A/N: I am fully aware I have been far too long in posting another chapter,
and can't express how sorry I am. I must also admit though, there may not
be another for a wile either, I have such a busy schedule at the moment, I
really should be attempting my homework or doing my piano practice at the
moment, but I just received all these ideas for this story and just felt
very compelled to write more. Thank you for those of you who are putting
up with my tardiness.
Disclaimer: Marshmellows hit me on the head while I eat hentalated miend (you'll understand later).
Secrets In The Dark
-Part 7
The day was bright, the sun cast a warm glow over the pebbled path, the weather didn't match Snape's mood at all. He dreaded having to find the ingredients need for a counter curse, just the thought of his past made him sick to his stomach, and now that was all he could focus on! What made it worse was the knowledge that all that had happened in his past was his own fault. He was an idiot for letting himself become so worthless, he wasn't to hit himself.hard.as hard as he could stand it.harder than that even. Professor Magonagal strolled past, kindly presenting Snape with an acknowledging smile which he did not return. He had no time for such pleasantries today; he had a very serious difficulty to sort out! He had to find a yellow rose, which wouldn't be too much trouble, seeing as Hogwart's grounds were flooded with gardens, containing every type of flower imaginable. He needed the /yellow/ rose specifically so he colour bring he back to the physical plane of existence, red would just send her to the emotional plane and white would only serve to send her to the plane of purity. Snape collected the rose with now trouble, but now he had to discover what else he would need. Thinking back over the other ingredients used in his original potion, - asphodel, wormwood, refoburnly mushrooms, and juice of tightlock vine - he had to think of what counteracted each of them. To counteract 'The draught of Living Death' a very powerful and rare ingredient was needed: hentalated miend, which was a very rare crystal which has been aging for millions of years, too much intake could be fatal, but that wasn't the only problem - it would be very expensive! But Snape knew he had to retrieve such a rarity.for her sake.
Snape stared hypnotically out the window as the Hogwarts express rocked and bumped quietly on its way to Hogsmeade station. Snape, although knowing rare animals were his specialty, conceded to ask Hagrid of any sealers who would possibly hold in their possession any hentalated miend. He had received a few suggestions from the giant, but nothing was assured, so Snape had received a month's break from Albus to pursue what it was he had to. The train finally grinded to a whining standstill. Snape rapped his long, black cloak around him, and, picking up his large black case, alighted from the smoking train. He looked about, trying to decide which mindless old snipe he was to pay his first call on. He was thirsty from his journey and rather weary.
'How much good would a cool glass of butterbeer do me now!' Snape thought longingly to himself, but never considered the idea as a serious option - he was not one to waste time indulging himself. Instead Snape contented himself by apparating to Mr. Cerritus's* abode. Snape observed the untamed ground and crumbling, clay building with disgust. He grudgingly knocked three times on the small door which was evidently rotting away. After a couple of moments the door creaked slightly open to reveal one large, grey eye.
"Good morning, I am Professor Severus Snape from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have been advised that you may be able to help me." Snape informed the eye curtly but the eye merely stared back blandly, not even blinking. "I am in need of hentalated miend".
The door swung open wide to reveal a short little wizard, dressed in an inside-out robe and who possessed only a sparing amount of silver hair. He hobbled away, quickly for his apparent age, and took a seat on a chair. Snape, after ducking through the tiny door into the dirt floored, single roomed house, followed the man to where he had settled himself. As Snape waited, Mr. Cerritus began mumbling to himself.
"What she saw in him.elbows, elbows.I need to buy more mildew for.pah! Kids...the kettle's boiling.he banished my baby.it's a secret."
"Excuse me Mr Cerritus" Snape interrupted. "Do you have any hentalated meind?!" The old man's face short up to glare into Snape's inquisitive but reserved eyes. "Who told you about her?"
"Her?"
The old man stood and bustled across to an old, pewter box in the corner. He opened it to reveal a gleaming hunk of hentalated miend. Snape's eyes lit up at the sight but the rest of his face remained impassive. As he approached the box, the old man picked it up and held it protectively against his chest.
"He said never to let you lay hands on it!" Mr Cerritus snapped.
"Me? Who told you this?" Snape inquired. The old man made no attempt to explain but instead started pulling faces at Snape. This wasn't worth it, there was no way the old git would change his mind, he was obviously senile. Snape walked to the door, and looked back once to make sure the old man hadn't changed his mind. But no, Mr Cerritus was sitting on the ground with his mouth around the chunk of hentalated miend. 'Ahh, that explains a lot' he thought before exiting the hut and apparating to his next port of call.
After ringing to small brass bell which hung beside the elegant wooden door, a tall man dressed in a tuxedo appeared and waited for Snape's command.
"I am Professor Severus Snape from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am here to speak with Mr. Zaplutus*."
The butler bowed and walked away. Not caring for such a display, Snape impatiently followed up the flights of stairs to where Mr Zaplutus was seated in his lounge room. Mr Zaplutus was a short man himself, and rather solid too, making him appear sturdy.
"Good morning! Take a seat Mr.?" Zaplutus inquired pleasantly, showing his warm smile.
"/Professor/ Snape" he correctled coldly, not caring at all for the over enthused personality of this man, no wonder Hagrid knew him.
"Oh, I am dreadfully sorry. I am Mr Zaplutus."
"I am fully aware of that, sir" Snape responded harshly.
"Oh, ok. How may I help you this fine day?"
"Call it what you will," Snape replied, referring to the quality of the day Zaplutus had stated. "I come in search of hentalated meind." Mr Zaplutus's eyes widened, and he quickly stood and began closing all the doors to the spacious room.
"What would you want a thing like that for?!?!"
"I do not believe that is any of your business."
"But, but, heptanated miend is a very dangerous substance! It has no use except for one! You couldn't possibly have any use for it! That one is very destructive!!! No sir, you must be mistaken!" Zaplutus warned.
"I believe I'll decide what what it is I need"
"But, please sir, hear me out here! Hentalated miend has no effect on anything unless it is consumed! And all it does then it does then is cause all the natural operations in the body to work faster, throwing the being in to overload! This causes excruciating pain for the victim and causes them to go senile from their lack of ability to cope with what they are going through!!!" Zaplutus stressed.
"I am fully aware of that." Snape spat, emphasising every syllable and pronouncing every consonant so it sliced the air like a knife.
"In that case, I am afraid I cannot help you sir, Jones shall show you the door". At Zaplutus's command, the butler entered the room and once again bowed.
Not wishing to show his desperation, Snape accepted Zaplutus's decision and left the house without another word.
There was only one hope left for Snape, one place left to look. But it was a place which Snape had visited in the past and did not wish to go there again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ I did my homework for this chapter, I thought you all deserve a little extra effort from me -
1. Zaplutus Latin for "rolling in money".
Cerritus Latin for "insane".
Disclaimer: Marshmellows hit me on the head while I eat hentalated miend (you'll understand later).
Secrets In The Dark
-Part 7
The day was bright, the sun cast a warm glow over the pebbled path, the weather didn't match Snape's mood at all. He dreaded having to find the ingredients need for a counter curse, just the thought of his past made him sick to his stomach, and now that was all he could focus on! What made it worse was the knowledge that all that had happened in his past was his own fault. He was an idiot for letting himself become so worthless, he wasn't to hit himself.hard.as hard as he could stand it.harder than that even. Professor Magonagal strolled past, kindly presenting Snape with an acknowledging smile which he did not return. He had no time for such pleasantries today; he had a very serious difficulty to sort out! He had to find a yellow rose, which wouldn't be too much trouble, seeing as Hogwart's grounds were flooded with gardens, containing every type of flower imaginable. He needed the /yellow/ rose specifically so he colour bring he back to the physical plane of existence, red would just send her to the emotional plane and white would only serve to send her to the plane of purity. Snape collected the rose with now trouble, but now he had to discover what else he would need. Thinking back over the other ingredients used in his original potion, - asphodel, wormwood, refoburnly mushrooms, and juice of tightlock vine - he had to think of what counteracted each of them. To counteract 'The draught of Living Death' a very powerful and rare ingredient was needed: hentalated miend, which was a very rare crystal which has been aging for millions of years, too much intake could be fatal, but that wasn't the only problem - it would be very expensive! But Snape knew he had to retrieve such a rarity.for her sake.
Snape stared hypnotically out the window as the Hogwarts express rocked and bumped quietly on its way to Hogsmeade station. Snape, although knowing rare animals were his specialty, conceded to ask Hagrid of any sealers who would possibly hold in their possession any hentalated miend. He had received a few suggestions from the giant, but nothing was assured, so Snape had received a month's break from Albus to pursue what it was he had to. The train finally grinded to a whining standstill. Snape rapped his long, black cloak around him, and, picking up his large black case, alighted from the smoking train. He looked about, trying to decide which mindless old snipe he was to pay his first call on. He was thirsty from his journey and rather weary.
'How much good would a cool glass of butterbeer do me now!' Snape thought longingly to himself, but never considered the idea as a serious option - he was not one to waste time indulging himself. Instead Snape contented himself by apparating to Mr. Cerritus's* abode. Snape observed the untamed ground and crumbling, clay building with disgust. He grudgingly knocked three times on the small door which was evidently rotting away. After a couple of moments the door creaked slightly open to reveal one large, grey eye.
"Good morning, I am Professor Severus Snape from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have been advised that you may be able to help me." Snape informed the eye curtly but the eye merely stared back blandly, not even blinking. "I am in need of hentalated miend".
The door swung open wide to reveal a short little wizard, dressed in an inside-out robe and who possessed only a sparing amount of silver hair. He hobbled away, quickly for his apparent age, and took a seat on a chair. Snape, after ducking through the tiny door into the dirt floored, single roomed house, followed the man to where he had settled himself. As Snape waited, Mr. Cerritus began mumbling to himself.
"What she saw in him.elbows, elbows.I need to buy more mildew for.pah! Kids...the kettle's boiling.he banished my baby.it's a secret."
"Excuse me Mr Cerritus" Snape interrupted. "Do you have any hentalated meind?!" The old man's face short up to glare into Snape's inquisitive but reserved eyes. "Who told you about her?"
"Her?"
The old man stood and bustled across to an old, pewter box in the corner. He opened it to reveal a gleaming hunk of hentalated miend. Snape's eyes lit up at the sight but the rest of his face remained impassive. As he approached the box, the old man picked it up and held it protectively against his chest.
"He said never to let you lay hands on it!" Mr Cerritus snapped.
"Me? Who told you this?" Snape inquired. The old man made no attempt to explain but instead started pulling faces at Snape. This wasn't worth it, there was no way the old git would change his mind, he was obviously senile. Snape walked to the door, and looked back once to make sure the old man hadn't changed his mind. But no, Mr Cerritus was sitting on the ground with his mouth around the chunk of hentalated miend. 'Ahh, that explains a lot' he thought before exiting the hut and apparating to his next port of call.
After ringing to small brass bell which hung beside the elegant wooden door, a tall man dressed in a tuxedo appeared and waited for Snape's command.
"I am Professor Severus Snape from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am here to speak with Mr. Zaplutus*."
The butler bowed and walked away. Not caring for such a display, Snape impatiently followed up the flights of stairs to where Mr Zaplutus was seated in his lounge room. Mr Zaplutus was a short man himself, and rather solid too, making him appear sturdy.
"Good morning! Take a seat Mr.?" Zaplutus inquired pleasantly, showing his warm smile.
"/Professor/ Snape" he correctled coldly, not caring at all for the over enthused personality of this man, no wonder Hagrid knew him.
"Oh, I am dreadfully sorry. I am Mr Zaplutus."
"I am fully aware of that, sir" Snape responded harshly.
"Oh, ok. How may I help you this fine day?"
"Call it what you will," Snape replied, referring to the quality of the day Zaplutus had stated. "I come in search of hentalated meind." Mr Zaplutus's eyes widened, and he quickly stood and began closing all the doors to the spacious room.
"What would you want a thing like that for?!?!"
"I do not believe that is any of your business."
"But, but, heptanated miend is a very dangerous substance! It has no use except for one! You couldn't possibly have any use for it! That one is very destructive!!! No sir, you must be mistaken!" Zaplutus warned.
"I believe I'll decide what what it is I need"
"But, please sir, hear me out here! Hentalated miend has no effect on anything unless it is consumed! And all it does then it does then is cause all the natural operations in the body to work faster, throwing the being in to overload! This causes excruciating pain for the victim and causes them to go senile from their lack of ability to cope with what they are going through!!!" Zaplutus stressed.
"I am fully aware of that." Snape spat, emphasising every syllable and pronouncing every consonant so it sliced the air like a knife.
"In that case, I am afraid I cannot help you sir, Jones shall show you the door". At Zaplutus's command, the butler entered the room and once again bowed.
Not wishing to show his desperation, Snape accepted Zaplutus's decision and left the house without another word.
There was only one hope left for Snape, one place left to look. But it was a place which Snape had visited in the past and did not wish to go there again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ I did my homework for this chapter, I thought you all deserve a little extra effort from me -
1. Zaplutus Latin for "rolling in money".
Cerritus Latin for "insane".