Severus got out another cauldron and began chopping up some herbs.  He had been pouring over Harry’s blood sample and his notes regarding his failed experiments and thought that now he had found a cure.  He took the innocent looking asphodel plant and began grinding the leaves into a fine powder.  Severus knew that asphodel was used in the draft of the living death, so he had to use it sparingly so that Harry wouldn’t fall into a permanent coma.

After grinding up the asphodel he put it in the cauldron along with a drop of dittany.  The dittany’s magical properties would help Harry heal, Severus hoped.  He stirred the two herbs together in the cauldron and was pleased that the two didn’t explode.

Next, Severus sprinkled some ginger into the simmering cauldron.  The ginger would settle Harry’s stomach, which would make the illness leave Harry’s body more quickly if he was settled.  Severus stirred again and was pleased to see the unfinished potion bubbling happily.

The last herb that Severus stuck into the potion was the Mandrake root.  He hoped by putting this plant into the potion, that Harry’s body would be restored to its healthy state.  He only hoped that the potion worked.  He stirred the potion and placed a monitoring spell on it.  The potion had to simmer for an hour, just enough time for Severus to check on Harry and to go see Albus for the final ingredient.

When Severus arrived at Harry’s room, he looked sadly at the shaking pail boy.  Harry was retching into a basin, and Poppy was rubbing his back soothingly.

“The Muggle drugs are taking their toll on his body Severus,” Poppy said.  “How is the potion coming along?”

Severus tried not to bounce up and down in excitement as he spoke.  “I believe I have found the right combination of herbs that can help Harry.  I only need to see if Fawkes  will lend me some of his Phoenix tears.

“You’d better hurry,” the nurse said.  Severus gave Harry one last look before quickly turning around and striding out of the room and down the stairs to his fireplace.  He threw in a pinch of floo powder and flooed to the headmaster’s office.

Albus was sitting in his chair, Fawkes on his shoulder, when Severus fell out of the fire and into the office.  The old man jumped slightly, but relaxed when he saw Severus.

“Albus, I need some tears from Fawkes,” Severus said.  Albus looked at Severus.

“I’m assuming that you need the phoenix tears for their healing properties?”  The headmaster nodded.  Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment and stroked Fawkes’s soft plumage.

“Fawkes and I shall be at your manor shortly,” Albus said.  Severus didn’t speak, he turned and threw another hand full of floo powder and stepped into the green flames, only to land in his home seconds later.  Albus stepped through right after the potions master, and both headed to Severus’s lab.  Severus stirred the potion.  Fawkes flew off Dumbledore’s shoulder and flew around the room, singing all the while.  When he flew over the cauldron a pearly tear fell from his eye and dropped into the potion.  The potion turned pure white, whiter than snow, and Severus sighed in relief.  The potion had been brewed successfully, and now all that had to be done was to administer it to Harry.   Severus hoped it would work. 

He took the cauldron off the flame and waited fifteen minutes for it to cool.  Next, he put the potion into several vials and quickly walked to Harry’s room.  Severus walked over to Harry’s bed and set the bottled potion onto the night table.

“We shall see if this works,” Severus said.  He leaned over and stroked Harry’s forehead.  Harry blearily opened his eyes and tried to smile at Severus, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’m going to give you a potion that should make you feel better Harry,” Severus said.  The boy nodded and Severus crawled up onto the bed and lifted the tiny child into his arms.  Severus leaned against the head board, and once he was comfortable, he gestured for Poppy to hand him the potion.  The nurse handed Severus the vial, and Severus gently tipped Harry’s head back, and Harry dutifully opened his mouth.  Severus poured the potion into Harry’s mouth, and rubbed Harry’s throat to help him to swallow.  Harry’s eyes turned glassy and he fell against Severus, his eyes closed in sleep. 

Poppy cast a diagnostic charm on Harry, and noticed that he wasn’t getting any worse, but his health wasn’t improving.  “Now we wait,” Poppy said.

Severus held Harry protectively in his arms.  “Now we wait.”

Fawkes flew into the room and landed on the headboard.  He started trilling a quiet song that sounded like a lullaby, and Severus felt Harry relax even more in his embrace.  All through the night, Fawkes sang, and all through the night the occupants of the room watched for any signs of improvement from Harry.

The first thing Harry noticed when he awoke was how warm he felt.  He slowly opened one eye and saw Severus leaning against the headboard with his eyes closed in sleep.  Harry smiled.  He felt safe nestled in Severus's arms, and he didn't want to lose the feeling of comfort.  Harry wriggled a little and was pleased to feel the arms holding him tighten slightly.

Severus awoke and felt Harry stirring.  He tightened his arms protectively around the boy.  "Harry, are you all right?" Severus asked.

Harry thought for a moment.  He didn't feel ill, although he did feel a little weak, but he felt better than he had in a long while.  Harry spoke:  "I don't feel sick but I still feel a little weak." 

Severus smiled.  He wasn't entirely sure that the potion would work, and he was pleased that Harry was feeling better.  "I'm glad you are feeling better Harry."

The noise that the two were making woke Albus and Poppy, whom had fallen asleep in chairs sometime during the night.  Poppy immediately pulled out her wand and scanned Harry.  She scanned him at least three times before she spoke.  "It appears that Harry's cancer is gone," she said.

"That is good news Poppy," Dumbledore said.

"I do not know, however, if the cancer is in remission or completely gone.  We will have to give Harry several check ups regularly throughout the next year, and if nothing pops up then I will check him twice a year for five years, and if the cancer doesn't reappear then we will know if it is gone for good.  If there is any indication that Harry is suffering from the disease Severus, you must bring the boy to me at once.  Also, Harry is going to be more susceptible to other illnesses such as Pneumonia, because of his weaken immune system, so if he even gets a cold it must be treated right away."

Albus twinkled at Poppy's tirade, and Severus for once, let the woman ramble on.  All that mattered to the potions master was that Harry was safe.

"Well, our work here is done Poppy," Albus said.  The nurse nodded, and after Severus gave the nurse several assurances that he would call if he needed her medical expertise, the headmaster and the healer were gone, leaving Harry and Severus alone in the bedroom.

"For the next couple days Harry you will be staying in bed.  You need to get some food back in your body, and if you can keep it down then you can get up and begin doing exercises to get your strength back."  Harry nodded.

"Will I be staying with you?" Harry asked.  Severus knew that for the moment Harry wasn't going anywhere, but he didn't know what was going to happen in the future.  At the time that Harry was placed in Severus's care, no one thought that the child was going to live, but now, a decision had to be made as to where Harry would reside.  Severus thought for a moment.  He couldn't imagine living without the boy.  He would talk to Albus and see if he could adopt the boy, but for now he would tell Harry something that wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth.

"You aren't going anywhere for now Harry.  I need to talk to Albus to see what I have to do to make it so you can live with me permanently."

“You want me to live with you permanently?" Harry asked. 

Severus hugged the boy close to him.  "Yes, I enjoy your company, and would be more than happy to be your guardian."  Severus wouldn't call himself Harry's father.  Not yet, he wouldn't want to get his hopes, or Harry's hopes up so quickly just to have them dashed.

Harry sighed and burrowed into Severus.  "I love you Sev," he said.

Severus smiled and kissed Harry's forehead.

"I love you too."  Harry, still weak from his near brush with death, fell asleep in Severus's arms, dreaming of flying on broomsticks and eating ice-cream with the man who he thought of as his daddy.