this chapter is dedicated to. . . t.y.u.i.t.y.u.i. . He nagged me to get this out. in the best way of course. Thanks fan ;D

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Potions

By Ancient Midnight

Chapter Three

2011/08/17

"So, we will continue practice this evening-" Oliver was telling his assembly, "Just as we planned. Potter you'll have to be careful n-"

"No practice! How can he practice without using his hands? I said rest not go jumping forty feet down to the ground!"

"He can be the quaffle!" Fred chipped in.

"We'll catch him-"

"While tossing him around!"

"Quiet Weasley, of course we will make it a light practice-" the team snorted to themselves. "where Potter will be held in place by a sticking charm! and will have to evade other members and the bludgers!"

"Poppy shook her head, "no, no, no, I will not release him just to have him crack his head open or break an arm or come back bleeding because his teammates are unsafe!"

"I will expect Potter back here during your practice."

Snape was furious by the time he managed to escape the lioness' worry. "Neglectful" was used to term his habits several times and so was "childish", "selfish", "arrogant" and "pigheaded". Snape was even told he could not attend his own detentions tonight. Minerva insisted that he help Pomphrey instead with her inventory.

A detention all on it's own given straight from the deputy headmistress. And it was one he couldn't back out of before that cat had told the Headmaster.

"oh Albus, Severus can't stay for desert, he's needed at the hospital wing. He volunteered to help Poppy sort her inventory."

And of course the Headmaster had to loudly thank the teacher, sending him on his way without a word in edgeways. Snape had half a mind not to show up at all and let them figure out he wasn't a school boy.

He could spend the night doing all kinds of things. He could work on his potion, or read old potion journals. . . or maybe turn in early to bed. Unfortunately, halfway to his chambers, he remembered that he had no idea which potions Poppy needed.

Potter showed up right on time for missing his practice. Oliver insisted if he couldn't participate, he could study the old moves of other seekers again. So he had a book of seekers and their famous moves tucked under his arm. Just in case Madam Pomfrey had nothing to do.

Potter cracked open his book sitting down on what had been dubbed his bed and waited for the healer to appear. She was going to come any second, she always did and he wanted to read more on this one move.

He might have the skills now to try it out. With the team though of coarse. the largest danger was apparently flying off the broom when it turned.

If he could master it though, he could turn a lot faster. Up to 40% faster. Harry doubted it, his broom was already pretty fast, he doubted anyone could turn 40% faster. That was-a wide grin spread across his face-that was just instantaneous!

"What are you grinning about Potter?" Harry jumped straight off the bed and managed to turn around in the same move. He managed not to scream, but he could feel his heart hammering in his chest.

Snape stood still towering over him, his most menacing expression on his face. How he had managed to sneak up behind Harry when he was facing the door, he didn't know. Maybe he really was a heartless vampire. He certainly looked like one at the moment.

They both stood still for a moment.

"Mr. Potter, is that you? come give us a hand dear," Madam Pomfrey stuck her head out the medicine closet door. "We're taking inventory."

"O-okay," Harry slid by the professor who still didn't move. Snape let him pass just barely, then snapped his robes back as though Harry were a contaminant.

Harry glared at him over his shoulder. Stupid git.

Poppy put her hand on his shoulder, leading him to her shelf of different blood potions.

"Just check this list here dear," Harry took the clipboard and started counting. All the while working hard to ignore the big bat behind him sending him sneers and glares every once in a while.

Snape took great joy out of watching Potter tense everytime he glared or even looked at him. Snape watched as Potter's shoulders hunched until he had shrunk a few inches before turning back to the shelf of bone potions.

Skelegrow was never used, and wouldn't expire any time-a light tapping caught his attention.

Poppy stood with her clipboard and a stern expression. A glance at Potter told him he'd been caught. "So Severus, what potion have you been working on lately?"

Snape scowled, "I'm sure you know."

"But Harry here doesn't and I think it would be educational for him." a pointed look told him she was talking about more than timing or ingredients. Potter was watching them both in boredom.

"It's none of his business!" Snape hissed.

"Why? It's just a potion," Potter asked.

"Because I said so, Poppy. It isn't any of his business."

"I quite disagree-"

"That's okay Potions suck anyways," Potter told them both.

Snape twirled around, "What did you say? you had better be happy that I am not giving you a week's detention for that!" He slammed his clipboard down.

"Severus!" Poppy scolded, quickly checking the potions. "be careful, and Potter, that's enough of that. you may apologize to your professor now."

Potter looked absolutely defiant, but surprisingly he didn't even hesitate to turn to Snape. "I apologize," he said slowly.

Long after the last potions had been counted and everything was put in order, Snape pulled out his potions journal again.

This Potion was his life goal, it was the reason he could get up every morning and the reason he could function through life. The potion took ten years to brew and Snape was already mostly though the tenth year. A few more weeks and it would be done.

Dumbledore had ensured he had more than enough supplies. But the near loss of the entire potion yesterday had cost Snape dearly. he wasn't sure if he could go through that again. It might just end him to be that close to losing the potion.

Writing down a few more notes, Snape focused on what he had learned; the nearly corrosive state the potion had turned enabled the ingredients to reach their farthest potential.

It wouldn't be long now before everything was taken care of. This Potion would give him power, prestige, money.

Everything that the dark lord and Dumbledore offered and everything-EVERYTHING that they promised. All in one large cauldron.

Dumbledore had better have a potions teacher ready just in case. Snape knew that this may go wrong.

As I said before, you have one person to thank for this story. and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going in a new direction with this, and yes, it will be severitus eventually.