Dec 21: Lily and James' boy Just Got Sorted Slytherin
Lily’s boy, who’d grown up in a thousand year old Christmas card of a village, was one of few children who felt halfway comfortable as they entered Hogwarts. He’d visited once before, when his parents had gone to visit Professor McGonagall, but that was years before, and he’d only had vague recollections of mullioned windows and a very, very tall, stern woman.
However, the school was drenched in it’s era, as was Godric’s Hollow, and due to them being similar ages, there was a vague sense of home about it.
It was a comfortable enough place to be when waiting for your fate to be decided, and it was all going relatively well, until he sat up on the stool, the hat fell over his eyes and he heard the same word that the hat had said for the boy behind him.
“Slytherin!”
***
In the end, Lily and James heard it (annoyingly) from Snape.
The man’s letter was annoyingly gleeful, retelling them the story they had taken part in, that they’d fire called Dumbledoor saying they were worried they’d not heard anything from their son, and he said he’d pass on a message to Harry’s Head of House.
“And I assumed - foolishly, apparently! - that that meant McGonagall!”
“Now James - ” Lily started.
“Lily, I don’t think you understand,” Sirius added helpfully, “Snivellus is your son’s Head of House -”
Lily opened her mouth to defend Severus.
“-and the Sorting Hat looked deep into his soul and pronounced him a Slytherin.”
“Oh, Lily what did we do wrong?” James turned from his pacing.
Lily cuffed both of them over the back of the head.
“Be quiet. There is nothing wrong with Harry.” She paused for a moment, just a millisecond before continuing, “Or Slytherins.”
***
Severus pushed the copy of the letter he’d sent to the Potters back into his desk draw. It was one of the most enjoyable letters he’d ever sent. He’d known the problem immediately, he occasionally got students sure they were destined for Gryffindor, and he knew that they often felt some ridiculous form of shame at being told they have more sense than most.
Of course, his letter had addressed none of that. He’d simply started it with “I’m writing to you as your son’s new head of house, as the headmaster informed me you were worried about your son’s wellbeing in Hogwarts.”
He still smirked at the memory, the letter that continued, “I am happy to inform you that for the most part, you son has settled in well, he gets on with his dorm mates, and appears for have formed a friendship with a young Mr Malfoy.
“However, I will speak with the boy, to assure both yourselves and myself that this is truly the case.
“I do hope this stills your worries,
“Severus Snape, Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House. ”
It was a letter to instil fear into the hearts of those it was addressed to.
Of course, just because the boy was in his house didn’t mean he had to like him, Snape thought. It was a thought that brought a glower over his face just in time for the Gryffindor/Slytherin first year class who trailed in.
Snape always liked to make sure, after they were all suitably terrified and awed, that the class knew of his preference for his own house. So that ruled out taking points or giving punishments to the Potter boy, but there was always a way around that.
The way was to imply he was giving extra tutorials to Slytherins, when, in fact, he was giving extra tutorials to Slytherins. He knew that, for the most part, his Slytherins, no matter how they boasted to other houses, disliked potions as much as the next house. The potions room was deliberately foul, full of unpleasant ingredients and looming potions masters looking over one’s shoulder and judging one’s worth. And Snape’s judgements always made themselves known, even if it wasn’t for the other Houses to know.
***
Harry’s first letter home finally arrived, after the two weeks it took James and Sirius to add their love and support to one of Lily or Remus’ letters.
“Dear Mum and Dad,”
It had felt like a relief for Harry to be finally able to write those words.
“Hogwarts is good. I am doing above average in charms, and Professor McGonagall seems proud of me when I manage to transfigure stuff.”
Because those were his parents best subjects. And it seemed like a good point to remind them he was still their son.
“I wasn’t as good in Potions for a bit, but then Professor Snape recommended reading some theory, and now it’s easy, and I know what ingredients can be approximated, and which have to be precise, you know?”
It hadn’t been quite a recommendation, it had been a snide insult, but like most first year Slytherins, Harry hadn’t quite got his head around Professor Snape’s method of expressing himself yet.
“It’s actually really interesting once you understand what you’re doing.”
It was at this point during the reading of the letter that James disappeared, had a shot of firewhiskey in the kitchen, and returned again, muttering ‘my own son . . .’
“I’ve made sort of friends with a boy called Draco. I’m not sure if we’re really friends yet because he’s a bit strange. He’s got a sense of humour like Sirius and the sort of Remus way of treating people so you don’t know if you’re special or if he’s this nice (well, interesting at least) to everyone.”
“The fruit of my loins!” cried James “Taken, corrupted . . .”
“love, Harry.”
***
Unfortunately, due to Potter and Draco working together, when Snape punished Potter for the potion, he had to punish both of them.
The boy’s colour was off, it was meant to be lilac, not mauve.
“I was wondering, boys, merely a thought,” he paused to ensure he caught their expression, “If you’d like to come back here this evening, and we can go over this potion again, in more detail.”
The Malfoy’s face dropped beautifully, in that only his eyes changed, like a shutter being closed on the front of a huge building. The Potter boy blinked and said “Yes sir,” in a way that might be described as eager had it not been said in a dungeon.
Snape shrugged it off. The boy obviously hadn’t quite comprehended how awful two more hours of this smell would be, combined with a highly detailed description of the potion he was making.
***
“Dear Mum and Dad,
“Guess what? Snape’s begun giving me private potions lessons! Either he likes me or he thinks I’m good at potions, but either way it’s good right? Both ways he respects me. I told you it would be okay, I can barely keep a grudge for a day, I don’t think Snape’s kept one for years!
“Love Harry”
***
Lily and James went up to Hogwarts to see their old Professors on Christmas Day.
Harry and James had stayed to talk to Dumbledoor after the Christmas feast, and Lily had followed Snape down towards the dungeons.
“Severus!”
“Lily.”
“Hi.” She bounced a little, having only just caught up with him. “So, Harry says he’s enjoying potions.”
Snape raised an eyebrow. “I highly doubt that.”
“Well, I understand he’s doing well, he’s good at the subject?”
Snape paused for a moment in undoing the lock on his door. Harry made passable potions, that was for sure, there wasn’t much reason for his punishment. But also . . . there were moments where Snape was sure Harry was about to cause an explosion, but he always seemed to add a neutraliser before anything happened. There was the time he’d added double the amount dragon scale, and then doubled up all of the other ingredients to balance it out. Snape had assumed this was basic cooking skills, but the potion had worked, which meant the boy must have known not to double the powdered mandrake . . .
Merlin’s beard. He was good.
“Yes, yes, he knows what he’s doing. He’s . . . ” well there was no other explanation, “. . . obviously read up on the subject outside of class. It seems to be interesting to him.”
“Yes,” Lily continued, unaware of how bland she was being in the face of Severus’ epiphany, “he asked for some potions book for Christmas even.”
Great dragon balls of fire, the boy hadn’t had any punishment over the last term.
“Always trying to educate me and James on some new mathematical side of potions . . .”
There was no other way Severus had of punishing his Slytherins. The boy was untouchable.
“And the things he says about the properties of some of the flowers in my garden, it makes me almost afraid to go outside!”
And finally, finally, there was a student who was interested. And this meant Severus had to like him.
“Yes, you are -” Severus almost choked “ - lucky to have him.”
However, the school was drenched in it’s era, as was Godric’s Hollow, and due to them being similar ages, there was a vague sense of home about it.
It was a comfortable enough place to be when waiting for your fate to be decided, and it was all going relatively well, until he sat up on the stool, the hat fell over his eyes and he heard the same word that the hat had said for the boy behind him.
“Slytherin!”
***
In the end, Lily and James heard it (annoyingly) from Snape.
The man’s letter was annoyingly gleeful, retelling them the story they had taken part in, that they’d fire called Dumbledoor saying they were worried they’d not heard anything from their son, and he said he’d pass on a message to Harry’s Head of House.
“And I assumed - foolishly, apparently! - that that meant McGonagall!”
“Now James - ” Lily started.
“Lily, I don’t think you understand,” Sirius added helpfully, “Snivellus is your son’s Head of House -”
Lily opened her mouth to defend Severus.
“-and the Sorting Hat looked deep into his soul and pronounced him a Slytherin.”
“Oh, Lily what did we do wrong?” James turned from his pacing.
Lily cuffed both of them over the back of the head.
“Be quiet. There is nothing wrong with Harry.” She paused for a moment, just a millisecond before continuing, “Or Slytherins.”
***
Severus pushed the copy of the letter he’d sent to the Potters back into his desk draw. It was one of the most enjoyable letters he’d ever sent. He’d known the problem immediately, he occasionally got students sure they were destined for Gryffindor, and he knew that they often felt some ridiculous form of shame at being told they have more sense than most.
Of course, his letter had addressed none of that. He’d simply started it with “I’m writing to you as your son’s new head of house, as the headmaster informed me you were worried about your son’s wellbeing in Hogwarts.”
He still smirked at the memory, the letter that continued, “I am happy to inform you that for the most part, you son has settled in well, he gets on with his dorm mates, and appears for have formed a friendship with a young Mr Malfoy.
“However, I will speak with the boy, to assure both yourselves and myself that this is truly the case.
“I do hope this stills your worries,
“Severus Snape, Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House. ”
It was a letter to instil fear into the hearts of those it was addressed to.
Of course, just because the boy was in his house didn’t mean he had to like him, Snape thought. It was a thought that brought a glower over his face just in time for the Gryffindor/Slytherin first year class who trailed in.
Snape always liked to make sure, after they were all suitably terrified and awed, that the class knew of his preference for his own house. So that ruled out taking points or giving punishments to the Potter boy, but there was always a way around that.
The way was to imply he was giving extra tutorials to Slytherins, when, in fact, he was giving extra tutorials to Slytherins. He knew that, for the most part, his Slytherins, no matter how they boasted to other houses, disliked potions as much as the next house. The potions room was deliberately foul, full of unpleasant ingredients and looming potions masters looking over one’s shoulder and judging one’s worth. And Snape’s judgements always made themselves known, even if it wasn’t for the other Houses to know.
***
Harry’s first letter home finally arrived, after the two weeks it took James and Sirius to add their love and support to one of Lily or Remus’ letters.
“Dear Mum and Dad,”
It had felt like a relief for Harry to be finally able to write those words.
“Hogwarts is good. I am doing above average in charms, and Professor McGonagall seems proud of me when I manage to transfigure stuff.”
Because those were his parents best subjects. And it seemed like a good point to remind them he was still their son.
“I wasn’t as good in Potions for a bit, but then Professor Snape recommended reading some theory, and now it’s easy, and I know what ingredients can be approximated, and which have to be precise, you know?”
It hadn’t been quite a recommendation, it had been a snide insult, but like most first year Slytherins, Harry hadn’t quite got his head around Professor Snape’s method of expressing himself yet.
“It’s actually really interesting once you understand what you’re doing.”
It was at this point during the reading of the letter that James disappeared, had a shot of firewhiskey in the kitchen, and returned again, muttering ‘my own son . . .’
“I’ve made sort of friends with a boy called Draco. I’m not sure if we’re really friends yet because he’s a bit strange. He’s got a sense of humour like Sirius and the sort of Remus way of treating people so you don’t know if you’re special or if he’s this nice (well, interesting at least) to everyone.”
“The fruit of my loins!” cried James “Taken, corrupted . . .”
“love, Harry.”
***
Unfortunately, due to Potter and Draco working together, when Snape punished Potter for the potion, he had to punish both of them.
The boy’s colour was off, it was meant to be lilac, not mauve.
“I was wondering, boys, merely a thought,” he paused to ensure he caught their expression, “If you’d like to come back here this evening, and we can go over this potion again, in more detail.”
The Malfoy’s face dropped beautifully, in that only his eyes changed, like a shutter being closed on the front of a huge building. The Potter boy blinked and said “Yes sir,” in a way that might be described as eager had it not been said in a dungeon.
Snape shrugged it off. The boy obviously hadn’t quite comprehended how awful two more hours of this smell would be, combined with a highly detailed description of the potion he was making.
***
“Dear Mum and Dad,
“Guess what? Snape’s begun giving me private potions lessons! Either he likes me or he thinks I’m good at potions, but either way it’s good right? Both ways he respects me. I told you it would be okay, I can barely keep a grudge for a day, I don’t think Snape’s kept one for years!
“Love Harry”
***
Lily and James went up to Hogwarts to see their old Professors on Christmas Day.
Harry and James had stayed to talk to Dumbledoor after the Christmas feast, and Lily had followed Snape down towards the dungeons.
“Severus!”
“Lily.”
“Hi.” She bounced a little, having only just caught up with him. “So, Harry says he’s enjoying potions.”
Snape raised an eyebrow. “I highly doubt that.”
“Well, I understand he’s doing well, he’s good at the subject?”
Snape paused for a moment in undoing the lock on his door. Harry made passable potions, that was for sure, there wasn’t much reason for his punishment. But also . . . there were moments where Snape was sure Harry was about to cause an explosion, but he always seemed to add a neutraliser before anything happened. There was the time he’d added double the amount dragon scale, and then doubled up all of the other ingredients to balance it out. Snape had assumed this was basic cooking skills, but the potion had worked, which meant the boy must have known not to double the powdered mandrake . . .
Merlin’s beard. He was good.
“Yes, yes, he knows what he’s doing. He’s . . . ” well there was no other explanation, “. . . obviously read up on the subject outside of class. It seems to be interesting to him.”
“Yes,” Lily continued, unaware of how bland she was being in the face of Severus’ epiphany, “he asked for some potions book for Christmas even.”
Great dragon balls of fire, the boy hadn’t had any punishment over the last term.
“Always trying to educate me and James on some new mathematical side of potions . . .”
There was no other way Severus had of punishing his Slytherins. The boy was untouchable.
“And the things he says about the properties of some of the flowers in my garden, it makes me almost afraid to go outside!”
And finally, finally, there was a student who was interested. And this meant Severus had to like him.
“Yes, you are -” Severus almost choked “ - lucky to have him.”