Severus showed Aragorn a pot of a wiggling bunch of vines, "This is the Devil's Snare, the creepers and tendrils on the vines ensnare anyone that touches them. It will bind your arms and legs and then it will start to strangle you. It does this through movement, the more you move the tighter the vines become. You can get out of it by relaxing yourself or by fire." Snape explained showing Aragorn what he meant by letting his hand get wrapped by the vines.
Severus picked up a big pink pod and showed it to Aragorn next, "This one is quite harmless." He explained as let the pod fall to the ground and a flower burst from its pod.
"Amazing. There is nothing in our would quite like that."
"This is Aconite, it is also known as wolfsbane and monkshood, it is an extremely poisonous plant and is one of the herbs that I use in making a potion for one of the werewolves that is part of Harry's life." Severus explained.
"If it is so poisonous then why use it?" Aragorn questioned.
"It is one of the key ingredients that I need but with all of the other ingredients that I have to use the potency is diluted and safe to ingest." Snape explained.
"What is a werewolf?" Aragorn asked as Snape put the aconite back down on the workbench.
"Putting it simply, a werewolf is a man infected by a disease and once a month on the full moon turns in to a wolf. Should the wolf bite you then you would fall under the curse of the werewolf and become one yourself. It is a very painful process and could kill you the first time that you transform. Even if you survive your first transformation the curse will cut your life span in half."
"What a terrible thing for a person to go through. You would have to be an incredibly strong person to go through all of that your whole life. I commend anyone that goes through that." Aragorn stated as they started out of the green houses and head back up to the castle.
"When is Harry's day of birth?" Aragorn asked, as their walk had seemed to go quiet.
"On the 31st of July, so the day after tomorrow."
"Oh my. Then what would be an appropriate present for a young man such as Harry?"
"The headmaster seems to think, as do I, that should you give him something it should be from the heart. That will mean more to Harry then anything else." Severus explained.
"Then I shall have a talk with my companions and we will see what we can come up with between us. It will more then likely be something from home then anything that we have here since we don't have much of anything from here."
"Like I said, as long as it is something that comes from the heart Harry will be more then happy with it and cherish it all the more." Severus said as they entered the castle and headed for the great hall.
Two owls soared though the headmaster's window and landed on his desk, each holding out a talon so the headmaster could take the letter from them.
"Thankyou both for coming, there is some water and food over by the window. I shall have a reply for your masters in a moment." Dumbledore told them and quickly read the responses from those he invited.
"Wonderful." He beamed and quickly penned a response and attached the portkeys to the letter that would activate at 11:50 am on the day of the 30th. Once the owls were well rested they were once again on their way to their masters to deliver their letters.
Harry walked out of the kitchen with a bright smile on his face, Legolas just shook his head in response at what Harry had planned for the potions master for the trick he played on them about the cure for the potion they ingested the other day.
"Are you sure that this is a good idea Harry?"
"Yes Legolas. I know it's supposed to be a prank but I think that this potion will be a good thing and may freak him out a little at the response he'll get. But I will prank him later, oh boy will I prank him later."
"You really shouldn't you know. Severus really didn't do anything wrong, he just supplied us with the wrong information." Legolas tried telling him.
Harry stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to look up in to the ice blue eyes of the blonde elf, "Would you have had wanted to have sex with someone that you didn't know anything about. Someone that you had just met." Harry asked him.
"The thought is not unpleasant." Legolas responded, his gaze never wavering from Harrys.
Harry felt a spark of 'something' strike him, strike his heart, his magical core, Harry quickly looked away from Legolas' eyes and turned back down the hall and started walking once again. "No I don't suppose that it would have been unpleasant." He muttered, forgetting about the sensitive hearing of the Elven prince. Legolas smiled at Harry's back as he too started to walk toward the great hall.
Severus walked up from the dungeons with Salazar by his side; they were very involved with their talk about potions from the past and of the present. About how the present ones can be improved and how the past potions could be modified to suit the common potion ingredients since some of the ingredients from then are now extinct.
So involved was their talk that they didn't notice the man that was walking from the opposite direction to them but would cross their path. Salazar came to a stop just in time where as Severus and the man, Salazar mentally supplied the name of the man as Aragorn, collided and ended up on the floor with Severus looking down on the man stunned. Salazar let out a laugh as Severus blushed lightly and stuttered a response and tried to raise him self only to note that he was caught on the hilt of Aragorn's sword.
Severus let out a groan which, to Aragorn and Salazar, sounded like "why me?"
"Come now Severus, it couldn't be that bad could it?" Salazar chuckled as he took pity on the younger potions master and unhooked his belt from the hilt of Aragorn's sword and helped both young men stand up.
"Come along children, dinner should be served and I am quite ravenous." He said and started to walk off.
"Isn't tomorrow going to be Harry's birthday party?" Aragorn asked the two Slytherins.
"It is indeed." Severus responded, "And I have still not gotten him anything, there is nothing that I can think of."
"So is Harry going to receive his wish for Hagrid?" Aragorn asked, this had been the first time that he had heard anything about it.
"Yes, the plans had finally come together and since we have you and your friends with us, Albus thought that Harry was well enough protected to go on this trip." Salazar explained.
"That is wonderful, Harry will be very happy about that. I believe that it will be the best present that he could receive." Severus said happy that Harry's wish had been fulfilled.
The three entered the hall just as Harry and Legolas entered, the five greeted each other with smiles as they sat down and ordered their dinner. Except Harry who had a hyperactive elf looking after him.
"Is there anything that you would like for your birthday Harry?" Merry asked, he hadn't been informed about the vacation that the headmaster had organised for him.
Harry looked at the Hobbit dumbly, "Birthday?" he questioned.
"It is the 29th of July Harry, your birthday is the day after tomorrow." Severus reminded him.
Green eyes looked around surprised, "Oh, I had forgotten all about it." He responded with a light blush.
"So what would you like?" Pippin asked this time.
Harry shook his head, "Nothing, I don't really have a need for anything. Just your companionship." He responded, "But thankyou for asking." He smiled at the Hobbits and went about eating his dinner.
The Hobbits looked down trodden at Harry not wanting anything but were comforted by the hand of Gandalf on their shoulders who gave them a wink, as though he has a secret. A secret to do with Harry and his birthday. The Hobbits beamed a smile back at the White Wizard.
Hagrid burst into the Great Hall with a bright smile on his face, "Headmaster, come quick, it's about to hatch." He informed excitedly and ran back out of the hall. Harry was quickly on his heel wanting to know what the egg contained. Albus came at a much more sedate pace with everyone else following him, all curious about what was in the egg.
Harry quickly climbed into the large chair that was standing by the table so that he could see the egg clearly. He left a bit of room for the Hobbits who weren't as tall as everyone else either. Since the three were the smallest of everyone gathered. Albus and the others walked casually in to the hut and gathered around the table and watched as the egg began to break apart.
It took a couple of minuted before a beak broke through the egg and let out a cry, which was soon followed by another beak breaking out just below the other, yet this beak wiggled it's way out of the membrane and broke free of the shell. Harry carefully, under Hagrids' instruction, peeled the shell away from what seemed to be twins. The other thought was that the creature was two headed, which wouldn't surprise anyone. Once the egg was peeled away, the twins stumbled from the membrane and parted; one headed for where Salazar was while the other headed for Harry at let a thrill out at the young man.
"I would have never of believed it if I hadn't of see in for myself." Severus said in awe at the two chicks sitting on the table at different ends.
"Can ye believe it? Twin Griffins." Hagrid muttered, stunned.
Salazar picked up the Griffin that had came over to him and studied it carefully, "Well this one is a male, and a very suspicious male at that. I think that we shall have to have him neutered." He told everyone with finality. The griffin let out a squeal of indignation at the thought of being neutered and bit in to the flesh of Salazars' hand.
"Blasted animal." He yelled and dropped the griffin on to the table and covered his hand to stem the flow of blood.
Harry let out a giggle as the other griffin gave him a kiss on the nose; since that was the only place the little griffin could reach at the time.
Hagrid smiled at the scene, "Hapie Burthday 'Arry."
Harry looked up at Hagrid in shock, "For me? Really?" he questioned.
"Yep, the Headmaster said you could have whatever was inside as long as it was safe and I think that this should be alright, Right Headmaster?" Hagrid asked looking to Dumbledore.
"I think that will be more then alright. He will become a fierce protector and loyal friend once he gets a little bigger."
"What about the twin?" Harry asked.
"I will be looking after him until he sees fit to transform and meet you." Salazar said as he raised an eyebrow at the pouting griffin. The little griffin let out a huff and hopped off the table. He had seemed to be better off then the other griffin, who still seemed a little leg wobbly.
Everyone looked on as the griffin grew in size and began to change shape, it to that of a humanoid shape, bone cracking at the change of a long held form. Salazar drew off his robe and passed it over to the man that was now standing in the place of where the griffin used to be. A groan of pain came from the man as he moved to put on the cloak that was given to him.
"A millennia like that isn't so good on the body." He groaned as he looked over at the group looking at him. "Hello everyone."
"May I introduce to you, Godric Gryffindor." Salazar boasted like a 'this is your life' host.
"What is he doing here?" Harry questioned his head tilted to the side in confusion.
"That is what I would like to know as well." Salazar said looking toward the tired man.
"Can I sit down and have something to eat first. It's been a millennia since I have eaten anything and I'm kinda hungry."
"Of course, come along everyone, we have yet to finish our own dinners. Are you coming as well Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked the half giant.
"O'course Headmaster, I haven't eaten just yet. Was too excited about the egg hatching to worry about eating." Hagrid explained with a little bit of a blush on his usually rosy cheeks.
"Right then, back to the Great Hall." Dumbledore said and herded everyone out of the hut. Harry and the Hobbits quickly ran for the hall, Harry running carefully so that the griffin cuddled in his hands wasn't jostled too much.
"Why are you here Godric?" Salazar asked as they walked back a little back from the group heading to ward the castle.
Godric shook his head, "I really honestly don't know why I'm here Salazar, I mean I died, I was dead and now I am here and I don't know how. But is it really a bad thing that I am here?" he asked the other man.
Salazar shook his head, "No, it isn't such a bad thing." He responded with a smile.