A/N: This isn't mine. Shame.
Chapter 23
Severus was pacing the living room when Andraste returned almost an hour later. "Where have you been?" he asked impatiently, "I was worried."
"I was at the library," she said, handing him the book she was holding – "Soul Magic: Potions of the Forbidden Arts."
"Where did you find this?"
"The restricted section. What happened to Sarine's ashes?"
"They're locked in my cabinet. Why?"
"We need them. Read this." She said, opening the aged manual to the page she had bookmarked and handing it back to him. Severus sat down silently and began to read.
Soul sharing, while once common in times of war, is now considered to be among the most dangerous of the ancient practices because of the time constraints that the potions place on those that take them. In addition; those participating in soul sharing must be very well versed in the arts of meditation and astral projection or the results could easily be disastrous for both parties. To establish the initial conversion each person must ingest .9 DL of Venus Water. To return to ones original state, both must consume 1.2 DL of Snapdragon fire. Both of these potions, however, require the ashes of a bonded Alipis-Pedis Anima; something that was rare long before the animal became extinct. The formula for these potions, originally created by Nikoli Therale in the early 1700's, is as follows:
Venus Water is a mixture of 90 grams of Dittany of Crete pulp, two Balm of Gilead buds, 124 grams dried Trillium, 200 grams crushed Elder berries, 13 Honesty seed pods. The ingredients are added to 1 DL of blood from each person the potion is for that has been mixed with 7of bonded Alipis-Pedis Anima ash and kept at 96 degrees Celsius for 12 hours.
Snapdragon Fire is a mixture of 13 Black Snakeroot seeds, 20 grams dried Dragonsblood resin, 40 grams Snapdragon root, 4 dried Arbutus leaves, grams Lily of the Valley flower, dried in full bloom. The ingredients are added to 1 DL of blood from each person the potion is for that has been mixed with 7 grams of bonded Alipis-Pedis Anima ash and kept at 92 degrees Celsius for 12 hours.
The purpose of these potions, soul sharing, is designed to merge two people for a period of two hours. While each is in the others body, both will possess the abilities of the other as well as their own. Both people, essentially, are both people. Soul sharing, however, was a very dangerous practice. If for some reason the merging was not reversed within 130 minutes, the result would be the loss of both souls.
Severus looked up from the book into the eyes of Andraste, who was apparently very pleased with herself. "What exactly do you plan on doing?"
"That," she replied, smiling brightly.
"That," Severus pointed out, "is dangerous and illegal, as well as requiring advanced skills in meditation and astral projection, or did you miss that part?"
"Lucky for us, I happen to possess those advanced skills. And I can teach Harry how to..."
"HARRY?" Severus interrupted, jumping up from his seat. "Absolutely not. He failed miserably at learning Occlumency, there's no way he'd be able to become even competent at that, let alone learn to master it the way that he would need to."
"He's the only choice, Severus, and I know I can teach him."
"Teach him to what? Get you killed? Absolutely not!"
"Severus, this isn't about me and this isn't about you. This is about killing Voldemort, and this is the best way to do it."
"But why Harry?"
"Because he is the one the prophecies say has to kill Voldemort. You know that. So as long as we do this, I can destroy his soul and it will still, technically, be Harry killing him."
Severus sat back down on the couch, tossing the book on the table in front of him. "It's too dangerous, Andi."
"It's our only chance, Severus. We have to try."
"Fine," he said, hoping that someone else could talk her out of this stupid plan. "Let's see what Dumbledore has to say."
"I've already spoken with him. We're going to talk to Harry after breakfast today, and assuming he agrees, I'll start teaching him immediately."
"You took this to Dumbledore first?" Severus inquired, sounding slightly offended.
"No. He actually found me in the library. He said he suspected I would need to talk to him."
"Why does that not surprise me? That man knows who's doing what in Hogwarts before the person doing it does."
"That seems to be the case. Now, do you want to go eat since we're up?"
"I still don't like this Andraste."
"I didn't ask you to like it. Just to accept it and help me."
"Very well. Let's go get some food." Andraste followed Severus out the door and to the Great Hall, chatting light-heartedly about the classes they had today. When they arrived much of the staff was already seated, despite the early hour.
"Professor Snape, Professor Andraste. How are you this morning?" Albus asked, smiling cheerfully at them.
"I've had better days, Headmaster." Severus responded harshly.
"Now, now, Severus. I know that you're worried, but Andraste is very capable. I do believe that you could do to realize that."
"I'll realize that when she goes three days without almost getting herself killed."
"UM, you know I'm sitting right here, right?"
"Of course we do, we have eyes." Severus said sarcastically.
"Then stop talking about me like I wasn't," Andraste insisted passionately, and then turned her attention to her plate. Soon breakfast was over and Severus was standing quietly in the room right off of the Great Hall, listening to Andraste explain her plan to Harry.
"So you can destroy someone's soul, just like that?" Harry asked when she had finished.
"Yes, I can, but that wasn't quite the response I was looking for. What I'm asking you to do is dangerous Harry; I need you to really think about it before you answer me."
"Waking up tends to be dangerous for me, Andraste; but I trust you. If you think this will get rid of Voldemort once and for all, I'm in."
"I appreciate that Harry. We'll start classes tonight. Meet me in Professor Snape's office at eight, okay?"
"Sure. Can I bring Hermione and Ron?"
"If you think they'd be interested in learning meditation, sure. It's a helpful thing to know even if it wasn't for these circumstances."
"If everyone is coming," Severus interrupted, "why don't we just all eat together? I'll have dinner sent up at six." Harry nodded to Professor Snape and took off to his first class of the day.
"What was that about, darling?"
"What, inviting them to dinner?"
"Yeah, that was a bit unexpected," she said, heading towards the dungeon.
"I figure if your life is going to be in his hands, it'd be best if we get along."
"You're starting to like them. Admit it."
"I will admit no such thing," he told her, and then walked into their first class of the day, seventh year advanced potions. "I'd like your attention focused on me, please." Professor Snape said, stalking to the front of the class with his cape billowing in the way that was customary for him. "Today shall be quite an amusing day for me," he told them, thinking that he would be more intimidating if he could get that damn smirk off his face. "All of you will find yourselves getting ill very shortly. If you can figure out exactly what is wrong, and if you can figure out how to create a potion to fix you, and if you can correctly make it; you will be healthy when you leave. If not, I'm sure Madam Pompfrey has some delicious concoction that will make you feel better. Do try to have fun, I know I will." Severus turned his back to the class and faced Andraste, leaning down to whisper to her. "You know, if I had made them sick before you came along, I would have been crucified."
"True, Severus, but you also probably wouldn't have given them the ability to cure themselves." He laughed in response, and then they began to make the customary rounds; visiting each group in turn. When it seemed that everyone was on the right path to healing themselves, the professors sat down with a stack of scrolls and set themselves to the task of grading. When the last of the students had come to the front to announce that they were finished, Severus stood again.
"It seems from this class, and the others; that when a student has their own health in the balance making a proper potion becomes substantially easier. So assume that it will be this way from now on, because if grades do not improve, every class will end in trips to the infirmary. Making a potion is about paying attention to detail. It's about caring about the work you do. The mere fact that you are in this course says that you are fully capable of doing this, so there is no excuse for the performance that I have been seeing. Thank you for succeeding today, for showing me that you are not as incompetent as you have made me think in the past. If you keep it up, I'm sure this class will be more pleasant for all of us." Professor Snape started to dismiss the students but Andraste interrupted.
"Before you leave, I have a few things I would like to say." Severus looked up at her, eyes questioning, but stayed silent while she continued. "I've had the pleasure of grading some of your essays, and can honestly say I am not pleased. We are not in a first year course, and if you don't want to put forth the effort that Advanced Potions requires, you are welcome to drop it. There is absolutely no excuse for the homework we've received. Many of them lack even basic essay writing skills, which I know full well you all possess after six years at Hogwarts. I will not accept a failing grade from any student in any class that I am a part of, especially not this one. You are supposed to be the best of the best, and I suggest that you make sure your work reflect that. From this point on, anything below a B will be redone until I find it acceptable. Trae, Silir, William, Susan, and Petra, you are dismissed.. If the rest of you would like to come get these, I expect new ones by your next class. After you have picked up your papers you may leave."
"And they think I'm tough," Severus said as the students filed out and more came in.
"I'm bewildered by the quality of the work they turn in. I'm sure most of them are just here because they want to be aurors, but an auror doesn't do anything half-assed. They best figure that out now, and learn to take a bit of pride in what they put their name on."
"I couldn't agree more," he told her before focusing on the class that had just taken their seats. Following Andraste's plan from the first year class that she had taught Monday, Professor Snape elected to lead the students in a discussion about the technique and theories behind potion making. Severus couldn't help but notice how much more responsive the students were ever since Andraste had tempered his moods a bit. Part of him missed torturing the little brats, it was a pastime he had truly enjoyed, but part of him was growing used to the peacefulness that had taken over his classes. Grades were improving dramatically, and the students seemed to be working harder, something that Severus chalked up to them wanting to make Andraste proud. It never dawned on him that the students truly enjoyed his teaching now that he didn't yell constantly, and they wanted him to stay friendly; so they were trying to please him by being more studious.
"I have to tell you," he said to Andraste when the class was over, "I've never noticed how intelligent Mr. Rourke is. I'm willing to wager he goes far in potions if he keeps it up."
"It's amazing what you can learn if you actually talk to them," Andi responded with a smirk as Salazar Slytherin's portrait moved out of their way and they walked into Severus' living room. Andraste sat down on the couch with her feet up on the table and closed her eyes. "Do you mind if I put some music on?"
"Not at all beautiful," he said, laying a kiss on her cheek. "I have some things I need to talk care of, I'll be back in a bit, okay?"
"Okay, Sev," she said, giving him a huge smile.
"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"
"Maybe the day I die."
"Which won't be for a very long time, so I'll take that as a no." She smiled in response and waved her hand, making a stereo appear on the table and immediately start playing music that he recognized as being the same band she had stayed up listening to all night Monday. He made a mental note to ask about it later and left the room. Andraste was pulled out of her own little world by the sound of someone knocking at the entranceway. She opened the door to find Harry, Hermione, and Ron on the other side.
"You guys are about 45 minutes early."
"I know," Hermione said, "but we got out of class early. Is it okay?"
"Yeah, of course it is. Come on in," she said, moving to one side so they could go past her. "There's drinks in the fridge, help yourself." She told them, motioning towards the kitchen.
"What is that music?" Ron asked. She opened her mouth to respond, but Harry beat her to it.
"It's an American muggle band called Matchbox 20."
"I'm impressed, Harry," Andraste said. "How did you know that?"
"I was raised by muggles, remember? Someone bought Dudley one of their CDs, and he threw it away, so I took it out of the trash. I really like them."
"How are you getting it to play?" Ron asked, examining the stereo she had sitting on the table.
"It will never stop amazing me that you guys grow up around magic and get impressed by a CD player." Andraste replied, laughing.
"But electronics don't work here," Hermione interjected.
"Tell me, did you ever stop to think that that might be because there's no electricity?" Andraste pointed out, smirking. "I use batteries, and I put a shield around it so the magic won't interfere with the way it works." Harry, who was only half listening to the explanation Andraste was offering the other two, looked up at her hopefully.
"Do you have their first CD? The one with "Real World" on it?
"No. I lost it a while back and I haven't had the chance to get a new one yet."
"Well, can't you just make it appear?" Ron questioned. "You can make everything else appear." Andraste let out a small laugh before responding.
"Music isn't that simple. I have to be able to completely envision something to make it appear, and songs are too complex for me to be able to make it sound right." She said. Seeing the disappointed look on Harry's face, she sighed and continued. "If you really want to hear it though..."
"I would love to," he said, cheering up considerably, "I haven't heard it since the first time I came to Hogwarts, but I thought you said you didn't have it."
"I don't," she told him, "but I can play it. Think you can help if I forget the words?"
"What do you mean 'play it'," Hermione asked.
"You know what a guitar is right?" All three nodded in affirmation. "Well, it just so happens that I can play the guitar. And that is something I do know well enough to make it appear."
"You play the guitar?" Ron exclaimed, wondering what Andraste couldn't do.
"Yeah, the guy in one of the families I stayed with when I was younger was a musician. He taught me a little, and I've been obsessed ever since," she told them, waving her hand and making a blue thin-body acoustic appear beside her. "This is my baby," she said, picking it up. "And in all honesty, I only made it appear from the other room, I already had it in my closet." The three laughed in response to her confession, and watched excitedly while she fiddled with the tuning keys. "You ready, Harry?" He nodded emphatically in response. "I'm gonna slow it down just a bit because this is an acoustic guitar, but I'm sure you'll catch on quick, okay?" Harry nodded again and they listened with rapt attention as she began to pick single notes, and then sing softly. "I wonder what it's like to be a rainmaker; I wonder what it's like to know that I made the rain. I'd store it in boxes with little yellow tags on everyone, and you can come and see them when I'm...done. When I'm done." Andraste nodded to Harry and he took over the next verse in a voice that was surprisingly well-developed and smooth. "I wonder what it's like to be a super hero, I wonder where'd I go if I could fly around downtown. From some other planet, I'd get this funky high on a yellow sun; boy I bet my friends would all be stunned... they're stunned." Andraste suppressed the laughter caused by the wide-eyed look Harry was giving Hermione and Ron while he was singing, and joined him for the chorus. "Straight up, what did you hope to learn about here, if I was someone else would this all fall apart. Strange, where were you when we started this gig, I wish the real world would just stop hassling me." Andraste dropped back to just playing the guitar again, and let Harry finish singing the song by himself. When it was over Ron and Hermione both started clapping enthusiastically.
"That was so cool, Andi," Ron told her.
"You have a really great voice, Harry." Hermione added.
"You know, it's kind of funny," Harry said, "I used to lay in bed singing that song over and over before I came to Hogwarts. I used to dream about being somebody that mattered, and look at me now. 'The-boy-who-bloody-lived'," he mumbled with a tone of anger in his voice. "Guess I should be careful what I ask for, huh?"
"I'm sure it's hard," Andraste replied genuinely, "I know that I've spent my entire life running around helping people, and it gets wearing. I can only imagine how it must feel to know you have to save the world."
"It sucks," Harry admitted. "I want this to be over, and I want a normal life."
"You'll always be the boy-who-lived, Harry," Andraste told him, and then added with a smirk, "unless, of course, we die." Harry and Andi both broke out laughing, but the other two did not find her joke funny at all. When Hermione had finished berating them for their sick sense of humor, Andraste switched the subject back to music. "Do you know "Shame," Harry? It's my favorite song on the first album." Harry nodded and soon they were singing again while Andraste picked notes on her guitar. The end of the song was punctuated with clapping from the area behind Harry and Andraste.
"That was very impressive," Severus said.
"How long have you been standing there?" Andraste asked him.
"Just a few minutes," he said with a smile. Andraste turned back to Ron and Hermione, shooting them a dirty look.
"And why didn't you tell me he came in?"
"He motioned for us to be quiet," Hermione told them mischievously.
"Well, it's nice to know whose side you two are on," mock anger haunting her tone. Severus stepped into the conversation before Andraste had a chance to continue.
"I really am rather impressed, Andi. You're quite an accomplished guitarist."
"Thank you, Severus, but I'm really just average."
"No, you're not!" Ron exclaimed. "You're bloody brilliant!"
"Language, Ron." Severus said firmly before turning his attention back to Andi. "I'm actually quite a fan of American classics. Do you know who the Eagles are?"
"Yeah," Andraste replied, "but I can't play any of their songs."
"Do you know the words to any of them?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure I know all of "New York Minute"."
"That works," he said with a smile. "Can I borrow that?"
"The guitar?" Andraste asked, dumbfounded. "Surely, he doesn't..." she thought to herself. He smirked at her at sat down on the edge of the couch, taking the instrument she was holding from her. Immediately the guitar started to sweetly whisper the intro to Andraste's favorite song, only the version that he was playing was far more intricate than what she was used to. She listened to Severus play, amazed at the fluidity of the sounds that he pulled from the instrument he held in his hands. Each note melted flawlessly into the next as the guitar cried with emotion Andraste had never heard before.
"Andi," Severus whispered to her, "you missed your cue." His voice brought her back from the trance that his playing had put her in, and once he circled back around to where she was supposed to start; she sang quietly about a man that was gone, and a love that may never forgive. After she finished singing he continued to play for several more minutes, seemingly lost in the sound he was creating. When he finally stopped playing, complete silence overtook the room full of stunned people.
"You're right, Andraste," Ron finally said. "You're average. He's bloody brilliant."
"Where did you learn to do that, Severus?" Andi asked him, the look of admiration on her face making him rather proud of himself.
"I'm an anti-social, long-haired, greasy git, Andi. Think about it." After a moment to process what he had said, the four began to laugh, thinking that his words really did make sense. "Well, it's almost six o'clock. We'd better get ready..." His sentence was interrupted by three house elves apparating into the kitchen, each carrying a large tray laden with food. "...for dinner," he finished. The group all took seats around the kitchen table, and chatted through their meal. Andraste sat back after dinner, thrilled to see how well they were all getting along. If they survived this mess, she had big plans; ones that would only work if everyone was capable of standing each other's company.
"Are we ready to start?" Severus asked when everyone had pushed away their plates.
"I'm too full to meditate, let's just go to sleep," Harry moaned, holding his stomach.
"Fat chance, Harry," Andraste said. "You have lots to learn, and the sooner you do, the sooner Snakeboy is dead. Now let's go."
More A/N: Loudmouth star: Thankyou for the review, you can probably expect about a chapter a day update.
TheDarkLadyOfRavenclaw: Thankyou sooooo much; it's nice to know you're really enjoying the story. To answer you're questions:
NO, we're far from over. I'm thinking another 20 chapters at least.. The first 18 chapters I had written out by hand. I updated as I finished typing them out. Now I'm just working on it on the puter, and yeah, I raised the rating because of the Jeremy thing. I'm not sure it was necessary, but it was some pretty heavy stuff by some standards, so better safe than sorry.