'd have a better chance of being able to get the Slytherins involved as well, especially since I'm sure the sorting hat would put me in Slytherin this time. If nothing else this would hopefully buy me some time to help get the students more prepared."

Harry finally stopped and took a much needed breath.

Out of all the things Harry had said, one item in particular caught Severus' attention. "What do you mean the sorting hat would put you in Slytherin this time?"

Harry looked at him sheepishly. "I haven't told you about that yet, have I? The hat wanted to place me in Slytherin first year, but I asked to go anywhere but there."

Severus closed his eyes tight and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Harry attempted to explain. "See, Hagrid said all dark wizards came from Slytherin and that was right after he told me about Voldemort killing my parents. Then I met Ron on the train and he went off about how evil Slytherins were and that was the house that Voldemort had been in. And I'd met Draco and he was a real prat and acted like a spoiled brat like my cousin. And he showed up spouting off a bunch of shit and it just seemed to confirm what Ron and Hagrid had said. So anyway, when the hat started debating as to whether I should go into Slytherin or not I got to arguing with it and it finally decided to put me in Gryffindor." Harry trailed off not sure what his father's reaction was going to be still.

Severus looked at him finally. "Did the hat actually say it wanted you in Slytherin?" he asked curiously.

"Well, not exactly. First it said I was difficult." Severus snorted at that but waved Harry on. Harry himself had to grin at that.

"And then it started listing some of my qualities. It said I had lots of courage and not a bad mind. It also said I had talent and a thirst to prove myself." Harry actually remembered very well everything the sorting hat had said. He'd thought about it often over the years. "After that it was asking itself the question as to where it should put me. I just kept repeating 'not Slytherin' so that's when it said I could be great in Slytherin and the house would be able to help me on my way to greatness. I still didn't want to go there and so it decided to put me in Gryffindor."

Severus was still trying to take all this in. "So you argued with the hat and got your way?"

"Well yeah," Harry said. "And to be honest, I think I actually made the right decision. I did what I needed to do at the time. I didn't know shit when I got here. I would've been lost in Slytherin I think."

Severus was pinching the bridge of his nose again. He still couldn't get past the fact that Harry had actually argued with the hat and gotten away with it. Severus didn't think that was supposed to be possible. Severus finally realized something else. "The sorting hat was basically debating every house but Hufflepuff for you, wasn't it?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, but if I go through with this plan and get sorted again, I'm sure I won't have any problems with the hat putting me in Slytherin. It strongly suggested it before and I don't think it would take much persuading."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It would be helpful for my plans if I was in Slytherin. I already know all the Gryffindors and how they work. I know some of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs as well. But you know my history with the Slytherins. Harry Potter and Slytherins just don't mix. I'm hoping that Dustin Snape, especially with being the Head of House's son, will be able to have some influence over the Slytherins. And if Draco has truly switched sides like his father, then I believe it will be even easier to get the Slytherins involved with the DA. If I can somehow get all the houses united, then we've all got a better chance at surviving the war with Voldemort."

Severus was staring at Harry in wonder now. "Harry, you truly are an ambitious, devious and cunning Slytherin, aren't you?"

"I'm doing my best," Harry smirked. "So you're not upset with me going into Gryffindor?" he asked tentatively.

"No Harry, I'm not upset. I'm surprised is all." He studied Harry for a moment. "You continue to surprise me on a regular basis. Today I've just learned that you have even more depth to your personality than I realized."

Harry relaxed finally and went over to give his father a hug. "Thanks for understanding, Father."

After that they worked through plans to send Dustin Snape instead of Harry Potter to school. Severus seemed to think it was a viable plan. It would certainly give Harry more time to prepare the students for war. Especially seeing as how no one else was.

Harry already looked like Severus and they had developed a fairly strong relationship in just a month's time. Certainly there wouldn't be the old animosity like there had been between Harry Potter and Professor Snape. That fact alone would help keep people from realizing who he was. No one would suspect Harry of getting along with the professor.

They solved the problems of Harry's scar and his eyes and then he truly had no resemblance to Harry Potter anymore. His face, his hair, and even his fashion style now were completely different than it had been at the end of term.

Harry didn't mention his plans for the DA yet, but they got Dumbledore's support for enrolling Dustin Snape in school. Dumbledore would help cover for the missing Harry Potter. He would be the one to contact Harry's friends and the Weasleys. Harry would not have to try to explain his sudden disappearance which would make things more believable hopefully.

All in all they worked through all the details and all the contingencies they could think of. Harry was confident that he could pull this off. He would miss his friends and knew they would worry about him, but otherwise he wasn't going to miss much about being Harry Potter.

Of course, eventually everyone would learn about this ruse, but Harry shoved that concern to the back of his mind. He'd worry about that when the time came. Hopefully his friends would understand that he was trying to help protect everyone.

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