Chapter 5 I meet the Potion Master (Again)
A/N: Hello everyone. I just wanted to tell you that I have rewritten chapter 4. One of my reviewers informed me that the chapter was very fast past, which made me read it again with new eyes. I realized that the writing was rather sloppy compared to the other 3 chapters. I changed the writing a bit and added some more dialog to make it seem more natural. The purpose of the chapter will not change, so you don't have to read it again if you don't feel like it, but it will be a better version than before (hopefully). Check it out if you want to, and if you do then feel free to write what you thought :P
I think the mistake happened because I wanted to include events from the book without writing word for word what Rowling have already written, so I just mentioned them briefly. Anyway, I would like to apologize for posting something that I actually wasn't finished with.
From now on I'll only post the chapters when I'm sure they're good enough, so there might go a month or two before the next chapters are uploaded.
Hermione and Ron dropped me of in front of a wooden door in the basement. It was cold and moist here and I could help but think of all the health problem it could cause to teach a class down here. I was sure that there was mold growing down here somewhere, but perhaps they could just magic it away? It could be very useful to magic unwanted stuff away, like the mess my siblings always left in our cabin.
I was pulled away from my thoughts when Hermione spoke.
"So, this is professor Snape's office." Hermione said while nervously fiddling with the sleeve of her sweater. Ron was standing by her side with his arms crossed and scowled at the door like he wished it would burst into flames, or perhaps the person inside would.
"I still can't understand what you want with that snake." Ron had now turned his fire causing glare to me, and I really glad that it was only metaphorical flames he could create. I don't really think he was angry at me but rather their hated teacher or at least that's what I hoped. I knew he didn't trust me, but I would prefer if he didn't hate me.
"Like I told you before I just what to thank him for saving Nico's life. He deserves to be thanked even if you don't like him."
Ron started to say something, but the young witch grabbed his arm to drag him away.
"We have to get back to the common room now, but perhaps we will see you at the hospital wing later?"
"Yeah we'll do that." I told them.
Hermione gave me a small wave before she practically ran away, like she would rather be anywhere else. Ron gave me a quick nod and then turned to follow her. I watch their capes billow behind them as they fled down the corridor.
I turned and knocked on the door when the two friends were completely out of sight. I suddenly felt very alone in the cold silence castle. The way the three kids had talked about their potion teacher didn't make him seem like a very good guy, but I was determined to make my own judgment of the guy.
The door opened by it self and a bored voice told me to come in.
Snape stood by a big black cauldron with an open book at the table next to it. There was a weird smell in the room that made my head feel heavy. I'm pretty sure it came from the potion Snape was brewing, but it could also be all the ingredients he had around the room. Dried leaf from different plants hang from the sealing, hundreds of class jars was filled with unidentifiable stuff, but I'm pretty sure one had eyes in it! I tore my eyes away to look at the other person in the room again, only to see that he was looking at me expectedly. He didn't really look pleased to see me, but on the other hand that could just be his normal face.
"Um hello. I just came by to say thank you for the help. I don't think Nico would have survived if you hadn't been there." The man made me a little bit nervous with his indifference expression so I talked faster then I normally would. But I was used to working with people who didn't show their emotions very well (cough Nico cough) so I was determent not to let it get to me.
"Yes, he properly wouldn't."
His answer made me a bit angry. He was a teacher wasn't he supposed to reassure me in this kind of situations?
"I'm Will Solace by the way"
He shook my hand but looked like I had offered him a dead fish while he did it.
"Professor Snape, Potion Master here at Hogwarts. Tell me Mr. Solace where did you learn to brew that potion? I didn't know it"
It was a risky topic to discuss with this stranger, but I think my wish to make him warm up to me a bit more made me more talkative.
"Oh a friend showed me how to make it, since it seem to work when Nico starts to fade. There is a heard of unicorns where she lives, so she knows a lot about them and their uses."
"Does your friend fade frequently?"
"Well lets just say I can tell you how to make the draught in my sleep." I changed the subject before I accidently exposed the whole demigod world. "What are you making?" I nodded towards his cauldron.
"I'm brewing a Draught of Peace so Madam Pomfrey can get her supply restored. It is a complicated potion and one mistake can send a person into a deep sometimes irreversible sleep."
"What is it used for?"
"It relieves anxiety and agitation." This caught my attention as a healer. Since the wars many demigods had been more on edge and anxious than usual, with was understandable after all we had been trough. A draught to reduce that could be real helpful. Perhaps it could even help Nico with his nightmares of his time in that place…
"Would it be alright if I observed you make it?" I took a chance by asking him since he didn't seem like a person who like company, but the gains from learning this potion was too great to let this opportunity pass.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you watch, if you keep quite." Snape looked like he had tasted something sour while he said it, but I still counted it as a victory.
I think he had his own agenda in letting me stay. Perhaps he hoped me and my big mouth would say something we were not supposed to, if I got more relaxed and focused on something else.
It turned out that I wasn't very good at just observing. I asked the professor questions about all he did, but to my surprise he didn't seem overly annoyed by this. Perhaps he even enjoyed having a curious student who wasn't afraid of him for a change. He started to include me more and more, and I ended up helping him make the draught. It started up small when he asked me to powder the moon stone. I think he hoped it would distract me so I wouldn't ask as many questions, but he underestimated my ability to multitasked! The next hour of brewing with the moody professor was surprisingly nice.
"The last ingredient is hellebore. Add exactly 7 drops not more or less, it is very essential. If it is not done correctly the whole potion will be useless."
"Don't worry professor, I can count to 7." I gave Snape a quick smile to let him know it was said with humor, but he still gave me a light slap to the back of my head for my quirk. It didn't hurt at all and I think it was just his way of interacting.
I turned my attention back to the brewing and carefully added the 7 drops of hellebore.
"The draught has to simmer for 7 minutes, and then it should turn a turquoise blue when finish and if brewed correctly, the potion will emit a silvery vapour."
"Seven really is a magic number huh" I could almost feel Snape roll his eyes at my observation, but he was way to mature (boring) to actually do it.
"Yes, the number seven has contains more magical power than any other number. It is told that the 7th son of the 7th son has greater magic then the average mage, but it has been a long time since the wizarding world has seen one of those. People don't have that many children anymore."
"No and if they do it is not with the same partner." I said with just a hint of bitterness in my voice. I admit I was a little bitter at my dad for being a god and not just a man who could have stayed with my mom. I mean I love my siblings and I wouldn't trade them for anything, but once in a I still dreamt of having a normal family. The dream of coming home to a mom and a dad, without having to look over my shoulder all the time in case a monster had sniffed my out. Snape heard the bitterness in my voice but didn't comment on it. Perhaps out of courtesy but it could be he just didn't care.
We cleaned up while we waited for the potion to finish. A silver mist rouse from the cauldron after 7 minutes.
"It seems like you have made a perfect Draught of Peace." He looked almost impressed and I couldn't help the small bust of pride his words gave me. It was not often I got praise from adults, since there weren't that many in my life. "Now it just needs to be filled into vials and be brought to Madam Pomfrey."
"I can take the vials to the hospital wing, it is time to get back anyway, I hadn't planned on being away so long." I started to get slightly worried. What if Nico woke up had I wasn't there? He would think something had happened to me, and that wouldn't end well for anyone.
We filled 14 vials and I got a back to hold them all.
"Thank you for letting me stay Professor." I said with a little smile.
"It has been enlightening." With that cryptic remark, he closed the door, and I was once again alone.
I wasted no time getting back to the hospital wing and my boyfriend, and ran the whole way. My legs were burning once I reached the top of the last stair.
A weird sight awaited me inside the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was healing a girl with green skin and black warts. I had seen a lot of weird stuff in my time as a healer of halfbloods, but this won first prize for weird stuff. Madam Pomfrey however wasn't even faced. She just waved her wand around, gave the girl some potion and told her not to expiriens with magical make-up. The girl nodded embarrassed and hurried out the door even though she still had a green shine in her skin. Madam Pomfrey then turned to me.
"Ah Will there you are. You have been gone a long time."
"I was brewing potions with Professor Snape. He asked me to deliver these to you."
"Did you make these? They look perfect."
I rubbed my neck in embarrassment.
"Well Snape and I made them together."
The old nurse smiled at me.
"Thank you Will, for bringing them to me."
I allowed myself to bask in her praise for a moment (I am a son of Apollo after all) before turning to more serious matters.
"Has there been any change with Nico?"
"I think he called for you at one time, but he was sound asleep when I went to check up on him."
I thanked the old nurse and went to sit by Nico's side. My good mood was gone, and I missed Nico so much my chest hurt. I know it hadn't been long since we talked but it felt like weeks had passed. I kept think of how Nico had called for me, but I wasn't there.
"How did it go with professor Snape?"
A pair of bright eyes interrupted my dark thoughts. Hermione stood before me and I could see Ron standing with crossed arms by Harry's bedside like some kind of guardian. Harry was looking over at Hermione and me with poorly concealed curiosity.
I returned focus to Hermione's question after the standard demigod situation analyses.
"It was alright. Honestly I can't really see why you guys hate him that much."
I really wish I had a camera at that moment.
Ron looked like someone just punched him in the gut, I mean really his whole body contracted as in pain. Harry eyes widened comically and even Hermione looked flabbergasted.
"He's a snake!" Ron spurted. "And he treats everyone unfairly except for the Slytherins. He had it in for Harry since our first day here! He doesn't even like kids."
Hermione nodded fiercely to back up Ron's statement.
"I guess I should feel lucky I'm not in his class huh? Why is he even a teacher if he doesn't like the students?"
"He likes to see us suffer!"
Hermione shot Ron a death glare at this. Apparently, she drew the line of bad talking teachers at calling them sadists.
The three students got in a heated discussion after that, but my attention was slipping as I slowly dozed off in the chair, I was sitting in.
I have no idea how long I have been sleeping when I woke up. I looked around to find out what it is that woke me up, because I was sure something was out of the ordinary.
My brain was still clouded with sleep, so it took me two whole minutes to identify the sound that woke me from my blissful slumber. My heart nearly stopped when I finally figured it out.
Nico was moaning slightly!
I stood up so quickly that the stool I sat on fell.
"Hey Neeks I'm right here." I took his hand and squished it perhaps a bit to hard, but I was so glad and relived that he was waking up. (And I was still trying to come to my senses)
"Will… You alright?" his question came out as a tired mumble, but I could feel tears prick from behind my eyes at his concern. The idiot was the one who had been in a coma for days, and he still asked about my wellbeing first.
"I'm unhurt" The lump in my throat was getting bigger.
"Thank gods…" Nico blinked a couple of times before he looked around. "Where are we?"
"You're at Hogwarts my dear, you have in fact been here for quit some time."
I have no idea how or when Madam Pomfrey had snuck up on us, but she gave me shock when she suddenly spoke. (I don't think she was trying to be sneaky I was just to engrossed in Nico's dark eyes that finally was open.)
"Now if you don't mind then I would like to examine you. There can be dire consciences by going in a coma so suddenly like you did."
Nico, trusting as always, just looked at her. I placed my hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
"It's alright Nico. She's good enough."
I love how all it takes for Nico to trust her enough was my confirmation. He really had come a long way from the kid who thought everyone hated him or was afraid of him.
Madam Pomfrey started her examination by seeing how Nico's eyes reacted to light and if he could follow her finger.
"Good, now tell me, what is the name of your companion?"
Nico looked slightly annoyed but told her my name. Madam Pomfrey looked satisfied and completely ignored my boyfriend's glare.
The doors opened before the nurse could continue her line of questions that were mandatory for patients who could suffer for head injury, and in the doorframe stood the headmaster in all his glory. It was fun to see Nico's eyes widen at the sight of the old man in bright purple robes and witch hat. Behind the headmaster was two people, only one of which I knew. Snape was wearing his usual disinterested look, but he did seem to glare at the man beside him more the he normally did. The man beside him was wearing and old worn rope, and he did look slightly old and worn himself. He had brown hair and tried looking eyes.
I glanced over at Nico and saw that he was analyzing the situation as well, but he did look more alert then I felt was necessary. I put my hand on his shoulder to calm him down and hopefully avert a hostile situation. Nico was a bit more aggressive then me to put it lightly.
"I see you're awake at last young man."
"Your observation skills are astonishing."
The headmaster, who had moved closer to the bed, didn't look offended at Nico's sarcastic answer.
"We have all been waiting for your awaking Mr. Solace in particular." The old man wink at Nico.
"How long have I been asleep?" He sounded worried.
"You arrived here Thursday afternoon and it is now Sunday morning."
Well I have slept for longer then I thought, I haven't even eaten dinner yesterday before I hit the hay!
Nico didn't comment on this but looked like he was troubled by something. Other than his missed days of course.
"Now I think introductions are in order before we figure out what we'll do with the two of you. I'm Professor Dumbledore headmaster of this fine school."
"My name is Nico Di Angelo."
"A Di Angelo, I thought they were all dead." Nico got a dark look on his face when he heard that.
"Sorry to disappoint…"
"Oh I am not disappoint Mr. Di Angelo quit the opposite in fact. It is just peculiar that you should be here now…" It seemed like the headmaster was immune to Nico's verbal attacks delivered in the form of dripping sarcasm.
"Now as to what we should do with you two. You don't seem to be wizards; but you do have magic. Professor Snape confirmed this for me, when he told me you could brew a potion." The headmaster was looking at me now with his piercing blue eyes. "Only magical beings can brew potions." (I knew the potion master had an ulterior motive when he let me help him!) "But that raises the question; what are you? Are you just wizards that somehow haven't gotten an education yet or are you something else?"
A/N: I'm gonna end the chapter here :D Sorry for the long wait guys, hope it was worth it.
Xoxo Skyggedrage