By Alarun
Part 13
"I know the antidote for the Adulescentia potion. Our main priority right now is getting the staff and faculty back to normal, then we can worry about what Sirius did with Re---the werewolf---and stop Voldemort from attacking Hogwarts." Snape reluctantly pulled away from his son.
Hermione stood up from the couch, intent on going with him to his laboratory. He shook his head. "I need to stop by the infirmary, but when I get down to the lab, I'll start a fire, and you can come by floo. It's too dangerous to be wandering around outside, and I need a lot of help." Severus put a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder and strode past them to the door.
* * *
Ron Weasley was sitting cross-legged on his canopied bed, staring blindly out of the window. He ignored Hermione, who was yelling for him to come down to the Common room, that Snape was back and they were going to the Potions room.
* * *
Voldemort was sitting atop his high backed steed, his legs placed carefully behind the black leathery wings. He had learned to ride when he was a young boy. His parents had insisted upon riding lessons. The one thing they had done right.
His winged stallion, Jova, danced as the lightning flew from the sky, thick maned neck arched and ears pricked forward excitedly, wings opening to envelope the sky around him. Voldemort shifted his weight back, squeezing lightly on the reins. Not yet, Jova. Almost time, though. He smirked, laughing inwardly.
The muggles he had used the Imperio curse on for his army stood in formation. If not for their wide variations in clothing, they would have looked like the greatest army in the world. None spoke a word, moved a muscle. No eye blinked or looked around. Silence reigned.
Voldemort patted his chest pocket, where his secret weapon was hidden in a small, pearl and ivory box. There was no way he could lose this battle.
* * *
Alby was just waking up for the second time. His tongue felt like it was covered in fur, his head felt like it was going to implode, and he wasn't sure if he was completely blind or not. All was overshadowed by a vast sensation of nausea.
When the smell of pepper and onion omelets reached his nose, he was pretty certain he was going to die.
Minnie Mackie just slit her eyes open against the overly bright light of various torches lining the walls in time to see Albus Dumbledore retch over the side of the balcony. She flinched, feeling a chain-reaction gag try to rise up in her throat, and swallowed it down.
Rolling herself onto her side, she pushed herself up to a sitting position, holding onto her pounding head.
Ruby Hagrid just finished eating his very own hangover cure, an omelet with peppers and onions, with a tall glass of milk and three bottles of water, courtesy of the Hogwarts house-elves. He burped loudly, startling the other inhabitants of the upper hall into a state of hungover consciousness.
Hagrid pulled himself to his feet with the aid of the stone railing in time to see Alby Bumblebee (at least, that's what Professor Dumbledore had told Hagrid to call him when they were both slobbering drunk) throw up over the side. He followed it with his eyes, hoping that it didn't land on anyone when it got to the bottom.
There was a frantic barking echoing down one of the wings, followed by a deep roar that sounded startlingly like a lion. Hagrid felt his chest jump. Animals inside Hogwarts! He strode off toward the noise, intent on helping whatever animals had unknowingly wandered into the school.
* * *
"Poppy? What ---?" Snape stopped in his tracks, looking at the surprised teenaged Mediwitch.
"Oh, oh. Yes, Dear? I'll try to help you best I can, but there don't seem to be any qualified staff members around here. I'm studying, though, to be a Mediwitch. What ---? Oh dear, dear." Poppy Pomfrey the teenager saw his broken hand and rushed forward, pushing him onto one of the hospital beds.
"I haven't got much time, Poppy. I need to make the antidote to the Adulescentia ---Oh, never mind." He refused to meet her confused gaze.
"I never was one for Potions class, dearie. Help you if I could, though, I would. Here, give me your hand." She proceeded to cast a cleaning charm to see the damaged bones better. "Oh dear. You've got a crushed carpal, my dear. The ulna is snapped …though your radius seems intact. Odd, like somebody did that on purpose...with magic. Oh my, your hand is going to need some work." Poppy muttered some simple healing charms, "I can't fix all of these without at least twelve hours. But it doesn't seem like you have that long …unless?"
He shook his head sternly. Voldemort was going to attack within the next twelve hours, without a doubt.
"I suppose we can settle for something more Muggle. Here, I think there are spare ace bandages around here …"