The Switch
Des:
What if something went wrong during Snape's Occlumency Lessons?
HARRY POTTER BELONGS TO JK ROWLING
Chapter: 10 - Potions
A/N:
Yes I realize I haven't updated in FOREVER. I'm really lazy, and school has done nothing to help me write this. Whatever... Oh and please DO NOT READ THIS if you have not read chapter 9 (I re-wrote it, it was too short and lacking). So yea...


Severus paced in front of the wall. He was trying to figure out if he was in the wrong place or not.

'I just want that damn Potions room. Where is it? WHERE IS IT?!' he thought.

He stopped suddenly. He could have sworn he heard something like small pebbles or sand fall to the floor. He immediately reached for his wand and turned around . There was nobody there. Looking down onto the floor, he could see that the Cloak had not disappeared. He sighed with relief, but remembered that whoever it was, they could have easily placed a Disillusionment Charm on themselves.

He looked around cautiously and was startled when he saw the door beside him. It looked oddly familiar...

Walking slowly to the door, he thought about whether he should open it. Could danger really exist in this open corridor? He scolded himself. Yes there could. There was danger all over the castle. Was this the Chamber of Secrets all over again? Absent-mindedly, he reached for the door.

He gulped and pushed the door, finding himself in the same exact room he had been in 2 years ago. The room was giant and rectangular, the walls all lined with shelves stocked with potions supplies, and different already made potions, probably made by others who had used the room before him, all of which Severus had attempted, but had never remembered until then. In the middle of the room was a giant cauldron that reached up to Potters waist. He approached the cauldron, and in it he found Essence of Dittany steaming, giving off a weird odour as it mixed with the lingering smells of all of the other Potions.

Severus looked around, completely forgetting why he was there in the first place.

After a while, he finally snapped out of his trance, and quickly set off to work, running around for ingredients as if he had made this potion countless times. It was almost like second nature. Of course, on one of the shelves, there was a collection of aged and moldy Potions books, but he completely ignored these.

He had already almost completed two thirds of the Potion when he had finally realized the light streaming through the small, dirty window in the room. He hadn't gotten any sleep...

He immediately dropped the vile he was holding (which sealed itself and when flying neatly back to its place) and ran out of the room, running blindly to the Gryffindor common room.


Harry was about to go back to Snape's bed, but heard a shaky knock on the door as he was about to climb in. He opened the door angrily, only to find a startled looking Slytherin first year looking back at him.

"Yes?" he said, sounding annoyed. He wasn't necessarily trying to sound like Snape, but he was in a sour mood, and was tired at the moment.

"Prof-P-Profe-s-sor Dum-Dumble-dor-re asked me to-to give- you th- this..." she stuttered holding out a piece of rolled up paper, secured with purple ribbon.

Harry rolled his eyes and took (more like grabbed) the rolled up paper and slammed the door in the girls face. He thought he could hear the faint running of the girl outside the thick door.

He ripped off the ribbon and collapsed onto Snape's bed. He then opened up the letter and began to read:

Dear Harry,
I think that it would be best if you begin to fill in for Severus's Potion classes tommorow to prevent people from speculating anything. I know that Potions isn't your best subject, but please try to be calm and act natural.
Wishing you the best,
Professor Dumbledore.

Harry re-read the letter, and then tore it up furiously. He let the anger build up inside him, and threw the pieces of letter onto the cold stone floor. It would be a long day tomorrow.

He sighed, wondering how on earth he was going to endure those 5 days of teaching the subject he most hated. Snape would probably cause his marks to drop significantly, just because he had the ability to "abuse his new-found-powers". He laughed to himself, wondering how many times that went through his head. He went to bed and was surprised when he saw how tired he was. He drifted to sleep in no time at all, his dreams consisting of explosions occurring in the classrooms, and Crabbe and Goyle lighting the class on fire...

He woke up in the middle of the night, the darkness overwhelming him. He then remembered the stupid letter he had gotten from Dumbledore. He grunted and rolled over. He would need his sleep to be able to handle tomorrow.


A/N: Sorry its not longer...