Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, or ideas (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings.
Chapter 5: The necessity of speed.
Hogsmeade had most of the ingredients that Severus needed. However, making his way to the Forbidden Forest undetected to find the rest of the ingredients would prove more difficult. Charming his shoes not to make noise, he sneaked out of the common room and through the halls, creeping among the shadows. It was just after midnight and the moon was only a sliver as he stepped outside and headed toward the forbidden forest, glad to be wearing black in the dark night.
Upon reaching the forest he lit his wand and proceeded to look for the ingredients. A low fog hung about the forest, making it slightly more cumbersome to find herbs on the ground. The fog coupled with the odd chirps and whistles of the forest caused Severus to feel uneasy. Within a half an hour he had what he needed. He closed the bag and was heading out of the forest when something he could not see grabbed his foot and pulled him to the ground.
"What the deuce is this?" he exclaimed, struggling to free himself. After being dragged a few meters, he grabbed hold of a small tree and was able to free himself. He ran out of the forest as quickly as he could and crept back to the castle, out of breath and still unsure of exactly what he had run into.
Returning to his common room was not as simple as it had been to leave because the area was being patrolled. Almost running into two of his professors, he timed his movements and headed for the door when the professors seemed to head in opposite directions. He rushed into his room and noticed with relief that his two roommates were not there that evening, which was not unusual. Then he sank down against the door and took a deep breath before going to bed.
The two potions were not finished until the following Friday. Unknown to anyone else, Severus owned his own cauldron and heating device, usually hidden in a secret compartment under his bed. He had been sneaking into the Room of Requirements to brew the potions, being lucky not to have been noticed. Having finally finished the potions, he wondered how he could convince his professor to take them. Granted, they were experiments, but he was almost positive that they would work as he dashed off to classes that morning.
Glad that it was Friday, Minerva was finishing her Transfiguration lecture for her class of sixth-year Slytherins and Gryffindors, wanting to sit down. "And so concludes our lecture on transfiguring pets into different animals. As you finish copying down the notes on the board, I would advise you not to try this with any animal, especially your familiar, until you feel confident that you can do it with absolute success," she stated, making her way back to her desk.
Suddenly she felt a sharp pain run down her spine and she tried to reach her desk to catch herself. Her hand slipped and she collapsed on the floor, unconscious. The class began to whisper uncontrollably. Class had not quite ended yet and no one seemed to know what to do. Severus stared down at his professor and stood with resolution. Using an authoritative voice that he did not realize he possessed, he stepped out in front of the class.
"In case you dunderheads had not noticed, we have an emergency. Milton, Carson," he spoke to two Slytherins directly in front of him, "help me levitate her to the infirmary. Potter, Black, Pettigrew, find Dumbledore and tell him to come to the infirmary. The rest of you stay put until a staff member gives you further instructions," Severus ended.
James, Sirius, and Peter were too shocked to argue with him for once and did as he had instructed. The majority of the class sat there stunned as their professor was levitated out of the room. The walk to the infirmary felt like hours as Severus and the other three walked in silence. Upon entering, he spoke up looking for Poppy.
"Madame Pomfrey, we have an emergency. Professor McGonagall has fainted," he stated, finding the medwitch at her desk.
The stout woman stood and immediately began giving directions. "Put her on that bed over there, that's the one. Now hand me that green potion on the shelf and the thermometer, yes that's good. Did anyone send for the Headmaster?"
"I sent Black, Pettigrew, and Potter," Severus answered.
Dumbledore arrived at the infirmary shortly, followed by Peter, James, and Sirius. "Poppy, what is going on?" he asked with worry.
Poppy glanced over at the students and then back to Dumbledore. "It's the disease, she's taken a turn for the worse and I don't want to say too much in front of the students," she whispered.
He nodded and turned toward Severus. "Who decided to bring Professor McGonagall here and send for me?"
"I did," Severus replied frankly.
"And what is the rest of the class doing?" Dumbledore inquired.
"They are waiting for instructions from yourself or a staff member," the young Slytherin responded.
The Headmaster patted him on the shoulder. "You've been quite responsible today, Mr. Snape. I think I'll award twenty points to Slytherin for quick thinking and thirty points for good leadership."
"Thank you, Sir," Severus remarked. Leadership? Who is he kidding? I just know how to be bossy when necessary, he thought to himself.
Dumbledore watched the young man for a moment before speaking. "There is a wide breadth of difference between leading and dictating. Someday you will know the difference," he paused and looked at all of the students. "I suggest that all of you return to your class and tell them to proceed to their next one. I will be covering the remaining Transfiguration classes today myself."
They did as he said and soon were in the seats of their next class. Though he took notes, all Severus could think if that day was Professor McGonagall's health. Madame Pomfrey doesn't know what she is up against this time. She will probably get help from St. Mungo's, but what can they really do? If only I could convince the nurse to use my potions, he reasoned.
He walked by the infirmary after class long enough to watch as Poppy placed two vials on the table next to Minerva's bed. "I'll give these to you after dinner and hopefully you will feel at least good enough to drink something," the medwitch told the Transfiguration professor. He was unable to tell if Minerva was conscious from his point of view.
Severus knew what needed to be done. While everyone else was at dinner, he headed back to the Room of Requirements and retrieved the potions he had been working on. Thankful that he was not seen, he reached the infirmary and slowly opened the door. He soon realized that Poppy had gone to dinner and entered the room. Switching his vials with the other two was simple because the colours were not too dissimilar. His were yellowish-orange and off-white. The other two where light orange and gray.
He placed Poppy's vials back on the shelf and stepped close to take one last look at his professor. Why are you doing this? She is the Head of Gryffindor, being a Gryffindor herself. You don't owe her anything, one part of him argued. But then the other part of him spoke up. I am doing this because I do owe her something. She is the only one who's ever showed any concern for me and I am not willing to just sit back and do nothing.
While his internal conflict concluded, Minerva blinked her bleary eyes spied Severus. Her whole body hurt and she could not recall how she came to be in the infirmary. "Mr. Snape, what am I doing here, and what are you doing here?"
"Professor, you're awake!" he exclaimed quietly.
"Not for long, judging by the way I am feeling. I do believe that I asked you a few questions," she responded, attempting to ignore the sharp bursts of pain that occurred whenever she attempted to move.
He nodded. "You fainted in class, so a couple of students and I brought you here," he paused before explaining the rest. "And I'm here hopefully to cure you."
Minerva wanted to ask a few more questions, but both froze hearing the door squeak open. Severus hid in the shadows under the bed next to Minerva's. Poppy, seeing that Minerva was slightly awake, rushed over to her. With her back to him, Severus sneaked noiselessly out of the infirmary and back to his dormitory. Back in the infirmary, Poppy gave Minerva a dose of each potion, not having noticed the switch.
(My thanks to Leta McGotor, Miss-eoWyn, Darth Vader (), NaginiFay, and excessivelyperky for reviewing :D)