Wash Your Hair, Professor (Please Keep Reading)

"What happened?" Professor McGonagall waved her wand.

The chess pieces that had seemed to be chasing her immediately froze.

"You beat up Professor Quirrell?"

"His teaching methods do have some problems, but at least wait until I—"

"What I mean is, at least go easy on him."

Snape sneered. He was a little more restrained with Professor McGonagall. "That's no professor. He's the Dark Lord's lackey, my dear Professor Minerva."

"Oh, right. You-Know-Who." Professor McGonagall looked enlightened. She turned to Harry. "Mr. Weasley told me you were going to stop You-Know-Who."

"You're only a first-year wizard. How could you dare to—"

Harry cut her off. "Dumbledore asked me to do it. I refused twice."

He looked at Snape thoughtfully.

"Dark Lord."

That was a very interesting title, one that carried a hint of respect.

Until now, he had only heard one person use it.

The wandmaker, Ollivander.

Snape glared at him, his eyes fierce. He looked as though he wanted to hang Harry upside down.

"Albus!" Professor McGonagall roared like a lion. "How dare you! What did you promise me? You said no one could break into Hogwarts, and that no one could—"

"Minerva, oh, my dear." Dumbledore waved a hand, smiling wryly. "Don't worry. I'll explain everything."

Professor McGonagall unconsciously turned her wand in her hand.

"Minerva, Severus, sorry for the trouble, but please take Quirrell to the Hospital Wing," Dumbledore instructed. "Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is in rather bad shape."

Professor McGonagall waved her wand, lifting Quirrell into the air.

"Professor McGonagall isn't one of those ravenous Gryffindor idiots," Snape said, staring at Dumbledore. "There's no need for me to go with her."

"There are three Gryffindors here, Professor Snape," Professor McGonagall said sternly.

Harry and Dumbledore looked at him.

Snape pursed his lips and turned his head away.

"All right, Severus, you can go with her," Dumbledore said after a brief hesitation, nodding. He waved his hand, and they left the room. They parted ways at the end of the corridor.

In the Headmaster's Office.

Dumbledore invited them to sit, then turned to the portraits covering the walls. "There are a few things I need to discuss with my students. Would you mind leaving us alone for a while?"

The portraits obligingly slipped away. Before long, only the empty backgrounds remained on the walls.

"Now we can talk properly." Dumbledore sat down and waved his wand, pouring Harry a glass of milk and Snape a cup of tea.

"Where were we?" Dumbledore thought for a moment. "Right, Voldemort. He was once a very talented student at Hogwarts..."

"I'm not interested in Voldemort's past," Harry interrupted. "Please skip the unnecessary details and get straight to the important part."

Dumbledore's expression turned serious. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"I was distracted by other matters back then, and I was careless. I failed to see Voldemort's true nature, and I failed to guide him properly. That's how he became the person he is now."

"Please forgive me for testing you. Sometimes people can hide themselves very well."

"Voldemort, for instance. Every professor who taught him thought he was handsome, charming, and destined to become a great Minister for Magic."

Harry remembered Voldemort's face. "Did you all have a different idea of what handsome meant?"

"Or... is having no nose considered cool by your standards?"

Dumbledore froze, then smiled and shook his head. "No, he was very handsome when he was young, just like you. What you see now is the result of his reshaping his body with Dark Magic."

Harry clicked his tongue. "In that case, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you for a little more compensation."

Dumbledore grew serious.

"I want you to teach me two spells," Harry said.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Occlumency," Harry began.

Dumbledore smiled. "Of course. Even if you hadn't asked, I would have insisted you learn it."

"The Patronus Charm," Harry continued. "The kind you know, the one that takes the form of a magical creature."

Dumbledore nodded. "That won't be a problem either. However... you'll need to master the Patronus Charm before you can make certain changes to it."

"When should I come to learn from you?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore looked at Snape. "Severus, I'm sure you'd be happy to help me with this."

"I would not," Snape refused flatly. "I can put up with him in class, and even endure Potter coming to ask stupid questions afterward, but that's my limit."

"Would you want to spend a long time with a Troll?"

Harry shook his head. "Dumbledore, that's your responsibility."

"Besides, Professor Snape's hair-grease smell is hard to tolerate."

Snape narrowed his eyes and glared at Harry.

Harry didn't flinch.

"Harry, you must have noticed your scar..." Dumbledore said, instead bringing up a new subject.

Harry nodded. "A part of Voldemort? Perhaps a fragment of his soul. He's quite something, managing to leave behind a trick like that even before he was defeated..."

That spell of love had let him hurt Voldemort.

But why did his scar hurt?

Even if the pain was mutual, it should have been his palm...

The only explanation was that the scar didn't belong to Harry. It belonged to Voldemort.

Even Yennefer and Triss, two exceptionally talented witches, hadn't noticed.

"He may not have noticed it himself," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "Otherwise, given the way his mind works, he would have used the scar to influence you long ago."

Snape listened, his expression growing darker by the second. "Excellent!"

"Starting next school year, come to my office every Wednesday and Saturday. I'll make sure you learn Occlumency and the Patronus Charm properly."

"Wednesday won't work. I have to give Professor McGonagall a detention," Harry said, shaking his head.

Snape laughed in disbelief. "Ah, the foolish lions of Gryffindor. Are they still proud of breaking the rules?"

"Fine. Then Thursdays and Saturdays."

Dumbledore smiled with satisfaction. "I knew you'd help me, Severus."

"I'm touched that Professor Snape cares so much about me," Harry said expressionlessly, his tone cold.

Snape gritted his teeth. "Shut up, Potter!"

"If you still haven't learned those two spells by the end of the school year, I'll make sure you get a good taste of a Troll's backside!"

Harry laughed. "Since Professor Snape likes Trolls so much, I'll have to find a way to give you one for Christmas next year."

"Planning to use it to fix your own head?" Snape sneered.

Dumbledore looked a little exasperated and waved a hand. "All right, behave yourselves while you're in front of me. Harry, is there anything else you want to ask?"

"How do I get rid of this?" Harry pointed to his forehead.

Dumbledore sighed. "I haven't figured out what it is yet. There are many ways to split the soul using Dark Magic, and I can't be sure which one this is."

Harry frowned. "Having Voldemort growing on my head. He really is something. Why does he love taking root in people's heads?"

"That's all the more reason to learn Occlumency as soon as possible," Dumbledore said emphatically. "What are you planning to do over the holidays?"

Harry answered without hesitation. "I'll probably stay with Professor Flitwick. He wants to introduce me to a master blacksmith. I gathered quite a few materials in the Forbidden Forest, so I can have a suit of leather armor made."

"The Forbidden Forest!" Snape's voice turned hoarse. "Use that stupid brain of yours, Potter. That's no place for you."

Harry shrugged and nodded perfunctorily. He'd heard him, but whether he'd listen...

"Harry, I think... you should go back to your aunt's house," Dumbledore suggested tactfully. "I'll speak with Filius."

"Why?"

"That would be miserable for everyone, both me and them."

"Petunia is your aunt," Dumbledore explained. "The spell needs the power of blood to keep working. You'll have to stay there for at least a month."

"You know Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked, surprised. He quickly noticed the greasy-haired, cloaked man's expression turn more hostile. "Does Professor Snape know her too?"

"Your mother, Lily, was a Muggle," Dumbledore paused. "A No-Maj. Petunia had once hoped she could become a little witch too, and she even wrote me a letter."

Harry understood and nodded.

So that was why Petunia hated magic so much?

And what about Professor Snape...?

Snape gave a sharp scoff and pressed his wand to Harry's head. "Don't go prying into all sorts of nonsense, Potter. You should learn to curb that desire of yours to peer into other people's minds!"

"Don't worry. Come September, I'll make sure you experience the pain of having someone else peer into your mind."

At almost the same moment,

Harry pressed his wand against Snape's waist. "Thanks, but I sincerely suggest you wash your hair properly, Professor. Compared to the pain of having my mind read, I find the smell of your greasy hair much harder to bear."

"Do you want me to cast a spell, Potter?" Snape asked menacingly.

Harry didn't so much as blink. "At this range, you might not have the advantage."

Dumbledore adjusted his glasses, looking exasperated. "All right, even if you're going to fight, don't do it in my office. You've frightened Fawkes."

"Ha, have you gotten so old you can't see clearly?"

"I could give you a potion for farsightedness."

They mocked each other almost simultaneously.

Fawkes was curled up in his nest, fast asleep. He didn't look frightened at all.

Dumbledore waved a hand. "Thank goodness. I hope you two won't come to blows."

He suddenly felt a little worried.

He was leaving Harry in Snape's hands. Though he trusted Snape not to hurt Harry, Snape was just as capable of ruining Harry's face and healing it after class.

How had Lily and James's child ended up with a mouth so much like Snape's?

Snape stood up. "Come on, Potter. You're coming with me to my office."

"Are you that eager to start teaching me already?" Harry rose to his feet.

"Don't forget!" Snape gritted his teeth. "You still have one exam. Don't you want the notes?"

I hope everyone can make it to the last page with the "To Be Continued" button today. Today's reads will determine what kind of recommendation we get in the second round!

QAQ, I'll work hard on writing. Give me your wholehearted support!