Chapter Ten
The Lab Breach
It was a week later when the potion lab blew up.
Just up the stairs, Tonks had paused her discussion on Grims because she thought she had felt the floor start to tremble. It had been immediately stopped, making her wonder what it was. A moment later, Jennifer was panting at the doorway, her face covered with cuts.
"I need your help. I have a situation," Jennifer said quickly. "Evacuate this room before you come down."
"Oh boy," Tonks said, trying to calm her third year Gryffindor-Slytherin class down.
"Isn't third year Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw in there?" someone asked.
"What could have happened that we need to evacuate?" several others were saying.
"Quiet, please! Grab all your things and head immediately to the Great Hall and read the chapter we're on until I get back. Straight away, line up, no pushing now," Tonks said, funneling them out the corridor opposite the back stairs as Jennifer dove down them.
Jennifer blasted open her outside office door and pulled some blankets out of the closet, stopping to tap a painting of Minerva. Minerva blinked once then looked at Jennifer, quite alert.
"Security procedure for a lab breach level five, code FF," Jennifer said, chucking the blankets into the hallway.
"Goodness! Right away, Jennifer!" Minerva said, moving out of the frame.
"What do you need, Jennifer?" Tonks asked, catching some of the blankets thrown out the door.
"Help me move the students out! Lie them down as soon as you get them out of the door, the Freeze Frame doesn't work outside the room and I don't know if there are any bad injuries," Jennifer said, running back into the smoke-filled room and grabbing the first student closest to the door, lying them on a blanket and pulling his petrified form into the corridor. She heard Hermione's voice ring out through the school even as the student thawed, finishing out his movement to duck before looking around, disoriented.
"Stay down, Chris, just lie back and relax," Jennifer said insistently, turning to the one Tonks had brought out. "That goes for you too, Lindsay, stay put."
"What's going on?" Lindsay asked confusedly, but Jennifer had gone back in again.
"There's a lot of shrapnel in the air hidden in the smoke, Jennifer," Tonks said when she came in. "I just found out the hard way."
"Stay outside with the students and make sure they stay still," Jennifer said, dragging another one. She felt a hand on her when she got to the door and looked up to see Severus standing behind her.
"Keep them coming, Jennifer," he said, pulling the one she had out of the doorway. As soon as Tonks was stationed with the waking students, Severus went in, immediately turning all the visible desks into stretchers. "What potion was it?"
"Greek fire, but I think somehow some of Baryon's Bottled Catalyst got in the mix," Jennifer said. Severus suddenly stopped cold and stared at her, but she was too busy trying to grab Laura Lupin to notice. Quickly pulling Bobby March's frozen form out from the smoke, Severus looked up to see Ginny and Andrew, Anna, and Hermione standing in the corridor. Danyelle was running over to them from the secret passage.
"I need everyone moved to the Great Hall at once! This explosion is likely to be catastrophic, I don't know if the protections on the lab will hold. Danyelle, evacuate people from the bottom up, Andrew from the top down, Anna pop out and get Sagitarri, have him meet us in the Great Hall," he snapped, turning to go back in.
"Father, wait!" Severus turned in surprise to see Aurelius running down the stairs with a medallion in his hand. "Don't go in there without this, and get Mum out of there before she hurts herself, the shrapnel gets worse further in! Headmaster's orders!" Aurelius added. Severus blinked but grabbed the Aegis and threw it around his neck, diving back in.
"Jennifer! Go pack your office!" Severus snapped, pulling her back.
"There's another student back there I can't get to, there's too much debris! And Dale is standing right next to the explosion!" Jennifer said.
"I'll get the rest out myself, do as your told, Professor Craw, this is no time to argue! Get Dagda's Cauldron out of here, and we have to reinforce the crypt, or we're going to have a lot less ghosts in this castle!" he barked at her. Reluctantly she stepped out, hearing cries of exclamation from Ginny and Hermione at her cut-up appearance.
"It can wait, just work on getting them upstairs," Jennifer insisted, heading to her office. She was quite surprised to see Aurelius was already in there, stuffing the least replacable potions in a puzzle box.
"Your Chest Cloak is on the chair, Mum, fill it," Aurelius said.
"How in the world…."
"Father tells me about it an hour from now," Aurelius said briskly. "I'd hurry if I were you. The explosion is so fast that even with the Freeze Frame slowing it down it can't stop it for too much longer. In fact…" he said, glancing at the clock, "we have ten minutes." Jennifer's eyes widened and she immediately went to her desk and swept her arm over it in to a pile and practically poured it in the pockets, ransacking the drawers as quickly as she could while Aurelius pulled off stacks of tomes and put them in his then sprinted out the door. A bell sounded…the Hogwart's Bell, and she found herself looking up the clock…two minutes! Tossing on her cloak, she grabbed Dagda's Cauldron and dove up the stairs relieved that no one other than herself seemed to be anywhere near. As she ran down the corridor to the Great Hall, Severus came out from a side corridor and half-aided, half-pushed her inside, the doors slamming shut behind them.
Not even a second later, a muffled explosion followed by a fierce shaking caused them to fall to the floor, the students and staff letting out yelps of surprise as bits of dust and plaster dusted them. As the trembling stopped, Jennifer gave Severus a hug in sheer relief. He briefly returned it before forcing himself back on his feet, brushing himself off.
"Professor Weasley? Everyone present and accounted for?"
"Professor Sprout was in the greenhouse and missed the call; I asked her to stay put, so she's fine. Everyone else is here but Mr. Carnegie and Auror Snape."
"Here, Professors!" John said from the back door, covered with soot but otherwise looking no worse for the wear. "I believe Auror Snape left just after he sent me to ring the bell, Sir."
"Madame Potter?" Severus asked, glancing at Ginny.
"Mostly lacerations, Professor, except for Mr. Chance, his arm is in real bad shape. The doctor is looking at him," Ginny said, pointing to where the centaur had curtained off a corner of the room.
"We'll have him moved as soon as we know how much structure damage we just sustained," Severus said, taking a moment to exhale, looking over the excited students.
"Professor Weasley, have those teaching a class this hour who can teach them from here gather in sections and continue." Hermione stared at him a moment. "Everyone else we'll organize into a study section. Professor Craw, your classes are cancelled for today."
"Ya think?" Jennifer said dryly, Severus turning to her in response.
"And just when, might I ask, do we ever allow something as volatile as Baryon's Catalyst in the school to begin with?" he asked. Jennifer smiled thinly in response, digging in her cloak until she pulled out a schoolbook and tapped it.
"Fifth year book. I'm afraid Dale must have pulled it off my shelf instead of the basic accelerant I had stored for this," Jennifer said.
"Yes, I'm sure learning how to make Greek Fire would be useful to students," Severus said curtly, Jennifer's smile widening in response. "Professor Craw, don't you dare say 'I told you so.' Now is not the time."
"Fine, I'll just make an appointment for that," Jennifer said, getting an annoyed look from Severus in response as they went to see how bad the damage was.
They took the main corridor to make certain the way to the hospital ward was clear first, Severus insisting that Jennifer tell him exactly what she had experienced, double checking facts and time. As turned to the classrooms and neared the far end they had to slow down, for dust and debris had cluttered the top of the stairwell to the dungeons; where the stairs themselves were was now a twisted mess of iron and rubble.
"Well, at least there was only minimal damage to the Defense room," Jennifer said as the two of them peered down the stairwell. But the dust was still thick, reflected on bright sunbeams coming in from the breached wall. Severus peered upwards.
"If the stairwell is any indication, we have at least three floors of structural damage above, not that I'm any expert in such things. I imagine it's worse below. Check the houserooms and grab John and a couple of staff to temporarily seal off all the passages and corridors in this section. I need to get the ball rolling with Aurelius, Owl parents, and get Sirius here."
"Right," Jennifer said, turning the debris into a makeshift barrier in front of the stairwell before running to get Andrew and Tonks while hurried towards the main stair.
It could have been worse.
At least, that was what Jennifer kept telling herself when the three of them got done with the barricades and she slipped down the staircase, staring at the hole where her lab and office once had been. Half the storeroom above had lost its floor and paper was now blowing in the wind; everything that had been left in her office had been incinerated, including the painting of Minerva, whose last act of getting to Hermione's secretary and getting the warning out probably saved a great many student lives. She sighed, turning some of the debris into buttresses to take some of the strain off the existing walls and a pair of pillars before sliding to the ground to sit on what might have once been her desk, staring out into the sunlight as waiting for the unreal feeling to go away.
The sound of falling rubble behind her alerted her to someone else's presence, and she looked up to see Severus stepping out of the stairwell.
"Anna says Sirius is in the States, but he is on his way here," Severus said. "I see you had to seal off the stairs to the higher floors."
"Andrew says the way the back stair was constructed all the support was on the lowest stair," Jennifer said, accepting his hand up. "Most of the secret passages on this side of the castle had to be shut down as well. I suppose we'll have to take the long way around for a while."
"John is clearing the old art room for you to use for your class. It seems that you were able to get what you wanted after all," Severus said.
"What? Bigger windows for the dungeon?" Jennifer asked dryly.
"Not having to do labs for awhile," Severus said, then glanced at the open wall. "Yes, well, it seems you have both, doesn't it?" he murmured, shaking his head. "This is my fault. I let the board get under my skin and went too far with it."
"Now, don't go blaming yourself," Jennifer said, putting an arm around him. "Besides, as I understand it, Dale Chance was more than happy to take the blame," she added with an amused smile. But Severus gazed over the rubble with a dark, somber expression.
"You know, I spent more than half my life in this stupid lab," he said after a moment. Jennifer gazed up at him with concern, her own emotions suddenly dwarfed by what she read in his eyes. "Now, just like that, it's gone, as if to prove none of it mattered."
"Nonsense, Severus, it matters to a great many people," Jennifer said quietly, wrapping her other arm around him. "It isn't the end of the world, Severus, and the fact that everyone got out without more serious injuries is a blessing that can't be ignored. We'll rebuild. Exactly as it was, if that's what you want."
"No, we'll make improvements, Jennifer. I want better firewalls between the lab, stairwell and the other sections of the dungeon especially, and we should just fill in the rooms on the next two floors above it. I've always wanted better protection for the Cauldron in your office, and I suppose we could consider the windows issue," he mused. Jennifer smiled and kissed his cheek lovingly. "If only other things in my life were so easy to rebuild."
"There's always room for improvements, Severus," Jennifer said firmly. "You don't have to start from scratch to do it."
"Was there anything lost in the blast of any consequence, or did you manage to get it all out in time?" Severus said, abruptly changing the subject.
"All of my rare ingredients of course, but the main thing lost was the portrait of Minerva she had done for me just before she left," Jennifer said quietly. "I think it was the only painting of her in the castle, although there are quite a number of photos." Severus' frown deepened. "I'm glad the other painting had already been sent to the containment room, or we'd have lost your portrait too. Are the ghost's vaults alright?"
"Yes, I had Aurelius come in earlier to reinforce it before the blast," Severus said. "It could have been worse."
"So I've been trying to tell myself," Jennifer admitted.
"Well, standing here staring at it won't make it better. You have a classroom to prepare before Monday, and I need to check the emergency fund and see how much deeper this is going to put us above budget," Severus said.
"Would you mind terribly if I re-supplied some of the class ingredients myself, then?" Jennifer asked as they walked down the corridor.
"Whatever for? You know quite well none of the other classrooms are safe for labs…"
"I can do balms, Severus, at least the ones that are non-temperature sensitive…the worst they can do is boil the cauldron over," Jennifer pressed. Severus frowned at her disapprovingly. "Look, none of the lower classes understand alchemist notation at all…"
"I hardly expected them to," Severus shrugged.
"Yes, I know, but I'm simply not going to wash up all my classes because of the silly board's book recommendations," Jennifer said firmly. "There's still OWLS and NEWTS to consider, after all, especially if they drag these books on. If I can make simple balms, I can write them out in notation and go through them line by line so at least they can learn how to read the basic ones. I won't change the homework or book tests, Severus, but at least let me salvage part of their education. Just because it's too advanced doesn't mean it's not useful for them to learn, in fact if we do this right they'll be more prepared for advanced classes if they chose to take them."
"Fine, fine," Severus said with exasperation. "Send me a list of safe and inexpensive balms you think would work for what you have in mind so I can sign off on them. But don't forget you need to be at Quidditch tryouts this weekend."
"Thank you, Professor," Jennifer said with a warm smile. "You know, you really are better at this job than you think you are."
"Considering the mess just behind us, that remains to be seen," Severus said. Jennifer silently shook her head, but knew better than to press the argument any further.
The hospital ward was swarming with students and parents when Lucky and Ambrose came to see Lindsay. The majority of students were sitting around Dale, who was sitting up with a bandage around his head and his right arm completely wrapped, but a table full of parcels sat beside him. Lucky rolled her eyes, wondering if the gifts weren't as much as well wishes as for blowing up the lab, especially when he was busy telling the students around him exactly what he had done, probably not for the first time.
"There they are," Ambrose said, pulling Lucky back to where Anna was sitting next to Lindsay's bed. "Look, there are the Lupins too!" He ran over to the bed next to Lindsay, saying a quick hi to her before going over to where Laura was with her parents. Lucky watched curiously as the elderly man with a haggard face but a warm smile mussed up Ambrose's hair, the lady sitting with him making a comment on how much he'd grown.
"'Ey Lindsay. Rough day, eh?" Lucky said.
"Exciting," she grinned. "One minute I see smoke, the next I'm in the hall getting rushed up the stairs!"
"That's one way of getting out of Craw's potion class," Lucky chuckled.
"It'll give her a chance to get caught up with the homework," Anna suggested. Lindsay made a face.
"Have youseen our potion's homework?" Lindsay asked her.
"I don't think we have to worry about that, Lindsay," Laura said from the next bed. "I think it all got blown to smithereens. Along with our books and our potion kits."
"Well, those can be easily replaced, I'm just glad they were able to get all of you out of there in one piece as bad as the damage was," Remus said. "I think Jennifer's quick thinking and Severus' tendency to over-plan everything probably saved a lot of lives today."
"There can be little doubt of that," Carol said, squeezing her daughter's hand. "The Professor is assuredly one of the best Headmasters this school has ever seen."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Remus said. "You didn't know the same Severus I did."
"Was he as rotten as everyone says he was, Remus?" Ambrose asked with interest.
"Ambrose!" Anna and Carol shouted at once. Remus chuckled softly.
"Remus, have you met Fortuna Snape yet?" Anna asked, still frowning at Ambrose.
"Lucky," Lucky corrected quickly.
"Ah, that explains the look I've been getting! Hullo, Lucky!" Remus said warmly. "We've heard a lot about you from Sirius and Anna. And a talented Number Turner too, I hear."
"It is nice to meet you, Lucky," Carol added with a smile of her own. "I used to be your older siblings' nanny and lived with them for several years. You are in a very fine family."
"Thanks, tho' sometimes they make me wonder," Lucky said. Remus started to laugh until Carol gave him a dirty look and he cleared his throat, standing.
"Well, I think I'll go have a word or two with Severus before we leave," he decided, leaning down to whisper something in his daughters ear first. Laura grinned at him in response, watching him walk away.
"Glad to see you're both all right," Ambrose said, walking over and pulling Lucky's arm. "Come on, I want to see Dale too."
"Do we have to?" Lucky said, but said her goodbyes to the two girls.
"Aw come on, Lucky, you may not like him, but you can be nice. He almost died, ya know," Ambrose said.
"He looks okay to me," Lucky said, frowning disapprovingly as the crowd around him seemed to hang on every word and laugh on anything he said that was even remotely funny.
"Hullo, Dale!" Ambrose greeted him, pushing his way through.
"Hullo, Ambrose. Is that Lucky hiding back there?" Dale asked teasingly.
"Who's hiding?" Lucky asked with annoyance.
"Don't tell me you're sore that I accomplished what you spent all last year trying to do," Dale asked teasingly.
"Un pequeño," Lucky admitted, holding up her fingers to show how much.
"You are so competitive!" he said with an exasperated smile.
"Come on, Bill," Lucky said, pulling Ambrose away.
"Um. All right. See you," Ambrose said.
"Thanks for saying hello…sort of," Dale added the last part in a lower voice.
"Don't pay attention to her, Dale," Connie said, giving Lucky a dirty look as the two of them fought their way to the door. "Even if she has only been with them a year, Lucky is a Snape, through and through."
"That's hardly fair, Constance, you know she can be nice when she wants to be, even if she is rough around the edges," Tim said, nudging his cousin. "Just how did you manage to get on her bad side, Dale?"
"If you figure that one out, let me know," Dale said with a weak chuckle, tearing his eyes away from the door and quickly changing the subject.