CHAPTER 25
Ron was standing outside of Snape's classroom when Harry and his dad arrived at eight the next morning.
When Snape called out for the lights, the boys could see some of their potion hanging from the ceiling like stalactite cones, abandoned cauldrons and ingredients scattered.
"All ingredients that are still out need to be gathered and stored back in their respective places," Professor Snape began his instructions. "All the cauldrons need to be scrubbed and placed on the shelves. Your potion needs to be cleaned off the ceiling, the floor, the table and surrounding chairs. All the other work areas need to be cleaned as well. I will be in my office."
"Our potion burned your robes and you want us to touch it?" Rod scowled.
"If I deemed your potion hazardous at this point in time, I would not have you cleaning it up," Professor Snape berated with his piercing cold stare.
"This will take all weekend," Harry whined.
"If you wish to whine little a five year old, you will find yourself standing in a corner for half an hour and therefore spending even more time in here," the Professor stated, walking off to his office with his robe billowing.
"How come you had to stay at home last night?" Ron whispered after Snape was gone.
"Every Halloween since I can remember I have a nightmare where I see red eyes, I hear a woman scream and a bright flash of green light and then my scar burns really bad," Harry explained. "My dad made a potion he thought would help, so we tried it last night. It helped a lot last night, but it didn't make all of it go away."
"Did you tell him your scar was bugging you in the morning too?" Ron questioned, placing a chair on top of the table.
"Na," Harry responded and climbed up on the table and onto the chair that Ron was holding. "He'd just worry more. Beside it went away after we ate."
"I guess sugar does cure something's," Ron chuckled. "And my parents thing to much sugar is bad for you."
"They might have a point," Harry moaned waving his hand around at the disastrous looking room.
The chair shook as Ron let out a few loud chuckles, and then quickly looked to see if Snape was coming out to yell at them.
"Pass me a cauldron, I want to see if I can knock this down," Harry said, realizing he couldn't reach the solidified goop even standing on the chair.
"That's going to make a lot of noise," Ron mentioned.
"How else are we supposed to get it down?" Harry asked, taking the cauldron form Ron.
Ron shrugged, Harry swung.
It came down, crashing inches away from Ron and sending greenish coloured cloud of dust all around them.
"What the hell?" Professor Snape came thundering out of his office.
"We got it down," Harry said innocently looking at his dad.
Snape spun and returned to his office, grumbling incoherent words.
"This is going to be a long day," Harry moaned as he climbed down.
"How did the old git expect us to do it?" Ron sneered, then looked at Harry: "Oops, sorry mate," he smiled.
"No worries. I agree with you," Harry snickered.
"Let's get the extra ingredients put away. I think that will be quieter," Ron suggested.
"I think we should have done that before we knocked down that," Harry remarked, pointing at the new mess they had created.
"Less to put back now," Ron snickered.
Harry couldn't help but quietly laugh to.
They had only just finished putting ingredients away when Snape told them to go for lunch.
"We've spent four bloody hours just putting shite away," Ron grumbled as they trudged down the hall.
Harry knelt on the bench at the table, making it look like he needed the extra length to stretch for food. Then carefully leaned back on his legs, keeping his still somewhat sore butt off the hard wooden seat.
Half an hour after they came into the Great Hall for lunch, Snape made his way to the boys. "Lunch is over," he stated. "Back to work."
"It's only been half an hour," Harry whined.
"This is not a school day. Your meals are when I set them," Snape affirmed and continued his 'get out of my way' walk.
The minute they entered the classroom, Professor Snape turned to Harry: "Mister Snape, you will stand yourself in a corner in my office," he demanded and pointed. Harry looked up at the Professor. "I told you if you wished to whine like a five year old, you would stand in a corner for half an hour."
Harry stomped off.
"That little stomp has earned you an hour," Professor Snape snapped. "Mister Weasley, you will collect half the cauldrons and scrub them."
Snape returned to his paper work until Harry's hour was up. "Mister Snape, you will go start scrubbing the other half of the cauldrons," he ordered Harry.
"Yes sir," Harry spoke softly.
Ron was still scrubbing his half of the cauldrons when Harry started gathering up his half. Ron had to start putting away some of his cauldrons to make room for more. After more than two solid hours of scrubbing, Ron looked at his hands. "My arms are killing me and I think my fingers will look like prunes for weeks," he moaned caring the last of his cauldrons to the drying racks
Professor Snape stepped out of his office: "Mister Weasley you are free to go. You will return here tomorrow at nine o'clock." Ron looked over at Harry. "Mister Snape has an hour to make up for," the Professor noted.
Harry spun his head around to glare at his dad, but the Professor had already retreated back to his office. Ron shrugged at Harry, then left. Harry resumed his cauldron scrubbing until Professor Snape told him it was time to go.
The next morning Harry and Ron were joined by the twins and two third year Slytherins.
"Professor McGonagall decided that since I was already hosting a detention, she would send you four here," Professor Snape told the new comers. "Mister Weasley, Mister Snape," Professor Snape looked at them, "you have help with your cleaning today." The Professor opened the room.
"Any playing around, yelling, arguing or whining," Professor Snape looked directly at Harry when he said 'whining', "and all of all will spend next weekend here as well."
"We have our first Quidditch game next weekend," Fred mentioned.
"Then I suggest you do as you are told," Professor Snape sneered and headed for his office.
"We could take out half the Gryffindor Quidditch team in one go," one Slytherin said to the other.
"Do try and remember I am in possession of a vast library of potions, spells and curses," Harry remarked with his best Professor Snape tone and glare.
"You wouldn't dare," one of them said.
"We would," the twins reciprocated.
"You two start sweeping and we'll start washing tables and chairs," Fred told the Slytherins. Neither of them argued.
The boys figured they had another hour or two left of cleaning when Professor Snape called lunch break.
Harry spent the rest of the week paying attention in all of his classes and made sure he did all his homework. He had no intention of getting a detention and not being allowed to play his first Quidditch game.
"Nervous Harry?" Oliver Wood asked as the Quidditch team stood waiting to go out onto the pitch.
"Yeah," Harry said taking in a deep breath.
"We'll keep ya safe, mate," the twins stood on either side of Harry and each put an arm around him.
True to their word, the twins kept everyone and stray bludger away from Harry. Not that Harry had any problems slipping away from danger, until his broom began acting weird.
Harry hung on tight as his broom began to buck, twist and try and shake Harry off.
Narcissa jumped to her feet when she saw Harry hanging bellow his broom: "Severus!" she screamed.
Snape pulled out his wand, but Harry was already climbing back on his broom.
"Someone cursed his broom," Snape mentioned and began scanning the stands. He didn't know who he should be looking for, but it didn't hurt to glance around anyway.
Narcissa remained on her feet as she watched Harry zoom down towards the ground. She held her breath when Harry stood on his broom, reached out, then flipped off the front and landed on the ground. Harry stood up and looked like he was going to be sick. His body gave a quick heave and the snitch popped out of his mouth. Beaming with pride, Harry held the snitch up and waved his hand.
"Harry has caught the snitch," Lee announced. "Gryffindor wins," he yelled enthusiastically, jumping up from his seat.
Ron and Hermione raced out of the stands. But when they reached Harry, he was being bear hugged by Narcissa.
"I'm fine mum," Harry groaned into her hug.
Snape had reached down and picked up Harry's broom. He planned on running every test he could think of, to see who or what cursed it.
"What were you thinking, standing on your broom like that," his mum scolded, releasing her hold on him.
"I had to get the snitch somehow," Harry snickered. He turned and looked at his dad holding his broom: "What are you doing to my broom?"
"I want to run a few tests on it. Go change and play with your friends," his dad remarked.
"It was cursed somehow," Hermione mentioned. "Your dad wants to find out who or how."
"That was some wicked flying," Draco smiled as he ran over to the group. "But you're supposed to have water under you when you drive off your broom," he chuckled.
"I'll try and remember that," Harry replied and headed for the locker room.
Once Harry met back up with Draco, Hermione and Ron, the four of them headed to Hagrid's for afternoon tea and biscuits.
"Whatever you do, don't try to eat the biscuits, they'll brake your teeth," Draco warned Ron and Hermione.
Harry introduced Ron and Hermione to Hagrid and Fang. The kids did manage to slip their biscuits to Fang, without Hagrid being any the wiser.
"That was some scary stuff wit chour broom, Harry," Hagrid remarked.
"Dad's testing it. Checking for a curse or something," Harry replied.
"If Dumbledore was here, no one would have tried anything like that," Hermione scowled.
"He's still trying to find Nicolas," Harry noted.
"You know Nicolas?" Hagrid looked at Harry with surprise.
A grin crossed Harry's face: "He's been a friend of Albus' for years. I think I might have met him, but I don't really remember the name Nicolas."
"I can't see a child being introduced to an elder by the elder's given name. Perhaps you would recognize his last name," Hermione said and looked at Hagrid.
"Nicolas' last name is Flamel. Do ya remember that name?" Hagrid answered.
"No, maybe I was mistaken," Harry told Hagrid, but smiled brightly to his friends.
The rest of their visit they spent listening to Hagrid talk about various animals. The kids were hoping changing the subject to animals and asking Hagrid to tell them about them, would make Hagrid forget about the Nicolas conversation.
As they made their way back to the castle, Ron said: "Do you think we could get Hagrid to tell us about the stone next weekend?"
"Hagrid's thick, but I think even he would catch on to what we would be doing," Draco replied.
"We at least have a last name to go on. That should give us what we need to find out the rest," Hermione remarked. "We just find Flamel in the library and if this stone is that important, it has to be mentioned in regards to him somewhere."
"We have an hour before dinner, let's go to the library," Draco suggested.
Their library plan got put on hold when the stairs moved and took them in a different direction. Stepping off, they all glanced around. "This corridor has to go somewhere," Ron huffed, starting down the hall.
"I don't think I've ever been up here before," Draco said as the stone gargoyles along the wall lit their torches as the group passed them.
"Isn't this the three floor area we're not allowed to be in?" Hermione questioned.
"Let's head back," Harry turned around and saw Mrs. Norris. "Filch's cat," he hissed.
"Run," Draco ordered and they scurried down the hallway.
"It's locked," Ron moaned, rattling at a door handle at the end of the hall.
"Oh move over," Hermione ordered. "Alohomara," she said with a wave of her wand.
The four of them piled into the door and were greeted by three headed dog with snapping jaws, but they were just out of its range.
Harry opened the door a crack; saw that the hallway was dark once again. "No Filch," he announced and was pushed out the door, with the other three falling on him.
"What are they doing with a thing like that in the school?" Ron grumbled.
"It's guarding the trap door on the floor," Draco mentioned.
"I think I know where the stone is being kept," Harry grinned.
"Let's get out of here," Hermione said, getting to her feet.
"I think the stone is safe, no one in their right mind would go near that thing," Ron stood up.
"Yeah well no one in their right mind would break into Gringotts either," Draco noted.