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<div class="chap-title">
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41. Chapter 41
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</div>
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<div class="chap-text">
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<p><em>Thank you all for your fast reviews! I was really amazed. You all know how
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much I appreciate it. On another note, I finished writing the last chapter yesterday
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so I can tell you that there will be 47 in total. Let the countdown begin.</em></p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p class='c1'><strong>Chapter 41</strong></p>
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<p>The look that Draco gave Harry was one of worry and concern, but not for Harry's
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sake. When Harry looked a bit closer, he could see some traces of blood on Draco's
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hands and robes. The blonde himself seemed to be frozen in his tracks as if he was
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not sure of what to do next.</p>
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<p>"Draco," Harry urged again. "What happened? Are you hurt?" As if on instinct,
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Harry grabbed one of Draco's hands and checked to see if it was injured in any way
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but Draco pulled his hand free before Harry could get a closer look.</p>
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<p>"I'm fine," Draco replied, his voice emotionless as if he was trying to contain
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himself. "Shouldn't you go back to work?"</p>
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<p>"I will in a second," Harry said. "But I get the feeling that right now, my friend
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needs me."</p>
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<p>A long moment passed in which Harry and Draco stared each other down before Draco
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relented with a sigh and a shaky shrug.</p>
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<p>"It's my mother," he said, his voice barely audible. "This morning, she had
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regressed to when she was a young girl. When she looked in the mirror and saw
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herself, she got really scared."</p>
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<p>Draco's voice was shaking and Harry put a comforting hand on his shoulder but said
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nothing.</p>
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<p>"I couldn't calm her down in time," Draco continued hopelessly. "There was some
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accidental magic – I didn't even know that could still happen with adults – and she
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blew up the mirror. There was glass flying everywhere and she got cut by most of
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it."</p>
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<p>Draco sobbed and buried his face into his hands. "Even after all that, I couldn't
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get her to calm down," Draco said. "She didn't recognise me and she was hurt. A few
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of her injuries were bleeding badly and I was getting worried so I – I stunned her
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and brought her here. Harry, I stunned my own mother!"</p>
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<p>Harry moved closer and enveloped his suffering friend into an embrace. Draco did
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not fight him.</p>
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<p>"I'm so sorry, Draco," Harry told him honestly. "I didn't realize that things had
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gotten so bad. It must have been really hard on you."</p>
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<p>"I don't know what to do anymore," Draco hiccoughed. "I'm only eighteen. I don't
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know how to deal with this."</p>
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<p>"You did the right thing by bringing her here," Harry told him. "I'm sure that the
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healers will take very good care of her."</p>
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<p>"Yes," Draco replied bitterly. "And then I can take her back home and the whole
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thing can start all over again."</p>
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<p>Harry withdrew from the hug, placing a hand on either of Draco's shoulders and
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looked him in the eye.</p>
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<p>"Draco, if this is becoming too much for you, you can always leave her at St
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Mungo's. There's a specialized wing for people with her kind of condition."</p>
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<p>"I can't leave her here," Draco said, horrified. "She's my mother. I will take
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care of her like she would take care of me."</p>
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<p>Harry nodded. "As you say, Draco," he said. "I was merely making a suggestion.
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Would you like me to accompany you to your mother's room?"</p>
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<p>"I – I would like that," Draco admitted, smiling slightly at his friend. "But
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don't you have things to do?"</p>
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<p>"I will stay a bit longer tonight," Harry said easily, neglecting to say that he
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already stayed much longer than he should. "It's alright."</p>
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<p>Draco nodded and led Harry to his mother's private room. They walked in silence
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and when they reached the door, Harry waited patiently for Draco to muster the
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courage to turn the knob.</p>
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<p>At long last, they entered the room, finding Narcissa Malfoy strapped to the bed
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as she stared out of the window to her right. Her hair was a tangled mess and she
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seemed to have lost some weight. Her eyes that once held such strength were now
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filled with confusion and uncertainty. She looked up when Harry and Draco walked in
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and smiled ever so slightly.</p>
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<p>"Where am I?" she asked, her voice slightly higher pitched than it should be.</p>
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<p>"You're in St Mungo's, mother," Draco told her. "You had a bit of an
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accident."</p>
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<p>"I've told Bella not to play with fire," Narcissa sighed wearily. "When she does,
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it's always <em>me</em> that gets burned." She turned her eyes towards Harry and
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looked at him hopefully. "Did Bella get punished for it?"</p>
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<p>Harry smiled at the woman and nodded. "Of course she did, Narcissa," he told her
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kindly.</p>
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<p>"That's good," Narcissa sighed, leaning back somewhat. She then locked eyes with
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Draco again. "Where am I?"</p>
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<p>There was no mistaking the pain in Draco's eyes when he answered for a second
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time. "St Mungo's."</p>
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<p>"I don't like hospitals," Narcissa told him. "Why would you bring me here? I want
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to go home!" She struggled against her bonds and looked as if she was ready to
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scratch someone's eyes out but she couldn't win from her restraints and eventually
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gave up. She kept her seething stare locked on Draco. The Slytherin was very
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startled.</p>
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<p>"You were hurt," Draco pointed out. "I'm not too good at healing. I had to bring
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you here."</p>
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<p>Narcissa's anger seemed to deflate as she looked at Draco with concern. She
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motioned for him to get closer and Harry thought he saw a flicker of recognition in
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Narcissa's eyes. Draco seemed to have seen the same as he eagerly moved closer and
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grabbed his mother's hand.</p>
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<p>"Lucius, my love," she said sweetly. "I've missed you. Could you tell me where I
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am?"</p>
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<p>Harry's heart ached for Draco as he saw the blonde open his mouth to try and
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formulate an answer. When no words came out, Harry answered the question for him.</p>
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<p>"You're in St Mungo's, Narcissa," he said kindly. "You've injured yourself. Can
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you remember that?"</p>
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<p>"Of course I can," she replied, smiling sweetly. Her eyes never left Draco's grey
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ones. "My love, why do you look so sad?" she asked. "I'll be okay. I'll come home to
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you in no time. You'll see."</p>
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<p>Tears now fell from Draco's eyes as he pushed his forehead against Narcissa's
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hand, eager for the touch, even if her love was not strictly directed at him.</p>
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<p>"Everything will be alright," she said comfortingly. She then turned her gaze on
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Harry who was trying to salvage his neutral expression. The confusion in her eyes was
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evident as she seemed to recognise him but couldn't quite produce a link in her mind.
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Her gaze flickered downward as she seemed to try and recollect herself and when she
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locked gazes with Harry again, all signs of recognition seemed to be gone.</p>
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<p>She smiled sweetly and asked: "Where am I?"</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p>Snape sat down in the chair Alex had procured for him in the bedroom. He was left
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alone with Emma while Alex talked with Maya who had come along with Snape this
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time.</p>
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<p>"Emma, can you hear me?" Snape asked in a calm, soothing voice.</p>
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<p>Emma wearily opened her eyes as she looked at Snape and smiled. "The shadow has
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come to visit me," she joked weakly. "I must be in a bad way. How horrible do I
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look?"</p>
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<p>Snape chuckled as he brushed a strand of sweaty hair from Emma's forehead. "Not
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half as bad as Alex does," he told her honestly. "Now, could you sit up for me? I
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need you to take a few potions."</p>
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<p>With Snape's help, Emme sat up, a pillow propped behind her back. Snape noted the
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droplets of blood that stained her sheets and cast a quick <em>scourgify</em> to get
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rid of them. He then handed her a fever-reducing potion.</p>
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<p>"For me?" Emma joked weakly. "You shouldn't have."</p>
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<p>"Less babbling and more drinking," Snape reprimanded softly. "I will pour it down
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your throat myself if I have to."</p>
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<p>Emma chuckled and drank the potion, grimacing horribly at the taste. "Couldn't you
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have added some sugar or something?" she asked wearily. "That stuff is vile."</p>
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<p>"I'd rather not go over the intricate details of potion-brewing right now," Snape
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sighed. "Drink this one next. It's a pain-relieving potion."</p>
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<p>"Dare I ask if this will taste better?" Emma asked.</p>
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<p>"I'd advise against it," Snape told her honestly. Emma smiled and downed the
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second potion as well.</p>
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<p>"Nope," she said. "This was way worse."</p>
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<p>"But it made you feel better, I'd wager," Snape pointed out.</p>
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<p>Emma blinked a few times and then looked at Snape in surprise. "Much better," she
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said. "That was fast!"</p>
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<p>She made to get up but Snape gently pushed her back down. "You're not cured,
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Emma," he told her. "I merely alleviated your pain. Now I need you to drink one more
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potion. It should serve to keep your organs intact for a while longer."</p>
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<p>Emma shuddered but drank the offered vial. She wiped her mouth with the back of
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her hand as she stared at the empty vial. "What's wrong with me?" she asked.</p>
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<p>"You've contracted a magical malady," Snape told her. "I will not lie to you. This
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disease has no cure as of yet and has proven to be fatal one hundred per cent of the
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time."</p>
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<p>Emma frowned but didn't seem as shocked as she should be. "This is the disease
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that's in the news every day, isn't it?" she asked. "The one that makes people
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disappear?"</p>
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<p>"It is," Snape confirmed. "But I'm trying my best to create a cure."</p>
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<p>Emma smiled as she took hold of Snape's hand. "If <em>you're</em> working on this,
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I have no doubt that I will be just fine."</p>
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<p>Snape scoffed but said nothing.</p>
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<p>"But just in case that I won't be," Emma said softly, squeezing Snape's hand,
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"could you take care of Alex for me? Charlie will be fine with my parents but Alex…
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he's not good at handling a loss."</p>
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<p>Snape swallowed thickly as he gazed at the severely ill woman. "If it comes to
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that," he said, "I will. But I won't have you worrying about things that are most
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likely not going to happen. I will make this work."</p>
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<p>"Of course you will, Severus," Emma said. "But if you can't, I forbid you from
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blaming yourself."</p>
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<p>"Emma –"</p>
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<p>"I would very much like to sleep now," Emma told Snape. "If there's nothing else,
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could you let me be, please?"</p>
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<p>Snape sighed and gathered his supplies with a flick of his wand. "As you wish," he
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said. "Try and get some rest. I'll be back for you tomorrow."</p>
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<p>"Thank you, Severus," Emma said groggily as she pulled the covers closer to her
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chin. Snape quietly left the bedroom and headed into the sitting room where Maya and
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Alex were waiting for him.</p>
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<p>"How is she?" Maya asked. "Is it the –"</p>
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<p>"It is," Snape told her honestly. Maya let out a shuddering breath and sank back
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into the couch.</p>
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<p>"No," she pleaded. "It can't be."</p>
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<p>Alex didn't respond. He was leaning forward, his hands clasped and hanging limply
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between his knees as he stared at the coffee table. Snape set down his potions kit
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just a tad too harshly in order to shake Alex from his less-than-helpful reveries. It
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worked as Alex looked up and glared at Snape.</p>
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<p>"If you could kindly pay attention, Alexander," Snape told him. "These are the
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potions Emma will need to take twice a day. Give her this one – he motioned towards
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the fever-reducer – first and give her these two after."</p>
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<p>Snape knew that he wasn't exactly exuding comfort right now but he really needed
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Alex to understand what he was supposed to do. Slipping into his professional
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demeanour was not only a means to that end, but it was also a comfort for Snape
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himself, who was watching one of his friends waste away before his eyes.</p>
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<p>"Thank you," Alex said. "What will you do now?"</p>
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<p>"I will retreat into my lab and start working on finding a cure," Snape said. He
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then directed his attention at Maya. "Will you stay with him?" he asked. "Make sure
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that he eats and sleeps? Emma can eat as well but I would recommend lukewarm foods
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only. Preferably liquids."</p>
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<p>"Of course, Sev," Maya said. "But do remember to eat something yourself,
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okay?"</p>
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<p>Snape huffed but smiled when he saw Maya's concerned gaze. "Don't worry," he said.
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"I will instruct Zippy to bring me meals at the appropriate times. You should just
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worry about your family."</p>
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<p>Maya grabbed his hand for just an instance as she placed a chaste kiss on Snape's
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lips. "I am," she said meaningfully. Snape just nodded and retreated out of the front
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door. Acutely aware of the three people depending on him, he hurried back home.</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p>When Harry had returned to finish his batch of fever-reducers, John had made no
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comment about the time it had taken him to come back. Harry had added two more
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cauldrons to his batch in order for him to try and catch up and was finding that it
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took little extra effort to do so.</p>
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<p>After a few hours of working in silence, John spoke up.</p>
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<p>"What's on yer mind, lad," he asked. "Ye've been very quiet since ye got back.
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Auld Lovegood dinnae sack you, did he?"</p>
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<p>"No," Harry said. "In fact, he told me that I can brew with multiple cauldrons at
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once."</p>
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<p>"Then what's got ye so melancholic?" John asked as he continued stirring his own
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brew. Harry wasn't even sure what the man was making today.</p>
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<p>"I was wondering why there are next to no potions that can cure mental illnesses,"
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Harry said.</p>
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<p>John shrugged. "Our folk dinnae put much stock in the mental capacities of the
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ill," he said. "The mind is very difficult ter mend as well, ya ken? Much easier to
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deal with lacerations and the like."</p>
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<p>"But a sick mind is far more crippling than a crippled leg," Harry argued.</p>
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<p>"Aye," John said. "Tis as ye say. But tis of no difference, I'm afraid."</p>
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<p>Harry huffed. "Well, I think I know exactly what my next research project will
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be."</p>
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<p>John barked a laugh. "And when will ye seek to do that, laddie?" he asked.
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"Lovegood's got us both working practically non-stop. Yer aff yer heid if ye think ye
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can fit more brewin' into yer day."</p>
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<p>"I'll make it work," Harry said confidently. "There's plenty of potions that can
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help me achieve my goal."</p>
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<p>"Aye, but don't go an' get yerself into trouble, ye hear?" John said. "I'd find
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myself rather lonely without ye here."</p>
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<p>Harry chuckled. "I'm sure you would do fine without me," he said. "But don't
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worry. I know what I'm doing."</p>
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<p>"So ye always say," John said, shaking his head.</p>
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<p>In the next few weeks, Harry put in even more hours than he already was.
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Sometimes, he didn't even come home to sleep anymore, simply transfiguring a cauldron
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into a bed of sorts to sleep in for a few hours. He didn't even eat his lunch outside
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of the lab anymore. Instead, he would have a house-elf bring him something to eat
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which he would eat while brewing and researching. Without even noticing it, his
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birthday had come and gone. No owls could reach him where he was now and Hedwig was
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not allowed in the St Mungo's laboratory so she just stayed at Spinner's End.</p>
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<p>Snape hadn't sent Harry very many messages anymore other than the occasional.
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'<em>How is everything?</em>' and '<em>I hope you're taking care of yourself'</em>.
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Harry had always replied with short and to the point answers but it was enough to
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know that someone cared. He didn't even mind that he was no longer socializing with
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other people at the moment because right now, people were depending on him and he
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couldn't let them down.</p>
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<p>Little did Harry know that Snape was in just such a predicament in which he was
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getting more and more desperate as time kept ticking away mercilessly. Every day, he
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was fighting to keep death at arm's length and every day, he was feeling as if he was
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succeeding less and less.</p>
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<p>Harry threw in the petals of the pansy flowers into his brew, quite certain that
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he made a breakthrough in the restorative memory draught he was creating when a piece
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of parchment appeared in front of his nose at the exact moment that one appeared in
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front of John's. Harry put a stasis on his cauldron and read the parchment.</p>
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<p class='c1'><em>Urgent staff meeting planned at 16:30.<br/>
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Location: The second-floor meeting room.<br/>
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Attendance is mandatory.<br/></em></p>
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<p>It wasn't signed but there was only one person that could call for a general staff
|
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meeting and that was chief Lovegood.</p>
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<p>"What d'you reckon' the auld dodger wants now?" John asked Harry.</p>
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<p>"Maybe it has something to do with the cure?" he offered. "Maybe he made a
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breakthrough or something?" He really hoped that was the case. It would severely
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decrease his workload and give him more time to try and help Draco.</p>
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|
<p>At 16:28 Harry found himself in the required room with barely a minute to spare.
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And even then, he was contemplating how he would have been able to put that minute to
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good use. He was scribbling away any thoughts and ideas about the memory restorative
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draught he was trying to come up with on a spare bit of parchment, barely even
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noticing when Caratacus Lovegood walked in.</p>
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<p>The room had been flooded by not only potioneers but also healers, nurses and even
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the janitors of the hospital. When Lovegood spoke, everyone looked up.</p>
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<p>"You are probably all wondering why I have summoned you here," Lovegood said. "I'd
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rather not beat around the bush and keep you all from your work. I am not able to
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find a cure."</p>
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<p>A stumped silence was Lovegood's only response so he just continued speaking. "I
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have tried to find something to counteract this disease for months now but am
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entirely unable to do so. Nothing is working and people are dying."</p>
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<p>Lovegood's expert eye gazed at the crowd gathered in the room, hanging on his
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every word.</p>
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<p>"Therefore I have summoned you here to ask for your help," he said. "Anyone who
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thinks that they can create a cure – I don't care if they are an accomplished healer
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or a janitor with hidden talents – will be rewarded by me. I will award you a sum of
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five-hundred-thousand galleons, coming out of my own pocket to the one who can
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present me with a cure. If you need the time to do so, please take it. We need to
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rally as one group in order for us to beat this thing. I am counting on you. You are
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excused."</p>
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<p>The crowd broke into excited murmurs and conversation but Harry didn't want to
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discuss this with anyone. He just wanted to get back to his lab and continue brewing.
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If only the gods could be that merciful.</p>
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<p>"Mr Potter, a word," Lovegood called after him.</p>
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<p>Harry froze in his tracks, momentarily wondering if he could get away with
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pretending that he didn't hear Lovegood in the first place, but decided against it
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and turned around. "Sir?"</p>
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<p>"I have a few more things to discuss with you," Lovegood said. "Stay for a
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moment."</p>
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<p>"I really should get back to work, sir," Harry said.</p>
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<p>"This will only take a moment," Lovegood told him. Harry sighed and sat down in a
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chair that had previously been occupied.</p>
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<p>"It has come to my attention that you are no longer eating in the courtyard,"
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Lovegood said. "You also rarely leave the hospital to go home anymore. You do with
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very little sleep and keep brewing. It's all we can do to keep replenishing the
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stocks of ingredients at this rate."</p>
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<p>"I'm merely doing what is required of me," Harry said.</p>
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<p>"I am the first one to compliment hard work," Lovegood said. "But what you're
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doing is not healthy. If the circumstances were any different, I would force you to
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take a week off."</p>
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<p>"But the circumstances are <em>not</em> different," Harry told him. "This is what
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you need me to do right now."</p>
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<p>"The additional research you have taken on is entirely unnecessary," Lovegood
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pointed out dryly.</p>
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<p>Harry swallowed thickly. "I'm still meeting my quota, aren't I?" he said
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softly.</p>
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<p>Lovegood sighed. "That is beside the point, Harry," he said. Harry blinked in
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surprise at the use of his given name. "You are on the brink of self-destruction and
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I will not have a promising potioneer do this to himself."</p>
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<p>"I <em>need</em> to do this," Harry replied evenly, beyond all common sense.</p>
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<p>"Like Master, like apprentice," Lovegood sighed. "Harry, I need you to focus on a
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cure for now. Your workload will be lessened for a while so you can do this. I urge
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you to put your personal research aside for now and pick it up later."</p>
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<p>"But I –"</p>
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<p>"When a cure is found, you will have much more time on your hands. I will even
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offer you my assistance in whatever it is you're trying to do. But please. I need
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your mind on this problem."</p>
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<p>Harry stood there, silently contemplating Lovegood's words for a while before
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sighing in resignation. "I will do what I can," he said. "And I'll put aside my
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research for now." Harry just hoped that Draco would be able to last just a bit
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longer without his help. The boy had looked on the verge of collapse the last time he
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saw him and yet he had insisted on taking his mother home.</p>
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<p>"I knew I could count on you," Lovegood said. "Now let's get to it. We haven't the
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time to dilly-dally."</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p><em>Desperate times call for desperate measures.</em><br/>
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<em>I realize that it's New Year's Eve so I'll do what I did during the Christmas
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holidays and wait and see if I get any response. If people don't read this, I won't
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update on Wednesday. But I'll defenitely update on Thursday.</em></p>
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<p><em>Let me know what you think! Happy New Year!</em></p>
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