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.

13 – The Cure

When Severus returned to his quarters and checked on Harry, the boy was peacefully asleep. 'Well, I better get some sleep as well,' he thought and placed Helga's mini portrait on Harry's night table, instructing the ancient Healer to wake him up if Salazar came with news about the werewolf or Harry needed him.

By the time Harry woke up and lazily opened his eyes, his guardian was fast asleep next to his bed in a comfortable looking armchair, into which he had transfigured the chair from his desk.

"Harry, congratulations; you managed to cure Professor Lupin from lycanthropy," Helga's mini portrait suddenly spoke up.

"Really?" Harry asked as he excitedly tried to sit up only to let himself sink back on his pillow in exhaustion.

"Yes, really," the Healer smirked, before her expression sobered. "You're not feeling better, are you?"

"Not really," Harry admitted in a low voice. "I'm so dizzy."

"I will fetch Poppy," Helga announced and vanished from the portrait, before Harry could find the energy to protest.

He drifted in and out of sleep, before he opened his eyes again, when he heard the voices of several people talk in the living room. 'Who is there?' he wondered, when Madam Pomfrey entered his bedroom with the Headmistress in tow.

While the Healer eagerly began to cast spells at him, Professor McGonagall waved her wand at the Potions Master. "A silencing spell," she informed Harry, smiling. "If he can sleep with all the commotion here, he probably needs his sleep. Anyway, congratulations, Harry. You and Severus managed to brew the cure for lycanthropy."

"I'm glad that we could help Professor Lupin," Harry said, smiling at his former Head of House, before he profusely thanked the Healer as he felt the potions take effect, which she had just spelled into his stomach.

"I'm very happy for him as well," McGonagall said as she took a seat on the edge of his bed and reached for Harry's small, hot hand. "Professor Lupin deserves it. He is a very kind man, and he'll be a good Head of House for you. I'm glad that he finally agreed to become my successor this morning, knowing that he is finally cured."

"I thought he had already agreed last week?" Harry queried.

"Not officially. Only this morning," the professor said softly. "I have to thank you and Severus for that."

"I'm still going to miss you as Gryffindor Head," Harry replied in a soft voice.

"Thank you, Harry, but I'm still here, and you can come to me whenever you wish," the professor replied, gently squeezing his hand, just when Severus woke up.

"Did it work?" he asked urgently, causing his older colleague to grin.

"Good morning to you too, Severus. Yes, it worked. Now, there is something I need to speak with the two of you about." Seeing that Harry and Severus looked at her expectantly, she continued, "Unfortunately, Albus was awake in his portrait when Poppy came into my office to inform me earlier this morning, and he had nothing better to do than to contact the Ministry of Magic about your success. Anyway, the minister visited me shortly after. He wants to ask the two of you to brew as many doses as you can for the Ministry. They offer to pay you one thousand Galleons for each dose, and they will organise the distribution to the werewolves in coordination with St. Mungo's, where the potions will be administered. I told him that I had to ask you and promised to inform him about your reply later on. Oh and he promised to award both of you the Order of Merlin first class."

"No thanks!" Severus and Harry replied simultaneously, causing the Headmistress to roll her eyes.

"I don't have a problem brewing the potion in order to help the werewolves though," Harry added, grinning at his guardian. 'Maybe Madam Pomfrey was right and we're more alike than I thought,' he thought, chuckling inwardly.

The Potions Master sighed. "Harry is very ill and will need at least three more days to recover and another three days before he will be in a condition to brew. After that we should be able to provide them with one or two batches a day during the remaining weeks of the holidays. After the beginning of the school year, we'll have to see if we have time at all."

"Maybe we could brew a few batches during the weekends," Harry suggested weakly.

"We'll see," Severus said firmly, giving him a sharp look.

"Poppy was here a few minutes ago," McGonagall informed him, pointing to the card on Harry's night table, on which the Healer used to make notes of her diagnostics.

Severus frowned as he closely studied the card. "I believe that we should continue this conversation when you feel better. Try to sleep for a while." Seeing that Harry felt obviously miserable enough to mumble his agreement and close his eyes, he quietly left the room together with his older colleague, motioning for her to follow him into the living room.

"Minerva, please inform the Minister that we'll brew the potions as soon as Harry's condition allows it. Of course I could begin with the brewing right away, but I have many potions to brew for the hospital wing, on which I'm going to concentrate in the meantime. Please also make clear that we are not going to participate into any festivities or whatever involving the Order of Merlin."

The Headmistress smirked. "I didn't expect either of you to enjoy the attention. Nevertheless, I hope that you will both accept the Order. Both of you deserve it, especially you, Severus."

The Potions Master raised an eyebrow. "Harry was the one who translated the recipe. If it wasn't…"

"You know that I don't mean the potion," McGonagall interrupted him firmly. "I mean your spying activities and everything you did for our side that has never been honoured in any way. Therefore, I'm very happy for you. I will inform the Minister of your plans. Thank you for agreeing to help the werewolves, Severus."

Severus' quarters ~

A week later, Severus finally deemed Harry well enough to assist him with the brewing of the wolfscure potion. To his surprise, he had to admit that Harry was indeed very adept at brewing. After the third day of brewing three batches of the potion each day, he waved his wand to clean their workspace, before he motioned for Harry to follow him into his living room. Sitting in his favourite armchair, he looked at the boy, who shifted in his seat and threw him an uncertain look.

"Harry," he began, sighing, "there is something that I need to tell you. In fact, I do not wish to speak about it; however, knowing that Lupin is going to become your Head of House…" He slowly trailed off.

Harry waited patiently, wondering what was wrong. "Excuse me, sir, did I understand correctly that Professor Lupin was your classmate while you were at Hogwarts?" he asked in a soft voice.

Severus ran a hand through his hair and let out another long sigh. "Harry, I'd like you to keep to yourself what I'm going to tell you."

"Of course," Harry replied softly.

"Your mother was my best friend; however, your father and his best friend were my worst enemies. They taunted me because of being a Slytherin," Severus said quickly. "They behaved towards me like Mr. Malfoy and his sidekicks behave towards you."

"Professor Lupin too?" Harry asked quietly.

"No. He belonged to your father's little group, but he didn't help Potter and Black to torture me. He didn't say anything against them or help me either though. Anyway, the reason why I told you this is that I want you to understand why I always behaved like I did towards you and why I won't tell you much about your father. However, I can tell you about your mother if you want me to do so."

"Severus, I understand, and if my father was a bully like Draco I don't think I'm so eager to hear much about him. So far, I only heard that he was good at Quidditch and such, or that I look like him. I'd be happy to hear about my mother though."

"Thank you for your understanding, Harry. Nevertheless, I suggest that you ask Professor Lupin to give you a better opinion of your father," Severus said gratefully and glanced at his wrist watch. "Shall we go and eat lunch at the Great Hall for once? Now that school is going to begin in two weeks' time, at least all the Heads of House and some of the other teachers must have returned from their holidays."

Harry agreed and followed his guardian through his own rooms to the Great Hall, deep in thoughts about what Severus had told him about his father. He was only pulled out of his musings when an owl flew down onto the table, holding out a foot to him. A red letter was attached, similar to the one that Ron had received at the beginning of their second Hogwarts year.

'A Howler,' Harry realised in shock as he hesitantly took the letter from the owl's foot.

tbc...

Thank you very much for your kind comments - I really appreciate them, even if I wasn't able to reply to anything due to the annoyances of RL!