Chapter 19:

The next morning, there was somewhat of an air of panic in the Great Hall. News of Dumbledore's poisoning had spread like a wildfire- and had been horrifyingly confirmed with McGonagall's announcement. She was now the Acting Headmistress… until Dumbledore came back, of course. But things seemed grim indeed. Nobody knew what he'd been poisoned with, and it was so strong that chances of recovery seemed to be hopelessly slim.

Hermione was even having trouble finding what poison it was. And, miraculously, the entire school was finally taking the view Harry and Ron normally took: the culprit was Snape, who was on Voldemort's side. Even the Order members seemed overly suspicious of him. After all, he had been good friends with Karkaroff, who was the last one seen with Dumbledore. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had yet to find what exactly Karkaroff had been discussing- but it was on their urgent to-do-list.

Several days later, Ron sighed with exasperation. They were in the library at Hermione's bidding, pouring over Potions texts. "Honestly, Ron, don't you care about reviving Dumbledore? Whoever attacked him could be in this school! What if they want to get Harry as well? What if they work for Voldemort?" she demanded. Ron shuddered, and held back whatever statement was itching to come out of his mouth, and he sighed loudly and turned back to the book.

"You know, Hermione- we've been reading for days. I honestly think Ron may be right about this. Hermione tutted and rolled her eyes, as if to say, 'if it isn't in the library, where could the answer be?'.

"Well, what do you suggest, Harry?" Harry shrugged as Ivy slithered out onto the table, almost grinning, sapphire eyes gleaming in the light. Ron backed up, annoyed, and Hermione bit her lip. "That snake is giving me the creeps," she said calmly. "I was never much of a snake person."

"Me either," said Ron.

They don't look happy, hissed Ivy amusedly.

"I don't think they fancy snakes much…" explained Harry.

Don't they? Well that isn't very kind. Perhaps I don't 'fancy' humans much? I possess enough venom to kill ten of you in one bite… said Ivy, sounding a bit disappointed. But, alas, no matter, I suppose. Only Amara likes me. Even Lysander, who can speak with me, would rather not be around me. I am used to it. And Godric hates me! But I don't care… really, I don't. It's not like I have feelings; I'm just a serpent! She added with sarcasm. Harry laughed and Ron said loudly, "It isn't polite to speak in a different language in front of us!"

"Well Ivy can't understand you," said Harry pointedly. Ron frowned.

Ivy went on. But what is your problem? The same thing as yesterday? My, is all of mankind so slow or is it just you three?

"Well what would you suggest?" demanded Harry. Harry could've sworn Ivy was smirking.

I've been to your future, you know. All I can say is that… actually, I want a nice riddle. I like watching you attempt to use your brains, what little you possess. Let us see. Go to the trusted one, the betrayed and the betrayer, your loved one's most hated, who hated, was loved, with as dark a past as the boy-who-lived, with bitter, sadness, and an affliction which, on others he hates… oh, that doesn't make sense! She hissed angrily. Fine. Your POTIONS MASTER!"

"What?" demanded Harry in English, quite loudly.

"Shh!" scolded Madame Pince.

"Er- sorry!"

"What is it?" asked Ron curiously. Hermione nodded.

"Ivy- she said to ask Snape!

"Snape?" asked Ron hollowly. "Never."

"The snake has a point," said Hermione thoughtfully. "If he didn't do it and all… Dumbledore trusts him! I say we ask."

"No!" protested Ron. Harry was torn- he hated Snape, yet somehow…

"Ivy said she's been to the future. Our future! She wouldn't give us bad advice…"

"Unless she doesn't want to change the future!" said Ron loudly.

"Or she wants to change it… for either the better or worse," said Hermione. "How do we know whether we can trust her, Harry?"

"I trust her," said Harry flatly. "I- I don't know why. But I do. Why would she lie?" Hermione and Ron exchanged glances, and Harry knew they thought she was a spy for Voldemort. He didn't know why he was so sure- but he was. He just had that feeling! Suddenly, though, everything was interrupted by Madame Pince's screams.

"GET OUT! NO KISSING IN THE LIBRARY! HONESTLY- IN MY DAY- OOH, I SHOULD REPORT YOU TO THE HEADMASTER! JUST—" She suddenly trailed off, having mentioned the Headmaster. "OUT!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione naturally turned to see who was coming from behind the bookshelves. Harry's stomach flipped when he saw who it was. Ginny- and Blaise Zabini.

The two hurried out, Ginny blushing, and Blaise trying to act cool. Harry didn't look at Ron, purposely. The next second, Ron was out of his seat, stomping across the library. "GINNY! WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT, SNOGGING ZABINI! A SLYTHERIN!"

"You didn't seemed to care when it was Draco or- or Harry I was snogging," she said defiantly.

"WHEN DID YOU SNOG MALFOY?" he demanded. Blaise was backing up slowly as Ron yelled at Ginny.

"Oops," whispered Ginny. "Okay- scratch Malfoy. Add Michael or Dean instead!" Ron was bright red by now, and Ginny was trying to hold back a smirk. Harry actually found himself laughing- for some reason he didn't seem to have feelings for Ginny right now. Peculiar.

"WHEN DID YOU BLOODY SNOG MALFOY?"

"KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN IN THE LIBRARY!"

"SORRY! BUT THIS CAN'T WAIT! GINEVRA WEASLEY, I AM WRITING HOME!"

"What, prey tell, are Mum and Dad going to say? I am sixteen, Ronald! Leave me the HELL alone! And just so you know, I can snog whoever the hell I want-" Suddenly, Draco Malfoy sauntered into the library, freezing like a deer in the headlights when he saw the argument going on. But Ginny stopped him.

"MALFOY!" she yelled. Harry chanced a glance at Madame Pince, who was already writing Blaise, Ginny, and Ron up.

"Leave me out of this," said Draco loudly.

"NOT SO FAST!" yelled Ron angrily. "WHEN DID YOU SNOG MY SISTER?"

"Er…. Never?" guessed Draco, backing up.

"What?" demanded Ginny. "Harry- you saw us! Tell Ron! Ron, you should remember! DO you have a selective memory or something?" Apparently, Ron, who looked as confused as ever, did have a selective memory. "Draco Malfoy! Did you just deny that we were in a secret relationship last year?"

"Secret being the key word!" yelled Malfoy. "Not that we did anything!"

"Oh yeah?" asked Ginny, bright red. She marched up and kissed Malfoy, hard, right in front of Ron and the rest of the library. Draco didn't even try pulling away.

"Young lady!" screeched the librarian. Harry chuckled, and Hermione frowned, at Ginny's impulsive behavior. Ron was bright red. The second Ginny and Malfoy pulled apart, he punched Malfoy in the nose, hard.

"OUCH!" cried Malfoy, outraged. "I didn't do anything! She started it-" He then began punching Ron.

Fight, fight, fight! Harry heard coming from somewhere. He looked down and laughed to see Ivy, tongue out and head raised into the air, chanting. Madame Pince was calling for reinforcements. Harry and Hermione had gotten up and Harry pulled Ron away while Blaise pulled Draco away. Ron was still fighting, and it took both Ginny and Harry to restrain him.

"Er… Harry… sorry about all that," whispered Ginny, as Ron jerked against their hold.

"I really don't care, Gin. It's your life. You were right, I think, that there was nothing there…"

"I was?" asked Ginny, eyes widening. Harry nodded, smiling. "Oh… okay. I'd better go…"

"Wait a minute, young lady!" yelled Madame Pince. "Come get your detention slip! And 50 points from your house for such horrific behavior… never in all my days as a librarian…" Harry grinned at Ginny apologetically. A second later, she fled from the room. Harry almost felt bad- he knew that everyone in Hogwarts would know by the next morning. Several minutes after Ron was finally calmed down, they ran quickly from the library. When they reached the Great Hall, Ron and Harry looked expectantly at Hermione.

"I think we should talk to Snape," she said immediately. Ron sighed, and Harry grumbled. "He has to know something… and if we're the only ones to believe him, we may stand a chance."

"We have a better chance of the Centaurs all forgiving us than we do of Snape believing three Gryffindors- Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger lessen the chance even more," said Ron spitefully.

"Well it's our best hope," said Hermione. "Want to go now?"

"All right," sighed Ron in defeat, looking as if he was facing death. He and Harry then followed glumly behind Hermione, deciding to do anything to revive Dumbledore- what would stop Voldemort, now that Dumbledore was down? And how would the Order work?

When they reached Snape's classroom, he was grading papers roughly with bright red ink. "Doesn't he know that red ink is the worst color for the confidence of the students?" whispered Hermione as they reached the doorway.

"Er… Professor?" asked Hermione as they entered the room. Harry and Ron were point-blank refusing to talk- it was Hermione's idea, after all.

"May I help you?" asked Snape silkily, not looking up.

"We were- er- wondering," began Hermione, faltering. "Er- we want to know if you can help us. We want to work on reviving Dumbledore. And since you're- er- the most adept person we know at Potions, we thought you might be able to help."

"Did you?" asked Snape indifferently.

"Yes," said Harry. Ivy slithered out of his pocket and onto his arm, hissing happily.

"Well I'm afraid you've come to the wrong person. Everyone else seems to have drawn their own conclusions- that I am the culprit. If that's true, why would I want to revive Dumbledore? As far as I see it, I'm free now that he's dying. I can just die and not have any more debts to pay off. Of course- if you succeed in defeating the Dark Lord, Potter, it seems I've nothing to worry about anyway. So you can go."

"But we know you didn't do it Professor!" said Hermione desperately. "Please, just try! What did you mean, he's dying? But all of the people who trust him as much as you did or we do will know he trusted you. And Dumbledore seems to know who to trust!" Snape ignored her.

"So are you skipping Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potter? Too good for it?"

"McGonagall won't let me," said Harry angrily. "Now that Dumbledore… well, she won't let me. What did you mean- he isn't dying, is he?" Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I know what has inflicted Dumbledore, though there is no cure. And, yes, he is dying."

"But- we could invent a cure!" said Hermione excitedly.

"There is no cure, Miss Granger. It takes years of work to develop antidotes to these things… the most Dumbledore has is a year, two if he's lucky. There's nothing we can do. They might as well kill him to put him out of his misery."

"What?" demanded Ron. "What poison did he take?"

"I am not saying anything," said Snape flatly. "Now do run along. I have work to do."

"Please, Professor," said Harry, looking him into the eye. "You know as well as I- we need to win this thing! We have to! We need Dumbledore… the Order will collapse!"

"Actually, if I'm not mistaken, Dumbledore has left you in charge of the Order, Potter… did McGonagall not tell you?"

"What?" asked Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all at the same time. Snape looked amused.

"Oops," he said indifferently. "Listen, Potter… Weasley; Granger. I think that you and some… elite members of your DA can figure this out. I am not going to endorse it, though. So be it if everyone is against me-"

"That's what you don't understand!" said Harry angrily. "We are on your side! Please, Professor! I am not my Dad! Ron isn't his brothers or parents… Hermione is gifted; she isn't a know-it-all. Please. I'm begging you- don't you want to live through this war? Have a better life? Save the Wizarding World? Please… this isn't a favor I'm asking to repay some debt… We are asking you to do this- for you, and for everyone else."

Snape looked rather upset for a moment. "Fine. I will help bring Dumbledore back- we may need… as much as I hate to say this, Longbottom, because of his skills at Herbology. And you three- and Draco Malfoy… but nobody else." Harry nodded as they left the room. "I will tell you when to come."

"Thank You."

A/N: Wow. Long time no… write. Lol? Please don't be mad- I didn't write because I have been very busy, and I didn't update really soon because of a low number of reviews…. Don't hate me! Please review! I feel really bad :-( But I will update soon, and be happy :-)

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