[[T/N: I know I said no more bonus chapters this week but this isn't a bonus chapter...It's a deal... I'm giving you guys this chapter early because I want to promote an amazing author who is currently writing one of my favorite RWBY books. As far as I know, they aren't a Translator! The books name is The Invincible Girl. Go give them some love because they are the reason you guys are getting this chapter, also maybe give them some stones, the amount they have is criminal for the quality of their work.]
Ginna was right when she told him that he was more than prepared for his exams... he was able to answer all the questions he was asked without any problems and in some cases he found them almost laughable. He was not worried about their results. For the first time since he started Hogwarts, he knew he was going to do well. And she was right, as had become his custom, he got perfect grades without a single mistake.
As the Professors spoke proudly about the eldest of the brothers, they couldn't help but comment on how despite their best efforts, Brian Potter was showing no signs of improving enough to try to move him up a level... it was true that his grades had improved, but not to that extent. His improvements seemed more suited to the fact that he was an intelligent child, although too self satisfied and therefore too lazy to study. Since they were now demanding more of him, he had to study harder, and his grades showed it.
So, Harry started his seventh year at just 13 years old, something that no one in the entire history of Hogwarts had ever achieved, not even Albus Dumbledore or Lord Voldemort himself had achieved and since he had completed the six years in just over two years, now that he had to complete the last one in over 7 months, he had time for the first time for everything. He had time to catch up on potions, to practice Quidditch, and even to have fun with the other students his age. He didn't feel any of the pressure that his current classmates complained about... after all, how could it compare to what he had suffered during the last two years?
During that time of relaxation, because it could not be called in any other way, was when the boy began to think about what to do after that course. Silly thing, he was about to finish his education at Hogwarts, and a decision that should not have been considered even for two years, had to be made at that moment.
Contrary to what many people might have said due to his youth, he took this decision very seriously. He had already asked Ginna for advice, but she only limited herself to telling him that, whatever he decided, he would do it well. So he went straight to Remus, sending him a very long letter in which he asked for advice on how he should approach his future, having come to the conclusion that it should be an apprenticeship.
Remus replied not much later than a few days, and during that time, it was very obvious that he had thought a lot about what he was going to answer. In the end, he decided to give him advice that whatever he chose, it should be something he liked since it would be what he would dedicate his whole life to.
So the boy spent a lot of his free time thinking about what he should choose. Many had told him that since he was a seer, he wouldn't have to worry about what he would have to do in the future... Harry knew better than to do it. No seer made a profit from 'seeing', they only used their services to help and therefore he would have to find a profession.
It was after much consideration that he had decided on a particular career path, now all that was needed was for the man who would become his mentor to accept him. So once he had his ideas clear, he set to work and went down to the dungeons, where he could find Snape.
Controlling his nervousness, he reached the door of his professor's office and, with a trembling hand and something like butterflies in his stomach, he knocked.
"Come in." The boy heard from inside, and with a slight tremble, he entered. "Ahh, Mr. Potter, what can I do for you?"
"I'd like to talk to you, sir."
"Go on, I'm listening."
"I'll be finishing Hogwarts soon, sir, and well, I've had to think about what I was going to do afterwards..."
"Are you asking my advice, Mr. Potter?"
"No, that's not it, sir!"
"So?"
" Well, what I wanted to say, sir, is that I've thought about it a lot and what I would like to do is... well, what I would most like to do is... I would like to be your apprentice when I finish seventh grade, sir."
" Excuse me? I think I misheard you, Mr. Potter."
"I want to be a Potions Master, Professor, and I want you to be my Master. I want to be your apprentice."
[T/N: Pull the level!!!!]
Harry watched as the professor sat bolt upright in his chair behind his desk and stared at him in disbelief for several moments, then stood up and began pacing nervously while muttering under his breath and staring at him.
"I won't deny that you have a lot of talent, Mr. Potter, and that you would surely become a great Professor, but have you thought about it?"
"Yes sir, I have thought about it carefully."
"Are you aware that your father will not agree with your decision to become a Potions Master, much less be my apprentice?"
"I'm aware of that, sir, but I don't care. What my father wants or doesn't want, doesn't matter."
There was such anger in his words that the professor raised an eyebrow in surprise. It wasn't hard for him to imagine why the son would so disregard his father's wishes, after all, how much neglect could a child endure before he got used to the idea that he had no parents? And he smiled, James Potter was a fool for not understanding what a gem of a son he had.
"Very well Mr. Potter, I accept you as my apprentice."
[T/N: y-yes master!! O-OH thank you, master!...ok I'll stop.]
From that moment on, whenever the boy had a free moment, he was with the Potions Master, beginning what would be the preliminaries of his studies. During those moments, the boy enjoyed himself much more than in all his other classes... Professor Snape was completely different outside the general classroom than the serious and terrifying character he showed himself in them. In there, alone, with the one who was going to be his apprentice, there were no masks, nor bad manners, there was only Severus, the Master.
Harry never explained to anyone outside of those sessions what he was like or how he behaved... He didn't explain to anyone how he became engrossed in a potion and forgot about the rest of the world, nor did he explain how he ever saw him laugh! A real myth among the student body who believed him incapable of such a simple act.
Snape, for his part, was surprised, the boy showed an amazing ability for potions. Incredible considering who his family was. His knowledge could be considered to be almost instinctive, something that very few wizards had as a gift and that the vast majority of the greatest potions masters in history possessed. He himself had not come to have an instinctive knowledge of the subject, although he came very close, thus achieving his mastery in very few years. How far could that boy go? It seemed that he would be able to achieve anything he set his mind to. That made him smile, what Professor did not want to have such a privileged student? It always turned out to be quite a pride for them.
Despite everything, and whatever he was eager to do, for the moment he did not actually start learning, instead it allowed him to have the moments of peace and relaxation that he was going to need during his seventh year... he was going to enjoy when James Potter discovered what his son was going to do, his reaction would be priceless... too bad he wasn't there to see it.
The fact that Snape was thinking about this was almost providential, because, at that very moment, the aforementioned was preparing to read a letter from his son Brian... his favorite son, the child who was destined to save the world from the ravages of Voldemort.
Since the beginning of this course, Brian had begun to write almost daily about what was happening to him, especially since he joined the Quidditch team, since then, he had written to him many times asking for advice on different techniques to play against the different teams. It was also the only news he received from Hogwarts, since his eldest son never wrote, not that he cared... to tell the truth, he very rarely thought about him.
Curious about what he would explain to him this time, the man opened the letter and began to read the adventures he had had since the previous letter and laughed as he read them. Brian was so popular... just like him at Hogwarts, he was sure that as soon as he was a little older he would take all the girls on the streets... at no time did the man think that all those adventures and all those friends were a lie, during the previous year he had made too many enemies and now it was not easy to fix it.
The man laughed and enjoyed his son's inventions until he reached the end of the letter, which made him stand up and scream in rage.
"James! Why are you screaming? " Lily entered the room with wand in hand, ready for a fight against the Death Eaters.
"You can't do such a thing! I forbid it!"
"James, what's wrong?"
"Read and you will see what your son has done."
"Brian?"
"Harry!"
The woman looked at him blankly and then read Brian's letter. As she read, she couldn't understand what could have provoked her husband's anger until she reached the end of the letter.
"Snape's apprentice? But that's impossible, to get an apprenticeship you have to have your NEWTs and Harry won't have them until the end of the year."
"Well, you see, yes. I forbid it! There are many more professions and many more Professors in the world than Snape. We already have to put up with that Ginna Priori, I refuse to have to deal with Snape too."
"Maybe it's a mistake."
"Are you suggesting that Brian is wrong?"
"No, he just says it's a rumor. It's always best to check the facts and then act."
"What do we do then?"
"First, go to Dumbledore and ask, then depending on what we are told, we will act accordingly."
"GOOD."
The two of them left the house and passed the anti-apparition wards, then reappeared outside Hogsmeade, right where the different Hogwarts wards began, and then walked to the school and the Headmaster's office. It was school hours, so they didn't find anyone... including their children.
To say that Dumbledore was surprised was an understatement, he had not summoned the Potters, and as far as he knew they had not requested any meeting about Brian either. Pretending that nothing was wrong, he continued with his paperwork as if he hadn't known they were at the school. When the pair entered he smiled and put aside his paperwork.
"James, Lily... what a pleasant surprise."
"Good morning, Headmaster." Lily said as James simply nodded slightly.
"What can I do for you today?"
"Let's get straight to the point, Headmaster... Today we received a letter from Brian... a rather disturbing letter on our part..."
"You say, James."
"According to that letter, Harry will become Snape's apprentice. I want to know if that is true and if so, tell me right now."
" Apprentice? Are you sure about that?"
"That's what Brian told me."
"I was not aware of such a thing... if you wait a moment, we will find out right now".
The old man sighed as he called for an elf, so that he could notify his Potions Master, who had a free period and could perfectly attend such an impromptu meeting. From his point of view, such a meeting was useless or had very little use for him, young Harry was proving to be a very unpleasant loose end to deal with... especially considering the wizard was so strong and intelligent that it was a shame not to have him in his fold.
"Did you call me, Headmaster?" Snape's voice brought him out of his reverie.
"Yes, Severus... please take a seat."
"If necessary..." He muttered as he looked at the Potters contemptuously.
"It is," the old man reiterated, watching as the man sat down in one of his chairs.
"What do you want, Headmaster?"
"We have received some very interesting information, Severus... Apparently, there are rumors that you have taken on an apprentice."
"At the moment, I don't have any apprentice, Headmaster, and even if I did, I don't see what that has to do with those present here."
"Don't you have an apprentice?"
"No"
"So the rumors about young Mr. Potter's apprenticeship are false."
"I have not said that."
"Clear your mind once and for all, Snivellus! Is my son your apprentice or not?"
[T/N: That's actually made me chuckle]
The potions master had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing hysterically... he loved to confuse people and he had to admit that he was enjoying this one.
"No, none of your sons are my apprentice now," the man replied, earning a grimace of relief from his school nemesis.
"Now?" Lily asked instead with suspicion.
"Yes, now." The Potions Master reiterated. "When the school year ends, Harry Potter will become my apprentice."
"Then we were right! " James exclaimed. " I forbid it! Do you hear me, Snivellus? I forbid it!"
"What you want, or don't want, is not relevant," Snape said "The learning process is totally autonomous between parents and children, as you know many people in the past opted for an apprenticeship, to get out of commitments made by their parents. Your eldest son approached me months ago with a request for an apprenticeship and I accepted it. There is no turning back and you know it."
"Come on Severus, I don't think..."
"No, Albus. There is no turning back... We have both accepted the engagement and although it cannot be made official yet, it is impossible to annul it. Harry Potter will be my apprentice and his parents can say whatever they want and it will make no difference."
[T/N: God, sometimes I love Snape so much. If you enjoyed this chapter then leave a comment, write a review, and drop some stones. If you want to read some advanced chapters then check out the P@treon or the Ko-fi. The book has been finished for quite some time over there.]
---------------------
[p@treon.com/PuddingLord]- Replace "@" with "a"
[ko-fi.com/puddinglord]