Diagon Alley was bloody amazing. Harry had spent the last few days exploring every store in the alley and was amazed at all that he saw.
He spent a lot of time in the Grand Wixen Library, which was a deceptively small building partially behind Gringotts. Harry had always liked libraries; when he lived with the Dursley's it gave him a place to hide from his cousin and uncle. Later, on the streets, it gave him someplace warm to hole up and pass the long grueling winter hours. The Wixen Library offered him both knowledge and privacy in spades.
Harry was used to fading in the background, a necessary tool to surviving in London, but here in the 'Wizarding World' it seemed as if people were determined to talk to him, stare at him, and touch him. He had almost retched when a man had frantically came running up to him, wrapped one arm around his back possessively, and began telling him how 'honored' he was to meet his acquaintance.
Harry wanted to be great. He wanted to be powerful and feared and amazing. He wanted people to be honored to be in his presence. But he did not want to be possessed or owned.
Harry wanted to be free.
Since that incident, Harry had been spending as much time in the library as he could. It was pretty quiet in there. There were tables where he could spread books out on, stacks of parchment and quills to use for notes, even more normal notepads and pencils. And the books, the books, were as far as you could see. On any topic imaginable.
'Household Spells'.
'Tracking Spells'.
'Offensive and Defensive Magic.'
And so many more topics that Harry couldn't even begin to read one book per section before he would have to leave for school.
So far, Harry could count on a calm afternoon, learning as much as he can about the world of magic as quickly as he could.
One of the first things he had read about was how magic was traced for underage wizards. He was happy to discover that witches and wizards had 'The Trace' added to their wand automatically when they officially accepted their place as a student by 'being sorted'.
Which means wandless magic or magic done before I'm sorted isn't traced...
Not that Harry had the faintest idea what 'sorted' was. He did hope that someone didn't think they were going to 'sort him out' like Vernon used to.
They'd have a nasty surprise if so.
Since the revelation about the trace, Harry had been studying, and practicing, as much as he could. He discovered that he was better at doing the spells without his wand than he was with it.
Harry sitting at a large table in the corner and was working on a neat transfiguration spell that changed wool in to silk when a young girl came up to him.
"Excuse me," she said politely. "You aren't supposed to be doing spells outside of Hogwarts."
Harry looked at her curiously. She looked to be about his age, even if she was a good few inches taller, and had shoulder length red hair and blue-green eyes. She had a few freckles across her nose and had her hands clasped in front of her clean blue jumper and white skirt.
Harry shrugged as an answer. It wasn't her business what he did. He also ducked his head down so she couldn't see his bloody scar and start talking about that, like the rest of the world seemed to.He turned his body from her, just a bit, so she couldn't read his journal of notes, but not so much that he couldn't see her in his line of sight.
The girl sighed. "I just don't want you to get in trouble," she said in a nice way. "My aunt said that kids who practice spells on purpose before they get accepted to Hogwarts can still be expelled and excluded for registration."
Harry thought she sounded a bit prim, but not nearly as much as the posh 'Malfoy, Draco Malfoy' from the robe shop.
"'M already accepted and the book said spells ain't traced until 'm sorted." Harry spoke softly, hoping she wouldn't get angry, but would accept his explanation and leave him alone.
"Have you really? You look much too small to be 11!"
The girls shock is what gave Harry the indignation to pick his head up and glare at her. His green eyes hardened as he bristled and straightened himself up to try and look intimidating like the older kids in the youth shelters.
"If I said 'm accepted then I best be 11, right?" he asked coldly.
The girls brows furrowed and irritation flashed across her eyes, making them a darker shade of teal.
Harry could see the moment she saw his scar, her face cleared of its irritation and she looked apologetic instead.
"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm rather tall for my age I suspect." She grinned a bit at him sheepishly and extended her hand. "My name's Susan Bones, what's yours?"
It was nice that she must have recognized him but was still giving him a chance to introduce himself. It was more than almost anyone else, besides Draco, had done so far.
He grasped her extended hand and released it as quickly as he could without seeming rude.
"Harry Potter."
"Nice to meet you. May I call you Harry?"
He shrugged, "That's fine."
"Great!" For some reason the girl took this as an invite to sit down at his table. She sat in the chair next to him, too close, so he discreetly tried to scoot away to get more space. "How do you know spells aren't traced until we're sorted?"
The girls eyes had a glimmer of excited interest and Harry reluctantly smiled a little at her. "Read it in one of them books on the laws, didn't I?"
"Ooh, are you interested in a career in law when you graduate? My aunt works for the DMLE and I bet she'd tell you all about it if you want."
Harry didn't know what the 'demmle' was and didn't know if Susan was being nice because she was a nice person or because he was Harry Potter.
Or if she has a different reason to be nice...
He shrugged again, eyeing her carefully. "Well I dunno if I'm breakin' any laws if I don't know them, right?"
Susan got way more interesting when she got a mischievous smirk on her face. "You're absolutely right Harry. After all," she straightened up and stuck her nose in the air a little and talked in a prim voice, "'Ignorance of the law is no excuse to break the law'." She giggled. "My aunt says that all the time."
Harry gave her more genuine smile and relaxed a little, she didn't seem much like she was going to run off and try reporting him. "What's the demmle you said your aunt works for?"
Susan giggled again. "The D-M-L-E. It stands for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Your aunt's a cop? Bloody hell." Harry had never had any good experience with the 'Muggle cops' and bet that the magical ones were even worse. More power just seemed to mean more ability to act with cruelty, in his opinion.
"What's a cop?" Susan asked curiously. Clearly she didn't spend much time outside the magic world.
"Well," Harry grimaced, "they go and arrest people and lock 'em up. Sometimes they rough ya up for no reason just cause they're bored and don't like ya. They ain't supposed to arrest good people, only bad ones, but they do whatever they want."
He'd had a few terrifying experiences with the Muggle cops. Once, he had tried running from them, after nicking some food from a little store, and they had tackled him so hard he was pretty sure they broke his rib. All over a candy bar and a bottle of milk. He'd had to use his magic to get out of the police station so they couldn't hurt him anymore or put him in jail. Ever since then he'd lost faith that cops were anything more than bullies with badges.
"Oh, like aurors?" Susan looked intrigued. "No my aunt isn't an auror or a cop. Auror's are a part of the DMLE, but they investigate and arrest people. My aunt is more in the law part where she listens to cases and helps decide if the person is guilty or not."
"That ain't so bad then." Harry thought she sounded a bit more like a judge or a lawyer than a cop.
"She's really nice. You'd like her I bet. Her name's Amelia Bones. I've lived with her ever since I was a baby."
Harry looked at her sharply at that. "How come?" He'd lived with his aunt and she was horrible to him. Susan didn't sound like her aunt was horrible to her, but you never know either.
Susan frowned and looked down at her hands. "My parents were murdered, by You-Know-Who, like yours, when I was a baby. Everyone thought that the rest of my family was going to be killed too but then you stopped him."
Even though Harry had done as much research as he could, and already verified Professor Snapes claims that his parents were long dead, it still twisted his gut to hear it out loud.
"'M sorry," Harry said softly. "D'you like livin' with your aunt?"
Susan looked back up and tried to smile, although he thought it looked a bit pained. "Oh yes, she's amazing. She never got married or had any kids of her own so it's just me and her and she's the most amazing witch I've ever met in my life!"
He couldn't doubt her honesty when she sounded so painfully earnest. It did twist his gut even more though that her aunt sounded so nice when his was so awful.
Guess nobody cared about me after I got rid of Voldemort for them.
Not that he was bitter at all. Nope. Not him.
"What spell were you practicing?" Susan asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"Oh, it's real neat. Here I'll show ya."
He put his old wool cap on the table and held his hands over it. "Eruntericum," he pronounced carefully.
Susan gasped in surprise when the old grey wool turned in to a grey silk cap.
"But where's your wand??" she asked breathlessly.
"Left it in my room, didn't I? It's way easier this way."
Susan stared at him, open mouthed, and didn't say anything. Harry was squirming in his seat, he hated being stared at.
"Wow!" she finally whispered. "Harry that's- well- that's amazing! I don't even think that's a first year spell."
"It's not, I found it in a transfiguration book for third years." He puffed his chest out proudly.
"Wow!" She whispered again. "You're going to be a Ravenclaw for sure! You're so smart!"
Harry blushed hotly. He wasn't sure if she was making fun of him or not, nobody had ever told him that before. "Th-thanks," he mumbled, looking at his hands.
"Can you do anymore without your wand?" Susan had that eager glint in her eyes again and Harry nodded excitedly.
"I can do loads," he admitted, remaining a little evasive. He didn't like the way Professor Snape had looked at him when he described all the different things he could do and didn't want this girl to look at him the same way so he held off the specifics.
"Ooh, can you show me? Please?" Harry had heard the term 'puppy dog eyes' but had never really seen it in person until Susan looked him in the eyes and made her teal eyes wide and pouted out her bottom lip.
Harry grinned and shook his head at her. "Will you be here tomorrow? I gotta get back to the Leaky before Tom stops supper." He didn't think Tom would deny him food, but it was better to be quick just in case.
Susan beamed and bobbed her head quickly. "Auntie Amelia let's me come to the library as much as I want as long as I get to her office before dark." Her smile turned shy, "Meet you here tomorrow? Same time?"
Harry agreed, quickly jumping up and putting his belongings and the books he'd checked out in to his bag. "Brill, Sue, see ya tomorrow then."
He raced out of the library quickly, not wanting the people in the main lobby to see who he was. He was already taking a chance with Susan, but she seemed nice enough.
Harry grinned a little as he jogged to the Leaky Cauldron. Susan had seemed impressed by his magic and didn't try to touch him or his little lightning bolt scar. He would still keep an eye on her, but hopefully she wouldn't turn creepy on him.
He carefully entered the pub and found his regular stool at the bar top at the far corner, where it's a bit too shady and hidden for people to see him, and jumped up on it to sit.
"Hey Tom," Harry called quietly. There were only a few people in the pub but it would be stupid to call attention to himself. "Can I have a burger? And maybe some carrots like ya made the other night?" Tom had done something that Harry suspected was literally magical with the carrots he'd cooked him before.
Tom gave him a toothy grin. "Comin' right up Mr Bond." He winked at Harry at their agreement to not use his real name so it'd be less likely to call attention to him. "Pumpkin juice or milk?"
"Milk, please." Harry answered. He'd tried the pumpkin juice, that Tom swore everyone in the magical world loved, and thought it was too sweet, like drinking candy. It made his teeth ache and his stomach curl.
Tom shot him another wink and disappeared in the back.
Harry pulled out one of his library books. This one was about the differences between dark magic, light magic, and grey magic. He thought it was stupid to label some magic as 'dark' when there were some nasty curses listed under 'light' magic that sounded pretty painful.
There were three curses listed at the very top of the 'dark' list. The killing curse, the torture curse, and the controlling curse. The book talked about how if you used any of them you'd get 'an automatic lifetime sentence in Azkaban.'
Harry made a mental note to lookup what Azkaban is tomorrow. It wouldn't do him any good to use one of those curses without knowing the consequences beforehand.
He was taking notes on the differences between the branches of magic and poking at his meal that Tom brought him when he felt someone's eyes on him.
He curled over his book and tried to look behind him casually.
Bugger.
He scowled when he saw Professor Snape standing directly behind him with a satisfied smirk on his face.
"You are a rather difficult child to track, Potter," Snape said, sitting gracefully on the stool two over from the left of him.
Harry scowled a little more at him. "Not hard enough," he muttered.
Snape barked out a sharp laugh. "You are selling yourself short, it's taken me two days to find you here."
"Why'd ya wanna find me?" Harry was suddenly stricken with the thought that maybe they changed their minds. Maybe he couldn't go to Hogwarts after all? He knew he was magic but maybe they didn't care?
Or, and Harry paled at the thought, maybe the books were wrong and Harry was going to be expelled before he was even 'sorted'?
"I simply wanted to speak with you before we lose our privacy to Hogwarts in a few days," Snape said calmly, waving at Tom for a drink.
Harry eyed him suspiciously. The man did seem to be relaxed.
If they were going to kick me out already, surely they'd send the DMLE or the Headmaster of the school?
"What 'bout, sir?" Harry asked, edging to the opposite side of his stool from where Snape sat. If he wanted to snap his wand and expel him, he'd have to catch him first. And Harry wasn't great at a lot of things, but he was fast and he knew how to make himself pop about to other places. He didn't think Snape could catch him.
"Firstly, I would like to know why you are currently residing in an inn?" Snape sneered as he said it, as if this wasn't the nicest place Harry's stayed in years.
"Well, sir, is that something I have to talk with my teacher about when it's the summer holidays?" Harry attempted to sound innocent but he suspected his voice was a little too hard to pull it off completely.
Snape met his eyes and held his gaze for a moment before he nodded with... approval?
"You are correct Potter. It is not my business during the summer holidays. However," Snape drawled, "I wonder if you would care to indulge me in a trade?"
Harry tensed up, there had always been adults in London wanting to 'trade' him favors for food or for shelter and he wasn't doing that anymore. He had money now, he could buy food and buy a warm bed to sleep in. He didn't need to do any favors or trades ever again.
Harry laid his hands flat on the counter so the man couldn't see them shaking, and spoke as firmly as he could. "No. I don't wanna trade with you. Leave me alone, now please."
"Not even if I answer one of your questions for every question of mine you answer?" Snape raised a brow at him.
Oh. That's not so bad.
"H-how do I know you ain't gonna lie to me, sir?"
Snape chuckled and took a sip of the dark drink Tom gave him. "The same way I shall know if you are being honest, simply hope for the best and trust my intuition."
Harry had trusted his intuition a lot, and it's what kept him alive for most of his life.
He nodded shortly, "If I don't wanna answer then I don't have to."
"Acceptable. And I shall have the same privilege."
"Acceptable," Harry mocked his drawling tone. "Can I go first?"
"No," Snape replied simply. "Did you obtain all your supplies?"
Harry tilted his head at the question. He thought that Snape would ask him why he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron again.
"Yeah, I did, sir." Harry said slowly, wondering if this was somehow a trap.
Snape nodded. "Good. It is now your turn."
He narrowed his eyes at the man. Snape appeared completely relaxed, while Harry felt wired so tightly he might snap. "Why'd you wanna talk with me?"
"I find you interesting."
Harry rolled his eyes, all the bloody wizards he's met finds him 'interesting'. "Why?"
Snape just curled up one side of his mouth, not quite a smile and not quite a smirk. "Ah, I believe I answered the question you asked and it is now my turn."
He gritted his teeth. Bastard.
"Fine. Go ahead."
"When was the last time you saw your relatives?"
He was a real bastard. How much did he know?
"I-I... er, 'm not sure..." Harry said, stammering as he tried to think of an excuse.
Snape raised one hand and Harry flinched backwards, not wanting to be smacked by the man.
To Harry's surprise, the Professor grimaced and lowered his hand, placing it palm down on the counter, similar to Harry's own position.
"I apologize. That was not meant to be a threat. I was merely going to state that if you are not truthful with me then I shall no longer be truthful with you."
That was the terms Snape said in the beginning. Which was fair enough.
Harry remained as far away from the unpredictable man as he could, without falling off his stool, and tried to think of an answer that wouldn't get him shipped right back to the one place he swore he'd never go back to.
"I don't wanna answer that one."
He didn't want to answer any of them.
Professor Snape stared at Harry oddly for a moment, as if trying to figure out something complicated.
"I believe you may not realize that I may hold quite a bit of information you might be interested in," he said slowly. "So I will tell you something, for free, that may incentivize you to answer my questions lest you get your own questions rejected."
Harry didn't think the man had much information he wanted and if not then he was going to call this game quits.
"I knew your mother, Lily, and we were close friends for over half her life."
Bloody hell.
Harry knew his jaw had dropped, he couldn't be bothered to fix it just then. "R-really? You knew my mum?"
Snape mimed zipping his lips shut. "I will offer you a chance to take back your previous refusal to answer my question if you would like me to answer any of yours."
Harry resisted the urge to squeeze his eyes shut, he didn't trust the man not to attack him if he closed his eyes, but he did grit his teeth while he said, "Haven't seen 'em since a week after I turned 8." He took a deep breath and quickly asked his question, "What was my mum like?"
This better be worth sharing his answer.
Snape smiled, a soft and sad smile. "She was brilliant and funny and was a good singer. You will hear many people tell you of her kindness, and she was excessively kind, but Lily also had a fiery temper and could hold a grudge worse than anyone I knew." He laughed a little, "She held a grudge against your father for six years because he insulted me on our first train ride to Hogwarts."
Harry almost fell off his stool. "You knew my Dad too?!"
Snape raised his brows at him silently until Harry sighed and deflated a bit.
"Go ahead," he mumbled.
"With whom have you been residing for the last three years?"
Harry looked away from him and began worrying his bottom lip. He really, really, wanted to know more about his mum and dad, know they weren't worthless people who gave him up for drugs. But... but he knew if Snape found out where he's been that he would surely drag him back to the Dursley's.
I could always leave again if he did, couldn't I? Or would he set up some sort of magic cage to keep me there?
Harry studied Professor Snape, who looked so calm as if he didn't really care what Harry's answer was, and debated on if he could try to give the man a little bit of his trust.
"W-would you promise not to take me back to them if I tell ya?" he asked softly.
Snape met his gaze easily and studied him in silence. Harry was starting to feel uneasy from his look and began flickering his eyes around the tavern for the quickest and easiest escape in case he'd made the man angry with his request.
The Professor finally sighed lightly. He gave Harry a small nod, and without breaking his eye contact, he slowly, very slowly, raised his wand and said; "I, Severus Tobias Snape, do solemnly swear on my magic and my life, that regardless of what Harry Potter answers me I will not return him to Petunia and Vernon Dursley's home. So I have spoken, so mote it be."
Harry blinked at him. He was pretty sure that swears made with magic were more important than just saying 'they promise'. Snape lowered his wand and looked at Harry expectantly.
Harry looked down at his hands and ran his thumb back and forth over the grain of the counter. "I-I ain't been stayin' w-with anyone," he mumbled.
"If you would speak clearly, please, child."
Harry squinted his eyes shut, not caring whether the man struck him or not, if it meant not having to look at him while he admitted this. "I said, I... ain't b-b-been staying' with anyone."
He took a few deep breaths and focused on clearing the emotion on his face before he looked at Professor Snape again.
Showing your emotions gets you killed.
It was rule one.
The Professor looked like he was deep in thought before he spoke again. "It is your turn."
"Th-that's it? You don't got nothin' to say 'bout it?"
Snape raised a shoulder casually. "I have a great many questions and comments regarding your statement. However, I believe you are currently residing within this establishment and are being fed and adequately sheltered until September 1st. Which seems to be an acceptable arrangement for the remained of this summer. Therefore," he shrugged a shoulder again, "I will continue the game if you would like."
Harry was tired and he didn't really want to tell him any more tonight, it was exhausting just to share the little he had. "M-maybe just one more? I don't w-wanna play anymore, p-please?"
Harry hated to ask for anything, from anyone, ever, but adults didn't like it when you didn't add 'please'.
"Certainly." Snape didn't seem mad about Harry ending the game so he hastily asked his last question.
"What was my dad like?"
Snape rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and huffed a little. "I was never friends with him like I was your mother. However, I can tell you that James Potter was a talented flyer who played Quidditch for Gryffindor for five years. He also made friends easily, was fond of pranks, excelled at Transfiguration, and most witches at school found him charming."
Harry carefully filed all the information that Professor Snape told him away to think about later. He also noted the easy, relaxed, way he talked about his mum, and the way he flexed his hand and rolled his shoulders when he talked about his Dad.
He cared about her a lot; and him not even a bit.
He decided to ponder that thought later and clenched his jaw and looked at him in the eyes defiantly. "Go on then, I know you got one more."
Snapes eyes softened when he looked at him. Not enough to make his expression kind, but enough to not be so grim. "My questions aren't meant to hurt you, Potter."
He shrugged in response, jaw and hands still clenched tightly. "'Kay."
The Professor sighed and studied him for a moment before asking carefully. "Do you have plans tomorrow?"
That's his last question?
Harry had expected him to ask more about the Dursley's or his life. He relaxed minutely before he answered. "'M going' to the library and seein' a friend before dinner."
"Would you be opposed to going to Muggle London with me after breakfast? We could return before your library trip."
Harry inched slightly more away from the Professor and rubbed his thumb on the counter in agitation and confusion. "Why, sir?"
Professor Snape had a curious look in his eyes that Harry couldn't quite figure out.
"I believe it would be prudent for you to obtain suitable attire before attending Hogwarts next week." He hesitated, "I would hate for you to not have the same basic amenities as your classmates."
It took Harry a moment to figure out what he was saying and when he did he felt red faced and ashamed.
"Are you sayin' my clothes ain't nice enough for Hogwarts?" he snarled, trying to mask his embarrassment behind anger.
Harry knew his clothes were ratty, most of them had either been nicked from cheap stores or gotten from charity bins at the shelters he stayed at sometimes. The thin shirt and the patched up and baggy trousers were comfortable, and it was still rude to have it pointed out that his clothes were trash.
He peeked down at his red trainers and bit back a smile. Those were still brand new looking and the nicest shoes he'd ever had.
Snape waited until Harry's eyes flicked back up to his face before he said, softly, "I once started Hogwarts dressed in clothes that did not fit me and were more suitable for the garbage than they were for school. It made me a target for whispers, gossip, and jokes which in turn made what should have been the happiest years of my life markedly less than happy. I am aware that you purchased robes but it would undoubtedly make your interactions with your classmates easier if you had leisure clothes that you could wear proudly." His eyes softened and he smiled slightly, "Plus, your grandmother took me clothes shopping when I was a teenager, the summer before my fourth year, and I believe she would be pleased to know I am repaying the favor."
Is this pity or a debt he thinks he owes? Harry debated internally.
On the one hand, it would be nice to buy clothes that fit properly and weren't stained and full of holes, plus he had plenty of money in his vault to cover it. On the other hand, he didn't necessarily want to spend an afternoon alone with this man he doesn't really trust.
If it wasn't a debt, or pity, then Snape had no reason to be helping him.
He narrowed his eyes at Snape. "What kinda bloody game are ya playin' with me? 'Cause 'm not just gonna be 'so bloody grateful' for your help that I'll let ya do anythin' ya want to me." He raised his chin a bit. "I found some new curses and I'll use 'em." He spoke firmly and hoped he looked at least a little intimidating to the much larger, stronger, and more knowledgeable man.
He hoped Snape didn't see his hands trembling with the uncertainty and fear he was feeling about the situation though.
He had no intentions of being possessed by anyone, in any way, ever again. He was free now, free from the fears and the streets and the haunting eyes and grasping hands that seem to track him in to his nightmares, and it's going to stay that way.
Nobody got to see him beg for anything ever again.
Snape snorted, actually snorted! As if Harry wasn't even a tiny bit scary.
I'll fix that, he swore.
"Child, I have dueled witches and wizards that make you look like a sweet newborn kneazle. Your threats do not scare me." He winced slightly. "Although they do concern me," he muttered. He raised a brow. "I will clearly state my intentions, shall I?"
Harry nodded, not quite trusting his voice to not stutter if he spoke yet.
"I have assisted multiple children, throughout my tenure as a professor, who have been in a position similar to yours. The only difference being that with them I was unable to assist until after they began Hogwarts, whereas with you I see an opportunity to help before you even set foot on the Hogwarts Express. I believe children can be cruel-" his lips twitched at Harry's snort.
Children, adults, everyone can be cruel.
"Yes, I do know children can be cruel," Snape agreed with Harry's apparently visible thoughts. "It would be unfortunate for you to begin your formal magical education with a ridiculous stigma surrounding you due to something as easily fixed as what you are wearing. I do not expect you to be grateful for me to assist you in acquiring basic items that a child is entitled to. If it soothes your pride, and worries, you may consider this offer as me simply repaying a favor to your grandmother." He smirked slightly, "It may also be considered for my own good. I believe your mother was intelligent and cunning enough that she would find a way to return from the grave to haunt me if I allowed her son to wear rags from the garbage bins to the sorting feast."
Harry's lips twitched at that line. He twisted his hands around and thought about it more. Snape seemed sincere, and Harry was usually good at reading people, especially after a few bad reads. Snape had been a decent sort since they met. A bit of a bastard, but so was Harry, so that was fine. He remembered how the man had made the vow about not taking him back to Surrey earlier and wondered if he could get him to do it twice.
He laid his hands flat on the table and, thankfully, sounding more calm than he felt he turned back to the Professor.
"If I go with ya, will you make another promise? Like before?" He braced himself in case this was pushing his luck.
Instead, Snape looked almost approving again.
Weird.
"If you inform me what you would like me to promise, I shall consider it. Vows are not to be taken lightly, or with open loop holes, due to the repercussions of breaking one."
Harry remembered how he'd said he swore 'on his magic and life' and shuddered as he realized what the repercussions would be for breaking it.
"Would ya-" he hesitated, wanting to word it in a way that didn't seem weird to the man or make himself sound weak. "Would ya promise not to touch me?" He grimaced at his own wording.
Sure, that doesn't sound weird at all.
The Professor looked thoughtful though.
"What if I vow not to touch you in any way that would intentionally cause you harm?" he asked. "There may an emergency or accident that would require me to touch you. I would hate to survive a decade of teaching foolish children how to brew potions only to die because I held you back from walking in front of a moving vehicle."
He sounded sarcastic, but Harry still thought he seemed genuine and honest.
He smirked up at him, "Any way to get ya to vow to teach me some new curses?"
Snape huffed out a laugh. "I daresay you are already far ahead of your peers when it comes to curses, child."
He shrugged, it was worth a shot. He'll just look some more up in the book he put back in his bag when Snape showed up.
"I shall take my vow in the morning before we depart. I would hate to prevent you time to come up with additional inquiries and addendums to try and add to it." He sounded careless and bored when he said it, but Harry nodded seriously, that wasn't a bad idea to think about. He didn't want any loopholes.
"Very well. I suggest you retire to your room and sleep. I shall meet you here in the morning at promptly eight am"
Harry nodded silently again and dropped a few coins on the counter for Tom before he leapt off his stool easily and, keeping Snape in his line of sight, made his way carefully to the staircase leading to his rented room.
"'Kay. See you in the morning sir."
He turned when he made it to the stairs and quickly dashed up them; completely missing the look of grief that briefly flashed across Snapes face.