Hello again. Seems that while I do have a large audience, you guys are not very talkative, and I only got one opinion to my question. Oh well- means I choose and you just find out. ;)
So without any more ado- onwards! Chapter 8.
***
Nikos looked at McGonagall and smiled wryly, after Poppy gave him the potions required and left.
"I am sorry you had to see me that way- and hospitalize me," he began. "How did you think to look for me?"
"Headmaster Snape's portrait urged me to. Apparently he knew you well enough to suspect you would need aid."
"Oy," Nikos couldn't help saying. "He won't let that drop anytime soon now- if portraits are anything like the live specimen."
"No, he won't- and nor will I. What is going on, Mr. Galanos? Why are you here, and what is it that you and Mr. Snape are not telling me?"
"Rasmus doesn't know the full scope of this," Nikos said, raising a hand. It was still shaking. "In fact I must say that I don't know the full scope of this either. I thought I did, but no."
"I think you should start telling me what you do know, and we'll go from there," Minerva said and pulled up a chair.
Nikos sighed, letting his head rest a little as he shut his eyes. The woman was right, and though he felt he could trust virtually nobody with this, he would be a hypocrite not to share the very real risks everyone in Britain- hell, everywhere there were humans- would be facing with the veterans to whom he would be trusting his godson's well being for eight months.
"A few months ago, some time around late April, my research in Arithmancy …digressed. In short, I stumbled upon a cluster of equations that… indicated evil at work- dark magic, unforgivables, the whole nine yards, all clustered around three arithmantic imprints: Severus Snape's, Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore."
"But I don't understand- all three are-"
"Deceased," Nikos nodded. "Yes. Their imprints cannot be anything but constants post mortem in arithmantic charts, because they are not alive. But what I found was that whoever was affecting those imprints, intended to use them for some sort of massive spell- and when an Arithmancer says a spell is to be massive, we mean humongous in importance: a summoning, a possession, channeling- or some such thing. Do you realize the significance?"
Minerva had paled visibly.
"Someone's trying to bring back the Dark Lord," she whispered.
"Yes," Nikos said, rubbing his temples. "And it appeared that the bodies of these three people are extremely important to whatever they are doing. I came here to ensure at least one is not available, if I don't manage to find who they are, or where they are in time. Rasmus… it still pains me to say, but Rasmus is here because he is a blood relative to Severus, and he is the only one who can make his father's body unavailable to magical harvest."
Minerva gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth.
"You… you are saying Rasmus knows he's here to obliterate his father's body if the need arises?"
Nikos merely stared, his eyes hard and determined.
"Rasmus knows a lot of things, Headmistress."
***
Seeing Nikos being well, despite whatever had happened during his Arithmancy spellcasting, made Rasmus able to think about his secondary- but just as important to him personally- goals. He was not looking forward to Professor Bai's test, but Erna Frideswide's, he nearly couldn't wait.
Rasmus was fascinated by Potions, but not all of them- poisons and counter poisons, healing draughts, protective and strengthening ones, and anything to 'stopper death'… exactly what had not yet been done. So of the three choices Professor Frideswide offered him, he took the one requiring him to brew any 'Standard Healing Draught' found in the advanced potions book.
Rasmus grinned to himself. He'd done something a tad bit more than that.
He knocked on the dungeons' door, and entered at the professor's call.
"Good morning professor Frideswide," he said, pulling out of his pocket a long vial of a milky-looking substance. "I have your assignment here."
The professor didn't look up, busily devoting all her attention to a small box on her dest but nevertheless she beckoned him to approach.
"Come, come, come," she said in the same brusque manner, and pushed the box so Rasmus could see the contents as soon as he walked up to her. "Look at this doll; isn't she cute?"
Rasmus smiled lopsidedly. Inside the box there was a small dark black and silver tabby of a kitten, purring luxuriously under the caress of the potions mistress' potion stained fingers.
"She's pretty, yeah," the young Slytherin admitted. Professor Frideswide glanced at him over her glasses and smiled again.
"Go ahead, she can't be spoiled enough with petting."
Rasmus shot her a questioning glance. Had anyone told her he had a weakness for cats- of any shape and size? He doubted his father's portrait would discuss such things with the teaching staff. But then the kitten rolled on its tummy in an invitation for more stroking, and he mechanically reached out to rub the fluffy belly. He nearly forgot he was holding a potion vial in his other hand until the professor asked him amiably:
"What did you decide to brew for me then, mr. Snape?"
"I decided to try for an advanced medicinal draught," Rasmus straightened up and handed her the vial. "It's not in the book, but it's a Standard Healing Draught. I chose to brew the anti-venom for poisonous snakes. Here it is."
Frideswide's eyebrows shot up to the hairline of her bushy hair. She frowned.
"The anti-venom for poisonous snakes? Mr. Snape, that is not taught in school," Frideswide's eyes were scrutinizing him closely. "You could have easily chosen something simpler- and infinitely easier to test, might I add. This potion can't be tested unless actually given to a snake bite victim."
"Well, venom fascinates me, and I wanted to truly try something interesting, like you said," Rasmus shrugged.
"Hmmm. It certainly looks to be a perfect colour," the professor agreed, taking her eyes from the student to appraise the vial in the light. She then proceeded to uncork it and sniff at it. "And there is an adequate tinge of garlic in the smell. It looks well made."
Rasmus couldn't help grinning, despite the happenings of the previous day, and straightened up a little.
"Thank you. It is, I believe."
"You do? So, would you feel confident in me testing this?" Frideswide tilted her head. "Would you bet a life on this potion you just made?"
Rasmus frowned.
"Yes. I brewed it to work."
"All right. It does seem that it would work; I've made my decision- I'll test this thing! I will award you full marks for it if it does prove effective. What is the snake of your choice?"
Rasmus winced, his heart sinking as he glanced at the box.
"Professor, you aren't going to get the cat bitten by some snake, will you? It's a kitten, I didn't make it for kittens or any mammal that small!"
"I never said it would be the kitty," Frideswide shook her head, then pulled her wand. "Serpensortia!"
A large snake with dark brown diamond-shaped bands flew from her wand, directly upon Rasmus' hand petting the kitten. The little animal hissed and shrunk against the furthermost corner of the box, but the copperhead paid no attention. Its fangs sank in the soft of the boy's palm, releasing the venom in his bloodstream.
Rasmus shrieked in pain, and threw his hand out, thus making the snake sail to the other side of the tables. The potions professor quickly banished it, and helped Rasmus to a chair.
"What are you waiting for?" she said evenly. "Drink your potion. Or shall I give you the one I have in my shelves?"
Pain making his eyes smart, and gritting his teeth, Rasmus brought the vial of the potion he had made to his lips, then drank it all in one swallow. Frideswide watched his hand for a good ten seconds. The potion kicked in, and with it the rooms began to swirl madly. He keeled over, letting the potion vial drop from his hand.
As if that was her cue for further action, Frideswide grabbed Rasmus, helping him sit on a chair. She placed the tip of her wand to the bite. Rasmus' breath was coming in short gasps- his whole hand felt as if it was on acidic fire, although it was not swelling or inflaming. It just kept bleeding as if his blood could not coangulate. The blood felt like molten lava on his skin. But apart from that first shriek, Snape's son had simply clenched his teeth, bent his head, and remained silent while his body shook from the shock.
"Iatio opheos laktin," murmured Frideswide softly, and Rasmus' hand relaxed in her grip as the pain left him immediately, and the room stop swirling like a dervish. He took a deep breath, sighing. His mouth was horribly dry.
"Here, drink some water. I must say I am impressed, mr. Snape," Frideswide said. "That was some quality potion- I have never seen it manage to arrest even the inflammation and swelling at the bite site, and this fast! Whatever began to develop is already receding."
"You tried to murder me!" Rasmus cried, pointing at her accusingly with the very hand that was supposed to be incapacitated.
"Don't be silly, mr. Snape. I am not in the habit of murdering students. You were never in any danger."
"Not in any danger!? That- that thing was a viper!"
"A copperhead, actually. I didn't conjure the black mamba for you. In any case, I am actually a healer- a mediwitch if you like- with specialty in curative potions. I needed to test your potion's potency. You very correctly pointed out that the kitten was an inappropriate subject, and if your potion was faulty in anyway, I wouldn't be able to heal myself after ingesting it, coupled with a venomous snake bite. That left you to be the test subject of your own potion… and a good reason why this doesn't need to be done with any of the draughts in the seventh year potions book." Frideswide's expression was amiable again, but her eyes were –clinical. She waved her wand once more, and Rasmus flinched.
She chuckled.
"I only bandaged your hand, mr. Snape- we don't want blood drops all over those robes of yours," she grinned as Rasmus noticed the ring of bandage around his hand. "There then; that said, congratulations! You have made it into my advanced potions class, very impressively so. And this is your reward for all the trouble and shock I put you through," she added, and plopped the black tabby in the teenager's hands.
And though Rasmus hated to admit it, the way the kitten purred and curled in his two hands mollified him a good deal- and his success in potions did the rest.
"Mr. Snape," Frideswide called just as he was about to exit the dungeons. "For the next few days, your potion will be in effect, cleansing your blood of the venom. I took care of any discomfort, but stay away from sugar until next week, will you?"
Rasmus nodded.
"And name that kitty!" she added as he walked out, stroking the kitten. He shook his head, wondering if he should tell Nikos about the full extent of the potions test for entry in the advanced class. He flexed his hand. It was slightly warmer to his senses than before, but there was no pain, no problems in motion, nothing. And the whiteness of the thin bandage implied the bleeding had stopped. Rasmus knew from experience that viper bites put students out of commission for at least a day or two, if the potion was readily available. Frideswide had obviously not lied when she said she had had everything under control.
Rasmus found himself half liking the particular woman. He smirked to himself as the kitty sought to burrow in his wide sleeve. Insane pineapple head.
***
And that's that!
Some of the problem is already laid out, and maybe- MAYBE- you can see how Rasmus motivates himself?
More Harry-Rasmus-Ron-Hermione interaction tomorrow, and if I manage it, the rest of the school will flood in, too!
Antra: Thank you very much! Actually I am a novelist by profession (one of them anyway) so I tend to write long stories. I do short stories for specific purposes, but not ones solely for entertainment… so we'll see. Probably I'll go for the long one. ;) And Harry tends to act while adrenaline is still talking. We'll see what he does in general.
Imperial Dragon: Yes, he does, doesn't he? But that's what makes him fun (when he's not causing other characters to die left and right).
Badbonita: That's exactly what Harry is doing. I think he will understand how Snape felt (really understand) only now.
And that's that! 'Till tomorrow. :)