Chapter Two
If it smells like saliva ...
The plan, from Harry's perspective, appeared to be to wait around for Dumbledore or some other professor to come to their rescue. It could certainly be said that the young wizard would have preferred a more proactive approach to their dilemma, but he certainly wasn't going to try and dig his way out with his bare hands. It would have been a fruitless undertaking that he imagined could end quite easily in their deaths if the dungeon collapsed any further.
Most of the tables and chairs had been badly damaged, so Harry found himself seated upon a large piece of stone, absent-mindedly brushing the dust from his robe while he continued to work on the current problem. His eyes drifted toward the door to Snape's private office where he kept all of his most valuable potion ingredients and so forth. There was a little trickle of something oozing under the door. As Harry watched it, the viscous silvery-gray liquid began to smoke ever-so-slightly.
"Professor, one of your potions appears to be escaping." he alerted Snape, who was silently stewing about their predicament.
"Which potion?" questioned Severus, craning his neck to get a look at it.
"It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen." he said, squinting at the substance.
"Maybe if you paid more attention ..." Snape started to say. Then he stopped and squinted at the potion. "I do believe it is partially dissolving the floor."
For all of his many flaws from his bad grooming to his offensive personality, no one could say that Severus Snape didn't know his potions. And he was right. The potion was dissolving a groove into the floor, like a swift and powerful river eroding limestone, only in slow motion. Snape took his best guess as to the flow of the liquid and realized that it would probably flow in his direction.
"Professor?" questioned Harry, watching Snape's eyes trace the projected course of the substance along the floor.
"Potter ... perhaps I could use some assistance." the potions master admitted with some difficulty.
"Of course." agreed Harry, although he could not help but to feel a small twinge of satisfaction. Snape could not afford just to tell him to mind his own affairs.
With that Snape explained to Harry what he had to do to redirect the flow of the potion toward a drain in the far corner. It was tiresome work using jagged pieces of stone to rub a slight indention in the floor that forced the liquid to flow in the preferred direction. When Snape was satisfied, Harry tossed his 'tools' aside and wiped the sweat from his face.
"Thank you, Potter." was all Snape could manage, but even that surprised Harry.
Of course, when he replied, "You're quite welcome, Professor." he was a bit startled too.
Then he heard Snape sniff the air of the room. The professor looked quite puzzled.
"Lacewing ... belladonna ... unicorn saliva ... and ..." he murmured, obviously trying to deduce the composition of the potion by smell.
"Well, at least his big nose is good for something." thought Harry. "So what is it?" he questioned as Severus rolled his eyes and groaned out loud.
"Aromatic."
Harry immediately clapped his hand over his nose and mouth, wondering if they too would dissolve.
"What sort of aromatic?" asked Harry in a muffled voice.
"I think it's a variation of Peacemaker's Oil. Of all the luck!" sighed Snape, closing his eyes.
"I'm not familiar with that one." admitted Harry, removing his hand.
"It turns antagonism and resentment into friendliness and ... and empathy. Somehow the ingredients mixed together ... Oh, blast it all! Why couldn't it have just been a sleep draught or something innocuous?"
Harry almost laughed as he thought, "So that's why we aren't at each other's throats anymore! It's the potion!" "How long will it last, professor?" he asked aloud, hiding his laughter with a well-timed cough.
"Until we get out of this room, I imagine."
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A/N: Wow! Thanks to everyone who reviewed: evil spapple pie, Wink At J00, Phoenix Flight, Bridget McKennit, and snapefan51! I really appreciate it.
A/N 2: If I have somehow screwed up in my potions-making, I am very sorry.
If it smells like saliva ...
The plan, from Harry's perspective, appeared to be to wait around for Dumbledore or some other professor to come to their rescue. It could certainly be said that the young wizard would have preferred a more proactive approach to their dilemma, but he certainly wasn't going to try and dig his way out with his bare hands. It would have been a fruitless undertaking that he imagined could end quite easily in their deaths if the dungeon collapsed any further.
Most of the tables and chairs had been badly damaged, so Harry found himself seated upon a large piece of stone, absent-mindedly brushing the dust from his robe while he continued to work on the current problem. His eyes drifted toward the door to Snape's private office where he kept all of his most valuable potion ingredients and so forth. There was a little trickle of something oozing under the door. As Harry watched it, the viscous silvery-gray liquid began to smoke ever-so-slightly.
"Professor, one of your potions appears to be escaping." he alerted Snape, who was silently stewing about their predicament.
"Which potion?" questioned Severus, craning his neck to get a look at it.
"It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen." he said, squinting at the substance.
"Maybe if you paid more attention ..." Snape started to say. Then he stopped and squinted at the potion. "I do believe it is partially dissolving the floor."
For all of his many flaws from his bad grooming to his offensive personality, no one could say that Severus Snape didn't know his potions. And he was right. The potion was dissolving a groove into the floor, like a swift and powerful river eroding limestone, only in slow motion. Snape took his best guess as to the flow of the liquid and realized that it would probably flow in his direction.
"Professor?" questioned Harry, watching Snape's eyes trace the projected course of the substance along the floor.
"Potter ... perhaps I could use some assistance." the potions master admitted with some difficulty.
"Of course." agreed Harry, although he could not help but to feel a small twinge of satisfaction. Snape could not afford just to tell him to mind his own affairs.
With that Snape explained to Harry what he had to do to redirect the flow of the potion toward a drain in the far corner. It was tiresome work using jagged pieces of stone to rub a slight indention in the floor that forced the liquid to flow in the preferred direction. When Snape was satisfied, Harry tossed his 'tools' aside and wiped the sweat from his face.
"Thank you, Potter." was all Snape could manage, but even that surprised Harry.
Of course, when he replied, "You're quite welcome, Professor." he was a bit startled too.
Then he heard Snape sniff the air of the room. The professor looked quite puzzled.
"Lacewing ... belladonna ... unicorn saliva ... and ..." he murmured, obviously trying to deduce the composition of the potion by smell.
"Well, at least his big nose is good for something." thought Harry. "So what is it?" he questioned as Severus rolled his eyes and groaned out loud.
"Aromatic."
Harry immediately clapped his hand over his nose and mouth, wondering if they too would dissolve.
"What sort of aromatic?" asked Harry in a muffled voice.
"I think it's a variation of Peacemaker's Oil. Of all the luck!" sighed Snape, closing his eyes.
"I'm not familiar with that one." admitted Harry, removing his hand.
"It turns antagonism and resentment into friendliness and ... and empathy. Somehow the ingredients mixed together ... Oh, blast it all! Why couldn't it have just been a sleep draught or something innocuous?"
Harry almost laughed as he thought, "So that's why we aren't at each other's throats anymore! It's the potion!" "How long will it last, professor?" he asked aloud, hiding his laughter with a well-timed cough.
"Until we get out of this room, I imagine."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Wow! Thanks to everyone who reviewed: evil spapple pie, Wink At J00, Phoenix Flight, Bridget McKennit, and snapefan51! I really appreciate it.
A/N 2: If I have somehow screwed up in my potions-making, I am very sorry.