Anima Desiderium by
AU things/things that I've changed that you might need to know:
1. Snape didn't die. I mean, honestly, the man's not an idiot: he would have to know that one of Voldemort's often used ways of torturing his followers was by setting Nagini on them, and that his death by Voldemort was pretty much imminent as soon as he got hold of the Elder wand, so I would think he (Snape) would have some sort of antivenin that he would take to prevent such an attack from killing him.
2. The pairings in this story don't follow the canon, so if you don't like, don't read.
3. This is the Golden Trio's seventh year. The way I see it, everyone's school year when Voldemort was in charge didn't exactly give them the ideal education, so everyone started back at the beginning. Ie: Ginny and Luna are in sixth year, the Golden Trio, Neville, Lavender Brown, and co. are in seventh.
4. Snape is still the potions teacher, which will be obvious by the first paragraph. Also, Sirius didn't die in the fifth book. Remus didn't die in the final battle, and he teaches DADA. (I couldn't kill them either; they're too awesome! :D).
5. Ah, yes, one more thing: Dumbledore did die, but as his portrait remains in the Headmaster's office, he still helps McGonagall with the lesson plans sometimes, hence the potion they shall be making. :D
As for the rest, well, those are the plot twists that make the story interesting. ^^ So read on!
Harry and Ron were sitting beside each other, talking animatedly about the upcoming Quidditch match (Gryffindor vs. Slytherin) when the Potions Room's door flew open and a severely agitated-looking Professor Snape stormed into the classroom. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were narrowed angrily as he reached his desk and faced the class.
"Today," he barked at his cowering students, "you will be attempting a potion that is far beyond your level of comprehension. I have informed Headmaster Dumbledore of such quite thoroughly, yet he continues to be pigheaded about the whole notion, and therefore, you shall be making a potion known as Anima Desiderium. Who can tell me what this potion does?" His opaque eyes slid over the class coldly, blatantly ignoring the one hand waving frantically in the air. After a minute, he was forced to acknowledge the student who competed with two others for the position of Snape's Most Loathed Student. He growled, his voice oily and disdainful as he said, "Of course Miss Granger knows. Granger?"
Lowering her hand and blushing slightly, the somewhat bushy haired brunette cleared her throat. "It means Soul's Desire. It shows the drinker the person with whom they would be most compatible in every way. Many people refer to it as the Soul Mate Potion," she recited in a firm voice.
The Slytherins snickered across the room as Snape gave a long-suffering sigh. "That is correct, Miss Granger."
Gryffindors and Slytherins alike gave a little start; even though Snape had more than proven his allegiances during the final battle, his students were still a little shocked that he had toned down a bit and didn't take points off from Gryffindor every time one of them breathed too loudly.
"The instructions" –he flicked his wand—"are on the board. You will be making this potion on your own, and anyone who feels the need to share information will find themselves becoming well-acquainted with the dirty cauldrons tonight in detention." At this, his gaze slid pointedly between Hermione and Neville, the latter seemingly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "You have two hours. Begin."
The classroom became chaotic as students scrambled toward the front of the room, each desperate to get to the best ingredients first. Though most still despised potions (and the teacher, to a degree), none of the students could help but feel thoroughly intrigued at the thought of finding someone who would supposedly be their soul mate.
All except, of course, the three teens who had remained seated during the stampede. Green, brown, and blue eyes exchanged amused, slightly bored looks. Everyone with half a brain (and even considerably less, since Goyle was also aware) knew that Ronald Weasley belonged with Hermione Granger, and that Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding World and Boy-Who-Cannot-Die, belonged with Ginny Weasley. But still, this potion counted as a grade, and there was absolutely no way Hermione Granger would ever purposely not do well on something that was graded. Or on anything, really. And as this potion was one that she hadn't brewed before, it was with a grudging excitement that she strode up to the supply cupboard, dragging her friend and boyfriend along behind her. She spent the next several minutes gathering the best ingredients she could, surreptitiously nudging better quality ones toward her potion-clueless friends.
Finally, each student was back at his or her desk, and everyone hurriedly got to work. The Golden Trio put up defenses around their potions almost instinctively as soon as they sat down: Hermione and Ron cast a strong Protego around their work spaces, while Harry cast a Protego with a mild Confundus charm woven into it. Normally, their efforts in protecting their potions would have been very necessary, as they were just a few feet away from a group of Slytherins with rather uncanny aim. But today, not a single thought of sabotage crossed anyone's mind, as they were all very intent on finishing the potion as quickly and perfectly as possible.
As the students worked with an unusual diligence, Snape walked around the room, explaining the potion in detail. "This potion is one of the most volatile potions known to wizardkind. If you add three porcupine quills instead of two, it will explode. If you stir it twice counterclockwise, once clockwise after adding the honey water instead of twice clockwise, once counterclockwise, it will explode. Need I say what will happen if you add the crushed moonstone before you add the shredded basil leaves? Smith! Put that essence of atropa down this instant and reread, assuming you even read them to begin with, the fifth line of step three. I shall be very displeased if the room ends up a giant crater." Snape glared at the student in question, who paled and spent the next ten minutes reviewing the instructions on the board.
"As I was saying, this potion is highly volatile, as I stressed to Dumbledore when he told me that I should add it to the lesson plans, but many have deemed the trouble of brewing it wholly worth it after seeing the results brought on after drinking it. This is a potion that can neither be lied to nor fooled. Even if the drinker remains utterly oblivious to his or her soul mate, the potion will reveal their soul's deepest desire in a way that will leave no doubt. Many have found that their other half is often someone completely unexpected, even unwelcome. This has caused many duels to break out; so many, in fact, that the Ministry has declared the potion illegal and that anyone who even attempts to brew it shall be sentenced twenty years in Azkaban."
Many of the students froze and looked at Snape incredulously, a few giggling nervously in the hopes he was kidding.
"But since when has Albus ever cared anything about the legality of something?" No one heard the underlying fondness in the potion master's voice as most of them cared terribly about the legality of things and were too busy worrying. However, having been through classes with Snape before, they continued brewing after a few second's pause, all thinking they would rather face twenty years surrounded by soul-sucking Dementors than the professor's wrath if the potion was not completed.
The time ticked by slowly. Several students found that they had added the wrong ingredients or had missed a crucial step, but were saved by Snape, who quickly cast an exceptionally powerful Protego around the cauldron to keep the explosion contained. Students whose potions blew up were given zero marks and were told to pull their seats up against the walls and watch the others. Finally, after two long hours, Snape called time. He conjured vials for those who had finished, and performed an Evanesco on the potions of those who didn't.
"These will be marked and graded based on the accuracy of your potions. Only those whose potions were brewed perfectly will test them the next time we meet here. Class dismissed." As soon as he spoke that last sentence, the bell rang, sending everyone scrambling toward the door, for once in their lives bubbling in anticipation for the next potions class.
:.:.:.:.:
Remus Lupin looked at his class with equal parts confusion and amusement. The students, composed of Slytherins and Gryffindors, seemed restless and impatient, less than enthralled with the DADA lesson they were currently supposed to be focusing on. They were so out of it that no one noticed when their professor stopped informing them about the Cerberus and began a random speech filled with many weird, random quotes that would have made Dumbledore proud.
"A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one can give an explanation as to why." Nothing.
"Turtles can breathe through their butts." No one even blinked.
Trying one last time, he stated, "On average, people fear spiders more than they do death." Ronald Weasley twitched slightly, but other than that, the class maintained its zombified state. Sighing loudly, Remus shut the book from which he had been reciting facts about the many headed Hell-Hound with a loud bang, finally startling the students from their reveries.
"Alright, what's going on with everyone? Usually my classes find this subject at the very least slightly interesting."
Hermione raised her hand. "Sir, we have potions next and—"
"Ah, yes," Lupin interrupted, "Anima Desiderium. Albus and Minerva said something about that in passing earlier this week. How many of you managed to complete the potion?"
Among the few who raised their hands were Ron, Harry, Hermione, Draco Malfoy, and, surprisingly enough, Neville Longbottom. The DADA professor nodded, surprised and pleased at the amount of students who were able to complete such a difficult potion. But underneath that, he felt a slow building dread. He opened his mouth to comment on the potion, but was interrupted by the bell signaling the end of class. As the students filed out towards the dungeons with such enthusiasm it would have caused Sirius to have a coronary, he cast a worried glance at the Golden Trio. He knew several carefully buried secrets would be brought to light by this potion. After all, he, more than anyone else, knew that not everything was always as it seemed.
:.:.:.:.:.:
Harry dropped his book bag on the floor and pulled his seat up to the table with a screech echoed loudly by everyone else. For the first time in his history at Hogwarts, he was actually looking forward to a Potions lesson taught by Snape. Of course, in his sixth year, he had enjoyed Potions immensely: with Horace Slughorn and a little …ok, a lot of help from the Half-Blood Prince, he had excelled in the class. Naturally, Snape had made his first mission as the reinstated Potions Master confiscating his old book from Harry, but Harry had, surprisingly, remembered a lot of the tips and notes from the book, and had so far kept towards the top of the class.
Not that he let Hermione in on that little fact. He shuddered to think what questions she would heap on him and how much more time she would want to spend in the library with him studying.
"You okay, mate? You look a little green." The remark came from his left, and he looked to see Ron staring at him cross-eyed with as much concern as he could muster while balancing his quill on his nose.
Harry waved it away with a grin as the door to the classroom burst open once again, cueing the entrance of a significantly less irritated Professor Snape, who, oddly enough, was followed by a grim-looking Headmaster McGonagall and a worried looking Professor Lupin.
"Class," Snape's voice, almost as oily as his hair, slithered across the room, quiet, yet reaching every student, "for this lesson, we will have, as you see, some other professors overseeing as you take the potion."
A murmur broke out in the classroom. Some poor chap had enough courage (or stupidity, however you choose to see it) to raise his voice above the others' and ask, "Why, sir?"
The black haired professor cut his gaze over to the student, who seemed realize his mistake too late. "Why, Mr. Levi? I distinctly remember going over some of the dangers posed by the potion in the last class. Or were you focused on more… important things than my lesson?"
Levi's face flushed, but he stuck out his chin. "I was paying attention, sir! I was one of the ones who concocted their potions correctly."
"Is that so?"
Harry cringed at where this was going as Levi nodded proudly, as though expecting praise from the irate professor.
"Well, then, Mr. Levi, in that case, perhaps you wouldn't mind being the first to try the potion?" Sneering at Levi's now pale face, Snape remarked, "I thought as much." Turning his attention back to the whole class, he continued. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, we have Headmaster McGonagall and Professor Lupin assisting us today in case any of you demonstrate… unfortunate side effects. That being said, I believe that someone should try the potion first." His gaze slid over the class, taking in the pale, nervous faces.
Harry rolled his eyes. Not five minutes ago everyone was going crazy over the chance to take the potion and see its outcome, but nobody wanted to go first. It seemed as though the class was at a stalemate. Sighing, he placed his chin in his hand and glanced over at Ron, who seemed to be having similar thoughts.
"Potter! So kind of you to volunteer!" In an instant, the greasy haired potions master was in front of Harry and Ron's table, a particularly creepy gleam in his eye and Harry's potion vial in his hand.
Harry stared up at him wide eyed as everyone looked at him sympathetically, save for the Slytherins snickering away on their side of the room. After glancing at Ron again and finding nothing but a sheepish look and a shrug, he huffed and grabbed the bottle from the almost giddy professor.
As he reached to unstopper it, Snape clicked his tongue condescendingly. "Ah ah, Potter. Front of the class. This is a demonstration, after all."
"Nice to know that my saving the Wizarding world from being taken over by a lunatic mass-murderer hasn't dampened your opinion of me at all," Harry muttered under his breath, shoving his chair back from the table and walking to the front. Snape merely grinned maliciously, obviously entertaining the hope that something would go horribly wrong, and Harry glanced surreptitiously at the vial in his hand, wondering briefly if it had been tampered with.
When he reached the front, he turned to face the class and saw the interested, eager faces of his fellow students: Ron, slightly sympathetic yet obviously bored out of his mind; Hermione, torn between anger that Harry was still being bullied by Snape and irritation that she didn't get to be the first to test the potion; Malfoy, sneering disdainfully along with the rest of the Slytherins.
"Well," he said, making as if to toast the class, "cheers!" Downing the contents in one gulp, he let out a big sigh as an indefinably sweet flavor filled his mouth and slithered down his throat. He felt the liquid pool at the pit of his stomach, growing warmer and warmer and—nothing happened. He raised an eyebrow at Snape, commenting, "Well that was rather anticlimactic."
Snape opened his mouth, no doubt ready to blame the lack of effectiveness on Harry's inability to properly concoct a simple potion, when suddenly, Snape's frown turned to an astonished 'o'. Using what looked like a great deal of effort, he plastered a forcefully calm expression on his face as he turned away and announced, "Class, Mr. Potter seems to be exhibiting one of the… rare side effects associated with Anima Desiderium. Starting from the back, please begin exiting the classroom in an orderly fashion and wait out in the hall."
The students, who having never seen what the proper response to the potion and thought all was going well, stared in shock and dawning fright as they listened to Professor Snape, who had never before asked 'please' for anything. Ever. Ignoring his request for order, they all jumped up and ran for the door as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, Harry, confused as hell, looked down, and, to his surprise, saw his body emitting an almost blinding white light. Wide-eyed, he turned to face the teachers who seemed to be watching him expectantly.
Not seconds later, Harry doubled over in agony, with the thought that he now knew exactly what they were waiting for. He bit his lip to keep from screaming as pain ripped through his torso, leaving a trail of molten hot magma inside him. As the feeling intensified, Harry vaguely felt himself being lowered to the ground, several hands checking for vitals and feeling his forehead. Through the haze his mind was currently drowning in, he heard the hurried, worried conversation surrounding him.
"I warned you about this, Snape! You knew this would happen!" Remus's usually calm voice was frantic and accusing.
"Oh, please, mongrel. The worst I had hope—thought would happen was him finding out that he was to be linked to someone he loathed. As if I knew this would be the outcome!" Snape replied, his condescending tone not entirely covering the alarming note of fear in his voice.
"Never mind that!" McGonagall cut through sharply. "Someone alert Poppy and tell her to prepare for Potter!"
"Hold him down! He's likely to hurt himself if he keeps flailing like that!"
Through the pain and frantic voices around him, Harry heard the door slam open and rapid footsteps approaching.
"Just got your Patronus, Remus! I came as quick as I cou—Harry!" A different pair of hands grabbed his face gently, brushing the hair out of his eyes.
As soon as he felt that, the pain dulled and Harry fell blissfully unconscious.
So? :) Haha, I hope you liked it! This is my first story on here, so any feedback would be much appreciated. ^-^