"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

-Lord of the Rings

Chapter Fifteen

There was a few seconds of shocked silence between the two of us at our recent discovery. Both of us just stood there staring at the black cauldron that could very well be the key to winning the war for the side of Light. However, just because the potion turned the correct color after months of mixing, testing, and slaving over our work, it didn't mean that the potion would definitely work. Professor Snape was the first to clearly point that out as soon as our stupor wore off.

"It still has to be tested before we alert the Headmaster of our 'discovery'. Not point in getting his hopes up if we can prevent it. Ginny, pour a small amount of the potion into a small clear flask and bring into my back laboratory. We shall test the potion on a living creature first." He said before turning towards his office in a billow of black robes.

As barbaric as it sounded, testing an uncertain potion on a small animal, we had no other choice. To complete our task Professor Snape would have to give the lab mouse a small dose of the potion and then cast the Avada Kedavra curse upon it to see if our work proved true.

I walked over to cauldron five and poured only a small amount of the potion into a flask. We would have to be very careful with the amount of liquid we tested for cauldron five took around 5 weeks for the contents in it to fully be ready, with or without the dragons blood.

"Miss Weasley some time today!" The impatient voice of Snape echoed through the room. I knew he didn't mean to sound angry but he was on edge about the recent results. For if this test proved true, life in the Wizard world could very well be altered greatly.

I walked in to the back laboratory that was connected to Snape's office and placed the flask on the counter nearest to the mouse cage. Snape already had a small white mouse settled in a box on one of the black surfaced tables and was preparing to feed it the dark blue liquid.

"If our hypothesis proves true, the liquid should take seconds to come into effect. We will know by a small golden flash across the eyes. There! Did you see that Miss Weasley!" For the first time in my life I saw Professor Snape truly smile; not smirk or even a fake smile that he used all the time in public. His eyes lit up like two burning coals and his face seemed younger as the lines that were etched across his skin from constant stress, smoothed out.

"Professor, our potion only works as a shield for the Avada Kedavra curse, but only if administered one time. If the attacker found out that he or she can cast the curse again then the victim will still die." I said as he prepared for the next stage of testing.

"Very well understood, however, this potion will be given to Aurors of the Ministry and once the curse is cast upon them that will give them enough time to plan their own offensive attack. You see, Voldemort's minions will not be expecting the curse to fail them, which will throw them off balance. The Auror's can use that few seconds of precious time for their advantage and respond accordingly." He explained.

"What about the other curses? Shouldn't we keep working on finding a cure for those too?"

"Miss Weasley, the other Unforgivable Curses, as bad as they may be, are not immediately fatal. The Imperious Curse only lets another administer your actions, and the Cruciatus Curse causes a vast amount of pain, but in either you don't immediately die. The Avada Kedavra curse stops your heart the second the green light touches your skin. That is why we must focus on this one first and foremost. I fear after today we may not have much longer to work on improvements. Voldemort is rising faster than ever and he may not wait until Potter is out of school to attack. Now on to the testing, place the box with the mouse over on the left counter and stand far away from it Ginny."

I did as he asked and after placing the cardboard box on the correct location I stepped back behind Snape and waited for the incantation.

"Avada Kedavra!" He shouted as a vast green light escaped from the tip of his wand and headed straight for the helpless white mouse. I wanted to shut my eyes in fear but I forced them to stay open. I wouldn't go back to being a coward ever again.

A dark blue barrier appeared around the mouse the minute the green light touched its fur. The mouse merely blinked its beady black eyes and resumed running around his small cardboard box as if nothing ever happened. Again Professor Snape and I stood there motionless.

A few seconds later the two of us were running like children up into the Headmasters office. To the few people in the hallways that we passed we looked like two kids who just found a room full of candied sweets in their room. Snape with the potion and I with the mouse, we nearly knocked over the stone gargoyle in our haste to get to Dumbledore's chambers. Snape shouted the password (peppermint sticks) and we proceeded to run up the stairway and flew through the wooden doorway just as Dumbledore was about to sit back at his desk.

"Professor...we...found...the...cure...can't...breathe...hold on." Snape began as we almost doubled over from the long run from the dungeons to the Headmasters office. Now if we were thinking clearly, which we weren't, we probably should have just used floo powder, but the excitement clouded our rational thought.

Dumbledore's clear blue eyes sparkled brightly with curiosity and hope.

"Cure? For which curse?" He was now standing back up and walking over to Snape with a glass of water that he conjured with his wand.

"What he was trying to say Professor is that we found a defense for the Avada Kedavra curse." I explained. By now he was smiling brighter than ever I have seen before.

"Explain Miss Weasley, for the two of you may have just changed the lives of many people." I glanced confused for a minute by his words but I was too excited to care. I hurriedly explained our recent discovery, and the manner to which it was founded.

"So you knocked over a glass that Severus was using for Remus's wolfsbane potion and that is how you found this cure? And this potion only works one time if taken before the curse is administered? Am I correct?"

Both Snape and I nodded and I set the box with the white mouse on a stool in the far corner of the room. Snape placed a few drops of the blue liquid into the mouse's mouth and waited for the golden light to flicker across the beady black eyes once again.

"You see Professor, one can easily defect the curse using the potion but one dose per attack. It takes only a matter of seconds for the liquid to run its course through the entire body and once it has a golden flash will appear in the person's eyes. The Janovive leaves do this because of the reaction of the liquid and the blood. Once the potion has taken affect anyone can cast the curse and when the green light hits the victim, a dark blue shield will surround the person but only for a minute. The power of the Avada Kedavra curse is great and this potion does not have enough strength the last through two attacks. However, you only need a few drops of the potion for it to work. Too much of the potion is lethal to a person's health for the dragons blood can be used also as a poison if given in large amounts." I explained. Dumbledore nodded his head in understanding and Snape proceeded with the demonstration. Just like the first time as the green light reached the white mouse a dark blue barrier appeared around it and the curse was deflected. This time though we would have to prove that the potion could not be used for a second attack and Snape continued to administer the curse again. This time the green light consumed the mouse and it fell over dead in a matter of seconds.

"I am at a loss of words for once in my long life. I am proud of the both of you for your accomplishments, however you must speak of this potion to no one. If word of this recent discovery leaked to the Dark forces than the both of you will be in great danger, and so would our cause. I need you both to start another batch of this potion immediately and bring the current cauldron up into my office where it will be locked up safe. I will notify the council of Aurors of this startling technology at once and when this war is complete you both shall be greatly awarded for your contributions. Miss Weasley, it is getting late and I must advise you to return to your tower. Severus, we still must attend that meeting, however I feel there may be a brighter ending than originally intended."

I bid goodnight to the Headmaster and on my way out I gave Snape a quick hug of congratulations. He was shocked at first that I could tell from the look on his face, but then he returned it just as quick and we parted for the evening.

On my way to Gryffindor tower I noticed a black shadow moving away in the reflection of a set of armor. However I didn't really think about it at the time for I was too happy to really care at the moment. Now I would be able to save Draco, I may now be able to help him as he has helped me all these past few months.