“To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands, welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it,” Dumbledore said in a ringing voice. Master Snape lurched forward to glare down the table, either at the headmaster or the pink toad that had been whispering in his ear. “We’ll have all start of term announcements after the meal,” the headmaster said in a moderate tone in the general direction of the ceiling above Gryffindor table, and the pink-clad woman looked just as irritated as Snape was. Headmaster Dumbledore turned back to the students with a bright smile. “Tuck in!”
Harry stood there, feeling a bit like he’d been smacked in the face. Stems grumbled, and there was booing from further down the Slytherin table that sounded like the sixth-year prefects. Harry wasn’t sure what to do with himself until he caught sight of Flitwick’s emphatic gesturing. A line of faint sparks ran along the floor from the Charm’s professor’s wand, flickering in sequence to guide Harry to come around the staff table. In the next second, Professor McGonnagal stood back up and the other staff down that end shifted as a new chair appeared next to Snape. Harry, feeling rather uncomfortable and entirely out of his depth, stepped up onto the wooden platform that held the head table above the rest of the Great Hall during most of the year. He walked behind the teachers toward the empty chair, stopping as Professor Flitwick reached out to him over the back of his chair.
“Congratulations, and sorry about the scheduling change happening on the fly,” the professor said loudly enough most of the great hall could hear, shaking Harry’s hand. Harry felt like his stomach was going to fall out onto his shoes. Among the students, a chant started up at the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables.
“Apprentice! Snape! Apprentice! Snape…” It began with just a few, but all the prefects joined in. Then Fred and George started banging their cutlery against a metal serving dish to the rhythm, which set the rest of the Hall off like dominos. About half the hall was stomping or clapping instead of chanting. He caught sight of Ron clapping along to the rhythmic noise, half a dinner roll hanging out of his mouth showing his priorities were as predictable as the change of seasons. Master Snape stood up just as Harry reached him, and the Great Hall fell silent.
“If you think I will appreciate such blatant disregard for expected procedures, a flaunting of direct instructions given and the expected behavior of those present, and the undiluted disrespect I have just experienced, you are quite mistaken,” Master Snape said, standing ramrod tall as he talked out three sides of his mouth at once. Happy as a wet cat, and make no mistake. “Some of us were forced to miss their afternoon tea, so eat and be patient.” Then he sat, and Harry sat next to him, and there were more people talking than eating until the scent of the feast drew them to plug their gossip holes with good food.
“Are you alright?” Harry asked, hoping the fact that Harry wasn’t went unsaid.
“I need a cigarette like a fish needs water, but that’s not to be done at the dinner table.” Snape’s voice lilted in a faint imitation of someone else.
“Since when?” Harry asked, thinking of the various pipes and such he’d seen the staff enjoy in the past. He wasn’t sure they were all tobacco, given the bright colors the smoke sometimes had, but was sure he’d seen Snape light a cigarette using one of the Christmas centerpieces to go with his pudding more than once.
Excerpt from my draft of:
https://archiveofourown.org/series/4146763
Magic and Bluejays a series where things change after Harry is attacked by Dementors and reacts very differently.
