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<div class="chap-title">
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43. Chapter 43
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</div>
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<div class="chap-text">
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<p><em>You guys are the best! I know that many of you have been speculating about the
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cure and its origins. This chapter will have most of the answers. I hope you'll all
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be pleased with the results. Thanks for all your reviews! The same to the guests I
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couldn't reply to. Enjoy!</em></p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p class='c1'><strong>Chapter 43</strong></p>
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<p>Both Snape and Harry had turned in rather early, both eager to get started on
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their collaboration but not wanting to break their promise to the other.</p>
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<p>If Harry was entirely honest with himself, he needed this. He needed to get a full
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night's rest as much as he needed that large breakfast spread he woke up to the next
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morning.</p>
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<p>It was barely the crack of dawn but Harry hadn't felt as well-rested in a long
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time. Snape was already up and sitting at the breakfast table, feeding Hedwig some
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bacon strips. When he saw Harry, he motioned for the boy to take a seat next to him.
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Harry complied easily and hungrily stacked his plate with pancakes.</p>
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<p>"Good morning, Harry," Snape said as he helped himself to some more healthy
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choices like toast and fruits.</p>
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<p>"Good morning, dad. Good morning, Hedwig," Harry replied. Hedwig hopped over and
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nipped Harry's finger affectionately. Harry stroked her feathers, smiling as he
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reconnected to his familiar.</p>
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<p>"Have you been helping Severus in the lab, girl?" he asked her. Hedwig ruffled her
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feathers angrily and hooted once. Harry frowned at Snape.</p>
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<p>"I didn't normally take her advice," Snape said easily as he sipped his tea. "Your
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owl seems to believe that she knows potions better than I do." Hedwig hooted again
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but looked away. Harry couldn't help but chuckle.</p>
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<p>At that moment, there was a tapping sound at the window and Snape got up to allow
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the two awaiting owls entry. One of them carried with him the daily prophet. Snape
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paid the owl to receive the paper and it was off again without even waiting for some
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food or water. The second owl, however, flew over to Harry's chair, landed on top of
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it – much to Hedwig's dismay – and extended its foot.</p>
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<p>"And who do you belong to?" Harry asked the Ural owl that simply hooted in reply.
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Harry had never seen one in real life before. He accepted the letter and offered the
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owl some of his breakfast. There was plenty to go around anyway. Hedwig fluffed her
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feathers as she stared menacingly at the newcomer but the Ural simply ignored her as
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it dunked its beak into a bowl of water.</p>
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<p>The letter was sealed by a wax sign of a black eagle perching in an oak tree. Not
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knowing what this meant, Harry opened the letter and read the contents.</p>
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<p class='c1'><em>Esteemed potioneer Harry Potter,</em></p>
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<p class='c1'><em>We contact you in regards to the Magic Muggle Potion you have
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invented a few months ago. We were quite intrigued, reading about it in the practical
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potioneer but still have many questions regarding the concoction. Therefore, we would
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like to request a meeting with you at a time that suits you.</em></p>
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<p class='c1'><em>As we understand it, you are naturally quite busy at the moment but
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if you could kindly fit us into your schedule somewhere in the near future, that
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would be most agreeable.</em></p>
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<p class='c1'><em>H. Spilogaster</em></p>
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<p class='c1'><em>The German guild of theoretical and practical potioneering and
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alchemical solutions.</em></p>
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<p><em>Harry practically rolled his eyes at the letter. He did not want to get into
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this right now.</em></p>
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<p><em>"Who sent it?" Snape asked, his eyes not leaving the daily prophet.</em></p>
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<p><em>"The potioneer guild in Germany," Harry replied sounding absolutely bored.
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"They want to meet about the Magic Muggle potion as if I have the –"</em></p>
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<p><em>Snape looked up from the prophet as he regarded Harry. The boy was holding the
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parchment mid-crumple but had frozen his movements. "Harry?"</em></p>
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<p><em>"I am an idiot," Harry mumbled.</em></p>
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<p><em>"What makes you say that?" Snape asked, intrigued.</em></p>
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<p><em>"The Magic Muggle potion!" Harry all but shouted. "Don't you see?
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<em>That's</em> why Alex didn't get sick yet! <em>That</em> could be the catalyst to
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curing this disease!"</em></p>
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<p>Snape groaned and slapped himself on the forehead. "It's painfully obvious when
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you say it like that," he said. "Merlin, how could I have been so blind? The illness
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has no effect on wizard folk. The potion must have reacted with his innate magic
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enough to give him the same protection!"</p>
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<p>"Sleep-deprivation got us both, it would seem," Harry said. "Let's go brew it
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right away."</p>
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<p>"Of course," Snape agreed. Harry sent off the Ural owl without a reply and hurried
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down the stairs to the potions lab, following closely behind Snape. Before they could
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close the door, Hedwig flew in as well and casually landed on her perch, looking just
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a tad too pleased with herself.</p>
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<p>"You know this potion better than I do," Snape told Harry. "Go ahead and brew it.
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I will prepare your ingredients."</p>
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<p>Harry paused for a moment to stare at Snape incredulously. Did Severus Snape – one
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of the greatest Potions Masters of his time – just offer to be second violin to
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Harry's first? Just like that?</p>
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<p>"Would you cease your gawking and get started?" Snape admonished. "You just had a
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breakthrough teetering on the edge of an epiphany. Do something with it." Hedwig
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hooted her agreement. Harry just snorted and got to work.</p>
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<p>He filled his cauldron with water and got the fire started at exactly the right
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intensity. By the time he had selected the appropriate stirring rod, Snape had
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already prepared the first ingredients Harry would need.</p>
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<p>"If this works, we might need to contact Ms Lovegood about supplying us with more
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dirigible plums," Snape said as he was slicing one to ribbons.</p>
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<p>"If this works," Harry replied, "I'm sure that she would be happy to give us every
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last one she has."</p>
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<p>They brewed together in record time without Hedwig making even one comment. They
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worked like a well-oiled machine together and even though there was much at stake,
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Harry had rarely felt as content as he did at that moment. Glancing at Snape a couple
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of times, he was pretty sure that the man felt the same way. Harry couldn't help but
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reminisce about his very first Potions class and how disastrous that had gone. He
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snorted at the thought of <em>that</em> Snape knowing how things would end up.</p>
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<p>"It looks as it should," Snape suddenly said. Harry nearly jumped out of his skin
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when he noticed Snape's close proximity but he was able to hold himself together.</p>
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<p>"Yes," he agreed. "This is the Magic Muggle potion. Now we have to see if it will
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work or not."</p>
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<p>"Then I suggest we go, immediately," Snape said, already bottling some of the
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concoction and putting the rest in a stasis field to tend to later.</p>
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<p>They hurried towards Alex's home in silence, ignoring the rays of the sun that
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were harsh enough to cause the sky to shimmer. Conditions that weren't good for the
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ill.</p>
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<p>They didn't even need to knock. Maya must have seen them coming from afar since
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she opened the door before they even reached the threshold. Her expression held
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something akin to both hope and fear.</p>
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<p>"You look hopeful," she said in a sort of weary excitement.</p>
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<p>"There's no time," Snape told her as he rushed past her. "We'll explain
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later."</p>
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<p>Harry followed Snape, glancing at Maya as he went but she made no attempt to stop
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them. Instead, she closed the door and rushed over to the sitting room where Alex
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probably was.</p>
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<p>Snape barged into the bedroom as if he owned the place and crouched down at the
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bed that stood against the wall, facing the window. Harry stepped inside as well and
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gasped at the sight of Emma. The poor woman, who had been so full of life at
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Christmas, was now skin and bones. Her eyes were sunken in and her skin had an
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unhealthy grey tone to it. Her hair had lost all sheen and virility and was now
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limply framing her face. When she extended her hand in Snape's direction, Harry could
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see it tremble before Snape grabbed it. And yet, she smiled.</p>
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<p>"Hello Severus," she greeted with a hoarse voice. "How kind of you to come and
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bring Harry along."</p>
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<p>"There's no time for chit-chat," Snape said as he uncorked the vial.</p>
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<p>"No, there never is with you," Emma chuckled weakly. "What have you brought for me
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today?"</p>
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<p>"Hopefully," Snape replied as he helped Emma to sit up, "a cure."</p>
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<p>"That would be lovely," Emma sighed. She was too weak to hold onto the potion
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itself but Snape lifted it to her lips and helped her drink it until she finished the
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last drop. He then gave her some water to wash away the taste. Harry noticed that her
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sheets were flecked with blood but Snape had taken notice as well and had waved his
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wand to get rid of the substance.</p>
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<p>They waited a few minutes to allow the potion to work before Snape took out his
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wand and cast a diagnostic charm on Emma. Harry stood next to him to read the
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magically conjured parchment alongside Snape. The results were… not as they would
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have hoped.</p>
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<p>"Don't look so depressed," Emma said kindly. "You did your best."</p>
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<p>"This doesn't make sense," Harry insisted. "It worked for Alex. Why wouldn't
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it-"</p>
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<p>"We're close to figuring this out, Emma," Snape said, interrupting Harry. "You'll
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see us soon. Hang in there, alright?"</p>
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<p>"I'll try," Emma said weakly. "But don't wait too long, alright?"</p>
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<p>Snape clasped her hand between both of his in a moment of comfort before gently
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putting it down and motioned for Harry to come with him. Alex and Maya were already
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waiting for them downstairs. The hope in their expressions broke Harry's heart. He
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had been sure that this was the solution. And it wasn't. It was enough to drive
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anyone into desperation.</p>
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<p>"Join me in the sitting room," Snape said and he walked in without even waiting
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for a reply. Maya and Alex exchanged a glance and Harry couldn't help but think that
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if this could all end well, those two would be closer than ever. Alex might not even
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call Maya insane anymore.</p>
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<p>"What do you want to tell me?" Alex asked in a quivering voice. "Do you want me to
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stop hoping? Will you tell me that it's too late? That you tried everything? Because
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I won't accept that!"</p>
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<p>Harry noticed that Alex didn't look so good either. He too had clearly lost a lot
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of weight in a short amount of time. There were dark bags under his eyes and he was
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constantly fidgeting nervously.</p>
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<p>"Alex," Snape said and Harry couldn't help but wonder when exactly Snape had
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stopped saying 'Alexander'. "We did try everything we could. We thought that we
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finally had it but it didn't work."</p>
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<p>"I can't figure out why though," Harry said, biting his thumb. "If it worked for
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Alex –"</p>
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<p>"What?" Alex asked. "What worked for me?"</p>
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<p>Snape sighed as he put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "The potion you drank in order
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to fly a broom," Snape told him. "It was probably what made you resistant to the
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disease in the first place."</p>
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<p>Alex jumped up at that. "Then why won't it work on her?"</p>
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<p>"It would appear that it works as a preventive measure," Snape explained calmly.
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"But it doesn't have any healing properties."</p>
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<p>"Can't you just add some healing herbs to it?" Alex asked unwittingly.</p>
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<p>"It doesn't work like that," Snape explained with a patience he would never show
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in class. "All potions rely on the perfection of their composition quite heavily.
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Adding one more ingredient could render the whole thing useless. This is true even
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more so in this particular potion since it relies heavily on the use of innate
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magic."</p>
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<p>Maya sighed. "It's a shame that we don't know the whereabouts of the staff of
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Caduceus," she said hopelessly. "The book described it as being able to integrate
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healing properties into any potion."</p>
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<p>"The staff of Hermes?" Harry asked. "Wasn't that just a myth?"</p>
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<p>Maya smiled weakly. "If you'll remember the first lesson we had together," she
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said, "you'll remember that some of those myths were based on truth. Even Pythagoras
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wielded the staff at some point."</p>
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<p>Snape got out of his chair so quickly that it toppled over.</p>
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<p>"Severus?" Harry asked. "What's wrong?"</p>
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<p>"Maya, you might have just saved your sister's life," Snape said excitedly.
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"Harry, come along right now."</p>
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<p>"But where –"</p>
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<p>Snape didn't give Harry any time to finish his sentence. He just grabbed him by
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the wrist and all but dragged him behind him. Without so much as a farewell or
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warning, Snape spun on his heel and with a loud crack, the pair of them
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disapparated.</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p>The surprise apparition was enough to force Harry onto his knees as soon as they
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landed. Snape didn't give him the time to recover, though. Instead, he dragged Harry
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to his feet and led the boy behind him.</p>
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<p>"There's no time for that now," Snape said as he took some hasty strides.</p>
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<p>Harry leaned on Snape's arm until the world stopped spinning and looked up to see
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where they were. They had landed right in front of the pyramid that was the base of
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the potions guild.</p>
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<p>"Why are we here?" Harry asked.</p>
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<p>"You still didn't figure it out?" Snape asked as he started climbing the steps.
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"The staff Maya was talking about. The one that's described in the book the Weasley
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twins procured for me. It's hanging in these very halls!"</p>
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<p>"It's <em>what</em>?" Harry asked incredulously.</p>
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<p>"You were probably too nervous to notice last time, but it's right here. The staff
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of Caduceus otherwise know as the staff of Hermes. It has been an heirloom to the
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guild for a very long time, gifted to us by Pythagoras himself."</p>
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<p>"And you didn't think to use it before?" Harry asked, already panting as he was
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climbing the stairs. He wondered why they couldn't just apparate directly to the top.
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How did all of those old men do this?</p>
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<p>"It can't heal diseases by itself," Snape explained, not out of breath in the
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least. "As Maya said, it can provide healing properties to any potion without
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disrupting its harmony. Don't you see? This is perfect!"</p>
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<p>They reached the top. The door was closed but Snape was able to open it with a
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mere touch of his palm and a hissed password. The door swung inward with a soft
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keening and Snape swept inside. Harry followed to see the staff hanging on the wall
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in plain sight. Right next to a shield that looked like a Gryphon, bracing itself
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with its wings. Perhaps he <em>had</em> seen it before.</p>
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<p>Snape lifted the staff from the wall and Harry half-expected the ceiling to cave
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in or for boobytraps to spring into action but none of that happened.</p>
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<p>"Anyone can just take it?" Harry asked incredulously.</p>
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<p>"Anyone that's been anointed in the guild," Snape replied impatiently. "Now come
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on, there's no time to lose."</p>
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<p>Together, they swept out of the guildhall again, climbed down the stony steps and
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apparated as soon as they could. This time, Harry was prepared and did not
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falter.</p>
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<p>"Won't Lovegood notice it's gone?" Harry asked as they hurried into their
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house.</p>
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<p>"He will have received a notification that I took it right about now," Snape told
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Harry. "But I'm quite certain that he will be most pleased if this works. Using the
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staff should not put a dent in that victory. After all, it's what Hermes intended
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when he created this artefact in the first place."</p>
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<p>When they stumbled back into the lab, they inadvertently woke up Hedwig who looked
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at them with a reprimanding look on her face. She fluffed her feathers but made no
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sound as she was suddenly distracted by the golden gleam of the staff.</p>
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<p>"It is quite fortunate that we decided to leave the rest of the potion for later,"
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Snape said. "Or we would have to brew the whole thing over again."</p>
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<p>Harry stood there somewhat forlornly when Snape swivelled to look at him. "Well?"
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he asked. "What are you waiting for? Draw your alchemical circle."</p>
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<p>Harry sprung into action at once, grabbed some of the chalk that was stowed away
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in the desk and started drawing. Snape was watching him intently but didn't seem to
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take any action of his own. As if he knew what Harry was thinking, he spoke up.</p>
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<p>"You're the one who created the potion," he said. "That's why it has to be you who
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alters it. If we don't do it like this, the artefact might not respond as we wish it
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to. And I'd rather not try again simply because we were too hasty."</p>
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<p>"Understood," Harry said. When he finished the last intricate rune that was a part
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of the circle, he got up, removed the stasis that was on the cauldron and accepted
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the staff from Snape. It was quite heavy and unwieldy. It felt warm to the touch and
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while they were standing in the containment field, it seemed to want to reach out to
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the potion.</p>
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<p>Harry could see white and golden threads of innate magic coming from the staff and
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licking the blue threads that exuded from the Magic Muggle potion as if they were
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nothing but a mist. He could hear the sound of bells and got the vague impression
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that something was talking to him. Guiding him.</p>
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<p>'<em>Reach out</em>,' something inside of him said. '<em>Reach out with your own
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source and I shall comply.</em>'</p>
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<p>Harry looked at Snape to see if the man had heard the same thing he had but he was
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simply regarding Harry with great interest.</p>
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<p>Harry let go of the staff with one hand and tried to focus his innate magic into
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it, as he had done many times before. Long strips of what seemed to be white ribbons
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materialised into thin air and Harry used them, nay, guided them to grab hold of the
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golden tendrils and directed them to come into contact with the blue mist.</p>
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<p>He weaved the different magics together as if they were a tapestry that needed
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completing. He tried to find the natural balance between them and listened as the
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staff seemed to direct him. It was a draining experience, but one that felt
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absolutely wholesome. He knew that this was right. And when the potion began to shine
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with a golden sheen, Harry realized that it was complete. He cut the golden tendrils
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carefully and allowed them to settle where they were ingrained.</p>
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<p>"I think it has been done," Harry told Snape. The man was staring at him with
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something that resembled awe. It looked entirely foreign on the Potions Master's
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face.</p>
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<p>"There's no time for praise or questions," Harry told Snape evenly, though he felt
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the quiver of excitement still present in his voice. "We have to get this potion to
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Emma."</p>
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<p>"As you say," Snape said, his gravelly voice grounding Harry once more. "Fill a
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vial and put a stasis on the rest of it."</p>
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<p>"Yes sir," Harry complied. He carefully measured one portion, not spilling a drop
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in the process, and charmed the vial to keep it from breaking for good measure. He
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pocketed the potion and raced up the stairs.</p>
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<p>"Let's go!" he called unnecessarily because Snape was right behind him. The staff
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lay forgotten in the lab.</p>
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<p>For the second time that day, they raced to Alex's home, the new and improved
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potion in Harry's pocket. Once more, Maya opened the door before they could even
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reach the threshold and as before, they raced up the stairs without even
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acknowledging Maya's presence. This time though, Alex was standing next to her, a
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hopeful expression on his face as he watched the two potioneers climb the stairs
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towards his wife.</p>
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<p>When they barged in the door, they found Emma still awake, looking at them with
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eyes that were much too bright, a small trickle of blood coming from the corner of
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her mouth.</p>
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<p>"Twice in one day?" she asked weakly. "You pamper me too much."</p>
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<p>Snape took a handkerchief out of his pocket and used it to gently dab away the
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blood on Emma's face. He then grabbed the potion Harry handed to him and showed it to
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Emma1; "Drink this, if you will," he said importantly.</p>
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<p>"This better not be poison," Emma chuckled softly.</p>
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<p>"Don't play coy right now," Snape growled. "There'll be plenty of time for that
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later."</p>
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<p>"Oh Severus, you always know what to say," Emma said, smiling weakly. But Snape's
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glare caused her to acquiesce. She allowed Snape to help her sit up and bring the
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vial to her mouth. The potion was surrounded by a golden sheen that Harry would bet
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would glow in the dark. As Emma drank, that same golden sheen seemed to envelop her
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body. Snape had to help her steady the vial as she almost gave up drinking halfway
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but the Potions Master wouldn't let her.</p>
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<p>When the vial was empty to the very last drop, Snape and Harry watched Emma
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carefully, waiting for that golden glow to disappear. When it finally did, Snape took
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out his wand and cast the diagnostic spell once more, Harry hovering next to him, as
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he read the results.</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p><em>And there you have it. I won't say much more at this point. Do let me know
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what you thought, if you can.</em><br/>
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<em>Four chapters to go.</em></p>
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