Diagnosis
A/n: I hope that this chapter is still enjoyable to read. Since the place that I go to during most days is closed due to the virus, I haven't had the trip time their and back again to plan this and am writing as I go. That's why I hope that it lives up to your expectations.
'written by Harry'
"spoken aloud."
/parseltoungue./
Chapter 21: Anamargi
Disclaimer: Don't own it regrettably.
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Harry's POV
Dear Mr. Potter:
I am writing to you regarding the basilisk armor that you requested. It will be ready a month from now. I will have my house elf bring it to you as soon as it is ready and will expect the payment to be payed in full at this time. It would make a scene if you exited my shop carrying seven sets of armor even if they were shrunk, so my house elf will bring it to you at Hogwarts. I thank you for your business and hope to do more business with you in the future.
Sincerely:
Arnold Morningflower
Harry brought out his wand and burned the letter with a quick incendio. He didn't want anyone else to be able to read the letter because it could put Mr. Morningflower in danger if it got out that Harry had been outfitted for basilisk armor. He cast a mufflieato charm so that no one could overhear their conversation.
'Hermione, Mr. Morningflower wrote me a letter saying that it would be safer not to go to his shop during the next Hogsmeade trip and wants me to pay his elf and get the armor from it when he's done crafting it. What do you think of this?'
"I agree with him."
'Did you finish your homework for our next class Ron,' wrote Harry.
"Yeah," said Ron who was sitting across the Gryffindor lunch table from them on Friday at lunchtime.
"What'd you burn that letter for Harry?"
'For secrecy reasons Ron,' wrote Harry.
"I suppose it was important," said Ron through a mouthful of food.
'It was from Arnold,' wrote Harry. 'He gave me the details of how we're going to do the transaction.'
"Good."
"I bet it'll look wicked! I can't wait to try it on," said Hermione. "Isn't Morningflower supposed to be an old pureblood family name?"
'I think so,' said Harry. 'Perhaps he'll consider fighting with us.'
"Supplying us with what he is is already posing a huge risk for him. What more do you want from the man," asked Ron.
'Nothing. But we've got to start thinking strategically y'know. Lord Voldemort is building an army against us and we've got to do the same.'
Harry slid the notebook to both of them so that their conversation could continue.
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Harry's POV
At dinner, a third year Slytherin gave Harry a scroll from Dumbledore. A pit of dread sat like a lump in his stomach. He knew that the Headmaster wanted him to go to his office for another lesson about Lord Voldemort. He did not look forward to this at all as the lessons put more and more pressure on him. He opened the scroll and read the note that confirmed his suspicions.
'Ron Hermione.'
"Yes," they said in unison.
'I've got another lesson to go to tonight. I'm a bit surprised that the headmaster is having me come up to see him again so soon.'
'I already know about the horcruxes, I just don't know what they are, so it's kind of annoying that I've got to go listen to his whoffeling on and on y'know. Maybe I'm being selfish…'
"I don't think so," said Hermione. "It's possible that the headmaster just wants to mentor you."
'But after all he's done…or to be more honest hasn't done for me, I don't really like him. Respect him, definitely, but think he's a grandfather figure, no bloody way.'
"You've a right to your feelings mate," said Ron. "I'm not saying that you're wrong."
Draco came up to their table and tapped Harry on the shoulder.
Harry lifted the Mufflieato charm and turned to Draco and wrote, 'What is it?'
"It's time to go."
Harry let out a sigh. He hated his radiotherapy treatments. They left him with horrid radiation burns that he had to put cream on to deal with the pain.
The bald Gryffindor got up and followed Draco out of the great hall and down to the Hogwarts gates.
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Harry's POV
On Saturday morning, Harry, Hermione and Ron sat beside a roaring fire in the common room discussing the lesson Harry had attended last night with Albus; they had put a Mufflieato charm up for privacy naturally.
'I learned that another horcrux likely is Hufflepuff's cup.'
"Oh," said Hermione surprised. "Then he used objects from all four founders?"
'The Headmaster believes so. Did you know that Zacharius Smith is related to Helga Hufflepuff?'
"No way," said Ron and Hermione in unison.
'Yeah, it surprised me too. After retrieving the cup, he killed the original owner.'
"That doesn't surprise me," said Hermione. "Voldemort would've more than likely taken pleasure in killing wherever and whenever he could."
"So now all we've got to do is find out what of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor's he sought," said Ron.
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Harry's POV
Later that evening, Harry lay down on the bed in Severus's private office in the head of Slytherin's quarters awaiting his Celmosphocide injection. He wasn't feeling well at all. He felt dizzy and had a massive headache. He was grateful that the potions master had transfigured him a bed to lay down on during these treatment sessions, because he felt just plain rotten.
"How are you feeling Mr. Potter," came the soft baritone voice of Severus Snape.
'Not well,' wrote Harry handing him the notebook.
"What's wrong? What hurts?"
'My head. I also feel dizzy.'
"Here, take your migraine potion. Poppy gave me some of them just in case this happened during your treatments."
'Thank you,' wrote Harry with a shaky hand.
Harry reached out a hand and took the potion, sitting up and bringing it to his lips.
He lay back down and held back the vomit by a narrow margin.
The nausea was probably from his migraine since he didn't have chemo or radiation treatment yet since this was the weekend.
"Ready to begin," asked Severus.
Harry nodded and the Professor brought over the beeker of purple potion and added a drop of Harry's blood turning it a bright red color. Harry tensed as Severus accessed his port.
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Harry's POV
The next morning Harry awoke with a grin on his face. He had had a good night of sleep. To top it all off, he felt great this morning. Any signs of his illness last night were gone. Today was looking like it'd be another good day.
He stretched and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He sat up and reached for his glasses, bringing the room into focus.
Harry turned to Brian in his tank and lifted the lid off hissing a greeting to his pet snake.
/How are you this morning Brian?/
/Warm and sleepy./
/Want to get out and explore the castle with me?/
/Yes. Are you going to eat first master?/
/Yes. Let me get dressed first Brian okay?/
/Of course master. You know what's best for young humans, not me. I however know what's best for young handsome snakes like myself./
Harry grinned at his snake's antics and got dressed. He put his hat on and winced as it rubbed against the radiation burn that still hurt a bit on his head from Friday's radiotherapy session. He was glad that he only had two weeks left to go until his radiation treatments were a thing of the past.
Four hours later found Harry, Draco and Brian hanging out in the Room of Requirement after a bit of exploring for Harry and Brian. They had run into Draco about half an hour ago down in some obscure corridor in the dungeons. He had eagerly came with Harry for a bit of quality time in the ROR.
"Do you want to bake some chocolate biskets for us," asked Draco with a cute pout on his lips.
'You expect me to go all the way down to the kitchens to get the ingredients,' grouched Harry.
"Are you a wizard or not," asked Draco with a scowl.
'Of course,' replied Harry indignantly.
"Then call on a house elf to do your bidding then. Duh."
'You don't have to be so mean Draco.'
"I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget that you were raised by the worst sort of Muggles imaginable."
Harry did not want to discuss the Dursleys again after their last conversation about their abuse of him so he distracted Draco by calling Dobby for the ingredients for the biskets.
"Dobby," called Harry.
"Harry Potter sir called for Dobby?"
"I need the ingredients for homemade chocolate chip biskets. Is that something that you can provide?"
"Dobby can be doing better than that. Dobby can get yous some hot freshly made biskets from the kitchens."
"No thanks Dobby," said Harry hoarsely. "I want to bake them for my boyfriend as a treat for being the handsomest wizard at Hogwarts you see."
"If Harry Potter sir insists," said Dobby, snapping his fingers. The elf left with a pop and came back shortly with the ingredients.
"Mr. Harry Potter sir, yous be sounding sick. Do you need some of Dobby's special soup?"
"No. I'm fine."
"But I's be remembering what the headmaster said about yous having cancer and being sick from the medications, surely soup bes making you feel better."
"I'll take a warm glass of water with lemon juice added into it. It helps soothe my throat."
"Sure thing," said Dobby.
Forty-five minutes later found Harry and Draco waiting for the biskets to cool. Harry had made them with an oven provided by the ROR.
Draco leaned in for a quick kiss. Harry obliged his boyfriend and their lips met.
Harry reluctantly pulled away and got up placing a few warm chewy biskets on a plate for his guest Draco. He walked over to the divan and handed the plate to Draco.
"Thank you love," said Draco taking a bite of the delicious treat.
Harry got his own biskets and ate them. They hurt his sore throat as they went down but the delectable taste was worth it in his opinion.
'Draco can you feel if I have a fever?'
"Why, do you feel sick Har?"
'No but my throat is sore. Severus said that if it hurts worse than usual which it does that I should check myself for fever and if I feel hot I've got to go see Madame Pomfrey for a pepper-up potion.'
"Oh it's one of those pesky cancer patient precautions then?"
'Yes. My immune system is weakened at the moment which leaves me susceptible to colds and the like.'
"You feel warm. I'll walk you and Brian to the hospital wing then."
'Thanks Dray,' wrote Harry getting up from the divan reluctantly. He didn't want their time together to be interrupted for anything.
And here he had thought he'd have a good day today. His throat now hurt and his nose was running, a sure sign that he was getting a cold.
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Harry's POV
Harry had indeed had a low-grade fever. Poppy had peered into his mouth and saw that the back of his throat was red, so she had given him a pepper-up potion. Draco had teased Harry about the steam coming out of his ears. Harry socked him lightly on the shoulder for his antics.
Harry was just glad to be feeling a bit better. Apparently he was getting a slight cold. However, the pepper-up potion was already making him feel better. You see, this is why Harry was absolutely in love with the magical world.
'Want to go back on our date,' wrote Harry coyly.
"Sure, are we going back to where we were or somewhere different," asked Draco.
'Somewhere different,' wrote Harry giving Draco's arm an impatient tug.
"Somewhere more private," said Harry still sounding a bit hoarse.
"You're not contagious anymore after the pepper-up, wanta snog?"
'Yes,' wrote Harry in the air with his wand as they were walking. It was bloody hard to write and walk at the same time but he managed.
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Harry's POV
On Monday after classes were finished, Hermione and Harry were sitting in the Room of Requirement in the room of hidden things with a goblet of potion each. Now was the time that they had been looking forward to all last month. Harry had hardly thought of anything else but what his animagus form or forms would be and how hard the transformation would be to achieve. But it would be worth it. He wanted nothing less than to live up to his father's legacy, becoming an animagus before graduating Hogwarts.
"Do you want to go first or should I," asked Hermione, staring into her best friend's face earnestly.
'You'd better do it, remember the disaster that was Polly juice potion? I can't let you do this unsupervised and have us take it together, that'd just be asking for bad luck,' wrote Harry with a smile.
"Shut it you. You know that that won't happen again. I've double and triple checked each step for the both of us. This potion is definitely safe."
'If you say so," said Harry with a teasing grin.
Harry watched on as Hermione drank the potion. Her body shrank and in front of Harry where his best friend had sat was a black cat. He snickered at the irony.
He sat their patiently waiting for the potion to wear off. The whole process took about ten minutes. He had expected this as Hermione had told him over and over what to expect once you had drank the potion.
A few minutes later, the cat's features blurred and where moments ago a black cat had sat, now Hermione had appeared unblemished.
"What did I turn into," asked Hermione. "I just remember turning into something small that had four legs."
'A black cat.'
"No way," shrieked Hermione indignantly. "I can't be a cat, that's just to much of a coincidence after our second year."
'I'm afraid you are, the potion wouldn't lie.'
"Now your turn," said Hermione.
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Hermione's POV
The bushy-haired witch watched on as her best friend in the whole wizarding world drank the disgusting potion. His face wrinkled in distaste.
He shrank down and before her where Harry had sat now their was a red and gold phoenix. She was surprised that the bird had had feathers since Harry himself was currently hairless, but figured that the potion showed the animal as you would look once transformed and not what you would currently look like in reality. This was the only explanation.
The only other phoenix animagus that she had heard of was the headmaster. Harry was going to transform into a rare creature indeed.
She couldn't wait to tell him.
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A/N: I hope that you liked this chapter. Credit goes to DS2010 for the suggestion of their animagus forms.
Recommended story of the chapter: Harry Potter and the Wish of Life by Usako3000.