Chapter 171 - 171- Deal

HARRY'S POV

After Luna used the earring to alert him about Professor Snape and James Potter search for him, Harry exited the ROR and went in the direction of the Slytherin dorms.

He knew that he can't actually arrive before the two men, and he felt no need to use the time turner to arrive first.

Which is why, as he arrived to the common room, the two men just came back from his own.

"Harry!" James yelled as he rushed toward him, stopping at the last seconds as Harry pulled out his wand in warning.

"Mister Peverel, where were you just now? Miss Lovegood seem to think you were resting." The passive look on the Professor's face didn't change once.

"I went for a walk, you know, to cheer myself about losing." Harry shrugged.

"Really?" The Professor raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't care about winning the tournament?" Harry knew the game they were playing, it was one that is based on who gives up first, with the conversation never goes into the subject in question until one gives up, letting the second person take the lead in the conversation.

"I guess it hit me harder than I thought it would." His lips might have went up into a tiny, almost invisible smirk.

"Oh bloody Slytherin!" James said, letting Harry win the game with the question "Did You help Marcus win the tournament?"

Harry knew when he told Fleur that it will come out eventually, it was his plan B in case Barty decided to stay as a spy and truly convinced Dumbledore, not to mention that making the world know Marcus cheated (whether he did it intentionally or not was beside the point) only made it better.

Releasing his hatred toward the man so it would show on his face, Harry said "you know I can't talk about it." James seemed to recoil from the venom in his voice, though less in surprise than in shame.

"Har.." "Don't" Harry said stopping him from saying whatever he was about to say.

"I don't care about excuses nor do I care about apologies, I don't even care if I might or might not have been forced to let the 'boy-who-lived' win and can't confirm because of unbreakable oath being cast, just stop." The thing about the oath he swore to crouch is that he tell people 'Moody' made him help Marcus win, the thing is, as long as doesn't tell the name of Crouch or Moody, he can tell everything else.

"It wasn't us, it was a Death Eater who impersonated Moody!" James blurted out, making the potions Professor to sigh.

"I never said the one who forced me was Professor Moody, but even if it was, do you think I would believe you the headmaster didn't know his friend was replaced? That it wants the headmaster's plan to make Marcus Potter a bigger hero than he is considered?" Harry knew he shouldn't say as much as he did. He was revealing his distrust with no benefit for himself, except he wasn't doing it for himself, he was doing it for Professor Snape.

"Mister Peverel," Professor Snape seemed thoughtful. "Have you heard the yelling of Marcus Potter about the return of the dark lord?"

"I can't seem to think about anyone near or in the maze who didn't."

"If the headmaster wanted to enlarge Potter's fame, do you think he would do it like that?"

This was a question Harry was prepared to.

"After looking as idiotic as he did in the first two tasks? Or do you expect me to believe a forth year, one that seemed only above average can escape with his life from one of the strongest living wizard?"

The mocking voice apparently was enough to send James railing.

"Don't talk about your brother like that! He survived a terrible thing today."

Harry's eyes rolling couldn't have been bigger.

"He is NOT my brother, and as I said I don't believe him!" Once more venom filled his voice as he addressed James, who was about to answer only to get cut off by Snape.

"I don't think this conversation should be done with you here Potter, you don't seem to contribute much."

"You can't kick me out of it, Sni- Snape!" James stopped before the derogatory nickname came out of his mouth, although, judging by the Professor's look, he caught it.

"Not only I was the one who searched for Harry first, I am his father."

"Oh, but you gave that privilege almost four years ago, didn't you?" The snarl escaped Harry's mouth. "Not that I'm complaining, unofficially, you gave up the right long before that."

Once more James recoiled in shame.

"Listen Harry, I'm sor-"

"I already told you!"Harry interrupted once more. "No excuses! No apologies! And adding to it- don't call me Harry!"

He then looked at his Professor, who smirked in satisfaction.

"I'm willing to continue our conversation in your office." A small nod was all it took for the two of them to go, leaving behind a lost-looking James.

SEVERUS' POV

As they walked toward his office, Severus thought about how the conversation went until now.

While he felt satisfaction from the way his student talked toward James Potter, putting him in his place, Severus couldn't help but worry.

The young Slytherin was so much like him when he was in school.

So full with anger at his father, at his family, that making him choose Voldemort's side was barley an inconvenience for his so called 'friends', in fact the only reason it took so much time was because of Lily.

Would Harry join the Death Eaters? Or would he be enthralled to forgive and join the order of Phoenix?

The second option seemed less likely, especially with his opinions on the headmaster, who mr. Peverel seem to believe was a master politician, instead of the diabolical mastermind that he is, though he raised perfectly good concerns if Lucius didn't send him a coded message about the return of the dark lord.

Getting the two of them in his office, Severus sat off his chair as Harry does the same, the silent between the two of them seemed to fill the air as they both looked in each others eyes, Severus resisting the want to use Legilimency as he knew the boy had Occlumency, he was the one to teach it to him after all.

In the end the boy was the first one to talk.

"Honestly, I don't know if I can trust you, Professor." He sighed. "If you weren't one of my two favorite Professors and a Slytherin that seem to be stuck in the middle of this stupid war we wouldn't have this conversation." Severus was shocked, he had no idea how the boy seemed to know he was working for both sides, but he could see on his face that mr. Peverel was serious.

Apparently, his shock was seen on his face, as the boy rolled his eyes before saying "Come on Professor, it wasn't hard to know you are a spy, the fact you 'used to be' a Death Eater before joining the headmaster is common knowledge, the only thing I'm not sure is which side you are on, which is why we are having this conversation."

"And you would just believe me?" Severus asked, regaining his composure.

"No." Harry said shaking his head "We would have to do an unbreakable oath to be truthful and keep knowledge gained in this conversation a secret to the best of our abilities."

An eyebrow raised in question "And what do I gain in this?"

A grin spread across Harry's face "I said both of us to be truthful, didn't I?"

Severus felt a grin of his own spread.

"Indeed you did, I guess we have a deal, the only question is who would be the third party to bind us?"

The grin on Harry's face changed to a smirk.

"That's easy, Dobby!"