A New Place to Stay Chapter 56 - Harry Potter

In this chapter, Harry sneaks out of the Gryffindor common room for an important, quiet conversation with his father, Severus Snape. As they delve into the mysterious disappearance of the Elder Wand and the hidden truths surrounding it, Harry is forced to confront the reality of his strained relationships with his friends. Despite the tension, Harry continues his relentless pursuit of the truth, using everything he's learned to piece together a hidden puzzle that could change the course of the war. Meanwhile, Severus provides valuable insight into the nature of loyalty, trust, and the difficult decisions that lie ahead. This episode explores themes of secrets, growing independence, and the burden of knowledge, as Harry uncovers the truth and prepares for the battles to come.

Transcript

**Chapter 56: Harry Lets Loose His Anger**

Harry jumped to his feet, knocking Severus and himself out of the way of the spell that had just shot from Minerva's wand. She had cast it non-verbally, making it hard to determine exactly what it was.

As he landed, he suspected it might be either a stunning spell or a binding one, given the color. Those were among the first spells he had learned during his training in non-verbal spell casting with a man he considered a father.

Fury surged through him. How dare she?

Why couldn’t she, for once, actually listen to him? Memories of every time she had ignored him flashed before his eyes, fueling his anger.

He was sick and tired of being overlooked until something serious occurred, or worse, until someone was in danger. Did he ever hear an apology?

No. Not a single word from her, even though her disregard had contributed to the current chaos.

“Stop it!” Harry snapped, exasperated by her tendency to jump to conclusions. How many times had he wished for her support?

Now, she was pretending to care just when he didn’t want her to. Now that he had someone in his life, he was determined to put an end to it.

All the rage he had bottled up over the years was dangerously close to boiling over. “Come here, Potter,” McGonagall commanded fiercely, her eyes narrowed in anger at both of them.

She could hardly believe what was happening. “No!” Harry shot back defiantly, his chin jutting out and his green eyes flashing with barely contained fury.

“How could you, Severus?” McGonagall hissed, her voice laced with fury as the Potions Master regained his footing. Severus stared at her impassively, refusing to react to her accusations.

He had been about to cast a shielding charm when Harry had barreled into him. Now his chest ached fiercely; Harry was no longer the skinny boy he had been at the end of his fourth year.

He grabbed his wand, still focused on McGonagall, sensing that the only reason... Severus knew that the only reason Minerva wasn’t attacking right now was because Harry stood in front of him.

A small part of him felt warmed by Harry’s defense, but a larger part was embarrassed. He didn’t need Harry to shield him, especially not from Minerva.

“Minerva, it’s not what it looks like,” Severus said, a look of disgust crossing his face. The accusation turned his stomach.

After all, he thought of Harry as a son—Merlin’s sake! Just the thought made him uneasy; he wasn’t a predator.

Harry was barely sixteen, old enough to be his own father. “I have eyes, Severus!” Minerva snapped, clearly unwilling to listen.

“Now we’re going to Dumbledore’s office, or I’m calling the Aurors,” she insisted. “Will you, for once in your life, listen to me?” Harry shouted, his face flushed with rage.

“I’ve put up with you ignoring me for the past six years unless it suits you! You aren’t fit to be anyone’s head of house!

You treat us like three-year-olds and dismiss everything we have to say! Every time I’ve come to you for help, you’ve brushed me off like I was a bug under your shoe!

Never once in my entire Hogwarts education have you listened, and I’ve had enough! I didn’t even get an ‘I’m sorry’ from you when you were proven wrong!

I’m starting to think you and Dumbledore are in this together to make my life a living hell! I wish I hadn’t argued with the Sorting Hat and ended up in Gryffindor.

At least then I’d have someone who actually listens to me—even if it was Slytherin!”

By the end of his outburst, Harry was panting, his breath coming in heavy bursts. He was utterly furious with her, and shouting hadn’t helped in the slightest.

Severus stepped back, feeling the violent magic radiating off Harry. If he tried to touch him now, all it would accomplish was worsening the situation.

Harry was thrown against the wall, and Minerva looked utterly stunned, staring at him as if she had never seen him before. The Slytherin in Severus seized the opportunity, thinking it might help sway Minerva to their side.

Of course, it could backfire, but he wasn't a Slytherin for nothing; he took risks. “She may well be.

If I remember correctly, Minerva always insisted the Dursleys were the wrong sort of Muggles for months after you were placed on their doorstep,” Severus said, keeping a close eye on Minerva. “Excuse me?” Minerva asked, baffled.

Her mind briefly wandered from the accusations Harry had thrown at her. What on earth did that mean?

In on it with Dumbledore? In what way exactly?

The way Harry had screamed made it sound offensive and illegal. She felt lost; what could she possibly have to do with something Albus had done?

And what about the Dursleys? And being involved in that?

“Could you explain what exactly I’m being accused of before passing judgment?” she asked. “The same could be said for you, Professor,” Harry muttered childishly.

“You walked into a room and assumed you knew everything.” He sensed her thoughts and was further enraged by her refusal to pause for answers. “Put some clothes on, Mr.

Potter,” Minerva said, not wanting to see any of her students in a state of undress; it was highly unprofessional. As she calmed down, she realized she might have overreacted a little.

Students weren't allowed in professors' quarters, possibly to prevent misunderstandings. Harry rolled his eyes and walked into the spare bedroom.

He rummaged through some clothes and pulled out a black t-shirt and a green sweater. He was freezing cold and wouldn’t have minded a shower; the sweat still clung to him, even though it was dry.

Surprisingly, the clothes still fit him well, despite all the growing he had been doing. The potions he’d been taking, true to Severus’s words, had made him taller; he was almost taller than Weasley now.

“You have clothes down here?” Minerva asked, her eye twitching in disbelief. What was going on?

She did not like this one bit. Harry stared at her blankly.

Just because he had expressed most of his anger didn’t mean everything was alright. “Coffee, Minerva?

I’m afraid this conversation will be a long one,” Severus said, locking the front door with a flick of his wand. She wouldn’t be leaving unless she swore an oath or had her memory modified.

He wouldn’t take any risks; he still didn’t understand how she had gotten in or why she had come down here in the first place. “It seems I have no choice,” Minerva said, stepping away and taking a seat in the living room.

Now that she was looking closely, she noticed sixth-year books strewn all over the place. Harry’s school bag was at the side of the couch, and his cloak hung on the hook by the door.

This was obviously a regular occurrence. How could she have missed it?

How long had it been going on? “Dobby?” Severus called sharply.

“Yes, sir?” the house elf replied, trembling, fully aware of McGonagall’s presence. When he caught the approval in Severus’s dark eyes, he knew he had done the right thing.

He almost beamed at his master but managed to restrain himself with great difficulty. “Bring coffee, a few desserts, and a pitcher of orange juice with a cup,” Severus ordered.

“Yes, sir! Dobby will do that right away,” Dobby said, bowing low before disappearing from the room.

Harry slumped into his chair but sat up abruptly, moving his arm to scoop up his journal and closing it with a snap. He didn’t want her to see that.

He didn’t care what was revealed to her; it was clear she wouldn’t be told everything anyway, judging by the way Dobby and Severus had been acting. Harry felt a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

He knew this wasn't normal behavior for either of them, and he couldn't wait for Dobby to return. He could drink the entire pitcher of refreshments and soothe his sore throat from all the shouting earlier.

“Before we begin, care to explain why you came uninvited to my quarters?” Severus asked, his displeasure evident. “I did not approve of Albus's decision.

I retracted any detention Harry received, along with the points. I came to inform you of that, so Harry wouldn’t have to serve any detentions,” Minerva stated firmly.

“Didn’t care enough to stop Umbridge, did you?” Harry added bitterly. Minerva pursed her lips, the urge to take points almost overwhelming.

It seemed this discussion would be filled with them. She managed to control herself and replied, “Umbridge had much more power over the school than we could cope with.”

“If you had just listened or been more open with your students, you would have had the evidence to get rid of her in the first week of the school year,” Severus said bluntly.

“What?” Minerva exclaimed, disbelief flooding her voice. Her heart sank—was she really that ineffective at her job that her students felt they couldn’t come to her with their problems?

If it were up to Harry, the answer would surely be a resounding yes. “She was using a blood quill, Minerva,” Severus said darkly.

“From what I gathered, it was mostly Gryffindor students. Thankfully, none of my Slytherins suffered, and if they did, they've kept it quiet.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Minerva shrieked, horrified.

“I tried to tell you,” Harry snapped back. “But you just kept telling me to keep my head down!”

Minerva gaped at Harry, realizing that perhaps his earlier outburst held a grain of truth.

She was at a loss for words. Harry had come to her for help, and all she had said was to keep his head down.

She had not been there for him when he needed her most. Harry seethed with frustration, recalling how Umbridge had used a blood quill on her students.

The thought of her still being alive made him furious; he would have hunted her down himself if she were. How dare she inflict such cruelty on them?

“That isn’t the only time you failed us,” he snapped at Minerva. “I told you someone was after the stone.

Instead of just promising to look into it, I had to go down there myself. Because of you, I faced my parents' killer, made decisions no eleven-year-old should have to make, and ended up killing a man.” His voice dripped with bitterness.

“Did I even hear an ‘I’m sorry’ when it turned out I was right? No, you said nothing, did nothing, and then allowed Dumbledore to give us house points at the last second, stopping any other house from even trying to catch up.” 

“The stone was safe as it was,” Minerva replied calmly, unaware that her words only fueled Harry’s anger.

Severus winced, knowing exactly what was about to unfold. “I GOT THROUGH THEM!

I WAS A FIRST YEAR WITH ONLY ONE YEAR OF MAGICAL TRAINING! I KNEW NOTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I HAD BEEN TAUGHT!

HOW CAN YOU SAY IT WAS BLOODY SAFE?!” Harry shouted, his mind racing at the sheer absurdity of her belief. What world was she living in?

He was tempted to say she was in a world of her own. Minerva pursed her lips, unable to refute his statement because deep down, she knew it was true.

“Harry,” Severus warned, “Go take a calming draught. Now.” 

Minerva blinked in disbelief as Harry stood up and walked toward the bathroom without a word of protest.

She could hardly believe her eyes, even after everything she had witnessed earlier. Dobby returned and set a large platter on the table before leaving again.

“Severus… what is going on?” Minerva asked, bewildered. “Regarding what?

Harry? He’s finally letting loose six years of pent-up frustration at no one listening to him until things went wrong,” Severus replied bluntly.

Harry had hit the nail on the head, and Severus knew it. Minerva had been unable to act when it mattered most.

Minerva took a moment to gather her thoughts, normally not one to tolerate blatant disrespect. Despite appearances, she could hold her own, even against Severus.

He was subtly laying the groundwork for her guilt, hoping it would make her more amenable to whatever he needed her to do. “You know what I’m talking about,” Minerva said, her voice catching.

It upset her deeply that even Severus was aware of her shortcomings; she hadn’t realized how much she had ostracized her own house. The fact that it was Harry made it hurt even more; she cared for him very deeply.

Now, it felt as though she had done a terrible job of showing that care. “What you walked in on was merely a training duel,” Severus explained.

“Brilliant!” Harry exclaimed as he emerged from the bathroom, looking much calmer. He poured himself a goblet of orange juice and grabbed a slice of strawberry tart before sitting down, feeling more at ease.

“A training duel?” Minerva echoed, surprised. “Indeed,” Severus replied, his tone laced with sarcasm.

“Why? Albus specifically said no,” Minerva pressed.

“Yes, why don’t we just leave Harry to fend for himself with what did you call it? Ah, sheer dumb luck?” Severus shot back, sarcasm dripping from his words.

“Harry will have to face the Dark Lord at some point, and I’d rather he know how to defend himself.” A few members of the Order were already aware, mostly the Aurors—Shacklebolt, Moody, and Tonks, if he wasn't mistaken. They occasionally asked about how it was going, and while he didn’t share too much, he hinted at the truth.

Being a Slytherin, he believed it was best to keep the true depth of one’s talents hidden. “I see your point,” Minerva sighed.

The thought of Harry facing Voldemort terrified her; she knew it was inevitable. “I still don’t understand why this is being kept from Albus.

Surely he could contribute?”

“Contribute? Like he did by encouraging an—”

“An eleven-year-old boy to find the stone?

To face his parents’ killer at such a young age? Leaving the Mirror of Erised lying around so Harry would be forced to see the parents he lost long ago?

Having Harry and Hermione go back in time to save Sirius and then having the audacity to tell him to save a hippogriff as well? Or perhaps not doing everything possible to get Harry out of the tournament?

That kind of training? Sure, why not?

Let’s see what else we can do to Harry in the process of training him. Why not just bring the Dark Lord and Dementors to the gates, just to see if Harry can accomplish another miracle?” Severus snapped.

“To find the stone?” Minerva asked, swallowing thickly as she began to understand what Harry had meant. If Dumbledore had been urging Harry to find the stone, it meant that by sending him away, she had inadvertently helped Dumbledore.

“Indeed,” Severus replied flatly. “He had Hagrid pick it out of the vault with a curious eleven-year-old by his side, making a big show of how top secret it was and who it was for.

Then he proceeded to give Harry his father’s invisibility cloak. As Harry said, the traps were easy enough for a first-year to get by.”

“I see,” Minerva said, looking ill.

“Let’s not forget that Hagrid should never have been sent to see to Harry in the first place. You are charged with helping the Muggle-born students adjust to our world.

If you had gone, you would have seen that the Dursleys were abusive. Instead, someone completely loyal to Dumbledore went, someone with a passionate hatred of all things Slytherin due to his own experiences at Hogwarts.”

“Let’s not forget that I didn’t know how to get onto the platform.

Hagrid didn’t tell me,” Harry chimed in after swallowing the last of his strawberry tart. His heart felt as if someone had cast a Fiendfyre spell on it; nobody had ever stood up for him like that before.

In that moment, he felt so good that he wanted to hug Severus and thank him a million times. It was a strange experience—one that Harry...

Harry wasn't used to this kind of attention, but he could definitely get used to it. “How did you learn about it?” Minerva asked, shocked to the core.

“I heard Molly talking about the platform and Muggles,” Harry replied. “A woman who already had five children at the school was talking about Muggles and the platform loud enough for you to hear, and in front of Muggles no less?” Severus questioned, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Shouting might have been a better description,” Harry admitted. “You aren’t suggesting what I think you are suggesting, Severus!” Minerva exclaimed, feeling bad enough already.

“You have to admit it’s a little suspicious. You know the rules; you’re supposed to stay inconspicuous,” Severus pointed out, which was already hard enough with most students choosing owls as familiars.

Harry swallowed hard. He didn’t want to believe what they were saying.

Despite his current tension with Ron, he still liked the rest of the Weasleys, minus Percy. He remembered how interested Ron had been once it became clear who he was.

No, everyone had reacted that way—even Hermione. But it didn’t matter now; his friendship with both of them felt strained beyond repair.

To be honest, Harry regretted accepting Ron’s apology after Ron had called him a liar for half a year. As if he’d wanted to put his name in the Goblet!

Ron knew how much he hated the fame that came with it. “Minerva, I need your oath that you will not tell anyone—anyone—about what you saw tonight,” Severus said firmly.

“I don’t know, Severus. I need your assurance that there’s nothing untoward going on between you and Harry,” Minerva replied.

“There’s nothing going on!” Harry cried in exasperation. “I assure you, Minerva, there is nothing of the kind between myself and Harry,” Severus reiterated.

“Then I give you my word, an oath on…”

Minerva took a deep breath and said, “My magic, Severus Snape, is that I shall never discuss in any manner the occurrences of tonight.” 

“I accept your oath, Minerva McGonagall,” Severus replied, his voice firm. “So mote it be.”

“So mote it be,” echoed Minerva.

Turning to Harry, Minerva added, “On the subject, I’m sorry, Harry. I had no idea how much I failed you.”

“I forgive you, but I won’t forget,” Harry said honestly.

Minerva nodded in understanding; it was more than she had expected from him. “How is his training going?” she asked, directing her question to Severus.

“It’s mostly just dueling at this point. Harry has surpassed what I can teach him,” Severus said with a note of pride.

Minerva stared at Severus in disbelief—not just because he had complimented Harry, but because Harry was indeed meeting Severus' high standards. “How long have you been training him?” she asked, still stunned.

“Since he started staying for the summers,” Severus replied wryly. Minerva felt a wave of regret wash over her.

She had known how much Harry and Severus disliked each other, yet she hadn’t spoken up on Harry’s behalf. “Does Sirius know?” Minerva asked.

“No,” Harry said, refilling his goblet with more juice. “He wouldn’t understand.”

“No, I don’t suppose he would,” Minerva agreed.

“What are you going to do with young Malfoy, Severus?”

“At this rate, I don’t know,” Severus sighed. Things were deteriorating quickly.

After what Dumbledore had done to Harry—and continued to do—he half wanted Draco to take action against Dumbledore. But deep down, he knew the boy didn’t have it in him; Draco was too weak.

It was clear he wanted others to do his dirty work. Severus would have to figure out a way to make it seem like Draco had killed Dumbledore to keep Narcissa safe.

That was the main concern. Though Narcissa wasn’t innocent, she didn’t deserve to die, especially not for marrying and remaining loyal to a man like Lucius Malfoy.

At least it was one less thing for Severus to worry about. Minerva stood by, unable to share anything with Dumbledore.

Severus had truly hoped he wouldn’t have to use Obliviate on her, but he would if necessary. “It’s past curfew.

Head up to bed,” he said, glancing at the clock. “Alright,” Harry replied, quickly grabbing his school bag and stuffing his books inside.

He headed toward the door, throwing back a “Goodnight” as he put on his cloak and vanished from sight. Minerva watched him go.

If she didn’t know any better, she would think Severus was stepping into the role of a father for Harry. Was it possible?

The way Harry had been acting certainly suggested it. He seemed to respond to Severus in a way he didn’t with anyone else.

Well, at least in private; their dynamic in potions class appeared unchanged. She felt foolish for her earlier assumptions.

If anyone deserved a father figure, it was Harry. She wondered if either of them realized this.

It might be worth pondering. “I apologize for my assumptions, Severus, but students aren’t allowed in a teacher’s private quarters,” Minerva said.

“You’d think the Deputy Headmistress would understand this, but it doesn’t say they aren’t allowed; it says they aren’t allowed uninvited. And unsurprisingly, Harry did have my permission to be here.

I’m quite offended that you would think the worst of me with so little information,” Severus replied, irritation creeping into his voice. “I know, and I’m sorry,” Minerva said, wondering if she would ever stop apologizing.

It seemed she had much to make up for, especially concerning Harry. “The situation is resolved.

Let’s just leave it at that,” Severus said, not quite ready to forgive her for her wild accusations. Unlike Harry, he didn’t forgive easily, if at all; it simply wasn’t in his nature.

Although his son also held grudges, as evidenced by Harry’s lingering resentment toward his two former best friends. “If you ever need help, I’m available,” Severus added.

Minerva said, “I have to ask… do you really think Harry will have to face him?”

Severus replied seriously, “Why do you think Dumbledore has been subtly training him all these years? He’s faced Voldemort five times already in his short life and managed to come out on top, barely.

Albus is responsible, and indirectly responsible, for four of those encounters.”

Minerva frowned. “The Dark Lord isn’t going to stop until he kills Harry.

Not just because Harry has gotten the better of him so many times, but for reasons even Dumbledore hasn’t shared with you.”

“If he knows, then why hasn’t he trained him?” Minerva asked, baffled. Severus shook his head.

“I cannot understand Albus Dumbledore or his reasoning. My best guess is that he doesn’t expect Harry to survive.” He had no intention of revealing the truth about the Horcruxes—not ever.

“I have the halls tonight, Minerva, so if you’ll excuse me,” he said. “Of course,” Minerva replied.

“Before I go, may I trouble you for a calming draught, Severus?” Her mind was racing with information, and she was desperate to remain composed until she reached the comfort of her own quarters. “Accio Calming Draught,” Severus said, aware that Harry had likely left the cabinet door open.

When the vial came flying through without any smashing sounds, he realized he was right. Harry always left it open, just like he left some of his books scattered around his quarters and half his clothes in his spare room.

Without meaning to, Harry had taken up space even here, which meant he felt comfortable around him. Half the time it amused Severus; the other half, it exasperated him—much like any parent might feel.

“Here you go,” he said, handing her the vial. “Thank you, Severus,” Minerva said.

“Goodnight.” She added before leaving his quarters, nearly running to her own, avoiding everyone in the process. She wanted to be alone—no, she needed to be alone.