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THE FATES HAVE DECIDED
Harry ran down to the dungeons for his first Occulumency lesson with Snape since he had first returned from the Christmas break.
He stood, leaning on the jagged stone wall, to catch his breath. Harry was simultaneously experiencing warmth from all the running and chills because of the drafty underground air.
Snape opened the heavy door without him having to knock and Harry got in without a word.
The office was exactly the same as he had seen before the Christmas break. Rough dungeon walls transition into smooth, polished surface in the office. Not many personal artefacts around the office just some House trophies, Dumbledore's pensieve, a floo-fireplace and the entire eastern wall dedicated to books and potion supplies in small hand-made bottles.
Overall it gave a depressing feeling to Harry who was hoping that the lesson end any minute now.
Ron is playing Exploding Snaps with Dean and, Oh tonight Fred and George were going to show me the purple tongue-twistie toffees. AND I have Flitwick's essay to finish. Harry thought, bemoaning his fate.
When Harry looked up, he noticed that there was a new kind of hostility in Snape's eyes obviously he still looks like a greasy ugly beaked git.
'You are late, Mr. Potter. Perhaps punctuality is not a quality to be expected of the Golden Boy' Snape sneered. And Harry could swear Snape sniffed the air.
'Sit down, boy. Stop staring like a troll' Snape snapped at Harry.
Being a Death-Eater and a spy for the Light Side, Snape had to have a complete control of his emotions so this unexplainable itch to just throw things around was quite a surprise.
'I hope, Mr. Potter, that you have been practicing Occulumency, this Christmas break'. Severus hadn't expected Harry to have done a smidge of work.
Just like his ignorant lazy father.
Harry, for his part, didn't reply. It wasn't that he wished to let Voldemort in his mind but holidays at the Burrow were just amazing. In the mornings after a huge breakfast, they pulled gnomes from the field, checked for rotten plants, cleaned the shed; then a huge lunch and Quidditch in the afternoons; finally a huge dinner with Mr. Weasley and then games of Exploding Snaps or Wizarding Chess. The entire vacation was spent in a flash, like happy times tend to go.
There was no time for him to sit in quiet and think about the burdens of being the Boy-Who-Lived when he could've been enjoying downstairs with the Weasleys.
'Speak, boy' Snape said irritated.
'Yes, Sir' Harry replied automatically.
Snape was stunned. Harry's voice, as unbelievable as it sounds, soothed the uncanny itch.
This is bad news. I'll have to talk to Albus about it. It can't be what I'm thinking.
Snape sneered 'We'll see'.
'Legilimens' Snape started the lesson and it went on for an hour after which Harry was promptly dismissed.
- Scene Break-
Severus brought out the books from his small private library; he could already feel the beginnings of a migraine starting just staring at the huge volumes on Veela.
After searching for two hours he found the instructions for Amorebeweisen in One Thousand Best Potions for the Newly Mated.
Really now, this is just what I don't need.
AMOREBEWEISEN
This potion reveals the mate of creatures who have their life partner decided by their supernatural sides. These include Veela, Werewolf, Dragons, Vampires, Shape-Shifters and the fae-people.
Mates of hybrid creatures (or those infamously called Half-Breeds) cannot be conclusively identified by the Amorebeweisen-Visual. The potion shows many potential mates for hybrid-creatures and was recorded to be utterly useless in many cases involving hybrid-creatures.
These include Chimaeras, Sphinx and Satyr.
Expensive, accurate and controversial, Amorebeweisen is particularly famous in the ancient, and therefore generally the pureblood families.
These three qualities are because this potion utilizes –
1. Whole Scale of a Mermaid's Tail -This is a tricky ingredient to acquire as the mermaid needs to be alive when the scales are procured. Usually done by tricking the mer-people into unconsciousness (potions for which can be found in One Hundred and One Potions for Dwindling the Consciousness)
2. Powdered Bark of the Alihotsy tree - also known as the Hyena tree, the bark catches fire upon coming in contact of air. Thus, an underwater fire is used though some prefer flameless fires too.
This potion should be attempted by a NEWT level or higher witch or wizard, preferably one registered with the Ministry as a Potion-Master or Potion-Mistress.
A visual appears through the smoke or on the liquid's surface. This can be stored, packaged and transported quite easily and is treated like fluids generally are.
Stored Amorebeweisen can be used to prove claims and gain mating privileges under Mated Creature Protection Act, 1897 in the Ministry of Magic. And similarly, used in cases of domestic and civil disputes.
There have been a few criminal cases where this was used as evidence but this is very seldom so.
However, in cases of hybrid-creatures, this potion does not incriminate anything.
Moreover, it makes for a very popular gift presented on the first day of courtship.
It is strongly recommended to all mated creatures that Amorebeweisen Visual be contained and protected.
-*-
Severus blew some Bowtruckle's dust on the purple smoke arising from the Amorebeweisen potion and watched it take the form of an unsuspecting boy sleeping in the Hogwarts dormitories.
With red curtains – Gryffindor!
Though Severus was almost sure of who his mate was, the high Northern wind came in from the window in the boy's room and exposed the lightning-shaped scar, which confirmed Severus's suspicion.
He stored the smoke in a small clear-glass vial.
The smoke soon faded away while Severus put away all the jars of ingredients, the cauldrons and the trapped Visuals.
He had to talk to Albus and that too now. This couldn't wait till tomorrow.
Severus would have thought that such a revelation would leave him disoriented for a while, in fact he had feared that possibility, but unexpectedly, his brain was fine.
Damn Veela genes.
This situation had now put him in a very delicate position but it was an even more dangerous position for Harry. He would be kept alive to provide an open passage to get to the Chosen One, definitely unwillingly.