Downside of Aging Potions - Chapter Twenty-six
"Is The World Fallin' Apart
Or Is It Just Breaking Down
Is It Me Or Does It Seem Like
It's Turned Upside down."
-Bowling For Soup, World Fallin' Apart
"Ginny, have you seen Harry?"
"No Ron, I haven't." Ginny nearly shouted over all the commotion rippling through the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Fucking hell..." Ron murmured, "He's been gone since this morning. And there's still no sign of Hermione." He told her.
"Are they the only ones who are missing?"
Ron thought, "I guess so. But-"
Ginny could see a light bulb go on in his head. "That Sloan guy! He was supposed to find Hermione!"
"Do you suppose he's gone too?" She pushed back on Seamus Finnigan who was making his way to the front trying to get out of the portrait hole to go home, like so many of the others.
"Probably. But who would've done all this? Not You-Know-Who... maybe Malfoy?"
She shook her head, "I don't know. But something big must be happening if the wanted Dumbledore to be given that potion- Sleeping Death."
Their conversation stopped when the portrait swung open and people wearing Ministry of Magic robes walked in. The Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley, followed them.
Ron and Ginny grinned and exchanged glances as he tried to settle everyone down.
"All of you! Quiet! You need to hear this!"
Slowly, they all quieted, and Mr. Weasley spoke.
"We don't know how the potion was slipped to Dumbledore, but Madame Pomfrey and a team of Ministry Potion experts are working on a reversal potion.
"But there isn't a reversal Potion!" Some random fifth year called out.
Arthur sighed, "That's why they are creating one."
"My daddy told me Dumbledore was invisible!" A first year girl yelled.
"Invincible, you moron." A fourth year, presumably her sister, corrected the younger girl.
"Dumbledore is... a very powerful Wizard. Which is why we hope a revival potion will be easy to make."
The crowd got noisy again and he held up his hands for silence.
"We need everyone to stay in his or her dormitories until the Ministry sees it fit to release you. The Head Boy and Girl will be around shortly to explain things more in depth. School is postponed until further notice."
This got a very positive response.
"Thank you, and please be cooperative and compliant until we have more news for you all."
He left the Common Room, but two of the Ministry people with him walked right over towards Ron and Ginny.
"Your father wants a word with you."
They followed him out of the Common Room and outside the portrait, Arthur rushed at them, his arms open for a hug.
"Ron, Ginny, listen carefully. Harry and Hermione are missing."
"We thought so." Ron said, with a slightly big head.
Arthur waved his hand, "That's not what is important: you both know the new student- Sloan?"
They nodded.
"Listen to me: That is Professor Snape. They had a Potions accident and now he shrunk about twenty years in age."
"Snape?" Ron asked, jaw dropped, eyes wide.
Ginny almost smiled. She had suspected as much.
"You mustn't tell a soul, either of you. Don't even talk about it to each other."
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Because, Ron, we need as few people knowing as possible. We know that Voldemort knows and that's why he took Hermione. We think that they suspect she has secrets about him. That's why she was taken a few night's ago. And then when Lucius saw 'Sloan' he knew it was Snape, from school. And now Harry knows. We have reason to believe that Harry and Snape are in very big trouble and Hermione is caught in the middle."
"What reasons?" Ginny asked.
Arthur shook his head, "That's not important. What is important is that we need to get them out of... well, wherever they are."
"How do you plan to do that?" Ron asked.
"We're not sure. But we're going to need the help of you two, much to the dislike of your mother. But you and Luna Lovegood, and Neville all faced Death Eaters your fifth year, and we're going to need that again."
"But... you have to find them first." Ginny said.
"Of course, of course and when we do, we'll come and get you alright, kids?"
"Alright, Dad..."
He smiled and hugged them once more. "Now, get back in there and remember- not a word about Sloan."
They were escorted back and then were bombarded with questions from their peers.
"He just wanted to check on us..." Ginny was saying.
After things mellowed out, they settled in a corner and began whispering.
A scream. A tortured, agonized, quite-obviously-in-pain scream woke Hermione up, God knows how many hours later.
Snape's scream. It was his tortured, agonized, in-pain scream woke her up.
And what an awful sound to wake up to.
"Crucio." Voldemort hissed again, and laughed and Snape writhed in pain and screamed his voice hoarse.
When he let the spell fall Snape panted and fell limp on the floor, eyes shut tight, probably in embarrassment.
Hermione grunted and struggled against her bonds, wanting to run down there and save him.
Voldemort looked up and saw her, then gave a Chesire Cat smile with fangs and crouched down next to Snape. He grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to his mouth.
His words made her shiver.
"Think about what I said." He dropped Snape's head and left the room.
"Severus!" Hermione called, tears gathering in her eyes for no specific reason.
He didn't answer.
Hermione looked over at Harry. He looked as if he'd been awake for long enough. Did she sleep through something?
"Harry, what did Voldemort say?"
Harry looked at her, but didn't answer either.
"Damn it, Harry, tell me!" She looked from Harry to Snape, "Severus!"
He still didn't answer.
Hermione struggled more, pulling on the magical ropes for about a minute until she gave up.
"Severus, enough; get UP. We have to try and get out of here!"
He rolled over to face her, showing her a long, bloody cut down the length of the right side of his face.
Hermione gasped, "Oh… Severus…"
"No… you're right." Snape tried to pull himself up without hands and ended up falling.
"Severus, you can do it. I know you can. Just… get on you knees first."
He tried again, but fell before he got there.
"Hermione, my bones are… I'm too weak… the Crucio…"
She rested her head against the stone wall, feeling helpless, and sighing.
Was this it, then?