Author's Note:
As of today, this story has reached 1,000 views! Give yourself a miniature celebration if you've been hanging on with me this far. Thank you to all of those who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. It means the world to me to know what people think of it. I responded to all of your reviews, and I apologize if I ever responded more than once. My internet was being a bother and when I finally got back on ffn a week after I posted the last chapter, I'd sort of forgotten who I had replied to and who I hadn't...
Anyway, here's another chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 5
Severus Snape was in his element. There was only him, his potions lab, a cauldron, his personal potion journal, and the ingredients he needed. There weren't any students constantly talking around him, and he didn't have to worry about anyone blowing up their cauldron. He was alone, and he knew what he was doing.
Severus left his cauldron sitting while he walked to his bedroom. The water was on its way to boiling, and he had time to do something else while he waited. Knowing full well that Dumbledore would return with the Dragon blood at the most inopportune time for him, Severus pulled his pensieve off of a shelf and carried it with him to his lab. Setting the pensieve on top of a counter, Severus raised his wand to his temple, thinking about the memories Mr. Potter had just shown to him. Dumbledore wouldn't be pleased to find out the Dark Lord had returned. The Order had hoped he would remain in his half-human state for at least another year or two since one of his horcruxes had been destroyed. Severus set the tip of his wand to the swirling liquid of the pensieve and deposited the memories inside. When Dumbledore returned, he could leave the Dragon blood in the lab and disappear in Mr. Potter's memories while Severus worked. For the most part, the potion didn't require a lot of work. The majority of the brewing time was spent waiting for the potion to become a certain color or simmer until it reached a certain temperature. When the brewer wasn't waiting, however, all of the instructions were fast paced and had to be followed exactly, lest unpleasant consequences occur. The severity of the ingredients used when not combined correctly would either poison the surrounding air along with the potion or create an explosion that would extend far past Hogwarts' borders. Severus was confident in his abilities to brew the potion, though, seeing as this wasn't the first time he'd brewed it. He had created the potion after all.
Severus heard a whoosh of flames before a voice that resembled the headmaster's started calling, "Severus! Severus! Are you in your lab?" Funny, he couldn't remember the sound of any doors opening or closing, and he'd become very attuned to even the quietest sounds over the years. He could hear anything.
"Yes, I'm in my lab, Albus. You know what is at stake if this potion isn't brewed correctly. Do you have the Dragon blood with you? If you do, that was a much quicker trip to Romania than I expected."
"No, I'm firecalling you. Mr. Weasley just left to acquire some Dragon blood for us. He'll be returning with me, if you don't mind. He said Harry would still be stunned like a Dragon after you give him the potion, and it would be best if someone trained in the use of the spell were to lift it from the boy."
"Yes, Albus, that would make sense. At least one of the Weasley children can have a coherent thought. Can I expect you to return soon?"
"That you can. Have you set up the pensieve yet? I would very much like to see how Mr. Potter ended up in such a precarious situation."
"It's beside me right now, memories deposited and ready to go. I don't think you'll like what you'll see."
"Is it really that bad?"
"I'm afraid so. Once you and Charlie arrive, I'd appreciate it if you could take him with you when you view these memories. I need as much concentration as possible to brew this potion."
"If that will help you, then I'll certainly take him with me. If it's as bad as it sounds, he'll probably want to view these memories firsthand as well."
"Yes, well, if I'm busy when you arrive, do not disturb me under any circumstances." The water in the cauldron began boiling. "I must go now."
"As you wish, Severus." He heard the flames in the fireplace extinguish as the headmaster had hopefully returned his head to Romania.
The next sixty minutes for Severus Snape were filled with preparing ingredients, stirring, adjusting temperatures, waiting for color changes, and checking his potions journal. Awaiting a change in color from turquoise to clear, he turned his head when he heard footsteps in his commons room. Picking up his wand and turning towards the door, Severus asked, "Who's in there?"
"Not to worry, my boy. We've arrived with the Dragon blood for the potion." Albus Dumbledore and Charlie Weasley entered Severus' potions lab, a large vial in the redhead's hand. "It took a bit longer than expected to get the blood, and then Mr. Weasley here wasn't sure how much we needed. I wasn't sure myself, but not to worry; I'm sure we brought back more than enough."
Severus took the vial and set it on the counter. "This will hopefully be enough. Mr. Potter is such a strong wizard that I'm not sure how much it will take. Thank you, Mr. Weasley."
Charlie shook his head. "Call me Charlie; after all, I'm not your student anymore."
"Thank you, Charlie."
"It wasn't a big deal. I was just trying to find a Dragon that was compatible with Harry's magical capabilities so it would take hold easier. That's the blood of a Hungarian Horntail you've got sitting on your counter, Severus. I'd take good care of it."
Severus' jaw dropped. "Are you serious right now? Do you know how rare the blood of a Hungarian Horntail is?"
Charlie smiled and nodded. "That's where I ran into my problem. The Keeper in charge of our Hungarian Horntail right now was dead set against letting me take any of its blood. That Dragon doesn't take too kindly to that, you know. Once I explained that it was to save Harry Potter, his attitude changed a bit. As it stands now, I've got both his cleaning duties and mine for the next month, but I'd do anything to save Harry. Mum would kill me if I didn't."
Out of the corner of his eye, Severus noticed that the potion was becoming clear. He turned to it and began chopping Gillyweed that had been soaked in Honeywater. "Please view the memories in the pensieve now. I'll be working constantly for quite a while now."
"As you wish, Severus. Please join me to give him some space, Mr. Weasley." The headmaster and the redhead touched their fingers to the liquid in the pensieve and were no longer in the room.
Half an hour later, Albus and Charlie landed in Severus' potions lab, eyes wide open and mouths gaping in shock. Severus was stirring the potion. "Don't even think of saying anything until I permit it. The potion is in one of its most critical stages and I wouldn't recommend making me lose my concentration unless you wish to die either by an explosion or by poisoned air. I already know what you saw, and I'm sure you can keep quiet and attempt to process it for the next fifteen minutes. Then you might be able to think rationally instead of jumping to action and conclusions as Gryffindors like Mr. Weasley here are prone to do. Actually, Albus, I've been thinking about this potion and Mr. Potter. You may want to find a room for Mr. Weasley here to stay in for the next few nights. The introduction will have to be gradual with blood from such a strong Dragon species. If we were to give him the entire amount needed to mix into his bloodstream at once it would overpower him. We'll have to take this step by step in order for it to break the fatality of the spell."
Dumbledore nodded and led Charlie from the room. Severus heard the door to the dungeons open and close, and then all was quiet in his lab but the sound of the fire crackling under his cauldron and his ladle causing the potion to splash against the sides of the cauldron.