You know the drill by now, not mine, never mine, never will be mine, and I'm just a li'l stupid struggling writer wanna be, so yeah...and again, italics, someone, help??!!
Btw...this is a key chapter. *drumroll*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~3 days later~~
"Peeled shrivelfig," Harry murmured, running his finger down the page as he scanned its properties to reassure himself that it was indeed the one he wanted.
Snape looked up from the potion he had just finished stirring three times counter-clockwise long enough to frown in Potter's direction, wondering what the fool was up to. Lord knows Potions had never been the boy's strong point. This normally would have irritated Snape, but in this case, it was a blessing. He only had to sit back, providing the very minimum of help, to watch Potter mess up horribly. If the potion never got made, then the Headmaster couldn't die...and since he—was—technically helping, he could blame the potion's failures on the scar-headed youngster... His lip curled in a sneer as he turned his eyes back to the potion. /Traitor./ He couldn't believe that everything so many people—including himself—had worked for, was down the drain. Because the one person they never thought would turn, did.
"Crushed daisy petals..." Green eyes lifted from the book to turn and scan over the selection of herbs they had. "Check." Suddenly a thought occurred, and a smile curved Harry's lips. "Snape...would ginger counteract with any of the more...potent...herbs we've already added to the potion?"
"It would ... intensify one or two of them, but I don't see anything adverse coming from it." /Blast it!/ Why did Potter have to ask him questions? Where were his bloody arrogance and over-confidence when Snape actually needed them?
"Mmm...perfect." Against his will, Snape's curiosity was piqued, and he found himself setting the potion aside the moment it was okay, and wandering over to the Boy-Who-Lived's side.
"What are you up to, Potter?"
Harry snorted. "Like you care."
Snape sneered and resisted the urge to draw his wand. "In case you missed the obvious, I am a Potions Master. I have to make sure you don't screw everything up. Besides, the Dark Lord will obviously want full details of this new poison." /And I've got to figure out a way to make sure to get the knowledge of it to Dumbledore./ Just yesterday, he'd been told there was no need for him to remain at Hogwarts (by Voldemort), and so it would be a good deal more…interesting…getting the information to him.
"Mmm, I suppose," the black-haired boy said absently as he turned his attention back to the book of herbs. "We've already discussed the fact that this has to be a new poison, and since there's Merlin-only-knows how many already out there, I'm looking for...I was thinking that the best bet would be to paralyze the Headmaster first...even his Dark Detectors wouldn't pick up something like that, I don't think...Holy h--" His voice went up an octave, and he blushed, hurriedly closing the book and turning to Snape. "I...do...erm...do you think Voldemort will ever expect me to take the Dark Mark?" He hadn't been required to take it yet for the obvious reasons, but no one knew what Voldemort's plans were for the future after Dumbledore died, except for the whole domination kick.
Snape blinked, obviously disconcerted.
Harry smirked inwardly. /Score!/
No more than three seconds had passed before Snape had recovered his wits, though. "You know as much as I do about that, Potter. Now stop wasting my time, and let's get back to the task at hand, if you're capable, that is."
"Yes, sir; as you say, Sir!" Harry gave a mock bow, and turned his attention back to the potion, busying himself with grinding the ginger up until he was sure Snape's attention was sufficiently taken, and then he opened the book again.
His eyes swiftly found the passage.
Death's Door- (class: Fungi) Definitely one of the more powerful, though much lesser-known, plants in this world, Death's Door is in the same Genus as the well-known Gillyweed, but doesn't have the gill-making effect. Instead, it produces a thick mold on the insides of the lungs, which can transmit oxygen to the bloodstream, without the user having to "breathe" standardly.
There are negative side-effects, including death, if the potion to nullify—and destroy—the mold, isn't taken within seventy two hours of ingestion. Also, there can be cases of an over-load of oxygen circulating through the body, which can make the user feel faint, dizzy, and can cause problems sleeping.
For antidote: See page 453 Humdris
"Perfect," Harry said simply, and allowed the faintest traces of a smile to curve his lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/Okay, you can do this. It's no big deal. It's not like Dumbledore has any reason to suspect anything. All you have to do is.../ She didn't finish the thought, but the little voice that had always nagged her had no problem doing it. 'Do what? Lie to the best Headmaster you could have asked for? Betray the Order of the Phoenix, who would give their lives to protect you? Participate in what's most likely going to lead to the death of Professor Lupin?' /SHUT UP!/ She commanded mentally, and when that didn't work, she found herself screaming "SHUT UP!"
In Professer Dumbledore's face, who'd just opened his office door.
Instantly heat crawled up her cheeks, and she gave the headmaster a weak grin. "Ever had that nagging voice that just won't shut up?" she asked hopefully, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at her.
"Indeed I have, my dear," he replied, standing to open the door further to let her in. "Particularly when it thinks I've indulged in one too many lemon drops."
The bushy-haired girl found herself smiling a little, as she sank down into the chair opposite Dumbledore's desk, and after refusing his customary offer of lemon-drops, plunged in to the task at hand.
"I want to join the Order, Professor." /Smooth, Hermione. Really smooth./
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers and bringing them to his lips as he stared at her levelly, considering.
She waited, on the edge of her chair, shifting nervously and trying to hide it.
Finally, appearing to have reached a decision, Dumbledore leaned forward, and after popping another lemon-drop in his mouth, smiled.
"Welcome to the Order, Mrs. Weasley."
She thought for a moment she thought she was going to faint, and couldn't honestly say if it was from relief or consternation. However, with that hurdle out of the way, she managed to gain a better control of herself, and passed the rest of the time talking out details that she needed to know, maintaining a semblance of normalcy...
Which promptly disappeared the moment she managed to get into one of the girl's bathrooms and lock herself in a stall, giving free reign to the trembling and waves of ...shame?...washing over her.
(Reviewer thanks below)A/N: Here's a billowing clue to my question posed in the early chapters author notes. Thanks everyone for the reviews! Please keep reviewing! *hugs* I will return the favor! Also, I know the replies are late, but I just kept forgetting *blush*
Morgane: Thanks for replying, and after all this time, your story is still one of my favorites
Luna the MoonMonster: i've seen a few since I started my story, but none before. Thanks for reviewing!
TexaxJeanette: Thanks for your reviews, they encouraged me :)
Jeannie Vidal-Smith: Thanks much!! As much trouble as parts of this story are giving me *glare this chapter* I needed it!
Jaycee: thank you for your reviews of both this story and my three broomsticks confrontation one! Its appreciateed
Snuggle the muggle: I'm glad you thought it turned out okay! I was so worried! and when i did it, it turns out that it wasn't the hardest part! The hardest was hermione's part *Groans* and I'm still stuck on it!
Btw...this is a key chapter. *drumroll*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~3 days later~~
"Peeled shrivelfig," Harry murmured, running his finger down the page as he scanned its properties to reassure himself that it was indeed the one he wanted.
Snape looked up from the potion he had just finished stirring three times counter-clockwise long enough to frown in Potter's direction, wondering what the fool was up to. Lord knows Potions had never been the boy's strong point. This normally would have irritated Snape, but in this case, it was a blessing. He only had to sit back, providing the very minimum of help, to watch Potter mess up horribly. If the potion never got made, then the Headmaster couldn't die...and since he—was—technically helping, he could blame the potion's failures on the scar-headed youngster... His lip curled in a sneer as he turned his eyes back to the potion. /Traitor./ He couldn't believe that everything so many people—including himself—had worked for, was down the drain. Because the one person they never thought would turn, did.
"Crushed daisy petals..." Green eyes lifted from the book to turn and scan over the selection of herbs they had. "Check." Suddenly a thought occurred, and a smile curved Harry's lips. "Snape...would ginger counteract with any of the more...potent...herbs we've already added to the potion?"
"It would ... intensify one or two of them, but I don't see anything adverse coming from it." /Blast it!/ Why did Potter have to ask him questions? Where were his bloody arrogance and over-confidence when Snape actually needed them?
"Mmm...perfect." Against his will, Snape's curiosity was piqued, and he found himself setting the potion aside the moment it was okay, and wandering over to the Boy-Who-Lived's side.
"What are you up to, Potter?"
Harry snorted. "Like you care."
Snape sneered and resisted the urge to draw his wand. "In case you missed the obvious, I am a Potions Master. I have to make sure you don't screw everything up. Besides, the Dark Lord will obviously want full details of this new poison." /And I've got to figure out a way to make sure to get the knowledge of it to Dumbledore./ Just yesterday, he'd been told there was no need for him to remain at Hogwarts (by Voldemort), and so it would be a good deal more…interesting…getting the information to him.
"Mmm, I suppose," the black-haired boy said absently as he turned his attention back to the book of herbs. "We've already discussed the fact that this has to be a new poison, and since there's Merlin-only-knows how many already out there, I'm looking for...I was thinking that the best bet would be to paralyze the Headmaster first...even his Dark Detectors wouldn't pick up something like that, I don't think...Holy h--" His voice went up an octave, and he blushed, hurriedly closing the book and turning to Snape. "I...do...erm...do you think Voldemort will ever expect me to take the Dark Mark?" He hadn't been required to take it yet for the obvious reasons, but no one knew what Voldemort's plans were for the future after Dumbledore died, except for the whole domination kick.
Snape blinked, obviously disconcerted.
Harry smirked inwardly. /Score!/
No more than three seconds had passed before Snape had recovered his wits, though. "You know as much as I do about that, Potter. Now stop wasting my time, and let's get back to the task at hand, if you're capable, that is."
"Yes, sir; as you say, Sir!" Harry gave a mock bow, and turned his attention back to the potion, busying himself with grinding the ginger up until he was sure Snape's attention was sufficiently taken, and then he opened the book again.
His eyes swiftly found the passage.
Death's Door- (class: Fungi) Definitely one of the more powerful, though much lesser-known, plants in this world, Death's Door is in the same Genus as the well-known Gillyweed, but doesn't have the gill-making effect. Instead, it produces a thick mold on the insides of the lungs, which can transmit oxygen to the bloodstream, without the user having to "breathe" standardly.
There are negative side-effects, including death, if the potion to nullify—and destroy—the mold, isn't taken within seventy two hours of ingestion. Also, there can be cases of an over-load of oxygen circulating through the body, which can make the user feel faint, dizzy, and can cause problems sleeping.
For antidote: See page 453 Humdris
"Perfect," Harry said simply, and allowed the faintest traces of a smile to curve his lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/Okay, you can do this. It's no big deal. It's not like Dumbledore has any reason to suspect anything. All you have to do is.../ She didn't finish the thought, but the little voice that had always nagged her had no problem doing it. 'Do what? Lie to the best Headmaster you could have asked for? Betray the Order of the Phoenix, who would give their lives to protect you? Participate in what's most likely going to lead to the death of Professor Lupin?' /SHUT UP!/ She commanded mentally, and when that didn't work, she found herself screaming "SHUT UP!"
In Professer Dumbledore's face, who'd just opened his office door.
Instantly heat crawled up her cheeks, and she gave the headmaster a weak grin. "Ever had that nagging voice that just won't shut up?" she asked hopefully, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at her.
"Indeed I have, my dear," he replied, standing to open the door further to let her in. "Particularly when it thinks I've indulged in one too many lemon drops."
The bushy-haired girl found herself smiling a little, as she sank down into the chair opposite Dumbledore's desk, and after refusing his customary offer of lemon-drops, plunged in to the task at hand.
"I want to join the Order, Professor." /Smooth, Hermione. Really smooth./
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers and bringing them to his lips as he stared at her levelly, considering.
She waited, on the edge of her chair, shifting nervously and trying to hide it.
Finally, appearing to have reached a decision, Dumbledore leaned forward, and after popping another lemon-drop in his mouth, smiled.
"Welcome to the Order, Mrs. Weasley."
She thought for a moment she thought she was going to faint, and couldn't honestly say if it was from relief or consternation. However, with that hurdle out of the way, she managed to gain a better control of herself, and passed the rest of the time talking out details that she needed to know, maintaining a semblance of normalcy...
Which promptly disappeared the moment she managed to get into one of the girl's bathrooms and lock herself in a stall, giving free reign to the trembling and waves of ...shame?...washing over her.
(Reviewer thanks below)A/N: Here's a billowing clue to my question posed in the early chapters author notes. Thanks everyone for the reviews! Please keep reviewing! *hugs* I will return the favor! Also, I know the replies are late, but I just kept forgetting *blush*
Morgane: Thanks for replying, and after all this time, your story is still one of my favorites
Luna the MoonMonster: i've seen a few since I started my story, but none before. Thanks for reviewing!
TexaxJeanette: Thanks for your reviews, they encouraged me :)
Jeannie Vidal-Smith: Thanks much!! As much trouble as parts of this story are giving me *glare this chapter* I needed it!
Jaycee: thank you for your reviews of both this story and my three broomsticks confrontation one! Its appreciateed
Snuggle the muggle: I'm glad you thought it turned out okay! I was so worried! and when i did it, it turns out that it wasn't the hardest part! The hardest was hermione's part *Groans* and I'm still stuck on it!