A Return To Hogwarts (A Temporary Cure for Post-Potter Depression)

[Aijita]

Includes characters from HBP+
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A Return to Hogwarts
~ A temporary cure for post-Potter depression ~

Harry was under a cloak… no, not the Invisibility Cloak. Well yes, but under another cloak as well. Harry was under the Invisibilty Cloak under Snape’s cloak. Harry thought if he stayed close to the source and out of sight he wouldn’t get in trouble.

It was night and Harry needed to get into the teachers’ staffroom. He had promised Ginny he would return Arnold to her. The Pygmy Puff’s cuteness had distracted Ginny in class and while other Professors let her go with a warning, Snape confiscated Arnold. He hoped Snape might eventually go into the staffroom before going to bed and Harry could get Arnold, unnoticed.

Harry was striding awkwardly behind Snape, trying his best to muffle his steps and not to pull on Snape’s cloak. Snape’s walking was inconsistent; he would stop in his tracks very suddenly at unexpected times and Harry tried his very best not to slam into his back.

It was dark in the Hogwarts castle and that in addition to Snape’s black clothing made it hard for Harry to see where Snape’s back was amidst all the darkness; he lit his wand. Harry then started to recognize the corridors as the ones close to the teachers’ staffroom. Harry’s hopes rose until Snape met Slughorn and again Harry’s secrecy was risked as Snape stopped suddenly.

“MERLIN’S— Oh, it’s you Severus.” Slughorn was gasping for breath and his hand was groping for his heart. “I thought you were a… well never mind. I was just coming back from Dumbledore’s office; I was informing him about the serious lack of armchairs in the teachers’ staffroom. So what brings you to this part of the castle, Severus?”

“I was on my way to the staffroom in fact, until that is… I ran into you.” Harry could imagine Snape smirking at this point. Slughorn had gotten the hint that he wasn’t wanted. He made to walk into the next corridor until he stopped, mid-swagger to look in Harry’s direction. Harry shuffled to one side even though he knew he could not be seen.

“Severus…” Slughorn’s face and behaviour were undecided, his face looked nervous and his head and shoulders were twitching as if tempted to laugh. “Severus… your… your backside is glowing.” And at this he couldn’t help himself but to do a restrained laugh and hold his belly as he bent over, his eyes squinting hard over his rosy cheeks. Snape had no reaction to this. Harry, at Slughorn’s comment, had immediately Nox’ed his wand. Slughorn stumbled into the next corridor, still trembling with laughter.

Snape stood silently on the spot until Slughorn was out of sight and the sound of his heavy footsteps gone, and even then he stood still. Harry wondered if he was waiting for something.

And then Snape walked a rapid U-turn. As he stepped away from Harry, his cloak clung onto the Invisibilty Cloak and both cloaks were ripped off Harry’s back. They stood side-to-side, Snape facing down the corridor he had just come from. “Potter…”

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Snape had bound his and Harry’s wrists together using a binding spell and Harry was dragged reluctantly by Snape.

“I thought teachers weren’t supposed to use magic as a punishment,” said a struggling Harry, as they went into another torch-lit corridor.

“Unfortunately for you, Potter, this isn’t the punishment,” said Snape, but to Harry it was as good as.

Then a disembodied voice whispered into Harry’s ear.

“Thanks for the Invisibility Cloak, Harry, you have our sympathy,” said Fred’s voice.

“That’s the biggest bat I’ve seen anyone catch single-handedly,” said a more distant voice.
Harry could still hear Fred and George as they passed: “Pathetic, George! The opportunity presents itself and of all the Snape-potential jokes you go for that one?”

Harry was looking hopefully, perhaps even longingly, over his shoulder, at the distant receding shore of the paradise island that was the twins. Harry was still looking behind himself when they approached a doorway. Snape flung his Harry-appended arm and at the very moment Harry tripped over the threshold, the spell reversed and Harry thudded onto the cold stone floor of Snape’s office.

“Wait here and don’t try anything funny. One hundred points will be deducted from Gryffindor, a practice that might eventually get through your thick skull if used enough times.” The door slammed and the lock sounded. Harry was left on his own in the office of his least favourite Professor. He looked around, and saw the same green murky jars of floating contents he knew all too well. He sat on the chair behind Snape’s desk which faced away from the jars. Instantaneously, when he lowered himself down onto the seat, the middle gave way and the frame had his lower back and thighs stuck, as if he had fallen into a toilet bowl. So that’s why the twins were around here, he thought. Now he just wished he hadn’t sat on it. He threw himself and the chair to the floor so that he lay on his side, then he could get the chair frame off.

He got up from the floor and instead sat in the opposite chair to the Professor’s. Then the door opened and it could have well been Filch (Harry had a suspicion that Snape had gone to fetch the janitor to arrange a detention), but it was Dumbledore, whose face was much easier to look at than Filch’s. Dumbledore gently closed the door on Snape who was peering in from outside. He looked curious and slightly humiliated to be shut out of his own office.

Dumbledore then turned to look at Harry, his blue eyes and half-moon spectacles glistened in the light of the fireplace. “I know of a little spell that will make you feel fresh-eyed and bushy-tailed every day,” he said.

“And what’s that?” said Harry, like he knew he was supposed to.

“Sleep,” said Dumbledore. There was a moment of silence.

“I have something for you to deliver,” said Dumbledore. “Just one moment…” He patted his night robes and then fumbled the fluffy end of his nightcap that rested on his shoulder. “Ahh, no… that’s not it…” He continued to grope around his shoulders until his hand reached into his hood and from there came a squeak. “I believe Miss Weasley will want her Pygmy Puff back,” and he rested his upturned hand onto the desk surface and from his hand came tumbling a dusty pink puffball.

“Arnold…” said Harry to himself. “But how did you—?”
“I think it liked the colour of my robes,” said Dumbledore, and he smiled. Harry carefully picked up Arnold and placed him on his shoulder. Holding it, it reminded him of Pigwidgeon which he had compared to a snitch.

“Come with me and we’ll walk back to your Common Room entrance,” and Harry got up to walk with Dumbledore. “You’ve got your office back, Severus,” said Dumbledore coolly as they passed through the doorway and out into the corridor.

Harry caught sight of Snape walking into, and just as quickly back out of, his office; he had obviously spotted the mangled chair frame on the floor. And although it was too late for Snape to say anything, Harry sensed Snape’s eyes on the back of his head before hearing the click of a door closing.

They were walking up sets of stairs and taking turns here and there; Harry had almost lost track of time when he saw long blonde hair up ahead. Dumbledore didn’t seem too surprised to see the student. When they were only a metre or so away, Dumbledore stopped and so did Harry. It was Luna, who was standing there with her back to Harry. She was holding up a segment of her hair and doing what looked like brushstrokes with it.

“Luna? What’re you—?” She looked around for the source of the voice.
“Oh, hello Harry, I was painting a portrait of you…” She turned back to the wall she was previously facing. “Oh, I was just—”

“—dreaming?” said Harry, who now remembered Luna sleepwalked.

“But that doesn’t make it any less true,” said Luna. “Hello, Professor Dumbledore.”

“Hello, Miss Lovegood. Well, now that you’re awake you can go back to your dormitory to finish that painting.”

“Yes, I will do just that,” and she turned to look back at Harry, but her blue eyes had latched onto the Pygmy Puff. “Oh, Harry, is that a Pygmy Puff? Sweet things, aren’t they? Did you know they sing on Boxing Day?”

“I think I’ve heard about that before from somewhere…”

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Harry and Dumbledore continued walking until they reached their destination at the Fat Lady’s portrait.

The Fat Lady’s eyes widened. She was holding a wine glass up to her red lips. “Oh! Dumbledore!” She almost spilled her wine in her flurry. “It’s not what it looks like!” and the Fat Lady set down the wine. “I was only posing with it!”

“I’m sure you were,” said Dumbledore with a smile. “Well, Harry…” and he set a hand onto Harry’s shoulder, “try getting some sleep. I’m off now.” His hand retreated to wave goodbye as he walked away. Harry looked to the Fat Lady.

“You know, if the Headmaster weren’t so close, I would be giving you a good talking to right now,” she said.

“I know,” said Harry meaningfully. “Toffee Apples” and the Fat Lady’s portrait swung forward. Harry clambered in.

Once Harry had slipped into bed, it only seemed like ten minutes later he was awoken by Ron. Harry tried to act like he had had a full night’s rest, even though he felt far from it.