The Huge Magical Snake Problem

Eye of the Storm

Snape almost looked...

remorseful.

He looked deep in thought. Loath to break the silence, Harry slipped out of the room... his room, to get his things. He picked up his trunk, piling his purchases on top of it. He staggered back down the hallway under the weight of the items in his arms. Snape was still standing in the doorway, looking lost. Wow, Harry never thought he'd see the day when he silenced the potions professor.

Nagini spoke up. "What isss wrong with Ssssevere-Sssstern now?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Harry replied. "It might have been ssssomething I ssssaid." Harry was getting more and more accustomed to speaking in parseltongue. He might not even have to look at a snake to speak it anymore! He placed his things on his bed. He sorted through his new school supplies and his clothes. He put the things for school in his trunk. He took out his wand, solely because he might need it.

He stuck it in his back pocket, and set to folding his new robes. He now officially owned no muggle clothes. He folded his trousers and shirts, and put them in the top two drawers on his dresser. He hung up his robes and cloaks in his closet. He had left two items of clothing out- a pair of trousers and a top to put on.

He glanced at the door, looking to see if Snape was still there. The professor was nowhere in sight. He walked over and closed it. He still had some shreds of his dignity left, and he was determined to keep them.

He took off the cloak and shivered. How anyone managed to live here was beyond him. He quickly slid on the shirt and buttoned the dark green fabric up. He stepped out of his trousers, goose bumps popping up everywhere from the cold. He quickly stepped into the black trousers he had gotten earlier, and buttoned them up. It was great having clothes that actually fit him.

He was still a bit cold, so he put his black cloak back over his shoulders. He warmed up almost instantly. There must have been a warming charm on it. Harry placed the trunk under his bed.

He walked back out of the room to where Nagini was lounging on the couch. Well, as best as she could. She was half draped across the floor, thanks to her length. Snape was nowhere in sight.

"Do you know where Sssssevere-Ssssstern went to?" Harry asked her. She lazily raised her head.

"Yessssss. Over there." She lifted up the end of her tail and pointed over to the hallway Harry had just came out of.

"Yeah, I know that, but did he come out of that hallway?" he asked. Nagini shook her head.

"No... but he did go into another room."

Aaah, so that must be his personal room. Harry didn't dare go in there. Forget about the consequences of not drinking his potion, if he went in there, he was sure to die a horrible, slow, and gruesome death.

Suddenly tired, he leaned back against his serpent, and fell asleep.

HPHPHPHPHP

Severus rubbed his head. That show of thankfulness that Potter had shown had temporarily broken down his barriers. Luckily, there had been no legilimency masters around, other than himself.

That little bit of emotion that had wormed its way past his walls had made him rethink his attitude about the youngest Potter. Severus had seen him over the past day, and, in fact, he was nothing like the arrogant, egotistical brat he had thought him to be. Instead, he had seen the quiet, respectable fifteen-year-old that his colleagues had spoken so fondly of.

But, it might be an act. Severus, his mind said, why must you doubt him so much? Severus briefly wondered if he had a split personality.