Thursday April 1st, 1993
Leaving their dorm room to go for breakfast, the Slytherin fourth years found their way jammed up by the other witches of their house standing in the stairwell while muttering to each other.
"What's everyone doing here?" Jacqueline asked one of the girls up ahead.
"We can't get through!" someone shouted back.
Rusalka scoffed. "Why not?" She shoved her way forward, ignoring complaints as she pushed forward to the common room. A few people stepped backward, allowing Amy and Melissa to follow after the girl. They didn't make it quite to the front, but they didn't have to to see the damage. The common room was completely flooded! Yet it wasn't just water surrounding their furniture. The place was adorned with cattails, water lilies, and several tall grasses, and they could even hear the chirps of crickets and toads from somewhere amongst the reeds.
"It's… it's a swamp!" Amy muttered. The three girls cringed at the sorry state of their common room. There was no way this was an inside job, but Slytherins don't get pranked inside their home! That aside, how does someone even manage to pull off a swamp of all things?
Wait a second. "Oh god, no." Melissa dropped her head and groaned quietly. "Fuuuck! It's the Twins' birthday today."
"What?" Someone asked.
"Fred and George Weasley." She supplied. "Three days ago they said they could pull off something big within three days, and today's their birthday."
Everyone within earshot groaned or swore under their breath. The bastards! They must have already been plotting this when they made that bet! Which means… Which means...
Today is going to be a very long day.
After a good deal of transfiguration and charms work from the upper years, the Slytherins slowly made it out of their dorms by the handful. Melissa's group trekked up the stairs where, on their first landing, they came across a group of Hufflepuffs completely covered in dirt.
Adrian offered the group a considerate smile. "There was a swamp in ours. What about yours?"
"Dirt." One answered simply.
"Everywhere." Another shuddered.
"Wait," gears turned in Melissa's head. "Did you have to tunnel your way out?"
The Hufflepuffs groaned or muttered in the affirmative. Melissa, too, swore under her breath. Amy caught the expression. "It's a pattern, isn't it?"
Melissa nodded, then froze. "Oh god, what do you think the Ravenclaws have?!"
When Melissa finished talking to Eloise and Rachel, she sat down at the Slytherin table with a renewed sense of horror. "Okay, everyone this year is legitimately terrifying!"
"What happened?" Adrian asked.
"The Ravenclaw common room doesn't have a floor!"
"WHAT?!"
"HOW?!"
"I have no idea!" Melissa cringed with every word, fingers touching as if wanting to pray but being so bewildered it felt hopeless to try. "I can't, the words won't come, just, hOW?!"
The others reeled at the thought. None could answer the question.
Garrick, head against his fingers, took in a loud breath. "Just so I'm understanding this, we are talking about our Weasleys -in fourth year- same as the rest of us?"
They all nodded or took in sharp intakes of breath. One of them being Jacinth, as he muttered "Holy shit." They nodded again. "Guys… We have double herbology with them after this."
The group shuddered.
"Oh, fuck me! We are so screwed." Melissa laughed nervously. She poured a glass of pumpkin juice and raised it in mock toast. "Well, it was nice knowing you. See you on the other side!"
Harry plopped himself down for breakfast, just grateful to finally get some toast.
"Are you really not going to wash your hands?" Susan asked incredulously.
Harry looked over at Susan, who looked mildly cleaned up, then over at Wayne and Oliver, who -like him- were covered head to toe in globs of loose earth. "Dirt is going to get on this toast no matter what; and, after all that, I don't care so long as I get food."
"Second that." Wayne muttered, reaching over to scoop eggs onto his plate.
"How did someone pull that off?" Oliver asked.
Wayne replied. "No idea. Must have been a group of people."
"For sure."
A few more classmates trickled in for breakfast. Megan planted herself onto the bench with a scowl. "When transfiguration's over I'm jumping in the lake!"
The others blinked at her, almost too tired to comprehend it. After a beat, Ernie responded. "The lake is freezing cold."
"Doesn't matter." She clipped. "I'm jumping in. Nothing's stopping me."
Hannah blinked. "You know we have showers?"
"You think all that dirt will be gone by then?"
"Oh. Probably not."
"Then I'm sticking to my plan. Going to the lake."
Ernie rolled his eyes. "At least cast a warming charm or something-"
-A flurry of shouts and shrieks cut off Ernie's comment. The group craned their heads towards the sounds. A group of people over at the Slytherin table seemed to be making a fuss.
"Oh god, it better not be more snakes!" Ernie muttered.
Harry didn't think so. The group, those are the fourth years. But where's Melly?
"BENNETT, WHAT'S WRONG?!" A boy shouted, looking down beyond Harry's line of sight.
He was up in an instant, leaping across the tables to get to them. Once over the Ravenclaw table he saw a group forming a ring around Melly. She was curled up on the ground, shuddering and vomiting, clutching her stomach tightly.
"Melly! What's wrong?!"
She didn't answer when the vomiting stopped. Instead, to everyone's shock, she stuck her fingers down her throat, forcing another stream to pour out of her mouth. Shocked, disgusted, and mortified, Harry sought out one of her classmates for help. "What happened?!"
"I don't know!" Flinton answered. "We were just talking, all of a sudden she just collapsed!"
"We have to get her to the hospital wing! Soros, help me out!" Harry went to her side, trying to lift her away from the sick. Her other side remained empty, and Harry sought out Soros still sitting at the table with his back turned. "Soros! What are you doing?!"
"Huh?" The boy turned over to him, slightly swaying in his seat. He looked at the assembled group with glassy-eyed befuddlement. "What's going on?"
Everyone watching the scene bounced between the three in confusion. Then, finally, Flinton widened her eyes, pointing at the goblet in Soros' hand. "The pumpkin juice! Something's wrong with it."
Orpington caught on immediately. "Everyone stay away from your drinks!"
Everyone in earshot flinched back. One figure became the exception as Professor Snape strode forward. "What's going on here?"
"She's been poisoned, Professor!" Harry cried. A brief exchange volleyed between the two parties. Then, with instructions to bring both the goblet and anyone infected, Professor Snape grimaced and took Melly's body in his arms. He raced out of the room, with Harry following close behind. Heart hammering in his chest out of fear over whether or not she'll be alright.
The entrance to the infirmary was barred to Harry. Only those sick and their escorts were allowed into the infirmary. Even so, Harry watched from the outside as they all went in. The sick all seemed absentminded or confused; but none were affected like Melly. That much was clear by the way Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape were shouting at each other and to the nearby students. Harry could make out snippets of conversation, but there was too much chaos to take in all that was transpiring.
After what felt like ages, a pair of prefects approached those standing out in the corridor. "Attention, Everyone! First period begins in five minutes. You all need to leave to attend your classes."
"We can't leave!" Someone shouted. Harry noticed belatedly that it was Flinton.
The boy prefect shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing any of you can do except let Madam Pomfrey take care of them."
"And Professor Snape." Harry commented. "I have double potions this morning, so it's pointless to go there when my Professor is right here, isn't it?"
The boy prefect opened and closed his mouth, then turned to his partner for help. The girl prefect screwed her face into a stern expression. "He's not going to be giving lessons while working to keep students alive." She said, "So either do some reading in the great hall or return to your dorm room. No one is to disturb their work until the danger's passed. So leave now or we'll be deducting points from each of you!"
The group of students grumbled under their breath, but most of them obliged and left the doorway. A few seconds later, Flinton waved him over. "Come on, we'll check on them later."
Harry bit the inside of his cheek in annoyance. Nevertheless, he knew he had no choice now but to comply. So, with a heavy heart, he walked away from the hospital wing.
The diagnosis for the mass of students was a shocking one. Well, shocking is both the right and wrong word for it. Not because of the potency or the prevalence amongst the students, but because- well- the Weasleys had only spiked the pumpkin juice with forgetfulness potion.
"You can't be serious!" Harry exclaimed.
Madam Pomfrey gave an exasperated sigh. "I am, Mister Potter. Every one of those admitted only show traces of forgetfulness potion in their system."
"But- That's- That can't be right! Melly is-" He broke off from his shock, looking down at the bed where his friend lay pale-faced and breathing heavily even as she slept.
The adult witch shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid I can't find the cause of her reaction. It's nothing like any of the other students. My best guess is that she's allergic to one of the ingredients in the potions, and is reacting to that."
Harry reeled at the diagnosis. "That's it? That looks way worse than allergies."
"I don't know what to tell you, Mister Potter. There are other tests I need to perform and check over, but as it stands, that is the most plausible diagnosis I can provide."
Unbelievable! Harry thought bitterly. Still, at least it's something, right? Releasing a strained breath, Harry conceded to the situation and thanked Madam Pomfrey for her help. He then situated himself beside the girl's bed and waited for her to wake up.
All evening he waited for Melly to wake up, only to be shooed out of the infirmary before curfew. The next day, after charms class, he did the same. Only to be dragged out for his only other class that day. Saturday, fortunately, there were no classes to bother him. Same for Sunday, too. But then the next week of classes rolled by, and Melly stayed unconscious for all of it.
"The trains are leaving for Easter hols tomorrow." Harry announced. "I told Uncle Sirius that I'm staying here. He understands, of course, and sends his love. So do your parents, and Jeff and the others."
He looked down at his friend's sleeping form, trying to forget that her eyes were closed as he spoke. "Works for me. Remember how cross you were that I skipped out on our friendaversary last year? Bursting out of the closet like that, with a bucket on your head?" Harry chuckled a little at the memory. "Then there was the year before that… Even though we couldn't visit each other, the way you and Jeff hid those articles about Sirius' trial inside of minty easter eggs really was genius. Dudley hated those eggs. They never suspected a thing."
His head leaned back against the chair. His eyes were somewhat blurring. "I don't even remember our first Easter. Do you?" He exhaled loudly. "That's what started everything. Meeting everyone, trying to escape, ...but then I was obliviated and couldn't remember anything.
"Is that why you make such a big deal out of it? Why you care more about the anniversary than I do? ...I suppose so. Hard for me to celebrate a day I don't even remember.
"...Huh. You know, if you don't wake up in time, you'll be the one to not remember one of our friendaversaries. Guess we'll be even then." He turned to face the bed with a teasing smile. His vision slightly cleared, even if his face got a bit wet in the process. "Well, come on, you can't have that, can you? You lorded your memory over me for years; as if you're just going to let me get away with this one!
"So, what do you say? Time to get up?
"...Please?"
It was professional integrity that led Severus to look through Bennett's medical records. Professional integrity and, perhaps, morbid curiosity. Certainly no other reason… though he supposed, if asked, being her Head of House and resident Potions Master ought to suffice anyone's nosing interference.
He dismissed the thought as he perused last year's records. Murtlap essence, cure for boils, antidote to common poisons, murtlap essence -again, burn-healing paste, blood-replenishing potion-
Severus paused midway into the list, glancing over to the next page's near-empty list and the somewhat filled list after that. He considered the change for a moment. Only to shelve the thought for the time being and resume reading. He looked into the various potions, gauging the timeline of effects and any chances of lingering traces remaining to the present. None matched, so he moved on to the following years.
Nothing from '90 shows promise. Neither does the record from '89. Severus puffed an annoyed breath as he flipped the records back in order. Nothing! There's nothing to show adverse effects from mixing forgetfulness potion with any of these remedies. It doesn't make sense! The girl isn't allergic to the ingredients (that was the first thing he checked), and these records prove that a destructive combination isn't to blame. Poppy has checked for dark curses and hexes. She even went so far as to reach out to her parents for any history with muggle maladies and still she's found nothing!
So why is the girl still unconscious?
There's something he's missing. Something is unaccounted for in these records. That, or something in the diagnosis has to be wrong. But what?
Severus sneered at the front page. The lack of an answer is grating on him. That feeling leads to nowhere, though. He needs to set aside his frustrations and look at the full situation. Severus closed his eyes for a moment, allowing his thoughts to settle through occlumency. Once ready, he started at the beginning.
On April 1st Melissa Bennett drank pumpkin juice laced with forgetfulness potion. She then collapsed on the ground and expelled the contents. Forcefully, according to witnesses.
That in itself is unusual. Forgetfulness potion makes you absentminded. Even if a person were to be sick from it, it is more likely a person would be lethargic and be passively compliant to their bodily reactions. Yet her actions were forceful, rushed.
Not at all like during testing.
The half-conscious thought gave him pause. It brought up a question worth considering. How did Bennett react during the class testing? He can't recall. After pondering it longer, he returned to the records page for '89. That had been during the first term around- ah, there's the date!
Patient arrived at 1:30 with complaints of nausea, vomiting, headache and disorientation. Prescribed anti-nausea potion and bedrest. Patient recovered to full effect. Discharged patient at 5 o'clock.
Severus absorbed the note and rearranged it into a timeline. For the effect to be immediate, he must presume that the class was scheduled for the afternoon. However, to be admitted at 1:30 diminishes most possibilities. Far too early to be affected by most of the ingredients. In fact, at that point the cauldrons would have only just started to simmer the valerian sprigs and lethe-
His mind paused at the list. Technically speaking, he never did consider that. Though, of course not, why would he? It's just water. Historically magical, yes, but not-
But why?
Because-
His mind drew a blank. The irony of forgetting an aspect of forgetfulness potion was not lost on him. That said, the unknown quality could be a possible lead. That considered, Severus pushed the records into a pile, snuffed the candle, and left to seek out his private library for answers.
