Requiem for the Living
By Jinxd n Cursed
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. I merely play in the world of J.K. Rowling; she still owns the characters.
Rex tremendae majestatis,
qui salvandos savas gratis,
salve me, fons pietatis.
Chapter Nineteen
Severus was severely tempted to rip Hermione's letter to shreds, and then burn the pieces to ash. She had been impertinently, obnoxiously... correct. He was not used to this, to someone else being right instead of him.
He was a proud man. For much of his life, he had little to his name other than his intellect. He had grown up exceptionally poor, with most of his clothes coming as hand-me-downs or from charity shops or else made by his mother from whatever she could beg, borrow, or steal. Even without his usually threadbare and ugly clothes, he had never been appealing to look at. His features were a compilation of the worst features of each of his parents. He had inherited his mother's gaunt frame and Roman nose. From his father, he received his lank black hair and deep set dark eyes. He was hardly the image of a romance novel hero.
If his appearance wasn't off-putting enough for most, his personality did most others in. He had always been guarded in relationships and had never made friends easily. Like his father, he was quick to anger, though he rarely resorted to physical violence. His sense of humour was very dry and he was bitingly sarcastic. He didn't suffer fools, least of all the students he was charged to teach, making him the least-liked professor in modern times, though he came out ahead of those from the Middle Ages who used the rack as punishment for spilled potion ingredients.
His intellect was the only thing he had over most people. It was terribly insulting to be inferior in that respect to Hermione, with her making most of the latest discoveries. She had hired him in good faith, apparently desperate to find a Potions Master... only to not really need him. He wondered if she would fire him.
No, that wasn't really a possibility if she was hoping to develop a new potion after finishing the revision to the Wolfsbane. She would need him and apparently not a single Potions Master worth his salt would work with her other than him. He would prove that he was useful indeed. His other work would wait; this was his chance.
He began by looking over the books in his library. There was a specific title he had in mind but it wouldn't hurt to consider others as well. Glancing over the spines of his books, he grabbed the title he had come for and then two others he thought might contain relevant information.
Gathering a few sheets of parchment, he sat at his desk to begin his studies. The first book contained valuable background information, but did not offer the solutions he was looking for. He wrote down some notes about how different enchantments affected plant based ingredients but otherwise moved on to his other texts.
Yarrow was a very versatile herbal treatment and seemed to be recommended for all ailments. Its lack of specificity had been the main reason he hadn't thought it could possibly function as a replacement for the Enchanted Belladonna. It was a fever reducer, anti-inflammatory, astringent, diaphoretic, pain reliever, and stimulant. It was also anti-viral and anti-bacterial. For centuries, soldiers had used it to treat wounds, as it promoted clotting and fended off infection. Really, even on its own the herb did almost everything.
He considered the roles of the two plants that the Enchanted Yarrow replaced: Thunder God Vine and Enchanted Belladonna. Belladonna's primary functions were as a pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxer. Thunder God Vine was used as an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and pain reliever. Yarrow accomplished all of these things, but the primary common thread with all the ingredients was the anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, logic dictated that the anti-inflammatory affects were most likely what needed enhancing via enchantment.
Severus got up from the desk to fetch another tome about medicinal enchantments. While he was already up, he decided to brew a cup of tea. Tea was always good for thinking. A few biscuits wouldn't hurt either.
With his food and beverage for inspiration, he settled in for the long haul. Enchantments could be placed on ingredients in a variety of ways at different stages in the growth of the ingredient or in harvesting and processing the ingredient: to the seeds themselves, the plant as it grew, the harvested plant, or the extract itself. The enchantments placed on Belladonna were to suppress the poisonous characteristics and to amplify the anti-inflammatory properties. Yarrow would not need a charm to suppress the poison but he wondered if it would require a similar amplification charm.
After another few minutes of reading through the research, he was sure without a doubt that it would require an amplification spell. The specific spell and the growth phase at which it needed to be applied were matters unto themselves, however.
Hour after hour, he pored over the books, scribbling notes onto parchment. He finished his tea and biscuits, though they had long since gone cold. He got up to use the loo once, but other than that he stayed attached to his desk well through the night. When the sun was starting to peek over the eastern horizon, he sat back in his chair exhausted but satisfied: he had an answer.
He took a fresh sheet of parchment from the desk and began his letter to Hermione, hoping she would get it when she first made it in to the office.
Dear Miss Granger,
Drat. He hadn't referred to her as 'Granger' in more than a week. He tossed the parchment away and got a new one.
Dear Healer Weasley,
You will be pleased to know that I have discovered the enchantment for the Belladonna.
That wasn't correct either. He shook his head, his eyes bleary. Perhaps if he took a moment to wake himself after a long day and night spent researching, he would be able to think straight enough to write a proper letter. Rising from his chair, he set the kettle on to boil before moving on to the washroom.
He went i inside intending to just splash some water on his face to freshen himself. Instead, he found himself staring at his own reflection. His skin was darker than it had been during his Hogwarts days from all his time spent outdoors tending his garden and taking walks through the woods. The ponytail was an accident. A few years prior, Minerva was unable to visit him for three months and thus unable to cut his hair. He found he quite liked having his hair in a tail, as it was less likely to get in the way. The beard was grown to offer a vague disguise of his face, though he doubted anyone who had known him would recognize him anyway with the two stone he had gained in the last ten years. Age was finally tempering his quick metabolism. The dark shadows under his eyes and the five o'clock shadow on his neck were a reminder of his Hogwarts days, however. He resolved that he needed a shave and perhaps a rest in addition to the splash of cold water. His letter to Hermione could wait for a few more minutes at least.
Ultimately, though he did shave, he found himself unable to rest before sharing his excitement with Hermione.
Dear Healer Weasley,
You will be pleased to know that after thorough research, I have found the proper enchantment for the Yarrow extract. A standard power amplification charm should be placed on the plant immediately after harvesting. I believe this formulation is readily available in most apothecaries. While I have run the calculations to ensure this is the proper solution, you will no doubt waste Mr. Boot's time by having him rerun the simulation. My notes are attached and I await your speedy reply.
Regards,
Jack Hier
With his letter finally on its way, Severus Snape collapsed into his bed and immediately fell asleep. His dreams all featured Hermione in a variety of ways: Hermione fixing dinner in his kitchen; both of them in the wizarding section of the National Portrait Gallery; Hermione tending the garden while he cradled baby Hugo, watching as Rose ducked in and out of the trees; Hermione leaning against him on the sofa as they shared a book. He woke just as he dreamed of Hermione's face drawing closer and closer to his.
The mid afternoon sun poured through the window and into his eyes. He blinked several times, the memories of his dreams fading some as his conscious mind took over. The clock told him it was half past three and his stomach rumbled that it had not been fed in almost twenty-four hours so he set about finding something to eat.
He began munching on a handful of crackers as he prepared a fry-up, his stomach rumbling. Just as he pulled the tomato out from under the broiler, there was a tapping against the kitchen window. Hermione's very familiar owl waited outside the window with a fat scroll clutched in its talons. The owl extended its leg when he opened the window and then settled on a tree branch, presumably to wait for a response. Tempted though he was to immediately break the wax seal and read the letter, he finished cooking his meal and sat down at the table with both his food and the letter.
Dear Mr. Hier,
Congratulations on your discovery. I have read over all the notes you sent and have passed the info onto our colleague, Mr. Boot. He first ran calculations to verify your findings. Your figures were all correct, of course. The enchanted yarrow fully takes the place of the Enchanted Belladonna as well as the Thunder God Vine. He then ran calculations in regards to the effectiveness of the potion. We were simply hoping to verify that there was no reduction in efficacy due to the substitutions in ingredients. Imagine my surprise to discover that the potion is now 30% more effective than the previous incarnation.
I am struggling to maintain my professional composure and instead find myself lapsing into a certain level of schoolgirl giddiness. I never understood my classmates' obsessions with boys and pretty clothes but this is the stuff of dreams. Other women might dream of being swept off their feet but I dream of innovations that help other people. You have helped me realize this dream for which I thank you immensely.
Alas, solving the final mystery is not the end of the work to be done. We will need to write up our research to be submitted for peer review. I wonder how changing the recipe for a Master level potion will be perceived by the old guard of masters. Not especially well, I suspect, but we have the evidence to support it. Now we need someone to try it, of course.
There is still much more to do, as I am sure you know, but I am so excited that we have come this far. I shall start writing up our research immediately. Do you wish to contribute to the paper or do you merely want to sign your name to the work?
Regards,
Hermione Weasley
Her enthusiasm would have been overwhelmingly annoying when she was a student. The hand waving would have been unbearable and in all likelihood, he would have inflicted her with an overly harsh criticism that may or may not have resulted in the over sensitive teenage girl bursting into tears.
Instead of insulting her, however, he did something most unexpected. When Severus Snape finished reading Hermione Weasley's letter, he smiled.
Dear Healer Weasley,
No, I will not have you signing my name onto your work. I have a reputation to preserve, after all. We will work on it together this weekend. Bring your children, if you must, but I will expect you here Saturday morning.
Sincerely,
Jack Hier
Author's Notes: *cowers under desk* Don't kill me! I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I've had near chronic writer's block for weeks. I am really trying to churn out a chapter each week but it just isn't happening right now. I'm sorry. :( My computer also apparently hates the WiFi at home which is super fun. Thanks to DanB86, my wonderful beta reader.