The next morning after having breakfast in the Great Hall, Harry returned to Ravenclaw Tower. He was planning to meet his friends in the library to revise for a test they were having in Transfiguration the next day.
Severus decided to go and confront Dumbledore. He gave the gargoyle the password Licorice Wand and it jumped aside. He stepped on the bottom step of the spiral staircase, rode to the top and got off in front of the headmaster's office. He knocked on the cherry wood door and heard Dumbledore call, "Come in, Severus."
Severus came in his robe billowing out behind him. "Headmaster, I do not want Black seeing Harry again or even attempting to see him. He upset him greatly yesterday and I will not permit that."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "What did Sirius do? I can't imagine he would do or say anything that would upset Harry."
"He was insulting towards me and it really upset Harry and he acted like he expected Harry to be a miniature of his father and I think he was disappointed that he is not. Harry was yelling at him when I came out of my lab and asked me to make him leave."
Dumbledore's eyes hardened. "What did you tell Harry about Sirius before he arrived?"
"I told him he was a friend of his father's who wanted to meet him. I wanted Harry to make up his own mind about the mutt and I must say Black did an admirable job of shooting himself in the foot as the Muggles say. Bragging about how popular and smart he and Potter were in school and bragging about being the so-called kings of the pranksters etc."
"If Sirius wants to continue to see Harry I won't forbid. It is his right as his godfather."
"And it is my right as Harry's father to protect him and I will set Black's arse on fire if he bothers Harry and if I do not, Minerva will!" Severus warned. He swept out of the office.
He went back to his quarters slamming shut the portrait door behind him loudly. How dare that old barnacle try to use Harry for whatever nefarious purpose he had in mind! He took a deep breath and decided to go into his laboratory and brew for awhile. Brewing always calmed him down and allowed him to forget his anger. He rolled his eyes and said, "I am telling you, Lily; I may be joining you sooner than I think! That's old fart is going to be the death of me yet!"
Page ~*~*~*~*~* Break
Harry and his friends were studying in the library when Hermione nudged Harry and nodded over to the table across from them where Dean Thomas was sitting alone. Harry pushed back his chair, got up and walked over to Dean's table and held out his hand, "Hi Dean, I'm Harry Snape and I wondered if you liked to join us over at our table. We're studying for our test in Transfiguration tomorrow. You're welcome to join us if you like."
"I'd like that, Harry and thank you for asking me," He put his books and papers back into his bag and followed Harry.
Draco stacked his books up so there was room for Dean to work next to him. Dean sat down. "I'm really sorry about the way Weasley behaves around you. Seamus isn't so bad when he's not around Weasley. We're dorm mates with him and he's always telling us all how Gryffindor's the best house ever and we're lucky to be in it because the Hat only sorts the best into Gryffindor."
"It must have been having a blank moment when it sorted him," Harry laughed.
"Would anybody mind if I brought Millie Bulstrode with me to our next study session? She's kind of shy and kind of an outcast because Pansy rules the roost of the first year girls and she doesn't like Millie." Draco asked.
"No, bring her along, Draco," Hermione replied. "It would be nice for me to have another girl to talk to."
"Okay, I'll ask her when I see her in our common room."
They all studied quietly until it was time to go to lunch. Dean walked in with them, but seemed reluctant to go over to the Gryffindor table.
Seeing Dean's expression, Harry said, "Why don't we all sit at our table for lunch."
"Is that allowed?" Greg asked.
"I thought we had to sit at our house tables," Neville said. "Not that I mind. We have a lot of great kids in Hufflepuff like Cedric Diggory. He's a third year and really nice."
"Yeah, the best," Vince agreed. "He's been helping me study."
"I asked my dad and he said there was no actual rule against it; it's just that nobody's ever done it and I said maybe it was about time somebody did."
"Sounds like a good idea. You know what? I think invite Millie to come and sit with us," Draco said. He walked over to the Slytherin table and bent down and spoke to a dark-haired girl. She nodded, got up, and followed Draco over the Ravenclaw table. She was bigger than most of the first year girls in her house and her robes rather looked like she'd been in a windstorm.
Severus watching from up at the high table and smiled as he watched Harry lead his friends, including Dean Thomas, over to the Ravenclaw table and smiled again as he saw Draco invite Miss Bulstrode to sit with them. He was proud of both of them for their leadership abilities. He frowned as his eyes fell on Pansy Parkinson. He was going to have to have another conversation with her about her continued bullying of Miss Bulstrode. That was one thing he never tolerated in his house.
"I see Albus doesn't approve of Harry's actions," Minerva murmured. "He's frowning.
Severus glanced over to Dumbledore and saw he was indeed frowning. "Isn't he the one that always preaching unity among the houses? Then again, he does very little in practicing what he's preaching."
Remus was sitting on the other side of Severus talking with Pomona. Severus made a mental note to check on the Wolfsbane Potion that he had started to brew immediately after Dumbledore had said Remus was going to be the new Defense professor.
Once dinner was through and the students had been dismissed, Severus called, "Mr. Potter-Snape and Mr. Malfoy, a moment of your time please."