Okay so here's the next chapter folks. I realize this one has a lot more Harry and Snape but I hope all the Lupin fans hang in there! Enjoy!
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As Severus left the room Dumbledore turned to Harry and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I must leave now. I am going to let the others in the Order know of Remus' condition. I am also going to warn them to look out for themselves. It worries me that Remus was attacked so close to Headquarters. I am hoping that this was just an isolated incident" he said.
"But sir" Harry asked. "Why would anyone want to attack Lupin for any other reason than his participation in the Order?"
"Well it is unfortunately not unknown that Remus is a werewolf. This may have been done by someone who is purist and against all part-humans" Dumbledore replied.
With this he prepared to set out. First checking in with Snape and giving instructions that he was to be informed the moment there was any change in Remus' condition either for the worse or better. He then gave instructions to Harry and Arthur that Remus should be kept under constant watch so that any new symptoms could be reported to Snape right away.
Harry knew that Dumbledore was afraid as they all were that Snape wouldn't find an antidote in time. He was sure that Dumbledore wanted a non--stop watch on Remus so that someone would be there if he died. This thought seemed to be shared by Arthur who sobered when he was asked to take the first watch. But he nodded resolutely and took up his place as sentinel, nervously tucking the covers around Remus' neck.
Harry escorted Dumbledore to the door and bade him a safe trip. Then, closing the door behind him, he stood in the hall. He was at a loss as to what he should do now. He thought of going up to his room and perhaps getting some sleep but quickly dismissed that idea. He knew that he would have to relieve Mr. Weasley in a few hours to continue the watch on Lupin through morning. However he also knew that he would never be able to sleep, too much had happened.
As Harry walked back to the drawing room he was surprised at the calmness he felt. While it was true that he couldn't help fearing the worst it seemed that he wasn't able to feel anymore grief at the moment. He figured that he was now at an emotional level somewhere below that. He felt not grief, but numb with this new shock.
How could this happen? He wondered to himself as he sat on the couch and watched the fire. Surely he couldn't lose another important person in his life, could he? Was everyone who was either parent or pseudo parent meant for death? Did any adult who showed him the least bit of kindness have to then be destroyed for it? He began to wonder if somehow Voldemort had managed to curse him. Obviously Voldemort hadn't been able to kill Harry but certainly he had managed to take away much happiness in his life.
But this thinking wasn't going to save Lupin, he thought to himself. He decided to end his self-wallowing and do something useful. He got up and headed for the kitchen. For that was where Snape had begun to work on an antidote. He stood outside the door for a moment, not sure what he was going to do. Then he took a deep breath and opened the door.
Snape looked up quickly from a huge volume. He had a fire going and had already set out a cauldron. His bag was now open and the ingredients were spread upon the table. Harry saw small vials with varying colors of liquid, leather pouches of different colors as well as dried herbs tied with string.
"Yes Potter, is there something you need? Has Lupin's condition worsened?" Snape asked urgently.
"No, uh at least I don't think so. I haven't been back to check on him" he replied nervously.
"I'm sure Arthur will let us know if anything changes" Snape said and went back to his book.
Harry stood there for a few minutes feeling rather foolish. Finally Snape seemed to realize that he was still in the room.
"Is there something you need?" he asked again, coldly.
Snape sounded like someone who didn't want to be disturbed and Harry almost walked out right then and there. But he gave himself a little shake, thought of Lupin and strengthened his resolve.
"I want to help" he replied, looking Snape directly in the eye for the first time that night. With that look he defied the tall Potions Master to deny him this right to help his new Godfather in any way he could.
Snape looked taken aback by this and opened his mouth to speak. Then he thought about it for a second and nodded. Motioning Harry to the table he pointed at the vials and other items.
"Very well, you can sort these into alphabetical order. I usually keep them that way for easy retrieval. However I had to leave in a rush so they need to be re-done" he said and promptly went back to his text without another word.
Harry sorted through the various vials and bottles. Each one contained a particular ingredient that may be needed to help Lupin. He and Snape basically ignored each other as they worked. The only sound for many minutes was the rustle of pages as Snape hunted in his book for clues to what was attacking Remus. After a while Snape seemed to find the information he was looking for. He stopped suddenly and began taking ingredients from Harry's side of the table. He then started measuring out items, cutting herbs to smaller lengths and putting some into the water now boiling in the cauldron.
Harry had long since finished sorting the ingredients but he was reluctant to leave the room. Though he didn't particularly enjoy being in Snape's presence there was something he needed to know. Again steeling up his courage and hoping that he wasn't disturbing Snape during a critical moment, he spoke.
"Uh, Professor?" he asked quietly.
Snape merely looked up from the cauldron that he had been stirring. For once he didn't have the look of absolute abhorrence normally reserved for any conversation with Harry. Instead he merely looked a little harried and (did Harry imagine it?) slightly curious. Encouraged by this Harry plowed on.
"Do you think you can help him?" Harry asked simply.
Severus looked down into the swirling contents above the fire. He didn't say anything for a while and Harry was starting to wonder if he was going to answer at all. Finally he looked up and met Harry's eyes.
"I don't know" he said honestly. "But I will tell you this, I am not going to let him die without a fight" then he continued to stir. Harry knew better than to believe it was any real affinity for Lupin that caused this reaction. Instead he got the impression that Snape simply didn't want to lose a fight and this poison had now become an enemy, an enemy to be battled to the end.
Harry had opened his mouth to respond to this announcement when Snape continued.
"However I think you should know that I believe he has less than 24 hours to live. So if I am wrong, we will know soon enough" again he went back to stirring.
Harry nodded and said nothing more. He thought about Snape's words over and over again as time ticked on. Again he reminded himself that however much he and Snape didn't get along, there was no denying his talent now as a true Potions Master. Finally around 2:00am he got up from the table.
"I am going to relieve Mr. Wesley now" he said and received nothing except a silent, parting nod from Snape.
He slowly walked up the stairs to Lupin's bedroom, having put it off long enough. He had been tired of being in the deathly silent kitchen with Snape but he feared what he would find upstairs. He walked in and found Mr. Weasley again tucking the covers under Lupin's chin. It made him wonder if Lupin had been restless in his feverish slumber or if Mr. Weasley just didn't know what else to do.
"Hello Harry" Mr. Weasley said with a tight smile. "There's no change in his condition and I'm taking that as a good sign. At least he's not worse, eh?
Harry smiled in return and Mr. Weasley quickly vacated the chair where he had been sitting. Harry sat down and took a close look at Lupin. It was true that he looked the same as earlier and for that, Harry was grateful.
"I'm going to see if Severus needs any help, be sure to call on me if you need anything. Alright?" Mr. Wesley said and Harry nodded in reply.
Harry sat there alone with Lupin as the night wore on. How long he was there he didn't know but slowly he felt fear creep into him. He worried that Lupin's time (according to Snape's educated guess) was getting shorter and yet there had been no sign from downstairs. What if Snape's book was wrong and he was making the wrong antidote? What if he misjudged an ingredient and the potion was ruined? Harry knew from past experience in Snape's class that one slip, just one, could change a potion. One second you could have a cure for tuber puss and the next a potion that could instead raise painful boils on the skin. But he grudgingly admitted to himself, if anyone could make the potion correctly it was Snape. For now he realized that Snape always knew exactly what had happened with Harry's potions the moment something went wrong. Just by looking at the color or catching a whiff of one of Harry's pitiful attempts, the venerable Master always knew precisely which ingredient had been missed.
Still Harry wondered what was taking so long and was about to get up to find out when a sound from Lupin stopped him. Lupin did indeed seem to be restless for he had ripped half the sheets from his body. Harry hurriedly put the blankets around him again. As he did so felt the fever burning through the man as his hands brushed against Lupin's arm. With a heavy heart, Harry sat down again. It suddenly occurred to him that he had never really watched someone die and this might just be what he was going to endure this night.
For though Harry had witnessed death in his life it had never been like this. His parents had been killed in front of him but he'd only been a baby so he had no real memory of it. When Voldemort had murdered Cedric as Harry had watched, helplessly, it had been swift. Even Sirius' death had been quick. He had simply disappeared. No this was very different, he realized. The man lying in front of him was suffering, had been suffering for hours now and would probably continue to do so until the very end. Harry was grateful that at the very least, Lupin wasn't awake. For he didn't think he'd be able to stomach it if he'd had to watch that.
The night wore on unbearably slowly until finally Harry could see the sky lighten outside Lupin's window. He was just beginning to wonder if somehow the two of them had been forgotten when he heard steps outside. Without a word Snape entered the room carrying a goblet. Mr. Weasley followed closely behind and tried to smile reassuringly at Harry but only managed a slight grimace. As they entered Harry could only wonder, had Snape found a cure?