33. Chapter 33

A big thank you to those who sent me a review. You people put a smile on my face. I know there's quite a bit of speculation going on and I hope that this next chapter might already answer some questions. Lots of things going on in this one so please do enjoy.

Chapter 33

More Magical Maladies Manifest in Muggles

St Mungo's reports a staggering amount of muggles to be admitted to their premises. There have been reports about numerous illnesses including but not limited to Dragon Pox; Cerebrumous Spattergroit and the black cat flue. While usually very treatable in wizards, our magical cures seem to not have the same effect on the muggles in our care.

There have also been reports of a new malady that is highly contagious and supremely lethal. So far, no cure has been invented for what doctors now call 'the Dissolving Sweats'. Reportedly, the muggles' organs are slowly dissolving from within after which the muggle expulses the destroyed tissue by sweating profusely.

For now, the unknown disease has stayed contained within the muggle population but we still advise caution. Dr Lovegood asks that if anyone should you notice any muggle in their neighbourhood that is experiencing sudden weight loss; hair loss; vomiting and general weakness, they should notify St Mungo's immediately.

Harry closed the paper with a frown and looked at Hermione. She looked very pale and her hands were shaking.

"Hermione," Harry asked, "are you okay?"

"Just worried," Hermione replied. "This epidemic seems to be getting worse and worse. Do you have any idea how many muggles have died so far?"

"They didn't say," Harry replied, scouring the article again to make sure he didn't just miss it.

"No, they didn't," Hermione said. "They don't want to cause a panic. But the muggles obviously know that something is up and they report hundreds of deaths already."

Harry looked at the high table where Dumbledore was reading the muggle paper 'The Sunday Times' with a concerned frown. Snape was rapping his fingers on the table as he seemed to be deep in thought.

"I'm sure your parents will be fine," Ron said. "They're doctors, aren't they?"

"Dentists," Hermione sniffed.

"Tooth doctors, right!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm sure that they know how to stay healthy."

Hermione shrugged. "I suppose," she said. "They would know how to stay away from any contagious people and to wash their hands frequently. They do know what to look out for."

"There you go," Ron grinned, "They will be fine. And you'll see. Someone will find a cure very soon."

"I sure hope so," Harry mumbled, "because, at this rate, Voldemort will still be getting what he wanted, even though he's dead."

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Harry said. "I was just thinking out loud. I'll ask Severus about it later. He's a Potions Master so surely he has some idea of what's going on or what to do."

This brought a hopeful smile to Hermione's face. "I suppose you're right," she said, finally taking a few bites of her food.

"What do you make of this epidemic?" Harry asked Snape once he got them alone. "any ideas?"

"It is quite odd," Snape replied. "It almost seems as if this is some sort of attack."

"Biological warfare?" Harry suggested.

"Quite so," Snape agreed. "While the magical community has grown resistant to most of the well-known maladies that are going around, the muggles have no such resistance. That's why it's killing them too easily."

"And the dissolving sweats?" Harry asked.

"That is the enigma," Snape admitted. "It almost seems like some sort of horrid combination of a number of maladies that we are already familiar with. Some sort of unholy offspring, if you will."

"So someone is targeting muggles," Harry growled.

"I think that it is no coincidence that this new illness does not seem to affect magical folk," Snape said thoughtfully. "Something in their biological make-up makes the muggles vulnerable against this attack. Something that we are protected against. Of course, this is all speculation."

Snape sighed deeply. "For all we know, it is only a matter of time before the first wizard or witch is affected by this horrid disease. But I honestly don't think that will happen."

"Do you have any idea of where they stand on making a cure?" Harry asked.

"The guild is working on it," Snape told Harry. "Dr Lovegood, in particular, is hard at work, though I imagine he has his hands full trying to keep the muggles alive."

"Hermione is worried," Harry said.

Snape nodded. "I imagine that all muggle-borns and half-bloods with muggles in their families are concerned," he said. "But I assure you that the magical community is doing the best they can."

"Are you trying to come up with something?" Harry asked.

Snape shook his head. "Not right now," he said. "As you are well aware, I have other duties to attend to. Besides, I do not have a sample of the disease and I will not be bringing one into Hogwarts just to attempt something that my colleagues are already working on."

"But you're better," Harry pointed out.

Snape chuckled. "When it comes to diseases at least, I assure you that Dr Lovegood is more proficient than I am."

Harry cursed himself for his lack of forbearance as he walked out of the main gate and into the direction of the forbidden forest. He would not need to venture in too deeply but he hoped that he would be able to find some recently deceased thestrals. He had run out of thestral hooves for his potion and seeing how they were quite critical to make the concoction work, he decided to try and harvest some himself.

If there weren't any available he would have to order them but that could take a while and Harry wanted to wait as little as possible.

As he walked into the edge of the arboreal enclosure, Harry slowed down his pace and tried to walk as softly as he possibly could. It would not do to spook the herd before he even got to them.

"Good morning, Harry."

Harry all but jumped out of his skin when he was suddenly addressed out of the blue. Instinctively, he had drawn his wand and whirled around to come face to face with Luna. She was hanging upside down from a low-hanging branch, holding on tight with her legs. Her arms were dangling down much like her hair was but she raised one hand to wave at Harry unnecessarily.

"Luna," Harry said," You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Luna smiled serenely. "It's quite alright," she said, "Your heart is strong."

"Thanks, I guess," Harry said, "But what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the Spotted Snurcax," she said matter-of-factly.

"Okay," Harry said slowly," And why are you upside down?"

"To find the snurcax, you need to become the snurcax," Luna replied easily, "And very much like bats and possums, the spotted snurcax likes to view this world entirely upside down. Very unlike the striped snurcax, mind you."

Harry smiled fondly and shook his head at the blonde. "If you say so, Luna," he said, "Say, have you seen the thestral herd anywhere near here lately?"

"Of course," Luna said, "They are at the creek right now. The morning breeze makes them thirsty, you see?"

"The creek?" Harry asked thoughtfully, "I didn't know there was one here."

"I think you never looked hard enough," Luna said, "People often miss things that cross their paths, simply because it's not on their mind. But I can show you where it is if you'd like."

"I wouldn't want to disturb your search for the er…"

"Spotted snurcax," Luna supplied, "Don't worry. They'll be here all year."

"Thanks," Harry said, offering Luna his hand. "Be careful coming down, okay?"

"Thank you, Harry," Luna said as she took Harry's hand and gracefully dropped down from the branch. "Aren't you just my knight in shining armour?"

Harry chuckled, "Without the armour, you mean."

"And without the horse," Luna added, "Is that why you're looking for the thestrals?"

"No," Harry said, "I was just looking for one that might have recently died. I need their hooves."

"For your potion," Luna said.

"For my potion," Harry agreed, "So, what do you think?"

"Of the potion or the thestrals?" Luna asked, "Or a peculiar combination of the both of them?"

"The thestrals," Harry clarified, "Have any of them died recently?"

"I don't think so," Luna said dreamily, "But maybe if you ask them nicely, they might give you what you need." Her eyes shone with such clarity and determination that Harry did not dare question her.

"Okay," he said somewhat doubtfully, "I'll do that."

"You have grown," Luna suddenly said as they kept walking into the forbidden forest, ducking underneath overhanging branches as they went.

"Have I?" Harry asked, "I'm still not as tall as Ron, I think."

Luna chuckled. "Perhaps not that literally," she said, "I meant it in a spiritual way. I can see that you have a greater understanding of yourself."

"Well, I have been getting a lot better at Occlumency," Harry told her, "Maybe that's what you mean?"

"Perhaps," Luna replied. She clasped her hands behind her back and started skipping ahead of Harry who quickened his pace to keep up with her. They reached a clearing in which a creek streamed calmly. Surrounding the waters stood the herd of thestrals. Some of them raised their heads and looked at the intruders thoughtfully before deeming them safe and going back to their drinking and grazing.

"Hello, Sunspot," Luna greeted as she approached a certain mare, "And how are you doing today? Has your hip gotten better at all?"

Sunspot tapped the ground with her foot a couple of times before bucking and pushing her nose into Luna's outstretched hand.

"Oh, that is so good to hear," Luna said happily, "I do hope that you'll be more careful from now on."

Harry looked around but saw no signs of any of the thestrals being sick or dying. He sighed to himself. It was probably better this way. Luna might not have taken it well had they stumbled upon a body.

"Go on," Luna goaded, "Ask Blueberry to help you. He's standing over there." Luna pointed toward one of the larger thestrals that stood proudly on top of a small hill, his wings folded neatly at his flanks. He appeared to be standing guard while the rest of the herd grazed.

Harry frowned. "You mean for me to just go up to him and… ask for his hooves?"

"That would be a strange thing to do," Luna noted, "Just ask him to help you."

Harry did not think that would be any less strange but he couldn't help but trust Luna. She had – after all – clearly bonded with the herd. She must know what she's doing. So Harry carefully walked towards the stallion that watched his approach carefully but without backing down.

"Hello," Harry said uneasily.

"His name is Blueberry," Luna advised as she threw her arms around a foal, scratching its chest.

Harry cleared his throat and tried again. "Hello, Blueberry," he said, "I'm brewing a potion to be able to talk to the people I have lost."

Blueberry regarded him carefully and for a moment, Harry almost believed that it could actually understand him. He glanced behind him to see Luna sitting down in the grass as a thestral nudged her carefully with its nose before lying down next to her.

"So, I was wondering if you could help me in its creation somehow?" Harry finally said.

For a moment, Harry and Blueberry regarded each other, neither one of them moving even though Harry desperately wanted to move back. But then, the proud stallion turned around and started swishing its tail rather wildly until several hairs dislodged from it.

Harry understood the message immediately and gathered as many of the hairs as he could into the pouch he had brought along for this purpose. When Blueberry started bucking at him, Harry moved back a few steps.

"Thank you, Blueberry," he said solemnly before turning away and searching for Luna again. The girl was crouching next to the creek, a smile on her face. Harry approached her and went to stand next to her. He stared into the water and saw their reflection.

"Did you ever wonder if the person in the water is real, and you're just a reflection of him?" Luna asked seriously.

"I really hope that I'm the one who is real," Harry replied, "Otherwise, everything we've been through was for nothing."

"Well, if you want to be sure…" Luna said. She used her hands to form a makeshift cup and scooped some of the water up. Then she got up and opened her hands above Harry's head, effectively dousing him with the liquid.

"Luna!" he exclaimed, startled by the cold water, "What are you doing?"

"It would appear that you are still you," Luna said easily, "So that means that I am still me."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked mischievously, not about to be outdone by the Ravenclaw. He didn't quite bother with decorum and simply splashed some water in Luna's direction. She was either too slow to dodge or simply didn't want to. Either way, she too was soon soaked.

"That is quite refreshing," she said, smiling brightly. "So what do you see now?"

If Harry had seen the suspicious-looking glint in Luna's eyes, he probably wouldn't have looked away. But he did. And Luna – in a moment of Slytherin clarity – nudged Harry just strongly enough to throw him off balance. Harry – whose reflexes were superior to those of Luna – swirled as he fell, grabbing the first thing he could to try and keep himself upright. When that something ended up being Luna's arm, they both ended up falling into the creek, disturbing its waters and chasing off some of the younger thestrals.

For a moment, Harry sat there feeling quite shocked. Water dripped down from his drenched hair and into his face. He half sat, half lay into the cold water, scrambling to find his glasses when he noticed his movements were restricted since Luna was now laying on top of him, where she had landed. She looked at him with a serene smile on her face, her eyes darting to his hair ever so slightly.

"You have a frog on your head," she said sweetly. Harry chuckled and Luna moved her hand to his head as to remove the frog. But when it hopped away on its own, she settled her hand against Harry's cheek and tapped his nose with her own.

"You are absolutely extraordinary," she whispered.

Harry inhaled sharply as he realized at that moment just how much Luna meant to him. With a rush of courage, he pressed his lips against hers, gently putting a hand in her neck as he closed his eyes and lost himself in the moment.

When she stroked his hair and deepened the kiss, he realized that he felt truly happy.

Harry had never felt more excited in his life. Even the day he first came to Hogwarts didn't feel like this. He completed the containment field and shivered when he sensed its dome engulf him once more. He didn't know why he felt like this but something told him that today would be the day. He would finally be able to finish the Umbral Locum.

He felt like a composer as he worked on the potion. The honey mead simmered pleasantly, the tendrils of magic stretching all around him. He revived the ghost pipe with his innate magic before adding it to the brew. He added the burned jackal fur as he would add pepper to a juicy steak. He stirred the potion with the practised and precise movements of a master.

Harry wasn't even remotely distracted by Snape waiting patiently at the other side of the alchemical circle. In fact, he even forgot that the man was there. He relished in the silence that was now his own and felt invigorated by the colours of magic all around him as they were revealed by the circle. This felt right.

Harry tossed in the carefully peeled bark of the weeping willow and quickly added the moth wings before the bark was completely immersed. The crow feathers he dipped in honey made specifically from Gorse flowers before adding them to the concoction as he stirred.

Swirling colours of purple, red, green and orange seemed to spur him on as he stirred and added, chopped and diced. He monitored the fire like a mother would her sleeping child and reacted every time it seemed to change. Not a thing went wrong.

The heat that rose from the cauldron drew Harry into a warm embrace. The popping of small bubbles sounded almost like the ringing of bells and the scent that emerged from the fumes reminded Harry of a warm spring day after it rained.

As he stirred, the fluid turned clear while the differently coloured strands of magic swirled inside until a whirlpool of explosive colour seemed to rise from the cauldron, swirling chaotically and yet very controlled.

Harry knew that he was very nearly there. This time he would succeed for sure. He grabbed the knife he had gotten from Snape for Christmas and was about to cut into his hand when the energies around him seemed to break and crackle. Harry couldn't say how he knew this but he understood that the potion did not want him to personalize it. No, not him. Not this time.

A tongue of green magic lashed out at the containment field, in the direction that Snape was sitting. Apparently, the dark Potions Master saws nothing as extraordinary as Harry was for he was just sitting there, watching intently but completely relaxed.

Harry smiled when he realized the magic's objective.

He locked gazes with Snape and beckoned for him to come nearer. Snape frowned but did so. He stepped closer until he was at the edge of the containment field. He could not pass it.

Orange wisps danced around Harry's wrist as he stretched out his hand. It breached the circle as he held it out towards Snape. After a moment's consideration, Snape took Harry's hand in his. Harry held on tightly and gently tugged on Snape's wrist, urging the man to step forward. Purple magic was practically licking at the breach Harry had created, almost begging to be allowed to welcome the newcomer as if it was an excited pet.

Snape allowed Harry to guide him inside and stepped through the breach. When he was inside of the alchemical circle, it sealed itself off completely once more. Snape's eyes widened as he took in the display that was dancing magic, a whirlpool of colour emanating from the cauldron and the scents of happy days longs since past.

"Harry," he said. "This is amazing."

Harry smiled knowingly. "This is the creation of Umbral Locum," he said. "This is the connection between the planes."

Magic of all colour was dancing around Snape, gently playing with his hair and cloak, making it seem as if Snape was facing a strong wind. He allowed the magic's embrace and chuckled when a particularly devious strand of red magic tugged at his sleeve.

"Why have you called me in here?" Snape asked.

"The potion does not want me to take it this time," Harry said.

"What do you mean?" Snape asked.

"It's hard to explain," Harry said. "But I've been brewing like this for a while now. I've been communicating with the innate magic of all the ingredients that go into this potion and I know that in a way it is sentient. And right now, it's telling me that it chooses you."

"But are you certain about this?" Snape asked. "This is your creation and I know there are people you want to see."

Harry smiled. "I will get my chance," he said. "For today, this is how it has to be."

He handed Snape his knife – heft first – and waited patiently for the man to take it. Snape regarded Harry carefully before taking the knife from him.

"How much blood will it take?" Snape asked.

"I imagine that it depends on the circumstances," Harry replied, knowing that it was so. "I will tell you when to stop. For now, just cut your hand and open it above the cauldron."

Snape faced the colourful creation and dutifully cut his hand without even flinching. He watched the blood slide down his palm and drip into the cauldron. As it did, the clear solution underneath the whirlpool changed colour.

"More," Harry encouraged, watching alongside Snape as the colour was still changing.

More blood was sucked into the cauldron, the whirlpool doing a fine job of stirring it just right.

"Just a bit more," Harry said when about a cup of blood had been added. "Just a few more drops I think. Okay, stop."

Snape closed his hand and withdrew it. He would cast a healing spell once the potion could no longer be disrupted by the magic.

The whirlpool slowly dissipated to reveal the Umbral Locum below it. It was burgundy in colour and smelled of herbs and spices. The amount was scarcely enough to fill one vial. The magics that had surrounded Harry up until this point all vanished and soon, there was nothing there but silence.

"It's complete," Harry said, feeling incredibly exhausted. He broke the containment field and sat down heavily into a chair. When he looked at Snape again, he almost laughed when he saw how confused the man looked.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, "Didn't you ever see a potion before?"

"I have," Snape said evenly, "But never one that was anchored to me in such a specific and fantastic manner. I can't help but feel honoured."

"The honour is all mine," Harry said. "Now, don't keep me waiting. I want to know if it worked or not."

"You want me to drink this?" Snape asked incredulously.

"It's not poison," Harry chuckled, "What are you afraid of?"

The expression on Snape's face revealed nothing but Harry could take a wild guess.

"You will only find what you need," Harry urged. "Please. I know you can do it."

"Okay," Snape conceded. "I will."

"I would sit down on the floor if I were you," Harry advised. "Unless you want to end up with a cracked tailbone or anything."

"I would rather not," Snape said as he sat down as gracefully as he could.

"Don't forget to occlude," Harry pointed out. Snape sneered at him but did so. And then, he drank the potion.

Years of training Occlumency and Legilimency did not prepare him for this moment. He wouldn't have been able to stop the sensation, even if he had wanted to. It almost felt like apparition, though instead of feeling a hook behind his belly button, he felt one behind his mind.

Before he knew it, he landed near the river in Spinner's End, staring at a piece of wood from the yew tree as it drifted past. And for a small moment, he wondered if he perhaps had apparated after all. Until he heard a painfully familiar voice.

"Hello, Sev."

I will not be updating tomorrow for the sole reason that I wanted chapter 34 to be the finisher of the week. I know, I know, you all hate me for doing this but I'm asking you to wait just one more day!

Please do let me know what you think. Many things happened this chapter. I'm sure you have one or two things to say!

See you on Friday.