Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling hasn't given me her characters. I'm just borrowing.
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Chapter 13: The Potions Master
"Well, things could've been worse," said Remus as he examined the scene. Luckily, none of the Gryffindor soldiers had been killed in the basilisk attack. However, around fifty soldiers, including Ron, had been petrified.
"Yeah," grinned Sirius. "Every single one of us could've been petrified. Then some merchants would've come and sold us off at some statue auction."
Remus ignored him as he helped move petrified soldiers around. He laughed at Ron's expression which was set on a combination of astonishment, horror, and adrenaline rush. "I'd hate to be wearing that expression for the rest of my life."
"The cure for petrification is mandrake draught," said Hermione with a matter of fact tone. She looked up at Remus. "Do you know where we can get enough mandrake draught to cure fifty petrified people?"
Remus started stroking his chin. "Actually, if I recall right, there is a potion master who lives near here. He'd be perfectly capable of brewing us some mandrake draught."
"Really? Who is he?" asked Sirius.
Remus looked at Harry and Sirius and grinned. "Actually, you two know him. Quite well if I remember."
Harry and Sirius looked quite confused at first. Their looks of confusion suddenly changed to utmost horror as understanding dawned on them. Draco, however, looked delighted. Harry started shaking his head. "Oh no. Uh uh. Not going to happen. No way. Nope, sorry. There is absolutely no way I'm going to go crawling to HIM and beg for help!" Sirius followed suit.
Remus scowled at them. "Fine then! I just hope Ron enjoys living as a statue with a horrible expression on his face forever."
Harry sighed. "OK, OK. We'll just throw away our dignity and go beg HIM for help." Sirius continued to complain, but a glare from Harry and Remus shut him up.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
About thirty minutes later, Hermione found herself outside a dark apothecary. Harry sighed and said "Well, here goes nothing." He walked inside followed by Hermione, Remus, and Sirius who had transformed into a dog. Draco remained outside.
Hermione found the inside of the Apothecary a little creepy. It was a dungeon that was lined up with shelves and a number of tables. The shelves were covered with jars that were filled all manners of strange things: eyeballs, pieces of liver, animal claws, beetle wings, snake skin, and more horrid stuff that made her want to vomit. There were cauldrons on the tables, and they were filled with disgusting, boiling potions that also made her feel sick.
"May I help you?" came a sharp voice from across the room. Harry visibly stiffened next to Hermione. The voice belonged to a pale man in black robes and a crooked nose. He had very, VERY greasy hair. He looked at Harry and sneered. "Oh, Potter, its only you."
Harry scowled and turned to Hermione. "Hermione Granger...Severus Snape."
"Um...pleased to meet you," said Hermione as she stuck out her hand.
"Charmed," said Snape. He ignored Hermione's hand and turned to Remus. "Lupin, I see you've returned. I hope this isn't a request for Wolfsbane. Tis a shame that you would need some in about three days isn't it?"
Remus frowned. "No Severus, I've already got some stored up."
"And where is Black?" said Snape with slight smirk on his face. "It would be a shame if that idiot were lost, but of course, he's probably had it long coming."
Suddenly, Sirius transformed back into a man looking absolutely furious. Snape didn't bother to hide his disappointment. "Oh, so you're alive."
"Yeah, too bad. I would've been honored if you'd had given my eulogy," snarled Sirius. Both men showed equal amounts of loathing on their faces.
Snape turned back to Harry. "So, what do you want?"
Harry straitened up. "We need mandrake draught for fifty people."
"Still going around causing trouble now are we, Potter?" smirked Snape. "If this were a few years ago at Hogwarts, I would've made sure that you had the proper punishment."
"We were attacked by a basilisk, dammit!" hissed Harry.
Snape walked towards one of the shelves and started digging through the contents. "Very well, I will make your precious mandrake draught, on one condition." He tossed Harry an object he had just taken from the shelf. It was a simple pendant in the form of a silver cross. "Wear that."
"What?!" Harry couldn't understand what Snape was getting at.
Snape smirked at Harry's confusion. "Wear it. And don't take it off. I've designed it so that it will alert me if you ever take it off. Mandrake draught takes a couple of days to brew and it would be most unfortunate if I decide to postpone my potions work for a while."
"What is it?"
"An experimental protection charm I've been working on for some time. It needs testing."
Harry narrowed eyes as he said "So I'm the guinea pig, eh?"
Snape smirked. "If you want to put it that way."
"Fine," Harry grumbled. He tied the pendant around his neck and put it under his armor.
"Now if you would step out of my workplace," said Snape. "I have some potions I need to brew."
With that, they walked out of the Apothecary. "Is it just me or is that man a complete slimy git?" asked Hermione.
"He was one of my trainers at Hogwarts," said Harry. "His favorite hobby was making my life a living hell. He also got his training at the same time as my Dad, Sirius, and Remus. They despised each other."
"Brilliant Potions master, though," said Remus.
"Yeah," agreed Sirius. "But he always takes extra time with us to add some of his 'extra flavors', slimy git. Bet his hair has more grease than the Slytherin tar pits."
The company laughed as they rejoined Draco. He immediately got down to business. "The Ring of the lion and the Ring of the Phoenix are located in a cave called the Caverns of Power. It can only be entered during the full moon which will be in three days," he said.
Harry sighed as he said "There's no way that I'm letting Hermione go alone. I'm going with her. Anybody else? Remus?"
"Harry, its the full moon. I'll be totally invalid then."
"Oh yeah, forgot. Sorry about that."
Hermione's eyes suddenly brightened as she remembered what Snape had said about Wolfsbane. She turned to Remus. "You're a werewolf?"
Remus groaned. "I'm really not happy about people knowing that fact."
"It's OK," said Hermione. "I don't care if you're a werewolf. You've been very kind to me and that's what matters."
"Thank you," said Remus as he smiled. The gratitude in his eyes was obvious.
Harry continued. "Well, since Remus is out of the picture, Sirius?"
"Sorry Harry," said Sirius. "Remus is going to be ill for a couple of days which means that I'll have to take full command of the armies."
Harry nodded and turned to Draco. "Malfoy?"
Draco snarled. "Do you really think I would degrade myself to escort a mud..."
"Don't you dare call her a 'mudblood'," cut off Harry. His eyes were blazing with rage. "If you really want to cut off ties with your father, then you have to drop the prejudices that he installed in you. If you can't do that, then you are no different from him."
"How dare you talk to me that way, Potter," hissed Draco. His cold gray eyes were narrowed to slits. "I am Sir Draco Malfoy. I deserve the respect of the name Malfoy. I am the heir to the throne of Slytherin!"
This news came as a complete shock to Hermione, but at the same time it made sense. So Sir Draco was King Lucius's son. That was why he was so touchy about the subject of his father. In Lucius's eyes, he was seen as a traitor. She knew King Lucius well enough that he would have no qualms in executing his own flesh and blood for treason.
"You're a fool, Malfoy!" declared Harry. "You fail to realize that it doesn't matter what a person is! What matters is who a person is! Its not a person's name, or title, or power, that defines a person but rather the person's actions and heart! Your overemphasis on the so called 'purity of blood' makes you no different from the Death Eaters! Remember, that's their philosophy!"
Draco glared at Harry but remained quiet. Finally he said "Dumbledore's words."
"More or less" said Harry.
Draco glared at Harry again before climbed onto Nimbus and rode away. Harry sighed again and turned to Hermione. "Well, I guess its just the two of us then." He smiled at her.
Hermione smiled back, but she realized that she was going to be alone with Harry for three days. She trusted Harry but she wasn't so sure if she trusted herself around the man she secretly loved. 'What will I do?' she thought. 'I've already broken down and kissed him once. What would I possibly end up doing with only the two of us? What if I break down again.' She decided that she would restrain herself from doing anything. Afterall, they weren't meant to be: she was a farm girl, he was a knight. But at the same time, she decided to treasure all of the moments she would be spending with Sir Harry Potter.