Chapter 27 – One Week
Author's note: I found that an entire section of the story was missing from the last published chapter. It's been re-added if you want to check it out.
Harry finished writing the list of ingredients and frowned slightly. "I recognize some of these ingredients from potions we've made over the years, but others are new to me."
Draco laid the book he was reading on the table and looked at his bond mate with curiosity. "What is on the list?"
The Gryffindor grimaced at the parchment. "It's pretty extensive and seems to involve a lot of magical creatures. Besides the dram of Juanth Darastrix blood, it calls for a strand from an Abraxan's mane, a patch of Nundu fur, two Jobberknoll tail feathers, four acromantula eyes, hair from a banshee, basilisk tongue, ground bicorn hoof, powdered clabber horn, a dozen demiguise hairs, a glumbumble wing, a hippocampus scale, two runespoor eggs, six fluxweed leaves picked during the full moon, twenty grams of crushed hellebore, two ounces of diced mandrake root and three scruples of rose oil."
The blonde whistled sharply at the extensive list. "I don't even know if gathering banshee hair is legal these days and demiguise hair is extremely rare. That's what they use for invisibility cloaks. The Nundu fur will be expensive; it takes five score wizards to restrain a single Nundu and even then it's rarely done because they're so dangerous. Well, between my father's and Severus' connections, I'm sure they'll find them all eventually."
Harry tried to smile, but it had more worry than cheer in it. "What is it, Harry?" asked his bond mate.
"I just hope we can find all the ingredients before the end of the year. We're only eight weeks away and we need to get your father and godfather free before Voldemort expects me to join him. Otherwise, I'm afraid he'll harm your parents and godfather."
Draco clasped his shoulder. "We'll find the ingredients, even if we have to hire the hundred wizards ourselves to hunt down a Nundu."
Over the next several weeks, Severus Snape used his contacts in the Potions Master Guild to gather as many ingredients as possible. Lucius Malfoy also called in debts to obtain others and had a search performed on every known apothecary shop across every continent as well as offered a reward to anyone who managed to obtain the needed components. In case Voldemort learned of their ingredient search, they prepared the story of building and fully stocking an elite potions lab as a gift for Draco when he turned seventeen and came of age.
At the same time, Harry and Draco attempted to attend their classes and Quidditch practices, spend time in their House Common rooms, and avoid discussing the ongoing search with their friends. Without being skilled in Occlumency, they simply couldn't trust that their friends wouldn't have the knowledge plucked out of their minds and somehow getting back to Voldemort. Speculative looks from Hermione and Pansy seemed to indicate that the teens weren't quite as successful as they hoped at behaving normally.
Severus joined the boys in their quarters after dinner one evening to update them on the shrinking list. "We still need the basilisk tongue, dram of Juanth Darastrix blood, the patch of Nundu fur and the banshee hair." With the possibility of freedom in sight, the strain of the search was beginning to show when the Potions Master felt free to let down his guard.
Harry glanced curiously at the older man. "I'm surprised that the basilisk tongue is so hard to find though."
Severus raised an eyebrow. "Contrary to what you may imagine, basilisks are not particularly common, nor when found, are they easy to kill. In many countries, they fall under the endangered species protection so it becomes even more difficult to find those to be harvested."
Harry bit his lip. "Do you think the tongue in a four-year old corpse would still be viable? We could always go see if the corpse in the Chamber of Secrets has decomposed too far to be useful."
The Potions Master stilled as he stared intently at the Gryffindor and then leaned forward. "Are you saying that a basilisk was in fact killed and never harvested?"
Draco looked back and forth between the two in surprise. "You know where the Chamber of Secrets is? And to what basilisk are you referring?"
Harry frowned at the blonde Slytherin. "Second year, remember? Students being petrified? Me being accused of being the Heir of Slytherin? Your father giving a diary to Ginny Weasley?" At Draco's continued puzzlement, he snapped "Your father gave a diary to Ginny Weasley that turned out to be a horcrux from the Dark Lord's teenage years. It took possession of Ginny and led her to the Chamber of Secrets where she released Slytherin's basilisk. Ron and I went down to rescue her, but were separated by a cave-in. I had to kill the basilisk and the corpse is still down there." He rubbed his right arm unconsciously.
Draco's voice wavered slightly as he asked "I remember you and Father talking about the horcrux. I don't recall a basilisk being involved. You killed one? How?"
The teen sighed softly while reflexively rubbing his arm. "Fawkes appeared and blinded it, plus he brought me the Sorting Hat which produced Gryffindor's sword. I was able to plunge the blade through the roof of its mouth and it pierced the brain."
Draco reached out and grasped Harry's right hand and slid up the sleeve of the jumper to look at the arm. A large scar was clearly visible just below the elbow. He touched it gently and looked up with concerned eyes. "You were hurt?"
Harry ran his free hand through his hair. "A fang broke off into my arm when I stabbed the sword into its mouth. Hurt worse than a Cruciatus." His eyes darkened with the memory and he failed to notice Draco's narrowed eyes at the idea of his Mate being under the Cruciatus. "Fawkes cried into it and his tears healed me. And since I had the fang, I used it to stab the diary. That's what killed the teenaged reincarnation of Tom."
Severus cleared his throat as Draco gently rubbed the scar, trying to come to terms with just how close to death his bond mate had been. "Mr. Potter, if you had to plunge a sword through the roof of the mouth…exactly how large was the creature?"
"Um..at the time, it seemed enormous. I don't know, maybe between fifteen and twenty meters?" He winced as Draco's grasp on his hand tightened painfully. "Draco, I need to write with that hand. Professor Snape won't appreciate it if my handwriting gets any worse."
The Potions Master smirked. "Quite right, your handwriting is abominable as it is." He stood and raised an eyebrow. "Very well, lead on Mr. Potter. Let us see if the basilisk tongue can be salvaged."
"First, Draco would you get your broom? I'll get mine as well. It helps in getting out of the Chamber." Once the brooms were shrunk down and stored in a pocket, they left their quarters. A brisk ten-minute walk and they arrived at the girl's bathroom on the second floor.
"Harry, you can't be serious" Draco objected. "The girl's loo?"
Harry chuckled and said "I guess Salazar Slytherin thought it would be well-hidden here. Either that or the castle has rearranged itself over time." They entered and a shrill voice called out "Who's there?" Harry grabbed both Draco's and Severus' robes to keep them in place as they turned to leave.
"Hi Myrtle, it's just me, Harry."
The ghost of a plump spotty teenage girl wearing glasses came out of the far stall and simpered at the three men. "Hi Harry. It's been a long time. Why don't you come see me more often?"
The Gryffindor smiled at the ghost. "I'm sorry Myrtle, between school and the Dark Lord's attempts on my life; it's been a bit busy."
The teenaged phantom sighed sadly. "That's OK. I understand. No one wants to spend time with miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!" Her face twisted as tears began to fill her eyes.
"Now that's not fair, Myrtle" protested Harry. "I've been here to do nothing but say hello several times, not to mention the times you found your way to me!"
The apparition perked up at the comment. "Maybe I'll see you in the Prefect's bathroom again sometime." She giggled and disappeared.
Draco raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "Why would she see you in the prefect's bathroom?"
Harry felt his cheeks warm. "I had to open the egg from the Tri-Wizards Tournament underwater to get the clue to the second event, and used the large tub in the Prefect's bathroom. Myrtle was a bit of a voyeur at the time." He turned to the sinks and stared at a tiny snake figure. "Open up" he hissed in Parseltongue.
To the two Slytherin's surprise, the sinks slid and receded, leaving a large open hole. "Let me go first" Harry said. "We have to slide down the pipe to get there. I'll light it up and cast a cushioning charm at the bottom for you." He jumped down the pipe before either could protest.
The pipe appeared to be just as filthy as it had been last time. He cast a cushioning charm below him and landed more easily than his first journey. He cast a bright "Lumos" and called up "Come on down!"
Draco slid down almost immediately. "Ew, this is disgusting!" He quickly cast a Scourgify on himself and then on Harry as Severus followed them down. The Potions Master scowled at the muck on his robes and waved a hand over the material to clean it.
"Now where, Mr. Potter" asked Severus.
"This way, Sir." Harry kept the Lumos lit with his wand, showing them the tunnel passage. Bones crunched underfoot, making Draco shudder in silent revulsion.
Severus saw something in the shadows in front of them and called out sharply "Wait Potter, something's ahead!" Harry looked and shook his head casually. "It's only a shed skin, Sir."
Draco swallowed as they had take more than twenty steps to get past it. "Only a shed skin, Harry? That thing was huge!"
His bond mate shrugged. "It doesn't seem so bad when it's empty and not chasing and attempting to eat you." The two Slytherins exchanged a look and followed him deeper into the tunnel.
They eventually reached a cave-in with a small hole visible at the top. "This is where Ron and I were separated when Lockhart tried to Obliviate us both after he grabbed Ron's wand. Fortunately, the spell backfired because Ron's wand was cracked, but the ceiling began to collapse." Working together, they shored up the walls and ceiling, and then levitated most of the stones out of the way.
Eventually, they entered the Chamber itself, a huge cavern with pillars and decorated with many carved serpents. A massive statue of Salazar Slytherin was at the far end, but it was all overshadowed by the enormous serpent corpse. Harry felt his lowaar all take notice and felt a wave of love and protective wrath from them that something had dared attack him, a beloved child, a Clan member.
Draco clutched his Mate's shoulder in a tight grip. "Bloody hell, Harry…you fought and killed that?" Even Severus was stunned into silence at the size of the corpse.
Harry shuffled his feet a bit. "Actually, I spent a lot of time running from it, but yeah, eventually I was able to stab the roof of its mouth. Wish I had known how to conjure roosters; that would have made the fight much easier."
"Indeed, Mr. Potter" said Severus weakly inspecting the nearly twenty meter corpse. He cleared his throat and spoke again in a crisp tone. "The corpse shows almost no decay, but that is not unusual with a magic creature. It needs to be harvested. The skin would make fine armor and the potion ingredients something this size would yield…the venom, the fangs, the internal organs…" He seemed to be in a daze of possibilities.
"It's worth a sizable fortune" Draco agreed, his eyes still wide realizing how close to death his bond mate had been. He didn't realize how tightly he was clutching Harry's shoulder until the other teen shifted uncomfortably and then loosened his grip only slightly.
"Pity we didn't think to bring some containers down with us" Harry said. "We could get the tongue now."
Severus shook his head impatiently. "The tongue will be difficult to cut and will require special tools..." He stopped as power began to roil around the Gryffindor followed by strands of light and blinding colors. The teen's form began to blur and grow, his clothing lightened in color and then changed into scales. Wings burst from his upper back and a tail grew and curled around his feet. A golden dragon stood beside the basilisk corpse. It unfurled its wings and raised its head then blew fire at the ceiling before looking down at the two Slytherins with its emerald green cat-like eyes. The mouth opened to reveal sharp teeth as Harry gave a dragon smirk.
He stepped in front of the corpse, his feet crumbling stones under them. With a careful motion to avoid the teeth in the still open mouth, he reached in with one foot and slashed the tongue with a claw. As the organ fell, he stabbed it with the same talon, backed up, and then offered it to the Professor.
"Impressive, Mr. Potter" the Potions Master said with only years of training keeping his face impassive. He quickly transfigured a large rock into a container and Harry placed the tongue inside.
The dragon looked expectantly at the Potions Master who frowned at him. "I think he's waiting for you to conjure a vial, Severus" Draco murmured. The man transfigured a stone into a vial and held it out to the dragon.
Harry reached down to his foot and nipped it until blood appeared. Severus quickly filled the vial and stepped back. "That should be sufficient, Mr. Potter. Thank you."
Draco pulled out his wand and cast Episkey, but the small wound continued to bleed. Harry shook his head and licked the small cut, which immediately healed. Once again, the power began to churn around the Gryffindor. His body shrank and reformed into his human shape. "Thank you, Draco, but I'm immune to most spells in dragon form. Besides, I heal very fast that way."
He looked at the Potions Master. "My lowaar believe that blood taken from me in my Clan form should be adequate for the potion. I shared both iejir and arcaniss with Aironth during the adoption ritual and have all the other characteristics of a Clan-born Juanth Darastrix when in dragon form.
"Harry" Draco murmured "what are iejir and arcaniss?"
The other teen blushed as his lowaar snorted in amusement in his mind. "Oops, sorry. Sometimes I forget what language I'm speaking in. Iejir is blood and arcaniss is magic." He looked at Severus and added "Charok is quite certain that blood taken from me in that form will be satisfactory."
The human Potions Master nodded, accepting the recommendation from the draconic Potions Master.
They returned to the entrance, discussing how best to harvest the remainder of the basilisk. "I could probably harvest it myself" Severus admitted, "but at that size, it could take me several weeks working nights to complete it. I would recommend hiring skilled skinners. I can probably obtain recommendations if you would like them, Mr. Potter."
Harry stopped and the other two paused as well. He looked at Severus with serious eyes and a shy smile. "Professor, you've saved my life, seen me in dragon form, know most of my secrets and I'm bonded to your godson. Perhaps you would consider calling me Harry?"
Obsidian eyes met emerald green, and the taciturn face relaxed briefly as he inclined his head. "Thank you, Harry. You may follow Draco's example and call me by my given name as well."
Harry beamed a smile at him. "Thank you, Sir…err…Severus." He turned and began walking back to the entrance again. "I like the idea of hiring professionals."
The Potions Master nodded. "I would also be interested in purchasing some of the ingredients."
"No" Harry said calmly. Draco looked sharply at his bond mate. "Harry…"
Harry shook his head. "No, I meant you can't buy them. I was going to offer you half of whatever's there. You are Draco's godfather. That's family, and family doesn't charge family. Besides, as a Potions Master will likely be able to make the best use of the components. I would like to keep some ingredients for Draco and me, besides getting some basilisk armor made for all of us. Beyond that, I would like to offer some compensation to the students who were attacked by the basilisk; those that were petrified as well as something for Ginny Weasley who was pretty traumatized by the whole ordeal."
Draco's Slytherin side frowned on giving something for nothing, but his Veela side recognized his Mate's compassion and sense of justice. Even so, he tried. "You weren't responsible for everyone, Harry. If anyone owes the students compensation, it's the school."
Harry snorted. "Four years later and what's been done? Nothing. They didn't even offer counseling for the kids that were petrified. Now that I've realized the basilisk can be harvested, I want to make it up to them." Draco realized his bond mate was adamant and didn't argue further.
They reached the entrance and Harry removed his broom and enlarged it. He handed it to Severus who blinked in surprise. "Draco and I can ride up together. You take my broom."
Aware that the Mutt had given Harry the broom, Severus was surprised at being offered the gift. He hid a flush of embarrassment as he again realized the boy bore no relation to the image he had built up in his mind over the years. He had to clear his throat before being able to say quietly "Thank you, Harry."
Harry used the password Professor McGonagall had given him, and climbed the stairs after the stone gargoyle opened the passageway. Draco, Severus and even his Head of House had offered to accompany him, but he felt it was important to do this himself.
He paused at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. Just as he raised his hand to knock, he heard a warm "Come in, Harry". He rolled his eyes and then set his face into what Draco called his "friendly Harry" mask as he opened the door.
"Good afternoon, Headmaster" he said politely.
The elderly wizard sat behind his desk and smiled at the teen as he entered. "Sit down, my boy." He waited until Harry perched on the edge of the chair in front of the large wooden desk. His sharp blue eyes sparkled behind his half-moon spectacles and his gaze missed nothing as he looked at Harry. "Would you like a lemon sherbet?" he offered.
The Gryffindor stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the traditional offer, but reached out a hand and selected a candy. "Thank you, Sir" he said as he popped it into his mouth.
"How are you, Harry? Everything all right between you and Mr. Malfoy? Classes progressing satisfactorily?" The Headmaster leaned forward and took a candy himself and then brushed his beard off his desk and back into his lap.
"Yes, thank you, Sir. Draco and I are getting along pretty well. I would have to say he's quickly becoming my best friend, although in a slightly different way than Ron or Hermione. Classes are going very well. Draco has an unnatural insistence on completing assignments same day when possible. It's almost like have a second Hermione around." He smiled as he compared the two friends.
The Headmaster chuckled and seemed to relax a bit. "And Mr. Malfoy? I was worried that the assault might have lingering effects, but he seems to be recovered, although I only know what I see publicly."
Harry frowned at the reminder. "I think the bonding helped heal the after effects of the rape, Headmaster. As long as he knew I held him blameless, he recovered reasonably well. Knowing that the Veela Council handled the investigation and judgment and kept it quiet also helped."
"Just so, just so" the older man said as he nodded. "I didn't mean to stir up bad memories."
The raven haired teen nodded as well. He didn't want other issues to detract from his purpose. The Headmaster seemed to understand that and asked "What brings you to see me today, Harry?"
With a deep breath, Harry said "It's about the basilisk from second year, Sir." The white eyebrows raised and surprise flashed across the elderly wizard's face. "Heh, not the topic he expected you to bring up" snorted Ortinoth. Harry ignored his Naflopsola and focused on the Headmaster. "I would like to bring in a team to harvest the basilisk corpse. I will donate half of all potion ingredients to Professor Snape and would also like to take the proceeds from the sale of other components and offer compensation to the students that suffered from it."
The Headmaster leaned back in his chair and combed his beard thoughtfully. "You weren't responsible for the students who were petrified, my boy."
"No Sir" Harry agreed. "But they've had no compensation in any way, either monetary or even counseling. I understand from Ron that Ginny still has nightmares about being possessed. The others missed huge periods of the semester that they had to spend their summers trying to make up to be ready for the next year. It was tough on all of them."
"Speak up quickly, Autgabin" advised Ortinoth. "He may be planning to take over the harvest and distribution. He doesn't see you as an adult yet."
"It wasn't until this year as I learned more about Wizard law and culture that I realized that I had claim to the carcass through 'right of conquest' or that it could potentially yield a small fortune once harvested." Harry stated. "I have a team from Dunbar and Oglethorpe ready to come in and process it, if you will authorize it."
The blue eyes scrutinized him through the spectacles and then a smile lit the old man's face. "I think it is a very generous and considerate idea, my boy. I would recommend they come during a school day, perhaps immediately after the first class begins. Do you object to me observing the process?"
"Heh" Ortinoth snorted again. "He obviously wants to actually see the Chamber and possibly discover if it holds any other secrets."
Harry couldn't blame the old man's curiosity. Who wouldn't want to see the fabled Chamber of Secrets built by a Founder? He smiled at the Headmaster. "Of course you're welcome, Sir. I'm sure you'll find it fascinating."
The elderly wizard beamed a smile back at the teen. "Excellent and thank you, my boy. One has to wonder whether Salazar Slytherin had any other secrets hidden away."
Harry stood and laid a hand on his chest and gave a half-bow to the Headmaster. "Thank you, Sir. I will see when Dunbar and Oglethorpe can send their team to harvest it and let you know."
Although Harry had trouble convincing D & O that the beast really was over fifteen meters, they finally agreed to send a double team of twelve to harvest the corpse. They arrived after the bell for the first class and Harry and Professor Dumbledore met them at the entrance. The ten men and two women were all dressed in heavy leather, with dragonhide gloves hanging off their belts and thick boots. Each carried a bag slung over a shoulder that Harry assumed held shrunken tools and packing crates.
A balding man with a tanned and lined face stepped forward. "Mr. Potter?"
Harry stepped forward and held out a hand, which disappeared into the much larger man's hand. He tried to keep his feet as his hand was pumped with strength and enthusiasm. "Yes sir. And this is Headmaster Dumbledore." His hand was released and the Headmaster's hand was pumped with equal enthusiasm.
The man grinned. "Hey Professor! I was in the class of '59. Don't expect you to remember me though."
The Headmaster beamed at the large man. "Yes of course, Everett Turkson. A pleasure to see you so fit and healthy" he said as he gave his hand a shake, trying to restore the blood flow.
"Just call me Turk." He turned back to Harry. "We have two teams here. Dunbar said you had a beastie well over fifteen meters? If so, that would have to be the biggest we've ever seen. Hope you don't mind if we snap a few pictures?"
"Not at all" Harry smiled. "In fact, if I can get copies, that would be great!"
"Ha, good lad. All right then, show us to the beastie."
Harry led them to the second floor girls bathroom, where a startled Myrtle gave a frightened "eep" before disappearing down through a toilet. Harry chuckled and hissed a quiet "Open" to the tap with the carved snake on it, and the sinks receded to show the dark passageway. "I've always slid down the pipe. Did you bring brooms to get out?
A balding man with a tanned and lined face grinned at the teen. "No worries. We have levitation disks that we use to move heavy crates. We can ride them back up."
The Headmaster drew Harry aside. "Have you ever tried asking for stairs in Parseltongue? I can't see Salazar Slytherin climbing up and down a pipe every time he wanted to access his Chamber."
Harry blinked and then smacked his forehead. He turned back to the passage and hissed "Stairs" in Parseltongue. When nothing happened, he tried "Give me stairs" and finally "Staircase". With that command, a rumbling was heard and within a few seconds, a flight of steps covered the pipe while globes that had been hidden in darkness illuminated the passage.
Harry shook his head in embarrassment, but the workers seemed appreciative of the stairs and added light. The Gryffindor led them to the corpse, stopping only for the team to salvage the shed skin. Once in the Chamber, the team looked at the carcass and back to the teenager.
"You killed that beastie?" Turk asked in amazement. "By yourself?"
"Yes sir" Harry acknowledged with some embarrassment. "But only after the Headmaster's phoenix blinded it. It could still smell me, but at least I could fight back without being killed with a glance."
The man shook his head and then turned to the others. "Right then, the lad was accurate and we do need two full teams. Skinners you're up first. You can look around for other shed skins once this beast is taken care of. Butchers will work on the meat and internal potion ingredients. Foley, you're in charge of the venom sacs and the fangs. Alec, you record and measure everything before it's packed. This is going to take a good twelve hours, so split up and get moving."
The teams quickly put their bags on the ground, drew out and enlarged their shrunken equipment. The crates were enlarged and set up in strategic points around the carcass. As they moved in what was obviously well-rehearsed coordination, the Headmaster suggested that Harry return to his classes, especially if it was going to take the better part of the day.
The team leader heard the discussion and joined in. "He's right, lad. We'll be working for the next twelve hours and then it will take several days to weigh, measure, and dispose of it. We'll set aside everything already agreed upon, and send you an owl when it's finished with our estimation of the selling prices. Once everything sells, Dunbar will let you know the final amounts."
"OK then. Have fun!" The men grunted while the two women grinned. He retraced his steps and had to admit that the well-lit staircase made exiting the chamber much easier.
Lucius, Narcissa and Severus sat around the fireplace in the boy's common room, sipping their wine after a delicious dinner.
Severus had been able to obtain the demiguise hairs in one's and two's from various Potions Masters while some of Lucius' more disreputable connections delivered the banshee hairs.
What all the contacts had failed to produce was the Nundu fur. "I'm sorry Lucius, but there is no Potions Master who admits having any Nundu fur and the Guild has no leads. They can only suggest trying to stage a hunt to capture a Nundu."
Lucius sipped his wine slowly. "We may have to do that, but our time is getting short." He frowned at his glass. "I find it incredible that there isn't a single supplier for the dratted fur when I'm willing to pay well above market price."
Severus sighed. "There may be some out there, but it's so rare that it's not for sale at any price. When it takes scores of well-trained wizards to subdue a single beast, and they hunt in pairs, once someone has some, they aren't likely to let it go."
Narcissa looked at Harry and wondered what the boy was contemplating. He was staring into the fireplace with a pronounced frown. Was he that upset about Lucius and Severus?
Draco apparently noticed the Gryffindor's distraction as well. "Harry? What are you thinking?" When no response came, he poked his bond mate. "Harry?"
The other teen jumped and flushed as he saw everyone looking at him with varying degrees of curiosity. "Hm? Oh, sorry Draco. I was just thinking…"
The blonde smirked. "Obviously. Was it painful?"
Harry poked the blonde in retaliation, but then turned thoughtful again. "Draco, we saw dozens upon dozens of rooms in Potter Manor, right?"
The Slytherin frowned at the non sequitor. "Yes, Harry. We saw many rooms." He raised a blonde eyebrow.
Harry tipped his head and looked at his bond mate. "But we didn't see a Potions lab, did we?"
Draco shook his head. "No, we didn't. Why?"
The dark-haired teen looked at the blonde and then at the adults who were watching the conversation. "Don't you think an Ancient Family would have had a Potions lab somewhere in their ancestral home?"
Draco smiled cautiously. "I agree it probably has one, but you think it might have something as rare as Nundu fur?"
Harry shrugged. "We'll never know unless we check. But it seems like between the Vault and the Manor, there would be rare ingredients somewhere." He took a breath and then called out "Zigby!"
It took several seconds, but the tall house elf appeared in his immaculate black pants, crisp white shirt and black vest embroidered with the Potter crest. He swept into a low bow with one hand flourished behind him. "Master Harry called? How may Zigby serve the Master?"
Harry smiled at the stylishly clad head elf. "Zigby, when Draco and I toured the Manor, we never noticed a Potions lab. Does the Manor have one?"
The house elf smiled at being able to respond positively. "Yes, Master Harry. Zigby remembers that Mistress Lily was quite excited when she first saw it. She occasionally used the Manor Potions lab. She said the lab at the cottage was not adequate for more than household potions."
"Tell me, Zigby" Harry began trying not to be too hopeful "are there still ingredients stored in the Lab?"
"Oh yes sir. Master Charlus designed an extensive preservation closet. Lady Lily was quite enthusiastic about it. The Mistress said that she found ingredients decades old that were just as fresh as the day they were stored."
"Zigby, would you check the preservation closet for something labeled as 'nundu fur' and if it's there, bring it back to me?"
The house elf wilted a little. "Zigby can check the closet for the fur, Master Harry, but Zigby is not permitted to withdraw items from the closet. The Master must grant Zigby permission. Does the Master still want Zigby to look for the fur?"
Harry nodded. "Thank you, Zigby. I assume I have to be present to grant you authorization?"
The house elf nodded again. "Yes Master Harry. Zigby apologizes for inconveniencing the Master." He bowed again with a flourish and disappeared with a quiet pop.
The teen smiled at the others in the room. "If he finds the fur, it will be easy enough to go to the Manor and get it."
The head house elf reappeared with a small pop. "Master Harry, Zigby found several jars labeled Nundu fur, Nundu blood, Nundu fangs, Nundu claws and Nundu heartstrings in the preservation closet."
"YES!" Draco exclaimed. An indrawn breath by the other adults indicated the same level of more restrained excitement.
Harry grinned at the other four. "I don't know if the signet ring will work through the Hogwarts wards, but I can always make a quick trip down to the apparition point."
Zigby cleared his throat quietly. "Yes Zigby? And thank you! Good work by the way!" Harry grinned at the elf.
"Zigby can take Master Harry to the Manor Potions lab if Master wishes" he offered hesitantly. He was rewarded with a beaming smile by his master. "You are my hero, Zigby" the teen said fervently. "Let's go!"
The elf laid his hand on the teen's arm and the two disappeared with a slightly louder pop.
"Try not to get too excited dear" Narcissa said to the bouncing Draco. "There may not be enough or it may have expired" she warned.
They waited impatiently for several minutes and then Harry was returned by the house elf. "Well done, Zigby and thank you!" the teen said with a smile.
"Zigby serves the Potter Family with pleasure" the elf said as he bowed lowed and then disappeared.
Harry smiled at the room. "Sorry it took so long. The closet was warded and I had to authorize Zigby into them." He withdrew a large jar from his robe. "I'm not sure just how big a 'patch' is, but this looks like at least a foot of fur to me."
He handed the jar to the Potions Master who accepted it as if it was fragile and would break. Severus and Lucius met one another's eyes. "One week, Lucius. It will take one week to brew the potion."
The blonde held his wife's hand tightly and clasped the Potions Master's arm with his other hand. "One week. I believe that I will be able to wait one more week."
Juanth Darastrix = Elder Dragons
Lowaar = Indwellers
Iejir = Blood
Arcaniss = Magic
Naflopsola = Grandfather
