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Unlikely Partners
Chapter 14
Hermione stared at her former professor across the table.
"I can always handle a challenge," Hermione told him.
"You may find that sitting around and having nothing to do is preferable to expending a great amount of mental energy creating elaborate formulas for this potion," Severus told her.
Hermione gave him a look. "Yes, there is an unimaginably small off chance that will be true. But even if that were so I wouldn't abandon the task at hand. Once I start on something, I always see it through to the end."
Severus rose and carried his plate to the sink. Hermione thought she heard him mutter something along the lines of "cheeky Gryffindor" as he moved away. Though the words were said under his breath, Hermione could tell that they had been meant for her to hear, or rather that Severus had said them loudly enough to so that Hermione would hear them if she listened, but wonder if what she thought he'd said was actually what had come out of his mouth.
Hermione picked up her plate and headed over to the back of the room. She caught Severus's gaze and could tell by the gleam in his eyes that she had heard his words correctly.
"So, Snape, what exactly is a 'cheeky Gryffindor'?" she asked with feigned innocence.
He looked at her for a couple of seconds before giving an answer.
"There's a good sized mirror on that wall over there," he told her, indicating the object he spoke of with his gaze, "Take a look in it and I'm sure your question will be satisfactorily answered."
"I'll be sure to do that," replied Hermione with good natured sarcasm. Hermione looked into Severus's eyes with a self assured half smile, waiting for him to respond. Severus turned his back to her and Hermione's expression became fell back into an emotionless mask.
He's distancing himself from me, she thought soberly.
Severus walked away from her and disappeared into one of the other rooms. He came back about thirty seconds later carrying a thick plastic binder, the kind sold at Muggle office supply stores.
Curious, Hermione started to approach him. Anticipating her question, Severus spoke before Hermione could ask him anything.
"This contains all of my personal notes on specific potion ingredients," He told her, setting the blue binder down on the dining table. He flipped it open and allowed Hermione to look at the pages within.
There were literally hundreds of pages, each one described the properties of a certain ingredient that was listed in capitalized script at the top of the page. Severus's notes also touched on the results of combing each ingredient with several others.
"This is quite extensive," Hermione remarked. Severus's thoroughness and careful attention to detail was amazing. "How long did it take you to come up with this?"
"The better part of a year," Severus replied curtly. "And I haven't even come remotely close to exhausting all the possible combinations of ingredients in my preliminary research for the potion. There's a chance that the proper sequence of ingredients is one I haven't even begun to consider yet. Quite truthfully, Miss Granger, this endeavor of mine has a great probability of being a failure. But because of the circumstances, I must at least put forth an effort to make it successful."
Severus pulled two chairs around to the long side of the table.
"Have a seat, we're going to be here for quite some time," he told her before going back into his bedroom.
Hermione sat down and started leafing through the pages of the binder. Hermione passed by many ingredients she knew, followed by many she had never heard of, or had never known that they were used in potions. She stopped to read one of the entries.
Griffon Feathers
Used to combine and magnify the effects of two non-related ingredients, if added to a potion comprised of similar ingredients the feather's quick will denature their base particles so that the simplest forms of the ingredients' can be concentrated in other potions.
When combined with powdered unicorn horn, the result on the potion is that the potion's shelf life is extended so that it's strength never expires, even after decades of storage.
Never combine Griffon feathers with the feathers of a pegasus, as the magic of the pegasus feathers will destroy the power of the Griffon feathers.
Hermione read on, fascinated, about the results of Griffon feathers combined with European dragon claws, Japanese dragon scales, Malaysian bat wings, winged lion feathers, hippocampus scales, undine fins, Indian and Amazonian serpent fangs, and black tiger fur.
When finished with the page, Hermione flipped through the pages again, and then stopped to read another entry that caught her eye.
Tears from a True Elf
One of the rarest potion ingredients on Earth, the tears of a true elf will give a desired power to any liquid, but only if that desired power is one born from a desire to combat evil. Cannot be obtained in any magical market known to man. The last time it was used by a wizard was in 1816. Many people have tried journeying to one of the eight known Elven cities hidden on Earth, but almost all of them were turned back at their gates. The humans who were granted admittance into the cities were almost never granted the possession of an item containing Elven magic.
Severus came up behind Hermione as she finished reading the entry bearing two black notebooks and a couple of ballpoint pens. He set the items on the table and Hermione turned to look at him.
"What is a true elf?" Hermione asked, a curious expression in her dark eyes.
Severus's lips twitched into a wry expression of amusement. He sat down in the chair beside her.
"A true elf is a magical being that is far more advanced in intelligence and intellect than most humans. It is said that the elves came to Earth from another world, aeons ago, and have hidden their cities in the depths of this planet's untouched lands, the Andean Mountains, the Amazonian rainforest, the jungles of Africa, the Himalayas, . . . the vast majority of their race has great disdain for us. They blame us for destroying Earth's most intricate ecosystems. Not to mention that if they knew that we called those ugly sycophantic creatures who do our housekeeping chores, elves, they would damn us to hottest depths of hell."
Hermione looked at Severus, absorbing this new information in thoughtful silence.
"So, are the creatures we call "elves" really a kind of elf or are they really something else?" she asked at length.
"Oh, those things surely aren't elves. There are rumors, known to those who know where to find them, that many centuries ago, after a dispute between humans and elves, the humans decided to sever all contact with the Elven race and to prevent people from ever finding out about the true elves' existence, they decided to call the little creatures who had started working in their houses elves. House elves are actually a type of gremlin."
"How many people now know that true elves exist?" asked Hermione.
"Not many. The entire Order of the Phoenix knows, many scholars know. But the general population has no idea," Severus told her. "And before you ask your next question, Dumbledore tried to ask the elves for help against Voldemort, but they flatly refused."
Hermione went through more of the pages.
"Is creating a potion the easiest way of weakening Voldemort's magical strength?" she asked seriously.
Severus did not immediately answer.
"It is not the easiest way, but given the circumstances, it is impossible to employ any other method of making Voldemort incapable of using magic."
"If the circumstances were different, what other methods could you use?" asked Hermione.
"Well, for one, before releasing certain criminals, Azkaban gives inmates an injection that denatures the proteins in the inmate's blood that enable them to wield magic. In creating the injection a sample of blood is taken from the inmate and treated with spells and then injected back into the inmate's aortal vein. As you can imagine, there's more than a few reasons why that can't be used on Voldemort, one of the main ones is that after the injection is given it takes about twenty four hours to do its job. Also, there is no way a blood sample can be taken from Voldemort without his knowing about it.
"Another method that could work under different conditions is that if the phoenix whose feather rests inside Voldemort's wand was found and then shot in the heart with a diamond tipped arrow or crossbow quarrel, Voldemort's wand would become completely useless, and some sources say that every spell ever cast by his wand would be reversed. Now the reasons that method can't be used are that Potter's wand contains a feather from the same phoenix and he wouldn't be able to use magic to kill Voldemort if that particular phoenix died. He wouldn't be able to get a new wand, because for a reason few understand, if that phoenix were to die, the person who owned a wand connected to it would be turned into a squib. And even if that weren't the case, no one has any idea where the phoenix is right now."
"An innocent magical creature shouldn't have to die so that we can get what we want," Hermione said seriously.
"No, but let me say this. If killing the phoenix appeared to be the only way to defeat Voldemort, and it was between shooting the creature and allowing Voldemort to gain enough power to defeat The Order and everyone supporting it, I'd kill the creature myself in a heartbeat."
"If you put it that way, then of course, the phoenix's death would be a necessary thing, but in anything less than those circumstances it would be unacceptable to end the phoenix's life."
"That I won't argue with," Severus told her. He reached for a notebook and opened it to a page Hermione first thought was full of arithmetic problems, but upon closer inspection she noticed that the numbers didn't add up right to be mathematical equations.
"These are formula equations," said Severus. "You'll see that each page in that binder is numbered at the bottom, the numbers in the formula equations correspond to the numbers on the pages. At the back of the binder is a numbered key of all possible potion results, essentially describing what exactly the final potion does. The number after the equals sign in the formula corresponds to a number representing one of the results on the key."
"Okay, that's easy enough to understand." Hermione told him.
"These formulas here are ones I've already used in the lab to produce potions. Now I want to create a list of new formulas to try, ones where every ingredient used will add to the effects of the potion and create something that will reduce a person's magical strength. In the end, I may have to combine two separate potions together. So far, I've only gotten to the point where a few possible additive potions have been created."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Severus quickly moved on with his explanation.
"What's an additive potion you're going to ask? An additive potion is something that does not achieve the desired effect on its own, but can be added to another potion to create the end result that you want."
Hermione listened intently, confident that she could understand all the details of what Severus was telling her. Being a person who loved to learn and take on challenges, this was exactly what she needed. She knew without a doubt that Harry and Ron would be hopelessly lost by this point.
"I presume that none of this is going over your head, now is it?" Severus asked with a slight raise of his right brow.
"None of it. I find what you've said so far quite easy to understand."
"Excellent. Now I want to you to write down formulas for potions that have the effect of weakening someone's strength, or weakening their mental power. Just look through the binder and right down the numbers of ingredients and then as you look for ingredients to combine them with, be sure to read the list of results at the bottom of the pages. Basically, what I want you to do, Miss Granger, is create a new formula for a strength weakening potion."
Severus turned to a clean page in his notebook and quickly wrote out a list of ingredients. He then set the paper next to Hermione.
"Here is the list of ingredients for a basic muscle weakening potion, now you may want to find similar ingredients that will work on the mind as well as the body, and add those to your formula equation."
"Should I be worried about the availability of certain ingredients listed in here? Are there other things besides elf tears that are impossible to obtain?"
"I don't believe so, and in any case, I would have marked any hard to get ingredient as rare."
Hermione picked up a pen and opened the notebook Severus had given her.
"Did you make new potion formulas like this when you developed the potion for Remus?"
"No. I didn't have much time to come up with something that worked, so I took the wolfsbane potion and removed some of the ingredients that would interact with the new ingredients I put into it which prevents Remus from being enslaved by Fenrir's magic."
"I see. How often do you deliver the regular wolfsbane to him?" she asked. "I know he needs to get it everyday and since you told me your not going anywhere for awhile I wondered how you were getting it to him. I didn't think it could be kept that long without losing its effects."
Severus looked directly into Hermione's eyes. The look on his face was unsettling. She thought about what he had told her again, and suddenly an expression of shock came to her features.
"You said some ingredients would interact with the ones you put into your modified version of the wolfsbane. Please tell me that doesn't mean he had to stop taking the regular version to keep those ingredients out of his system. Tell me that's not the case."
"It's the price Remus had to pay for being free of Fenrir's control," Severus said softly.
Hermione looked agonized.
"Wasn't there any other way?" she asked, stricken, her voice unnaturally high.
"No, Miss Granger, there wasn't."
Hermione closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. When she opened her eyes, again Severus was starting to work out potion formulas in his notebook.
It was obvious that he didn't want to talk anymore. Hermione looked down at the blank notebook in front of her. She pulled the binder a little closer to her and started looking for ingredients that had weakening properties. Since Severus wasn't using the binder at the moment, Hermione guessed that he had a fair amount of potion ingredient information committed permanently to his memory. Hermione passed by several pages of ingredients that contained nothing useful to her.
Apparently Severus had been right when he had said this was going to take awhile.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Remus sat at his desk, almost finished translating the last part of text describing how to indirectly destroy a Horcrux. For the past hour, he had been reading the ancient text, and writing sentences in English on a piece of paper as he went. At last he had the information that Minerva wanted. He looked down at the English he had written.
During the two hours or so, he had discovered that the way to destroy a Horcrux indirectly was to create a destructive potion using an object that at one time had been a Horcrux as one of the principal ingredients.
Another potion for Severus, Remus thought. A third potion to work on is probably the last thing that man wants. Though Hermione has proven to be quite adept at the art of potion making, perhaps he'll enlist her help, if he knows what's good for him.
Remus reached up and turned off the lamp he had used to light his work area. Getting an object that was once a Horcrux would be easy enough. Dumbledore still had Slytherin's ring in his possession at the time of his death and Remus was sure it was still where he had left it in his office.
Minerva would be able to get it and then he could give it to Severus, along with the instructions on how to create the potion which he had also translated.
Remus let out a light snort.
Severus can read Latin. I could have easily let him translate the text for himself.
In truth, Remus was getting tired of being the Order's official translator of ancient languages. Over the years the Order had given him scripts written in Latin, Greek, and even the ancient language of the Etruscans. Though Dumbledore knew more languages than Remus did, and Severus was as fluent in ancient languages as Remus was, the task of translating had always been given to him.
Ordinarily he didn't mind it, though there were definitely times when he would have liked to have help. But this morning he had woken to find Nymphadora sick, and now he wanted to be with her so that he could comfort her and do what he could to ease her nausea. She had missed work for the first time in three years.
Usually Nymphadora never let a little illness get in the way of her doing her job, but this morning, after retching into the toilet for the better part of half an hour, she had no choice but to stay in bed.
Remus had stayed with her until she fell asleep again, and he would have stayed with her even while she slept but she had insisted that at least one of them should get some work done, and if she couldn't be the one to do it, than he should go to his desk and get some translating done.
So Remus had busied himself with finding out how a Horcrux was indirectly destroyed. According to the text, the potion made from the former Horcrux was carefully poured on any intact Horcrux. It was then destroyed by the potion, like flesh and bone being destroyed by corrosive acid.
Remus was now ready to present his findings to Minerva, but before he reported to her office at Hogwarts, he would check on Nymphadora and see if she was doing any better.
He walked into his bedroom without making any noise. On the large mahogany bed, nestled beneath the creamy beige comforter was the sleeping form of Nymphadora Tonks. Remus watched her, unsure if he should wake her. He could leave and see Minerva and return as quickly as possible. But he wanted to know how Nymphadora felt before he left, because if she was still ill he could have Poppy Pomfrey return with him from Hogwarts and take a look at her. The mediwitch had a cottage in Hogsmeade that wouldn't be hard to get to. Remus would hate for Nymphadora to get any worse. Poppy would be able to give her an anti-nausea potion, if she still required one.
He approached Nymphadora, and she opened her eyes as Remus stood before her. She blinked a couple of times and slowly rolled onto her back.
"How are you?" Remus asked softly.
"I feel like I have the world's worst hangover," she told in a faint voice.
Remus's eyes crinkled with concern and he sat on the edge of the bed next to her. He felt her forehead with the back of his hand.
"You don't appear to have a fever," he said.
"I'm surprised," she told him. "All the times I've ever come close to feeling this shitty I always had a fever,"
"It's a good thing you don't have one," he told her with a small smile. "Do you feel any better than you did a couple of hours ago?"
"Not really. I don't think I'd be able to stand up straight without falling over if in doing so I'd get a million galleons,"
"Would you like some tonic water to sip?" he asked gently. "Or maybe I could bring you some crackers?"
"That's sweet of you, Remus, but I can't even stomach the thought of drinking or eating now."
"I need to go talk to Minerva, but I also think I should go see Poppy and have her come by to look at you,"
"Okay. Normally I'd say no, but I don't want to feel like this any longer than I have to. Did you find out what's needed to indirectly destroy a Horcrux?"
"I did, a potion needs to be made from an object that was at one point a Horcrux. Slytherin's ring is in Dumbledore's office. That along with the instructions for making the potion will be given to Severus."
"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Nymphadora asked him.
"I hope to be gone for less than an hour," Remus told her. "Hopefully I'll have Poppy Pomfrey with me when I return. Are you sure you're okay with me leaving for a little while? I could just send Poppy a message through the Floo and she'd be along within a few minutes. The information for Minerva can wait a little bit if you want me stay."
"I'll be okay without you for awhile," Nymphadora told him.
Remus leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
"I love you," he said softly. Nymphadora gave him a small smile.
"And I love you. Nothing can ever change that,"
Remus stared into her eyes for a couple seconds before rising. Nymphadora settled back into the covers and closed her eyes. Remus then turned and left the room. He gathered up the papers with this translations and slipped them into a large envelope. He set the envelope down for a second while he grabbed his traveling cloak from the chair in the parlor and put it on. He then took the envelope in his hand and instantly Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts.
The gates opened before him, the magic upon them identifying him as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He walked through them and the shut with an iron clang behind him.
Remus then began to make his way up the hill to the entrance of the school. He hoped that Minerva would understand his need to be brief. He considered the idea of going straight to Poppy now and sending her to see to Nymphadora before he was done with talking to Minerva. It pained him considerably to see her suffering, being unable to help ease her discomfort.
But certainly Minerva wouldn't keep him long once he told her that Nymphadora was ill. Remus wanted to be with the woman he loved when the mediwitch came to see her.
He only hoped that Poppy Pomfrey would be easily found.
Remus approached the castle's front steps, his thoughts focused on the woman he had left lying in his bed. Though he told himself her illness was sure to be something minor, and easily fixed, he couldn't help but wonder what could possibly make her so violently sick?
She'll be fine, he told himself as he entered into the castle's Great Hall. Don't worry, she'll be fine.
A/N: That's the longest chapter so far! Just about 4000 words. To all of my silent readers: might you guys who are reading this but never comment leave me a message after this chapter? If you don't, I'll still value you as a reader, and I still can see that you're reading the story in the Stats section of the login page.
My heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who wished that the surgery I got last week went well. I'm happy to say that the doctors found the source of my pain and were able to get rid of it. I've had pain off and on for three years, it's so wonderful to finally be free of it. :-)
I'm not taking classes this quarter so from now until March 27, I'll be able to update very frequently with long chapters.