Better Be Slytherin!

'They are not,' Severus said firmly, not caring if the boy thought he was being Legilimized. 'No one is right to ostracize a member of their family just because he is a wizard. Your aunt and uncle are Muggles and do not understand our world, but that does not give them permission to belittle you or starve you or to force you to sleep in a cupboard.'

'I know,' Harry said, but did not look convinced.

'I hope so. I shall say it over and over until you truly do.' Severus moved some papers around on his desk. He had finished grading them long ago and had already reported his final grades to the Headmaster, but he liked having papers here specifically for moments like these, giving his hands something to do while he collected himself. After the steadying pause, he looked up, pinning Harry to his seat. 'Have you reconsidered your wishes for the summer?'

'I . . .' Harry took a deep breath and the room felt electrified, as if the air itself knew something of import was about to occur. 'Yes. I have. That is, if your offer still stands, Professor.'

'It does.'

Harry smiled fully at Severus for the first time in months. 'Great! Then I'll stay with you.'

'After two weeks with your relatives.'

The boy's face fell instantly. 'Yeah. After that.'

'I will, however, accompany you during those two weeks.'

'You'll . . . what?'

'I will spend that two weeks with you, in the Dursley household, taking advantage of their, I'm sure, quite genial hospitality . . .' Severus trailed off, then bit out, 'Why are you laughing?'

TBC . . .

A/N: Mocha Lattes for everyone who reads and/or reviews! (Mmmm, love me some mocha lattes . . .)

Sorry, Reader Dudes, that this chapter has been so long in coming. I was in Ireland for more than two weeks, and it was a wonderful vacation, but between that and RL totally conspiring against me, my writing output has, shall we say, fallen off some. But take heart! Only one chapter left in this story, and then it will be on to Year Two!

*Chapter 51*: Chapter 51

Better Be Slytherin! – Chapter 51

By jharad17

Warnings for language.

--HPHPHPHPHPHPHP--

Previously on Better Be Slytherin:

'I will, however, accompany you during those two weeks.'

'You'll . . . what?'

'I will spend that two weeks with you, in the Dursley household, taking advantage of their, I'm sure, quite genial hospitality . . .' Severus trailed off, then bit out, 'Why are you laughing?'

--HPHPHPHPHPHPHP--

At the banquet, Harry tried really hard to be pleasant and upbeat amongst his friends, while they chatted about final grades which were due any day now, the end of the year and going home.

But Harry wasn't going home. Hogwarts was home, to him, the first place in his memory he felt he belonged. Here he had friends and mentors and people who looked out for him. He had Quidditch and spells, and he wasn't a freak. Well, not the freak he was to the Dursleys anyway. Even knowing he only had to spend two weeks at the Dursleys didn't make him feel much better about the end of the year. He didn't want to leave Hogwarts at all.

The Bloody Baron floated up through the table amongst the First Year Slytherins, and gave Harry a secret wink when the other Firsties screamed and clutched at their dinner plates so as to keep from getting his dripping blood/ectoplasm all over their food.

Harry tried hard not to laugh. 'You sure know how to liven up the place. Thanks.'

'It is my pleasure, Harry Potter. I am glad to see you at last, and decently recovered.'

'Yeah, er, me, too. Good to see you, I mean.'

The Baron inclined his head slightly. 'I understood your meaning. Are you well? I did not intend to leave your body when I did. The ordeal must have been very trying.'

It had been awful, it was true, and Harry knew that no one else could hear the Baron speak, so the Baron could say such things in front of them, and no one would be the wiser. But the other First Years could hear his side of the conversation, so he had to be careful in his response. 'I'm fine now. Really.'

The ghost narrowed his merciless eyes. 'It is unlike you to engage in such blatant falsehoods, my young friend.'

With a frown of his own, Harry replied, 'I will be fine. How about that?'

'That shall have to suffice,' the Baron intoned. 'Perhaps I will see you this evening in the dungeons and we can discuss it further. I fear my presence is putting your Housemates off their feed.'