Chapter Ten: Switching Skin
BING! BONG! BING! BONG!
The alarm woke Poppy with a start and she leapt up from the chair, wand at the ready. Her eyes quickly scanned each bed finding that only Remus' had a blinking red light flashing above it to the pounding rhythm of the alarm.
BING! BONG! BING! BONG!
She rounded on Remus and began to assess him. His heart rate was rapid, breaths deep and fast. A thin sheen of sweat covered his body. He was not conscious but still whimpered and writhed in his sleep.
BING! BONG! BING! BONG!
His accelerated heart rate and breathing had set off the alarm. She quickly silenced it so she could hear herself think. Why is he reacting like this? She assessed his blood volume and found it dangerously low. That can't be right. She checked again and came up with the same result. The blood building potion should have done its work. Why isn't it working? She checked and rechecked her results and then quickly retrieved some more potions and dosed him again. She then gave him a rehydrating potion as well to compensate for the low blood volume. She could see Ron Weasley watching her carefully from the bed beside Remus'.
"Go back to sleep, Ron. It's okay."
"Can I help?"
"No, dear, go to sleep." She watched Ron turn onto his side. She then checked Remus again. The increase in fluids had helped somewhat but the potion did not seem to be replenishing his blood volume. Curious. She conjured a mask to cover his nose and mouth and spelled it to give him a steady stream of oxygen to help decrease the strain on his red cell deficient body. She then reset the alarm and hurried to her office to contact St. Mungos.
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The man stood in silence in the dungeon, waiting. The oppressive dungeon air was dank and chilly. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of a steady drip of water near the barred window. He listened intently for the click of a boot heel that would signal His arrival, trying not to think of the man on the other side of the heavy wooden door. Plop, plop, plop. He watched the drops fall into a small puddle, trying to close himself off so he didn't feel sorry for the other man. Lucius had made his own bed and now he would have to lie in it. A low groan came from beyond the door, causing him to glance uncomfortably that way. What am I thinking? This could happen to any of us. What control do I really have over my wife, my son? Any of us could end up like Lucius Malfoy. Goyle sighed deeply; sympathizing with the prisoner was foolhardy.
Click, click, click. Goyle heard the boot heels clicking on the stone floor as the Dark Lord descended the stairs. Would tonight be the night He killed Malfoy or would there be more torture first? He emotionally braced himself for whatever the night may bring.
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Poppy called for Albus after talking with St. Mungos. The information they gave her was unsettling at best. While she waited she checked each of her patients again, pleased that all were currently stable. She was very relieved to note that Severus' fever had broken. She felt tears of happiness trickle down her face as she touched his cool cheek. At least there is some good news to report.
Albus entered the wing and saw Poppy standing over Severus, with tears falling from her eyes. His heart constricted painfully in his chest. "Is Severus, is he…"
Poppy looked up. "He's fine, Albus, his fever has broken." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "It has been a rather emotional night. I'm sorry."
"That's okay, Poppy. You're entitled to your feelings. Is this what you wanted to tell me?"
"No, Albus. I wish it were all such good news." She led him to a chair and they both sat. "Remus is not doing well. The blood building potion is not working at all. He lost a great deal of blood from the swarming."
Albus nodded. "Why isn't the potion working?"
"According to the Healer at St. Mungos Remus may be reacting this way because of a combination of the spider venom and his lycanthropic physiology. She said there is a potion that will help him but that they cannot spare a Potions Master to brew it. Without this potion his condition may worsen to the point that no potions or spells work on him at all."
"How complex is this potion to brew?"
"I looked at the list of instructions and could make very little sense of it. I think we need a Potions Master." She handed Albus the scroll with the recipe for the potion.
Albus quickly scanned the procedure. It was indeed a dicey potion. "They have no one there who can brew this?"
"They are short-handed with summer vacations and with two of their staff off on pregnancy leave."
He looked at the list again. "This potion will take hours to brew and requires a great deal of expertise."
"I do have an idea, Albus." She bit her lip, looking at Severus.
"Poppy, he is in no condition—"
"Hear me out, Albus. I know his body is not capable right now, but his mind is fine."
"What is it that you're suggesting, a body switch?"
"You are powerful enough of a wizard to perform it, Albus."
"Body switching is illegal, Poppy. The Ministry makes no exceptions."
"Then the Ministry is an ass. What do they know? They enact these laws with no exceptions. Life is full of exceptions, Albus. This potion is needed, and soon, or we'll lose Remus."
Albus glanced at Remus, who was sleeping fitfully and sweating profusely. "I cannot allow it, Poppy." He saw her face register shock and he put his hand up. "I'm just saying that it cannot be you. You are needed here to care for the patients." He looked at his hands, slightly gnarled with age and exhibiting a faint tremor. "My hands are not steady enough to do a good job, either."
"I'll do it." Ron sat up in his bed. Poppy silenced his bed alarm. "I'm young and in decent physical shape. Let me do this. It's the least I can do to help make up for everything that I've done."
"Ronald, none of this is your fault." Albus said, shaking his head.
"It is my fault! If anyone dies because of me I'll never forgive myself. Please let me do this!"
"Your mother will never agree to it, Ron." Poppy added.
"Then we have to do it before she gets here. Please…headmaster…please let me do this?" Ron got out of the bed. The young Gryffindor's eyes filled with tears and he clutched the headmaster's robes tightly in his hands. "Please?"
The alarm over Remus' bed went off again as his heart rate increased. Poppy ran over to assist him. Albus took Ron's shoulders in his hands. "Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?"
"Yes! Yes! Please do it now."
"You'll be ill, in Professor Snape's body."
"I know."
"He's deaf."
"I know."
Albus let go of Ron and stroked his beard, thinking. He glanced again at Remus. Poppy was bending over him and giving him a potion. The former Marauder looked as pale as death. "Come here, Ron. Take Severus' hands in yours and close your eyes. When you awaken do not move too quickly, understood?"
"Yes." Ron did as he was asked. He heard Albus murmuring some incantation in a language he did not recognize. He then felt a pull, similar to that of a Portkey but the pull was at his head instead of his navel. The pull was greater and greater and then everything went black.
Severus awoke, standing, with Poppy beside him, clutching his arm. "What's happening? Was I sleepwalking?"
"No, Severus, you—"
"—I can hear you! How is this possible? I heard the ear splitting curse myself. How can this be?"
"Severus, listen to me…" Albus said, drawing Severus' attention from Poppy.
Severus turned to view Albus and then saw his own body lying in the bed, asleep. His jaw dropped. "What did you do? Who am I?"
"It was necessary, child. You are in Ron Weasley's body."
"What!"
"Severus, please keep your voice down or I'll cast a silencing spell on you. Let me quickly explain why we did what we had to do…"
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Poppy removed the mask from Remus' face long enough to give him some potions and water. By the time he had finished this task he was gasping for air again. Poppy stroked his gray flecked hair. "It's going to be okay, Remus. Hang on. Just try to get some rest."
Poppy enlarged the pillow behind his back so that Remus was sitting almost upright. He glanced to Severus lying two beds over. Molly Weasley was sitting in a chair by his bed, reading a magazine. The last thought that filtered through his tired mind before he drifted off to sleep was…Where is Ron?
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Ron slowly awoke, feeling worse than he had ever felt. Opening his eyes he saw his mother taking to Madam Pomfrey. What are they saying? Oh, that's right, I'm deaf now. "Hello?"
Molly and Poppy looked to him and Molly bent over him, tears in her eyes. She was talking very quickly and he was at a loss.
"Mum, I can't her a word you're saying."
Molly's hand clapped over her mouth. "Poppy, we have to do something!" She saw her son's comic book lying on the bedside table. "I've got an idea! I read about it in Witch's weekly. There was this great story about a woman whose child was rendered deaf in an explosion and she…" she looked at Poppy, coloring slightly. "Maybe this is silly." She looked at her son, who looked back at her through Severus' imploring black eyes. "Oh, what the hell!" She touched her wand to her lips and then created a floating cloud above her head. When she spoke next, her words appeared written in the cloud, much like the dialogue in Ron's favorite comic. "What do you think?"
Ron read the words and laughed out loud. "Mum, that's bloody brilliant!"
Molly flushed happily. None of her children had ever called anything she'd ever done brilliant. She thought they simply thought of her as their cook and maid. "Thank you, son."
Poppy performed the spell for herself and then explained about the potions Severus' body needed to strengthen it.
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Albus smiled, watching Ron's body move quickly about Severus' potions lab, cutting, dicing, disemboweling, stirring…all with his usual grace and agility. He made quite a sight in the teen's body, the hand-me-down and too-short pajama pants flirting with his calves and Severus' work robes hastily pulled over him, the shoulders of which were stretched taut over the boy's growing body.
Severus caught Albus staring at him again. "What? Why does this body amuse you so much?"
"It's nothing, really." Albus got up and peeked into the steaming cauldron, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the odor.
Severus crossed his arms over his chest and rose one red eyebrow. Albus burst out laughing, which was obviously not what Severus had expected. Flustered and red-eared, he went back to chopping the newt's livers with renewed vigor.
"I'm sorry, Severus. It just doesn't look the same in the Weasley boy's body." He came up behind Severus and patted his back.
The Potion Master's stomach growled loudly. "This body is a bloody nuisance!" He shook his head, scraping the livers into the now simmering cauldron.
"Normal people eat more than you do, Severus. Ron's body is still growing."
"If this child grows much more he'll be as big as Hagrid."
"I doubt that, child." Albus called Dobby and asked him to bring them breakfast.
Severus' stomach growled loudly again. "Merlin's beard!" He washed his hands and sat at the table Dobby had prepared. Before realizing it, he had eaten everything on his plate and was hungrily spying the two remaining sausages on Albus' plate. Albus smiled and pushed the plate over to him. He devoured the sausages, frowning. "This body is too demanding. It's ridiculous." He washed down the last of the food with his third glass of pumpkin juice. After he poured his second cup of tea his eyes widened and he suddenly clutched the table.
"What is it? Do you need me to get Poppy?" Albus leaned in, a look of concern on his face.
"No! I have to…uh…I drank too much…I need to…uh…" His voice trailed off and his ears reddened.
Albus laughed heartily. "It think you can manage the loo on your own, eh?"
"It's a bit familiar, don't you think? I certainly wouldn't want him to see my…we have to switch back, now!"
"Calm yourself, Severus. You need to finish the potion. Ron is probably still asleep. Even if he isn't he can't very well comment on your…body…because you'll have seen his as well." Severus did not look placated. "Okay, I'll Obliviate him myself if he saw anything, okay?" Severus nodded then took off for the bathroom.
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Remus awoke feeling achy and hot. Something was covering his nose and mouth. It's smothering me! He yanked off the mask and dropped it to the floor.
Ron saw some movement out of the corner of his eye and saw the mask hit the floor. He called out for Madam Pomfrey and his mother but couldn't tell if they had heard him or not. He slowly sat up, relieved to find that he was not dizzy. He called out again, but did they hear him? He could see that Remus was becoming more restless and starting to breathe more deeply, his hands grasping at his throat. Ron swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood. He took very slow and awkward steps toward Remus, his arms ahead of him to help keep his balance.
Remus heard a beeping coming from a bed close to his. He opened his eyes and saw Severus approaching him, his arms out in front of him. He's going to attack me! Remus lunged for Severus, grabbing his throat with both hands and squeezing with all his might.
Molly and Poppy sat with Hagrid on the patio outside the door, finishing the last of their tea. Hagrid had told them about the thestrals and that they were doing well with the potion provided by the animal Healer in Hogsmeade. The Ministry Exterminators were still combing the Forbidden Forest just to be certain that none of the vampire spiders had escaped. So far, none had been found.
Molly sighed. "I guess I need to get going. I need to owl Arthur and tell him Ron is okay. He'll be so proud."
"You can't tell him about the switch. It's illegal! The fewer people that know the better."
"Right! You're right of course." Molly opened the door and the bed alarm could be heard.
The three rushed in and saw Remus strangling Severus' body, the raven-haired wizard's face purpling. Hagrid grabbed Remus' hands from the other man's throat and Molly and Poppy got him back to his bed. Poppy immediately put her wand to his throat and opened the swollen airway. He then nodded that he was fine and motioned for her to go to Remus.
In his delirious mind, Remus misconstrued Hagrid's help. He could feel a man holding him down on a bed with his large body and it brought one of his worst fears to light. "Please, don't, please!" he whimpered, hot tears streaming down his pale cheeks.
Hagrid looked first to Poppy and then back to Remus. "I don' mean yeh no harm, Remus. It's me, Hagrid!"
"He isn't in his right mind. Hold him for just a moment longer." Poppy took her wand and put it to Remus' head, performing a simple sleeping charm. Remus' body stilled and Poppy slipped the mask back over his nose and mouth.
"I think he though' I was gonna…gonna…I'd never hurt no one, Poppy, yeh know tha'."
"Of course, Hagrid. He's delirious, confused. He probably won't even remember any of this."
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