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For copyright and disclaimers, please see chapter 1
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21 – Classes, Week twenty nine, Second year
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Sunday, March 12, 2000:
Hogwarts, Gryffindor first year girls' dorm: 07:18
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Lucille lay in her four-poster and thought to herself, 'I have the Dark Lord's charms and the dagger that imprisons him. Unfortunately, the potion did not have an effect until now, and with the full moon's interference in the spell, I will have to wait six weeks until the Feast of Beli on May first. Then, all I need is an hour alone with the Potter brat. A spell, and the Dark Lord will be transferred into his new body, and I shall be honored above all men.' She smiled to herself, adding, 'Also unfortunately, truth compels me to add that both of the brats are under the eye of the parents or that stupid house elf. Still, a simple command, and I shall have my hour.'
She sighed, and threw back the covers. 'I shall have to arrange a distraction,' she mused. 'It should be relatively easy with the school finally acting like the mindless sheep they are.'
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Sunday, March 12, 2000:
InvernessInternationalAirport08:02
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"You will let me know?" Maggie Morton asked Selina, who nodded. "I wish I did not have to go, I would rather give that Headmaster a piece of my mind!"
"Arthur will be like my own son," Selina promised. "I will let you know as soon as we know anything, and I will put your letter in the Headmaster's hand myself. Changes have to happen here, they can't go on as they have for centuries," Selina said, and Maggie nodded, then turned to board the Lear.
A few feet away, Julie was frowning at Beth, "You'll keep an eye on my daughter?"
"I will, and the Agency will," she promised, with Mr. West adding, "She has but to call the Embassy, and I shall do what I can to help her."
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Wednesday, March 15, 2000:
Hogsmeade, Weasley Wizarding Wheezes back room: 07:12
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"I think I recognize this..." Bella said, looking at the gas chromatograph.
Hermione looked up from her sleeping bag on the floor, yawning, then stumbled over to the sink to splash cold water on her face. "What is it?"
"It's a potion Severus created several years ago for the Dark Tosser. As I recall, it took him months to create, and then another month to brew." Bella sat back, "It recreates 'Imperious', only as an odourless, tasteless potion."
"Where's it from?" Hermione checked the sample database on a laptop.
"Sample GHH-03," Bella replied.
"Taken by Ms. Lane at the High Table in the Great Hall, airborne sample. Does it show up in blood?"
"Got something?" Dr. Phillips asked, coming in from next door.
"Maybe," Hermione said. "Can you check a contaminated blood sample for this particular molecule?"
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"Airborne contaminant," Dr. Phillips mused. "What would produce outgassing in the Great Hall?"
"Food vapors? Steam from cookware? What else?"
"G'morning," George said, coming in from next door (the brothers had given up their loft to their guests). He yawned, asking, "You find anything?"
"Possibly," Bella said. "What would produce a vapour or mist in the Great Hall?"
"Pranks and tricks, like candles and bombs," George said, pouring tea.
"That's it! Candles! They're everywhere!" Hermione said excitedly. "People tend to be really close to them when they're studying or reading too!"
"And some people, like Professor Sprout and Hagrid, spend most of their time outdoors, or in their greenhouses!" George said. "I think you've got it!"
"Got what?" Selina asked, coming down from the loft.
"A possible source for the contaminant," Bella said.
Selina looked at the laptop, paging through the test results, "I would agree. The molecule in question (she nodded at the screen), doesn't appear in the food or water, except in minute, trace amounts. Those could be picked up through simple exposure." She perched on a stool, asking, "New questions. Who put it there, what do we do to counter or decontaminate, when was it put there, where did it come from, and why is it there?"
"I have another question," Dr. Phillips asked, "Why are two students immune from it?"
"Immune from what?" Beth asked, coming down the stairs.
Bella asked, "Why are two students immune to this airborne potion?"
Beth sighed, "It had to come out sooner or later. The Agency has been keeping an eye on a wizarding terrorist named Lucius Malfoy. He was planning to impersonate a student after killing her off, but we didn't know his plan." Beth took a sip of tea, "Julie Koslowski and her daughter agreed to help us, and we disguised the daughter as Miss Lee Fook. The girl that we know as Koslowski is actually..."
"Lucius Malfoy," Bella said. She sat for a minute; then chuckled, which turned into a full throated belly laugh.
"Not necessarily," Beth held up her hand. "It could be someone else."
"Still, if it is Malfoy, and he's not dead after all..." Hermione mused.
"Then Lucius Malfoy is enrolled as a firstie girl... a firstie Gryffindor girl..." Bella said. "Oh, Minerva is going to have kittens when she finds out!"
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Selina rapped on a table, "We have a question, 'Why is Julie's daughter immune' and we have a suspect, Lucius Malfoy. What about a motive?"
"I used an Agency disguise spell on her, the counter-spell is classified," Beth put in. "The spell could be interfering with the potion's magic."
"Lucius' obsession has been the resurrection of the Dark Lord," Bella added. "However, there is only one person who knows the location of the corpse."
"Harry," Hermione breathed, "He took the Dark Lord's body, his charms, wand, and such, and the dagger he was killed with, and hid them somewhere."
Bella added, "If Lucius is the one behind this, he wants the Dark Lord's body so he can be resurrected again..."
"We may have a newly risen Dark Lord to deal with, without Potter and with that fool of a Minister..." Bella said.
Selina rapped with her knuckles. "It's an interesting theory, but what proof do we have? How solid are Malfoy's potion-brewing skills?"
Bella looked at Hermione, "Average. If this is the same potion, some of the ingredients are restricted, but they could be stolen from Severus." She snorted, "Knowing Lucius, I would suspect he simply cast 'Imperio' on Severus, and had him brew it. Why should he get his hands dirty with manual labor, after all?" Shifting on the stool, she added, "I spent several years under Imperious, and it's infuriating when you're released. You know what you're doing, but it seems to make so much sense – then." She glanced over at Hermione, "I may have joined him freely, but I was young and foolish. You thought I did what I did freely? Once I had dug my grave as a terrorist, the spell was released; I had no real other choice but to stay with the Dark Tosser."
"About the potion," Selina prodded.
"Once you're licensed as a Potion Master, there are really no restrictions other than cost," Hermione said. "Malfoy wouldn't worry about that. Then all you would need is a way to get the potion into the candles. Normal usage would take care of releasing the potion." She tapped her teeth with a pen in thought, "If I had the original potion, or better yet, Professor Snapes' notes, I could work out a counter-potion." She gave a snort, "He probably has the counter-potion already figured out. It would make things much simpler."
"It might be in the restricted part o' the House library, but you two couldn't use it," Ian said. "You're not Slytherin. 'Twould be either Bella or m'self to find it., and then to brew it."
"Rather shaky chain of assumptions," Dr. Phillips said. "Still, it's the only one we have. It needs looking into."
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Wednesday, March 15, 2000:
Hogwarts, Staff room: 07:34
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"Well, now..." Albus said, when there was a knock. Pomona Sprout, who was closest to the door, opened it, and saw Bella, Hermione and Ian, who winked at her. Hermione cleared her throat, saying, "Professor Snape, you clean up nicely, and green is such a good colour for you. Will you join us, please?"
Without a word, the Potions Professor unfolded from his chair, and followed the three, Pomona trailing behind them while Albus ignored this, smiling.
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Wednesday, March 15, 2000:
Hogwarts, Potion Master's laboratory: 07:41
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Ian held the door for Pomona as Bella asked, "Severus, we would like to see your Formulary. We are looking for the Imperious potion." Severus silently levitated the enormous book onto his desk, passing his wand over it, muttering the counter-charms.
"Disable the Slytherin-only charms, please, Professor," Hermione asked, and Severus calmly waved his wand again. "I'm sorry to have to do this, Professor. There's a threat to the school." She looked over the pages, "Did Malfoy ask you to brew this potion?"
Professor Snape shook his head, "Koslowski did."
The four of them looked between them as Severus calmly stood there, waiting. "How much and when did you brew this for her?" Pomona asked. "Did she discuss her plan with you?"
"I brewed ten liters for her, starting Halloween morning" he replied robotically. "She said she would be distributing it through the common tapers the school uses. I needed to know to change the formulation based on method of distribution."
"So in the water or food you would need a different amount?" Hermione asked.
"Correct. In the school's water supply, you would need twenty two liters; food would vary based on the type. Beverages would require one drop per pitcher, stews and other forms of soup would require..."
"Thank you, Severus," Pomona interrupted. "What about the antigen? What would the best distribution method be?"
"The most efficient distribution would be for all persons to ingest the potion daily over the space of a week. This would require brewing three hundred seventy four liters over the space of four days."
"Thank you, Professor. Would students brewing it help? What years?" Hermione asked.
"Fourth years and over can brew this antigen."
Pomona glanced at the others, "Severus, I'd like your fourth-years and up to brew this antigen. Please copy this information for Hermione and myself."
"Of course, Pomona," Severus said.
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Wednesday, March 15, 2000:
Hogwarts, Potions classroom: 13:00
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The door slammed closed behind Amy, Henry and the other fourth-years, who were sitting quietly beside their lab partners. Professor Snape walked up to the board, saying, "Today we brew the antigen to the Imperious potion. Ingredients and instructions are on the board. This is to be done perfectly." He tapped his wand on the board, adding, "Begin."
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Friday, March 17, 2000:
Hogwarts, Potions classroom: 13:00
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The door slammed behind Eleanor, Orla, Emma and James. Fifth-year potions class had begun, and Professor Snape walked to the board without any of his usual theatrics – not that the students noticed, or cared. "Today we brew the antigen to the Imperious potion. Ingredients and instructions are on the board. This is to be done perfectly." He tapped his wand on the board, adding, "Begin."
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Saturday, March 18, 2000:
Hogwarts, Slytherin common room: 08:00
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Mattie Wayne quietly sat, typing an essay on Doxies into her laptop. Her best friend Sprink sat silently next to her on the worn leather couch, working on Herbology. The common room was crowded, and uncommonly silent but for the popping of the fire, the turning of pages and the rattle of keyboards, with every Slytherin doing homework or studying for OWL or NEWT exams. Lee Fook rolled her eyes at the scene, but returned to her Charms homework, a bubblehead charm encasing her head.
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