Alternate Reality: Simply Slytherin
Chapter Twelve
Boy, reflected Harry dazedly, do Slytherins take their losses to heart or what?
Staring at the hospital wing ceiling the dark haired boy felt something wet and slimy drip down the side of his face. Pomfrey waved her wand one, twice, and gave a sharp business- like flick of her wand, shaking her head all the time.
"All right, Mr. Potter. You may go." The mediwitch ushered him out of the hospital wing's large, double doors; her large, white nurse hat blindingly white in the hospital light. As an afterthought she called out after him, "And do try to stay away until after Christmas hols!"
Shaking his head to clear away the fuzziness brought on by one of the potions he had been forced to drink, Harry muttered dark threats to an invisible Draco Malfoy and Aaron Avery. All he needed was a nice hefty curse book, several hours, and vengeance would be his. Malfoy had managed to turn his hair into squirming tentacles, and Avery had turned his skin an ugly mixture of yellow, green, and blue with a potion that Harry felt sure neither of them made themselves.
At any rate, whoever had made the potion had done a right good job of it.
The potion had turned slightly vaporous the moment it hit air and enveloped him, changing the color of his skin, tentacles, and eyes and pretty much wherever it happened to land. Madam Pomfrey had changed his skin back to its normal milky complexion, and also cleared away the extra slimy appendages. But the dye used in the potion had been taken from knotweed root and the mediwitch couldn't do anything about the new color of his eyes until she owl ordered the anecdote.
Kicking a stray piece of rock on the stone floor Harry silently fumed. Pausing by the doors of the Great Hall he considered going into dinner but decided against it. The last thing he needed was to deal with a room stuffed with his hotheaded house mates and opposing team winners. Raking a hand through his messy hair he sighed and turned away, making a straight line for the dungeons. Safely tucked away in the Common room Harry pulled out a large tomb from one the book shelves and curled up in one of the huge leather chairs, draping himself with a dark green afghan with the Slytherin crest.
Halfway down the second page the black haired boy began to slowly absorb what he was reading.
Immortality, while never quite permanently achievable, is viable through several known methods. In 234BCE the renowned wizard Werdificus the Salubrious discovered the fifth component of Unicorn's Blood.
Unicorn's Blood, known for it's high concentration of Validrian oil which is a prime ingredient used in sword making, the gilding of various objects, and Madam Certi's Magically Tanning Concoction which was banned in 1324 in Cuba, Russia, Germany, and Switzerland…
Harry skimmed the next paragraph, picturing Binn's monotonous voice droning through his mind.
But, as Werdificus' son discovered, the murder of a Unicorn curses the individual to live a half life. They have no body and are driven to madness, their humanity stripped from them each time they drink from a Unicorn's Jugular…the process of collecting the Unicorn's Life blood is diagramed below. First, he knife makes a vertical cut along the neckline and…"EURGH!" Harry dropped the book in shock and covered his mouth, his empty stomach roiling. Collecting himself Harry picked the book up again, and swiftly turned the page, grimacing at the moving diagrams. Flipping ahead through the chapter, another passage caught his eye.
Many wizards have studied these methods to prong long the life, but not many have succeeded in their endeavor to find the fames' Elixir of Life'. One wizard by the name of Nicolas Flamel, a noted alchemist, who has managed to create an artifact known as, not only the Philosopher's Stone, but also the Sorcerer's Stone. This artifact can prong long the life for many years, and can turn many metallic objects into gold…
…the theory that precious metals, such as gold, platinum, and silver, contribute to the age defying solutions was first brought to wide circles of study by the late Master De'Geregio, a Potion's Master who taught at Europe's Potion Institute, well known for it's turn out of many well respected Potion Masters. After his death his most prized student, pupil progeny S.-. Snape. But when he failed to produce viable evidence the theory was noted, and documented, but ultimately dismissed. Coincidentally, Mr. Snape eventually gave up on his Master's theory and the branch of alchemy altogether; instead, he began research on werewolves and other magical beasts. After getting the highest marks on record for the Master's test, and being the youngest one to take it thus far, Master Snape vanished from the potion's circle to attend to family matters. Later, after the fall of he-who-shall-not-be-named, Snape took the title of Professor and now teaches at Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry and is currently working on his thesis for the Wolfsbane brew, first concocted in 1723.
Master De'Geregio also studied seven of the ten uses for Dragon's Blood with co Master of Magic Albus Dumbledore who…
Harry quit reading, letting the information on his head of house sink in. What did it all mean? Does this make him the one who is trying to steal the stone or not? Lost in his thoughts Harry placed the book in his bag and checked the clock on the mantle. Dinner was over and his friends were either on their way to the Common Room or the Library. Knowing that he would cross their path if he left anyway he grabbed his book bag and opened the secret passageway.
"Nice history lesson, Harry, but that still doesn't clear Snape's name."
Harry sighed and shook his head, "But listen here, it says he's studying the 'Wolfsbane brew' not alchemy or immortality! That has to count for something!"
"A ruse." Harry looked up at Morag who had her arms crossed and was giving them a cool gaze.
"What?"
"A ruse, simple as that! He's only using it as a cover, keeping his bases covered."
"This is getting ridiculous. Hermione, please tell me you don't think it's the professor?"
But when they all turned to the Gryffindor they all rolled their eyes to see her frizzy brown head over the book, her fingers thumbing through the pages. Feeling their gaze she glanced up and crinkled her brow, "What?"
Morag muttered something under her breath in which the word "Ravenclaw" was distinct. Harry asked again and she chewed her lip thoughtfully.
"I'd like to believe it sure, but think, Harry, all the evidence is pointing at him."
"But what about Quirrel?" He insisted.
"Now he does put a wrench in the whole thing," Morag said thoughtfully.
Madam Pince came by then, shooing them out of the library for closing. The castle was beginning to quiet down but when Nott checked his watch they realized they were already after curfew.
"I've got to get going, if McGonagall catches us, we'll have detention for sure. Ever since I covered for you at Halloween she's been looking out for me, and not in an entirely good way. See you tomorrow then."
Once she was gone Theo turned to his companions and asked, "Shall we make a run for it then?"
"At least until we get to the dungeons, from then on we better tip toe."
"Yea, the professor has ears like a bat!"
"Well well well…what do we have here? Students from my own House, out after curfew?" The trio turned around and gaped. "Potter! I should have known you were trouble from the moment I saw you. Now, you two get to your dormitories before I take away house points. No no, Mr. Potter, you will follow me. Now!" The professor barked, glaring at the lot of them before stalking away once Harry's two companions had fled.
Harry ended up following professor Snape farther into the dungeons than he had ever gone before. Stopping outside a door the professor used a charm to unlock it and ushered him in with a dark glare. Standing before the desk Harry cringed as the door gave a sharp click behind him and his professor's shoes made short, clipping noises as he crossed his private office.
"What were you doing out of your dormitory after curfew, Mr. Potter?" The professor's voice was quiet, and when he glanced up, his gaze was as dark as ever. He swallowed uneasily.
"We were in the library doing some homework, we hadn't been paying attention to the time and we only left when Madam Pince came by and informed us she was closing the library doors.
"And what homework would have three Slytherin first years so riveted, as to. Not. Notice. The. Time?" the tall wizard demanded.
"Well…it was a mixture, sir, uh, it was eh. Research, sir. History and we met a problem that we were in disagreement with concerning morals and people. Sir." Harry really hoped he hadn't just botched something up royally.
"I shall let you go this time, Mr. Potter, but do not expect to keep up with these shenanigans any longer. I knew your father when I was in school. He was quite the rule breaker you know," he continued at Harry's hesitant nod, "You are turning out to be more like him than I would have liked. What are you being more like, boy?"
"My father, sir."
The professor leaned in dangerously close and said with menace, "And what was he?"
"A trouble maker, sir." Harry had a bad feeling in his stomach. Why couldn't he be like every one else, he wondered to himself not for the first time in his life.
Professor Snape looked immensely pleased with himself. "Very good, Mr. Potter, but that is not the only thing I brought you here for. Since I did not wish to let you impede upon my valuable time I thought I might was well drill in two lessons at once." Pulling a sheet of parchment from his desk drawer he handed it over to the small first year. "Care to explain this?"
Hesitantly taking the parchment he scanned it carefully before paling at the implications. "It has my name on it sir, but-"
"It's not your work."
Alarm bells had begun to go off in the back of Harry's mind but he replied anyway, "Well no…"
"Then you admit to your crime?" the professor's blank face had a sinister look to it.
Harry sputtered, "Crime? I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Mr. Potter, this essay is in your handwriting." Despite his face the professor's tone was deceptively soft.
"But, sir! I didn't write this!"
"I know, Mr. Potter, the reason for which you will be penalized for cheating. Did you not think I had at least read the texts book which I assign? Credit me, Mr. Potter, with knowing the material I teach every day!"
"But, sir!" Harry pleaded.
"Do not presume that you will get out of this one so easily! I will deduct the proper amount of points and assign detention when I deem it appropriate. Return to your dormitories, I will not be held responsible if you are caught out after curfew a second time this evening. You may go."
Harry's voice had gone somewhere and he found it hard to force the words out, "Yes, sir." Quietly he opened but he took one step when he heard that voice again. That's what had set off the alarms. Normally, the professor's voice was sarcastic, cold, and unfeeling. This past conversations was said with a sort of…passion. A voice that was fueled with the emotion of hate. Hate for Harry.
"And do not think I will let that comment about my species earlier this evening slide either. That will make another week of detention. Perhaps I should hold these detentions till after Christmas, they do tend to mount up, don't they, Mr. Potter?"
That lump was there again. Forcing it somewhere else he took a deep, steadying breath, "Yes, sir." He said tightly. "What about Quidditch, sir?"
"I'm sure you'll find someway around the problem, if not," the professor stood from his seat behind the desk and came to the door with a vindictive smile. "I suggest you consider quitting the team."
A few minutes later Harry was down the hallway, leaning against the stone dungeon walls with a lost expression on his face.
"Perhaps Morag is right," he whispered to the silent hallways the lump in his throat sliding down his throat into his empty stomach. Sliding onto the floor he wished desperately that the manifestation of betrayal and hurt would stop making him feel sick and just come up with lunch, dry heaves, or even tears! But the persistent feeling of pain continued, he knew he wasn't sick, but he really wished he was. It would be so much better than acknowledging that he had trusted someone for once, and it had turned around on him once again.
REVIEWS! A big thanks to those of you who reviewed!
Starangel 2106: Ok, I'm going going! So…do you like it now? Huh?
Avemtilla: Fluffy Snape is just wrong. Ah well, it is possibly, despicably so, but nevertheless possible!
HecateDeMort: bows thanks!
Tati1: Actually I can, and I did! Whee! You like?
Cinammon: Wow! I liked your review, gave me warm fuzzies. Oh..wait, that was indigestion. Right. Anyway, can't really give to much info away at this point, but you've got a point about Draco. Cannon Draco at any rate. Blegh. Anyway, thanks for your review!
MerlinHalliwell: thanks! Took a lot of nights staring at my ceiling, thinking about the cannon HP universe and how I can distort it different ways. Quite the mind twisting activity
Shadowface: thank you!
Melody DeMort: 'Scuse me? Sorry, I didn't catch that fabulous review you were no doubt trying to type out, I've got you speechless. Yes, that must be it. Do try to be a shade more articulate next time. Dumbledore smile
Starlight Dreams: Oh yes, I completely understand. Poor Harry…rolls eyes…riiiiiight -
MiruSedna: Thanks for your review!
Arica, princess of Rivendell: yes, m'lady! Thanks for your review, not one to mince words are you?
Azntgr01: Thankyou for your review, was this chapter up to par?
Gual1: thank you
Colon: thanks for your reviews and advice. I'm absolutely horrid at writing, grammar, and all things English. Ah well, I am getting better. As sad as that sounds. -
A/N: Sorry it's so phenomenally short, I wanted to get this chapter out of the way and the next part didn't really mesh well with what I had originally written. Anyway, I decided to upload this and try to get some more written on my other fics, but I'm certainly not promising anything. Weathered Creed is getting a make over so…well, that sort of explains it all, doesn't it?
Oh yes, I've also got a splendid idea for another story and I've written chapter one and chapter seventeen (don't ask) but I'm afraid that by uploading it, it sort of binds me to it as well. If it sits by itself unperturbed or disturbed in my list of files then I don't have to worry about it as much. Also, I've got other stories that demand my attention, but if you guys would like to read the first chapter and possibly the second, then let me know, but be warned! It will take time away from the uploads as they are (which are few and far between as it is). I have it outlined, the chapters decided (except for the last five) and a tricky plot that took me by surprise. It will be the first of two fics, possibly three but that's still to be decided, and will most likely be the last HP fic I write for a while. If not all, then most of my other fics should be finished by the end of the year. If not, then if you are not yet acquainted with my horrendously slow uploading habits, then by the next winter holiday you shall certainly be experiencing them at full blast.
Well, that's all folks!
Charlie Quill