Moving On

Chapter - 13

As the first rays of the sun began to fall on a quite peacefully sleeping potion's master, his hands involuntarily moved towards his eyes, shielding them. He groaned at his sleep being disturbed for a moment before realizing where he was and, moreover who was with him.

He opened his eyes and blinked before looking around him. The witch in the next bed was looking amusingly at him. As he stared at her, she spoke.

"Still grumpy in the morning? Sev?"

He merely grumbled in reply, before casting a breath-freshening and tooth-cleaning charms on him. Still not quite awake, he once again looked at the amused witch, before speaking.

"Can you at least now say the reason for this unexpected visit, Wilda?" he asked.

"As I said earlier, can't I visit an old friend without any ulterior motives?" she asked back with a smile.

"Ok, be like that. Don't say."

There was a brief silence between the two, as Severus tried to rack his brain. To find a reason for this visit. He could not help but wonder whether any of his old friends had a hand in this.

Sadly, for Severus, who was using the silence to pound his brain. The silence did not last long.

"But you do have a great way of welcoming old friends with a bang," she said nonchalantly, before going back to sleep. Leaving an overthinking potions master behind.

A brown-haired, bespectacled wizard shot out of the floo fire spectacularly, Making a few heads turn towards him for a second. Following him was a blonde witch, who entered with a grace.

She could not help but slightly laugh seeing an old man helping her boyfriend up, who was currently muttering a few choices of words at the fireplace that are completely impossible biologically. He thanked the old man with a forced smile, before moving towards his girlfriend.

"Still the floo hates me," he said to her.

"You just have to learn to properly exit it, James," she replied with a slight smile before linking her arms into his, as they walked towards the Welcome Witch.

"How can I help you?" asked the witch behind the desk.

"We would like to have a consultation with a Potions specialized healer." replied the blonde witch.

"For both of you?", getting a nod in reply, she again asked, "Names?"

"James Evans" replied the boy.

"and Emma Jean" added the girl, "Would it be possible to have both of our visits at the same time?"

"Yes, Potions department is relatively free now. It's just the Spell Damage which is full... " she trailed off as she looked at the book in front of her. " Anyway, just head to the Third Floor. Ask for Healer Spills, she will see you." she finished.

"Thank you." replied the two, before walking towards the elevator.

"I was sure that our plan was a complete mess when I shot out of the elevator. And why a potions specialized healer?" he asked.

"I think we have been potioned, Harry. And I also have a good guess of who did it. I also suspect loyalty and compulsion potions, that's why I did not say anything about it before. It may have stopped you from even coming here." she gave a pause as she looked at him, and continued "But it doesn't seem to affect you anymore too."

"Thank Merlin for that... But why to say now? I could have run away now, can't I?" he asked.

"You could have. But now that we are here, I can just stun you and drag you to the healer now, can't I?" she asked back with a smirk, as the elevator opened on the third floor.

"You could also just levitate me, rather than dragging..." he said quietly as they stepped out.

"How in Merlin's name are you both still not a mindless husk, acting to the whims of those who potioned you!" nearly cried out the witch.

"What!" shouted the two in question.

"Yes. As a potions mistress, it pains my heart to see how some people use potions. You have been dosed in Love, Loyalty, Compulsion, and Revulsion potions for at least 3 years. And whoever did it must be close enough to you to keep you does always and still not be caught by others."

"Ron." said the brown-haired Harry Potter with not so little violence in his voice.

"He was my suspect too, Harry. But sadly, we won't be able to prove it..." she trailed off. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she said, "But if we ever caught him before and he had oblivated us, then we could even reverse it and submit that memory as proof."

"It's not that easy, dear," said the Healer. As both teens looked at her questioningly, she continued, "Restored memories have the same effects of changed memories... That's what my Master used to say. He also had a mastery in Mind Magic."

Harry remained quiet, but his face clearly betrayed the anger. An anger that promised something much worse than death itself.

"I have for now administered special potions to remove the lingering effects. But I too agree with the smart little witch here", she said as she pointed towards the blond-Hermione, "whatever Madam Pomfrey used to treat the after-effects of the cruciatus must have countered the love and loyalty potions as they have many ingredients in common. But I personally think you both have very strong will and clearly love each other dearly..." she said with a fond look.

"But still not wanting to risk, I would recommend you take these potions for at least the next three days, so that they can flush out the remnants of the potions too," she said as she handed two vial racks to the two teens.

"This is our first time here, so can you please tell us, how should we pay-" started Hermione.

"No. Payments are always done directly to the healer's. But after what you two have done to us. I don't think I will be able to get any payment from you both. In fact, this is the least I could do for you." she said in a manner reminiscent of one Professor Mcconnagal, which usually meant this is the last time we'll talk about this.

Still, Harry and Hermione both tried their best to argue for it, but nothing came out of it. They bid their thanks and exited the cabin.

"Whew. I thought we might get into further trouble for being under a glamour," said Harry quietly to her as they walked towards the elevator.

"There is nothing wrong with being under a glamour, Harry. That is unless you are not in run from the law. It's nearly like using heavy cosmetics.

I wanted to ask at the time, but could not. How did you figure out it was Ron that quickly?"

"He was the only one with us in the Horcrux hunt. And he was also with us everywhere we went. He also had a crush on you for a long time. It all fits." he calmly explained.

"You know, I think between the Horcrux and the potions, they both had stopped you from reaching your full potential, Harry. Now that you are free of them, we'll try our best together to bring it out!" Hermione said clearly excited.

"We will, Hermione. We will. I really don't know how to feel about this. He cheated us the entire time and I did not notice anything. He hurt you so much, Hermione. At first, I thought he just did not realize your feelings and was just dumb. But now that we know about the potions, he did it purposely. Just to hurt you. That makes me want to just kill him. But whatever did we do to him?

For him to go to this extent? How did he get the potions in the first place without anyone in his family knew about-" he was interrupted as his lips got suddenly engaged in a chat with the ones of a now blonde witch.

As they broke the kiss, Hermione said, "Wow, Harry. You are faster than me! I took so long for me to question what took you seconds. Seeing your true self now, I really want to skin that prat alive for keeping this Harry from me.

But, rather than doing a Sirius now, I think we must think about this. You have a godson, Harry. Andromeda can take care of him, but he needs you too. And, I too have to return my parents memories... Hope they would forgive me..." her eyes started to glisten at this point.

Harry slowly cupped her cheeks in his hand and kissed her tenderly, pouring all his love into the kiss. He said, "They will, Hermione. Even if they don't accept us at first. They will, someday.

But you are right. I have to see Teddy. And we must find your parents too 'Mione.

I won't chase down that prat. But if we see him, he is dead."

"Oh, Harry. If we see him, being dead is going to be the least of his worries." Hermione said with a gleam in her eye, that made Harry himself gulp. Ron Weasley's days were numbered.

"Now, let's think about all those later. We have somewhere where we have to be," said Hermione as she dragged him towards the fireplace from the elevator.

"Our great plan to bring back the Pureblood rule... All in shambles. Just because of your worthless daughter doing a runner." snarled the Parkinson Senior as the Junior lay writhing in the floor in front of him.

"Whatever can we now say to Aurelius, who was great enough to take your daughter in exchange for the half of his bloody estate! Do you even realize how much it could have helped our cause! How many people we could have brought to our side with! What if he was a bit older! You should have taught the value of sacrifice I taught you to her. Crucio!".

The bright red light once again struck the man on the floor as his screams spread through the chamber once more, making even the hardcore ex-death eaters standing to flinch. A year ago, if someone had said Parkinson Senior would replace the Dark Lord and make him look lenient, they would have laughed. But right in front of them was him. Sitting in a throne, and them standing like servants. As they stood in front of the Dark Lord.

"Lucius..." Parkinson drew his attention towards him. He turned towards him, giving a questioning look. Wondering whether Parkinson too would ask him to call him a master.

"What comes of our plan to deal with a certain traitorous friend of ours?"

Great! Now he's started copying the dark lord in speaking too.

"I could not get anyone into Hogwart's. As soon as we know whatever he's doing now, we can take care of him."

"Good. And that's Lord Parkinson for you too."

Is he completely senile? Or did he find something that the Dark Lord used to increase his power? Better be safe than sorry.

"Yes, Lord Parkinson," he said as he turned to leave the room.

Where in Merlins name are these people coming from? I should not have come here. At least not with my family... he mentally cursed himself as he could not even take his family and leave now. At least not without risking any of their lives.

He walked towards the wing allotted to the Malfoys. Continuing to curse himself for his foolishness.