JPOV
"And so, with Hermione's help, I plan to become human. She'll start work on the Potion on Friday morning. Next Friday, she needs the full moon. Hermione can explain the technicalities. But as I have explained, I have made my choice."
"Jasper, you've never said anything -" Esme says, sadness pinching her face.
"But you've thought it. You do a good job, for the most part, blocking me out. But every thought you've ever had about becoming human has been so obvious it's like you're screaming them at me. I never said because it was none of my business." Edward gets up, comes to stand by me.
"Thank you," I say, smiling at him. He grins back.
"Am I the only one horrified by this?" Alice demands, a sulky look none of us recognise on her face.
"Pretty much. If it's what you really, truly want - then I'll help Hermione in any way I can, with your transformation." Carlisle says. Esme gets up and pulls me into a hug. I know it means everything that she can't say right now. I return it, and then she slips her hand into mine briefly, before going into the kitchen. Carlisle goes after her.
"Will we still be able to see you - after, I mean?" Emmett asks.
"Yes, of course. You're still my family, I'm not just going to up and leave."
"In a way, you are. Face it, Jasper, if you become human - you'll die. One day, you're going to get old and die," he says, quietly.
"Well, yes. But in many ways - in fact, in every way, I want to do that. I want to get old and die. Immortality isn't for me, I knew that decades ago." Alice is still looking immensely sulky. Suddenly, she's on her feet and out of the house. Edward makes to go after her, but Emmett stops him.
"Let her go, Edward. Give her some time to calm down, then go after her. I say we ask Hermione to explain exactly how all this will go about."
"I'll get her," Rosalie volunteers, zipping upstairs. They come down together, Hermione looking pensive. She comes over to sit beside me, and I send her some reassurance.
"Hermione, can you explain to us exactly how this potion will work, what it will do, and any side effects it may have on Jasper?"
"I can. The Potion will work by diluting his blood, sorting out his system so he can ingest food and drink again, and restarting his heart. I really don't understand all the mechanics about it - but I imagine it works just as his transformation from human to vampire did, only in reverse. This does mean that it will be horrifically painful. There are spells I can perform - I can ease the pain a little, but it would be unwise to stop him feeling it completely. Of course, vampires are stronger than humans - there's no way of telling that the pain won't drive him insane. Side effects - I can only be honest with you - we know some of them. But there may be side-effects that haven't yet been recorded. This Potion has only ever been used twice. It's permanent and totally irreversible. Venom would be exactly that to him - it'd kill him instantly. Also, I need both his venom and my blood in the potion. This has the effect of me becoming his creator. He'll be bonded to me forever. We can hope that all that will mean is him sharing my blood-type, and my immune system. However, in a previous usage of this potion, maker and taker were bonded far more seriously. When the maker died, the taker was dead the same day, despite being in perfect health."
"So, you're saying there are risks?"
"Yes. And add to that the fact that I have never made this Potion before. Ever. Now I am pretty good - but so much rides on getting it right."
"If Jasper trusts you, then so do we. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You could get me morphine. We could use it to numb the pain as far as possible. And it would be very helpful if I didn't need to butcher myself to get blood - could you take it?"
"Of course. How much will you need?" She winces a little.
"Three pints."
"You know, as a doctor, I can categorically state that it isn't a very good idea to take that much blood all at once." Hermione goes out into the hall, produces her rucksack, and starts rummaging. Once more, I'm amazed to see her entire arm disappear into the depths.
"OK, I'm never going to find it. Accio blue vials!" Five small glass vials zoom up out of the rucksack and line themselves up neatly on the coffee table in front of Hermione. "Blood-Replenisher. You take the blood, then I drink one of these immediately after."
"That's genius. I don't suppose I could patent that stuff? Medical science -"
"Carlisle, you and I can discuss that later," Hermione jokes. "And all the reasons why that wouldn't be a very good idea. But now, it's sunset. I have to start work on the repairs. I need to get back to where you found me."
When we get back, there is a very clear picture of the office we saw the first time. Hermione frowns.
"Things are progressing faster than I thought. This is bad. Minerva! Oh, please don't be out… Minerva!" Somebody answers her, a mans voice, although I can't see anybody apart from the people in the pictures.
"Miss Granger?"
"Severus! Do you know where Minerva is?"
"She stepped out. She will be back soon."
"Can you see me?"
"Yes. It has been getting increasingly worse. Phineas and Ambrose have had to vacate, you know."
"Wait, I have an idea." She turns back to me. "Jasper, do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Take my hand." I do so, and she pulls me forward. I step through something that feels like a dry waterfall, followed by a terrible squeezing sensation, and then a hot flush. "Steady, Jasper, it's horrible disorientating the first time." When I open my eyes, I'm standing in the office. I spin around, stare behind me - into the clearing we were standing in not seconds before.
"Did I just cross a universe?"
"Yes. Welcome to Hogwarts. The pictures can move and talk and people do magic at will. And this," she says, smiling, "is Severus Snape." She gestures to a man with dark hair and black eyes, glaring down from a portrait on the wall.
"Err, hi."
"Who is this young man, Miss Granger?"
"Severus, this is Jasper Whitlock. He's not young either, he's 167." Just then, the office door opens, and the woman I saw before come in, followed by a boy with messy black hair and glasses.
"Hermione! When Phineas told me, I couldn't believe it!"
"Me neither. Harry, come here to me." The boy rushes at her, sweeping her into a hug.
"I thought I'd never see you again," he mumbles fiercely, holding her tightly. I feel a rush of jealousy and surprise myself with the urge to snatch her away from him. She puts him away from her gently, and smiles at him.
"Harry, you should know me better than that. Minerva, you don't need me to tell you how bad things are getting. By my estimation - the two weeks is out the window, gone, dead, useless. We're working on a different time-frame now. We have days."
"Four, by my guess," Severus the portrait says.
"Four days to save the world. A bit less than last time, eh Harry?"
"Seven years down to four days. If it wasn't you doing it, I'd say it was impossible."
"I have to tell you all something. I - you will never see me again. There has to be a magical presence in two worlds to close the tears. Fortunately, the Gap seems - quiet. Silent even. If Voldemort was the only thing alive in it, then this will be easy."
"But you know that can't be true."
"Yes, I know it. I have to go there. It must be neutralised."
"Hermione!" Severus bellows. "It'll kill you, don't so stupid!"
"Then it's a sacrifice I will make!" she shouts back at him. "It has to be done!"
"Do you even know how to get there?"
"Actually, yes, I do. I Apparate in. Remember how when we were being taught to Apparate, and we were warned that we should never think about a gap when we did, or it'd Splinch us so badly we'd die? A clever ruse, but the real reason is that the Gap is naturally Magical. Hence, we can Apparate in. I am going into that Gap. There is nothing more to be discussed."
"I'm not going to let you do that!" Harry and I shout at the same time. We exchange glances, but I continue. "Over my dead body."
"Jasper, it's this, or the universe ends. We have four days. And if the Gap is not to be feared again, then any sacrifice I can make will be worth it."
"Hermione -" Harry says, looking desperate but somehow resigned. "Will I be able to talk you out of this?" She shakes her head, sends him a sad smile. "Then for my sake, at least come back alive. You promise me."
"I swear."
"And if I'm never going to see you again, you'd better take this." He digs a moving picture out of his pocket. "It's Ginny's scan picture," he says, smiling faintly. "A baby girl. Don't forget us, Hermione."
"I promise."
"I know." She grabs my hand again, and turns back to the clearing.
As soon as we're through, she drops my hand and steps away.
"If I'm not back in a day, I've died, and I'm sorry," she says, her voice hard and cold. The crack of her Apparating snaps in my heart, and she's gone.