Chapter Forty-two
Harry awoke, feeling drowsy. He blinked a few times, and then noticed that he was in his room. He wondered how he got there.
"Slyther?" Harry called out sleepily. "You here?"
He rubbed his eyes and looked for Slyther down on the floor, but he wasn't there. Then, he noticed that, as he went throughout the chambers, Slyther nor Snape were anywhere to be seen.
Harry stopped yawning to actually think about what happened before he fell asleep. Snape made some sort of Potion… oh, yes, the Memory Potion… and then Harry took it, and then he must've fell asleep…
So he must be wherever he was last, Harry decided as he made his way to the Potions classroom, and he was happy to realize that he did indeed have his memory back; he even remembered what happened when he didn't have his memory.
"Sev'rus?" Harry called as his eyes searched the classroom. Then he noticed, as he got closer, that Snape was by the desk, on the ground, asleep. "Severus!"
Harry squatted down and looked at Snape, and then shook him. "Severus, wake up. D'you remember? I do. Where's Slyther, did he stay here with you?"
When Snape didn't wake, Harry shook his shoulder again. "Wake up! Do I have to pour water over your face? 'Cause I can—"
That seemed to wake Snape up. "No water will be necessary, thank you," Snape said as he rubbed his head and sat up straighter.
"Did you take it?" Harry asked, sitting down in front of Snape.
"Yes, I did," Snape replied, standing up and then extending a hand to help Harry up. "I also gave it to everybody else, excluding the students. I'll give it to them at breakfast."
Harry bit his lip, as he thought back to when Aureus had come up to him for the ingredients. He didn't know whether it was really her or not, but then who else could it be? The person resembled Aureus exactly, and she had even said that her name was Topaz Aureus.
"Is everything all right?" Snape asked quietly, studying Harry. He seemed so different from when he had lost his memory (along with everybody else, really), Harry noticed. He was less grumpy… less… cold. Harry nodded.
"I'm fine. Just can't believe Aureus isn't in the coma anymore. I guess Quirrel's not going to be the only one Dumbledore's going to be looking for, huh?"
"I would say so," Snape replied, his voice going stern. "But in the meantime, while Aureus is still out there, I don't want you out of my sight."
Harry nodded. "I don't think I ever wanna be alone. Not while Aureus is out there." Then he paused. "What if Aureus already visited Caoimhe, since she's her daughter and all?"
"I don't think that'll be any of our concern," Snape said. "Now let's go. I should see if Albus and everybody else are all right."
Harry nodded and took lead as both headed for the door, which he hadn't bothered to close. Then he abruptly stopped, his eyes glued on the doorway.
"What's wrong?" Snape asked, looking down at Harry. "Are you ill?"
"No," Harry said, his eyes still on the doorway. "It's nothin'. Just thought I saw something, but I didn't."
-
Aureus cursed as she made her way back to Quirrel from Hogwarts. She was so lucky to get away, since she had thought that everybody still wouldn't have their memory. Though, she could've sworn that Harry caught a glimpse of her, but that didn't matter at that moment. There, she thought irritably, my plan's foiled now. Are you happy, Snape? I swear, one day…
When she reached the room, she burst inside and slammed the door shut.
"Bad day already?" Quirrel questioned with a smirk.
"Damn!" Aureus yelled, swiping everything on the dresser in front of her onto the floor. She looked up at Quirrel, her eyes wild with anger. "I don't care what you do, Quirrel," she said through long breaths, "just make sure Snape is out of the way. The plan won't work with him in the way. No… no, it won't…"
"So what are you implying?" Quirrel asked conversationally. "That I kill Snape?"
"Whatever you have to do," Aureus said, her chest going up and down in rhythm with her breathing. "For betraying the Dark Lord, and for being in the way."
A slow smile crept onto Quirrel's face. "Well, as I said before, Aureus, that can be arranged."
-
Harry followed Snape to Dumbledore's office. They really didn't get a chance to inform Dumbledore that Aureus was alive, since everybody was too concerned with giving the Memory Potion to the students, so they were going to do that now. Harry, deep in his own thoughts, didn't realize that they had already approached the office door and that Dumbledore had answered it. Now, both Snape and Dumbledore were staring at Harry.
"Harry?" Snape said, only a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you coming?"
"Yeah," Harry said, waking up from his trance and stepping inside of the office. He sat down in one of the two offered chairs that were in front of Dumbledore's desk.
"I trust that the potion worked?" Snape said, sitting down in the other.
"It did," Dumbledore replied. "I remember everything, thank you, Severus."
"Sir," Harry spoke up before Snape could. "We're here because… well, while everybody else forgot everything, my snake, Slyther, still had his memory; and during breakfast two days ago, I was talking to a woman named Topaz Aureus. She said she was the DADA teacher at Hogwarts, and she wanted me to take her to Snape's classroom…"
"Topaz?" Dumbledore repeated, his forehead creased. "You were actually talking to her?"
"Yes," Harry answered. "Where's her daughter staying? You could go talk to her. See if she has any information on her mother or something," suggested Harry, feeling proud that he was able to help out.
"She's staying in America, with her Aunt," Dumbledore responded, and then he stood up. "That is a very good suggestion, Harry. Do you mind I leave you two be?"
"No, certainly," Snape said, and then he too stood up. So, Harry decided to do the same. "Let's go."
"Okay," Harry agreed, following Snape to the door as Dumbledore grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and made his way to the fireplace. "I have to go find Slyther, anyway."
-
It's nice that you have your memory back, Slyther said as he sat on Harry's bed in front of Harry. I don't have to complicatedly try to explain everything to you, now.
"I'm glad I have my memory back, too," Harry replied, leaning against his pillows.
Do you remember anything that happened while you… well… forgot? Slyther asked.
"I remember everything," Harry responded, but couldn't continue as there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Harry called, and Snape came into the room.
I guess that's my cue to leave, the snake said decidedly. Now, if you'll just help me down…?
Harry picked Slyther up and then set him down on the floor. The snake slithered past Snape's feet and out the door.
"Somethin' wrong?" Harry asked. "Is it about Caoimhe, or Aureus?"
"No, no," Snape replied, seating himself in Harry's desk chair. "I just wanted to… apologize."
Harry's brow furrowed, and he looked bewildered. "Apologize?" He repeated. "For what?"
"Well, I wouldn't exactly say the Holidays were…"
Harry shook his head, interrupting the Potions master. "No, it's all right, really. Nothing to apologize for, anyway."
"Well, I thought I at least should—"
But, Snape was interrupted with Dumbledore appearing in the doorway, looking concerned.
"Severus, Harry," Dumbledore greeted grimly, his eyes a dull blue. "I have some news. I've just returned from America from where Jenae Honestas and her niece, Caoimhe Aureus live. As it turned out, something happened to Caoimhe."
"What?" Harry asked, hardly feeling concerned for the girl.
"Well, an incident occurred awhile back while Jenae was going out to town," Dumbledore explained. "Caoimhe refused to have somebody look after her, so Jenae, knowing that the town wasn't that far and that she'd only be gone fairly long, agreed and let Caoimhe stay by herself.
"Jenae doesn't know what happened next, unfortunately, but somebody smashed a lamp over Caoimhe's head, causing her to go to the Hospital. She does have a concussion—amnesia—so she knows absolutely nothing about what happened after her Aunt left for town."
"So she'd be no help on the Aureus thing," Harry said with a sigh.
"Thank you, Albus," Snape said, and Dumbledore nodded, leaving the chambers.
Harry emitted another sigh. "Great. Caoimhe has amnesia. What's next?"
"I know this wouldn't exactly be the right time to tell you, but I've been thinking, and I know Lupin never will tell you; but you do have a right to know—" Snape started.
Harry eyed him oddly. "What?"
Just then, Slyther came back into the room.
Well, I think I gave you enough time for a chat, the snake said, don't you think?
"Not long enough," Harry muttered, finding it frustrating that Slyther had to come into the room at the exact same time that Snape was going to tell him about Remus.
Ooh… did I interrupt anything? Should I leave again? Because you know I can. I will, if you want me to.
"No, that's fine," Snape said, standing up. "We're done." As he walked out the door he muttered to himself, "It should be you telling him Lupin, not me."
-
A/N: Thanks everybody. I have every chapter to this story re-written, which I am happily going to continue to post! Thanks to all your guys' comments, views and opinions… I love them!