Title: Fateful potion

Author: Ayla

Pairing: Snape / Harry

Rating: R (to be safe)

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine, and I don't make money with something I do not own, so please don't sue me

Spoilers: Beware, strong spoilers of book 5 The Order of the Phoenix. This is an AU type of fanfic : it takes place during Harry's fifth year, but things happen a bit differently… You'll see ^_^

Summary: Accident during potion class! Neville created a very powerful lust/love potion and Harry's blood was accidentally mixed with it…Guess who drank it…

Warnings: obviously, it's slash, so if you can't handle it, don't read it. Also, I made Harry a bit out of character (especially in light of the fifth book), but I hope it won't disturb you too much as I tried to keep him as he was in the other books

Notes: one's thoughts are in italic

Chapter one : potion class of doom

Harry sighted. Neville gave him an apologetic smile.

"Hurry up Mr. Potter, separate yourself from Mr. Weasley and sit next to Mr. Longbottom; we'll see if your two inabilities counteract each other and if you'll be able to do something remotely acceptable… for once."

Harry got up, mumbling to himself that he denied responsibility for what could happen with such a combination. Hermione also began to stand up to switch place with him, but Snape was faster.

"No, Miss Granger, I believe you'd rather sat next to Miss Parkingston. I'm sure Mr. Weasley will do better work with Mr. Malfoy by his side. Well, at least it cannot get any worse."

Ron turned red from anger and embarrassment. He sat next to Malfoy with the expression of someone whose death had just been sentenced, while Malfoy sneered and commented about Weasels not being able to make a potion even if his life depended on it.

Snape got back to the lesson.

"Now that everyone was paired up satisfactorily…"

Groan from Ron

"… we'll go on with the lesson. The potion you are to make is extremely difficult…"

Whimper from Neville

"… and requires the most intense concentration as the smallest mistake is likely to totally change the properties of the potion."

Small sob from Neville

Snape then smiled evilly, looking at Harry.

"And of course, I will ask some of you to test the potion to make sure that everyone does his or her potion properly. Now go and collect the necessary ingredients in the cupboard."

Snape then turned to the black board to write down the various stages of the potion while the students got up. Harry was in line with Ron and Hermione to collect his share of ingredients for him and Neville.

"I'm willing to bet my firebolt that Snape will make me drink our potion." Harry said between clenched teeth.

"Sure, this greasy git's always on your back." Ron said, looking more than a bit compassionate for Harry, even if his own predicament with Malfoy made him wallow in self pity.

"Well, that's a good motivation for you to concentrate and do your potion correctly." Hermione reasoned.

Harry snorted

"Yeah, right… With Neville as a partner, I'm sure I'll make this potion correctly."

Hermione could not answer anything to that.

"You should stop speaking and concentrate on the lesson, Mr. Potter. Five points from Gryffindor."

More than a little irritated, Harry got back to his seat where Neville was waiting for him. Seeing how the poor boy cowed before his angry self, Harry sighted and tried to calm down. Adding to Neville's nervousness was not going to help having the potion done successfully.

"Right Neville, don't be afraid. We'll read the instructions several times and follow the stages carefully. If we concentrate, I'm sure we'll get it right." or at least we'll avoid making the cauldron explode.

Neville gave him a small, shy smile and nodded.

Harry began to chop and prepare all the ingredients while Neville stirred the potion ("counter clock-wise three times, then clock-wise twice, Neville"), praying that everything would be alright.

"Ok Neville, add all the ingredients one by one slowly. First, the spider legs slowly… SLOWLY I said!"

Neville, whose hands were shaking pretty badly, whimpered pitifully.

Harry sighted yet again.

"That's not too serious, Neville. We can continue… Please, try to be careful, I'm sure you can do it" I hope…

Neville tried again with the next ingredient, but was as unsuccessful. Annoyed, Harry did it himself.

"Mr. Potter", Snape's voice snapped, "I hope you do realise that potions are to be made by groups of two. How do you expect Mr. Longbottom to improve his pitiful skills if you keep him from working? Five points from Gryffindor."

Suddenly feeling very tired and fatalistic, Harry let Neville add the ingredients and concentrated on the task of choosing an appropriate prior for when he would have to test the potion.

Surprisingly, Snape saved him.

"Mr. Longbottom, decidedly you're incompetence do not have any limits." Snape made the liquid vanish.

"Do it again. Potter, five points from Gryffindor for having left your partner do so many mistakes."

Harry wanted very much to make him notice that he was the one who prevented him from helping, but he managed to stay quiet while Neville, blushing brightly from embarrassment, got up to retrieve another armful of ingredients.

When he returned, Harry was under control again.

"Ok Neville, no need to panic. We'll finish on time. We'll prepare the ingredients together and add them together, alright?"

Neville nodded slowly, looking terrified.

They began chopping again. Harry prayed silently that Neville did not get other ingredients from the cupboard, ones that were not suppose to be in the potion. He had not seen any, but with Neville, one never knows.

"I think everything is ready. I'll stir the potion while you add the ingredients."

Neville whimpered.

Harry sighted.

"If you want, I'll hold your hand to prevent it from shaking, but that would be a bit embarrassing for you…"

Neville shook his head vehemently.

Another sight.

"Ok, first the spider legs…"

Harry felt a little ridiculous, holding the hand that was dropping the ingredients, but at least it was done correctly.

Fortunately, everybody was so concentrated on their potion that they did not notice. And Snape was too busy separating Hermione and Pansy who had begun to fight, or taking points from Ron for Malfoy's mistakes.

Harry was so distracted by the fight between Hermione and Pansy (which made Gryffindor lose twenty points) that he did not see that the next ingredient Neville was holing was a vial of dragon tears, which was slightly notched. When he put his hand on Neville's, he cut his finger and a single drop of his blood fell in the potion.

Having drawn back his hand violently from the pain, Harry made the trembling Neville drop the whole vial in the potion, instead of three drops.

The potion, which was supposed to be deep blue, turned immediately purple and then pale red. Also, an intense scent of fresh made tea invaded the whole classroom, alerting Snape that something was not right.

"Potter!!!" Snape barked

Harry cringed and hid his bloodied finger while Snape advanced menacingly on him. Snape glanced at their cauldron. With an absolutely impassive expression, he asked coldly:

"Pray to tell me, Mr. Potter, how you managed a result so far from the original potion?"

Harry refrained from telling him that he was the one who paired him up with Neville and that with the usual odds, ,Neville was more likely to have made a mistake than he was.

Snape went on.

"Clearly remarkable how you manage to fail your potions so completely, even Mr. Weasley managed to do something remotely correct. Well of course with the help of Mr. Malfoy, it couldn't go as wrong as usual."

Malfoy gave Harry a predatory smile, obviously quite please with himself, even if his potion was not of the right colour.

"Well, this only proves that celebrity is not all, isn't it? Being famous brings you nothing if you are an incompetent, slow-witted fool. Then, knowing who your father was, that was to be expected."

Harry ground his teeth, clenched his fists painfully and said nothing. At least, Snape was leaving Neville alone, that was always something.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor, for being utterly hopeless. And detention on Friday after dinner, eight o'clock sharp, my office."

Ron jumped

"No sir, you can't do that, that's the time of our quidditch practice!"

Ever since Ron had been admitted in the team as a keeper, he had been very concerned of its performances and had spent a huge amount of time with Angelina planning the practice sessions and match strategies.

The first match - Gryffindor vs. Slytherin - was scheduled for the next week and every practice session was very important.

Snape smiled evilly.

"That's so unfortunate. I guess you'll have to do without Mr. Potter this time."

Ron slumped in his chair, dejected and distressed, which did not prevent him from sending a dark glare at Malfoy, who looked like as  if Christmas had happened earlier.

Snape suddenly moved back to his desk and spoke to the class.

"None of you, even the best, who I admit were ill-paired, were able to do the potion successfully. So, you'll have to write an essay about the potion you were supposed to make, its properties, its effects etc…Dispose of your… attempts."

Harry was about to throw his when Snape came again and took a sample in a vial. Harry looked at him, surprised.

Snape scolded.

"
I want to test this, to see to what depths your incompetence mixed with Mr. Longbottom's can go."

To be continued.