Chapter 6
"Ughh," Severus Snape woke up groaning.
The first thing he saw was that this room was familiar. No, it was not his room for it was too bright while his own wasn't. In that regard perhaps he really was like a Vampire, as some of his less pleasant acquaintances used to say.
"Leaky Cauldron," Severus concluded.
"Indeed, I particularly asked Tom for a room where the morning sun is more accessible," a new voice entered the room as if recognizing that Snape was awake.
"What happened?" asked Snape.
A curious look flashed across Harry's face.
"Tell me Severus, what do you remember?"
Snape's thoughts were still in disarray but slowly the events of yesterday came back to him. He recalled that he had performed the summoning ritual that he had spent almost his entire fortune to buy from the depths of Knockturn Alley. The ritual had been a success but he had passed out from exhaustion. After that he remembered being in a forest with James Potter and then they had made a trip to the hospital.
Snape suddenly looked at the man, "You!" He spoke in a volume that was a little greater than he had intended.
"Me, yes," the man smiled.
"Why are you here Potter?" Snape said in irritation.
Had James Potter been here, he would have been absolutely livid. Not because of Snape shouting at him but due to the lack of venom in his words that James Potter was so accustomed of hearing.
"I am here because you wanted me to be here Severus. And I am not James Potter," said Harry in a frighteningly calm tone.
"Why would I want you to.." Snape began but didn't finish. His eyes went wide with horror as the identity of man in front of him dawned on him.
"It appears you remember now."
"You.. The ritual-"
"It succeeded, yes. Congratulations by the way, on successfully performing one of the lost rituals and not blowing the world apart in that process," the sarcasm wasn't lost on Severus.
Both of them didn't speak for a while. Snape was thinking hard on what to say while Harry was simply waiting for Snape to begin. The silence was beginning to become uncomfortable when Harry decided to ease it,
"Do you recall why you summoned me, Severus?"
"Yes.. No! I mean, it had to do with someone.. but I can't remember who." Snape said, "Though, I have a feeling that it was done. Was I obliviated?"
Snape looked at Harry.
"An understandable conclusion," Harry said coolly, "But no, you were not obliviated. You just forgot."
Snape was confused, "Isn't it the same?"
"No Severus, they are not the same thing," said Harry.
"But how-"
"Technicalities of linguistics, don't bother your time dwelling on them," said Harry in a dismissive tone.
Snape was reluctant to let the issue slide but it didn't appear that the mysterious wizard would give answer.
"So my goal was fulfilled then? I guess that's a good thing, even if I don't remember it," Snape muttered. He looked up to the one in front of him, "What will you do now? Go back to your world I presume?"
A sad look flashed upon Harry's face but it disappeared before Snape could see it, "I would have indeed gone back to my world if it were not for the simple fact that I can not.
"The ritual that you used was a truly powerful one you see. It searched multitudes of alternate realities in search of the one that you asked it for and it found one too, resulting in me wrenched out unceremoniously from my own world. Or at least that was what it was supposed to do."
"Do you mean to say that I made a mistake? I would have you know, the runes were perfectly defined and I didn't even make a millimeter worth of deviation," Snape said with arrogance
"Oh you didn't make any mistake alright. The runes were correct, marvelously so, but you underestimated the magic required to fuel the ritual. Know this Severus, the magic required to search the vast alterverse would have been enormous and not even the magic that permeates the air in Samhain would have sufficed."
"How did the ritual succeed then!?" Snape snapped.
"And that, dear Severus, is the million galleon question," Harry smiled, "Although, if I had to make a guess, I'd say that it was due to the strength of your intents behind the ritual that prompted magic itself to help you out. But then it could very well be due to the intervention of another entity. Or maybe something else entirely."
Severus looked grave at what Harry said.
"So, why can't you go back?" Snape asked.
Harry looked tired at this repeated question but he answered nonetheless, "For one, I do not know whence I came. This magic, it is not like apparition you know. This is about the reality itself and even I, a great sorcerer though I am, must confess that it is beyound me."
Snape looked at Harry for a great while and said in a low voice, "I am sorry."
Harry smiled at him, "I forgive you Severus."
"I didn't think you'd forgive me this easy," Snape mumbled.
"You did a foolish thing really but you did it thinking that it was the correct thing to do. Besides, holding a grudge against you won't take me back home," Harry dismissed him.
"What do you wish to do now?" Snape asked.
"I don't know. Why don't you tell me Severus?" Harry asked.
"I.. don't know," Snape said, "I already spent the last of my fortune on the ritual so I am a broke now. I don't really know what to do."
"Well, that makes me feel bad about taking money from you earlier. Anyways, since we are to stick together-"
"We are?" Snape asked.
"Indeed. You are my friend after all," Harry said, looking at Snape's right wrist.
Snape followed Harry's look towards his arm. It made him quite uncomfortable. After all, that was the place where he had once taken the mark of the Dark Lord. The burn on that place constantly served to remind him that he was a Death Eater, the follower and slave of the Dark Lord. Curiously, he was no longer feeling the burn on his wrist. And now that he thought about it, that place felt quite warm.. almost comfortable.
Snape hastily lifted his sleeves and saw with wide eyes, the place where there was once the mark of Snake and Skull, now there was a proud golden Phoenix posing as if ready to take flight at any instant.
"The Dark Mark.. It's gone!" Snape exclaimed.
"It is gone, yes," Harry nodded his head.
"No! You don't understand! It's gone!" Snape cried.
"I understand it all too well, it is indeed gone," Harry said again to his own amusement.
"But.. But.. The Dark Lord said that this mark would never leave us!" Snape's face changed with realization, "Does this mean the Dark Lord is gone!"
"It pains me to say that Voldemort is not gone," Severus flinched, "No, if the things that I remember are true, then he still roams the earth. But, that is now no longer your concern Severus. I have removed and replaced that vile piece of magic with my own," Harry glanced at his wrist again, "I daresay mine is much better, and good looking."
Snape was hit with another realization, "Does.. Does this mean I am no longer his servant?"
"Why I said that just before, didn't I?"
"But then.. That would mean.. You are my lord?" Snape asked.
"Don't sell yourself to servitude so hastily Severus," Harry frowned at him, "And you misunderstand, I only gave you that mark to rid you with the Dark Mark and to help you recover. I did not have any other motives behind that. Certainly not of forcing you to my servitude."
Snape looked a little embarrassment at being chided, "What do I call you then?"
"Oh! How rude of me!" Harry exclaimed, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Harry.. Harry Flamel."
"So.. Mr. Flamel?" Snape asked.
"Well, I suppose that works too. Although, if you wish, you can call me Harry. After all, it is only fair since I call you by your first name."
"So," Snape asked, "What do we do now.. Mr. Flamel?"
Harry looked thoughtful for a while.
"For starters, why don't we get ourselves some breakfast?"
"You really should have said something earlier you know," said Harry as the two of them were walking through the go to place of the British wizarding world: Diagon Alley. It was still a little early, about eight in the morning and the alley was not up to its usual hustle bustle. Several shops, including Quality Quidditch Supplies, the Apothecary, Flourish and Botts book supplies were yet to be opened. However, other shops like Florean and Fortescue Ice Cream Parlor, Madam Malkins robes and curiously, Ollivander's wand shop had already started serving their customers.
Walking down the alley were two wizards. One young Severus Snape who was dressed in his usual black vampire like robes and alongside him was a youthful blond wizard who had a oddly mysterious look about him with his intelligent emerald eyes, refined facial features, and an unfathomable plus subtle aura around him which gave him an aged feel. If the wizard were to tussle his hair and dye his hair black as well as use a specific type of glasses, he would no doubt look remarkably similar to one James Potter. But with his current features, courtesy of a small glamor charm, even the closest friends and acquaintances of James Potter would have be unable to find any resemblance on the two of them.
The said wizard, also known in some universe as Harry Potter, didn't have that pleasant look on his face that he had started the day with. Rather, he looked a little miffed.
"I told you earliest I could.. That was the last of my money," Severus said in a tired voice.
Harry sighed. It really wasn't Snape's fault that he was forced to return the breakfast that he had ordered from Tom the barman. However, that still didn't mean that he was less irritated. Harry had lived quite the long life and never in his entire life was he ever forced to return food that he had ordered. That was of course partly due to the fact that he rarely ate outside which was in turn due to him being way too popular in the wizarding world. Nonetheless, this was a new situation for him. For once in his life, excluding his painful childhood, he was lacking money.
"Anyways, it would not do us any good to dwell on that little incident any further. What we should do, instead, is to address a bigger problem at our hand. Now Severus, when you said that you spent your entire fortune on that summoning ritual, did you mean it literally?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Snape confirmed, "The ritual was quite an expensive one and my entire fortune was insufficient to cover it. In fact, I had to borrow a bit from my.. friends."
Harry remained silent at this news. If Harry had any doubts regarding Snape's intent behind the ritual, it disappeared. The man had truly been desperate enough to sell everything he owned for the sake of the ritual.
"Sorry then Severus for spending the last of your money," Harry apologized albeit his tone was not of the one who asking for a sincere apology.
Snape mumbled something unintelligible in reply. Not that he was holding a grudge against the wizard for spending his money to provide for his own rest.
"Where are we going?" Snape asked as they were moving further into the alley.
"I don't know about you Severus, but I for one am quite hungry. You pulled me to this world while I was eating.. Before I could eat actually. Did you know that?"
Snape remained silent, waiting for Harry to finish his answer.
"We," said Harry with an emphasis, "are going to Gringotts for a small trade. I have some items on me that the Goblins will no doubt agree to trade for quite a sum."
"We are going to trade with the Goblins?" Snape asked, mildly surprised. Goblins were rather nasty to deal let alone trade things with.
"We are indeed going to the Gringotts to trade some items with Goblins. And as true as you might be regarding the good nature of Goblins (Snape scoffed), that is but one concession that we'll have to make to fill our bellies."
Snape nodded, "So, what is this object?"
"Objects Severus. I have several of alchemic as well as ritualistic objects in my possession. And very rare too. In fact, if it were at all possible, I would have never agreed to part with even one of them."
"Oh.." said Snape rather eloquently and began starting to think for some suitable reply (consolation perhaps?) to give to the summoned wizard but he was interrupted. By a bright purple light flying out of the alley that they happened to be crossing at the moment. As he was reaching to gather his wand from his holster, he realized that it was already too late. The purple jet of light, a particular dark curse that had something to do with one's lung, was already upon him in a flash. Snape braced himself for the impact, hoping that he would be consious enough to reach the apparition point across the street to apparate himself to St. Mungos as early as possible.
Severus Snape was a Slytherin through and through due to his ambition of making a name for himself. But that didn't mean he was a coward. That was precisely why he was able to keep his eyes open even as the curse was about to hit him and was able to see the back of the wizard, who was beside him not a moment ago, shielding himself from the curse. The speed of the said wizard was fascinating of course but what was even more amazing was that the purple curse simply diffused itself before coming in contact of the wizard without him casting even the simplest of the shield charm (for Snape surely would have recognized a shield charm cast even wandlessly).
"Are you hurt Severus?" asked Harry.
What am I? A baby?
"I'm fine," Snape replied curtly.
He walked out from Harry's behind and peeked into the alley from which the curse had come flying. What greeted him was a group of five shabby looking wizards surrounding an old looking man. The man was on the ground and the wizards around him were laughing rather disgustingly.
"Gentlemen," said Harry to the group before Snape could do anything to prevent it for he thought that hailing a bunch of malicious looking wizards wasn't the best thing to do when one was outnumbered.
The wizards who were laughing at the old man just a moment before now all looked at the newcomers.
"Who 're ye?" one of the man asked, pointing his wand toward Harry and Snape.
"We," said Harry, "are just your everyday wizards walking peacefully about Diagon Alley in this lovely morning."
The four delinquents were confused. Snape too, was amused.
Probably not the answer that they'd hoped.
"Disregarding your atrocious aim for the moment, might I inquire as to why you all thought it a good idea to let out a stray curse so close to the main street? Oh before that, do answer why were you harassing someone elderly than you? Do you not have respect for the elder generation?" Harry's voice was patronizing.
"Sod off!" one of the men said while moving towards Harry in a threatening posture.
"I would not," spoke Harry.
A creepy smile flashed on the man's face as he said, "Suit yerself"
He then promptly raised his wand and spoke the incantation,
Crucio!
This time, Severus Snape was quite ready with his wand on his hand. However, the spell that had come out of the man's wand was not nothing that he had anticipated. He watched in horror as the vile spell made its way towards the wizard shattering the standard shield that Severus had somehow managed to cast between them.
The spell collided, no, it didn't exactly collide. It was as if the spell was resisted for the spell fizzled gradually before it could touch the wizard's body.
"That was not a wise thing to do," spoke Harry in a very calm tone. But the calmness of his voice belied the oppressing atmosphere that seemed to radiate from his being. The air around all of them instantly became cold and all of the people excluding Snape began to shiver under his magic.
Harry slowly moved towards the one who had cast an unforgivable at him. Curiously for Severus, the delinquints made no move to back off from the approaching tyrannical figure.
As Harry came almost face to face with the one who had cast the Cruciatus, he said in a very slow voice, "Do not treat the magic of the soul so lightly boy."
Harry then extended his finger and touched the said wizard in his forehead. With a thud, the shabby wizard fell to the ground. His friends, seeing the fallen frame of their leader coupled with the air of terror that they were feeling from the wizard needed no further words to flee with haste.
"Not so fast," spoke Harry and with only those two words he somehow dragged all of the fleeing people back to him.
"L-l-leav' m-me," the one who had fired the first spell to Snape said in a trembling voice.
"Quiet!" Harry hissed at him, "I have no time to play with you idiots. Take this man back with you and get him to St. Mungos if you can. Oh, and I have tagged all of you with my own form of magic. Cast an Unforgivable again and I would know. Instantly."
It was all it took from Harry for the man to levitate the fallen man on the ground up with him and run off in opposite direction.
After all of them had gone, Harry moved towards the old man who was still sitting on the ground. He visibly flinched when Harry extended his hands to him.
"Relax, we mean you no harm," he said to the old man.
The previous tyrannical aura that Harry seemed to radiate was instantly dispersed and a warm and comforting aura now spread around him. That, along with Harry's words of comfort relaxed the old man.
"T-Thank you sir," the man said in a very tired voice.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked.
"I-I'm alright," the man was shivering a little.
"He shows the symptom of being afflicted to the Cruciatus," Snape said in an objective voice.
A subtle flinch from the man when Snape spoke the word "Cruciatus" was enough to prove that he was indeed subjected to the vile curse.
"Come on, we'll take you to St. Mungos," Harry offered his arms and pulled the man up.
"T-That won't be n-necessary," the man spoke.
"Now now, I understand your dislike for the healers but this is serious you know. You must immediately undergo the post-cruciatus treatment."
"N-No," the man resisted, "I have some potions.. at home.. Please, my grand-daughter is alone," the man said weakly.
Harry considered it for a moment.
"Okay then, tell us your address and we'll take you there. You yourself are in no condition to disapparate."
"I-It's just around the corner," the man said and was about to collapse when Harry promptly grabbed him and provided support.
The two of them along with Severus began walking towards the direction pointed by the man and after but a minute arrived at a small establishment in the borders of the Diagon Alley.
"Dada!"
A black haired young woman ran towards the three of them as soon as they had stepped foot inside the establishment. The girl was quite plain looking with black eyes, ample proportions and a comely yet unremarkable features.
"A-amber dear you are killing your Dada," the man spoke as the girl latched herself furiously at the old man.
"Dada, where were you! I was so worried about you! You didn't come last night at all! How many times must I tell you to not go to that hateful place Dada. What would Gran say if she were here?"
"I am sorry dear, I shall never go to that place again!" the man said with sincerity which made the expression on the girl's face quite complicated.
"As much fun this bickering is," Snape said in a cold voice, "he needs an immediate dose of calming draught and nerve soothing potion."
"Dada? Who are these men?" the girl spoke.
"These men, well they rescued me."
"Rescued you? From what Dada?"
"Well you see Amber dear-"
"Miss Amber," Harry asked, "Please forgive us for intruding but your grandfather urgently needs calming draught and nerve soothing potion. We hate to tell you but he was exposed to the Cruciatus."
The look on the girl's face instantly changed from one of confusion to of absolute horror.
"DADA! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?"
She shouted at her grandfather in concern.
"Well dear I'm alrig-"
"No he is not," Severus scowled as he took his wand in his hand and spoke "Accio Calming Draught. Accio Nerve Soother"
Two bottles of potions zoomed in from the nearest potions cabinet which he grabbed with ease. Apparently, the man had not been lying about the potions being at his home. Severus then proceeded to force feed the potions to the old man.
"YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY GRAND FATHER!" she cried at Severus.
"We are sorry to be so forceful Miss Amber but Cruciatus curse is a serious thing. We would have taken him straight to the St. Mungos if it was not for your grandfather's strong insistence," Harry answered in his stead.
"Amber dear, please calm down," the old man said softly, "they are good men. If not for them, those hoodlums would have.." He didn't complete his sentence.
A small streak of tear ran down Amber's eyes as she took in her grandfather's words. Her grandfather was a good man. In fact, to her, he was the only remaining family. To see her grandfather, so weak and fragile due to one of the three most dangerous curses in existence, she couldn't hold herself.
She clutched him tightly and began sobbing softly.
"Miss Amber? He would be alright but he does need to rest," Harry said in soothing voice.
Amber nodded in response and gently guided her grandfather to the upper floor and into his bed.
When Amber had gone to attend to her grandfather, Harry looked around the shop. He was quite interested to find that the shop itself was in fact an enchanter's workshop. The old man had apparently been an enchanter.
"Flamel, we should get going," Severus reminded him.
"Yes, I suppose we should," Harry agreed.
As the two of them were making their way out of the building, a voice stopped rang out behind them.
"Please wait for a moment!"
The voice belonged to Amber.
"You can't just go! We have yet to thank you for your assitance," she said to the two of them.
"Your gratitude would be enough Miss Amber. We do not require anything else," Harry replied with a warm smile.
"No, that would not do. Dada was insistent that we thank you somehow! We have only just established this shop so I can't give you money," she said with a twinge of embarrassment, "but I really can't let you go without thanking you properly."
The girl happened to be quite stubborn, Harry thought. Not that he did not understand her sentiment but he had some trades to do and a breakfast to eat. Harry smiled as he remembered the point about breakfast.
"If you are so insistent Miss Amber, then can I ask of some food from you? Both of us has not had breakfast and I must confess, we are quite hungry."
The girl, Amber lightened up at the suggestion.
"Yes! That would just be perfect. I will make you some bacon and eggs!"
She then ran upstairs after ensuring that both Harry and Severus were not going to leave before eating breakfast.
"This really is delicious Miss Amber," Harry said between gulping down his food. He hadn't ate anything for a long time and inter-dimensional travel wasn't really easy at one's stomach.
"Thanks," Amber said with a little red on her cheeks, "My gran taught me how to cook. Compared to her, mine isn't really that special."
"I disagree. This is really good. Don't you think so Severus?" Harry asked his tagalong.
"Hn." was Severus' eloquent agreement.
Chuckling at Severus' behaviour, Harry turned once again towards Amber.
"So.. I take it that this is an enchanter's workshop? Is your grandfather an enchanter?" Harry asked.
Amber was mildly surprised. Their shop itself was just recent on the Diagon Alley and there wasn't anything specific lying around that would clearly indicate the room to be an enchanter's workshop. In fact, the shop only had some trinkets scattered around and the main workshop was located at the floor above. For a stranger to recognize their shop correctly meant that he too had some knowledge of enchantments.
"Yes. My dada is an enchanter. And I help him around the shop. But I am surprised that you recognized it."
Harry smiled at that.
"There is a certain smell around an enchanter's workplace. This room has it too."
"Oh?" Amber expressed her curiousity. Never in her life had she heard about this smell.
Sensing her unasked request to explain further, Harry decided to entertain her.
"You see, an enchanter dabbles in various fields in his line of work. Runes, Metallurgy and Arithmancy being the primary of them. There are certain brave enchanters who even explore the realm of Alchemy. And in both Metallurgy as well as Alchemy, Mercury acts as one of the base component. I can smell the faintest of Mercury vapors lingering in the environment."
Severus looked surprised at the explanation. As an up and coming Potion master, he too could recognize the Mercury vapor now that Harry had explained. But he had totally missed it at the start.
"Oh, I didn't know that you were this knowledgeable about an exotic field such as Alchemy?" Amber asked him.
"Exotic field?" Harry questioned her.
"Yes, it is merely the extension of Metallurgy into organic magic is it not? Apart from some research about it in the late thirteenth century by Nicolas Flamel, there doesn't exist any substantial material about it. I had always consider it to be a folly if you ask me. I mean to think that metals could be imbued with organic magic with anything other than Runes seems so farfetched," Amber explained.
Harry was a little startled by her talk regarding Nicolas Flamel but he didn't show anything other than a mild surprise. He would have to ask Severus about Nicolas and Perenelle afterwards.
"But Miss Amber. Runes do not provide the same freedom with organic magic."
"Yes they do not. But is that not why we have potions? In my opinion, Potion is the very definition of organic magic. Anything from Healing Draughts to Poisons, Pepperups to the Draught of Living Dead and even Amortentia and Felix Felicius. You can brew all sorts of potions for all sort of organic purposes. How could Metallurgy ever compare to the versatility that is potions?"
Amber was quite passionate in her explanation and it had the effect of catching the attention of another potion enthusiast present in the room.
"Well put," said Snape.
Harry too was come over with competitiveness.
"Ah, but you forgot Miss Amber, potions do not have the same lasting effect as Alchemy has. Polyjuice, Felix Felicius, Amortentia, you name it, each of them can not be sustained beyond a certain time limit. But Alchemy has the potential to sustain any organic magical manifestations as long as one provides enough magic to it."
Amber struggled with her response this time. What Harry had said was theoritically true and she did not really have any words to rebuke it with. Fortunately, Severus Snape came to her rescue.
"In most of the cases, the duration of potion effect does not matter. Healing for example. Once the potion restores the wound, its further effects are no longer needed. And there are certain potions which are much more potent like Draught of the Living Dead."
"Ah but Severus, it is in the minority is it not? But not so in Alchemy. Besides, Alchemical healing is much more potent than any Healing Draughts."
""Oh?"" Both Severus and Amber commented at once.
"Yes," Harry explained, "The epitome of Alchemy, The Philosopher's Stone can produce the Elixir of Life which can grant immortality to those who drink it. Potions can never do that," Harry argued.
"Both Philosopher's Stone and Elixir of Life are myths," Amber countered.
Once again Harry was surprised. In his time, it was a common knowledge that Nicolas Flamel had created the Philosopher's Stone. Apparently, it was not the case in this universe. Reminding himself to research about it later, he focused on the current conversation.
"It might not be as mythical as you presume to be, Miss Amber."
Harry said that with a hint of mysterious air. It effectively put an end to the argument.
"I am surprised though. You seem to be quite passionate about potions. At your age, it is uncommon for any one to possess such passion for any field let alone a challenging field such as potions," asked Harry.
Amber reddened due to his praise.
"Er.. I liked potions from the start. In fact, I have an Outstanding in my potions NEWTS."
"Oh, it is even more remarkable. You will pursue your Master on it then?" Harry asked.
At this, Amber deflated.
"I want to, but apprenticeship costs quite a lot.."
"Oh, that's a shame then. By the way, Severus here is actively pursuing his own master in Potions. Maybe he can help you out now and then?" Harry pointed towards Severus.
"He can?" Amber brightened. A recognition dawned on her face a millisecond later, "You are Severus Snape aren't you? The young prodigy? I read your work on the Potions monthly about the usage of the Thaumaturgical brewing of Wolfsbane. It cuts the brewing time almost by half and increases the success rate of the brew! It was quite amazing Mr. Snape! I can't believe that it was you who I was talking to!"
Severus felt awkward at the attention that the young girl was giving him. His work on the alternative brewing of Wolfsbane was quite creative and his paper had received a lot of critical recognition in the potions community. Apparently, the young girl read that too. That alone was enough elevate Severus' view on the girl but the close proximity of hers was a bit.. troublesome.