Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and company. This is just for fun.
Harry went to the train station with the others to wish them a safe holiday. When he got back to Hogwarts it had started to rain. He headed to the kitchens first thing to get something to eat. The house elves had a warm bowl of stewed chicken with a hint of curry in it, some crusty bread and a mug of tea waiting for him. Lately he had been hungry all the time and his clothes at the cuffs and wrists had become a little to short. Hed have to make a trip to the shops in Hogsmeade for some new clothes soon.
Once finished with lunch he took a look outside. Still raining and the weather had gotten colder asa few flakes of snow swirled past the window. Not wanting to wander the castle he headed to the library. Madam Pince was at the front desk dealing with a 6th year wanting to go into the restricted section with out a pass. He chose to head back to the hidden library. There he grabbed a book at random off the shelf. The subject was on breeding fire breathing chickens. Intrigued despite the subject matter he took the book over to the lone table in the room.
"Potter what are you doing here?" Snape asked as he walked into the library.
"Bored and it's to cold and wet to go flying." Harry replied.
"What are you reading?" Snape asked.
"How to breed fire breathing chickens." Harry replied.
"Fire breathing chickens? Such an animal would be illegal to breed. You do know that don't you?" Snape asked.
"Yeah I know. Told you I was bored." Harry replied. "However breeding of magical creatures interests me. How one goes about it interests me. Take Postal owls for instance. Obviously magical. Common non magical owls can't deliver the mail. Or take kneazles definitely related to cats some how as you get fertile cross breeds. Then there is Hagrid's new favorite Blast ended Skewts. How did they come into being? No way where they a natural creature."
Snape chuckled. "Blast ended Skewts where bred for one thing only. Fuel for the Knight bus and various other like transportation world wide. Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are one of the few places were they can be legally bred."
"Which is why Hagrid is teaching us about them." Harry sighed. "Couldn't he do that for the NEWT level Classes."
"I think he does it for the same reason I teach Love potions in fifth year. To winnow out those who would be ineffective at the art. The love potions I teach are short lived and require the worst possible ingredients." Snape commented. "Was there a specific beast you want to breed or is it breeding in general you want to know about?"
"Breeding in general. I'm finiding out how rare my owl Hedwig is." Harry replied. "I'd like to breed her this summer."
"There is an owl breeders association. Also Mistress Knight who keeps the owls at Hogwarts is more then happy to talk to students about their owls and offer breeding tips. I believe you have the only snowy owl at the school." Snape said. "You will have to wait until after Easter Holidays as she is currently away."
"Thanks I'll go talk to her." Harry replied. Pain blossomed everywhere in his body. He grimaced and waited for it to stop checking the time against his watch. It lasted 1 minute 47 seconds. Then he felt the tingle of a diagnostic spell.
Snape held his wand on Harry a look of worry on his face. "Potter how long have you been having these pain spells?" he asked.
"Since mid summer." Harry replied. "The longest lasted 3 minutes 4 seconds. Madam Pomfrey said they're growing pains. Something about my magical channels opening up as I grow."
"Given the growth spurt you have shown this year some form of growing pain is to be expected. However what you have just gone through is not the usual sort of Growth Pain a wizard your age experiences. To the infirmary, I will accompany you" Snape ordered. Madam Pomfrey was in the middle of inventorying the supply cupboard when they arrived. "Madam Pomfrey please if you would a class four diagnostic charm and what ever follow ups you think proper." Snape requested.
Madam Pomfrey complied casting the spell on Harry who had gone to the nearest bed and sat down. Six spells later Madam Pomfrey had a worried look on her face. "Prof. Snape you wouldn't happen to have on hand a Venom Identifying potion would you?"
"With Potter being a parseltongue I do. Any other rare potions you require?" Snape asked.
"The Mother's Blessing." Madam Pomfrey requested.
"I'll bring both." Snape told her.
"Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked.
"A class four diagnostic charm is one I use rarely. It's used for rare poisons and venoms. It also highlights bites were the venom has entered the body." She replied. "You have three venom bites. Two on your hands and one on your arm. I know of the common viper bite on your hand what the other two are is unknown."
"What's the Mother's Blessing?" Harry asked.
"Potion that reveals which curatives have been used on you. I'll get good clear answers for about the last 36 months. That includes most common muggle remedies." She told him.
Snape returned quickly. "This is the last vial of Mother's Blessing I'll start a new batch tomorrow." He handed her the vials.
"This one first, it's the venom identification." Madam Pomfrey handed Harry the vial.
Harry downed it quickly. Nothing seemed to happen until Madam Pomfrey cast a couple of spells at him. His Mage sight caught a hint of silver light then a rare silvery green light. She consulted a book and frowned. Then she gave him the Mother's blessing. That produced various lights. He assumed as the lights faded the curatives where given to him earlier. Again Madam Pomfrey had to consult a book.
"Mr. Potter when did you get bitten by a Basilisk?" demanded Madam Pomfrey.
"Second year in the Chamber of Secrets." Harry replied. "I killed it."
"That would explain the spike in the Slytherin wards that year. The Basilisk was a Slytherin guardian beast." Snape mused.
"Voldemort got to it when he was in school. Turned it to his own uses." Harry replied.
"Hagrid will be over the moon with the chance to breed one to replace it. However this time the control spells are going to be in English and not parseltongue I believe." Snape said.
"There is a problem for Mr. Potter though some how he's been dosed with raw Phoenix tears and they are reacting to the Basilisk venom and some sort of spider venom." Madam Pomfrey said. "Luckily the spider venom is non magical."
"What are the effects of the combination?" Snape asked.
"Unknown and Mr. Potter is still experiencing growing pains. I'll need to do some research on the combination before I can formulate a treatment for him. A sample of the Basilisk venom would be nice. The phoenix was Falkes, Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"Yes." Harry replied. "Am I going to die or something?"
"No, Mr. Potter you are not. However your magic is affected. Once I have identified all of the toxins in your blood I can give you a prognosis of what to expect. Given what I have observed so far you seem to be be one of the rare people who are benefiting from the combination." Madame Pomfrey said. "You may go now. Come back some time after lunch on Wednesday I should have something for you then."
Once out of the infirmary. "Mr. Potter would it be possible to collect the venom sample from the Basilisk today?" Snape asked.
"It will take a couple of hours to get there and back." Harry replied. "You'll need your broom or a good levitation charm to get back up once you're down in the Chamber." Harry said.
"Tomorrow after breakfast then. I suggest you start reading up on breeding magical chickens and toads. Breeding Basilisks isn't as easy as myth makes it out." Snape said.
Harry returned to the hidden library and his book. It would pass the rest of the wet afternoon.