"There! I knew it!" Hermione exclaimed, after reading the passage that
Harry had showed Ron. "The scars on his chest, the way he's been acting,
the reason he's changing; it all points to what happened to him this
summer! If only he'd just tell us what the Dursley's did. . ."
"You know, we could just ask him," Ron said.
Hermione stared at him as if he had just said 'I'm running off with Draco Malfoy'. "Ron, you don't just ASK someone about all the horrible things that happened to them over the summer! Imagine how you'd feel!"
Ron blushed a little. "Well sorry, I mean, I'm sorta new at this you know. I mean, we've never had to, you know, help Harry with this kind of problem before. It's always been something else."
Hermione nodded sadly. "I know what you mean. Regardless, however, Harry needs our help. If that potion isn't brewed, he could be trapped as a Phoenix forever! Have you seen the tattoo on his hand yet?"
Ron looked down guiltily. "I was surprised after I read that paragraph. I didn't bother to look."
Hermione shook her head dismissively. "Either way, we need to brew that potion for Harry. He needs us to do this for him, whether he'd ask us or not."
Ron's eyes widened suddenly as he followed Hermione's train of thought. "Wait. . . we aren't paying Snape's storage room a visit again, are we?"
Hermione's firm glare silenced any other questions Ron would have liked to ask.
In the dungeons, Snape was hunched over a brewing cauldron, pinching his nose in irritation. He scowled at the potion, willing himself to pretend it was Potter, silently cursing it for all the trouble it was giving him. Basilisk fangs! He was honestly expected to be able to find a Basilisk fang?! And that bloody Phoenix, Fox, or Fakes, or whatever the heck its name was, would not cooperate to give in tears, nevermind burning itself to give up its ashes. Snape even humiliated himself by begging the annoying bird to shed at least one tear, yet the bird simply glared at him and ruffled its feathers. It, like many people, obviously did not like Snape.
The only things Snape had collected so far was the dragon ingredients (which was plentiful), the erumpent horns, the flobberworm mucous, the unicorn horn, the wiggentree bark, and a few hairs from Harry. The acromantula eyes, he'd try to get off of Hagrid. As for the Phoenix items, he was nearly ready to grab his wand and avada kedevra the stupid creature until it was crying a river of ingredients. Then he'd burn the body himself and take the ashes. Snape smirked inwardly at his fantasy. It would be so easy to just go up there and bully that bird. . .
Snape gritted his teeth in annoyance when his fantasy was disturbed by the sound of two students talking.
"Come on, Hermione! Couldn't we find ingredients somewhere else? Somewhere far away from anything Slytherin?"
"For the last time, RONALD, we need to get the ingredients. If you complain one more time I swear, I'll-"
Just two annoying students, that was all. Two annoying students in his classroom after school hours was over, and he hadn't issued any detentions. Two annoying students. . . two annoying students?! Granger and Weasley?!
"Hermione, what if he's-"
"-RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!!??"
Both students screamed and whirled around to see a furious Snape standing behind them.
"Professor Snape, we were just-"
"-taking a little stroll in the dungeons?" Snape finished, incredulously. "Perhaps, coming to do some extra studying on potions? No, let me guess, perhaps you were wondering if you could have some private classes?" With that said, Snape sneered.
"Professor Snape, we're here because we need some ingredients," Hermione answered, honestly. Both Ron and Snape gave her startled looks. "You see, Harry is going through a transformation, and we need to make him a potion that would save him. If we could just look through your potions lists and figure out what ingredients we'd need. . ." she trailed off when Snape gestured to a large, bubbling cauldron in front of his desk.
Ron managed to figure out what Snape's gesture meant. "No way. YOU'RE brewing the potion to save Harry?" Snape nodded his head, too weary to really care to argue with the annoying boy at the moment.
Hermione walked over to the list by the cauldron, studying the ingredients. "Basilisks fang, Phoenix ashes, and Dragon blood all in the same potion? Isn't that a bit odd?"
Snape nodded his head again. "Mind you, miss Granger, that this is not the average potion either."
Hermione looked back at the list and furrowed her brow in contemplation. "Professor? May I ask where you're going to find a Basilisk fang, Acromantula eyes, and Phoenix ashes and tears?"
Snape did his best to control his frustration, after merely seconds ago asking himself the same questions. "I will ask Hagrid for his assistance with these particular ingredients."
"You can do that if you want, even though I know where you can find all of them," Ron said casually. His eyes widened in horror as he realized he had said that outloud, and he quickly looked at Snape as if hoping he hadn't heard. Unfortunately for him, Snape had heard.
"Explain, Weasley," Snape said dangerously, slowly advancing as a wolf would advance on a cornered deer.
"Well, I, er, don't know what I was saying really, that is, well, it, isn't it, wow, look at the time!" Ron started moving as if he meant to leave, but he froze in place when he say Snape's wand pointing at him.
"I am not in a cheerful mood today, Weasley. Now tell me where I can find what I need and I will be on my way."
Ron gulped nervously and nodded his head quickly. "I can take you to Aragog for the acromantula eyes; there's lots of them there. And as for the fang, Harry could lead you down to the Chamber of Secrets; there's lots of fangs on that Basilisk. As for the Phoenix tears, couldn't you just ask for Harry to give you some from his own eyes? I mean, technically, they are Phoenix tears."
Snape, for the moment, was speechless. There was no way he would have thought to go into the Forbidden Forest or into a girl's bathroom to find two of the particular ingredients, but he was floored by the fact that he hadn't thought of using Potter's own tears as Phoenix tears. It made sense, since Potter was half human and half phoenix at the moment. Snape managed to come out of his stupor for the moment.
"As thrilled as I am that you actually managed to come up with a nearly intelligent thought, I believe standing around in my classroom will not bring us any closer to brewing a cure for Potter."
With that, Snape started sweeping out of the dungeons, in the way he always did, leaving Hermione and Ron to try to catch up to his long strides. As they made their way across the grounds, none of them were aware of the fact that a pair of green eyes, from the seventh floor tower, were watching them carefully.
"Mione!" Ron whimpered for the millionth time, in under ten minutes. "Do we really need to do this?!" Hermione rolled her eyes, yet grinned inwardly at Ron's hopelessly cracking voice. "I'm serious, Mione! Spiders and me don't get along! They try to eat me!"
"Weasley, do us all a favor and close your mouth before I call the spiders over to devour you as a personal favor to me," Snape bit out, not even bothering to turn around. Ron merely whimpered in reply.
"How much further is it?" Hermione asked, after a period of silence had passed by.
"Not much. It's just ahead, actually," Ron said, his voice still wobbling hopelessly.
"You two listen to me, and listen carefully," Snape said, finally turning around to look at the two of them. "When we reach the Acromantula nest, I will cast a dormancy spell that should effect each of the spiders present."
"Should? Should? There's no guarantee?!" Ron squeaked, nearing hysteria.
"Weasley, control yourself. After I cast the spell, Each of you must go to two different spiders and pluck one of their eyes out. Then I want you to put them in these jars." Snape handed both of them a glass jar. "Remember to move quickly and quietly."
"Professor, spiders have over six eyes. Why don't we remove six of them from one spider?"
"Because these are not just spiders, these are Acromantulas. They rely heavily on eye sight and will likely die if more than two are taken."
"Who cares? That'd be a blessing!" Ron insisted. An icy glare from Snape and a disapproving glare from Hermione shut him up instantly.
Carefully, the trio crept toward the nest of arachnids. Then, Snape drew his wand and cried "Abeyance Corpilius!" After the light had settled, he motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him into the enclosure.
"Ugh," Ron said in disgust, after he plucked an eyeball from a rather large Acromantula, "this is disgusting!"
"Be glad you aren't a potions professor then," Snape snarled.
"I actually find this all rather interesting," Hermione said. "It would be fascinating to study the anatomy of an Acromantula and compare it to that of a typical spider, like the common spider found in Hogwarts. The differences-"
"Hermione, you're killing me!" Ron complained. Hermione simply huffed in an indignant fashion and when back to eyeball plucking. Five minutes later, and one eyeball left to go, the sound of rumbling could be heard nearby.
"Ron, you wolfed down your supper today in the Great Hall already, so tell me how you could still possibly be hungry?"
"That wasn't me!" Ron complained. Snape looked up quickly and walked over to where the two were bickering. As he scanned the forest, he could see what appeared to be a mass of black heading in their direction. That mass of black soon proved itself to be an angry group of Acromantulas.
Snape whirled around furiously at Ron. "Why didn't you tell me there were more of them than this!?" he said, gesturing to the still dormant Acromantulas.
"How was I supposed to know!" Ron complained. "Last time I was here, Harry and I were slightly more concerned with escaping alive, never mind playing count the flesh eating spiders!"
"They're almost here, we need to go now!" Hermione shouted. The three of the whirled around (Snape plucking the last eyeball) and ran as fast as they could in the direction of Hogwarts. In a few moments, however, it became painfully evident that without the flying car, the spiders would soon overtake them.
"Professor Snape," Ron panted, while running, "isn't there a spell you could do? Something to stop them?"
"Unfortunately, no," Snape panted back. "With how close they are, they would be on top of us before the spell could be finished."
As the three ran around a turn, they skidded to a stop. In front of them was a rock wall, blocking them from escaping. Directly behind them, the Acromantulas were quickly advancing.
Snape's eyes darted back and forth, looking truly panicked. They were trapped with no way out and a hungry group of acromantulas in front of them. By the blubbering from the Weasley boy, this was his worst nightmare come true. A couple of the larger creatures sprang at them, their pincers bared and ready for killing. Just as they were about to close around Snape's neck, a red and black blur shot by, knocking the creature to the ground. The flying thing circled around and came back, attacking the spiders from the air and driving them back. Realizing that this new creature had the advantage, the spiders hurriedly fled.
"What is that?" Ron asked, as the blur came closer. "It looks sorta. . ."
"Harry?"
"No, Hermione. It's not hairy. Looks more feathery to me. Why did you-" Ron gaped as the blurred creature came into focus when it landed on the ground before them. There stood Harry Potter, his head a mass of black, scarlet, and gold feathers. As he rolled down his sleeves, long plumages of feathers became visible on his arm.
Harry Potter could fly.
Author Notes: Whew! It sure took me a long time to update. But I have not died, I live still.
Unfortunately, I will not have time to respond to all my reviewers anymore since I'm so pressed for time now a days. So If you have any questions at all, e-mail me and I'll acknowledge them when I update. Please, keep reviewing even if I can't mention your name here. Reviews are what keep me updating, and if the reviews stop, so will the updates.
I want to give credit for the Acromantula/ Basilisk fang thing to Mark Scotson. Excellent idea and thanks for reviewing!
I'll update soon, hopefully, so review if you want a quick update!
"You know, we could just ask him," Ron said.
Hermione stared at him as if he had just said 'I'm running off with Draco Malfoy'. "Ron, you don't just ASK someone about all the horrible things that happened to them over the summer! Imagine how you'd feel!"
Ron blushed a little. "Well sorry, I mean, I'm sorta new at this you know. I mean, we've never had to, you know, help Harry with this kind of problem before. It's always been something else."
Hermione nodded sadly. "I know what you mean. Regardless, however, Harry needs our help. If that potion isn't brewed, he could be trapped as a Phoenix forever! Have you seen the tattoo on his hand yet?"
Ron looked down guiltily. "I was surprised after I read that paragraph. I didn't bother to look."
Hermione shook her head dismissively. "Either way, we need to brew that potion for Harry. He needs us to do this for him, whether he'd ask us or not."
Ron's eyes widened suddenly as he followed Hermione's train of thought. "Wait. . . we aren't paying Snape's storage room a visit again, are we?"
Hermione's firm glare silenced any other questions Ron would have liked to ask.
In the dungeons, Snape was hunched over a brewing cauldron, pinching his nose in irritation. He scowled at the potion, willing himself to pretend it was Potter, silently cursing it for all the trouble it was giving him. Basilisk fangs! He was honestly expected to be able to find a Basilisk fang?! And that bloody Phoenix, Fox, or Fakes, or whatever the heck its name was, would not cooperate to give in tears, nevermind burning itself to give up its ashes. Snape even humiliated himself by begging the annoying bird to shed at least one tear, yet the bird simply glared at him and ruffled its feathers. It, like many people, obviously did not like Snape.
The only things Snape had collected so far was the dragon ingredients (which was plentiful), the erumpent horns, the flobberworm mucous, the unicorn horn, the wiggentree bark, and a few hairs from Harry. The acromantula eyes, he'd try to get off of Hagrid. As for the Phoenix items, he was nearly ready to grab his wand and avada kedevra the stupid creature until it was crying a river of ingredients. Then he'd burn the body himself and take the ashes. Snape smirked inwardly at his fantasy. It would be so easy to just go up there and bully that bird. . .
Snape gritted his teeth in annoyance when his fantasy was disturbed by the sound of two students talking.
"Come on, Hermione! Couldn't we find ingredients somewhere else? Somewhere far away from anything Slytherin?"
"For the last time, RONALD, we need to get the ingredients. If you complain one more time I swear, I'll-"
Just two annoying students, that was all. Two annoying students in his classroom after school hours was over, and he hadn't issued any detentions. Two annoying students. . . two annoying students?! Granger and Weasley?!
"Hermione, what if he's-"
"-RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!!??"
Both students screamed and whirled around to see a furious Snape standing behind them.
"Professor Snape, we were just-"
"-taking a little stroll in the dungeons?" Snape finished, incredulously. "Perhaps, coming to do some extra studying on potions? No, let me guess, perhaps you were wondering if you could have some private classes?" With that said, Snape sneered.
"Professor Snape, we're here because we need some ingredients," Hermione answered, honestly. Both Ron and Snape gave her startled looks. "You see, Harry is going through a transformation, and we need to make him a potion that would save him. If we could just look through your potions lists and figure out what ingredients we'd need. . ." she trailed off when Snape gestured to a large, bubbling cauldron in front of his desk.
Ron managed to figure out what Snape's gesture meant. "No way. YOU'RE brewing the potion to save Harry?" Snape nodded his head, too weary to really care to argue with the annoying boy at the moment.
Hermione walked over to the list by the cauldron, studying the ingredients. "Basilisks fang, Phoenix ashes, and Dragon blood all in the same potion? Isn't that a bit odd?"
Snape nodded his head again. "Mind you, miss Granger, that this is not the average potion either."
Hermione looked back at the list and furrowed her brow in contemplation. "Professor? May I ask where you're going to find a Basilisk fang, Acromantula eyes, and Phoenix ashes and tears?"
Snape did his best to control his frustration, after merely seconds ago asking himself the same questions. "I will ask Hagrid for his assistance with these particular ingredients."
"You can do that if you want, even though I know where you can find all of them," Ron said casually. His eyes widened in horror as he realized he had said that outloud, and he quickly looked at Snape as if hoping he hadn't heard. Unfortunately for him, Snape had heard.
"Explain, Weasley," Snape said dangerously, slowly advancing as a wolf would advance on a cornered deer.
"Well, I, er, don't know what I was saying really, that is, well, it, isn't it, wow, look at the time!" Ron started moving as if he meant to leave, but he froze in place when he say Snape's wand pointing at him.
"I am not in a cheerful mood today, Weasley. Now tell me where I can find what I need and I will be on my way."
Ron gulped nervously and nodded his head quickly. "I can take you to Aragog for the acromantula eyes; there's lots of them there. And as for the fang, Harry could lead you down to the Chamber of Secrets; there's lots of fangs on that Basilisk. As for the Phoenix tears, couldn't you just ask for Harry to give you some from his own eyes? I mean, technically, they are Phoenix tears."
Snape, for the moment, was speechless. There was no way he would have thought to go into the Forbidden Forest or into a girl's bathroom to find two of the particular ingredients, but he was floored by the fact that he hadn't thought of using Potter's own tears as Phoenix tears. It made sense, since Potter was half human and half phoenix at the moment. Snape managed to come out of his stupor for the moment.
"As thrilled as I am that you actually managed to come up with a nearly intelligent thought, I believe standing around in my classroom will not bring us any closer to brewing a cure for Potter."
With that, Snape started sweeping out of the dungeons, in the way he always did, leaving Hermione and Ron to try to catch up to his long strides. As they made their way across the grounds, none of them were aware of the fact that a pair of green eyes, from the seventh floor tower, were watching them carefully.
"Mione!" Ron whimpered for the millionth time, in under ten minutes. "Do we really need to do this?!" Hermione rolled her eyes, yet grinned inwardly at Ron's hopelessly cracking voice. "I'm serious, Mione! Spiders and me don't get along! They try to eat me!"
"Weasley, do us all a favor and close your mouth before I call the spiders over to devour you as a personal favor to me," Snape bit out, not even bothering to turn around. Ron merely whimpered in reply.
"How much further is it?" Hermione asked, after a period of silence had passed by.
"Not much. It's just ahead, actually," Ron said, his voice still wobbling hopelessly.
"You two listen to me, and listen carefully," Snape said, finally turning around to look at the two of them. "When we reach the Acromantula nest, I will cast a dormancy spell that should effect each of the spiders present."
"Should? Should? There's no guarantee?!" Ron squeaked, nearing hysteria.
"Weasley, control yourself. After I cast the spell, Each of you must go to two different spiders and pluck one of their eyes out. Then I want you to put them in these jars." Snape handed both of them a glass jar. "Remember to move quickly and quietly."
"Professor, spiders have over six eyes. Why don't we remove six of them from one spider?"
"Because these are not just spiders, these are Acromantulas. They rely heavily on eye sight and will likely die if more than two are taken."
"Who cares? That'd be a blessing!" Ron insisted. An icy glare from Snape and a disapproving glare from Hermione shut him up instantly.
Carefully, the trio crept toward the nest of arachnids. Then, Snape drew his wand and cried "Abeyance Corpilius!" After the light had settled, he motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him into the enclosure.
"Ugh," Ron said in disgust, after he plucked an eyeball from a rather large Acromantula, "this is disgusting!"
"Be glad you aren't a potions professor then," Snape snarled.
"I actually find this all rather interesting," Hermione said. "It would be fascinating to study the anatomy of an Acromantula and compare it to that of a typical spider, like the common spider found in Hogwarts. The differences-"
"Hermione, you're killing me!" Ron complained. Hermione simply huffed in an indignant fashion and when back to eyeball plucking. Five minutes later, and one eyeball left to go, the sound of rumbling could be heard nearby.
"Ron, you wolfed down your supper today in the Great Hall already, so tell me how you could still possibly be hungry?"
"That wasn't me!" Ron complained. Snape looked up quickly and walked over to where the two were bickering. As he scanned the forest, he could see what appeared to be a mass of black heading in their direction. That mass of black soon proved itself to be an angry group of Acromantulas.
Snape whirled around furiously at Ron. "Why didn't you tell me there were more of them than this!?" he said, gesturing to the still dormant Acromantulas.
"How was I supposed to know!" Ron complained. "Last time I was here, Harry and I were slightly more concerned with escaping alive, never mind playing count the flesh eating spiders!"
"They're almost here, we need to go now!" Hermione shouted. The three of the whirled around (Snape plucking the last eyeball) and ran as fast as they could in the direction of Hogwarts. In a few moments, however, it became painfully evident that without the flying car, the spiders would soon overtake them.
"Professor Snape," Ron panted, while running, "isn't there a spell you could do? Something to stop them?"
"Unfortunately, no," Snape panted back. "With how close they are, they would be on top of us before the spell could be finished."
As the three ran around a turn, they skidded to a stop. In front of them was a rock wall, blocking them from escaping. Directly behind them, the Acromantulas were quickly advancing.
Snape's eyes darted back and forth, looking truly panicked. They were trapped with no way out and a hungry group of acromantulas in front of them. By the blubbering from the Weasley boy, this was his worst nightmare come true. A couple of the larger creatures sprang at them, their pincers bared and ready for killing. Just as they were about to close around Snape's neck, a red and black blur shot by, knocking the creature to the ground. The flying thing circled around and came back, attacking the spiders from the air and driving them back. Realizing that this new creature had the advantage, the spiders hurriedly fled.
"What is that?" Ron asked, as the blur came closer. "It looks sorta. . ."
"Harry?"
"No, Hermione. It's not hairy. Looks more feathery to me. Why did you-" Ron gaped as the blurred creature came into focus when it landed on the ground before them. There stood Harry Potter, his head a mass of black, scarlet, and gold feathers. As he rolled down his sleeves, long plumages of feathers became visible on his arm.
Harry Potter could fly.
Author Notes: Whew! It sure took me a long time to update. But I have not died, I live still.
Unfortunately, I will not have time to respond to all my reviewers anymore since I'm so pressed for time now a days. So If you have any questions at all, e-mail me and I'll acknowledge them when I update. Please, keep reviewing even if I can't mention your name here. Reviews are what keep me updating, and if the reviews stop, so will the updates.
I want to give credit for the Acromantula/ Basilisk fang thing to Mark Scotson. Excellent idea and thanks for reviewing!
I'll update soon, hopefully, so review if you want a quick update!