Settling into a chair as instructed, Harry gazed around him. Harry gazed at the books, the portraits on the wall (who all gazed back) and the Sorting Hat, who was snoring. He looked at the curtains, the stone floor, the large gold Telescope that was standing in a corner of the room and the quills on the desk. He did not look at Dumbledore, who at this moment was fixing him with a penetrating stare.
“Tell me, Harry, how are you faring?” Dumbledore enquired after a time.
“As well as could be expected, I suppose,” Harry replied, looking at the older man for the first time. He was feeling like he had made the biggest mistake of his life.
“And how is Severus taking it?”
“Far worse than I am. Anyone would think it is difficult to be a teenager,” Harry replied caustically.
“Hmm, I sense you are angry, Harry,” Dumbledore said quietly.
“I am not angry, I am bloody furious!” the boy exclaimed, leaping to his feet. He had let his anger take over his embarrassment and started pacing as he asked question after question, “Just what was I supposed to do, if I had been called? Why, exactly, was it a good idea for Severus and I to switch bodies when both of us are in mortal danger if we come into contact with Voldemort? What could possibly be gained from this ludicrous exercise?”
“Please, Harry, we have been through this several times already. There are good reasons indeed. You need to learn how to trust people, Harry, me specifically.”
Harry sat down again belligerently.
“Do any of your students suspect anything?” Dumbledore then questioned, his voice taking on an impatient edge.
“If they do they’re not saying anything,” Harry replied in an effort to be slightly more polite.
“No, nor to me. Though I suppose a few will be worried after today.”
“I’ll just tell them the truth,” Harry said.
“Yes, the truth is usually beneficial in these sorts of situations,” Dumbledore replied with a strange hand movement and aversion of his eyes.
“What should I do, Dumbledore, if Voldemort does send for me?”
“He won’t. He shouldn’t, at least. I was very much shocked because I never imagined this would happen. All of the intelligence we have suggests Voldemort is in a small East European village, conducting his affairs,” Dumbledore said in answer.
“You know where he is and haven’t tried to attack?”
“It would be pointless, Harry. It would simply cause the loss of life,” Dumbledore said.
“Perhaps, but at least we would be doing something.”
“That is dangerous talk, Harry,” Dumbledore said with a small frown of concern.
“I don’t mean it,” Harry said with a sigh, “it just becomes so infuriating knowing we are waiting for him to move,” Harry stood up again and cast his hand through black lank hair.
“It will happen eventually,” Dumbledore said with an expression that was half-smile, half-grimace. “You should change out of those clothes immediately. When you see Severus, will you get him to come to me?”
“Sure,” Harry said with a small roll of his eyes. He moved out of the room awkwardly. He had wanted to say and ask so much more, but he never found the courage around Dumbledore.
**************
Fidens curled into Harry and purred as he stroked his head. Harry was sitting against the headboard staring aimlessly around the room. Thoughts were rushing through his head. The one thing that kept coming up was the issue of trust. He discovered he was leaning more towards the thought that he did not trust Dumbledore. The man who was supposed to be a mentor and almost Father-like figure was slowly but surely becoming more of a menace.
Dinner had been interesting. He had fielded quite a few questions about how he was and eventually stood in front of the Hall and announced what had happened. He tried to ignore his own green eyes looking up at him with first a look of concern and then persistent mockery. He had gone up to Snape and told him Dumbledore wanted to meet him. Snape just nodded and Harry went on his way.
Now here he was with little to do but think. He realised there was a reason he generally tried to avoid being left with his own thoughts for too long. He hated this. He hated it with such vehemence he wanted to do all manner of things.
“What should I do, Fidens?” Harry asked.
No answer came.
“If Voldemort is in Eastern Europe, and Dumbledore wasn’t thinking it possible I would be called then why is this charade happening again?… oh forget it, this is doing my head in.”
Harry stood up and clomped to the door. Fidens followed him. Harry opened the door and Fidens looked up. “I’m going to go outside now, you go back to sleep,” Harry said impatiently. The cat blinked and seemed to move away. Harry went out of the room.
He padded down the hallway, watching for other Professors, and went down the stairs. Taking a side door, he slid outside and breathed in the cool evening air. He walked over towards the big Oak tree that students liked to use for shade. It was much better out here. He could look around, examine the stars. He yelped when he felt something brush against his leg. Looking down he was amazed to find Fidens looking up at him. He could almost swear Fidens was smiling at his display of shock.
“What are you doing here, naughty?” Harry asked playfully nudging Fidens with his foot. The friendly feline just purred and Harry wondered what Snape was doing with such a loveable animal.
“Oh that kitten is so cute!” a voice to Harry’s right said. He started again. Cho Chang was standing a few feet away.
“He isn’t cute, he’s a ferocious beast, I’d watch out if I were you,” Harry said automatically. He frowned, he hadn’t meant to say anything, it just came out. Cho bent down and petted Fidens on the head. Fidens purred even louder.
“Is he yours, Professor?” she asked. Harry knew he should tell her to mind her own business but found his lips and limbs moving with a volition of their own.
Sitting down with his back against the tree and crossing his legs, Harry answered, “yes, he is mine. His name is “Fidens”. Cho had looked at Harry with a small frown when he sat down but smiled as Fidens did a little hop to catch her fingers. “Please, take a seat. Do you own any pets Cho?” Harry said after a time.
Cho looked a little unnerved but since Fidens was amorously brushing over her hand she sat down close to Harry. Fidens leapt into her lap and she giggled. Harry loved the way she self-consciously brushed a lock of hair away from her face. He tried not to stare.
“I have an Owl, Professor,” she replied looking at Fidens. For an insane second Harry wanted to say “Just call me Severus”. He balked and looked away immediately. Minutes passed in which Harry listened to the rhythmic sound of Fidens purring and Cho giggling every now and then. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the tree, attempting to smooth his face out of the permanent frown he was starting to adopt.
“I wanted to ask you a question, Professor,” Cho said.
Harry looked at her briefly, “yes?”
“What made you decide to become a Professor?” she asked nervously.
“The free dental plan.”
Cho laughed before covering her mouth in shock. She looked confused. Harry wanted to kick himself. He was not behaving at all like Snape. Not only that but he had had the chance of spending some time with Cho and now he could see he had blown it.
“Uhmm, I have to go,” the girl said standing up. “Goodbye Professor Snape, Goodbye Fidens.”
“Goodbye Miss. Chang. Make sure you complete your homework. If I find any of my students being lazy I have no problems making them do Remedial Potions.”
“Yes Professor!” Cho squeaked before leaving. Harry banged the back of his head against the tree. Fidens came up and licked his chin.
“This is all your fault!” Harry murmured. Fidens blinked again and started to wander towards the castle.