Hiding at Hogwarts

~ by Healer Pomfrey ~

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

10 – Nightly Brewing

"Harry, if you're feeling well enough to get up, I suggest that you get dressed and follow me to the Headmistress' office for tea. Due to our discussions with Professor Dumbledore we all missed dinner, and Professor McGonagall invited us for tea. I merely came to fetch you."

"All right, sir," Harry replied, feeling very confused. He hurried into his own room and quickly changed into fresh school clothes, before he returned to the living room and followed his new guardian through the empty castle.

"Leaving my quarters through your living room seems like a good shortcut," Severus said, smirking.

~ Headmistress' office ~

"Feel free to cross my living room at any time," Harry laughed but quietened immediately when they reached the office, realising how many people were assembled there. Not only all four Heads of House, but also Madam Pomfrey and an unknown man were gathered around a table, apparently waiting for them. With even greater surprise, he eyed Professor Dumbledore's portrait behind the desk.

"Congratulations Professor for becoming Headmistress," Harry said in a small voice. 'I'd have preferred to keep her as Head of House though,' he thought, while he absentmindedly greeted the other professors, unaware of the concerned looks he received from everyone.

"Harry, this is Professor Remus Lupin," McGonagall finally introduced the man. "He is our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and Head of Gryffindor."

Harry looked up in surprise, finding the man smiling broadly at him. "Hello Harry," Lupin said gently, "I'm glad to meet you. Your parents were good friends of mine."

"My parents?" Harry gasped, looking at the new teacher in amazement, before suddenly tea appeared on the table.

"Remus, do you mind us speaking about your problem in front of Harry?" McGonagall queried.

"Not at all, provided that he promises to keep it for himself," Lupin said, and Harry noticed that he was slightly hesitant.

"I promise," he quickly reassured the man. 'He looks really nice, and having a friend of my parents here is absolutely cool,' he mused and listened with interest when the Headmistress explained that he was translating Salazar Slytherin's potions recipes and that among them there was a cure for lycanthropy.

"I can't promise you that it'll work, but I believe that it is worth a try," she ended her explanation, looking questioningly at her former student.

"Of course it works," Salazar hissed from Godric's portrait, in which all the four Founders were assembled. "Be careful what you say about my work, new Headmistress."

"Oh just shut up," Godric reprimanded him, causing everyone to look at the portrait in surprise.

Harry rolled his eyes. "The two of them are fighting the whole time, and their wives are always busy scolding them. They never stay quiet for long," he chuckled.

"Harry, please don't forget to eat. You haven't eaten anything today," Madam Pomfrey said reprimanding, and Harry suddenly realised that he felt famished.

~ Helga's living room ~

When Harry returned to his rooms later on, he stood in front of the Founders' painting. "Salazar, please tell me where I can find the potion they were talking about, and what is lycanthropy?"

"The new professor is a werewolf," Salazar informed him, "and the recipe for the wolfscure potion is in book 36 of my recipe collections. I believe that you brought it with you the other day."

Harry quickly skimmed the books. 'Oh right, this one is number 36,' he realised in relief and sat in his favourite armchair to search for the wolfscure.

"It's on page 53," Salazar supplied helpfully.

"Oh thank you so much, Salazar," Harry said gratefully, smiling at the ancient Potions Master. He pulled his quill and parchments over and began to translate. 'Wow; this seems to be fairly difficult,' he thought, considering how many steps of brewing were needed to complete the potion. From time to time there were ingredients of which he didn't know how to translate them, but Salazar kindly explained everything that Harry didn't understand, and it was three o'clock in the morning, when Harry finally finished his translation.

"Go and take it to Severus. He is still in his office," Salazar suggested.

Harry vehemently shook his head. "I certainly won't go into his quarters uninvited, especially not at three o'clock in the morning," he said firmly, unaware of the fact that Salazar's portrait at the entrance to the Potions Master's quarters had already alerted Severus that he was needed in Harry's room. "He'd take points from Gryffindor, before the school year has even started, and I'd receive detention until after my NEWTs."

"We can easily arrange that, Harry," suddenly a baritone voice penetrated his ears, causing Harry to look around in shock.

'Why does he always have to sneak up on me?' he thought in exasperation. "I finished translating the recipe, sir."

"Show it to me," Severus demanded, reaching for the parchment.

"Severus, when exactly is the full moon?" Salazar queried, raising an eyebrow at the younger Potions Master.

"In three days' time."

"Well, go on and brew it then. It must be taken between ten and three days before the full moon," the Founder informed him, smirking.

"How long will it take me to brew?"

"Five hours; maybe three or three and a half if Harry assists."

"If Harry assists?" Severus repeated in disbelief. "Salazar, do you know how much of a dunderhead your heir is when it comes to Potions?" he sneered.

"That's only because you never explain anything," Harry spoke up heatedly. "But Salazar taught me many things over the last weeks, and I think I might be well able to help. If you tell me exactly what to do and how to do it, I should be able to follow your instructions."

"Very well then, are you up to assist during the next three hours? Do you know what time it is?"

"Of course I know that, but since I slept through the last few days and nights, I'm fully awake," Harry replied and eagerly followed the Potions Master into his private potions lab, where they busied themselves with the wolfscure potion for the next few hours.

~ Severus Snape's quarters ~

"Do you think this will really work, sir?" Harry asked hesitantly when Severus filled a huge goblet with the dark green liquid and placed the rest of the potion under a stasis charm.

"Salazar Slytherin is the best Potions Master of all times," Severus replied tiredly. "Of course I don't know if your translation was correct and absolutely exact."

"That's true," Harry admitted in a small voice, unaware of the shocked glance the professor threw him upon noticing that he had apparently misunderstood his small joke.

'We'll have to address the topic of what his relatives did to him at a later time,' Severus mused and called his house-elf. "Cicero, please go and wake up Professor Lupin. Tell him to come to my office immediately."

"Of course, Master Severus. It's only half past six in the morning though." Cicero looked questioningly at the Potions Master.

"I don't care. It's important that he takes this potion NOW," Severus replied in irritation. As soon as Cicero popped away, he motioned for Harry to follow him into his office. 'Better to have a witness who knows that I didn't want to kill Lupin in case something is wrong with the potion,' he thought, feeling slightly impressed at how proficiently Harry had helped him prepare the ingredients. "You did that very well tonight, Harry," he hesitantly commended the boy.

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied in a small voice, looking up in surprise.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Ten minutes later, Lupin knocked at the door to Severus' office. Severus quickly explained that he urgently had to take the potion if he didn't want to wait for a full month. "As you might understand, I have not been able to test this potion. Harry and I brewed it according to Salazar's recipe; however, we can't guarantee that it works, and we don't know what problems it might cause. Are you sure that you want to take this potion?" he asked sternly.

"Severus, I know that you despise me, but I still trust you," Lupin replied calmly and gulped down the potion. He placed the empty goblet back on the table, before he suddenly gripped his stomach, and his features changed to a painful expression.

tbc...

Thank you for your kind comments, threats and flames that made me (grudgingly) continue this story ;-)