A/N Thank you to my reviewers:
Entilzah - Thank you for the input, your stories going well also
Shiroiryu144 - maybe this chapter will explain things for you. About charms, I'm not sure how long you could make them last if your good enough.
Pixyfairy120 - I will try to keep updating regularly, thank you for putting me on your author alert.
Jaded Angel8 - I agree.
Patience101 - Thanks for the review, more twists to come.
Fireangle - I changed my settings to allow unsigned reviews, Thank you. I hope you aren't disappointed with my decision.
PeachDancer82 - noted
Ms. Padfoot - Your review was the deciding factor. Love your story. I hope you don't mind the upcoming twists.
Filodea - You can read the whole story now.
Thank you for your patience,
ResQgal
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Disclaimer: Not Mine.
Tangled Relations
Chapter 7 - Is potions the answer to everything?
Harry began to stir. As he started to sit up his head was swimming so he tried to hold it still. Hermione noticed him stirring and rushed over.
"Harry, you're awake. You fainted. Are you OK? I'll go get Madame Pomphrey."
Harry held up his hand to stop her questioning, as he tried to focus on what she was saying. "No, don't get Pomphrey. I'm fine. How is Professor Snape?"
"He'll be alright. When he fainted, he hit his head on the floor and Madame Pomphrey healed him. He'll probably wake up any minute now."
"How long was I out?", he asked, as he finally sat all the way up.
"About five minutes.... Why do you look like Professor Snape, Harry? Maybe Madame Pomphrey will figure it out. I'll go get her."
Harry jumped up, "No.... Don't get her. I don't know what's going on, but the less people who know, the better."
A deep, dry voice replied. "I believe that is the first intelligent thing you've said today Mr. Potter."
Harry whipped his head around to see the Potions Master sitting up in bed holding the back of his head.
"Sir? Do you know why I look like you? Did you and my mom ever...."
"No, Potter, we didn't. I don't have the answers yet, but there is a potion that may give us an answer. I will have to look it up."
Just then Madame Pomphrey walked into the room. "I see the two of you decided to wake up." She smiled. "Now what, pray tell, caused a student and a professor to faint in my hospital wing?"
She was answered by the three inhabitants quickly replying with "Nothing" and exiting as quickly as possible.
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Professor Snape headed straight for the dungeons as Harry and Hermione walked towards the great hall where lunch was half over.
"Harry, why did you ask Snape if he ever.... Do you think he's your dad?"
Harry's face drained of all color and he replied in a biting tone, "James Potter is my father. I don't know why I look like Snape."
Hermione was taken back. "I'm just trying to help. Maybe the headmaster will know."
"No Hermione. I don't want to tell anybody else yet. Not even Ron. This could be some kind of trick or dark magic."
"What don't you want me to know?", Ron added. He had been sitting at the table eating before they got there.
"Ron, I will let you know as soon as I figure out what's going on OK?"
"OK you git. I understand."
With that said, they quietly ate their lunch. Hermione headed to advanced arithmancy, muttering something about looking in the library later, and Harry headed back to Gryffindor tower, he had the afternoon free. He laid back in his bed and pondered the day's events. After coming up with no immediate answers, he decided to read some more of his mom's diary, maybe there would be answers there. He was know through the 1976 one and was moving on to the one labeled 1977.
September 1, 1977
I'm so glad to be back at school. Petunia
was horrid this summer. She met some big whale
named Vernon at her college and he stayed with us
for two whole weeks. It's bad enough with her running
around calling me a freak, but he joined in. I'm glad
to be rid of them for 9 more months. I'm definitely
not going home for Christmas if he's going to be
there. Although I'm happy about being back, I wish
I didn't have to see Sev. He must have decided to give
up on me. He even called me a mudblood today on the
train. I was so mad I almost hexed him, but then I
remembered that it's my fault he's upset. Now he thinks
I was just toying with his emotions, like it was another
of James' pranks. I'm going to try to be friends with him,
but it seems as though he's built a wall around himself.
L.E.
Skipping ahead a couple of months, Harry finally got to where his dad entered the picture.
November 24, 1977
I'm really confused right now. Remus said that James
likes me and wants to ask me out. He acts like such
a prat though. I know he's smart and funny, but he's
always so full of himself. I told that to Remus and he
said he'd tell James that if he wanted to date me he'd
have to act less haughty. James did look good in DADA
today though. He filled out a little this summer and that
messy black hair really draws me in. We were working on
dueling. James was dueling a slytherin named Nott.
I was in awe. James was hitting him left and right with
curses. His quidditch skills definitely helped in dodging
curses. After the duel his robes were clinging to him and
his face was simply radiant. I guess I do have feelings
for James, but he needs to work on that attitude. I still
miss Sev, but I have to get over him sometime.
L.E.
"Eww.... I really didn't need to read about how radiant my dad was." , He mumbled, turning a few more pages ahead.
December 16, 1977
It took him a while. James finally asked me out today. I
was walking towards transfiguration when he transfigured my
quill into a rose. I turned around and he was standing right
there behind me. He gave me a small smile and asked if he
could carry my books. I handed them to him and we continued
walking. When we were almost there he stopped me and asked if
I would go with him to the Yule ball. I said yes and hurried
into the classroom. Now I need to get some new dress robes.
I don't want to wear last years again. What color should I get?
L.E.
Harry closed the book when he heard tapping on his window. He turned around to see a large eagle owl so he quickly opened the window and let it in. He untied the note and the owl flew off. Harry quickly recognized his potions professors hand writing as he opened the letter.
Mr. Potter,
I have found the potion that may give us some answers. It will
be ready in one hour. Please be in the potions classroom by then.
Bring Miss Granger, we will need her assistance.
Professor Severus Snape
After folding the letter and putting it in his trunk, Harry made his way towards the arithmancy classroom. Hermione would be getting out any minute now.
After about 5 minutes the door opened and Hermione quickly spotted Harry. "Hi Harry. You usually don't meet me here. What's up?"
Harry explained to her about the note as he led her towards the dungeons. Once they were there they knocked on the locked potions classroom door. After announcing who they were the door swung open. Harry could here it close and lock behind them and then Snape muttered a silencing spell.
"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, I'm glad to see you could make it in time." He said dryly. "This is the base for the relationship potion. It has to simmer for twenty more minutes then we will each add a pint of blood. I know that is a lot of blood, which is why I asked for Miss Granger."
Harry's face paled, and Hermione decided to ask "Professor, what does the potion do?"
"First we need to get the blood. This will hurt Potter. Try not to scream." He then drew a knife across Harry's wrist causing blood to spill forth into a bowl that was underneath his arm. After about 30 seconds, Professor Snape healed the cut and performed a cleaning charm on the arm. Harry almost fainted, but Snape was prepared and handed him some pumpkin juice and a muffin. Hermione looked horrified.
"Miss Granger, I need your help with my arm. It seems I'm not so steady with a knife when I'm cutting myself." Hermione grimaced as she grabbed a second knife that was lying on a tray next to them and sliced the Professors wrist. After the same 30 seconds he healed his wrist and carried the two bowls over to the table next to the cauldron the potion was in.
"In ten minutes I will add the blood. I will add yours first and then my own. The potion will change color depending on our relationship to each other. If we are not related it will turn black. If, somehow, I'm your father, the potion will turn blue."
While they were just sitting around waiting, and since Hermione already knows about them, Snape decided to ask Harry about his visions.
"Potter, I need to know how the Occlumency lessons are coming along with the headmaster. We don't want certain people knowing the results of this potion."
Harry allowed himself a broad smile. "I was able to master it quite well about two weeks ago. Now the only visions I have, are ones that I instigate."
Glaring at Harry he replied, "What do you mean you instigate them? Does the headmaster know?"
"Yes sir, he knows. Voldemort and I both have closed our minds, but I found that if his emotions are high he lets his mind-block slip and I can get in. I've only done it twice and I haven't seen anything interesting, but I hope to be able to use his weakness to spy on him. The only draw back is the pain. The last time I was in a vision He casted crucio on one of the death eaters and I could feel it."
"If that's the case Potter, I'll give you certain potions to deal with the effects of that curse. I will let the headmaster know about it." Then looking into the cauldron, he stated. "The potion is ready now."
Harry and Hermione gathered around the cauldron to see, first hand, the color change. When the time had come, Snape poured in Harry's blood, stirred clockwise five times and then added his own, stirring counter-clockwise five times. After a few seconds the potion began to change color.
"Green? What does green mean?" Snape muttered, and walked over to the potion book. He looked through the list of colors. "Bloody Hell", He muttered. "It appears Mr. Potter, that I am your uncle."
After noticing the color drain from his face, Hermione carefully lowered Harry into a chair. She began shaking him to pull him out of his thoughts. After a full minute he finally found his voice. "Professor, do you have any siblings?", he asked, thinking maybe his mom was assaulted.
"No, Potter, I don't. And yes, the potion is definitely correct. Not that you would dare question my potion making ability. Obviously we have quite the mystery on our hands. I will try to find out what I can about my family. Maybe I had a half sibling I didn't know about."
"Thank you Professor. I will try to find information as well. One of the things I grabbed from my vault was some old diaries I found. Maybe I can find something there."
Snape's face drained of all color as he whispered, "Her diary?" He remembered her writing in a diary back when they were together. He then put his mask back in place. "Very well Mr. Potter. And don't you dare call me Uncle Severus unless you want detention for a month." He then handed Harry the potion for the cruciatic curse. "Here is the potion I told you about. Take a quarter of this at a time. Let me know if you need more. The two of you are dismissed."
Harry took the bottle and slipped it into his pocket. "Thank you professor."
Professor Snape nodded and returned to his desk.
After exiting the classroom Hermione turned to Harry. "Are you OK? I suppose you need to rest a while. Why don't you go up to the common room and rest? I'll head to the great hall. It's dinnertime now. I'll bring you back something to eat."
Harry nodded and climbed the stairs back to Gryffindor tower.
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