Chapter Forty

Aureus looked around the Muggle hotel in disgust. It wouldn't be her first choice, but of course, it was all she could afford. It wasn't like she had a lot of muggle money—Jenae didn't have that much for Aureus to steal—but at least it was enough to rent this horrid hotel room.

"How disgusting," she observed, her nose held high. "Are all Muggle hotels like this? Now, in America, I once stayed in a hotel room. It was actually quite fancy. Very spacious, might I add, and—"

"I'm not here to listen to you go on about some bloody room," Quirrel snapped, though he too didn't care too much for this room. "I'm just here so I don't have to stand in that forest all day." He paused. "What's so special about Potter anyway, Aureus? Why do you want him as your son so badly? And the Dark Lord as his father? Why don't you just agree with me and kill the bloody brat? I can still get into his dreams and kill him, you know."

"Harry—" Aureus paused, trying hard to think of an answer. A sudden dreamy look crossed her face. "He's just absolutely wonderful, Quirrel. He's so darling—and quiet! My, is he a quiet little thing. But absolutely darling, Harry is. Oh, the dear…"

Quirrel looked completely disgusted. "Just answer my question, Aureus!"

"Oh, right." She resumed her thoughtful look. "Well, I don't really know. I remember by the time Harry was born how envi—well, never mind that, all right? I just remember when Harry was born how much I wanted him as a son. I mean, not only is James Potter—god rest his beloved soul—his father, but look at how darling Harry turned out now, Quirrel! Who could not want that dear as a son?"

"Me," Quirrel muttered, and either Aureus didn't hear him, or she just decided to ignore the comment.

"Anyway," she continued, "can you imagine if the Dark Lord and I continued to bring Harry up as our son… evil? As I said before, he could be the next Dark Lord. And how wonderful he'd be at it! He could do such terrible and amazing things…"

If only James Potter was alive, Aureus thought wistfully. Then it'd be him and I raising Harry together. Possibly evil, but perhaps not. I'll just have to live with what is, though.

Then, her thoughts turned to Caoimhe, her daughter. Or, well, was her daughter.

Poor dear, Aureus thought again, though hardly sounding as sad as before. I wonder if she's dead yet.

-

"No, I'm not going anywhere," Harry refused firmly, keeping his arms crossed over his chest and his feet planted on the ground as firmly as his voice sounded. "Breakfast or not. I'm going to sleep!"

"That's all you ever do," Snape said through clenched teeth, and by the look and sound of his voice, Harry could tell he was trying everything to keep from snapping. "Sleep. Day and night. Aren't you at least hungry, Potter? I haven't the faintest idea when the last time you ate was."

"You wouldn't care," Harry accused. "Who knows, I could've eaten a month ago! You still couldn't care less. So go without me because I am going to sleep."

"You are going downstairs to eat," Snape argued.

"No, I'm not," Harry debated. "I'm staying here. I'll—I'll—light a fire and sit in front of it until you come back!"

"Without a wand?"

"I'll use matches."

"I don't have any, Potter."

Harry never moved. "Everybody has to use matches to light a fire. Either that or a lighter. Or sticks, if you rub them together really fast. I've never tried it before, but I know you can do that. You cannot use a 'wand' to light a fire."

Then, he paused, thinking over what he just said. "Wait… a wand? Like… like a magic stick-wand?"

Snape looked angrier than ever. "Potter, you're coming down with everybody else to eat and that's final."

"I'm staying here while you go down with everybody else and that is final," Harry dared. He and Snape seemed to be having a staring contest, but Harry wasn't about to back down. Not just yet. He kept his eyes level with Snape's.

Finally, Snape turned from Harry and walked away. Most likely, Harry thought, down to have breakfast.

Harry let out a breath. For a minute, there was an awful look in Snape's eye as he and Snape had the 'staring contest'. It almost scared him, Harry had to admit. Like… Snape was going to strike him at any minute.

And I bet he would've, too, Harry thought. But, Snape seemed to be good at holding his anger back instead of snapping.

"I wonder if there's ingredients so I can make something," Harry wondered out loud, sitting himself down on the couch in front of the fireplace to think. He had a sudden craving for cake. Or some other sweet.

"Or maybe there's someplace I can get ingredients at?"

Harry looked around for the snake, Slyther, but there was no sign of him. Maybe he went down with Snape to find something to eat, like a mouse or a fish or whatever it was that that snake liked.

Harry sat down on the couch. He didn't like not being able to have his memory, since there was a lot of questions that he wanted answers to. It seemed like everybody he had run into had lost their memory, as well. Practically all of the staff seemed to still think it was the summer, like he did. Something was definitely wrong.

-

"I don't know!" Aureus cried, feeling frustrated. She had completely forgot that Snape could still create a Memory Potion of his own with the ingredients he still had, until Quirrel had just reminded her a minute ago.

"I don't know how I could've forgot something like that," she said. "It just slipped my mind with everything that had been going on. I—I suppose I could go back to Hogwarts and steal the ingredients from Snape that make the Memory Potion. Nobody will remember me, anyway."

"Are you sure that everybody at that school drank the Forgetfulness Potion?" Quirrel asked.

"No," Aureus admitted. "But I'll have to take my chances. For Harry."

"How pathetic," Quirrel muttered.

-

Harry just couldn't stay in the chambers. He had to get out. He hadn't a clue why he refused to not go down with Snape to eat breakfast, but he did anyway.

"Oops, sorry," he apologized as he ran into someone. But, that was what you get when you had your head bowed, staring at the floor as you walked and were too deep in thought to notice anybody in front of you.

"Oh, it—it's no problem," the woman replied.

Harry looked up to see a half-decent looking woman standing in front of him. She had vivid blue eyes and long, brown hair, but there was something about the way she looked… Familiar, perhaps?

"Do I know you?" Harry asked tentatively. "You kinda look familiar."

The woman smiled pleasantly and brushed Harry's bangs out of his eyes. "Well… I'm, uh, a teacher here. At Hogwarts."

"Oh, really?" Harry looked only a bit interested. "What do you teach?"

"Defence Against The Dark Arts," the woman replied without hesitation.

Harry's brow furrowed. "Is that some sort of new class? I thought you would've taught Maths or Social Studies. Something like that."

The woman looked only a bit confused. "Oh… all right then."

"What's your name?" Harry asked conversationally.

"Aureus. Topaz Aureus. And you're Harry Potter, aren't you, dear?" Aureus said, with a sweet smile.

Harry smiled back. "Yeah, I am."

"So, Harry dear," Aureus said, grasping the chance, "I'm actually looking for somebody. Professor Snape?"

"Oh," Harry said, "he's eating."

"Well," Aureus said thoughtfully, "maybe you can help me. I'm looking for a certain… something from his classroom. Would you care to show me the way?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I think I know where it is. This way."

Aureus beamed down at Harry in a fond way. "Excellent."

-

"Uh… this is it, I think," Harry said, stopping in front of the Potion classroom doors.

Aureus smiled. "Oh, how wonderful! Thank you so much, Harry."

"Er—no problem," Harry said. "Should I tell Snape you came by?"

Aureus hesitated, then smiled. "That won't be necessary, sweet. Thanks for showing me the way, though."

Harry turned around and started walking away, but when he did, he realized that he shouldn't of let Topaz Aureus go into Snape's classroom alone. What if she wasn't who she said she was and took something? What if Snape found out, and got mad at Harry for letting her go in alone?

Harry then turned back around and headed straight for the classroom.

"Excuse me, Ms. Aureus," Harry said as he pushed the doors open.

The woman jumped and spun around. "Yes, dear?"

"I, uh, think I should stay in here and… watch you," Harry said.

Aureus laughed. "Watch me? Why's that, love?"

"Well, just in case… y'know…"

Aureus coughed into her hand, almost as if she was stalling. "Well… yes, I guess that'd be fine… I suppose…"

Harry sat down in one of the seats and shivered. He couldn't help but notice how dank it was.

"What are you looking for, Ms. Aureus?" Harry asked as he watched Aureus go through what looked like ingredients. Maybe Snape taught a cooking class.

"Something Professor Snape said he had for me. Ingredients for something," Aureus replied quickly. "And I think… I found them. He said I could have all of them, by the way."

"Are you baking a cake?" Harry asked hungrily. "Or a pie? Or cupcakes? Or cookies? Or Gingerbread Men? A Gingerbread house?"

Aureus laughed after she was done taking the ingredients. "No, no, love. It's a different kind of something."

She smiled warmly, this time standing right in front of Harry. "Thank you so much for escorting me, Harry. I'll see you around soon."

Harry watched as Aureus walked out of the classroom, and then he too followed her out.

-

"No matter," Snape continued after he had come back from the Great Hall. Harry was in front of him, sitting on the couch, listening while Snape explained how he was going to make a Memory Potion.

"No matter," he repeated, "though the Memory Potions have disappeared, I can still create a new one." Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry. "Now follow me."

-

"That's impossible," Snape breathed as he went through every ingredient he had in search for the ingredients to make the Memory Potion. "It should be here! I never touched them."

Harry froze as he stood in the middle of the classroom. "What?"

"The ingredients, Potter! For the potion to get our memories back!"

"Oh, that," Harry said as his body relaxed. "Ms. Aureus has them."

Snape looked at him oddly. "Ms. Aureus?"

Harry nodded, smiling, and sat down in one of the chairs. "Yep, she came by while you were eating. She said you let her have some sort of ingredients for something, so she got them. She said she was the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher."

"As in… Topaz Aureus?"

Harry nodded, his smile turning into a frown. "Is somethin' wrong, Snape? You look paler than usual."

Then, Harry froze again as he realized what he said.

"I didn't mean that!" Harry said quickly, he himself paling, too. "It came out wrong, er…" he trailed off, having no clue what to call Snape other than 'Snape'.

Snape sneered at Harry. "Professor Snape will do, Potter."

Harry nodded. "So what's wrong, Professor Snape? All you have to do is go see Ms. Aureus and get the ingredients back."

"Topaz Aureus isn't a Professor, Potter," Snape said, "she doesn't work at Hogwarts as the Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor. Quirrel—Annabella Bellulus is the Professor."

"So that means Ms. Aureus lied to me?" Harry could only sit in the chair and stare.

"Next time, Potter—" Snape gave an exasperated sigh and started for the doors. "Well, there won't be a next time!"

Harry could only feel guilty.

-