Title: Age Is Just a Word
Author: Many wonderful writers from the HPRoundRobin@Livejournal, each chapter may be someone different from the one before
Rated: R for upcoming situations
Summary: Goldenpaw's Challenge: Harry and Severus are both affected by some form of aging potion, causing Harry to grow older and Severus to grow younger, by how much is up to the writers.
Pairing: SS/HP
Spoilers: None that i know of
Disclaimer: Not mine. No money made. These characters belong to JK Rowling
Feedback: Always welcome

Age Is Just A Word
Chapter 1
By Corgi

Silence reigned over the dilapidated house in Little Hangleton as if no living creature dared breathe inside the building. A fire burned in the main room's fireplace, but it did little to light or heat up the room. Death and despair were a physical presence in the house. All of it was caused by the barely human man sitting on the velvet covered chair atop a dais in what was once a modest ballroom. Paper white skin and evil red eyes stared out into the darkness in contemplation. In his right hand he held two vials, one with a red potion and the other with blue. A quick snap of his fingers brought a balding, watery-eyed, rat-faced man scurrying to his side.

"Your arm, Wormtail," he hissed. He pressed one of his fingers against the red brand of a skull with a snake leaving its mouth, turning the mark black.

Cracks of displaced air, much like the backfiring of a Muggle car, echoed throughout the chamber. The sound revealed thirty robed and masked figures apparating into the room. Each person kneeled before their master. One by one each person would crawl to where Voldemort was sitting to kiss the hem of his robe. When each completed the ritual they took their places in a circle with Voldemort's favorites at his left and right hand sides. Silence once again reigned after everyone settled in their places. Each person watched every move their Lord made hoping to gauge his mood and praying tonight was not the night he vented his displeasure on them. The man once known as Tom Riddle stood up and walked to the center of his circle of followers. He looked each person fully in the eye, looking for something known only to him. He seemed as if he was weighing each of their souls against an unknown standard. When he finished, he returned to his velvet covered throne.

"I have underestimated Potter year after year, just as I have over estimated your abilities, but this time I will put him in a position where he cannot defend himself. When my plan goes into action I intend on dealing with the traitor, Severus Snape, at the same time."

Voldemort looked around the room watching as his followers quivered in anticipation; hoping they would have the honor of doing their Lord's bidding.

"Lucius," Voldemort called, hissing the name out.

"Yes, My Lord," replied the Elder Malfoy as he stepped forward with his eyes down cast.

"It is time for your son to prove his is worthy of joining my ranks. He is to drug Potter and the traitor's drinks with these potions. The red is for Potter and the blue is for the traitor."

"Yes, My Lord." Lucius' face was covered, but his eyes were begging to find out what the potions did. Voldemort decided to be generous as he watched Lucius place the vials safely in his robes.

"Each potion has a different effect; the red will reverse Potter's age prior to his ability to use magic and the blue will age Snape until he's as white and wrinkled as that senile mudblood lover he's sided with." Laughter rang out from his followers. "They both will be easier to kill this way and nothing the old fool could do to will reverse it. Perhaps we'll leave Snape alive. The feebleness that plagues the Snape family with age may be suitable punishment for the fool. Make sure your son knows that he must pour the entire contents of the vials into their drinks. Remember Lucius, if your son fails, it will be a reflection upon you and you will pay the price of his failure."

"Yes, My Lord," the man murmured, remarkably managing to keep his voice steady despite the threat.

"You may go Lucius." The man backed away respectfully and as her turned his back to exit the room, "Oh, Lucius… Crucio!"

When Voldemort lifted the curse he proceeded to ignore the fallen man and began firing orders at the remaining Death Eaters. The man crawled quietly away, agony stabbing every nerve in his body. As soon as the blond man cleared the wards, he apparated away and collapse just inside the gates of his manor before all went black.

Draco Malfoy was a bundle of nerves. Not that he'd let it show. He kept careful watch on his two victims in a way only a Slytherin can. He spent two weeks making sure the two targets sat in the same spot at every meal. When he was sure of their placements he went down into the kitchens and poured the potions into the glasses sitting in the prep area beneath the Great Hall. He was sure everything was going to go according to plan. As soon as the Headmaster sat down at his table, the food and drink materialized and everyone began to eat. He noticed both Snape and Potter lift their cups to drink and then everything fell apart.

Snape took a sip from his glass first. Malfoy knew right then that the man noticed something amiss with his beverage. The man took another small sip and abruptly spit it out onto the floor. He got up in a flurry of robes taking the glass with him. Malfoy looked across at the Gryffindor table and witnessed the scene from the High Table repeat itself there. Potter took a small sip and gave a puzzled frown at his glass. He took another small sip and he too spit it out. Harry grabbed his glass and headed to the Head table to talk to the Headmaster. Both left the Hall at a brisk pace. 'My father is going to kill me,' Draco thought to himself as he tried to swallow his food through the knot in his throat.

Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter headed straight for the hospital wing both quite worried about the potion found in Harry's glass, as well as the hasty departure of the Potions Master. If Harry's glass was tampered with, then there was the possibility that the taciturn wizard's was as well and the implications were worrisome. When they arrived, Harry headed straight for his usual bed, while the headmaster went to the medi-witch's office to fetch her. When the medi-witch saw her second most regular patient, Severus being the first, she immediately began clucking in disapproval.

"What have you done to yourself this time, Mr. Potter?"

"Someone tampered with my drink and we don't know what it is." Harry fidgeted on the bed in his nervousness.

"Poppy, I need you to scan for poisons. If there aren't any traces, I need to bring Harry and his drink down to Severus for testing. We need to find out what the potion is and what the effects are." Albus managed to keep a calm façade, but inside he was shaking. He didn't want to lose Harry or Severus and he was very sure that Severus' drink tonight was also affected.

Poppy ran through all the diagnostic spells at her disposal, but couldn't find any traces of poisoning. The scans showed nothing wrong with the boy and so both Harry and the Headmaster made their way in silence to the dungeons. When the headmaster opened the door to the Potions Master's private lab, they saw the man analyzing the contents of his glass. His ever present scowl deepened when he looked up and saw the headmaster and his most hated student watching him.

"I take it, Severus that your beverage this evening had something added to it?" Albus asked in a grave voice.

"Yes it has!" The dark-haired man replied in a clipped voice. "Someone added an Aevum Retrogeadior potion to my cup." Rage was quite evident in the pallid man's face.

"Someone has tampered with Mr. Potter's also, Severus. Would you please analyze the contents?"

Harry brought the cup over the angry man before he could explode over an apparent delay. Harry watched in wonder at the man's precise movements while he worked. During the summer, Harry discovered a certain fascination with the Potions Master and much of his night time dreams concerned that very same man in various states of undress. Harry made sure to keep that little fact buried deeply. He knew that the man hated him and that Harry would never have a chance with the sarcastic man; besides he didn't know if the man was straight or not.

"It's an Aevum Progredior potion." Snape's voice rang out in the silent room. Harry worked the Latin silently in his head with his brow furrowed in thought.

"Why would anyone want to advance my age?" Harry asked in confusion, but before either man could answer he continued. "Unless the Aevum Progredior was actually meant for Professor Snape and the one in the Professor's glass was intended for me?"

"That would make sense, Harry. Then it seems that Voldemort either has a new agent in the school or is using one of the students as an intermediary." The Headmaster's eyes were quite grave as he turned his thoughts inward. "How soon should you be showing the effects, Severus?"

"Much depends on how much we drank. I know that I didn't drink more than a mouthful of the potion. Potter?"

"I only had a mouthful myself, Professor."

"We may start feeling the effects later tonight, Headmaster; though I do not know how much the potions will age/de-age us."

The only sound that could be heard was the dripping of water in the sink as the three men looked at each other all wondering what could possibly happen next.

~tbc~