Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

AN - Hey guys. So, I thought it was about time I thought about another Snarry MC now that Comeuppance is all done and dusted. Few things you need to know about this before you read. It is completely AU. Harry is in his seventh year at Hogwarts, he defeated Voldemort in his fifth year at the Ministry. Any light sided character who died post Goblet of Fire is probably still alive. This will be Snarry, so if that's not something you like, press the back button on your browser. I promise, I won't be offended. This will be mostly about a slow building relationship between Harry and Severus, there will be some overpowered Harry, so again, if that isn't to your liking, I won't be offended if you don't read.

I make no promises on when this will be updated. I will post chapters as I write them, which could be weekly, or it could be monthly, or it could be more than that. I can only promise that, as with Comeuppance, it will be completed eventually.

Side Pairings, RonHermione, DracoGinny.

Magical Maturity

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table, his head resting in his hands. The smell of the food around him had his stomach rolling, and his head felt as heavy as a cauldron. Ron and Hermione sat facing him, both looking at him with concern as he ignored all conversation around him. He'd not even tried to put any food on his plate.

"Harry, you should go and see Madam Pomfrey," Hermione murmured quietly so those sitting around them wouldn't be able to hear.

"I'm fine," he replied shortly, his voice little more than a croak.

"Of course you are," Ron muttered. "You're always fine. How about you humour us, huh?"

Harry shook his head, stopping quickly when it caused a sharp pain to flash over his eyes. "Come on, we've got Charms," he whispered instead, leaning slightly to pick his bag up. As he swung it up on his shoulder and stood up, he had to brace himself quickly as a wave of dizziness fell on him.

"That's it Harry, we're taking you to the Hospital Wing," Hermione told him. She too picked her bag up, watching through cautious eyes as Harry stepped away from the table. He made it three steps before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the floor of the Great Hall. Her wand already in her hand, Hermione managed to cast a hasty cushioning spell so he didn't hit his head as he fell.

Hermione and Ron rushed to his side, even as the Professors came running from the top table to see what was going on. Harry groaned when Hermione put a hand to his head, and his eyelids fluttered madly as he fought to open his eyes.

"He's burning up," Hermione told Professor McGonagall as she reached them. "We were just taking him to see Madam Pomfrey. He's been ill for a couple of days, but kept telling us it was just a cold."

Professor McGonagall nodded, but conjuring a stretcher beneath Harry and levitating him up gently. "I'll take him to the Hospital Wing, Miss Granger. Perhaps you and Mr Weasley will be able to visit him at lunch time."

Hermione frowned, but Ron tugged on the sleeve of her robe before she could argue. "There's nothing we can do for him at the moment, and you know how mad he'll be if he can't use your notes to catch up on the classes he misses," he told her, and she nodded reluctantly.

"What's wrong with Harry?" Ginny asked, frowning as she and Draco reached Ron and Hermione. "We've just seen McGonagall levitating him up the stairs."

"We don't know. He's been ill, said it was just a cold, but he's just collapsed. Hopefully, we'll find out more at lunch," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Flu like symptoms?" Draco asked, frowning slightly.

Hermione and Ron both nodded. Draco smiled, even as Ron got a dawning look of understanding on his face.

"Magical Maturity," they said together, sharing a chuckle.

"But he got it on his seventeenth birthday," Hermione argued. "We were there. He glowed for about six hours."

"Yeah, but Potter's always been a bit... special, hasn't he?" Draco muttered. "Some wizards, particularly powerful wizards, get a second maturity, a much worse, much longer one. If that's what it is, he's going to have a lot of work to do when he wakes up."

"Why?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrow. She knew about magical maturity, and even that a few wizards had gone through it more than once, but she didn't understand why that would mean more work for Harry.

"With a second maturity, he's going to be gaining a hell of a lot of power. He'll have to learn how to regulate his magic use all over again. Otherwise he could cause someone a serious damage with something as simple as a shield charm," Draco explained.

"Ah," she muttered, understanding. "Well, shit. Harry never does anything the easy way, does he?"

Ron grinned. "Course not, he wouldn't be Harry if he did."

xxxx

Harry woke up slowly, shifting under the stiff sheets. He could tell, just by the sheets, that he was in the hospital wing. What for this time, he had no idea. Opening his eyes, he blinked rapidly against the harsh light, raising a hand to shield his eyes. As they slowly adjusted to the light, he moved his hand, pushing himself up so he was half sitting up.

He wasn't in any pain, he realised. Thinking about the last thing he remembered before he woke up, the Great Hall came to mind. Ah, that was it, he'd thought he had a cold. He'd been feeling really rough, and Hermione was on his case about him seeing Madam Pomfrey for some pepper-up or something.

"Ah, good, you're awake. Any pain?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she bustled over to his bedside.

He shook his head, before leaning over to the side table to get his glasses. "Nope, I'm good. Why am I here?" He asked as he slid his glasses on, waiting for the room to come into better focus. When that didn't happen, he frowned, taking the glasses back off. "And what's wrong with my glasses?"

"You collapsed in the Great Hall, Harry," she told him. She'd taken to calling him Harry the previous year, and when he'd asked her about it, she said she saw him so much she might as well call him by his first name. That was around the same time she'd told him to call her Poppy. "You've just had your second Magical Maturity."

"I thought I'd had it on my birthday," he said quietly. He remembered that day vividly, if only because Ron had trailed after him laughing like a hyena while Harry glowed like a firefly.

"Occasionally, a wizard or witch will gain a second maturity," she informed him, sitting on the edge of his bed when he shifted his legs over to allow her the room. "It's not something that happens often enough to be general knowledge."

"Of course it isn't. Why doesn't anything happen normally with me?" he lamented, making her chuckle. "And that affected my eyesight?"

"It's possible. I'll floo over to St Mungo's with you after breakfast, we'll go to the optometry department and see what they can do for you."

"How long have I been in for this time?"

"Three days," she told him, rolling her eyes. "Oh, and before I forget, until you see the Headmaster later, you can't use your magic."

"What?" he yelped. "Why not?"

"We don't know how powerful you are now, Harry. You could do some serious damage without intending to."

He sighed but nodded. "Alright."

"I'll have one of the elves fetch you some breakfast, and then we'll go to the hospital, Harry. At least then you'll be able to see clearly."

"I'm not that hungry," he muttered. "I'll eat when we get back."

She stared at him for a moment, before she apparently decided it wasn't worth arguing with him. "Fine, but you will eat before I allow you to meet with the Headmaster."

"Yes Ma'am," he chuckled, grinning at his cheekily when she swatted at him arm.

"Go and shower and get ready and we'll leave."

xxxx

"Harry Potter?" The receptionist called finally. Harry and Poppy had been sitting in the waiting room for a little over half an hour and he'd been getting impatient. He hated not being able to see properly.

He stood with Poppy, allowing her to guide him into the room where the healer sat waiting for them. He slumped down in the seat Poppy pushed him into, glaring at her when she laughed at him.

"What seems to be the problem?" the healer asked, looking between them.

Harry had to bite his tongue, hence he say something to offend. But really, why else would they be seeing an eye healer if not because of his eyes?

"Mr Potter's Magical Maturity seems to have played some havoc with his eyes. His glasses no longer enable him to see," Poppy explained when Harry stayed quiet.

"May I look?" the healer asked, and Harry nodded his permission.

After ten minutes of bright lights and muttered spells, the Healer looked at her chart. "Very well, Mr Potter. We can either replace your glasses with a prescription better matching to your eyes, or we can prescribe contact lenses for you?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Can I get both? I don't mind paying extra, it'd just be nice to have a back up, just in case."

"That's perfectly fine. If you'll just wait here, I'll have the prescription filed and then I'll teach you how to put in the lenses."

Harry nodded and the healer left the room.

"Is there anything else I need to know about this second Magical Maturity thing, Poppy? I'd hate to be surprised if I, I don't know, start sprouting wings or something."

"Nothing quite so dramatic. It is just what I said, you've added a large amount of magical power to what was already a vast amount that you already had. You're going to need to relearn the control you have, and I have no doubt that the Headmaster is going to want to test just how strong you really are now."

"So I'm going to be a human guinea pig. Marvellous."

"Why so down, Harry? Most people would be excited if this happened to them."

"I just... I'd like it if just one thing, just one thing would be normal about me, you know. I'm sick of being special, or unusual, or any of the other words that people use to label me as a freak. I just want to be normal."

"Oh, my dear. There is nothing wrong with not being society's definition of normal. You, Harry Potter, are a very special young man, but you are not a freak, and I'll thank you not to insult yourself like that again. There is nothing wrong with who you are, Harry, and anyone who has the pleasure of getting to know you would agree with my assessment."

He smiled softly. "Thanks Poppy."

xxxx

After having a lesson in contact lenses and receiving his new glasses, and eating a large breakfast with Madam Pomfrey, Harry was finally allowed to go and see the Headmaster. The old man was waiting on him at the bottom of the staircase, and with a bright smile and a twinkle of his blue eyes, he led Harry up to the office. Harry was only a little surprised to find Professors McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick sitting in front of the large desk.

Harry took a seat on the chair he was indicated too, and waited for the Headmaster to speak.

"You know why we're here, Harry?" he asked, and when Harry nodded, his smile widened. "Very good. If you're ready to begin, I'd like you to cast the levitation charm on this feather."

Harry nodded, but hesitated. Since waking up, he'd been feeling a tingling in his hands that had been getting stronger by the minute. He was only now realising that it was his magic.

"With my wand or without?" he asked quietly.

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose. "Can you do it without, do you think?"

"I can feel my magic in my hands," Harry told him. "It feels like it just needs a little push."

"Interesting. Well, my dear boy, try it with your wand, and then without, how's that?"

Harry nodded, taking out his wand and aiming it at the feather. He was about to say the charm when the feather shot up into the air, bouncing off the ceiling within milliseconds. Harry had only thought about the spell. His concentration shattered, and the feather drifted back to the desk.

"Um..."

"What happened then?" McGonagall asked.

"I just thought about the charm, and then the feather shot up," Harry said, panicking a little. What the hell was happening to him?

"Hmm, and can you do the same without your wand, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry raised his hand, and again, thought about the spell, and the feather shot up once more. This time, since he was half expecting it, Harry kept the feather in the air, looking at Dumbledore while he did so.

"Can you continue a conversation with me, Harry, while you're holding the feather with the levitation charm?" Dumbledore asked. The twinkle in his eyes seemed to be working overtime it was so bright.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said, and the feather remained where it was.

"Very good, Harry. I believe we need to move to a more appropriate setting before we test your magic properly. Outside would be best, I believe," he said, standing up. Harry and the other professors followed suit, and Dumbledore led them from his office.

Harry stayed at the back of the group, listening to the professors discussing the best ways to test him. He really was beginning to feel like a guinea pig.

They stopped on the quidditch pitch, and Dumbledore conjured five comfortable looking chairs. When they were all sitting, he looked at Harry. "I'm going to conjure three rocks at different weights, Harry. Lift them one at a time, and try and talk to me whilst you are doing it. I'd like you to tell me if any of them put any strain on your magic."

Harry nodded in understanding, watching as the Headmaster conjured the three rocks. The smallest, about the size of a quaffle, the largest, more of a big boulder than a rock.

"Severus, so Mr Potter can see what I mean, I'd like you to demonstrate lifting the largest rock. Put all your power into it, so he can see how high you can lift it."

Snape nodded, taking out his wand. Harry watched as the boulder rose slowly, stopping at about five foot. He looked at Snape to see that it was clear Snape was feeling the strain. He lowered it just as slowly, nodding at Harry when he placed it back on the ground.

Harry started with the small one, attempting to lift it to about five foot. Instead, as soon as he raised his wand and thought about the spell, the rock rose and just kept on rising. Harry watched as it climbed higher and higher, until he could no longer see it.

"Um, Sir? If I release the spell, that rock could hurt someone when it falls."

"Can you still feel the power in your hands Harry?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good. Now, you said earlier that you could push on it. I want to see if you can pull it back. Much the same as pushing, only I want you to pull it back into your core."

Harry concentrated on doing as the Headmaster coached, and was happy when he could do it just as he said. Pulling the magic back, he watched as the quaffle sized rock came back into view, floating down gently towards the ground. When it was about a foot from the floor, Harry stopped pulling back, allowing it to just sit in the air.

"Very good, Harry. Now that you have it there, I want you to practice pulling and pushing your magic into the spell, lifting and lowering the rock a few times while you get the hang of it."

Harry did as he was bid, it coming easily to him now that he knew what he had to do. When he'd done it several times, he lowered the rock back to the floor and cancelled the spell.

"That was very well done, Harry. Your control is excellent considering the boost you've had. Now, I'd like you to lift the middle rock to about ten feet, and lower it again. If you begin to feel any strain, inform me immediately."

Nodding, Harry lifted the rock to what he imagined was ten foot, then lowered it to five, then back up to ten, letting it hover there as he turned back to Dumbledore. "What now, Sir?"

"Are you feeling any pressure at all, Harry?"

"No, sir. I mean, I know I'm using my magic, but I can't feel the weight of the rock or anything. It feels the same as the feather did."

"Hmm. Okay, lower that one and try on the next."

Harry did the same again, still feeling no pressure on his magic, he absent-mindedly twirled the rock in the air as he waited for further instruction. Dumbledore told him to lower it after five minutes.

"Okay. You've been doing conjuration in Trasfiguration this term, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"And how has he been doing with it, Minerva?"

"Very well, Headmaster. Harry, perhaps you could try and conjure a chair."

"What kind?"

"Whatever you'd like."

Harry nodded, before he concentrated on an image of Dumbledore's throne in the Great Hall. Pushing his magic into his wand, he watched as a perfect replica appeared on the grass in front of them.

After a minute of shocked silence, Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe we're going to have to have you tested on the Merlin Scale, Harry."

Harry frowned. "What's that, Sir?"

"It is a monitor that can read your magical core, Harry. I myself scored eighty-one on the Merlin Scale."

"I scored sixty nine," McGonagall volunteered.

"How do I do that?" Harry asked.

"We'll have to have the specialist brought in tomorrow to test you. As for now, I'm confident enough in your control to allow you back to classes, Harry. Just make sure you watch your power when spell casting," Dumbledore said, as he stood up.

"Okay. Thank you sir, can I go and meet my friends now?"

"Of course. I'll send for you as soon as the specialist arrives, Harry. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Harry said a quick goodbye to his teachers, before he turned back to Hogwarts, intent on finding and assuring his friends of his perfect health.