A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back! I know its been forever, but summer was hectic. I finally have this chapter done and am relatively happy about it. The prophecy, I thought, could be better, but I just couldn't seem to think of a way to word it better. Happy reading and as always, review!
Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry and Co. Darn.
Chapter 5: "Of Blushing Potions Masters and Creepy Spectacles"
Severus eyed the newcomer with a guarded look.
"Well, Potter, what is it exactly that we are to research?" he said with his best sneer.
"Harry."
"Pardon?"
"Call me Harry, wouldn't want you to confuse me with my d…brother now would we?"
Severus sneered, "Indeed."
"Right, well, I suppose I should start by telling what Tom did to himself, so you can get a better idea of what we're dealing with." started Harry, slipping into what Ron called his "Professor Lupin" mode.
Severus nodded, indicating that Harry should continue.
"It was actually a combination of a modified strengthening potion, a longevity potion, and an old Egyptian ritual to increase the longevity of life Finally he took a modified version of the Drought of Living Death."
Severus's eyebrows raised dramatically. Harry would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so dire. "But that!..." he said, deep in thought, "The combination of those potions should have put him in an irreversible coma!"
"A coma yes, but nearly impossible to kill. He would have lied there in a coma till the end of time, alive. But with the ritual..."
"He would be impossible to kill... and Awake! Sweet Merlin..." said Severus, falling into a nearby chair in shock, "How?.."
Harry grimaced, "research. We need to find the right combination of potions to counteract the ones he took, what order to give them to him and how to get him to take them."
"What of the ritual?" Severus asked, looking slightly overwhelmed.
"I already know how to deal with that, "said Harry solemnly, "but I'm pants at potions. That's where you come in."
The (slightly) older man looked at Harry with a mildly curious expression, before he sneered and said, "How like a Potter, to not know their way around a cauldron."
"We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Like Remus, wave a bar of chocolate under his nose and he's like putty in you're hands." Harry said grinning.
Severus glared briefly, not liking the idea of the wolf as anything in the smaller boy's hands. Severus frowned, where did that thought come from? Shaking the thought from his mind, Severus gave Harry a terse nod and said, "I'll get started on it."
As Severus was walking towards the door, Harry called out, "I can help, if you want. I may not be the best at potions, but I can chop and dice with the best of 'em. Comes from years of cooking for... fun."
Severus raised an eyebrow, he was sure Potter... er, Harry was about to say something else, but for the life of him, he couldn't say what. Deciding that this Potter wasn't that bad, Severus gave him a smirk and said, "fine, if you can handle being under a slimy Slytherin..."
They both blushed. Well, Harry blushed. Severus just got two small pink dots on his cheeks, making Hary wonder briefly if Slytherins could blush.
"Working und... working with a slimy Slytherin." Severus finished.
"I'm not my brother and you're not that slimy." Harry said, looking strait into the onyx orbs across the room form him.
Severus gave him a small smile, a smile, not a smirk, "I know, Harry."
Harry flushed, looking anywhere but at the imposing man in front of him, "Right. Well. I need to speak with Albus Let me know when you need me."
Severus cleared his throat, "Yes, I'll let you know when i need... your assistance. I'll speak with you later then. Uh... bye." he finished in an uncharacteristic show of ineloquence.
Harry smiled, "Bye." and walked out the door. Leaving the other man to deal with his sudden inappropriate thoughts of the younger Potter.
Harry walked down the hall towards the headmaster's office, a little confused. Sev had certainly never had that particular effect on him in the old time line. But then, he'd had Ginny, and the man had been twice his age. Not to mention, he was a man. Funny how that part of the rationalization came at the end of the list. Deciding to leave these troublesome thoughts about his old potion's master (hmm, what else was he a master of? Bad Thoughts! Bad Harry!) till later, he quickly made his was to Albus, who gave a jovial, "Come in!" right as Harry was about to knock.
Creepy old man could probably see through walls. Harry suspected there was more to the man's spectacles than everyone thought.
"Come in, my boy, come in! There have been some new developments that I think you might want to know about." The old wizard said, popping one of his infernal lemon drops into his mouth. "Would you like a lemon drop Harry? Or perhaps a cup of tea?"
Harry artfully raised an eyebrow, something he attributed to spending so much time with Sev in the old time line, waiting for Dumbledore to continue. Albus seemed content to just suck on his sweet. Harry, quite used to the old man's games, got strait to the point, "Yes? What is it you wish me know?"
"Ah, it seems our dear Sybil has made yet another prophecy concerning you." He said, studying Harry through his half-moon spectacles, his blue eyes twinkling madly. Harry, wary of those glasses, shifted a bit in his seat.
"Don't they always," Harry joked, "A real one then? You know, all trance-y and spooky."
Dumbledore chuckled, "I've not heard it described like that before, but yes, it is a real one."
Harry frowned, "There wasn't another prophecy concerning me that I know of, and I'm sure you would have told me, as I needed all the help I could get…"
"Yes, yes. Actually, I think this is something that didn't appear in the original time line, as you seem to be needed in this time for it to work. It wasn't made till after you arrived, actually."
Harry pondered this for a second, then asked, "And what does it say, exactly?"
Dumbledore rose from his desk and walked over to the cabinet that held his pensieve and carefully placed a memory inside. He prodded the surface, making a wispy, ghost like image of Trelawney appear in front of them.
" He who was marked in future's past has come, with the power to bring light into the dark. But in this new time, he must find his third half, the roaring snake, before victory can come. For without the roaring snake at his side, the light cannot break the darkness. He who was marked in future's past has come…"
They sat in silence for a minute, before Harry decided to voice his thoughts, "Okay, so I'm the one who's marked from future's past, that's obvious. I have to find this "third half" if that makes any sense, who's also known as "the roaring snake." argh.."
"Hmm, yes…perhaps, by "third half" she meant your soul mate?" Albus asked, eyes on full twinkle.
Harry shook his head, "Not possible, my soul mate was Ginny, and she's not even born yet. Not to mention, she would be my other half, not my third half…"
"Maybe you have another soul mate, which would explain the "third half" part.."
Harry ran an irritated hand through his already messy hair, "I don't know professor, it seems that soul mates are two halves of one whole, so how can I have a third half? It doesn't make sense."
"Well, maybe you are an exception?" Dumbledore asked, the twinkle in his eyes kicking it up a notch to super twinkle.
Harry sorted, "Of course, one more thing to add to the Harry Potter Phenomenon.."
"And what would that be, my boy?"
"Basically, if its weird, odd, impossible, cruel, improbable, unprecedented, or just plain strange, it'll happen to or around me at some point. You've no idea how aggravating that gets."
"I suppose it would."
"So, say, hypothetically, that I have another soul mate, who do you think it could be? Who would be the "roaring snake?"
"I'm afraid I can't help you their, my boy, it is something you must find for yourself. Now, I think your "brother" is waiting for you to come to dinner. I'll see you here tomorrow?"
Harry looked at him quizzically.
"To begin research on the potions." Dumbledore clarified.
Harry nodded, standing up. He bade farewell to the old man, muttering about cryptic old wizards with funny glasses as he walked out, causing the old wizard to chuckle.