Oh, yes! You had me chuckling by the end of the first paragraph with: "His cephalothorax hurt and he felt dizzy with a combination of shock, venom, blood-loss and indignation," and laughing out loud by the time I got to, "Oh shit he said, or at least made an irate clicking noise with his mouthparts," because after all, doesn't Snape spend most of his life making irate noises with his mouthparts? :)
I love the way being Harry's 'familiar' gives Snape a chance to get another perspective on who Harry is, and a scorpion is a *great* animagus form for Snape! Up until I now I was convinced that hedgehog was it, but you definitely sold me on scorpion. Lots of armor, well-weaponed at both ends, sleek, black, and sneaky . . .
And his internal mono/dialogue was hilarious. Lines that especially made me crack up included: "I would prefer to live in ignorance of the complex sexual politics of Gryffindor House, thank you all the same. Can you please talk about the Malfoys?"
"Well thank Merlin for that! Accepted into high society at last. Hoo-bloody-rah,"
and the whole 'exchange' where Harry's telling scorpion-Snape how much the two them have in common, particularly "You try controlling your hair when you're working over cauldrons all day. Come to think of it, you could try controlling your hair full stop." The best part, of course, is that it's all so funny because it's so *true*, however much Snape may make fun, and there's an edge of sadness under the humor throughout, for all the pain they've both suffered and all the loss they've both endured. To keep that edge, and still be so laugh-out-loud funny takes real talent.
Oh! And yay for the Dragon-Phoenix lovechild story! And for Draco helping Harry save Snape. And Harry standing up to Ginny *and* Molly. And Harry compared to a Phoenix in a story by a Dragon. *And* the ending, which is sweet and hot and funny and perfect.