Published 04th October 2020
Friday, April, 25th
Powell's Potion Laboratory
08:00
This morning, Hermione woke up before the clock rang. She turned off the alarm, got up, and it took her a moment to realize that she couldn't be in the Lab too soon, cause she could arouse suspicions. So she turned on the TV and, while eating breakfast, watched Muggle news on Sky News.
From yesterday, they only changed for the worse. Fortunately, no new deaths have been reported, but someone rumored that it was an Al Qaeda terrorist attack, and this raised even greater panic.
A frightened people rushed to the shops and began buying canned goods, milk, water and juices so that they could hide in the event of subsequent attacks.
The girl realized the passing of time only when the tv presenter switched to other, less important news. In a hurry, she brushed her hair and put on her makeup, and when she finally Apparated in front of the Lab, it was already a quarter past eight.
And very well.
Trying to tiptoe, she climbed upstairs and slipped quietly into the Six. She found Snape reading an open book.
„Good morning. We need to talk," she gasped and added, emphasizing. "As soon as possible."
One glance at her expression was enough for Severus. Besides, he also had something to tell her. But not here.
„Did anyone see you come in here?" He asked, coming up to her.
„No, but Monica knows I went upstairs!"
He thought only a few seconds.
"I'll be waiting for you at the end of the Knockturn Alley in half an hour. Now go to other labs, ask the rest about anything and pretend we haven't seen each other" he looked out into the empty corridor, nodded his head and added quietly:
"It's best to start with Two, idiot William is never interested in others, so he won't ask you anything. And stop being so nervous. You have your feelings written on your face!"
Hermione immediately forced a smile and, clicking her heels, left the lab.
Indeed, Time is a strange phenomenon. It can drag out terribly, then suddenly accelerates and flashes by a million miles a minute.
Hermione went to the opposite lab and had a little chat with William about gold and silver cauldrons, but her focus was more on judging time than his theories. When Wilson joined them, she asked him questions for a few moments, and finally escaped to the Three under any pretext. There she ran into Kelly and for the next ten minutes she tolerated his compliments, counting to sixty and flexing her fingers one by one.
When he finally suggested that it would be good to continue the conversation elsewhere, and she had just bent the last one, she pouted and pretending to be indignant, she went out into the hall very quickly and almost run downstairs.
She apparated to Knockturn Alley and immediately saw a tall figure dressed in black.
Snape walked up to her with a few long steps, grabbed her hand and using side-along apparition he appeared with her somewhere on a forest clearing.
„Well?" He asked as soon as they arrived and without looking back, he walked over to a fallen tree trunk.
Hermione sank her heels into the soft undergrowth and gritted her teeth mentally. Damn it, he couldn't have chosen a worse place ?!
"I believe Chase was accidentally poisoned with something that was meant for someone else," she replied, following him carefully on her toes.
Snape sent her questioning look, so she leaned against the edge of the trunk and told him very briefly what she had seen in yesterday's and today's news. He listened attentively and didn't interrupted her, but when she spoke about suspicious that Ebola was involved, he told her to explain what the disease was.
"I saw a list of the dead, none of them are a wizard. So I suppose someone has something against Muggles this time. Not Muggle-borns, but just ordinary non-magical citizens," she said at the end. "The missing amounts of all three ingredients are enough to make about three portions of the standard dose of the potion, so they probably still have a lot of poison."
Snape didn't answer. Griffin got poisoned with one chocolate frog ... so just one layer of chocolate on one frog was enough to kill. Still having the chocolate spot separated, he could easily determine how many of which ingredients were needed to make a lethal dose and how many such doses could be prepared from the missing amounts.
„... we'll find out more in the next news." He heard the girl.
"Wait." He held his hand up. "How many victims did they find?"
„Four. And they haven't reported any new deaths in days." Hermione bit her lips hard.
"That doesn't mean anything," he said immediately. "First, the killer, whoever he is, may have used up a lot of ingredients for trial potions that didn't work. Second, maybe they haven't found other victims yet ..."
"Or," Hermione went on, "it's the silence before the storm ..."
They both looked at each other with the same look of fear in their eyes. The girl started biting her lower lip again, and Snape returned to his thoughts.
Either the murderer wanted to eliminate a few people for some reason, and by chance they are all Muggles, or indeed, it is about Muggles in general.
Merlin, if it's true ... If it's true, then it will not end with just the four people.
When he realized that hundreds of people could die like Griffin did, he unconsciously gritted his teeth.
Maybe this can be prevented in some way? Not even knowing who the next target is? Even if you only save a few people, you have to try!
You know how to brew poison ... And having poison, you can brew an antidote. But you will be missing some ingredients ...
Ingredients from A and B Class...
Snape didn't take his eyes off Hermione, but he didn't seem to notice her; he frowned deeply as he ran a long, narrow finger over his mouth. Only after a long moment he snapped out of his thoughts.
"I think you'll have to take a very important decision," he said slowly, thoughtfully.
„What ... is this decision?"
„I'll have to ... steal A and B Classe ingredients from the lab. And you'll have to pretend you didn't see anything. And, what's more, cover me up if necessary."
Hermione felt as if suddenly there was no oxygen in the air.
"I'm supposed to pretend I don't see and ..." She almost gasped. "It's one of the basic things to be controlled ...!" It's breaking of basic rules of trade in ingredients... If someone somehow finds out about it, your career is over. BOTH careers!
Snape nodded.
"Exactly. Though you don't really have much of a choice ..."
? !?
The girl's eyes suddenly widened, but before she could do anything else, he leaned over sharply and grabbed her arm.
"Don't be afraid," he said with reassuring tone, and his fingers tightened slightly. "I will not do anything to you."
"So ... what do you want ... ?!"
"I want to brew this poison, make an antidote to it, and make sure it works. I don't have some ingredients, so I have to get them from the lab. Do you understand now what I'm talking about?"
Hermione was staring at him intently and only after a moment did she dare to breathe. Severus sensed she relaxed a little, so he squeezed her arm again and released her.
"I know this is a great risk for you. But perhaps this antidote can save someone's life," he added, straightening up. "Now do you understand why I think you don't have much choice?"
The girl nodded very slowly.
"I understand now," she repeated after him. "But ... how do you know how to brew poison? After all, we only discovered three ingredients ...? The antidote will not work if it is not made for that particular poison."
They looked each other in the eye for a moment, looking for some thread of understanding.
Tell her SOMETHING. Otherwise she won't trust you.
"Because I have a sample," he explained reluctantly, wincing.
Hermione felt as if she would never understand anything again.
"Sam ... sample? From who?!"
Snape was starting to lose his patience.
"This is not a discussion for now. I'll explain it to you later, preferably tonight."
"But ..."
"I said LATER," he cut abruptly and got up from the trunk."Before we part, I also have a message for you. Yesterday I told Powell that you know about the backyard and that you showed it to me. At the next opportunity, you will have to raise a very serious objection to ongoing procedure."
Hermione was about to ask why SHE had shown it to him, but she bit her tongue and asked instead:
"Where are we going to meet?"
Snape thought for a moment. Will be really better that nobody can see them together. For various reasons.
"At your house," he decided. "I'll go through the fireplace at six in the evening."
Hermione nodded, got up, and dusted off her skirt. But before she deported, Snape put familiar, pissed-off expression on his face.
"One more thing, Granger," he growled. "You really thought I could do something to you ?!"
And without waiting for an answer, he desapparated.
Hermione smiled to herself nonetheless. He could growl, snap, and winced as much as he wanted. But something told her that she had just been able to see the true face of Severus Snape.
Southern France, Occitania
Carcassonne, Castle
Central Warehouse of A and B Class of Ingredients for Western Europe
5.00 p.m.
After passing the outer and inner defensive walls of Carcassonne castle, you enter a maze of old cobbled streets winding between equally old tenement houses made of beige, coarse stone. From early morning to late evening, it is swarming with tourists who want to traverse the three-kilometer rampart, touch the sun-lit walls that still remember Gallo-Roman times, breathe the air pervaded with wine, herbs and pancakes and look at the stretching in every direction vineyards behind which, on the near horizon, the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees are white in the sun.
Almost the entire fortress is open to the public, but after you pass the Inquisition Museum, Le Chaudron restaurant (means Cauldron) and a shop with chocolate specialties, you will enter the narrow street of Notre Dame and you will come up against a large, iron gate that prevents entry to the destroyed property. Large pine trees growing there will obscure your view of the gloomy building standing further with empty, dark windows and a disgustingly worn-looking wall, but an aromatic smell from a nearby cake shop and colorful postcards, music boxes, colorful imitation butterflies and thousands of other small items displayed in front of the nearest store will immediately attire your attention and you will be relieved to stop thinking about this strange old house.
And that is exactly the intention of the wizards working there. Because in this strange house there is Central Warehouse of A and B Classe of Ingredients for all of Western Europe.
Although the wizarding world in France exists in a different dimension, parallel to the Muggle one, the French Ministry of Magic has decided to secure this place in an additional way, just in case. The Warehouse property has been badly damaged in a Muggle dimension. A repulsive spell has been cast on it, which makes Muggles so uncomfortable at the gate that they are not even able to stay there longer than a few seconds and immediately go into nearby boutiques and cafes. And if someone had ever had the idea that magic takes place in Carcassonne, ghosts appear and sometimes strange noises are heard, on the opposite side of the fortress there is Maison Hantée - Haunted House, full of cobwebs, human bones, chains, cages for prisoners with hanging from them remnants of clothes smeared with blood and mysterious Black Magic books. It is run by two wizards who enjoy the tourists falling over their feet to get inside and enjoy the dust on the floor.
That afternoon, a few wizards bustled about in the warehouse. During the night they received a big delivery of several ingredients and were now preparing the most urgent shipments. Most of the large room was occupied by shelves with hundreds of smaller and larger boxes, bags and jugs. A few cardboard boxes on the nearest shelf levitated above the small square carpet, a little further a large glass bottle was rolling between the sides, and in the box standing on the ground something was moving - the lid bobbed from time to time and there was a dull thud from inside.
"I wish someone would finally order this shit," Antoine said, glaring at the box. "Whatever it is, is about to die, and if not, I'll help it."
Bernard, sitting on the desk, was just copied the addresses into all-sided stickers - it was enough to stick one on any side of the package and it was visible on all six.
"Stop fooling around, it's just Chinese Chomping Cabbage," he reassured him.
"Shit! Better it eat itself and stay calm!"
Thin Dien Son chuckled and waved his wand at his colleague.
"Don't fuss but grab it! Three boxes of chameleon's tongue" he levitated them and lowered gently to the ground.
"I already know why they order so much of it," said Bernard, realization dawning on his features. "The chameleon disillusioned itself, including his tongue, and now everyone looks into the boxes and thinks they're empty."
Antoine picked up the first one with difficulty and cut the magic adhesive tape.
"If so, they must have fallen too many times from the broomstick. This shit might be invisible, but it's heavy as hell."
"Some are dumb like a trunk with no handle (French expression: il est con comme la valise sans poignée – means he is really stupid – invented apparently by Jeaques Chirac who talked about one of his political enemies). What, are you checking to see if the tongues really have the color of the box?"
Thin was so surprised that put the cardboard on his feet and immediately cursed under his breath.
„Are you crazy?" Antoine replied. "I have to split it into smaller boxes. Not everyone is as lucky as you. I see that you send everything by full packages."
„What are you sending?" Bernard asked, interested.
Thin glanced at the label on the large box.
"Moon Water," he read. "Well, last days it goes like gangbusters."
All three glanced at the empty shelf.
"It looks like it has just LEFT like gangbusters." Jérôme ran a hand through his hair. "Very well, it weighs a little. Hope it doesn't go far."
Rustling parchment, Bernard skimmed the recipient list.
„Onglee, gentlemen, Onglee. (pronunciation of "Anglais", so "English" in French). Alex Ra .. Ray ... something. I don't even know how to pronounce it." He snorted, shaking his head.
"How's that box going there?" Antoine was surprised. "Hope the owls are not lugging it ?! They'll shit themself before they get there!"
"Oh, get away," said Bernard immediately. "It's taking the remporter from here to Calais. But from there, I don't know..."
"It will fit?" Thin asked, intrigued. "It's quite big ..."
"You'll see in a moment," Bernard jumped softly off the table and walked over to the package.
Antoine walked over as well and watched as the label stuck to the top appeared immediately on each side of the package. Bernard opened a remporter that looked like a chess box. As soon as he opened it and laid it flat, the two parts immediately merged into one. With some difficulty Bernard set the box of Moonwater on it and, pointing to it with his wand, said clearly:
„West Shipping Station, Calais."
There was a sharp, bright light, and when they finally all began to see again, the box was gone.
Hermione's apartment
18:00
By the time Hermione had finished her rounds of her patients and checked the time, it was ten to six. Apparently she still had time to change, but not wanting to risk being late, because someone would start to beset her, just in case she Flooed to herself in the Healer's robe.
What was her surprise to find Severus Snape on the couch after jumping out of the fireplace!
"Oh ..." she muttered. „I thought ... it was supposed to be at six ...?"
"Can you enlighten me, Granger, what this idiocy has to mean?" He waved his hand towards the fireplace, not listening at all to what she was saying. "Are you really that stupid ?!"
Hermione instinctively looked back, confused. What is he talking about?! And why is he calling me? What have I done...?!
„Something happened...?"
Snape snapped, clearly furious.
"Something HAPPENED?! Granger, you must be mocking! You have an unsecured fireplace! Anyone can come in and out whenever they want. You might as well leave the door wide open!"
"Ah!" The girl sighed with relief. "I know. About two weeks ago I had to take the spells off for Harry and Ginny and I just forgot to put them back on ..."
"Even better," Snape drawled. "Miss Granger, famous for her wisdom, and the equally famous Chosen One, Auror Potter. Let us hope that the world will not need your help a second time, because I do not predict long life for us!"
This time Hermione was getting a little pissed off. Yes, she felt really stupid about the damn fireplace, but she wasn't going to allow him to mistreat her!
"Can you tell me what you're doing here?" She shouted. "At this time? It's not six o'clock yet!"
"Besides being stupid, you seem to have a short memory, Granger. We were supposed to talk."
"I know we were supposed to talk, but you came too early. And you went inside, although you did not hear the invitation! PROFESSOR!"
Snape winced and leaned sharply towards her.
"First, I'm not use to being late, as you probably already know," he said in a low voice. "Second, when I WAS ABLE to enter without your invitation, I thought it would be good to MAKE CLEAR to you how stupid you are. In case you have any doubts. Third, be careful what you say. I might be ... much less tolerant soon."
"I, too, may be much less tolerant very soon!" Hermione spat. "I'm no longer a little girl, but an adult woman and I will not allow ..."
„Then act like a adult woman!" Snape shouted, jumping to his feet. " And not like a dumb teenager! You've known for a week that there's a murder at the place you're inspecting. You know that someone brewed poison in our lab, that it was no coincidence, that this person killed several Muggles and may be going to kill many others! And you are on his track! Does that tell you nothing ?! Does it not bother you ?! What if this someone finds out ?! He will be able to enter here without problems! He will be able to abduct you or rape you, murder you, leave your massacred corpse and leave without any witnesses !"
Oh Merlin ... !
Hermione turned white. It hit her suddenly, with the force of a speeding hippogriff, and took her breath away. She suddenly felt like that night ten years ago, when helpless, terrified, she cringed in front of a giant werewolf in the Forbidden Forest. Like a little, vulnerable girl.*
Little STUPID girl!
She imagined her own bloodied corpse on the floor where she was just standing, and shivering violently.
"I'm… I'm sorry," she whispered faintly, lowering her head. "You are right."
"Today, just after our conversation, you will put on adequate security," Snape said explicitly. "Not the usual fireplace closing spell, but complex, powerfull spells. Do we understand each other? Find it in the books, ask your friend Auror, do whatever you want, I do not care HOW you do it. But tonight I will try to enter here by all the ways I know, and it will be much better if I fail. Am I clear? Miss Granger?
Hermione felt as if her heart followed every word he said and beat violently after each one. It was pounding in her breasts, throbbing throughout her body, she heard it in her head.
"Yes, Sir," she nodded. "Maybe ... I'll go change ..."
Snape shook his head and sat back down on the couch.
"You are not going anywhere. I will not spend here all evening. Just get those stupid clothes off you."
"I-no ... I can't. There is a temperature spell on these robes and... " Hermione felt her ears blush and burn.
Snape gave her a brief glance and suddenly understood.
"Oh, damn it, go! Just hurry up!"
The girl went quickly to the bedroom, with trembling hands tore her robe, grabbed the suit from yesterday and, stepping down, clumsily put it on. When she returned to the living room, she sat down on the other end of the couch as quickly as possible and felt much better, having some solid support behind her.
„So… Sir?"
Snape nodded.
„Listen carefully, because I'm not going to repeat. In the evening, after your first inspection, Griffin told me he had found a chocolate frog on a stool in Eight and ate it. As you know, two days later he died, poisoned. So the next day I went to Eight and found a spot of chocolate on the floor. TWO spots, to be precise. I left one of them to the Aurors, collected the other and separated the ingredients at home. This way, I knew which ingredients from A and B Class you have to check. And I know exactly all the ingredients of the poison and their proportions, so I can brew the antidote.
Hermione nodded and raised her finger slightly.
"Can I ask you something? Bezoar won't help?"
Snape sat a little more comfortably on the couch.
"No. Bezoar works against the vast majority of poisons, but unfortunately not this one. Besides, I can't hand out a stone to Muggles and tell them to put it down their throat when they feel unwell."
"And the antidote can be added to their food or drink without them knowing," Hermione added. "Even for drinking water."
"Exactly," he nodded, a little calmer.
"Back to the chocolate frog. You said Chase ate sweets he found in the lab. Didn't he find it suspicious?"
Snape shrugged in response.
"He assumed I left it there to test you. Second, think about it. Even if it seemed suspicious to him, he would not have guessed it was poison. He was hungry, so he ate it."
"Yes," she admitted.
They were both silent for a moment. Finally Hermione tucked her legs up and sat sideways. They started talking normally and that calmed her down. And it occupied her minds; she stopped imagining her torn body in front of the fireplace.
"Do you know what ingredients are needed to make an antidote?"
"Surely the Lady's Mantle, dyptam and dragon blood, but I can't precise the dragon's breed. I only have two types of dragon blood, so chances are high I'll have to steal the other ten."
"Which means we will have to brew twelve different antidotes," Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Which means I WILL have to brew twelve different antidotes," he corrected immediately.
„You need some help."
"Are you trying to tell me that I am so poor at Potions that I need my student's help?" he raised his eyebrow high.
The girl shook her head.
„Of course not! I just ..."
"So you just answered yourself an unasked question."
Hermione sighed a little theatrically and smiled wryly.
"Sir, surely no one can brew potions better than you. But help is always useful! During my studies I learned a lot about potions. Also, as a Healer, I can more easily determine how the human body reacts to various ingredients, so I can be of use to find the last, most important one."
Snape didn't answer, just stared at her with a straight face.
"And remember that it will certainly take a long time to brew the twelve antidote" Hermione implored.
„Yes. But I can deal with this."
That means you admit that you may not be able to deal with something else ...?
"I'm sure alone you can go faster," she said, looking deep into his eyes. "But we can go much further together."
Snape ran a narrow finger over his mouth.
"Are you aware of what you are proposing? In the morning you were terrified of turning a blind eye to the theft in the lab, and now you want to brew such dangerous and ... illegal potions? If someone found out about it ..."
Hermione looked away from his hand with some difficulty; the slow movement was somehow mesmerizing. And reassuring.
„I know that perfectly well. But ... something you said a moment ago disturbed me. That the killer may find out that someone is following him and want to kill for it."
Snape frowned.
"Are you suggesting Griffin was killed because he was on the track of the murderer?"
"That's one possibility. He was on the track or he had seen or heard something that might point at him."
"And the second?"
"The second is that he ate by accident the frog that was meant for you."
Even saying that, Hermione knew Snape would react strangely. Maybe he will be surprised, maybe worried, and maybe even ... impressed? But THIS reaction was completely unexpected. He clearly stiffened and leaned towards her abruptly.
"Granger, I don't need a mother," he snarled. "I survived, as you can see! And certainly I can take care of myself!"
"I didn't say I would keep an eye on you! I just want to help you!" Hermione protested. "Hundreds, thousands of Muggles can die, and I can't let that happen! I want to do anything to stop it! Not only as a Healer or a Muggle, but ... just as me!"
He stared at her with mistrust for long seconds, narrowed his eyes, like a wild, predatory cat looking at its prey. Eventually he relaxed slowly and his features smoothed out.
"Remember that you get into it willingly, of your own, free will. Don't blame me if things go wrong. It could be ... No, it WILL BE very dangerous."
"I know," Hermione said immediately, straightening up.
"Then find out more about these Muggles. Who they were, where they lived, what they did."
"Do you want to find out who the next victims might be?"
"Yes." He nodded. "Second thing. Don't come to the Lab tomorrow. The best will be if you come only on Tuesday and we have a fight in front of others. And be prepared to play convincingly. Because I am going to be VERY convincing."
Hermione swallowed hard. Oh Merlin...
Snape got up from the couch and wrapped his robe around himself.
„I'll see you tomorrow at six in the morning."
Sixth ?! ... Oh shit ...!
„Where?"
"In my house," he replied. "You won't find it because it is protected by Fidelius Charm, so apparate to Spinner's End in Cokeworth, I'll find you. Take your working clothes with you. Oh, one more thing. Not a word to anyone."
"Of course! It is obvious"
"As obvious as it is to secure fireplaces," he snorted.
Hermione nodded.
"I'll take care of it right now, don't worry."
Snape raised up the corner of his mouth and, reaching for Floo powder, gave her a brief glance.
„I'm not worried. It's you to worry because if I can get in here, I won't be gentle."
The girl ran out of breath, so she could not say even the simplest goodbye.
Snape tossed powder into the fireplace, stepped into the green flames with one step and disappeared.
Hermione was all full of conflicting emotions. The pride that Severus Snape trusted her and accepter her help and the satisfaction that she would be able to do something to save the Muggles. These feelings were mixed with the fear of what was to come. A dangerous game for both of them and the suffering and death of completely unknown people.
But perhaps the most important thing was embarrassment about her own stupidity.
Indeed, HOW COULD YOU disregard this FUNDAMENTAL safety precaution! Anyone could enter here! A drunk wizard who mistook fireplaces! She could easily imagine how it might have ended.
She jumped up from the couch as quickly as possible, summoned the book "The Advanced Defense Charms Cycle" and found the right page.
This time, she was going to prove to Snape that she knew how to protect her home!
Rood Lane, London
St. Margaret Church
22:00
Paul opened the lock with Alohomora, pushed the heavy wooden door open, and the chill typical for old churches immediately enveloped him. And the smell. Incense, old wood, hot wax, and something else he couldn't name.
Some street light shone through the huge windows, few last, burned out candles flickered in one corner, but the interior of the church was plunged into a heavy semi-darkness.
Paul opened the right wing of the inner door a little, held it behind him to keep it from rattling, and walked down the red carpet that muffled his footsteps. As he passed the rows of empty benches, he instinctively watched them out of the corner of his eye, but did not expect to see anyone there.
Just before the main altar, he turned into a side nave and walked over to a much smaller altar; a wooden bas-relief separated by a kneeler and a thick, decorative cord. In a special stand next to it there were a few thin lit candles. Paul lit a few more and sat down on a narrow bench against the wall.
He had time. Mr. Tylor was always late, and Paul had thought about coming a quarter of an hour later and seeing how the man reacted. But he didn't. He suspected that while he waited, someone else was watching the church and the surrounding area and making sure he came alone.
For a moment, as usual, he tried to guess what the bas-relief depicted, but in the flickering candlelight he saw only uneven black marked by single, glistening ridges. In a strange way, that moving, dim light made everything seem even darker around him.
His alert hearing caught some cautious footsteps long before newcomer stepped off the carpet onto the wooden floor and his silhouette emerged from the shadows.
At first glance, it looked old; short in height, hunched over, with a deeply furrowed face and sagging skin under the eyes, which was deepened by the trembling light of the candles. It even seemed that this face was just sagging into itself. But at the same time, thick, wavy hair and an energetic voice contradicted it.
"Mr. Bryant," he said, walking over to Paul.
"Good evening, Mr. Tylor."
They didn't shake hands. Tylor sat down next to him, straightened his trouser legs, and crossed his legs.
"How is your wife?"
"She is well," Paul replied.
At that moment they heard a door rattling, and muted footsteps approaching quickly. After a moment, Gratus emerged from the shadows, nodded at Paul in greeting, and retreated toward the altar.
„I found a new place to brew potions. So there is no longer any risk for your wife" Tylor continued.
Paul breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you for taking my request into account," he replied. "When I heard about Griffin's death and thought Mia was there regularly ... "
"I promised you inviolability. For both you and your family. And I'm just going to keep my promise."
Promise. So duties. It was time to get to the point of their meeting.
"Does that mean your people won't come to the lab anymore?"
"No, they will not," Tylor confirmed. "Yesterday Petersen and Gratus went there for the last time and only for the ingredients."
Paul nodded approvingly.
„Perfect. I also have good news. The case is discontinued due to the lack of evidence and motive. Examination of the Healers suggests poisoning, but then the trail goes cold. Our specialist from the Research Office managed to identify the ingredients of the potion, but I forged his report, omitted the part about the blood root and put it in the dossier. And I took the original from the archive."
Tylor covered his mouth and cleared his throat softly.
„Perfect. But keep watching Snape closely. Personally, I'd rather eliminate him."
„It's possible, I admit. But I advise against it "Paul objected. "This time it was my partner who got interested in this case and took it over, so I didn't have to draw attention to myself. But I'm not sure if we'll get the investigation into Snape's murder."
„He doesn't have to die in the lab."
„Griffin didn't die in the lab either. Besides, even the simple death of another employee will not go unnoticed. Gawain may wish to open up the Griffin case and speak to Augustus MacLean of the Research Office. Who will surely remember the blood root."
Tylor stared for a moment in silence somewhere in the darkness ahead.
"Well. But then you should come to Powell's sometimes and keep an eye on Snape. And please make up a good excuse."
"Of course. No problem. When should my role begin?"
"Mid-May, I suppose. I have two more tests to do before we move to our world."
Paul forced himself to keep his expression neutral.
"The sooner you let me know, the better. I cannot wait too long to apply for a vacation."
"So for now, let's assume I need you from Monday in two weeks. And meet me in about ... five days, I should know more."
"So here and at the same time in five days, right?" Paul asked, just to be sure.
Tylor took a small pouch from his jacket pocket and tossed it to Paul.
"Good bye," he said, standing up.
And he went into the dark. Paul waited until he heard the front door click and followed him. He didn't have to look into the pouch to know what he would find in it.
As he left the church, Gratus looked around carefully and only then let Tylor leave. The old man descended the few steps with difficulty and cast Lumos at his watch.
"Come back soon," he said to Gratus. "I don't want Peterson to be left alone for long."
„Of course."
There was a loud pop and Tylor was gone. Gratus made sure no one was paying attention and started walking toward the main street.
Thames embankment
Near King William Street
22:30
There is a world where everything has a different rhythm. There is no such thing as "future", there is only the present moment and the beginning of an idea how to survive tomorrow. Life passes slowly, to the rhythm of barges flowing over the river, treasures discovered in garbage cans, with the sound of coffee dripping into a plastic cup, so hot that it is burns frozen hands.
In this world, houses exist only in the heads of its inhabitants. Beautiful houses, smelling of comfort, security and hope. But since they are not real, there is also no hope. Only a few still have it. Those new who have not yet come to terms with what life is like here.
This world can be found, among others, on the Thames. Walking down the cobblestone Old Billingsgate Walk one can go to the waterfront. Street lights, car noise or other sounds of a bustling city do not reach here. You can only hear the splash of black water, which is bloody under the nearby bridge from red lighting.
After ten in the evening, people in this world drink the last sips of tasteless coffee distributed in various parts of the city by charities and return to their boxes, blankets and rags soaked in dirt, urine, sweat and hopelessness. They bury themselves in them and fall asleep. And only the new ones who have not yet come to terms with the present life look around not to miss ... something. Anything.
And sometimes it comes along.
Robert Hansen spread over the cardboard a layer of bubble wrap, which he had got in the dumpster and buried himself in the foul-smelling blanket. After drinking three coffees, two of which he had stolen from a restaurant table, he was sure to pee, but he decided to worry about it later. Either way, he won't be able to go too far, cause someone else might have stolen his belongings.
From under his closed eyelids he watched the black shape moving slowly along the river, when suddenly he heard the sound of approaching footsteps from the side.
At first he thought that someone saw his foil, but listening to the rhythmic steps, he quickly stopped being afraid. This person had way too much energy to be interested in something like this.
He looked up, intrigued by who that someone might be.
He was certainly young. Well dressed because the shoes did not clap the ground, but they tapped elegantly. And he had to be well fed, because he could much worse hear somebody lean.
He sat down and immediately perceived in the dark the silhouette of a huge man. He approached him and suddenly lit a long, narrow flashlight.
"If you came to pee, get out of here," Hansen said.
„Do not be afraid. I just came to have a drink. Can I sit?" The other replied calmly.
Hansen cleared his throat in response.
„Sit down. Here's Snoopy's cardboard box, I don't know where he's knocking around" he patted the place next to him.
Maybe this someone will give him a little to drink?
The man turned off the flashlight and sat down next to him with a grunt.
"Uncomfortable," he muttered, unscrewed the bottle and suddenly Hansen felt the smelt of strong whiskey. "Want?"
„Sure!"
Hansen took a sip and immediately coughed. It was bloody hard! But he quickly drank another two sips and coughed as he wiped his chin with his sleeve.
„Thanks."
The man wriggled a bit and looked around.
"You are alone? Is there anybody else here?"
Hansen knew that Old Franky and Mammoth lay a little further away, but he had no intention of sharing this great whiskey, so he quickly denied it.
"You know, I have an idea," said the stranger. "Let's sit down here next to the buoys and dry this bottle. I can't sit on the ground."
Hansen dug out from under his rags as quickly as possible, carefully covered the foil with them, and suddenly felt that the stranger had gripped his shoulder forceful. And in the next second he tugged at him and he fell into something tight that strangled his chest, took his breath away, pushed his eyes inside his skull, and made him choke. The noise around it grew to a roar and ... all of a sudden everything was over.
*
A little correction - I know perfectly well that the scene where Severus Snape protected Hermione, Harry and Ron with his own body only happened in the movie, but as a great fan of Severus, this scene really touched me.
With this one gesture, he showed everything that I understood only at the end of 7th volume. For that one second, he dropped the mask he was hiding behind, and it wasn't a mocking, sarcastic dungeon bat, but a honorable, brave man, willing to sacrifice himself to protect others. The way he really was all these years. And that's why I love such Severus Snape. Therefore, consider it a "smile" for him and not mistake.