Harry was practically whistling on his way back to the dungeons later that evening. After leaving Severus’s office, he’d wanted to finish his assignments and tell Ron and Hermione where he would be all weekend, so he headed up to Gryffindor Tower. His assignments had been completed rather quickly with Hermione’s help and his friends were almost as happy as he was about his adoption.

The wide grin that had been permanently affixed to his face since leaving the Potions Master’s office faded only slightly as Harry noticed a door that he’d swear hadn’t been in the dungeons before. The door was on the left side of the corridor not far from his… father’s quarters. Harry’s smile instantly widened at calling Snape his father even if it was only in his head.

His curiosity overriding his sensibilities once again, Harry approached the door expecting it to be lock or just another empty unused classroom. He was surprised, therefore, when he opened the door to find what appeared to be a small supply closet. The closet, however, was not empty. From floor to ceiling, it was filled with jars each containing a different specimen.

Taking a step inside, Harry’s mouth fell open slightly and his eyes widened behind his spectacles. One large jar was nearly over flowing with small furry…puff balls of varying browns and whites. They almost looked like pygmy puffs, but lacked any visible faces or appendages. Another jar held a perfectly flawless spherical object that looked like silicon. Harry thought it could be an egg of some sort. Another held a decaying creature that reminded Harry of a virus he once saw under a microscope in primary school, only much much larger. There was one that held an innocuous looking gold liquid. Harry thought the jar containing three creatures that vaguely resembled gila monsters without defined arms and legs and with more slime were rather creepy. A very small jar contained a worm like creature…the perfect size to crawl into an ear.

He’d never seen creatures like this before. He’d have to show this to Hermione, even if she couldn’t name them straight away she’d know where to look to find out. Or better yet, his father. Harry was sure his growing smile looked rather demented. Severus was sure to love this room, and all its unusual potion ingredients. Harry was about to leave the room and pull Severus away from whatever he was doing to see this when he remembered something Dumbledore had once said. Something about how the castle was always changing and sometimes rooms would come and go as they pleased. Harry had never seen this room before and thought of never doing to again was frightening.

Deciding the best thing to do would be to take one of the specimens with him and hope the room was still there when he returned, Harry grabbed a medium sized jar with what appeared to be a still living specimen in it. The light flesh colored… thing had an almost jelly like appearance it had stuck itself to the side of the jar and appeared to be breathing. It a way it resembled an insect that had been splattered against a window.

Harry grabbed the jar and stepped out of the room reluctantly, closing the door behind him.

Excited over his find, Harry began running down the hall to Snape’s quarters. Just before he reached the concealed door, however, he tripped on a loose piece of stone. Harry hit the floor on his stomach the jar, flying out of his hands. He watched with wide eyes as the jar slammed against wall, shattering into a hundred pieces; however, it was not the broken shards of glass that caused him the most concern. It was the still ‘breathing’ creature that had managed to stick itself to the wall.

Harry stared at the blob. His breathing was rapid as though he’d just run a marathon, and his palms felt slick against the stone floor. Slowly he pulled his hands across the floor towards his body and began to slowly rise. Before he could fully push himself to his knees, the creature flew towards him like a wobbly frizzbe. It attached itself to his back and all Harry knew after that was pain.

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