He had never been in this particular city before, but had heard from the owner of an apothecary in London once that there was a small apothecary on St. Bedes Lane, and since he preferred to walk, he might as well go into the closest shop.

After asking around Harry was directed to a little alley of old brick buildings, some of them falling apart. He doubted very much that there were any businesses here, but found the shop front, no doubt hidden from Muggle eyes by magic. Peeling golden letters spread in an arc across a small, dusty front window reading APOTHECARY. He hoped it was still in business as he stood there looking at it from across the narrow alley. After a moment however, a woman with a small child came out with a bag of items, and he didn't have to wonder anymore. He crossed the street and pushed the door open.

The front room was very small, with a long counter running the length of it and a single door behind that. There was nobody tending the front desk, so Harry rang the shiny bell on the counter and waited. After a moment the door opened and a man with shoulder length black hair and a hooked nose stepped through. Harry's heart caught for a moment at the sight of the familiar face.

"Yes?" Severus Snape seemed almost pleasant. Harry had no idea what the man did on holiday when he wasn't teaching, but he hadn't thought about running into him in an apothecary. It was obvious to him now that he owned it. Harry wanted to escape, because he was sure those piercing black eyes would see right through his disguise, but he stood firm, needing the ingredients.

"Can I help you?" Snape's voice seemed a little agitated now that Harry had just stood there and stared at him like a child suddenly caught doing something they weren't supposed to do.

"I- I need a list of ingredients."

"No Muggle money," Snape said, arms crossed.

Harry nodded, wondering if that was often a problem here. He pulled out a worn pouch full of wizarding coins and set it on the counter along with his list of items. He needed eight ingredients for the inscrutability potion, but he had also scribbled down a few ingredients for a pain-killer to keep his headaches and other body aches at bay.

"Very well." Severus pushed the pouch of money back towards his customer and then picked up the list, eyes scanning down it. He frowned for a moment and then looked back up at Harry. Harry stared back, unsure of the problem. With another look back down to the list, Harry realized his mistake too late, because Snape was suddenly around the counter and pinning him against it with a wand sharply pointed up at his throat. He should have left or just read the list out loud to the man. He had forgotten that the man had seen Harry's scribbles on homework for seven years, and that he knew what the ingredients asked for were used in.

Chest suddenly constricted Harry was surprised to feel fear coursing through him. He wasn't used to feeling emotion anymore and suddenly having such a powerful one pumping through his veins left him helpless, unable to move or breath at all.

Snape searched his eyes for a long moment and was then distracted by somebody else coming through the door to the storeroom.

"Fetch a class five anti-potion Draco," Severus said calmly without taking his eyes off of Harry's. Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from this man's eyes to look at Draco and wonder that he was now an apprentice to this man. He didn't see the blonde's confused look at his Master's actions or how he moved to obey without complaining.

Long tense moments passed before Draco came back with a small phial of potion and handed it to Snape's outstretched hand, uncorked. Snape took it and forced it between Harry's lips.

Harry tried not to swallow, even though something inside told him to do it, to be recognized as who he was... to be found. Suddenly Snape jabbed the wand up under Harry's chin hard and said, "Swallow, or you will be splayed out on the floor by my wand."

Shutting his eyes tightly Harry swallowed and felt a cold sensation wash over him for a moment, before opening his eyes again. He was shaking now with the sensation of fear. It was too great for him to handle all of a sudden after not feeling anything for so long. What would happen to him now that his identity had been revealed? The last thing he needed was for the press to come running in to interrogate him and make up lies about where he'd been for so long.

Slowly Snape's wand lowered, releasing the pinched feeling in Harry's neck. The man was taking in Harry's true appearance now that the effects of the potion were gone and he was recognizable.

When nothing was said, Harry decided that he might be allowed to make an escape, but as soon as he passed Snape on his way to the door on shaky legs, the man said, "You've poisoned yourself, with so much of the potion. You'll have to find another means to keep hiding from reality if you intend to live."

Harry stopped just short of the door, suddenly lightheaded and too weak from the rush of adrenaline and fear to move any further. He let his head fall forward and rest on the glass door, feeling like he couldn't breath. The last thing he needed right now was a panic attack. He hadn't had one since before his sixth year when Uncle Vernon had cornered him and tried to hit him with one of Dudley's baseball bats. Harry had escaped the attack then, but couldn't move now.

There was a pregnant silence in the small shop, and for long moments Harry imagined that he wasn't there at all, he was really back in the thicket of trees he'd stayed in last night, just barely awake. But then he heard a quiet voice say something he didn't understand, and then another voice in a low tone, and he knew he couldn't dream his way out of this.

Suddenly there was a calm voice near his ear. "Do you know where you are Potter?"

Harry tried to muster a smile but was too weak to do so. Was he lame of mind? Of course he knew where he was.

"Your apothecary apparently." His throat was dry. He should have just apparated to London or to the next city with an apothecary... should have left right away instead of standing there and gawking at his formerly hated Potion's Master. "Why would you ask that?"

"To get you to come back to reality. To assess your state of mind."

Harry sighed, head still against the dirty glass door.

"And?" He didn't really need to hear this particular man tell him that he was officially messed up and out of sorts.

"I stand by what I said. I will not sell you the ingredients for the inscrutability potion. You will only poison your body further." He paused, and Harry could tell that the man was thinking about something.

"I will give you something to counteract the damage done however."

This made Harry tilt his head so that he could finally look at the man again. Why would he do something like that? Wasn't this the same man who taunted him and provoked him day in and day out for seven years? Wasn't his apprentice the same boy who did the same? Harry took a deep breath, still trying to fight off the panic and uncertainty filling him.

When Harry didn't say anything and only closed his eyes, Severus said, "Draco has already mixed the antidote... I suggest you come to the back room to take it because it will make you weak and you will need to sit."

Harry nodded and pushed himself away from the door, feeling weak on his feet already. Severus lead the way to the back room and Harry found a worn brown couch against one wall next to another door, and shelves of potion's ingredients and pre-mixed potions lining the other walls from floor to ceiling.

"Sit there," Severus said, indicating the couch. Harry dropped his bag on the floor and sat gingerly on the edge, trying to ignore the second looking over he was being given by the man.

It was only a moment later before Draco came through the door to the laboratory with a small cup of something and handed it to Harry. He thought the other young man had done well for himself, and certainly looked healthy enough, although he was quiet... an improvement over the insults and snide remarks once thrown Harry's way.

Harry stared down into the swirling silver contents of the cup. Arms crossed and standing rigid across the small room, Snape asked, "How often have you taken the potion?"

He looked up, and then back down to the cup. "Whenever I went out in public... two or three times a month to get supplies."

"Since you've been gone?" Draco's eyes were big. "And you're not dead yet?"

Harry frowned and downed the antidote. Was he supposed to be dead by now? Was the potion really that toxic? Maybe his new powers had kept the poisoning at bay... made it slow somehow.

"Guess not," Harry said, feeling himself get dizzy and even weaker.

"You will need several doses, and will not be well enough to travel for many days. I suggest you rest." Snape motioned to Draco to follow him into the laboratory and once they were gone Harry allowed himself to fall back onto the blissfully soft couch. His thoughts were spinning, and his emotions were dizzy. As he drifted off, he mused that it had taken Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy to make him feel something other than numbness. Although how fear was a good thing, he wasn't sure yet.