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<div class="chap-title">
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39. Chapter 39
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</div>
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<div class="chap-text">
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<p><em>Thank you lovely people for reviewing! This is turning out to be a very good
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week. Can't believe I updated every day! And it's all thanks to you! Please enjoy
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this next chapter as well!</em></p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p class='c1'><strong>Chapter 39</strong></p>
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<p>Harry sat in a simple wooden chair that was the third from the left in a row of
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ten. Only two other chairs were occupied: the one on the very end by a woman in her
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early twenties that already sat there when Harry had arrived and the one, two seats
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over by an older gentleman that smiled when he caught Harry's gaze. He had small
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spectacles leaning on the front of his nose and he was hiding his balding head
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underneath a bowler hat, which he had politely tipped at the woman when he came
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in.</p>
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<p>Harry sat rigidly, his hands folded in his lap as he awaited his turn. A few
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hallways down, he could hear urgent voices and the banging of closets. It was not
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every day that he found himself amidst the hustle and bustle of St Mungo's but today
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he was here for his interview. The more the thought about it, the more eager he
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became to be allowed a chance at working here for a while. That thought alone made
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him rather nervous so he did his best to clear his mind and ignore his
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surroundings.</p>
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<p>The door opened and a girl his age stalked out rather confidently, walking away
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without looking back.</p>
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<p>"Sophia Williams," called a man, reading the name from a clipboard. "We are ready
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to see you now."</p>
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<p>Ms Williams got up from her seat, straightened her skirt and walked over to the
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man who stepped aside to allow her entry. He closed the door behind him, effectively
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blocking all sounds from within from escaping. There was no doubt in Harry's mind
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that a silencing spell was firmly in place.</p>
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<p>"Yer needn't look so worried, lad," the older gentlemen told Harry when he was
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about to go back to staring at his hands. Instead, he aimed his emerald gaze at the
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man and blinked in slight confusion.</p>
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<p>"Sir?" He asked respectfully.</p>
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<p>The man inclined his head towards the door and smiled. "They'll need an 'ole lot
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of people ter fix the right mess they're in, don'tcha think?"</p>
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<p>"I suppose so, sir," Harry replied, shifting his hands in his lap. He really
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didn't feel up to conversation right now but didn't think it polite to just ignore
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the man. Instead, he refocused his attention and asked: "Are you here for the
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internship as well?" The man looked just a tad too old for that.</p>
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<p>"Aye, lad," the man replied scornfully. "Ah done and messed up the job ah had in
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me previous life. So I've found meself with no choice but ter learn a new craft or
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two."</p>
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<p>"And you chose to become a potioneer?" Harry asked incredulously. He glanced at
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the man's hands, half expecting them to be trembling but they were steady and
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slender.</p>
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<p>"Why nae?" The man said. "It's rather interestin'. An' ah think I'm rather good at
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it. What about ye?"</p>
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<p>"I'm not half bad," Harry told the man. "I haven't blown up a cauldron in
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years."</p>
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<p>The man chuckled. "I 'aven't exactly got a clean record' meself," he said. "But as
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ah said, they be needin' lots of people to 'elp. They shan't turn us away, I'm
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certain of it."</p>
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<p>"I sure hope so, sir," Harry said.</p>
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<p>The man wanted to say more but thankfully, the door opened at that moment to allow
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Ms Williams to walk out. Her facial expression was one of concern but that could mean
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just about anything.</p>
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<p>"Harry Potter," the man with the clipboard now said. Harry ignored the gasp that
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elicited from the older gentleman and rose from his seat.</p>
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<p>"You may enter," clipboard man said and Harry walked inside, very aware of the
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door that closed behind him and the silencing spell that was cast at the hands of
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Caratacus Lovegood.</p>
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<p>"Harry Potter," he greeted evenly, gesturing towards a chair for Harry to sit on.
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Harry noticed that Lovegood's eyes did not travel to his scar and that his name had
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been spoken just like any other name would be. This both pleased and worried Harry.
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Obediently, he took a seat.</p>
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<p>"It is good to see you again, Master Lovegood," Harry said as cordially as he
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possibly could.</p>
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<p>"Likewise, Mr Potter," Lovegood replied dismissively. "Now, if you could kindly
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fill in this questionnaire for me so we can see what it is you know."</p>
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<p>A piece of parchment was shoved in front of Harry on which fifteen questions were
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asked. Harry frowned at them. They were so basic that any fifth-year could have
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answered them. He almost felt insulted.</p>
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<p>'<em>What is the main ingredient used in most antidotes</em>?'<br/>
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<em>'A bezoar'</em>, obviously.</p>
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<p>'<em>What must you always remember when cutting up murtlap tentacles</em>?'<br/>
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Harry chuckled to himself in reminiscence before writing down: '<em>Remove the
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suction cups</em>.'</p>
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<p>'<em>How can you check if a blood clotting potion has expired?'<br/>
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'Its colour becomes brown instead of red.</em>'</p>
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<p>And so it continued. Halfway through the written test, Harry glanced up at
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Lovegood in disbelief. Was the man playing with him? Why were these questions so very
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basic? But Lovegood was scribbling away hastily while Harry took his test, clearly
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still working even while taking these interviews.</p>
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<p>Harry suppressed a sigh and finished filling in all the questions, absolutely
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certain that he got every last one of them correct. He handed the test back to
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Lovegood who scanned it over before nodding.</p>
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<p>"Very well, Mr Potter," he said. "You are hired. Please return at seven o'clock in
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the morning next week Monday. You will be working with healer Johnson. Ask for him
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when you floo in."</p>
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<p>Lovegood then looked towards his assistant. "Call in the next one," he said and
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returned his attention to his work. Harry felt somewhat flabbergasted as he was
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ushered out of the room. Perhaps the older gentleman outside had been right and they
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were really desperate to get all the help they could get. Harry scoffed to himself.
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Hermione would have been able to get this internship as well had she so desired. Even
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Ron might have. On the other hand, no. No, he wouldn't have.</p>
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<p>"John Scofield," the man with the clipboard called as Harry took some automatic
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steps forward. He glanced at Mr Scofield who winked slyly before entering the office
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full of confidence. Harry shook his head in disbelief and made for the front entrance
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where he would be flooing home.</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p>He didn't even falter when he stepped out of the floo and into the house in
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Spinner's End, though the soot still clung to his robes as if he had cleaned the
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chimney in them. Snape was waiting for him, pretending to read a book. Harry
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<em>knew</em> he was pretending since he was still on the exact same page he had been
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on when Harry left.</p>
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<p>"Interesting book, Severus?" Harry asked, raising a sardonic eyebrow in a feeble
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attempt to copy the dark Potions Master.</p>
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<p>Snape smirked at him and put the book down. "How did it go?" he asked instead of
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replying to Harry's question.</p>
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<p>Harry sighed and sank into the couch.</p>
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<p>"That bad?" Snape asked, frowning in disbelief.</p>
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<p>"Actually, no," Harry told him. "They practically threw the internship at me. It's
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like they're desperate or something."</p>
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<p>"Why do you think so?" Snape asked.</p>
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<p>Harry drew up his legs and folded them underneath him as he leaned on the armrest.
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"All I needed to do was fill out a lousy fifteen-question-questionnaire with
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questions that anyone who had gotten an OWL in potions would have been able to
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answer," he said bitterly. "They gave me the position on the spot but I think they
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gave it to practically anyone that showed up."</p>
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<p>"You must understand that they're desperate," Snape pointed out. "They are
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tremendously shorthanded as it is, and people keep quitting on the spot."</p>
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<p>"Still," Harry sighed. "They're going to have me do nothing but basic stuff."</p>
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<p>"Then that is what you will do," Snape told him plainly. "You will create the most
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basic of potions and you will make them to be perfect. Perform to the best of your
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abilities and you will be trusted with more important tasks."</p>
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<p>"Do you really think so?" Harry asked, completely unconvinced.</p>
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<p>"Trust me," Snape said easily. "You will get your chance. As I said, they're
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constantly shorthanded and I'm certain that the time will come where they will be in
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need of your expertise. That's when you'll so kindly make yourself of use."</p>
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<p>"And if they don't?" Harry asked.</p>
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<p>"Even if they don't," Snape said, "you will still get the experience you need and
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the opportunity to learn new things. There is no rush."</p>
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<p>Harry sighed, stealing one of Snape's biscuits. "No rush," he agreed.</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p>That next Monday came very fast. Not wanting to be late, Harry had gotten up at
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five-thirty, took a quick shower and ate some breakfast – despite feeling nervous –
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leaving him enough time to wish Snape a good morning when the man got up at six
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forty-five and use the floo to get to St Mungo's.</p>
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<p>He bypassed an already full waiting room to go the reception desk where a stocky
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bespectacled woman looked up at him with a questioning gaze.</p>
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<p>"How can I help you?" she asked. Harry could hear the weariness in her voice and
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wondered just how long she had been working her shift already.</p>
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<p>"I'm Harry Potter," Harry informed her, ignoring the slight widening of her eyes.
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"I'm here for my internship. I'm supposed to ask for healer Johnson."</p>
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<p>The receptionist sighed deeply and grabbed a clipboard. "Right," she said after a
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few seconds. "Healer Johnson should be waiting for you in laboratory seven. Just take
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the hall on the right and keep going until you reach the elevators. Take them down to
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level B-1 and keep walking until you reach number seven."</p>
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<p>That sounded easy enough. "Thanks," Harry said. The receptionist was already
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looking over his shoulder to greet the next person in line and Harry took that as his
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cue to leave. He followed the instructions he had been given and ended up in his
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designated location with relative ease. The first thing he noticed when he reached
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level B-1 was how quiet the corridors were. He wondered if this was because of
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silencing spells or because of the lack of brewers. Deciding not to dwell on it, he
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walked into lab seven where a tall man was brewing what smelled like an antidote for
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lesser poisons. He looked up when Harry walked in and motioned for the boy to take a
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seat.</p>
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<p>"I'll be right with you, Mr Potter," he said, stirring the potion. "I just need to
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focus on finishing this potion."</p>
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<p>Seeing how he was a little bit early, Harry didn't mind. While healer Johnson was
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brewing, Harry looked around the room and found it ridiculously empty. It was a very
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large room that was a hundred feet long and thirty feet wide. Throughout the middle
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of the room stood a very long table that stretched from the front to the back of the
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room, a couple of stools on wheels resting underneath it.</p>
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<p>The walls were lined with potion ingredients from top to bottom with large stairs
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attached to the shelves in order for the brewers to be able to get to them. Harry saw
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practically every ingredient he could imagine and that included even the rarest of
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sorts. Underneath the tables, there were also several shelves but these were lined
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with books to their fullest capacity which seemed to be more than it physically could
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be.</p>
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<p>Many grates with empty cauldrons waited to be used, stirrers of every shape and
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size resting on the table. Parchment and quills could be found for when notes needed
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to be taken and there was even some chalk available that Harry could use for a
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containment field should he so desire.</p>
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<p>"There," healer Johnson said as he hauled his cauldron off the fire. "That should
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do it. At least I hope so."</p>
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<p>"It looks alright to me," Harry said.</p>
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<p>"You would know, I suspect," Johnson pointed out. "While I do know some things
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about the brewing of potions, I am definitely no potioneer. But everyone needs to
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pitch in while people leave left and right."</p>
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<p>"Why are people quitting?" Harry dared ask.</p>
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<p>Johnson sighed. "The stress gets to them," he replied. "Many potions need to be
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brewed nowadays; Not only that but chief Lovegood wants a cure to be found for the
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sick muggles and when the potioneers are unable to do that, he can get somewhat
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cross."</p>
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<p>"Am I the only one who will be working here, sir?" Harry asked as he glanced
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around the empty room once more.</p>
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<p>"Normally I have one other person coming in," Johnson said, checking his watch.
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"But he seems to be running late. Not a good start to an internship, I daresay." He
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put his hands on his hips, looking into his cauldron for a moment before snapping his
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attention back to Harry.</p>
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<p>"In any case, I'll be needing for you to brew three hundred pain-relieving potions
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today," he said. "Stocks are running low and our patients are suffering."</p>
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<p>"Three hundred?" Harry gasped. "I don't think I can do that before five
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o'clock."</p>
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<p>Johnson laughed out loud at that. "Mr Potter," he said. "None of us have the
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luxury of leaving on time. I suspect you will notice that soon enough. Ah, Mr
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Scofield, there you are."</p>
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<p>Harry barely had the time to register the assumption that he would be staying
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until very late when the kindly older gentleman he had met earlier walked in with a
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big smile on his face.</p>
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<p>"Sorry I'm late," John said. "The floo traffic was nae pleasant."</p>
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<p>"Don't worry Mr Scofield," Johnson said, waving off his apology. "I need you to
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start brewing blood replenishing potions. About a hundred should do for now."</p>
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<p>"Aye, Healer Johnson, ah will," John said, completely undeterred by the expected
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amount. He rolled up his sleeves and walked over to the left side of the table. Harry
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remained on the right side and did the same.</p>
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<p>"I will leave you to it then," Johnson said. "If you need me, I'll be upfront with
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the patients."</p>
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<p>"Aye, sir," John said at the same time that Harry said: "Yes, sir."</p>
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<p>The healer left, leaving the two interns up to their own devices.</p>
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<p>"I told yer tha' they would 'appily take anyone," John said as he gathered his
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ingredients. "They even took a chance on me."</p>
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<p>"But there were others too," Harry pointed out. He got water started in eight
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cauldrons and started gathering his ingredients as well. "And they're not in
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here."</p>
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<p>"This is lab seven," John replied easily, "I reckon tha' there are other brewers
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in the other labs as well."</p>
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<p>"You're probably right," Harry said. He started preparing his ingredients, making
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sure to reactivate the ones he could with innate magic the same way Snape had taught
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him. He caught John glancing at him curiously a couple of times but didn't allow the
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man to distract him.</p>
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<p>"At the risk of soundin' a wee bit dumb," John said after a while, "Magic is
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s'posed ta be detrimental ta potions innit?"</p>
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<p>Harry smiled. "It is," he agreed. "But only if you don't know how to use innate
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magic. My Master showed me how."</p>
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<p>"That's mighty interestin', tha' is," John said in obvious excitement. "An' who is
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yer Master, laddie?"</p>
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<p>"Severus Snape," Harry said proudly. "He taught me everything I know."</p>
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<p>"I've 'eard of 'im," John said, clumsily grinding some bat fangs. "He's in the
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practical Potioneer a lot int it he?"</p>
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<p>"All the time," Harry agreed. "And he deserves to be. He's really good at what he
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does."</p>
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<p>"I reckon' he is," John agreed, continuing to prepare his ingredients in silence.
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Harry – who was grateful that the man stopped asking questions, continued preparing
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his very large pile of ingredients with the expert motions of a seasoned brewer. He
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noticed that John was moving a lot slower as he was still trying to cut his
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ingredients as precisely as he could. He didn't show the automatic movements that
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Harry had already mastered and Harry wondered if the man would even be able to brew
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half of what he was ordered today.</p>
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<p>It didn't take long for Harry to reach that point where he withdrew into his own
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thoughts and just created his potions without even thinking too much about it. It was
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when he felt most at peace and not even the impossible amount of potions they were
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expecting from him brought him any stress. It just made him all the more determined
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to show them all just what he was made of.</p>
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<p>Methodically, he worked his eight cauldrons at once, bottling the finished potions
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expertly as soon as they were ready and placing them on the waiting tray. Every hour
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or so, a nurse would come to take the potions with her, whirling them off to wherever
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these potions got stored. John was also able to complete several potions each hour
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and although he didn't move as fast as Harry, his potions seemed to be
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well-brewed.</p>
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<p>It was nearing midday and Harry had sent off his last cauldrons for cleaning,
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filling eight new ones with water when he heard a familiar voice.</p>
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<p>"Hi, Harry."</p>
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<p>He turned around to find Luna standing in the doorway, a satchel in her hand.</p>
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<p>"Luna,' Harry greeted happily. He left his cauldrons for what they were and rushed
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over to give Luna a quick kiss. "What are you doing here?"</p>
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<p>"It's nearly lunchtime," she said matter-of-factly. "You must be getting hungry."
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She smiled and extended the hand that held the satchel. Harry chuckled and looked at
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her.</p>
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<p>"How did you even know that I neglected to bring lunch?" he asked.</p>
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<p>"Did I know that?" Luna asked and Harry wondered if she was talking to him or to
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herself. "I suppose I might have. You need to take care of yourself before you can
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take care of others, don't you think?"</p>
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|
<p>"Yer absolutely right, lassie," John said as he wiped his hands on a piece of
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cloth. "The lad is so caught up in 'is work tha' I dinnae think he would bother to
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eat."</p>
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<p>Luna smiled kindly at him. "He gets like that sometimes," she said. "But that's
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alright. I'll look out for him."</p>
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|
<p>"He's lucky ter 'ave ye," John said easily. "Name's John, by the way. John
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|
Scofield."</p>
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|
<p>"Pleased to meet you, Mr Scofield," Luna said, shaking his hand. "I'm Luna
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Lovegood."</p>
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<p>"Like ther chief?" John asked. "Is he yer da'? Never mind. Tha's rude of me ter
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ask."</p>
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<p>"Not at all," Luna said kindly. "The chief is my uncle. He's a very nice man."</p>
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<p>"I reckon'," John replied. Harry glanced at him, willing the man to leave him to
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eat with Luna in peace and apparently he was smart enough to get the message.</p>
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<p>"I'll be off ter continue brewin' now," John said all of a sudden. "I fear I'm
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somewhat be'ind."</p>
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<p>"I'll see you in a bit," Harry said before joining Luna outside.</p>
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<p>"He seems nice," Luna commented.</p>
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<p>"Overly so," Harry said in exasperation. "I just want to focus on brewing but he
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seems to want to talk a lot."</p>
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<p>"I'm sure he means well," Luna said as she hooked her arms around Harry's elbow.
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"He's no doubt eager to get to know you and learn from you. I got the sense that he's
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really interested in brewing."</p>
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<p>"Well, he should be," Harry pointed out. "He's an intern here just like me."</p>
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<p>"Then you should do your best to get along," Luna said. "You'll probably be
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spending a lot of time with him."</p>
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<p>Harry groaned but nodded. "You're right," he said. "As you always are."</p>
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<p>"How has your day been going?" Luna asked.</p>
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<p>"Alright," Harry said. "I've only been brewing pain relief potions and it doesn't
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look like I'll be done with them for a while but it's actually been fun. There's
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something relaxing about methodically doing something you're good at. And I've brewed
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this potion so many times already, I know exactly how to brew it."</p>
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<p>Luna and Harry went to sit down at a table in the courtyard of the hospital. It
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was a nice day out and Harry enjoyed the rays of sunshine that reached his skin. Luna
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started unpacking the duffle bag and revealed sandwiches with cheese as well as two
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pieces of treacle tart that Harry eyed hungrily.</p>
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<p>"This is amazing, Luna," Harry said as he grabbed one of the sandwiches.</p>
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<p>"You should thank your dad for this," Luna said evenly as she nibbled her own
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sandwich.</p>
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<p>"What do you mean?" Harry asked suspiciously.</p>
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<p>"He prepared this lunch for us," Luna said happily. "And then he flooed me and
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asked me to bring this to you. I think he thought you might have appreciated it."</p>
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<p>Harry blushed slightly as he got started on his second sandwich. He couldn't
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believe how hungry he had gotten without even noticing it.</p>
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<p>"It's nice how he's looking out for you," Luna then said. "Oh, this one is with
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jam. Want some?"</p>
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<p>When Harry opened his mouth to reply, Luna took her chance and inserted the
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sandwich into Harry's mouth who took a bite before Luna retreated. He did his best
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not to choke on the unexpected bite of food and chewed it.</p>
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<p>"It's good, isn't it?" Luna asked. She was leaning her head on her hand as she
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watched Harry rather coyly.</p>
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<p>Harry laughed after he finally swallowed his food and claimed one of the pieces of
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treacle tart. "It was lovely, Luna," he said. "So how have you been getting on?"</p>
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<p>"Oh, I've been enjoying my summer so far," Luna said dreamily. "I've already
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finished my potions essay for Professor Slughorn. He asked an essay about liquid luck
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but I think he would rather enjoy my addition about the Chinese Crane and how its
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presence seems to elicit the same effect."</p>
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<p>"Does it?" Harry asked suspiciously.</p>
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<p>"I'm rather sure of it," Luna replied, now claiming the second piece of treacle
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tart. "My father went to China once. He met a crane in Xi'an that followed him around
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for the better part of the day. He's never been luckier."</p>
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<p>"Your father has been to China?" Harry asked.</p>
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<p>"Oh yes," Luna said. "He travels quite often. He's been to nearly every part of
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the world in his search of rare fauna and flora."</p>
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<p>"Have you ever gone with him?" Harry asked, his piece of treacle tart now
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gone.</p>
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<p>"Only very rarely," Luna replied. "I was at school during most of his travels and
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even during the summer vacation, he prefers to leave me at home. He tells me it's not
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safe, you see?"</p>
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<p>Slyly, Luna slid the second half of her treacle tart over to Harry, smiling
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sweetly all the while.</p>
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<p>Harry frowned as he stared at the piece of tart that seemed to mysteriously appear
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in front of him, not really registering where it came from. "He leaves you alone?" he
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asked.</p>
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<p>"Sometimes," Luna said." But it's quite alright. He always brings me back
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something fascinating. And he has so many stories to tell."</p>
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<p>Harry absentmindedly began eating the treacle tart as he thought about that. "I
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don't mean to be rude but doesn't that seem a bit…harsh?"</p>
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<p>"Oh no," Luna objected. "He doesn't mean to be harsh at all. It's just that since
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my mother died, he sometimes seems to forget that I'm still there."</p>
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<p>Harry grabbed Luna's hand concernedly and squeezed it.</p>
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<p>"Don't feel sad, Harry," Luna told him before he could start comforting her. "I
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love my father very much and I know for sure that he feels the same. It's just that
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sometimes I need to take care of him as much as he needs to take care of me. It's
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like with you and Professor Snape."</p>
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<p>"What?" Harry asked. "I don't think that's right. I haven't really done anything
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for Severus."</p>
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<p>"You and I both know that that's not true," Luna told him. "And it's fine that
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way. It's nice to be depended on sometimes, don't you think?"</p>
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<p>Harry thought about that, finally realizing that Luna had sneakily given him the
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largest part of her own piece of treacle tart. He smiled at the thoughtful girl and
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raised her hand to his lips to kiss it.</p>
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<p>"You're amazing, Luna," he told her. "Thank you so much for keeping me
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company."</p>
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<p>"Anytime, Harry," Luna said sweetly. "Now go on. Go back to saving the world
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again."</p>
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|
<p>Harry chuckled. He got up, kissed the top of Luna's head and headed back to his
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lab. If she would manage to come over like this every now and then, he knew that he
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|
would make it through these days easily. With a spring in his step and a smile on his
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|
face, he went back to brewing the pain-relieving potions with renewed vigour.</p>
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|
<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p>It was past eleven o'clock when Harry finally stumbled out of the fireplace to get
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|
back home. The lights were out and the rooms were quiet. Snape had already gone to
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bed, no doubt. Harry yawned as he ran a hand through his hair, barely succeeding in
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|
keeping his eyes open. But he had done it. He had brewed all three hundred
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|
pain-relieving potions in one day.</p>
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|
<p>He had gotten very surprised looks from healer Johnson when he announced his
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|
results and suspected that they might not even have expected Harry to finish his
|
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|
assignment in one day. John surely hadn't managed. He had only finished forty blood
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|
replenishing potions.</p>
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|
<p>Harry dragged himself up the stairs and into his room, collapsing onto his bed
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|
without even taking his clothes and shoes off first. It didn't even take ten seconds
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|
for him to fall into a deep sleep that he would not stir from easily. That's why he
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|
didn't notice when Snape came into his room just twenty minutes later to remove his
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shoes, transfigure his clothes into pyjama's and lift his blankets to rest on top of
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him.</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p><em>Per the norm, this will be the last update of the week. I will be back on
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Monday, though! Please tell me what you think through your fabulous reviews! I'm
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anxious to know how you feel about all of this.</em></p>
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<p><em>Oh, and a happy birthday to Vueren!</em></p>
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