Chapter 19: The Cure
KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in." Melissa said as she looked up from another book.
Harry entered.
"Harry? What brings you here?" she asked.
"Everyone's waking up." He told her. "Sirius, Spica, and Remus have arrived as well."
Melissa sighed.
"I'm not coming down." She told him.
"Why not?" Harry asked sitting next to her on her bed.
"I'm NOWHERE near the cure." She cried. "I want to find it SO BADLY. But NOTHING is working."
"I'll be back." Harry told her.
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"You want to WHAT?!" the Ron exclaimed.
"I want to let Melissa in on our secrets." Harry repeated.
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Because she's desperate." Harry informed him
"Is that why she's not down?" Ginny asked.
"Right." Harry said. "If we let her in on our secrets, then she can help us and we can help her. She's saying that she's not coming down."
"Harry?" Lily asked after knocking on Harry's door. "Is Melissa awake?"
"She's not coming down." He told his mother.
"What?" Lily said looking up to where Melissa's room was. "That girl…"
"I'll go back and talk to her." Harry told his mother while looking at his friends.
They sighed and nodded.
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In Melissa's room a few minutes later,
KNOCK KNOCK
"Go away." She cried.
"It's me." Harry called. "I have something that might be of interest."
"Come in." she said sitting up and drying her tears.
Harry entered with a book.
"I'm sorry." She apologized. "It's just…I've been spending 16 years studying medicine and everything I've come up with would probably kill a werewolf. I'm running out of options."
"Surly the Americans have some type of quote in a time like this." Harry said.
"Well." Melissa said. "There is "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." There is also "When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this---you haven't." by Thomas Edison."
Harry handed her the book.
"What's this?" she asked.
Ultimus Validus Potio et Carmen
"Harry." She told him handing the book back. "I can't read all of this."
"But I can." He told her.
"How?" she said looking between him and the book.
"What I'm about to tell you, you can't tell ANYBODY. Not Mum and Dad, not Remus, and especially Dumbledore." He told her.
"I promise." She said with her heart beating against her chest.
"It all started when Dad brought me here to Potter Manor…" he started to explain.
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"Do you think Harry could talk some sense into her?" Spica asked Lily as they waited for the two before beginning to open gifts.
"I hope so." Lily told her.
"Shh." Remus said.
He heard footsteps.
Two pairs.
Harry and Melissa entered the parlor.
"It's about time." Ron said beginning to attack his presents.
"Thanks for the pep talk." Melissa told the young Potter.
"No problem." Harry told her with a wink.
"What happened?" Remus asked.
"I was feeling depressed." She explained.
"As depressed as James when his parents were killed." Lily asked.
"Almost." Melissa said truthfully. "But Harry told me…he had faith in me."
She turned and smiled at the Heir of Hogwarts as he opened a box filled with vials to hold memories in. She couldn't believe that the teen in front of her was literally the most powerful wizard in the world as he glared at Fred and George for a comment they had said.
She then turned to her friends and saw Spica's stomach.
"Spica? Are you pregnant?"
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That night,
"So," Melissa said in her room "What we need is a perfect balance of gold and silver. The silver kills the werewolf, but the gold counteracts the silver so the person can live?"
"Yes." Harry said. "As I was looking over this, I did notice that it would cause the werewolf to be unconscious for a while, but…when he wakes up, it will be worth it."
"I'm scared." She admitted.
"Me too." Harry told her. "But I have faith in you."
He handed her the translation.
"And you will be working on making Voldemort mortal?" she asked
"Yes." Harry told her. "Regulus gave me the horcrux. The only adults in on this are you, and him."
"Be careful Harry." She told him. "I don't know how dangerous that will be. Are you POSITIVE you don't want James and Lily to know?"
"I don't want to scare or worry them." Harry informed her.
TBC