"No he isn't, Professor. I told you he has been taken care of and will never bother me or anyone else again. I do not want to discuss him any further."
To end that line of discussion Harry went back to the questions he'd been asked about fixing magical society instead. "As for straightening out society, I couldn't do that even if I tried. This society is what the people have made it. Nothing I could do would straighten it out now. Even if I somehow managed to dethrone every single corrupt politician, the people would only replace them with new people just as corrupt as the ones I dethroned. Because the people haven't woken up and realized their system of government is corrupt. Eventually, something will occur that will change things but it won't be now. Nor will I be doing it. All I intend now is to finish out this year and sit for my Owls."
"And then what? What are your career goals? Your plans for the future. I know both Minerva and Albus said you planned to be an auror but somehow, if that ever was your goal, I don't think it is now. I'd like to know what you'd truly like to do with your life, Potter."
Harry sighed. "So would I," he admitted wistfully. "Honestly I have no idea what I want to do because I have no idea what I like from what I don't. Well, partially anyhow. I know quite a bit of things I don't like. But what I do… yeah, that I don't really have a clue about. About the only thing I know I like to do is fly my broom and I can't even do that here because the quiditch nuts won't leave me alone about rejoining the team. And no. I never wanted to be an auror. They only told people I wanted that because Albus wanted people to see me as my father as much as possible. That's why he sicced Ms. Weasely on me. Just as I became James, she was to remind everyone of my mother every time they saw her hanging off my arm. Then when he finally led me to my death, no one would care because everyone knows James is dead. Has been dead for years. And because the people would've already been forgetting me in place of my father, no one would miss me. Harry. Because for the people of Britain, I've never been a real person in my own right. I'm a storybook character. Nothing more."
And for Severus the saddest part about that statement was he could see how Albus' plan would've worked. Because it was true. The magical people of Britain never had seen Harry Potter as a living breathing boy like any other. Not that he was like any other either, Severus ruefully admitted. Hogwarts Child was one of a kind. The Gods definitely broke the mold when they made him as his mother used to say. Of course, she meant it for any guy she saw she considered beyond normal in the looks department. Either in a good way or a bad way.
Deciding to take a chance Harry took a deep breath and said, "What I do know is after I finish out this year and sit those Owls, I intend to disappear. I may hire some tutors so I can take my Newts. Or I may go back to a muggle school and get my equivalency papers. All I really know is I'm tired. Tired of dealing with untrustworthy people. All with their own agendas. None of which are good for me. So while I'm 'vanished', as the saying goes, I'll try and rest while I figure out if there's anything I do like enough to find a career in. So far the only thing I know is I don't want a career dealing with the public on an hourly basis or even a daily one if I can avoid it. Being around people has never been a good environment for me."
"What about you, Professor? Now that I've told you both Tom and Albus are neutralized, what are your plans? I know you don't like teaching and wouldn't have chosen to spend all this time doing it if it wasn't for those two old men. So now that you'll be free, what will you do with your freedom?"
Severus blinked in shock. He hadn't thought about that yet. It hadn't sunk in that both his controllers weren't a factor in his life any more. His mark would soon disappear and no one outside Britain would ever be able to prove he'd once been on the dark side of magical life. "Like you, I don't know," he finally said. "My contract ends this year. I don't have to sign a new one now, do I? Even if they aren't both, as you say, neutralized. I can choose to leave here. Maybe I can open my own Potions business. Put old Arsenious out of business. Or just do private brewing. I do have a list of people who'd agree to buy all their potion needs from me. But I… I… I don't know. Potions is just about the only thing I actually like to do though. So I'll probably end up doing something with them."
Harry took a chance. "Or you could just take a vacation and relax for the first time in years. Maybe ever. After all, my understanding is you joined those people right after you graduated from here only to almost instantly realize it was a mistake. You went to Albus and he protected you to the Wizengamot at a price. He let you join his side but only so long as you agreed to be here directly under his thumb so he could more easily control you. So have you ever had a vacation? Because we both know there's no way in hell he ever gave you leave to take one. Maybe it's time to take one. Discover who Severus Snape really is now that he doesn't have two self-centered old men pulling his strings to their own tune."
Severus sat there blinking as he contemplated this novel idea. The boy was right. He hadn't ever taken a vacation as either Albus or the Dark Lord had never allowed him the freedom to do so. Both demanded he be at their beck and call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, every week of the year. Neither believed he needed down time just like everyone else. So they'd never given him any. Either that or each had figured the time when he was brewing or running errands for the other was his downtime. Either way it amounted to the same thing. He'd never had any time to himself to just relax and do as he chose. But now freedom was beckoning.
Slowly he said, "You said you might hire tutors to finish out your education. Tutors in what? Maybe I can be one of them if you plan to continue studying Potions," he said thoughtfully, idly thinking this might give him a chance to continue watching over the boy he was oathbound to protect. because no matter what Potter said he knew Albus too well to just accept the man was finished just because he'd been booted out of the Castle.
Harry tipped his head to one side considering the matter for a moment before inclining his head. "I was actually. That and defense, charms, transfigurations, herbology, runes and creature care. But I need to warn you I plan to live in my house in the muggle world and both Dobby and Winky wish to come with me. I also plan to file for my emancipation as soon as I turn sixteen."
"Your house? I thought you lived at Privet Drive in the muggle world."