* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *

PART FOUR

Brave New World

Chapter 39: Welcome to the Jungle

A/N: The chapter title comes from the song:

Welcome to the Jungle by Guns n Roses.

By the time Harry, Daphne and Teddy got to the Burrow, Sunday lunch was just about to be served. They all squeezed in around the table, and Harry noted that only one family member was missing.

"Where's Bill?" He asked Daphne.

"I don't know. He said he was…" Daphne trailed off as Bill stepped into the kitchen, "…coming."

"What on earth are you wearing?" Molly asked in disbelief.

Charlie grinned and said, "I still wear them better."

Bill smacked his brother around the head and winked at Harry, "Heard Harry liked the dragon hide trousers, so I thought I'd see if they still fitted."

"Oh fuck off, you totally had to resize them!" Charlie sniggered.

"Language, Charlie!"

Harry shook his head in amusement and looked at his fiancé, "I hate you."

Daphne smiled sweetly, "Do you?" she remarked slyly.

Harry snorted as Bill and Charlie started arguing about what had gotten fatter first, Bill's arse or his thighs. Eventually, Molly managed to rein them and dinner was served.

They all made small talk while they ate. Hermione and Draco were at the other end of the table, so Harry didn't get a chance to bring up the Founders Ball until they all migrated into the living room after a hearty roast chicken dinner.

"So we got an interesting letter this morning," Harry said. He had collapsed into a comfortable armchair, and Teddy had fallen asleep in his arms.

"Oh, about the Founders Ball?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, did you get one too?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded, "We will definitely go. I think it sounds like great fun!"

"We're going to go too," Daphne said, "We don't have a choice since Harry is going to be Godric Gryffindor."

Hermione laughed loudly, "Really? Oh, that's brilliant!"

Harry frowned, "What's so funny about it?"

Hermione shook her head, "The fact you're going to be Gryffindor isn't funny. In fact, it makes a lot of sense. What's funny is that your old schoolboy enemy will be playing Gryffindor's arch-enemy."

Draco smiled slightly, "I'm starting to wonder if we were fated to be enemies, Harry."

"What, like star crossed lovers but with a bit more violence?" Daphne joked.

Harry laughed, "I can't imagine you as Slytherin. It's hard to see a guy as a slimy git when you've seen him being soppy with his fiancé and making stupid faces at your kid."

Draco chuckled, "I'm kind of glad about that, to be honest, because I was a bit offended at first. I don't look up to Slytherin, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it, but Hermione convinced me that I would be a good role model for young Slytherins."

"I would agree," Harry said, "And funnily enough, Daphne had to convince me to go to it as well."

"Why?" Draco asked in surprise, "Surely, you look up to Godric Gryffindor and would be honoured to play him?"

"I suspect it has something to do with the fact Harry hates speaking in public or dancing in public," Hermione said. She shot her friend a knowing look.

"Spot on," Daphne said, "But I told him that there was no way he could miss out on the chance. If this doesn't go down well for whatever reason, there might not be another Founders Ball."

"And even if there was, I would suspect that McGonagall would pick different people each year to make it fair," Hermione added.

Harry nodded, "Daph's right. It's a once in a lifetime chance, so I would be stupid to turn it down."

"It could be a fun night," Daphne added, "I wonder if any of the others have been invited."

"I suspect a select few influential students from the last few years have been invited," Hermione said.

"The last few years?" Bill asked from behind them, "I was a student quite a few years ago, and I was asked."

"You are a pretty famous Curse Breaker, to be fair, Bill," Daphne said with an amused smile.

"Why did they ask Char then? He fondles dragons for a living," Bill joked.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Charlie has worked in some incredible places. He took part in a revolutionary breeding programme that saved two species of dragons. I would say that makes him pretty influential."

Charlie grinned and raised his hand, "You tell him, Mione! Give me a hi-five."

Hermione chuckled and hi-fived him. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, "Do I need to be concerned? Because I thought you were over Weasley's."

"You say that like I've dated more than one," Hermione pointed out.

"Well, there was that weird flirty thing between you and Freddie when we were all at school," George said. He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Hermione blushed, "There was not."

"And you had a crush on Charlie when you were younger," Harry teased.

Hermione's cheeks became a darker shade of scarlet, "No, I didn't," she lied.

Draco looked at her pointedly, "Are you really over Weasley's?"

"Yes, I am," Hermione said as she regained her composure, "I just feel strongly about the rights of dragons, okay?"

"Now I think we can all believe that," Bill said with a grin while the others chuckled.

When Teddy woke up, and Harry could finally move, he asked Hermione if he could have a quiet word. She nodded, and the two of them slipped outside. It was early evening, and the air was rather cold.

They held their cardigans close to their bodies and sheltered by the chicken coup.

"What's wrong?"

"I just need to talk to you about the adoption," Harry said honestly, "It's getting official now, Hermione."

Hermione caught his eye, "You're panicking, aren't you?"

"A little bit," Harry admitted, he pulled the contract out of his robes, "We got this earlier in the week. Daph and I wanted to give it to you since you read legal documents a lot for your work. If you could just make sure that it's ironclad, we would appreciate it."

Hermione nodded and slipped it into her bag, "I'll look over it tonight and give it back to Daphne over lunch tomorrow. When is this happening?"

"Soon," Harry said, "Once we sign the contract, the paperwork starts to get drawn up. It could all be official in a couple of months."

"Wow," Hermione said, she surveyed her friend, "Are you sure that you're ready for this?"

"We've talked about it so much," Harry said quietly, "I don't think we're ever going to be any more ready than we are right now. It's just…having him at the weekends is one thing, but once this goes through, everything is going to change and…."

"Change has always scared you," Hermione finished.

Harry nodded, "Yeah."

"Honestly, Harry," Hermione said, "This is going to be the biggest change of your life. Yes, marriage is a big change, but it doesn't change your relationship a great deal. But having a child does. You and Daphne will never have any free time anymore. Everywhere you go, you will have to take Teddy with you, or you'll have to find a sitter. Every night when you come home, he will be there. It isn't going to be easy."

"I know, but I think we owe it to Teddy," Harry said honestly, "We can give him a good life, the life he deserves. We're in a position, financially and emotionally, to offer him that, and I don't think I could forgive myself if I chose not to for selfish reasons."

"And Daphne feels the same?"

"I told you, Hermione," Harry said, "We've talked about it a lot. Both of us want to do this, and yes, we are both scared, but I think that's normal."

"Does Daphne know everything?" Hermione asked, "About Teddy?"

Harry frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, does she know about his werewolf genes, about what that could mean in the future?"

Harry's frown deepened, "Well, she knows there's a chance. I've told her all about Remus, but we haven't had that exact conversation."

"I think you need to," Hermione said, "And I think you need to be honest with each other about this before you sign the contract. Talk to her about your fears and make sure that she tells you what's making her nervous. This is a huge change Harry, for anyone, not least for two people who are so young."

Harry sighed but nodded, "I'll make sure we talk before we sign anything, I promise."

Hermione smiled and grabbed his hand, "If it helps, I think what you're doing is a beautiful thing. I just want to be certain that both of you are sure before you commit to it."

Harry nodded again, "Thanks, Hermione," he said, he squeezed her hand, "You're a good friend."

"Morning, Theo," Draco said brightly as he stepped out onto the Quidditch pitch with his friend.

"Morning," Theo said quietly.

Draco frowned, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Theo said shortly, "I just don't like Mondays."

Before Draco could say anything else, Theo got on his broom and shot into the air. They never got a chance to talk while they were flying, then Theo showered in a private cubicle to avoid Draco. He was starting to think he had done something to piss his best friend off because, by the time Draco was showered and changed, Theo had already left.

"Where's your extra limb?" Neville asked as he and Harry fell into line with Draco.

"I don't know," Draco said, "He's been short with me since I first saw him, and I think he's avoiding me too. I don't know what I've done. I haven't even seen him this weekend."

"Maybe it has nothing to do with you," Harry said, "It might just be because Sadie's had to go back to Egypt."

"I suppose," Draco mused, "I had actually forgotten that was today…that makes me a pretty shit friend."

"Nah, you have a lot going on right now," Neville said, "We all do."

They reached their first class of the day, which was Disguise. It was always a good class to talk in because there was a discussion section, and as they all found this class easy, they didn't usually need to discuss anything about disguise in that period.

"Right, what's going on with you?" Harry asked Theo after Carter told them to discuss the pros and cons of disguising yourself as an animal.

"Nothing," Theo muttered.

"Theo, we know something's up," Neville said, "Don't pretend you're fine."

"Is it because Sadie left for Egypt again?" Draco asked.

Theo pressed so hard with his quill that it snapped, "She's just acting insane right now! She was whining like a little girl yesterday about going back, so I told her to get a grip, and she just left, hours earlier than she was supposed to."

"So, you fought?" Harry asked with a slight smile, "Because these things do happen after the honeymoon period, you know."

Theo glared at him, "Shut up, Harry. Sadie and I don't fight, not like you and Hermione do, Draco."

"We bicker and have heated discussions," Draco corrected, "I mean, sometimes we fight but not all the time."

Harry shook his head in amusement, "All couples fight Theo, especially when relations are strained, and they will be right now. Neither of you likes this set up when you're in different countries, so you're taking it out on each other."

Neville raised an eyebrow at him, "When did you become the agony aunt?"

Harry smirked, "Not so clueless now, eh, Nev?"

Theo ignored them and sighed, "It's not so much that I hate being away from her. I do hate that, but I don't like the way she's acting right now. I get that she doesn't like Egypt, but she's so cranky and miserable about it. If that was me, I would just change career, and I don't get why she's making herself so unhappy."

"Because Sadie isn't you," Draco said, "She doesn't give up. Once she starts something, she wants to see it through. I think you're right about this course not suiting her, but it isn't so easy for her to see that."

"I wish it was," Theo said miserably.

Before the other boys could give him any further advice, Carter appeared by their table, "So boys, any pros and cons to offer about disguising yourself as an animal?"

"You could get hit by a car and die," Harry said.

Carter raised an eyebrow at him, "Really?"

"It happened to Nev's Uncle Raymond," Harry said sincerely.

Neville nodded, "He transformed himself into a cat to spy on his ex-wife, and she hit him with her car."

Carter looked between them both for a moment; it was clear that she was trying to work out if they were lying or not.

"It was tragic," Draco added.

Harry and Neville nodded.

"I am very sorry to hear that," Carter said eventually, "Come up with some pros for me before we share our ideas with the others."

They all nodded and watched Carter walk over to the other group, which consisted of Maxwell, Emily, Blanche and Ophelia.

"You don't have an Uncle Raymond, do you, Nev?" Theo asked with a slight smile.

"Nope," Harry chuckled, "But good work playing along there, Nev."

"Flawless," Draco laughed, "I almost believed you then I saw Harry trying not to smirk."

Theo chuckled too, and for a moment, he forgot about how terrible he felt.

After lunch on Monday, the boys were supposed to have a potions lab. However, they were told at the start of the class by Auror McKay that their next task would be an interactive one.

"We are going to dump you in the rainforest," McKay told them, "And you have to find your way out. You might not understand what this has to do with Potions but let's call it a joint venture that Auror Brown and I have come up with. You will need to work out what is safe to eat, and you will need to make potions because I can guarantee that at least one of you will get bitten by something poisonous."

Harry, Draco and Neville all looked at Theo.

"This task doesn't have a time limit. If you're stuck in there for over a week, then we will extract you, and Sumner will probably kick you out too," McKay said bluntly, "Your other halves and parents have been informed that you are partaking in a task for the next few days so don't worry about that. Are there any questions?"

Blanche raised her hand, "Isn't this just like isolation all over again?"

"There weren't monsoons, poisonous snakes, killer spiders or paranoid Amazonian tribespeople in isolation, were there?" McKay countered.

"Is this real?" Ophelia asked, "Or is it a simulation?"

"Nope, it's real," McKay said, "You're going to the real Amazon rainforest. You will all have to wear a tag that tells us your vital signs. If someone is genuinely about to die, then we won't let that happen. You will also be discreetly observed and tested by myself, Auror Brown and Auror Sumner. Any more questions?"

They all shook their heads, so McKay clapped his hands together, "Alright then. We're sending you in two groups. The first group is Potter, Longbottom, Black and Nott."

The four boys shared anxious looks. Theo, in particular, looked very pale. Animals and plants weren't his strong point, magical or otherwise.

"Holy shit, it's hot."

"It's the rainforest, you idiot."

"I didn't know that it would be this hot, though!" Draco exclaimed.

"Haven't you seen any films set in the rainforest? Everyone walks around in shorts, not bloody robes," Harry said with a shake of his head, "So the first thing I think we should do is this…."

He transfigured his black trousers into khaki shorts and his polo shirt into a vest top. Then he did away with his robes completely and transfigured his shoes into hiking boots. None of the others verbalised the fact that they thought this was a good idea, but they did all copy him.

"So…" Draco said while he looked at Harry, "What do you think we should do?"

"Why does it always fall to me?" Harry asked.

"In this instance, I think it's because you just mentioned you'd watched movies about this stuff," Neville said matter of factly.

Draco and Theo nodded.

Harry shook his head in amusement, "Well, we need to navigate our way out of the rainforest so we can get back to our other halves. While doing that, we need to not die from exposure or the bite of any poisonous creatures out here."

"Alright, so four-point spell then?" Draco asked.

Something chirped behind them, and Theo jumped, "What was that?"

"Just a bug, Theo, calm down," Draco said.

Harry was frowning into the distance, "I don't think a four-point spell will work."

"Why not?" Draco asked.

"Because all it does is tell us where north is," Harry said. He looked up into the dense foliage above.

"I know I'm not an expert when it comes to geography Harry, but isn't north where we want to go to get us out of the rainforest?" Neville asked, "East or west will take us to the ocean."

"We don't know where we are in the rainforest though," Harry said, "It covers a huge area. If we're in the south, it would take days to get out if we travel north. Anyway, east and west would take us to a country before we got to the ocean."

"Well, what do you suggest then?" Draco asked, "It's not like we're going to be able to get hold of a map out here, are we?"

"Even if we could, I doubt it would help us much," Harry said honestly, "Apart from the Amazon river, there aren't many landmarks. Everything looks the same."

"That's it!" Theo said, "The Amazon river runs from east to west."

Draco's eyes widened, then he nodded, "If we can find the river, then we can follow it east or west to get out of the rainforest."

"East would bring us out near French Guiana, and west would bring us out in Ecuador," Harry said. He shot Neville a pointed look, "I studied Geography in muggle school."

Neville snorted, "Don't take it personally; it was just a comment."

"Now, now ladies," Draco said calmly, "Less fighting, more planning. How do we acquire a map of the Amazon rainforest in the middle of the Amazon rainforest?"

"We find a happy tribesman who will help us and not eat us," Harry replied.

"Eat us?" Theo asked nervously.

"Yeah, Theo, they love to eat human flesh out here," Neville said.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Don't wind him up, Neville. He's not going to be any use to us if he's a nervous wreck."

Branches rustled behind them, and Theo jumped again, "What was that?"

"Maybe it was a venomous tentacula," Neville whispered.

"Neville!" Harry and Draco chastised in unison.

"Hey! Nice choice. I didn't know that you liked sushi!" Daphne said as she sat down opposite Hermione in the restaurant.

Hermione smiled, "I just thought it would be a nice change from that boring café we normally use."

"Plus, you don't want to discuss our other halves secret mission in the wizarding world, just in case," Daphne whispered.

Hermione nodded sheepishly, "Yeah, that is pretty much it. Don't you think it's odd? That they are sending them on secret missions so early?"

Daphne shook her head and perused the menu, "No, it won't be anything serious. It's just a training mission."

"Draco didn't mention anything about training missions," Hermione said.

"Probably because he didn't want to worry you," Daphne said. She looked up at her friend, "I assume he knows about them because Harry only found out when he read the book that Draco lent him."

Hermione frowned, "I don't like the fact he's keeping things from me."

"He's keeping things from you to stop you worrying about him," Daphne said gently, "He knows that you hate what he does. There's a part of you that wishes he could be like Ron and have a safe, cushy job, isn't there?"

Hermione scoffed, "There isn't a single part of me that wishes he was like Ron."

Daphne shot her friend a knowing look.

Hermione sighed, "I do hate his job sometimes. That much is true. I spent seven years at school, worrying about Harry, wondering when Voldemort would catch up to him and take my best friend away. Nobody paid me any attention before I met Harry and Ron, and Harry, in particular, became my closest friend, and I knew someone was trying to take that from me. Now all I do is worry about Draco and Theo. Every day I wonder what they are going to be put through, and I know once they qualify, I'll always wonder if they will both come home that night."

"You'll get used to that feeling," Daphne promised Hermione, "The worry will always be there, but you'll learn to live with it. I feel the same. Even though Harry is the bravest guy around and the most competent wizard I know, I still worry about him."

"So you're worried about this training mission too?"

Daphne shook her head, "They won't let anything bad happen to them on a training mission. It's a test which means they are constantly being observed; if anything goes wrong, they will pull them out straight away or send medical aid in."

"Did they tell you where they had sent Harry?" Hermione asked. She didn't look quite so tense now.

"A rainforest apparently," Daphne said, "So assuming that they are all in the same place, Theo is screwed."

Hermione laughed weakly, "I wouldn't be so sure of that. He is unlucky with magical creatures, but he's smarter than he looks."

"I know he is, but as you said, he's unlucky with magical creatures!"

"Ugh! What's that?"

"That is a Boa Constrictor, don't touch it," Harry said slowly, "And remain calm."

Theo backed off, but the snake continued to advance on him. Harry sighed and said, "I didn't want to have to resort to this, but…."

His friends watched him in confusion as he looked at the snake, screwed up his eyes and said, "Excuse me, that's my friend, and I would rather you didn't eat him."

To everyone else, this perfectly ordinary sentence came out as a series of hisses. The snake turned its attention from Theo to Harry.

"You speak my language?"

Harry nodded.

"I am hungry, and this one is full of fear. I enjoy eating those that fear me."

"I understand that, but we are on a very important mission, and we really must make it out alive," Harry explained, "Trust me, you have it better than some of your companions. I once met a Boa Constrictor in a zoo, thousands of miles from here. It was bred in captivity."

"Better?" The snake hissed, "My entire family have been killed by poachers who want our skin. How is that better?"

"I'm sorry," Harry said. He was now kneeling in front of the snake, and he was oblivious to the looks his friends were giving him, "I lost my family too. A dark lord took them all from me as a baby."

"You are lonely too," The snake said.

Harry shook his head, "Not anymore. I used to be, but then I met these people, they are my friends, and I would not like it if you were to kill them."

"I would like not to be lonely," The snake said.

"Well, I will make you a deal," Harry said, "If you stay with us and help us get out of the rainforest, I will take you home with me. I have a huge garden that you can live in, and there are plenty of animals in the woods behind the house so you will not be hungry."

The snake cocked its head as if it was considering this proposal. Then it bowed its head in a nod, "Yes. If you would like to leave the rainforest, you are travelling in the wrong direction. We must go this way. Then we shall be able to follow the river."

"Okay," Harry said, "We will follow you."

The snake bowed its head again, "Please tell the fearful one to be quiet. His loud sounds make my head ache."

Harry tried very hard not to laugh, "I will. What is your name?"

"I have no name," The snake replied.

"Can I give you a name?"

The snake bowed its head, "You may."

"I think you look like a Dave."

"Dave," The snake hissed, "I like it."

Harry smiled and got to his feet. When he turned around, it was to find Draco staring at him with an open mouth, Theo looking terrified, and Neville looking vaguely amused.

"I thought you couldn't do that anymore," Neville remarked.

"So did I," Harry admitted, "But then I was at the zoo with Teddy, and this snake started talking to me, so I tried to talk back, and it worked. I guess it's like riding a bike…once you know how to do it, you never forget."

"And what exactly were you and the snake talking about?" Neville asked.

"Oh, his name is Dave," Harry said conversationally, "And he was just telling me that we were going in the wrong direction if we were trying to find the river. He said he was lonely, so I said if he got us out of the rainforest, I would take him home with me."

Neville snorted, "Right, cause Daphne is going to love that…."

"Oh, she'll come around," Harry said with a wave of his hand. He looked at Draco and Theo, "Are you two ready? Cause Dave is waiting for us."

"You just had a conversation with a snake," Draco said in awe.

"Called Dave," Harry said with a nod, "Yeah, catch up. Are you coming?"

Draco nodded. He grabbed Theo's arm and began to drag his partner along. They had barely moved from the clearing they had found Dave in when Theo yelped after seeing a butterfly.

"Theo, Dave asked me to tell you to be quiet," Harry said, "You're giving him a headache."

Neville smirked, "Yeah, Theo, shut up. You're giving the snake a headache."

Theo swallowed hard and whispered to Draco, "The snake talks."

Draco nodded, "And Harry replies."

"Thank Merlin, you heard that too," Theo whispered, "I thought I was going insane."

"I wonder where Neville is right now…."

"Who knows," Lucille said, "He could be on a secret mission anywhere. Maybe he's saving the world right now, and we don't even know it."

"I doubt he's saving the world since he's only just started his training," Savannah pointed out, "No offence Lil."

Lilly laughed and shook her head, "None taken. He has just started his training, but he sort of already has saved the world…or Britain at least."

"Maybe he did save the world," Lucille mused, "Who knows what would have happened next if Voldemort had taken over Britain."

"Europe would probably have been his next target," Michael said. They were all in the common room, but nobody felt like studying.

"Like Grindelwald," Charlotte added.

"Grindelwald had Europe, but he could never really get Britain," Michael said. He looked up from his book, "From the outside, Britain is hard to crack because of how tight your security is. Voldemort had it worked out. The way to bring Britain down is through its own corrupt institutions."

"I didn't know you were into politics, Michael," Lilly said.

Michael shrugged, "I like to follow current affairs."

"You are right, though, about the institutions being corrupt," Lilly said, "That hasn't changed since Voldemort was killed. There are still dirty Aurors in the Ministry and some officials whose loyalties were questionable during the war. My friends and I are planning to change that; they just need to take their seats on the Wizengamot first."

"How many friends do you have who are heirs to seats on the Wizengamot?" Michael asked. He sounded impressed.

"A lot," Lilly admitted with a slight smile, "Neville has a seat, and so do Harry, Draco, Theo and Susan. The problem with our system is that a law needs the majority to be passed, and with the seats allocated as they are at the moment, the people trying to push the good things through don't have enough support to do that. Once my friends have taken their seats, things will change."

Michael smiled at her, "So what you are saying is that you are part of a political revolution. That's the coolest thing I've ever heard, Lilly!"

By Wednesday night, the boys had made significant progress. They had found the Amazon River, and they had been following it for hours. Dave assured them that it wouldn't be long until they were out, maybe another day at most.

Things had been going fine until they reached an area of very thick foliage. As they traversed through the rainforest, they had trees and bushes brushing by their legs and arms.

"Ouch!"

Everyone turned to look at Theo, who had jumped out of his skin, "What now?" Neville asked irritably.

"Something bit me! Something bit me!" Theo said as the colour drained from his face.

"What?" Draco asked sharply.

"Where?" Neville asked at the same time.

"I don't know! There!" Theo exclaimed.

Neville inspected the spot on Theo's leg and sighed, "Theo, you idiot!"

"What is it?" Theo asked, "Am I going to die? Oh, Merlin, I'm going to die."

"Theo, you aren't going to die," Neville said in exasperation, "It was-"

"I'm going to die, and the last thing I did was argue with Sadie," Theo warbled on, "I'm going to die without getting to say a proper goodbye. Her last memory of me is going to be an argument."

"No, it isn't," Neville said firmly, "Because you just got a little nip from a giant beetle."

"Oh," Theo said sheepishly.

The others sniggered. Harry opened his mouth to insult his friend, but before he could, he felt a sharp pain in his leg, "Ow! What was that?"

Theo rolled his eyes, "Hilarious Harry."

"I'm not joking, Theo," Harry began to say. Dave interrupted him by hissing at something in the bushes that they couldn't see.

There was another hiss, then Dave re-emerged and hissed something at Harry.

"Rattlesnake? Is that bad, Dave?"

"You don't need to ask Dave. Yes, that's bad!" Neville exclaimed, "They are the most poisonous snake in this place, you bloody idiot!"

"I didn't ask it to bite me!" Harry pointed out.

"Shut up," Neville said shortly, "We need to get you somewhere safe so I can brew up a remedy. Otherwise, you have a few short, painful hours to live."

"Neville!" Draco exclaimed, "You're supposed to be the supportive one here. You know the one who tells Harry that it will all be fine, we'll find a remedy, and everyone will live happily ever after."

"Since when is that my job?" Neville asked. He lifted Harry from one side, "Get him on the other side. I don't want him putting pressure on his leg."

"As my Auror partner, it probably should be your job," Harry said through gritted teeth, "And this hurts like hell already."

"Pain is the least of your problems," Neville said as they reached a clearing, "Soon, you're going to start feeling numb. It will start in your fingertips and your toes, and if we can't get a remedy together before the paralysis reaches your neck, then you will probably go blind and lose the ability to talk. If we can't find a remedy in a couple of hours, you will have respiratory paralysis, which means-"

"I'll suffocate. Yeah, I'm not an idiot Nev," Harry said, "So just tell me how we're going to find this cure, please."

"We need to make an antivenom and inject you with it," Neville said quickly, "You should know that, Harry. This isn't your first snake bite."

"That's true. You do have a habit of being bitten by snakes," Draco agreed, "First the Basilisk, then Nagini, now this."

"I get bitten by a snake lots Draco," Harry joked weakly. It was difficult to joke with pain coursing through his body, "She's called Daphne."

"Try not to talk; it might make you feel worse," Neville said. He had his eyes shut tightly, "And I'm trying to remember how to make antivenom, so silence would help."

Harry obliged and stopped talking, but when he wasn't distracted, all he could think about was how bad the pain was.

"We need antibodies," Draco said, "From an animal immune to snake venom."

"What animals that live in the rainforest are immune to snake venom?" Neville asked the Slytherin.

"A Mongoose," Theo piped up out of nowhere.

"And how the hell do we find a tiny Mongoose in this place?"

Dave hissed in response.

"Dave says he can find one, but can he eat it when you're done, please?" Harry said, his eyes were shut tightly, and his teeth were gritted.

"Dave can do whatever he wants to it, as long as we can use it to save your life first," Neville said. He looked at the snake, "Go find us a mongoose, Dave."

The snake bowed its head in a nod and then slithered away.

"While Dave is finding our mongoose, let's work out our next step," Draco said calmly, "Does anyone know what we do with the mongoose when we get it?"

"Yeah, how exactly do we extract antibodies?"

"They will be in the blood," Theo said, "So we need to take blood from the mongoose, a lot of blood."

"We need to kill it, basically?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," Theo admitted, "I think we'll have to kill it. Once we have the blood, I think we'll need to use a basic extraction spell and modify it. I think I can do it, but I'll need to write it down in case I mess up."

"This is when being good at Arithmancy comes in," Neville realised. He watched Theo transfigure a couple of bits of wood and grass into a notepad and pencil.

"Who knew spells were made with maths," Harry agreed quietly.

Neville looked over at him, "Where is the pain?"

"Every single muscle in my body," Harry replied.

"And can you feel your fingertips?"

"I can't feel my right hand," Harry admitted, he tried to clench both of his fists, but only his left one moved.

"And your feet?" Neville asked. He had already pulled Harry's socks and shoes off in case his feet became swollen.

Harry tried to wiggle his toes, but none of them moved, "Try twisting your ankles."

This time, both of his ankles moved, and Neville breathed a sigh of relief, "Let me know as soon as you lose feeling anywhere. It's the only indication I have of how much time we have to do this."

"I will," Harry said.

"Okay," Theo said slowly. He stared at the numbers in front of him, "I think this will extract the antibodies from the blood now. I just need to add in something about purification because if they are damaged upon extraction, then I don't know how they will affect you… Draco, will you look over this for me?"

"Spell modification isn't my strong point, Theo," Draco said, "I'm far better at using Arithmancy for curse-breaking."

"No pressure then," Theo said. He blew out a long breath and looked down at his notepad.

"Can we talk about something to distract me from the fact that I'm slowly being paralysed, please?" Harry asked.

Neville glanced over at his best friend, "We could talk about my Order of Merlin."

"You're getting an Order of Merlin?" Draco asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Neville said, "Didn't I mention that last week?"

"No, Nev, you didn't mention it," Harry said.

"Unlike you, who rubbed it in everyone's face," Theo said without looking up.

"Don't be mean to him," Draco muttered.

"Why? Because I'm slowly losing feeling in every limb?" Harry asked sarcastically, "Don't let that stop you."

"You can't insult a man on his death bed," Theo said, "Even I am not that ruthless."

"And Harry isn't dying," Neville said. He shot Theo a glare, "So the whole thing is irrelevant."

"Nev is right," Draco said, "Harry is a bloody cockroach. He would survive another big bang, and he'd still be a clueless prick."

"Cheers, mate," Harry mumbled, "And we were talking about you, Nev, not me. You're getting an Order of Merlin, and that's so great. Me and my sidekick getting our awards together…if I'm still alive then."

"Okay, Harry," Neville said firmly, "A. You will still be alive then because you don't survive Voldemort, a Basilisk, Voldemort again, Dementors, a werewolf, a Hungarian Horntail, Voldemort again, Death Eaters, Voldemort again, Nagini and Voldemort again just to get killed by a fucking rattlesnake."

Harry would have laughed if he hadn't felt like death warmed up.

"And B. I am not your bloody sidekick," Neville added, "Do sidekicks get awarded 1st Class Order of Merlins?"

Harry smiled, "I'm really proud of you, Nev."

"He's acting a bit funny, don't you think?" Draco asked slowly.

Neville nodded, "Slurred speech and slow thought, a bit like he's drunk. The venom is spreading through his body a lot faster than I thought it would. We need that bloody mongoose."

"Where's Dave when you need him," Theo muttered irritably.

"Are you nearly done with the spell modification?" Neville asked.

Theo nodded, "I'm done. I just need the blood then I can extract the antibodies. After that's done, we will need to mix them with a simple serum and then we can inject it into Harry's blood."

"Right," Neville said, "I know what serum you need, so I'll quickly canvas the ingredients and throw that together. Draco, keep him talking and if anything changes or he starts having hallucinations come and get me straight away."

Draco nodded and sat down by Harry's side, "So you and Neville are both getting an Order of Merlin, 1st Class. Outstanding bravery…I guess that makes sense. Hermione is getting the 2nd Class, you know?"

Harry didn't open his eyes, "Is she? Why didn't she tell me that?"

"She hasn't told anyone, apart from me," Draco said, "I thought it meant she wasn't as worthy as you at first. But then I did some research, and I found out that each class is awarded for a different reason. Did you know that?"

"No," Harry replied.

"1st class is for outstanding bravery or distinction in magic," Draco told him, "Second class is for achievement or endeavour beyond the ordinary, and third class is for people who have contributed towards our store of knowledge or entertainment. I guess that's why Hermione got a 2nd class rather than a 1st, but I think she did show outstanding bravery…."

"Me too," Harry said quietly.

"Do you know if Ron is going to get one?" Draco asked.

Harry didn't say anything or do anything.

Draco frowned, "Harry?"

Harry opened an eye, "I shook my head."

"No, you didn't," Draco said. He was beginning to feel that same sense of panic as Neville now, "Can you still move your ankles?"

Harry tried, but nothing happened.

"What about your knees? Can you pull your legs up with them at all?" Draco asked.

This time Harry did manage to move both knees, "And your wrists, can you move them?"

Nothing moved.

"Your elbows?"

Harry tried, but only one moved. Draco swallowed, "Okay, open both of your eyes and shut them again."

Harry did so.

"Try to nod or shake your head again," Draco instructed.

This time, nothing happened.

"Try to move your neck," Draco said.

Again, nothing happened.

Draco swallowed again and yelled, "Neville! You better get back here!"

It took Neville a few minutes to appear back in the clearing, but he had a basket full of various plants or flowers when he did.

"He can't nod or shake his head," Draco said, "And he can only move one elbow."

"What about his knees?" Neville asked quickly, "Did you check?"

"They are still okay," Draco said.

"We have about half an hour. For some reason, the venom is spreading twice as fast as normal," Neville said, "Probably because of how many bloody snakes have bitten him in the past. Where the fuck is Dave with this fucking mongoose?"

An angry hiss came from the bushes, and Dave appeared.

"Dave says that your foul language is offending him," Harry mumbled, "And he says he brought you the biggest mongoose he could find, so you should be grateful."

Neville rolled his eyes, "Dave has too much fucking sass for a snake," he said as he took the dead mongoose from the snake.

The snake hissed again, and Harry hissed back feebly.

"Dave says if you don't remember your promise to him, he will crush you to death," Harry mumbled.

"Don't worry, Dave, you can eat the mongoose once I've drained its blood," Neville said, "Draco, help me, please?"

Between them, they made quick work of getting enough blood from the mongoose (and then tossing it to Dave) to make antivenom. Theo's modified extraction spell worked, and 15 minutes later, they had an antivenom.

"I'll inject it," Neville said. He took the needle and injected it into Harry's vein.

"When will we know if it is working?" Draco asked.

"It will take a few minutes, but the paralysis should gradually reverse," Neville said, "Harry, can you hear me?"

Harry nodded.

"He couldn't do that before," Draco said sharply.

Neville blew out a sigh of relief, "Thank Merlin for that."

Harry groaned, "I feel like I'm gonna-"

Theo made a face as Harry threw up into the bushes. "I'm guessing he was going to say vomit."

Draco wrinkled his nose up, "Yep, I think so."

"That's good; it's his body flushing out the venom," Neville said.

"It's not good. I feel like fucking death," Harry complained, "I'm freezing. Can someone transfigure me a blanket?"

"No, but I can give you a hug?" Theo suggested.

"I don't want a fucking hug," Harry complained.

"Oi, be grateful!" Theo objected, "My modified spell just saved your arse!"

"Yeah, you need to stop getting bitten by bloody snakes!" Draco agreed, "Hermione and Neville have both had to nurse you back to health after lethal bloody snake bites."

"I'm not sleeping with you, though," Neville joked.

Harry glared at him, "Why do snakes hate me so much?"

Dave hissed, and Harry smiled, "Aw, Dave, that was cute."

Neville shook his head, "Cute? You think a snake is cute after one just tried to paralyse you and make you die a slow and painful bloody death?"

"Dave said that he doesn't hate me," Harry said. Dave hissed again, and Harry said, "He said the rattlesnake tried to kill me because it was jealous that I was taking Dave home with me."

"Right, that's snakes for you," Theo muttered, "Fucking bastards."

Dave hissed indignantly.

"Dave said that was rude and that he would quite like to crush you to death," Harry said.

"I don't like Dave," Theo mumbled.

"He doesn't like you either."

"I liked it better when you were dying," Theo said irritably as he stomped into the trees, "At least you were bloody quiet then."

* ~ TBC ~ *