center Harry Potter and the Amulet of Power /center
Summary: Harry Potter is in his 6th year at Hogwarts. Right off the start of summer holiday he is captured by Voldemort. There is a mysterious new student at Hogwarts this year that transferred from Durmstang and she holds some interesting secrets. Harry is a sixteen year old with all of the love problems that come with his age. He struggles with the meaning of love and has some tough decisions to make. And if he chooses wrong, everything could come crashing down around him…
Genre/Category: Action/Adventure/Romance
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers Entertainment. I have no wish to claim it as my own. Yet, the plot and original characters of "Harry Potter and the Amulet of Life" are all my own.Ships: HPHG HGSS HPGW GWDM (Love triangles all around!)
Chapter Eleven – Hello West Palm Beach, Florida
As the sun was rising it drew Severus into wakefulness. When he woke up and figured out where he was he noticed the compromising position he and Hermione had found themselves. He had gone from his sitting position to lying down with Hermione resting on his chest. One of her legs and one of her arms were thrown over him and one of his hands was on the small of her back and the other had found it's way to her hair.
When he stirred he had woken Hermione and when she figured out where she was and that she was lying on Severus Snape she turned crimson as he was separating himself from her.
He was trying not to look at her as he was coloring also and mumbled something under his breath that sounded like an apology. Hermione went down to the loo to freshen up as he started to make their breakfast consisting of some canned fruits and water.
When she came out from the loo her and Severus' eyes met and they colored once more before starting their meager breakfasts.
After they had finished Hermione noticed a boat on the horizon coming towards them.
"Oh! It's out neighbor's boat! They must have come out to find us!" she said excitedly, running to the stern and waving her hands in the air.
After the boat reached Hermione and Severus they were overjoyed. There was nothing better than to cover up the awkwardness of their sleeping arrangements the night before. Her neighbor with the help of Mr. Granger lubricated the chain and machinery and pulled up the anchor.
"Well, it looks like we're set. Thanks Lou." Hermione's dad said to their neighbor as he was pulling out.
"Thanks dad, I was worried you wouldn't notice the boat was gone this morning and we'd be stuck out here until you came home!"
"Of course, dear. Just remember to do all the checks before taking the boat out again! Are you going to drive in or should I?"
"I'll do it."
At this Mister Granger joined Severus at the back of the boat watching Hermione drive.
"Was it okay last night? Did anything go amiss? Were you guys okay?" He asked Snape.
"Yes, everything went smoothly. We had some food and Miss Granger was nice enough to transfigure some towels into blankets."
"That's my girl." He said proudly, beaming at Hermione. She blushed and turned her sight back to the driving.
For the next few days after they had gotten back from the excursion on the lake, Severus and Hermione read and studied and he started to teach her Occlumency and Legimency. She was improving much faster than Harry had. Then again, Harry rarely practiced and applied himself to the study of it. They were getting so much accomplished that Thursday snuck up on them.
Thursday morning proved to be a stressful one. Hermione's father woke Hermione and Severus up at dawn so they could finished packing and be able to catch the portkey trip that left at seven thirty. After packing and a bit of breakfast they all grabbed a hold of the old can and prepared for the trip. Then, they felt the familiar pull from behind their bellybutton pulling them forward until their feet again hit the ground in a different location.
Hermione looked around and saw she was on a dark street in a downtown area. Presumably, downtown West Palm Beach. Looking up at the street sign she saw she was on Tamarind Avenue. It did not appear to be a good neck of town. There were houses on either side of the street with barred windows and appeared quite dilapidated.
"Well, we better get going before we run into any trouble." Severus said.
Just then, as if on cue, a half dozen men walked out from another street and noticed the family and Severus with their luggage standing on the sidewalk. Everyone started to get nervous and grabbed their luggage and walked quickly in the opposite direction.
"Hey! Where you goin'! We was comin' to holla at 'cha!" One of them yelled making the other laugh.
Severus whipped around and stood in the way of them and the Grangers, urging them to continue on. As the gangsters approached Severus he stunned them quickly. He called it in to the police using a pay phone then quickly awoke them and put memory charms on them.
After meeting up with the Grangers around the corner he escorted them down Clematis Street and into a coffeehouse named Starbucks. They waited there for a few hours and drank coffee and tea and ate biscottis until ten o'clock when the trolleys started to run.
They took the trolley as far east as it went, to the ocean, and found their hotel. It was a hotel by the name of 'The Princess'; And after Hermione got to her room she sure did feel like one. Her room was gorgeous, and the view was even more spectacular. She could see out over the clear blue ocean for miles from her balcony. Her parents decided that she was old enough to get her own room now that she was almost sixteen, and it connected to their room on one side and Severus' on the other anyway.
After getting settled Hermione knocked on Severus' door, hoping he'd accept her company, as they'd had nothing planned until after dinner. He opened the door and had a surprised look on his face.
"I was kind of bored so I thought I might visit or something…is that okay?" She asked sheepishly.
"Oh, yes, certainly. I was just about to work some on this new line of potions I'm creating so I'm afraid I won't be much for entertainment today." He said, making Hermione's eyes light up.
"What kind of potions?"
"Well, it's classified." She glared at him, trying to force it out of him. "Oh, alright. I suppose it's safe to tell you. They're just power-enhancing potions and such. Things that could be sold to average witches and wizards in apothecaries."
"And…" She asked, feeling like he left something out.
"And…I'm also working on something to lengthen the effects of Polyjuice and perhaps make it easier to make by substituting different ingredients into it. And also, I'm working on something to take after being hit with Cruciatus excessively. Maybe in time I'll be able to develop something to help prevent insanity to those who have been exposed to great deals of the Cruciatus Curse."
Hermione looked up at him in awe. "What are you working on today?"
"Well, if you'd ever stop asking questions…" He snapped at her, then seeing her embarrassed reaction he softened, "…I am to be working on my power-enhancing potions. I've been quite behind on them and I have all the supplies necessary."
"Is there anything you'd need help with?" She asked, eager to be able to participate in ground breaking Potions research.
"I suppose you could look over some of my theories and such. You seem to do well in my class and have taken Potions in general to the next level in your spare time, so I guess you reading them over wouldn't hurt." She smiled at him and sat down on the bed in his small room and tried to contain her excitement.
While he was gone she noticed that all of the furniture that was supposed to be there was gone. The television, the coffee tables, the sofa, the lamps, all gone. All that was left was his bed and the nightstand with a sconce over it and an alarm clock on it. He came out a few moments later with a stack of parchment in his hand and gave it to Hermione.
"I'm sorry there's no where to sit. I needed to clear everything out of the room as to have enough room to put my cauldron. That is the lot of my notes. The ones in green ink are for the project and research on the Cruciatus malady, the ones in red ink are on the power-enhancing potions, and the ones in black ink are on the Polyjuice Potion. I would suggest starting with the red then go to the black and then to the green. Any questions?"
"Can I have a piece of parchment and a pen or quill or something to jot down some notes of my own?" Severus narrowed her eyes at her and she continued. "It won't leave this room, don't worry, calm down. It's just so if I notice anything that I can show you it later."
He agreed and got her a notepad and pen from inside the nightstand. He used the Engorgement Charm on his cauldron to make it so big that someone could fit in it and then started with his work.
After scribbling down a few notes she ran to her room and came back with a book she got from Knockturn Alley on Ancient Egyptian magic. She remembered reading about a power-enhancing potion and even healing potions that could help with the Cruciatus Malady. After a few hours of Hermione's studying and Snape's potion making they took a break and met up with Hermione's parents and went down to lunch.
"So what have you two been up to?" Hermione's mother asked.
"Well, Professor Snape is working on some potions and I'm looking over his notes." Hermione replied.
"Yes, she agreed to help me and I appreciate Miss Granger's efforts." Snape said professionally.
"She is a special girl. We've always thought so! You know, that McGonnogal wrote us a letter letting us in on how well she's doing. She said that Hermione here is first in her class! And that she wouldn't even be surprised if in her 7th year she'd be Head Girl." Her father beamed making Hermione color.
"Dad, stop it!" She said, turning even redder noticing that Snape was smiling at her. Was he actually proud of her?
After lunch Hermione and Severus headed back up to his room and looked over Hermione's notes.
"I looked in this book I have and there are several dark power-enhancing potions. But, If you substitute some of the ingredients with ones that are less…dark…then I think it could help. You see here how you have phoenix tears? Well they are quite expensive. Instead you could add a hippogriff liver and a few drops of dragon's blood and that would not only be more powerful but a lot less inexpensive than 10 phoenix tears."
"That's wonderful, Hermione. Can I see that potion you are speaking of?" Hermione got the book from off the floor and turned to one of the pages that were marked and showed it to Severus. After looking the potion over he read her notes more thoroughly.
"It looks like this may just work. In my next batch I'll try to add these in instead and see the effect."
"Great! But I also have something else to add. About your Cruciatus Malady…I was looking over the ingredients you have for various potions but some of these are quite dark. Especially the virgin's blood, is that even legal since it has to be taken by force?"
"No, Hermione, and I'm hoping to find something to replace it."
"But the effects of the potions would be highly unpredictable. And since some of the ingredients are dark and not well known, they could have different reactions when mixed with the other dark elements."
"That's why I'm experimenting."
"On whom, though?" She asked.
Severus' expression turned to a grimace and he looked like he had just taken some potion that was disagreeable.
"Myself."
"Who would be putting the Cruciatus on you? It is illegal. And it would not only be dangerous having it put on you but also testing them on yourself is dreadful!"
"Well, for one, I do not choose to have the Cruciatus put on my voluntarily and also there is no other way to test it. I have fully researched and if anything adverse happens…then it happens. I'm taking a chance."
Hermione pouted and glared at Snape. "I thought you cared about life more than that. It isn't something that should be given for research. I thought you were smarter than that."
"I just know what's worth risking."
"You sound ridiculous!" She yelled at him, storming out of the room. Snape's eyes followed her as she went, puzzled by her outburst. Confused why she would care if he died.
Just then, there was a knock at Severus' door. Angered by this intrusion upon his privacy he cast a camouflaging spell on his potion equipment and went to the door.
"Hello, Severus. Bad time?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling at Snape.
"Headmaster! No, not at all. Do come in. I'm working on some potions research."
"Excellent. Are Miss Granger and her parents out?"
"No, you know I wouldn't let Miss Granger out without myself. And her parents, I believe, are down at the pool. Shall I go get them?"
"Yes, please Severus."
After Severus had retrieved the Grangers they all sat down at the table and chairs that the Headmaster had conjured.
"Now, I have some news for you all. It is your choice to go back or stay on your vacation, though. Mister Potter has come out of his comatose state and is growing stronger every moment. He has asked though that you enjoy your vacation and not to worry about him and he'll be happy to see you once you when it's over."
Hermione looked like Christmas had come early. She was ecstatic. Her parents looked happy that their daughter's friend was well but annoyed that they had to cut their vacation short since they knew Hermione wouldn't be able to stop herself from going back.
"Well, I'm going back to see him. But Mum and Dad don't have to go. You guys can stay here and enjoy your vacation." Hermione offered.
"Is that okay with you, Headmaster?" Mister Granger asked Albus.
"Certainly. As long as her escort comes with her we'll leave as soon as possible."
Hermione beamed at Dumbledore and ran to her room to pack up her things. After her and Severus were finished Hermione said good-byes to her parents and was whisked away on the portkey and found herself inside Saint Mungo's.
Hermione looked around suspiciously and frantically tried to disguise herself. She still wasn't sure if Dumbledore had found out yet about her excursion.
After Dumbledore made the elevator appear he turned to Hermione as to say something but looked flabbergasted and couldn't get out a thing.
"What?" Hermione asked, wondering why the Headmaster was looking at her like that.
"Hermione? Is that you?" Dumbledore asked, still with the surprised look on his face.
"Uh…yeah. Why?"
"You look different! How did you change? Did you take some of the Polyjuice potion I had lying around?" Severus asked, looking very stern.
"No…what are you guys talking about!"
Dumbledore conjured a mirror and held it up for her to look in. She looked into the mirror shocked and couldn't get out any forms of words.
