A potions accident leaves Harry with his greatest desire—his mother and father, as they were before their deaths. However, he learns in time that this accident will be reversed in one week; so he has only a short time to get to know—and let go of—those he has once loved and will love again.
Usual disclaimers apply.
To Briana, or IsleofSolitude, my beta reader and friend. She'e the best. ^-^
***
~It does not do well do dwell on dreams, and forget to live.
~Do you think the ones we love ever truly leave us?
~Albus Dumbledore
***
Harry couldn't help but look shocked at the small note that had just been given to him by Professor McGonagall, even though he had been expecting something of the sort since the beginning of the term when he had decked Malfoy in the middle of the Great Hall. But even a detention with Professor Snape couldn't completely dim out the events of an hour ago.
"Harry... you can't tell me that you weren't expecting detention." Hermione walked evenly, though with a heavy breath. Her strides wouldn't match those of her two best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, no matter how hard she tried. She was simply that much shorter than the two. As she had been reminded at least ten times in the last day alone.
Less than an hour ago, the Griffindors had their NEWT herbology class with the Slytherins. And as had been typical in their sixth year, Malfoy and his cronies had attempted to do everything less than crucify Harry for his actions at the end of last year. However, Harry had 'accidentally' poked Neville's Mimbulus mimbletonia and gotten stinksap all over Malfoy in front of the entire class. Needless to say, Professor Sprout was less than amused, and both Harry and Neville were given detention; Neville for bringing the plant to class when he had been asked not to previously.
Harry had apologized to Neville incessantly, but even Neville couldn't take the grin off his face from seeing the rich and haughty Draco Malfoy covered in stinksap. And Harry had to agree.
Ron spoke up, with a grin covering his face. "Who said he wasn't, 'Mione? But you've gotta admit, it was priceless to see Malfoy covered in stinksap from Neville's plant thing." A look of utter joy appeared on his face, and stopped walking to lean on a wall. "Not sure if that or the amazing bouncing ferret act was better, Harry. What's your vote?"
Hermione sighed, and walked past the two of them in a quickened pace to get to her Ancient Runes NEWT class. But even as she passed them, Harry caught a faint look of humor in her features. Even Hermione couldn't help but think of the situation as funny; that made it all the better.
"Definitely that, Ron. And the revenge factor was ten times more sweet; literally. That stuff may look gross, but it tastes like lollipops."
***
I was around 8:56 before when Harry arrived in Snape's Dungeon of Hell, as all the Griffindor sixth years had begun calling it since they had returned this year. Professor Snape was, if possible, thirteen times worse than he had been in the past. He's taken to giving detentions for students for simply 'wasting too much ink while writing' or 'reading too fast in class', and then making the detentions impossibly hard so that he could give them more from there. Some students had even gone as far as to make passing jokes that they wanted Umbridge back to teach them potions. It didn't last long, however, because they had been found in the dungeons that night with Snape looming over them, making a basis of veritaserum and being forced to tell him all their secrets.
Harry knew it was because his professor was having a snowflake in hell's time with Voldemort, and trying to prove his loyalty. Even with his continued occlumency training, he would still dream and occasionally caught sight of Severus Snape under the worst of the unforgivables. Snape knew this, and chose to simply ignore it.
Neville Longbottom was already sitting in a desk towards the front, looking ashen and afraid. Harry walked over to him, sat in a desk adjacent to his, and gave the other boy a look of understanding. Long after Neville looked away, however, Harry's eyes still focused on his face. He still wasn't aware of the connection between the two; and the fact that had Voldemort not made his mistake, Harry would be living at Godric's Hollow with his two parents alive and happy. All Harry could do was force the thought out of his mind.
When Snape finally came swooping into the room, Harry lowered his gaze. As much as he respected the man for spying and all he had done... he still blamed him for Sirius, and his professor knew it.
His voice was tired, and Harry had the distinct impression that he had just recently come from one of his former master's hell sessions. "You both know why you are here, and I may only pray that you make this potion right. It's called the Potion of Erised, and I believe you, Mr. Potter, know what that means. If done correctly, which I doubt either of you will be able to do, it will show a shadow of the greatest desire of whomever looks first into the cauldron. If gone wrong, you may go temporarily blind or even temporarily insane. So I urge each of you to concentrate. The instructions and ingredients are on the board. You may begin."
Harry wasn't sure whether to be angry or overjoyed with the potion. There were no doubts that if done correctly, Harry's shadows would be of his parents and Sirius, and Neville's would be of his parents. But he also knew how intoxicating it was to look upon those dead... and how it would truly drive any person insane.
Knowing nothing could be done to change the potion master's mind, the two set off to work. Time passed slowly, and Harry made sure to make the potion perfectly; despite the Headmaster's words by the mirror in his first year, he wanted to see them all again; and after an hour and a quarter, the potion was complete. Snape nodded over to him, and he looked down into the cauldron.
Shadows rose from the blackened potion, and Harry saw a single dancing figure. It was his father, smiling and twisting until it became his mother, who laughed until it became Sirius, who waved until it because all three, in a single shadow, laughing and waving, smiling... Harry's mind was going fuzzy, and he was reaching towards the shadows...
Severus Snape walked over, and slowly waved his wand towards the figures. They dissipated with less than a second's time, and Harry's mind became clearer. Much to his embarrassment he felt tears in his eyes, and turned away with all his strength to hide them from his instructor. Neville looked upon him, horrified, and wasn't even taking notice that he was adding far too many phoenix tears to the potion. Harry wanted to warn him, but he didn't trust his voice. He wanted to see them again, it was truly a drug; once he got a taste, it took over and he would be hooked and intoxicated...
Neville's cauldron was in front of him, and his mind raced... the potion had to be wrong, there was no question... but he had to try, what if it was his only chance... they were waiting, there, the shadows... what if they told him something...
He raced forward, not heeding to his professor's shouting, and threw himself over Neville's cauldron. Looking in, the potion was clearer, reminding him of the potion that Voldemort had used to return... but the familiar shadows came up, but they were much clearer... his dad, but he was shouting something... his mum, then, but she was waving him away... and she began to change... Snape pulled him back, and they both fell atop Neville and the potion spilled, creating an explosion...
The last thing Harry saw was the clock on the wall above the potion master's desk, saying plainly, 10:34 p.m....
***
Severus Snape looked down, and Albus Dumbledore gave a giant sigh. "So you assigned them the Phoenix potion, so that you could see James and Lily again? Severus, I know you feel guilty, but that was dangerous as giving Harry a portkey to Voldemort right now! You of all people should know how addicting it is to see your greatest desire, and not be able to obtain what is right there, Severus." He placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "...Severus, I know you feel guilty about James and Lily. But they would have forgiven you. You just need to be able to forgive yourself now."
Snape nodded, and Dumbledore left the Hospital Wing. The three of them were expected to make a full recovery by the next morning, but he was worried about how Harry would be able to handle it, emotionally. He knew that Severus hadn't meant any harm by it, but he also knew how he was after his meetings. Unstable, emotional, vengeful. Voldemort did that to you.
He walked down the long corridor to the potions office, to see if he could retrieve the Death Eater cloak Severus would need if called. If he wasn't, he would remain in the Hospital Wing for recovery, but it was better to leave no chances. He didn't even notice when the door to the potions classroom came upon him, and he had to double back. Being Severus, the only entrance to his private rooms was through the classroom—and so he opened the door without much thought.
When he did, his heart stopped. He pinched himself on his arm, and the sharp pain went dull with the realization that this was real. He stayed there, moments upon moments, and stared.
Lying on the floor, coughing yet quite alive, were Lily and James Potter.
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