Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Author's Chapter Notes:

Thank you to my betas Rlmess and Cithara.

In the Blood

Chapter 28

In the Blood

Author's notes at bottom

xxx

Harry dared to look up at Severus' face as the two broke apart, and was heartened by his almost affectionate expression. This was certainly different from what he had expected- he had expected the atmosphere to feel tense and awkward, but he found now that he was actually quite comfortable. Severus ran a hand over his son's head and frowned a bit.

"Go sit on the couch," he said, and then made his way to the teapot over on the counter. He poured two cups of tea and made his way over to where Harry now sat, lowering himself onto the couch across from his son.

"I have no intention of losing my life," Severus said quietly, watching Harry's expression with calculating interest. Harry's brow wrinkled in a pained, doubtful fashion. "That was poorly phrased on my part, before. I understand…" Severus took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "I understand why you want me here- that desire simply failed to seem rational in that moment."

"I don't just want you here… I need you here," Harry stated feebly, staring down into his cup. "I don't know you very well, and I'm not sure how well we'll get on… but I'm just starting to get used to the idea… it's like you said. I don't want to wonder what if."

"Nobody ever does," Severus said quietly. "I wouldn't go if not for the necessity of it," he offered, earning a scoff and a glare from Harry.

"You don't have to go," Harry said, finding it difficult to keep the biting edge from his voice. "You've heard Dumbledore-"

"Yes, I have," Severus broke in, voice raised slightly now. "More so than you have, clearly. You don't understand the implications of what he says. My role in the Order is absolutely compulsory to our success… I won't be swayed to believe otherwise," he added, for Harry looked as though he were about to object.

"There are many things that still need to be discussed before I leave," Severus continued, changing the topic when Harry fell silent for a few moments. "The brewing of that potion needs to be initiated, for one, so you'll need to be informed about that."

"Who's going to brew it?" Harry asked, temporarily sidetracked.

Severus raised his eyebrows. "I mean no offense, Harry, but I don't believe you are the one to do so. But you should be involved, certainly- it will take more than one person. I was considering asking Albus and Miss Granger to tend to it while I am away."

"Hermione?" Harry rasped, surprised that Severus would even consider her.

"She is," Severus drawled grudgingly, his lip curling ever so slightly, "remarkably talented at Potions, among other things. I would trust some of the other teachers here, but as they are of limited knowledge as to certain things such as the Order, my past…our present… there are far too many explanations to be made before requesting any help of them."

"But you trust Hermione?" Harry reiterated, raising his eyebrows. He made a mental note to tell her this later; she would be pleased, he had no doubt.

"She's proven loyal to you in the past, yes," Severus said, inclining his head. "And as I said- oh, don't make me say it again. Miss Granger and Albus, yes, they are my choices. Of course, she shall need to be enlightened… I was hoping that perhaps you could persuade her to sit with Albus and I-"

"Shouldn't I be included in this?" Harry broke in, indignation rampant in his disposition.

"You are, Harry," Severus assured him, his hard tone warning him not to interrupt further. "I believe it would be intelligible to have her sit with the three of us so that we could all discuss the further measures that will need to be taken. Is that agreeable to you?"

"Yes," Harry immediately complied. It would ease the tension to have Hermione there as they talked over the plans for the coming year, and she was tactful enough that she wouldn't add to the stress of the situation, either. "I'd like that."

"Well, I thought you might," Severus intoned quietly.

Severus' expressionless tone and turned, shadowed face might have implied apathy, but considering who the man was, Harry took this assurance as a sort of gesture. Rather than say anything, though, and add discomfort to the mix, Harry gave only a nod as a sign that he understood.

"When I found all this out," Harry started after a moment of silence, changing the topic a bit. "You asked if I had any questions, and I said I didn't."

"Yes," Severus said, sitting back and crossing his arms. "I seem to recall."

Harry's brow lowered briefly; he felt bad now, about the way he had responded before. He couldn't recall being very understanding, or respectful. "I'm sorry," he quickly atoned, averting his gaze. "I-"

"There's no need to apologize," Severus said, his voice edged with a sort of annoyance. Harry frowned again, and Severus amended in a soft tone, leaning forward, "You were not the only person shocked by this discovery, you know. You and I are on the same level, as far as that is concerned. I don't hold your reaction against you."

Harry considered that. Severus truly couldn't help but make people uncomfortable around him, Harry decided. He was getting better at amending that quickly; in a way, it was gratifying to see the obvious effort he was making to put Harry at ease. For all that, however, Harry didn't much like the constant switching back and forth between anxiety and solace.

Severus frowned, seeing that Harry had drifted into a new category of thought. He let the boy ponder a moment more, and then steered the conversation back in its original direction. "Was that recollection a means of guiding the conversation towards those questions, Harry?"

"What?" Harry asked, shaking his head. "Oh," he said, understanding. "Er- yes, I guess it was. Well, at the time… I think I didn't want to give you the satisfaction of my asking questions… but I do have some, if you wouldn't mind-"

"I told you that you were welcome to question me at any time, did I not?" Severus reminded him. Harry nodded. "Then one's conclusion would be that no, I wouldn't mind; correct?"

"Yeah," Harry said softly, looking off to the side. He was inwardly cringing; this conversation wasn't going well, by his standard for easy conversation, at least. He constantly felt as though he were being rebuked for the way he thought; he was almost hesitant to speak at all, for fear that Severus would correct him again, with more annoyance than the last time.

I'm making him uncomfortable, Severus thought with a grimace. He knew he was doing it, correcting the boy at every turn, but it was habitual- a proclivity he couldn't quite refrain from. He was used to constantly chastising his students, and for the past five years, his only approach with this child had been to insult him mercilessly. Try as he may, he couldn't quite dispense with the tendency, especially as it was the mechanism he often used with his Slytherins to make them feel more comfortable. As ironic as it would seem, they responded well to the corrections- if they weren't being told how to comport themselves, then they grew uncomfortable, not knowing what was expected of them. Perhaps Harry's problem was that he worried too much about what was expected of him. He had grown up with people constantly ridiculing him for his errors, not gently guiding him to remove them. Yes, that was a sensible conclusion, Severus decided. Criticism had quite a different effect on his son than he anticipated… therefore, he would have to work harder on avoiding this propensity.

Rather than prompt Harry to speak, Severus decided to sit back and wait for him to talk. Obviously, his probing would do no good. Harry already seemed bound to ask his questions, and letting him do so on his own terms seemed the only way to make him comfortable.

Harry was silent for a few more minutes, deciding which questions he would ask first. He had a lot of queries, of course, but which ones were appropriate at this time?

He decided to start with the most direct, and least emotionally involved one.

"Why do I look like James, and not you?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

Severus looked up at him, eyebrows raised, and refrained from commenting on the fact that he had expected this question far earlier.

"I spoke with the headmaster about this, myself," Severus admitted, hoping that by including that he had been just as confused, he would put Harry at more ease. "Lily had to make this whole scheme believable, obviously, otherwise she wouldn't have-" he paused here, and decided he'd rather avoid that topic as much as possible. "She had a muggle midwife help her deliver the baby, and as soon as you were two weeks old, she, James, and Dumbledore performed a complex blood binding spell."

"Blood binding spell?" Harry repeated, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Yes," Severus affirmed, nodding. "It's a complex one, but not unheard of. They were all quite talented, so it was a plausible option. Some blood must be acquired from the willing donor, and the first stage of the spell essentially strips all the properties of the blood except for the one desired."

"So after that, it's-"

"Not really blood, but rather, a sort of supplement. In the next step, blood must be acquired from the recipient, and it is stripped of the properties that the other blood is left with. Once the two are bound, the blood is- ah- given back to the recipient, and in the third step of the spell, the sealing stage, the rest of the body responds to the command to structure itself according to that blood."

"But how-"

"I'm explaining it in as simple a way possible, Harry," Severus said. "But as I said, it's a very complicated spell. All of your blood reshapes itself in the form of the blood being given back… you have none of James' actual blood in you, but are genetically structured to fit his mold."

"Sounds a bit morbid," Harry said quietly, half to himself.

"Most ancient magic does," Severus agreed, nodding his head to the side. "But it's not nearly as gruesome as it sounds. I assure you, your mother would not have let them bleed you- a minimal amount of blood is actually used in the spell. It's mostly magic that induces the transformation."

"So it transformed me?"

"More… it laid out the course your development was to follow. You gradually became a replica of James Potter- you grew as his son would have grown."

Harry's head was beginning to hurt, he was trying so hard to understand. "But if I was supposed to look like him, then why do I have some of my mother's features?"

"I said it used a minimal amount of blood, you recall," Severus explained. "Such a small amount could not force your body to take the exact form his had. You are still very much your mother's son- you still acquired all the traits from her that you would have even without the spell."

"So basically," Harry said slowly, trying to work it out for himself. "The traits I would have received from you were stripped, and replaced by traits from James?"

Severus hesitated to answer, and then reluctantly said, "In the simplest of terms… yes. That is exactly what happened."

"Simple terms are better than long winded explanations," Harry said, tone mildly defensive. "But that makes sense. Erm, will I ever get to see what I really look like?"

"We could perform a second blood spell- one that would strip the effects of the last one- but we wouldn't be able to achieve your current appearance again. I think that would cause much confusion… among other things," Severus concluded dryly, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, the spell is a part of your appearance. The face you see in the mirror every day is what you look like- it's not some illusion. It's you."

"And you're fine with it?" Harry questioned apprehensively, unsure whether he wanted to hear Severus' response.

Severus considered him silently for a moment, and then nodded. "It's not my appearance to worry about. I shall endeavor to move past it, at any cost." His words were deceptively uncaring, but Harry caught a lilt of humor in his tone, and smiled slightly. In honesty, Severus really sounded like he couldn't care less what Harry looked like, and that was… relieving. The Wizarding World in its entirety judged Harry by his appearance- the scar on his head seemed to cause everyone to label him as a hero. Severus looked at him and saw… him. He didn't want to see the exterior of his past enemy, so he looked beneath the surface. Ironic scenario, but it worked.

"Are there more questions you wish to ask?" Severus inquired now, apparently trying for an easy expression. He couldn't quite achieve the mild look he was going for.

Harry thought for a moment. Honestly, he wanted to ask about his mother… but he wasn't sure if now was the time. No, perhaps another day. A day when Severus had more time, and when Harry was more prepared to deal with some of the responses to his question. He steered the conversation towards more pressing topics. "The potion," he said suddenly. "No one ever quite explained it to me."

"Ah," Severus murmured, nodding. "Understandable. Perhaps we can spare having to repeat this several times, though?"

"What do you mean?" Harry pressed, narrowing his eyes.

"I mean that now might be a good time to include the Headmaster and Miss Granger in our conversation."

"Oh," Harry said, thinking that should have been obvious. "Actually," he said abruptly, this topic only now occurring to him. "Before we do that… I do have another question."

"And what is that?" Severus leaned forward, dark hair falling into his face. He looked particularly intimidating in this moment, narrowing his calculative eyes, preparing for the coming question as though he were in the middle of an interrogation. Harry had the sudden impression that Severus could very easily sense, by Harry's attitudes, what sort of questions were coming.

"Why don't you trust Malfoy?" Harry asked, going out on a limb, and hoping that Severus wouldn't consider this too brash a question. He didn't seem to. He contemplated his answer for a moment, tracing his thin lips as he formulated a reply.

"I have many reasons," he started slowly, eyes still narrowed. "Consider who his family is. Consider how he's been raised. Lucius Malfoy is a person whose favor I do not mind having, but factually speaking, he is no real friend to me. He would turn his back on me in a minute's notice, if it proved beneficial to him. Draco has adored his father since the time he began to walk. I worry that the same values have been pushed on him- I don't trust him. Familial qualities are often the hardest to be rid of. Even if he desired to change, I think he might have too shaky a foundation of morals to do so. And before you point out that I was wrong for judging you by your family, realize that you didn't grow up with the man I took you for. You couldn't have learned to behave as Potter did, and looking back, I was foolish for thinking it simply ran in your blood. Draco, however, has grown up with the man I think bears such influence on him, so it's a very likely scenario that he will turn out almost identical to him."

"You changed," Harry pointed out. He instantly wished he could take that comment back- Severus' dark eyes were hardened, and he'd lowered his chin, looking out at Harry from the shadows created by his curtains of black hair.

"I grew up with very different circumstances," he growled darkly. "Do not compare me to Draco Malfoy. You know very little about the reasons for why I joined… and why I left."

"I'm not defending Malfoy," Harry hastened to say, but it made no difference. "I don't trust him either… I was just… curious. And I don't mean to compare you to him-"

"Spare me the apology," Severus said, getting up from where he sat.

"But I-"

"No harm has been done," Severus insisted, though the glower didn't disappear from his face. "If you'd truly affronted me, I wouldn't insist you stop apologizing."

Harry was taken aback a bit at that; he simply didn't know what to say now. Severus just looked so… offended. He said so, and Severus just shook his head, pouring himself a second cup of tea.

"I don't expect you to understand the depth of everything you say, or everything I do," Severus said, summoning Harry's empty cup to where he stood. "My past is not a topic that puts a smile on my face, admittedly… however," he sighed grudgingly. "Mine is a history that you will need to be educated on."

"I don't want to inquire about things I shouldn't-"

"Harry," Severus mildly rebuked him. "If you are treading on ground that ought not be trodden, I will tell you, you can be assured of that. Now, I believe this topic is exhausted. Have you any more questions?"

"No," Harry said.

Severus watched Harry, an apprehensive look of contemplation on his face. He seemed to be struggling with something, but said nothing. In the end, he sat down on the couch again, and sighed. "It's a bit late to go into this whole ordeal with explaining the Potion," Severus said tiredly. "Perhaps after Potions class on Thursday would be a better time… that way we won't have to go through the trouble of tracking down Miss Granger, and I can tell Albus ahead of time that we'll need to speak with him."

"Oh, alright," Harry said, somewhat disappointedly. He had hoped to hear about it tonight… but he got the idea that he'd offended Severus to the point of the man not wanting him around anymore. He set his cup of tea on the table in front of him, and rose ungracefully, trying to smooth out his robes as he did so. "I suppose I'll just be on my way, then, and-"

"Harry," Severus gently chided. "I didn't mean that you have to leave. Besides, you've barely touched your second cup of tea. It would be an awful insult to the Headmaster to waste his gift, wouldn't it?"

Harry gazed at him perplexedly for a moment, and then awkwardly sat back down. "I don't have any more questions, so you don't ha-"

"We don't need to talk," Severus said, sipping from his cup. "Just sit- and stop folding your hands in your lap as if we're in the middle of an etiquette lesson. We're not."

The man really didn't know how not to be harsh, Harry mused as he resumed drinking his tea… this time in comfortable silence.

xxx

The Wednesday N.E.W.T. Potions class came more quickly than Harry expected. He had notified Hermione at the beginning of the week that they would be skipping their lunch to meet with the Headmaster and Professor Snape, and she had been no less than ecstatic. His friends were attempting to take a warm approach to Harry's new discovery, and he appreciated it- but somehow, he got the idea that Hermione's enthusiasm was completely genuine, and had nothing to do with him. He could tell that she loved the idea of being asked for assistance by a teacher who gave her so little respect in class, and that she felt quite useful, helping in the brewing of such an important substance.

Harry's anticipation to learn about the topic that had been tugging at his mind all week kept his concentration waning throughout the lesson that day. As a result, his performance in class was less than topnotch, earning him a long and harsh lecture from Severus in front of the entire class. Of course, he didn't think it was such a huge deal that he had knocked over a vial of highly acidic dragon bile- accidents happen, right? But the Professor had had a very different mindset. By the time class was over, and Harry was done writing lines in the corner where he had been shamefully isolated, he was feeling much less generous towards the man than he had at the beginning of class.

The class filed out, and Severus placed silencing wards on the doors before turning back to Harry.

"Where was your head today?" he asked rather harshly, making Harry darken his glare at him.

"I just- it was an accident," Harry groused defensively, crossing his arms.

"And accident that could have cost someone a limb if the situation had played out differently," Severus added, narrowing his eyes at Harry's resentful demeanor.

Harry felt compelled to point out that there was a reason for the hospital wing's existence, but felt it would hardly make his situation better to do so. He decided to glare at the wall until the Headmaster arrived, earning Severus' annoyance with him in the process.

"Are you going to brood in that corner the whole time?" Severus called from across the room as he sat down at his desk. Hermione was still gathering her things into her bag, but stopped to look warily at Harry's reaction.

Harry tried to ignore the man. He wasn't brooding. Severus had been entirely awful that class period, and he knew that this hadn't just been an act. The Potions Master really had thought his actions stupid and deserving of punishment, otherwise he wouldn't have given him a zero on the assignment, and he wouldn't have given Harry lines to write.

"You're really being rather childish," Severus commented, looking back down at the book on his desk.

"I am not being childish," Harry protested through his teeth, meriting a scoff from Severus' corner.

"So you think glaring petulantly at the wall is being mature, do you?" Severus responded, the question rhetorical. "Perhaps the next time the Dark Lord asks me to do something I'd rather not, I'll sit and pout in a corner... yes, I'm quite sure that will work... rather useful strategy..."

Hermione cleared her throat a bit, apparently out of nervousness. Throwing Severus a resentful, yet somewhat mild glare, Harry went and sat next to Hermione, not feeling generous enough to continue his little scene with his father.

"Have you talked to Ron lately?" Harry asked her quietly, venturing a glance towards Severus. Harry knew he could probably hear them, but he was showing no signs of interest in their conversation.

"A bit," Hermione admitted uncomfortably, grimacing.

"He's still not quite alright with this, is he?" Harry asked sullenly, looking down.

Hermione deliberated for a moment, and then shrugged regretfully. "I can't say he's pleased with you… or that he's quite adjusted… but he is trying."

"He said he was fine with- well, what I told him, and that he was just angry that I'd waited…" Harry said, watching Hermione's expression. "I get the feeling that there's more to it than that."

Again, Hermione shrugged. "It is something to get used to…"

"You didn't seem so shocked when I told you," Harry pointed out, narrowing his eyes.

Apprehensively, Hermione admitted, "Well, I knew something was going on… I just… was prepared, I suppose."

"Prepared?" Harry repeated slowly.

"Fine," Hermione sighed, looking as uncomfortable as ever. "I'd already prepared myself for the most shocking of news… Mine and Ginny's understanding reactions were a result of the bracing I'd already provided. We knew our astonishment wouldn't help you any…"

"Ginny knew I had something to tell her?"

"Well, it was a bit obvious, after the previous night, when you'd asked for her help like that-"

"She told you about that?" Harry inquired angrily, raising his voice. A fluttering sound came from the corner- Severus was shuffling his papers. Harry glanced apologetically at him; he'd forgotten the man was even in the room.

"She told you about that?" Harry inquired again, somewhat indignant.

"Only after that next morning," Hermione answered hastily, a note of panic in her pitch. "It hardly mattered after that, right?"

A knock sounded at the door, and Harry looked up. Severus glanced over at him, and what he did next came as a small surprise to Harry. He went to his office door, looked quickly at Harry, seemingly evaluating something, and then shooed the Headmaster into the hallway, stepping out with him. It was a considerate gesture, Harry reflected. Still… he was growing steadily agitated with the friend in front of him.

Returning his attention to Hermione, Harry gave her an annoyed look. "Do you girls share everything? Do you just sit around having conversations behind my back about all my many problems?"

"No, Harry, of course not!" Hermione exclaimed, looking positively scandalized, and a bit hurt. Harry hadn't meant it that way, and tried to rid his face of the glare he held, and replace it with a more open expression. Hermione, however, went on, sounding more and more fretful by the word. "We just care about you, that's all! Really- please don't read anything else into this. We rarely talk about things you've confided in us; it's just that this has come as such a shock to us all, and I know we've done a good job hiding it, not to sound full of myself, but it doesn't change the fact that we've been delivered with stunning news and we're just trying to cope, honest, Harry."

Her tones were desperate, as was the yearning expression on her face. She seemed earnest, so Harry resigned himself to simply nodding. He still didn't like the idea that they were comparing notes behind his back, or so it seemed, but he didn't wish to burden Hermione any more with his complaints. He would talk to Ginny later, though. She seemed a better outlet for consultation about this problem. She was too strong willed to let his worries become criticisms directed at her.

"Are you angry?" Hermione asked in a small voice, and Harry shook his head.

"No, I'm not. I'm just thinking."

"Well, if you want to talk about what you're thinking of…" Hermione trailed off, her 'good friend' expression firmly reset in place.

Harry resisted the strong urge to snort and roll his eyes. He had just been talking about it, and she'd practically had an epileptic fit. "It's fine, Hermione," he assured her, getting up and walking towards the door. "But I do think we should get this whole- er- meeting, with the headmaster and Professor Snape underway."

"I said you could call him Severus in front of me," Hermione gently chided him, and this time, Harry did roll his eyes.

"Yes, I remember perfectly, Hermione. I think it sort of depends on my mood, anyways, what I call him." He tried to sound easygoing, but he was feeling a little uptight now. Actually, he had been feeling that way prior to talking to her, so he couldn't quite place all the blame on her shoulders.

Harry cracked the door open, and discovered the Headmaster and Professor Snape standing there, apparently making small talk.

"Erm," Harry stammered lamely, not quite knowing what to say. You can come in now? No, that didn't seem appropriate. We're done? No, that didn't either.

Severus got the point, however, saving Harry the trouble. He nodded brusquely and led Dumbledore inside, closing the door behind him.

"Down to business, then?" Dumbledore prompted good-naturedly, taking a seat next to the one Severus had just chosen.

Harry nodded, Hermione sat forward attentively, and Severus merely acknowledged the Headmaster with a brief but purposeful glance, which Harry supposed was a sign of consent.

"Everyone is agreed," Dumbledore announced into the silence. "Severus, would you like to start, or shall I?"

Severus seemed to contemplate that for a moment, and then tilted his head to the side. "Which one of us do you think is more likely to interrupt?"

"Perhaps Professor Snape should start," Harry offered; Dumbledore smiled lightly at this, and Severus shot him a look- though his glare was almost amused looking.

"I'd like to get to the point," Severus said now, sitting forward. "So I'll do that quickly then. However, Miss Granger, I need your word that what is said in this room stays in this room."

"Of course, Professor," Hermione returned seriously, and Severus nodded.

"Approximately a month ago, the Dark Lord mentioned a Potion that would be of great use to Harry. He mentioned it only in passing, but I was quick to examine the possibility of its use. I was disappointed to find that some of the ingredients would be unattainable, but after discussing it with the Headmaster, I found that this conclusion was quite wrong. We will be able to acquire all the ingredients- most have already been collected, and a few we are still waiting for.

"Miss Granger, if you would perhaps write this down, I should explain to you and the Headmaster which ingredients will need to be used, and how the properties of each affect the potion, in case we encounter problems along the way." Severus reached over to his desk and pulled a sheet of paper out of the book Harry had seen him working from earlier. He surveyed it quickly, and then read from it, "We will need the following: My blood, and the blood of a separate Death Eater; we will need an oath of secrecy to be taken by that Death Eater near the completion of the potion. We will require some part of Voldemort, some bodily fragment. The blood of a faithful friend, brewed for thirty days- Miss Granger, I hoped perhaps you would-"

Hermione looked quite ashen faced at this, but she nodded with a strong sense of resolve burning in her eyes. She looked quite determined to carry out the task being presented to her.

"We shall need also the hair of a veela… Harry, a piece of your flesh… and I've included the list of herbs that will need to be combined in preparation for this brewing, Miss Granger," Severus finished, handing the parchment to her.

She took it, an unpleasant expression on her face, and then looked back up at Severus. "This seems… a bit dark, sir."

"Little as you trust me," Severus said, with a dark edge to his voice. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Severus held up a hand, forestalling her. "Do you think the Headmaster would allow me to force you to perform Dark Magic?"

"I'm not saying I'm worried about what I will have to do, Professor," Hermione said, voice stronger now. "I'm worried about the effects this will have on Harry. I'm right, aren't I? There is Dark Magic involved in this."

Severus hesitated to answer, and then turned to the Headmaster. "Perhaps you should explain."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed, nodding. "This isn't quite what you would call Dark Magic, Miss Granger, and Harry, but yes, it does have elements of the Dark Arts in it. You will have noticed by now that it requires a varied list of rather perverse components, but as its outcome is not the harm of another individual, no, it is not classified as the Dark Arts. Its purpose is to protect Harry, and change him in a way that will break the connection with Voldemort. They will no longer share the same power- this will bring about the power that the Dark Lord knows not, you understand?"

"I understand," Hermione said slowly, digesting that. "That makes sense… but you don't think that changing Harry that way could be dangerous, if something goes wrong?"

"It does have some considerable risks, of course," Severus agreed. "But no risk is greater than allowing this game between him and the Dark Lord to continue. We will be careful to avoid these things-"

"Wait, what things?" Harry questioned, looking worried. "No one ever mentioned any risks."

"You really want to know them?" Severus asked.

"Yes," Harry insisted, nodding.

"There are many. You could sprout extra limbs, die after a fortnight, possibly even damage your magic, changing it to the point of strengthening your connection with Voldemort, and possibly fusing the two of you into one when you try to fight against each other. There are many errors to be made, which is why only we three are going to work on this." Severus paused, examining the look of horror on Harry's face. "I don't wish to concern you," he said. "I didn't tell you before because it seemed unnecessary- I doubt any of these things will happen to you."

"Why do you doubt that?" Harry asked, looking for some reassurance, since the future was looking pretty dim from his standpoint.

"Because," Severus said, "I'm working on it. I will not let anything happen to you as long as it is within my power. And I will run it through various tests to ensure you are safe to take it."

Harry gazed at him for a moment, and then slowly accepted Severus' words. He just prayed the man wasn't lying to him- he didn't really like the sound of any of those possibilities.

"Sir, how long will this potion take to brew?" Hermione inquired, frowning as she continued to intently study the book before her. She had fetched it from Severus desk during his warnings to Harry.

"Thirty fortnights," Severus said, and Hermione looked up sharply at him. "Yes, sixty weeks."

"Wh- that's more than a year!" Hermione exclaimed. "What are we to do if Harry ends up facing Voldemort before then?"

"That is why we are planning to keep him safe inside the castle," Severus said, aiming a pointed look at Harry. "So don't go running about, or you'll have me to answer to."

Harry wouldn't have thought Severus could manage to make a sentence like that sound caring in the least bit, but he had. Harry nodded solemnly, thinking to himself that perhaps this year, he might actually listen to this advice.

"I have some more questions, sir," Hermione said.

"Of course you do," Severus returned, and at her offended look, smirked.

"They're good questions," she muttered, and Harry coughed to cover up a small laugh.

"All questions are good questions, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, nodding. "Ask away."

"Well… how does this work?"

"That's what we call a very broad question, Miss Granger," Severus drawled, rolling his eyes. "Just because a question covers every topic you could possibly inquire on, doesn't make it a good question. It just makes for a long answer."

"Then perhaps you could give her that answer, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly, receiving a sharp glare from the Potions Master.

"The reason that book," Severus indicated the one she was holding. "Is giving you difficulty in understanding is because it simply explains the properties needed to complete this sort of Potion. To put it somewhat simply, the combination of the elements on that list I gave you will first replicate the magic in the connection Harry and the Dark Lord share. When imbibed by Harry, the deactivating ingredients, the Veela Hair, the blood of a loyal friend, and the magic from the oath of secrecy from a second Death Eater, will begin to dissolve the elements of Harry's magic, along with the same elements in the Potion, that formulate the connection. Therefore, connection gone."

"Oh," Hermione mouthed, eyes wide. This all was very confusing to Harry, but she apparently seemed to understand, and was amazed by the complexity. "I think I understand. So the part of Voldemort and the blood of one of his loyal followers combine to represent the connection he shares with them. Your blood links Harry's to Voldemort's, since you are connected to both of them, and then they are all linked. The Veela Hair, in its purity, breaks down the dark elements of this connection-It's almost like a muggle vaccine!" To that, Hermione was met with mostly silence, and she quickly continued, "The blood of a loyal friend is a sacrifice that restores protection, when it combines with the blood of a close family member, who also makes the sacrifice. And the oath of the Death Eater represents… some sort of magical connection to Voldemort?"

Severus was nodding. "Very clever. Yes, you've got the basic idea."

Hermione looked very pleased at that, and gave Harry a small, self-satisfied smile. He shook his head, but returned the smile, which was a bit weak. He really hated the sound of all this blood binding- it reminded him of the spell that had been performed on him as a child, and it had changed him then. He didn't really want to change as a result of magic, not again, and especially not when it was changing from the inside. But then, he didn't really have a choice.

"And the herbs are there to induce the binding and such?" Hermione was going on in the background. Harry drowned them out, and sat in contemplation as they continued talking.

Was there any way to get out of this? Was there another way to break the connection and defeat Voldemort? Not only his destiny was being affected by the expectations he was to live up to, but now, they were going to completely remake him in order for him to do so. It didn't seem right… it didn't seem fair. And hadn't the Dark Lord marked him as his equal, not a future version of him? Damnit, he wouldn't be able to answer all these questions himself, either. He would probably just be kept in the dark… again…

Unless, perhaps… unless he decided to ask his father. After all, wasn't that what fathers were for? To help you solve your problems?

Harry looked up at Severus, who was still engaged in conversation with Hermione. Dumbledore was looking over the book now, a concentrated look on his face. Yes, Severus was definitely Harry's best option, if he wanted answers.

xxx

Friday came, and Harry excused himself from breakfast, making his way down to Severus' dungeons. He knew that his father was leaving on a mission for Voldemort today, and though he would be returning after the weekend, Harry hated to see him go. Though they spent little time together, that was improving, and Harry was getting quite used to the feeling of having someone to go to. Even if he had no problems, Harry still felt better going to sleep at night knowing there was someone in the castle who wouldn't turn him away, or shun him for his problems. After all, he'd made many mistakes in the past, and Severus still hadn't rejected him… he'd actually overcome five years of resentment and hate in only this past month. That was saying something.

Harry knocked on the door to Severus' rooms, and was answered a few moments later. Severus opened the door, and then lowered his gaze to see Harry standing there. Wordlessly, he stood aside for Harry to enter, and then closed the door.

"Aren't you supposed to be at breakfast?" Severus chided, returning to a box he had been sorting through when Harry had knocked.

"I came down to see you," Harry explained, sitting on the couch and watching Severus.

"Yes, I can see as much," Severus commented dryly, lifting his dark eyes for only a second.

"I wanted to say goodbye before you left," Harry said, feeling the need to further justify his visit.

Severus nodded. "I hope you're not about to attempt dissuading me from leaving again," he said.

"No…" Harry sighed, looking down. "Though I still wish you wouldn't. But I know you… you have to."

Severus paused for a moment, looking somewhat regretful as he placed his hands on the box, leaning on it a bit as he thought about that statement. He looked towards Harry, and grimaced. "You're making me feel relatively guilty for leaving," he said, sounding vaguely astonished. He shook his head.

"I will be back soon," he promised, dropping a small bag by the door and heading into his room for a moment. He came back out empty handed a moment later, but Harry paid no attention to that. He was still thinking of a way to get the man to stay.

"Promise you'll let me know if anything goes wrong?" Harry questioned.

Severus rolled his eyes in response. "I can hardly step out every half an hour and floo to Hogwarts to let you know things are going alright, and if something does happen, I won't have time to sit down and write a letter."

"Fine," Harry said softly, realizing how stupid he'd sounded. "Just be careful, then."

"I'm never anything but," Severus said, stepping towards Harry. Harry frowned. Why couldn't he just come out and say what he meant? There was no reason for the constant gibes and evasive responses. Harry longed to point this out, but Severus interrupted his thoughts.

"I hate to cut this short," Severus said, "but I must leave by ten this morning, and that's only an hour away. I must bid you goodbye now."

"Alright," Harry said, stepping towards the door.

"Harry," Severus said gently, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder to pull him back. "I promise I will be careful. Better?"

Harry looked at him curiously for a moment, wondering how he was so perceptive about what was bothering him, and then nodded. "Better," he agreed, offering a small smile. "Goodbye."

Severus nodded and closed the door after Harry stepped out into the Corridor. Harry stared at the door for a moment more, a feeling of sadness filling him. Sighing, he turned and headed towards Gryffindor Tower. He just hoped that he would be down here again sometime soon, and without Severus suffering the after effects of Voldemort's rage…

xxx End Chapter 28 xxx



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