Severus settled himself at his usual place at the table in the Great Hall. He nodded politely to Minerva.

"Good morning, Severus," an all too cheerful voice greeted him. He raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Good morning, Albus," he replied.

"You look well," the Headmaster continued. "How are you feeling?"

"Spectacular," Severus replied. Minerva watched the interaction, forgetting even to breathe. "Living as a spy is a dangerous line of work," Severus continued after Dobby brought a plate of food and cup of coffee specially for him. He took a sip. Severus had noted that the elf had already done the same for Harry and Hermione. "I'm used to dealing with volatile situations which at any moment could result in a killing curse. I'm accustomed to watching my back, so to speak, and I'm accustomed to making lots of enemies. I know how to conduct myself cautiously when the need arises. Headmaster, I may not be the best man you know, but I am your best spy."

"Of course, Severus," Albus replied and smiled. "Are you fishing for a raise?"

"I am content as I am," Severus shot back. "Alive and potentially safe."

"As I'm sure you are," Albus agreed, still smiling. Severus brushed his coat sleeve a bit.

"The elves are being a little generous with the starch, aren't they?" Albus commented idly.

"Indeed, they are," Severus replied. Breakfast went as usual, and Severus began his classes.

No one was talking to Harry all morning, except Hermione. They all stared at him, obviously, but no one asked any questions or even made fun of him. They all just stared.

"I wish they would just do something," Harry hissed to Hermione. "I know I look different. Why aren't they asking?"

"You look like Snape," Hermione whispered back. "I'm sure they can see the resemblance and don't want to ask. They're going to wait to figure it out on their own. For all they know, these are the glamours." Harry nodded.

"Should I make an announcement then or something?"

"No, just let the news out slowly, I suppose," Hermione advised.

"Okay," Harry nodded.

"You're so sloppy with your clothes," Hermione admonished suddenly, brushing something off Harry's robes. A grey powder fell on the table.

"Hey, these are clean!" Harry objected.

"Must be something new the house elves are trying," Hermione shrugged. She inspected her own clothes skeptically. "I don't see it on mine though, and these are clean too." Harry looked thoughtful.

"Something's rotton in the state of Denmark," he said.

Severus ran his hand through his hair in his first year potions class and more than a few strands came out with it. Severus discreetly tossed the hair into the rubbish bin and continued teaching.

"Hermione, are you sure it's a good idea we're missing class over this?" Harry asked her as they hid in the library, pouring over a stack of books. "What if it's nothing?"

"I don't think it's nothing," Hermione said fiercely, paging through an old tome roughly enough that one of the pages tore slightly at the binding.

"But we're missing class," Harry argued. "Snape is going to kill me."

"Not if this kills you first," Hermione replied, gesturing to his clothes, her lips pressed together tightly as she slammed the book shut. "I'll take the blame if this is a dead end, Harry, I promise."

"Snape's not going to buy that, you know," Harry said quietly. "I don't want to get him mad at me again." He looked at Hermione with pleading eyes. "Can't I just go back to class? I don't want to get in trouble. He's been nicer than he's ever been before - I don't want to mess things up with him."

"Harry, your life is the most important thing," Hermione insisted. "I need help looking through these."

"Alright," Harry reluctantly agreed, and picked up a different book, paging through it. "I don't feel too good," he commented after a moment.

"Well, that's not a good sign," Hermione replied, her brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"I feel sick to my stomach," he admitted. Then Harry quickly stood up and ran off in the direction of the library bathroom. Hermione's eyes followed him but she continued to look through the books. In a moment Harry came back, flushed.

"Go to the infirmary," Hermione advised without looking up. "This is serious, and Madame Pomfrey might be able to help." Harry nodded, now too scared to object to his friend's plan.

As Severus stood to walk around his room of third years, to inspect their potions, he stifled a hiss of pain as his muscles ached. He gratefully sat down again as soon as he could. As an experiment, he ran his hand through his hair again and pulled out some more. He looked at it and began to worry what was wrong. He would go to the infirmary as soon as classes were over.

"Ma'am?" Harry's quiet voice called out when he got to the empty infirmary. Madam Pomfrey came out from the back room, wiping her hands on her apron.

"What is it, dear?" she asked. Harry looked ashen and he was quivering. "Here, sit down." She directed him to the nearest bed.

"I don't feel well," he murmured.

"What's wrong, exactly?"

"Sick to my stomach, diarrhea," Harry answered.

"Have you vomited?" she asked professionally. Harry nodded. He wrapped his arms around his middle in an attempt to make himself feel better. "It's probably just a stomach flu," Pomfrey stated.

"I don't think so," Harry contradicted. "Can you examine this?" Harry held out his arm. Pomfrey grabbed his hand.

"It looks normal," she diagnosed, confused.

"No, the powder on my sleeve," Harry corrected weakly. "I think there's something wrong with it."

"Those silly elves," she sighed. "Using too much starch again, are they?"

"It's not ironing starch," Harry contradicted. He pulled his feet up on the bed and lay down. "My robes don't usually get starched. And starch is white, not grey."

"This looks white to me," Pomfrey commented.

"Brush it onto something white," Harry instructed. "It's grey." Pomfrey did as Harry requested and found he was right. It was grey. She puzzled over it for a moment.

"I'm going to give you a stomach potion," she finally said, handing him a vial. He drank it gratefully despite the taste. "I'll try to find out what this is. In the meantime, you rest here. Try to get some sleep. If anything changes, just let me know, alright, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, ma'am," Harry siad, closing his eyes and lay curled in a fetal position on the bed. Madam Pomfrey gently covered Harry with a blanket and went to the back room with her sample.

Severus rolled his right sleeves up to deal with some potions ingredients after his NEWT class had left. He just had to clean up, and then he would see what was wrong with him at the infirmary. He caught sight of a rash on his arms and sighed exasperatedly. He didn't have time for this. He tried to cast a spell to finish his cleaning, but nothing happened. Getting annoyed, he finished cleaning up as quickly as he could manually and made his way to the infirmary.

"Harry!" Severus exclaimed when he saw his son fitfully sleeping on one of the beds. Severus rushed to his side and sat on the edge of the bed. Harry stirred and opened his eyes.

"Professor?" he asked, groggy.

"What's wrong?" Severus asked. "Why are you here?"

"Didn't feel well," Harry moaned. Suddenly, Harry leaned over the edge of the bed and lost whatever little remained his stomach. "Sorry," Harry murmured. Severus grabbed the boy's sleeve and noted the presence of the same powder that was on his clothes as well.

"So you have that one your clothes too," Severus commented.

"You do too?" Harry asked, focusing his gaze on Severus' sleeves, seeing the same powder there.

"I would conclude that this isn't the elves putting too much starch on my clothes then," Severus said, puzzled.

"No, it's not," Harry agreed weakly. "Hermione's researching it in the library." Severus nodded solemnly.

"Get some sleep," Severus advised. "I'll speak to Poppy about this and we'll have an answer soon enough."

"What do you mean, thallium?" Severus asked, horrified.

"Watch," Poppy said, brushing another sample off Severus' robes. She cast a freezing charm on it and then cast a burning charm after that. It ignited. "It's thallium. You're a potions master. You should know this."

"But - but - " Severus stammered, knowing in his heart that she was right. "Harry?"

"Also thallium," Poppy ruled. Severus nodded.

"Do you have any Prussian blue, then?" he asked. "It's imperative that we both get the treatment before…" his voice drifted off a moment, "...any permanent damage is done." Poppy nodded.

"There's one problem," she said.

"And that is?"

"I don't keep Prussian blue in stock," she explained. "Of all the things I could possibly need, Prussian blue is not one of the more common things." Severus nodded.

"But you can get some, can't you?"

"It's a highly regulated substance, both in the muggle world and the wizarding one," Poppy said. "I wouldn't be able to get any without the Headmaster's approval."

"Figures," Severus grumbled. "He'll stall you until it's too late."

"What do you mean?" Poppy asked.

"It's a long story; just trust me on this," Severus replied.

"Alright," she agreed. "I won't be able to get it for you then." Severus leaned against her desk and sighed, crossing his arms.

"If Albus needs to approve the substance coming into the school, then he will stall me too," Severus reasoned. "I won't be able to find it - legally - in time. Poppy, I'm asking you to turn a blind eye to this, and let me take Harry with me. It seems to be the most likely way of getting the Prussian blue."

"Where do you intend to go?" Poppy asked skeptically.

"I have friends," Severus dodged. "Poppy, I know it will be dangerous. I know there's a chance Harry will be killed at their hands. Is it any better that he die here, poisoned, when there was anything I could do to try to save his life?" She nodded, understanding.

"Do what you must," she said. "I saw nothing; I know nothing."

"Thank you," he said. "Please get Harry and myself some new clothes. There's no point in letting the exposure continue. The house elves have tampered with all of mine in my chambers, and presumably all of Harry's as well. Could you transfigure some new clothes for us? My magic seems to be limited in light of the poison."

"Of course," Poppy agreed and obliged. Severus woke Harry instructed him to change. Harry complied willingly, but struggled a bit with the task. Severus helped him when necessary. Harry was too tired to be embarrassed.

"Where are we going?" Harry finally asked when Poppy had left the room. Severus swallowed and didn't answer.

"Harry, without the antidote, I can promise you will die," he said, frowning. "You may still die, even if I am able to get the antidote. Due to…politics…I don't think it will be advantageous for me to get it alone. Time is of the essence and the people I'm planning to see about this and I have a very delicate relationship. It will be very dangerous to you especially to come along, but it will be assured death if you stay. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I think so," Harry nodded.

"I don't want to see you die," Severus continued. "I'm forced to make a bad decision because all the choices are bad. I want you to forgive me if I've miscalculated."

"Yes," Harry said.

"Do you trust me?" Severus asked urgently.

"Yes," Harry whispered quietly.

"Then let me handle the situation, when it arises," Severus instructed equally quietly. "I will do my best to save your life. I swear it on your mother's memory." Severus swallowed hard. Harry smiled at him and threw his arms around Severus. Severus was shocked for a moment, but put his arms around his son.

"Let's get going," Severus said. "Every minute counts. We're going to use the floo." Harry nodded and found the strength to rise from the bed and stand in front of the floo with Severus. "Take my hand." Harry did so. Severus threw the floo powder into the fireplace.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked again.

"Malfoy manor!" Severus shouted into the fireplace, and they both stepped through.