Summary: What is the true meaning of what happened when 11 year old Harry is asked: "What would I get if I added asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?" This is a one shot. Enjoy. Canon for the most part, character death at the end.

A/N: I came across a small blurb on the internet on HP Trivia that got me wondering. What was the hidden meaning when Snape asked Harry: "What would I get if I added asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Answer is below and very telling.

Disclaimer: Reviews are welcomed, flames are not.

0o0o0o0

Flowers

First year Harry Potter nervously sat down in Potions. He had been hearing horror stories all week about this class and how the professor hated all things Gryffindor. Now, for the first time in his life he was free to excel. He always liked cooking and chemistry, so how hard could it be?

Very hard.

When he exited the class, he was confused, hurt, and frustrated. Snape hated him. What did he do to make the professor so angry? And those questions!? They were hard!

Wait a minute. . .!?

There was something else about that question, something half remembered and strange….

"What would I get if I added asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" he whispered to himself as he mulled over the problem.

He should know this. Something about Asphodel.

Wait! Something…. Something about meaning….That's it!

"Ron, I'll see you later. I need to go look something up." Harry didn't give his new friend a chance to respond as he raced off to the library.

After a fruitless, frustrating two hours in the library Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room. His downcast manner was immediately noticed.

"What's wr. . wrong, Harry?" A shy, round faced first year asked softly.

"Huh?" Harry asked, surprised by the question. "Neville, yeah? I went to the library to look for a book on the Victorian Flower Language. My aunt had a copy, but my cousin destroyed it. I need to check on something, but Miss Pince was no help."

"Not surpising. She thinks every first year is a danger to her precious books." Came a muffled comment from behind a stack of books. Harry and Neville looked at the stack of 'talking' books and shook their heads.

Hermione Granger was fast becoming known as the 'Know-It-All Bookworm of Gryffindor.'

When she didn't come out from behind the stack, Neville turned back to Harry and stuttered softly, "I. . .I have a copy but not with me. B. . b. . but I'm sure the library has one. Want me to t.t..take a look?"

"Could you?"

The pair trotted off. Thankfully Granger didn't follow them. Ron didn't notice; he was busy playing chess with that Irish firstie, Seamus. Harry was sure his new best friend would've thought he was mental for wanting to pursue this.

In the library, Neville quickly found the book and gave it to Harry.

"I thought so," Harry told Neville when he looked up Snape's question. "It says: Asphodel – a white flower, member of the lily family, in the Victorian Flower Language means: 'My regrets Follow Me to the Grave'."

Harry frowned for a moment as he puzzled his way through the meaning. 'Member of the Lily family. . .' He gasped as he followed through on his thoughts. 'Could this mean he knew my mother? Her name was Lily. Does he regret that she died? If he cared for her so much,why wasn't he there when I was growing up? Does he hate me for living when she didn't? This doesn't make sense.'

With Neville's help, Harry quickly made a list of flowers and their meanings.

0o0o0o0

That weekend, after breakfast, Harry made his way to the green house with a list of flowers he needed. He asked Madam Sprout for help and showed her his list. He tried to explain what he needed and why, and the plump Herbology Professor was more than happy to help him. Together they gathered a small bouquet.

If she was a little puzzled on the combinations he chose, she didn't ask. Harry hadn't give her much of an answer to her initial questions, but she was well versed in the flower language. She couldn't help but be proud that the little Firstie was trying to thaw someone's cold heart. She had an idea who, but if Mr. Potter refused to say who was she to gainsay him.

Harry crept down to the dungeon that evening where he knocked hesitantly on the office door of the most hated professor at Hogwarts.

"Enter."

Harry nervously walked in. He hid the bouquet in the folds of his robes. "I'm sorry to bother you professor. But I think I have an answer to the question you asked in class last week."

"Potter. What are you going on about?" Professor Snape looked up from his desk. "I'm too busy to deal with your nonsense."

"Sorry, sir. Here. I hope this answers what you asked me," Harry said laying the bouquet on the desk. "I hope I got this right. Professor Sprout helped me with the flowers. She didn't know I was giving it to you." Harry spoke in a rush then turned and left. "Good night Professor."

Professor Snape was a man seldom lost for words, nor was he a man who clung to useless sentiments. He had thought he was the only one that knew the hidden meaning in his question to the Potter scion.

Picking up the bouquet he noted it was a small bundle tied with a black ribbon. The flowers were Purple Hyacinths, Balm, Love in the Mist and dead leaves. The message was a bit muddled but as he saw it read: "I'm sorry for your loss, I'm not understanding, so please forgive me for whatever I did."

He looked over at the closed door of his office and sighed. It was going to be a long seven years dealing with someone that looked like his arch school rival, but had his lost love's eyes and heart.

0o0o0o0o0

Indeed the next seven years had been hard and long. It saw the death of a great wizard and a terrible war with an insane sociopath bent on destroying everything in his wake. Many lives had been lost in that war, innocent and guilty alike.

Seventeen year old Harry stood over the grave of the once most hated professor at Hogwarts. He and Professor Snape had worked hard in bringing Voldemort down.

After that first month at Hogwarts, he and Snape had come to a truce of sorts. Snape couldn't openly support Harry, but the many detentions he had gotten over the years had not really been punishments. The professor took Harry under his wing and trained him.

They developed a hidden language using potions ingredients. They honed the language down to a cryptic code no one, not even Harry's friends, could understand. Harry had a small black book filled with the definitions and meanings for his code, but he was still debating if he wished to share it.

"Hi Professor. These are for you." Harry knelt at the granite marker and left a small bouquet of Asphodel, Camellia, one dark, pink Rose all interspersed with dead leaves*. "And thank you, for everything. I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

Harry walked away from the grave of the man he'd named, "The Bravest man I've ever known," with a heavy heart.

0o0o0o0o0

The Trivia Answer: Asphodel is a type of white lily that symbolizes "My regrets follows me to the grave" into the Victorian flower language. So his question had a hidden meaning of "I bitterly regret Lily's death."

I got the meanings to the flowers used in this story from: "The History and Language of Flowers" at: :

Purple hyacinth – sorry, please forgive me
Balm – sympathy
Dead leaves - sadness
Love in the Mist – You puzzle me
Camellia—admiration, gratitude
Dark pink rose – thankfulness
Wormwood—absence

*Harry's last bouquet read: "I have deep admiration and thankfulness for you. I will take my regrets to the grave."

Enjoy. Until next time – GF and the Frau