CHAPTER FOUR
The last day of Yule Hols, just before classes were to resume, Harry was walking through the halls with his new group of friends going over their latest debate.
"I told you guys about the ongoing Potions experiments with the Mundane Fertility and Potency medicines. After some additional thought I began to wonder, if the problem of low birth-rates among the Purebloods of Britain could be solved with a variation of Mundane medicines, then why not others. How many other cases are in the Long-Term Ward of St. Mungo's without much hope of finding a cure? What if their cure lies with Mundane Medicine?" queried Kip.
"You really think Mundane Medicine could help my parents?" asked Neville. "I know relaying your mere suggestion of the idea was the reason Gran insisted on having the American Ministry transfer my parents from St Mungo's to an American Healer facility that already mixes Mundane and Magical Healing techniques."
"I don't want to get your hopes up prematurely, but it is at least worth some thought. Provost Doyen already found a witch that is a Potion Mistress and has a few Certificates in Medical Science as well. So after they find a solution to the other problem, I had already planned to suggest they look at the patients in the Long Term Ward, not just your parents, but all of them."
"And you think that all that can be done by breaking Mundane medicine down to their base form and finding Potion Ingredient Equivalents?" asked Harry.
"Maybe. Or maybe the ingredients that are needed, simply don't exist yet," said Kip.
"How do you mean?" asked Alec.
"Well Nev told us about how the Advanced N.E.W.T Herbology class is studying the crossbreeding, stem splicing of different plants. Maybe it is some rare as of yet undiscovered crossbreed that is needed. If you already know what plant A does to a Potion compared to plant B, but know that trying to add something from both plants to the same Potion, either makes the Potion inert or makes it explode. You now have to consider what would happen if plant A and plant B was crossbred to make plant C. Can plant C now be added to those Potions, that both of it's separate components couldn't be added together?"
The other five wizards pondered the heavy weight of Kip's words, then Alec decided to lighten things up, "You ever just give your brain downtime, Kip?"
"That is what my music is for, my friend. I have written more songs since entering Advanced Studies than ever before," he answered.
The group turned the corner and came upon the junction of hallway that had a bay of windows overlooking the courtyard. There at the windows stood an older gentleman in a combination of Wizarding and mundane clothing.
Harry recognized him immediately and called out to him, "Professor Snape?"
Severus Snape being startled had turned just enough so that Harry could now see that he had tears running down his cheeks. He quickly turned away.
"Nev, why don't you and the guys go ahead to the senior lounge and I'll meet you there in a bit," suggested Harry, while attempting to express some urgency with his facial movements.
"Sure, Harry. We'll see you in a bit," Neville answered forcing the others to follow along with him.
Harry stood beside Snape and looked out to the courtyard.
"Is it everything you dreamed of?"
"A hundred times more than we dreamed of. Your letter and the photos could not do it justice. I needed to see it for myself, even if it is just for this one moment. I have thought over your words and I have decided that I will go to the Canadian Ministry and I will except whatever they decide. If that means I answer for my crimes with a prison sentence, then so be it."
"I think you will be greatly surprised. They are big on work release punishments here in Canada. They believe that as long as one can be made to provide a productive service to the community and are willing to atone, then they should do so. Maybe you'll end up teaching again, but with a contracted term of service or maybe you will work for Ministry Potion labs directly."
"Your young friend that was speaking of cross breeding experiments providing new Potions Ingredients; is he the one you wrote to me about?" asked Snape.
"Kip Carson. Yeah, he's our resident Potion Master Prince fanatic. Back in first year you made a comment about me being a celebrity, but here at Magna, I'm just one of the norm, whereas you are very much a celebrity that is greatly revered," said Harry with a smirk. "If you were imprisoned in any way, the Ministry would have a protest on their hands the likes of which you could never imagine."
"I would be a part of that protest, Severus," said Magna's newest Potions Professor as she approached the two wizards.
"Anna!?" said Snape.
She nodded to Snape, then turned to Harry, "You must be young Potter… The student that is pushing Parseltongue studies to new limits."
"When I was at Hogwarts, I was often feared and treated as though I was a Leper because of my ability. Now… to be able to hold books written by people who have actually made documented study of the language and seeing the power the language has over Healing Spells has made me wonder what limitations the language truly has. I once thought that I would have to go into a career of fighting, simply because on so many levels it was expected of me by others, but now I am contemplating a career in the field of Healing for my own reasons."
"Your entire group of friends seems completely focused around the different Healing Magics. You with Parseltongue Healing, young Mister Carson with his new Potions that are based on Mundane medicines, Mister Longbottom with plant crossbreeding, Mister Zabini with Ritualistic Healing and finally Mister Langtree with the Healing Power of Applied Runes tattooed into the skin."
"I have thought about that myself and have kept coming back to fact that we are each in our own way orphans of the last war, facing a new onset of war. I believe that we are just trying to find ways to help the next round of orphans that are sure to be the result of this coming war. I heard from Lady Longbotton, that the Bones Family was already made victim, leaving Heiress Bones an orphan."
She looked at Harry with sympathy, "I had not realized that you all had that one other item in common. You are probably right in your assessment, as much as I hate to believe it… Go join your friends, I wish to speak with Severus privately, before I personally escort him to the Ministry that owes me many favors."
"Yes ma'am!" answered Harry, then he turned to Snape, "I hope to see you again soon, Professor Snape."
A few weeks later Harry was elated to hear that Potion Master Prince was now a contracted advisor to the Advanced Potions students, whenever he wasn't assisting Potion Mistress Anastasia Tremaine with the Ministry funded Potions experiments that she had been brought to Magna to oversee. The Ministry not only granted Snape the requested Sanctuary, but they had also helped him to claim his Prince family Estate and title.
Magna's Professor of Rituals was able to lead Severus though a process that removed his Slave Brand and from then on he was always seen to be wearing his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, proudly displaying his bare arm.
Harry did eventually get a chance to sit down with the now titled Professor Prince a few weeks later and catch up on everything that was happening in Britain.
"Albus had so many plans that were focused around you or in your absence, young Mister Longbottom, that without either of you being in Britain, he now seems to be at a complete loss of what the Order should now be doing. He is still wanted for questioning by the Ministry, even though Fudge was voted out and former Auror Scrimgoer now the Minister."
"A new policy was made among the Auror Corp that blocks Tonks or Shacklebolt from sharing information with the Order, so they are also at a loss on that front. Not having anything of any import to relay to the Dark Lord, made me lose favor with him. I was serving as the newest Defence Professor after Albus somehow convinced Horace Slughorn to come out of Retirement and take refuge at Hogwarts, and therefore taking the position of Potions Professor and everyone knows that the Defence Professor never last a full year. Many of the Slytherins were already beginning to turn to Slughorn for the things they once entrusted in me."
"Does that mean that McGonagall was given Official title of Headmistress?"
"No, she is acting in the part of Interim Headmistress and keeps insisting that Albus will soon return to his post."
Harry just shook his head.
"Albus is greatly disappointed that he no longer has Fawkes to flash him in and out of Hogwarts whenever he wishes, but he won't say why the Phoenix in no longer able to do so."
Harry now laughed, "Magna has Wards that are based on protecting against magical fire. A phoenix tried to enter through the wards on the second week of term and was forced into an early burning cycle. It is being held at the local Aviary, that has the same type of Wards, until someone can come and show proof of rightful claim."
Severus now laughed. "Albus is already on the run from one Ministry, so he can not receive the permissions for Legal International travel, that he would be required to show, before laying claim to Fawkes. All International Portkeys and Floo travels are heavily monitored, so even if he was able to get out of Britain unnoticed, he would certainly be noticed re-entering.
I, myself, travelled to Canada with the use of especially obtained permission from the Potion Guild, that the British Ministry could not refute and now that the work that I am helping Anna with, is being backed by the Guild and the Canadian Ministry, they will continue to assist in any further travel that is needed. Even with all of that, I have no reason to ever return to Britain, except to visit the Ancestral Prince Estate that is now in my name."
"Wait until after I am seventeen, because I plan to visit the Potter Ancestral Estate and Neville will have to go sign some papers that will give him official claim to the Longbottom Estate, so we can all go together. We can take the whole group and invite Mistress Tremaine, as well. We'll make it into some sort of somewhat supervised group project, perhaps we can take time to gather Potion Ingredients that only be found in England's marshlands."
Severus nodded in response to Harry's suggestion.
"Hopefully the Canadian Ministry and their combined Task Force will have things wrapped up by then. The last update I was given a few days ago, said that they were almost ready to try their first infiltration into Britain," Harry added.
"Yes, they were finally able to attain an agreed assistance from the goblins of Britain's Gringotts, who have always refused to work with the British Ministry."
"I think the fact that all of the Canadian Magic Schools welcome goblin children as regular students, and allow them to learn the wand magic that Britain continuously forbids them to learn, helped with obtaining their assistance," suggested Harry.
"You are probably right," agreed Severus.