Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

…

Harry knew that he should have expected this from the offset but that didn't mean he had been able to properly prepare for this confrontation. Barely an hour after having defended himself and Daphne from the group of Slytherin students that had attacked them, a house elf had appeared in his room saying that Dumbledore was requesting his presence.

The moment the small creature had made itself known Harry had almost struck it down but only from having been made well aware of what they were capable of prevented himself from doing so. He had then asked the house elf that any time that they or any other elf was sent to inform him of something that they apparate themselves to his door and subsequently knock. After having agreed to do so, Harry had felt a little less secure about his current base of operations. While he may have stayed off of Dumbledore's radar for the moment, that didn't mean that the Headmaster couldn't ask one of the house elves to have a look around for anything suspicious.

Speaking of the Headmaster.

"Harry my boy, I'm awfully disappointed in you," said the older wizard as he shook his head lightly from side to side. Harry meanwhile remained stone faced, using the Occulumency training he had been learning from the books Madam Pomfrey had given him at the beginning of the school year. He had poured a good deal of time into those tomes but it still didn't mean he mad gotten anywhere close to mastering what they had to offer.

"Why?"

"I have had more than half a dozen students be admitted to the infirmary, each claiming to have been injured by your hand," declared Dumbledore. "Attacking other students is forbidden in the halls of Hogwarts."

Harry remained silent, knowing that whatever he said would be his word against those who currently injured. Outnumbered seven to one in that regard, whatever he said would be labelled false in that regard. He felt like he knew what Dumbledore wanted. He wanted him to lash out like any other first year student would, proclaim how they had been the one's out to attack him and that it wasn't fair.

He would give Dumbledore none of that.

"Will you show any remorse for your actions?"

"No."

A scowl crossed Dumbledore's face as he studied the boy in front of him. How much had changed since the first day Harry had walked into the hallowed halls of Hogwarts and fled when his name had been called out to be sorted. He had been so frail in both mind and body. While the latter was fixed with the assistance of Madam Pomfrey's his mind had likely been solidified by those he spent time with.

The young Miss Granger had exceeded the beliefs of all those who taught her and along with Neville Longbottom was likely trying to find ways into the political field. Mister Longbottom himself had long been thought to be a Squib, but knowing the boy's grandmother like he did, he knew that Augusta would have not dismissed the boy in any way and if he couldn't be trained magically he'd be trained politically. Whatever information he had gained during those years he had likely shared with Miss Granger who would have been soaking it up like a sponge, happy for the challenge that this new scenario presented her.

It was intriguing, to say the least. Albus hadn't put much thought into it but felt now he would have to keep an eye on the other two. He had little doubt that without their interference the boy before him would be much easier to control. Now though he would have to play things a little differently and alter his short term methods for long term accomplishments. He had tried to cut Harry from realizing his potential early when he had forbidden him from interacting with Filius outside of class but clearly that wasn't enough.

"That is, quite unfortunate to hear," said Albus, sounding as disappointed as he could. "I see no other alternative than to deduct Gryffindor house one hundred points and sentence you to a fortnight of detentions with Professor Snape to atone for your actions."

Harry merely nodded as he stood up from the chair he had been seated at, turning slowly on his feet before moving towards the exit. Dumbledore's eyes sharpened as he analyzed the way the boy walked, once more so different from when Harry had arrived at Hogwarts all those months ago. Then his footsteps had been timid and small, ensuring he took up as little space as possible in order to avoid any sort of conflict. Now, now his steps had pride and purpose in them and Albus couldn't help but wonder what went through the child's head.

Hopefully with the upcoming tournament he could get some kind of grasp on just what Harry was truly capable of. He merely hoped that the boy's strength hadn't already gotten too out of hand.

On another situation altogether now he had noticed that Hagrid's beard had recently been singed and had noticed something peculiar about the way that the light from the half giant's hut flickered through the night. He appreciated the Hogwarts groundskeeper, he truly did, but knowing him like he did Albus felt that he wouldn't like what he was soon to discover.

…

"Most students, in this facility, would tremble with terror at the mere thought of spending more time than necessary in my presence. You however, Mister Potter, are not like most students, are you," stated Severus as he looked at the first-year student who would be spending the foreseeable future with him. "Unlike the rest of Minerva's lions, you will not merely charge into whatever situation you are confronted with. The students you put into the infirmary are all saying that you attacked them unprovoked. I care not whether this is true or false and I have no desire to cypher through the lies in order to track down whatever the truth may be. What I do know however is that some of the students after having come to had to be restrained due to the effects of the potions used on them. Tell me, which potions did you utilize?"

"Confusion Concoction and Befuddlement Draught," answered Harry truthfully, meeting the professor's near unblinking gaze.

"I see. Not only are those two potions advanced especially for someone your age but the ingredients are quite expensive and not easily accessible. I take it you have Mister Longbottom to thank in that regard, his family have a multitude of contacts after all, many of which would have been more than happy to assist the 'Boy Who Lived.' For a price of course."

"When I visited Gringotts I had no idea what the currency of the Wizarding World was like and grabbed far more than necessary. Indeed, Neville has been a great source of contacts and considering it only takes a couple of days for Hedwig to fly where needed and return I've been getting what I've requested pretty frequently."

"And tell me Mister Potter, have you been following the potion procedures to the letter?"

"No."

"Oh, and why would that be? A single mistake when handling advanced potions can cause catastrophic explosions or worse. Do you think yourself above those who have been dedicated to their craft in potion making?"

"Of course not, but from what I've discovered the methods printed in the text are not the most potent, but rather the safest. It's understandable, you're giving prepubescent children ingredients which may or may not react violently with each other depending on their usage. The violent reaction however doesn't necessarily mean that the final product is any better or worse than the safest method, it just means more care needs to be taken."

For the longest of moments, there was silence in the dungeons as Snape eyed the boy in front of him and couldn't help but feel that he was looking at a younger version of himself. "Mister Potter, whilst I was in the infirmary Madam Pomfrey informed me that she was short on Burn-Healing Paste. It is a third year Potion so considering what you have already accomplished this should not be too difficult to you. During these two weeks you will make no less than twenty different solutions, each time altering the procedure in a way that you believe may make it more efficient. Whether or not it does so matters not but each potion you brew must be unique. Do I make myself clear?"

Considering how the smile had grown across Harry's face with every passing moment he had been told of his 'punishment,' it was easy to see just how clear the message was.

…

"That doesn't sound like much of a punishment," stated Hermione as she sat at the breakfast table after hearing of Harry's experience with Professor Snape the previous night.

"I'm actually finding it a challenge," admitted Harry as he buttered up a piece of toast. "There's only seven ingredients in the recipe, which means I have to alter the ingredients in either different amounts or preparation nearly three times each. That's of course if I don't decide to change the brewing time per preparation or time in-between each ingredient being added into the concoction."

"That sounds terrifying to me, I can barely do the potion the way it tells me to, let alone messing with the formula," admitted Neville after swallowing a sausage chunk.

As they did every morning before class, the three of them had sat at the base of the table as far away from the teacher's table as they could. At this time of the morning however there were very few members of the faculty in attendance, the trio preferring to get in and out of the Great Hall as quickly as possible. It wasn't that they weren't used to the stares that were often sent their way or the isolation that usually came with no other Gryffindors sitting with them, but they chose to merely try and escape the situation rather than be in the limelight. Considering that a number of students were still bedridden thanks to Harry, dealing with others for the immediate future was not necessarily on their list of things to do.

It didn't take long for the three of them to finish up their breakfast before picking up their belongings and start making their way towards first period, despite the fact many students had yet to even have their first meal of the day. As they exited the Great Hall however they saw a handful of Hufflepuff students making their way towards the entrance and watched in almost confusion as they were given a wide berth.

"That was…odd," said Hermione.

"I don't think so, word probably spread about what Harry did and if it was anything like the troll incident, it's likely been elaborated on quite a bit," stated Neville.

"Do you think anybody from Hufflepuff would believe what anyone from Slytherin had to say though?" asked Harry.

"We'll find out in the next couple of days regardless," said Hermione. "If all it is rumours upon rumours then we don't really have anything to fear."

"If anything all it's really going to do is make people rethink about entering the tournament," declared Neville. "Doesn't matter if you're in it or not, people just wouldn't want to be crossing your path regardless."

"So I've basically isolated us more then," said Harry as he came to a stop, his head held low as Hermione and Neville stood by his side.

"Nobody said the path we were on was going to be easy," said Neville patting Harry lightly on the back.

"It does mean though that we may need to find out just what's been said and try and figure out how to use it to our advantage," added Hermione. "Neville and I can ask around today and try and get some intel, see what students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff know. Leave them to us and try and reach out to Daphne sometime today, see if she knows anything that's being discussed in Slytherin."

"Got it."

…

The Greengrass heiress didn't want to speak with Harry today. During breakfast all she had been able to hear was gossip about how Harry had single handedly assaulted and sent a number of her housemates into the hospital wing. Even though she had been there and witnessed the event, the truthful words she spoke were either ignored completely or greatly embellished. Nobody seemed to want to know the actual facts but rather allow their imagination to fuel their desperate need for gossip. It was infuriating.

The reason she didn't want to speak with Harry though was that she was upset by how little she had been able to do in order to quell the rumours from spreading. Would he be disappointed in her, upset even? She felt like she had barely gotten to know him and as much as she wanted to know more, would he cut her out completely? What could she do, apologize and hope that everything turned out alright? But had she already waited too long?

"Daphne, calm down!" commanded Tracy in a harsh whisper, noticing the sweat that had begun to form on her friend's brow in the middle of their class. Thankfully they were currently stuck in the middle of History and such Daphne's near panic attack had gone unnoticed by all.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Daphne muttered a quick word of thanks to her friend before trying to focus on the dull class that she currently had. From her seat however she could see notes being passed around, the undead teacher seemingly none the wiser, and instead of the usual snickers which typically came with such actions there were merely serious glances between students before the note was passed on once again.

Daphne didn't need to guess at what they were passing around, more ways to throw Harry's name further and further into the mud. Likewise, those of his constant companions were likely having their names tarnished as well. While Granger was a first generation witch, the Longbottom name was ancient and as such the words spoken about him could have a far greater effect down the line.

If the rumours continued to spread, how long until parents were informed and the gossip spread far out of reach and was further embellished by housewives who had nothing better to do than to spread lies amongst themselves. Unfortunately, Daphne only really knew one way to fight gossip and if the truth wasn't going to do it, she would do something far more dangerous.

She would lie.

So it was, as the class ended and Professor Binns phased through the wall that Daphne stood atop her desk, the act in and of itself making her the centre of attention. The first year Ravenclaw and Slytherin students all looked at her in confusion and while she knew it was not even a tenth of the student body, she only needed those in front of her to pay attention for the rumours to spread once more.

"Everybody," she said, her voice barely carrying to all those in the room before she composed herself and mentally readied herself for the inevitable outcome. "Everybody, I have something to tell you about what you think you know about yesterday's events. I was there, I know what happened. Those Slytherin students that got injured by Harry wasn't because he was angry or because he was defending himself or whatever other nonsense you've heard. Those students had been targeting me, and I asked Harry for protection. He didn't have to do it, he could have left me to a fate worse than those in the infirmary but he didn't! Harry Potter protected me and declared…and declared that any attack on me would be seen as an attack on him! Harry Potter has gifted me his protection from yesterday until the day we graduate Hogwarts."

Silence, absolute silence followed Daphne's declaration. She eyed all of those who were looking at her, some in silent understanding, others contemplating what this new development meant and others still seemingly wondering how this news could be used to their advantage. Ten seconds had passed before Daphne clambered off the desk, nearly losing her balance on the way down before grabbing her stuff and making a beeline towards the exit, Tracy quickly following behind. The last thing Daphne heard from the room before the door closed was the sudden surge of chatter from amongst her peers.

She needed to find Harry, she needed to find him now!

...

Huge shout out as always to Kalebxdd for Betaing this for me