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<div class="chap-title">
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45. Chapter 45
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</div>
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<div class="chap-text">
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<p><em>I know I said I wasn't going to update in the weekends anymore, but you have
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all been so great with reviewing this last week that I couldn't help myself. So, as a
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big thank you to everyone, here's the chapter somewhat earlier. You might find it to
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be a poisoned gift, though...</em></p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p class='c1'><strong>Chapter 45</strong></p>
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<p>It was impossible to truly recognise what time it was when one was brewing in the
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St Mungo's laboratories since the torches burnt magically all day long and there was
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no window to indicate the position of any of the celestial bodies. Therefore, Harry
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relied solely on the growling of his stomach to indicate just when it was time for
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lunch, though it was not always accurate.</p>
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<p>When another loud growl elicited a chuckle from chief Lovegood, Harry grinned
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sheepishly. "Perhaps it's time for us to get some lunch?" he asked slyly.</p>
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<p>"A fine idea," Lovegood said. "Our minds don't work all that well on an empty
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stomach."</p>
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<p>"Do you want to join us, John?" Harry asked politely.</p>
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<p>"Nay, Harry," John replied. "Ah wouldn't dream of getting' in the way of yer
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complicated discussions. Ye'd best get on without me."</p>
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<p>"If you say so," Harry said, shaking his head bemusedly. Come to think of it, he
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had never seen John eat in the upper levels before. He always stayed downstairs,
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eating what little food he brought. Despite his outgoing nature towards Harry, the
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man really did seem to appreciate his solitude. Harry could respect that.</p>
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<p>As they sat in the courtyard, the two potioneers couldn't help but discuss the
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project they were currently working on. And even though Harry knew that he had roped
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Lovegood into doing this with some Slytherin tactics of sorts, he could tell that the
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older Master was actually enjoying himself. He imagined that it was a rather welcome
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distraction from the normal office work he normally had to do.</p>
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<p>"I think that we should try adding some tears of Mnemosyne," Harry said as he
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munched on a piece of toast. "I know what you're going to say. It's too expensive.
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But I honestly couldn't care less."</p>
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<p>"Harry, we've been over this –"</p>
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<p>"So, St Mungo's won't fund any potions to do with mental illness. I get it. But I
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could at least pay for the ingredient myself."</p>
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<p>"Why are you so insistent on creating this potion?" Lovegood asked. "You never did
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tell me what sparked your sudden interest. Is it because of someone in the
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family?"</p>
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<p>"Not family," Harry said. "It's to help one of my friends."</p>
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<p>"You know, Harry, it's not a good idea to allow your personal feelings to guide
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your progress," Lovegood said importantly though he looked less so with jam on his
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cheek.</p>
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<p>Harry snorted. "It's how I've made my best creations," he said, "The cure to the
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dissolving sweats being one of them."</p>
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<p>Lovegood sighed. "Severus did warn me that you tend to give your emotions free
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rein," he said.</p>
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<p>Harry rolled his eyes but smiled. "As much as I appreciate you two discussing the
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subject of me, I assure you that he worries too much."</p>
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<p>"A young man like yourself needs to be worried about," Lovegood said, buttering a
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new piece of toast. "Otherwise, you'll run yourself ragged."</p>
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<p>"If it's to help my friends, I'll do anything," Harry said easily. "Besides, I
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<em>have</em> been taking it easier. Look, I'm eating." As if to demonstrate, he
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shoved just a few too many apple slices into his mouth and started chewing vigorously
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in annoyance with himself.</p>
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<p>Lovegood chuckled. "So I've noticed," he said. "So, about those tears. If you
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truly think that they will help your progress, I will order them immediately."</p>
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<p>"I'll pay you back, sir," Harry said after he swallowed his apple slices.</p>
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<p>"Just this once, I will pay for them," Lovegood said. "So you'd better make them
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count."</p>
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<p>"I promise that I will," Harry said dutifully.</p>
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<p>"See to it that you do," Lovegood said, pointing his toast at Harry. "Or I'll have
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you scrubbing cauldrons to pay me back."</p>
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<p>Harry groaned. "I thought I was done with all that when I finished Hogwarts."</p>
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<p>"Ah, think again, young friend," Lovegood said happily. "The dishwashers are
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rather cross with me because of the number of cauldrons you send over there every
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day."</p>
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<p>"I'm sure you can scare them into submission," Harry said casually.</p>
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<p>"That depends on the number of cauldrons," Lovegood chuckled. "We're almost past
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the point where my stern demeanour is not enough to keep them placated."</p>
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<p>"Oh dear," Harry said sardonically. "I suppose I'll simply need to stop brewing so
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much."</p>
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<p>"Going home on time would help," Lovegood pointed out.</p>
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<p>"I will," Harry said. "As soon as I'm able to help my friend."</p>
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<p>"On the condition that no other friend of yours will desperately seek help
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afterwards," Lovegood said cleverly.</p>
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<p>"Exactly!" Harry said, grinning widely. "But don't worry. I really don't have
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<em>that</em> many friends."</p>
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<p>"As long as the ones that you have are good ones," Lovegood said.</p>
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<p>"Oh yes," Harry told him. "They are the best."</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p>True to his word, Lovegood had ordered ten tears of Mnemosyne right after lunch.
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He had impressed in his letter that he – as the head of St Mungo's – had urgent need
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of the ingredient and that he would not stand for any delays. This assured Harry that
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he would have access to the ingredient by morning at the latest.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, he had not been able to produce a potion with the desired results
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just yet. It helped that Lovegood was with him and it was nice trying to figure the
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problem out but at the same time, Harry was very aware of the trouble Draco was in at
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that exact moment, so he couldn't bring himself to enjoy this collaboration too
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much.</p>
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<p>As far as Harry could tell – despite not having a final result just yet – they had
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made a lot of progress. This made him want to keep going but around eight in the
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evening, Lovegood had ordered him to go home. It was hard to ignore the chief when he
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was working on the same project you were so Harry had no choice but to comply.</p>
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<p>"Aren't you going home as well, John?" Harry asked the older man.</p>
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<p>"Nay," he replied. "Ah still 'ave some things that need completin'."</p>
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<p>Harry frowned but said nothing. He just grabbed his things and left. Lately, John
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was becoming more and more closed off and Harry wondered if this had anything to do
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with the attention he was getting from Lovegood. Sure, Harry didn't speak with John
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all that often anymore but it's not like he was talkative whilst brewing anyway.</p>
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<p>Deciding to ask John about it in the morning, Harry went home, taking the
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floo.</p>
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<p>When it flared to life at the house in Spinner's End, Harry had not expected to
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see a half-dressed Maya sitting on the couch with Snape leaning over her in a most
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provocative manner.</p>
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<p>"Dear Merlin!" Harry exclaimed before they had even noticed him. "Don't you have a
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bedroom in which you can do this stuff?"</p>
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<p>"Harry!" Maya replied, hastily covering herself with a shirt that had been
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carelessly thrown aside. "Er… turn around for a moment, would you?"</p>
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<p>Harry did as she asked but couldn't help but notice the smirk on Snape's face as
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he did. "And what are you so happy about?" Harry complained. "You do realize that
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your son just walked in on you, don't you?"</p>
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<p>Snape snorted. "You're an adult now, Harry," he replied easily. "I'm sure you
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realised just what is going on in this house while you're away. And even sometimes
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while you're not."</p>
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<p>"You can turn around now, Harry," Maya said. Harry did so carefully to find Maya
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fully dressed again.</p>
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<p>"Weren't you supposed to be at Hogwarts?" Harry accused. "To prepare for the new
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school year or something?"</p>
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<p>"We found ourselves ready much sooner than anticipated," Snape said easily. "And
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there are too many intrusions going on at Hogwarts. Can you imagine Dumbledore
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flooing into your chambers at the most inappropriate times?"</p>
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<p>Harry frowned. "What, like I just did?"</p>
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<p>"In all honesty, I didn't expect you home so soon," Snape pointed out.</p>
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<p>"Stop teasing him, Sev," Maya said, lightly slapping Snape on the shoulder. "Can't
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you see that Harry had a long day? Harry, would you like something to eat? A cup of
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tea perhaps?"</p>
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<p>Harry sank wearily into a chair, not even caring anymore about the awkward
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situation he walked into. Snape and Maya certainly didn't seem to mind. "Dinner would
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be fantastic," he said. "I'm starving."</p>
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<p>While Maya went to talk to Zippy about dinner, Snape straightened out his robes
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and sat up a bit straighter. "Have you made any progress today?" he asked.</p>
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<p>"I think so," Harry said. "I feel like we're almost ready to use the staff. But
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we're not there yet. I wanted to use some tears of Mnemosyne."</p>
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<p>Snape frowned. "That's a very expensive ingredient."</p>
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<p>"So I've been told," Harry said. "But if it's what's needed to help out Draco, I
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don't see why we shouldn't use it. Besides, Caratacus ordered the first batch using
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his own money. He said he would only do it once though."</p>
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<p>"That man," Snape chuckled. "His curiosity often gets the better of him but this
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isn't even subtle."</p>
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<p>Harry shrugged. "Whatever gets me where I need to be."</p>
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<p>"Very Slytherin of you," Snape pointed out.</p>
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<p>With a pop, a plate filled to the brim with mac and cheese appeared in front of
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Harry, the delicious smell causing his stomach to growl.</p>
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<p>"Zippy was all too happy to make you your favourite," Maya said as she re-emerged
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from the kitchen. "Anyway, I think I'll leave you two boys to chat."</p>
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<p>"Don't leave on my account," Harry said in between bites.</p>
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<p>"It's not like that," Maya said. "But I need to bring my sister her latest batch
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of potions and see how she's doing."</p>
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<p>"How <em>is</em> she doing?" Harry asked, suddenly ashamed that he didn't ask
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earlier.</p>
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<p>"Much better thanks to you," Maya said happily. "Alex is watching her like a hawk,
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never leaving her bedside to make sure that she doesn't relapse but she seems to be
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out of the woods."</p>
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<p>"That's good to hear," Harry said with a release of breath.</p>
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<p>"I just hope the ministry doesn't take too long to catch what remains of the Death
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Eaters," Maya growled. "If Severus is right, and Rookwood is behind this, it might
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not take him too long to create a new disease."</p>
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<p>"Quite so," Snape said. "And Rookwood is definitely one to learn from his
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mistakes. He would not make it so easily curable next time."</p>
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<p>"Where would we even begin looking, though?" Harry said.</p>
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<p>"Not we, Harry," Snape pointed out coldly. "They. You are not running off after
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another Death Eater."</p>
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<p>Harry shrugged uneasily. "That's not what I meant. There's no need to get all
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protective."</p>
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<p>"I know exactly how you think and I beg to differ," Snape replied.</p>
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<p>"As I said, it's not like anyone knows where to begin looking for him," Harry
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said. "For all we know, he fled the continent."</p>
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<p>"I don't think he would do that," Snape said. "If he wants to continue his
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experimentation, he will most likely not want to switch his local or control group.
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That would not do in the scientific world."</p>
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<p>Harry ran a hand through his hair in mild exasperation and continued eating,
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grumbling something inaudible under his breath.</p>
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<p>"I'll be off now," Maya said, breaking the sudden silence. She kissed Snape
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goodbye and planted a kiss on Harry's cheek next. "Take care of yourselves," she said
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before making her exit.</p>
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<p>"She's really growing on you, isn't she?" Harry asked after a while.</p>
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<p>"That should not matter to you," Snape said dryly.</p>
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<p>"You're parading her in front of me first thing when I get home," Harry said
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cheekily. "Besides, I think it matters plenty if she might become my new mum."</p>
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<p>Snape cuffed Harry lightly to the back of his head, causing him to spit out some
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bits of pasta. "Hey!"</p>
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<p>"For now, I'll ask you to not stick your nose where it doesn't belong," Snape said
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in a light-hearted tone of voice. "And <em>I'll</em> try not to be as careless in the
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rooms we share."</p>
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<p>"Yeah, you can't very well put a sock on the fireplace," Harry chuckled.</p>
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<p>"That would be most ineffective," Snape countered.</p>
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<p>When Harry finished two-thirds of his overly filled plate, he pushed it to the
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side where it disappeared with a pop. "I wouldn't mind, you know," he said after a
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while. "If she were to become… more permanent."</p>
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<p>"It is far too soon to discuss such matters," Snape replied. "But I'm pleased to
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have received your blessing nonetheless."</p>
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<p>"Do you want to play a game of chess?" Harry asked. "It's been a while."</p>
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<p>Snape smirked. "I would love to," he replied. "But you do realize that you cannot
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possibly best me."</p>
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<p>"I've gotten better!" Harry exclaimed in a very poor attempt to defend himself. "I
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might surprise you, yet."</p>
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<p>"We shall see."</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p>Harry did not surprise Snape in the least and he had lost five consecutive games
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of chess. When he lost the last one in merely ten moves, he got up and called it a
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night. Even if the hecticness of the dissolving sweats was mostly over, Harry still
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needed to get up early every day to begin working on his invention and his other
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potions. Sometimes, he even arrived before Lovegood did.</p>
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<p>That's why he needed his sleep – as he now realized – and was not at all pleased
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when he was awoken by some loud, unidentified noises that seemed to be coming from
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downstairs.</p>
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<p>"Tempus," he whispered to find out that it was barely four in the morning. Too
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early for Snape to be up. Suddenly, Harry was on full alert like he often had been
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during the days that Voldemort was still after him. He grabbed his wand and opened
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his door as quietly as possible. He thought he heard hushed voices talking to each
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other. If these were some muggle burglars thinking they might have hit the jackpot,
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they were going to be in for one heck of a surprise.</p>
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<p>Harry crept down the stairs, carefully placing his feet near the edge of each step
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to try and not make them creek. As he came nearer to the sitting room – where the
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voices were coming from – he could also hear the sound of someone sobbing and was
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that the clipping of shears?</p>
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<p>Harry could feel some sweat drops run down his back and wondered when he had
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become so anxious to confront unidentified assailants. Or perhaps he had never been
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comfortable with the concept and he simply forgot.</p>
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<p>He took a deep breath, leaned against the wall and peered from behind it to try
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and catch a glimpse of the intruders. What he saw nearly made him drop his wand.
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While unexpected, he experienced a feeling of déjà vu as he saw Draco Malfoy sit on
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the couch, in the exact same spot he had been in when Harry had found him talking to
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Snape last Christmas morning.</p>
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<p>Snape was there this time as well, carefully measuring some bandages and cutting
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them when he thought them long enough to be up to the task. Harry couldn't see much
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of Draco from, where he was standing but he did see some dried blood polluting the
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blonde's otherwise immaculate hair. Deciding on a different approach from the one he
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had taken at Christmas, Harry stepped into the sitting room, his wand now lowered to
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make himself known.</p>
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<p>"Draco," he said, causing two heads to swivel and look at him. Draco's cheek was
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cut raggedly in three aligning lines as if he had been scratched. "What
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happened?"</p>
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<p>Harry moved swiftly across the room to take a seat next to Draco, only to take in
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the rest of his injuries. His right arm had been cut severely with what clearly had
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to have been a knife. From the location where it was cut, Harry could clearly see
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that Draco had used the arm to defend himself. He appeared to have a nasty head
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injury as well and there were more scratches in his neck. Worst of all was the look
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of despair and devastation that was present in Draco's eyes, leaving no room for
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other emotions.</p>
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<p>"Harry, you should be in bed," Snape chided.</p>
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<p>"I woke up," Harry said, putting a hand on top of Draco's uninjured one since the
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boy hadn't responded yet. "Was it your mother?" he asked.</p>
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<p>This elicited a sob from the Slytherin but he did not draw back his hand. "Yes,"
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he admitted hoarsely. "She didn't recognise who I was anymore. She thought I was an
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intruder. I tried telling her. I – I tried reasoning with her but –"</p>
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<p>"She could not be reasoned with," Snape said evenly. "It is not your fault, Draco.
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This is the natural progression of her condition."</p>
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<p>"I never expected her to become violent," Draco said in a small voice. "She never
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was before."</p>
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<p>"I know she never wanted to hurt you, Draco," Harry said. "If she had realised who
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you were to her, she wouldn't have done what she did."</p>
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<p>Draco hissed as Snape dabbed some disinfectant onto his wounds. "I know that," he
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replied. "Rationally, I know that. But I –" He drew back his hand and buried his face
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into it. "It gets harder to believe that. And I know she can't help it but sometimes
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I find myself hating her for it. I'm such a horrible person."</p>
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|
<p>"You're human," Harry pointed out. "It's only natural to have that kind of
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response when someone hurts you."</p>
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|
<p>"Harry," Draco croaked. "I don't know how much longer I can take this."</p>
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|
<p>"Perhaps it is time for you to take her to St Mungo's," Snape said as he mended
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Draco's cuts to the best of his abilities.</p>
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<p>Draco laughed bitterly. "And make a mockery of what is left of the Malfoy name?"
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he said. "My aunt went insane. My father thought he could become the next Dark Lord
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and now I would put my mother in the loony bin? I would never be able to show my face
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again. Nor could she."</p>
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<p>"Draco," Harry said softly. "This is killing you."</p>
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<p>Draco breathed a shuddering sigh and looked at Snape with tear-filled eyes.
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"Please," he said. "Please help me."</p>
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<p>"Draco," Snape sighed, now wrapping the bandages firmly around Draco's arm, "I
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don't know if –"</p>
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<p>But Harry had heard enough. He hadn't fully realised the urgency of the situation
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before and was now practically kicking himself for coming home early when he could
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have spent more time trying to figure out how to help Narcissa. How could he have
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done this to his friend?</p>
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<p>Harry got up from his seat; transfigured his pyjamas into clothes with a flick of
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his wand; walked over to the fireplace; ignored the stern voice of his father calling
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him back; tossed in the floo powder and called out 'St Mungo's'. Snape might not
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think that he could figure this out but he had been working on the solution with
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Caratacus Lovegood by his side. They were so close, he could feel it!</p>
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<p>At what now was four-thirty in the morning, there weren't very many people about.
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There were only two people in the waiting room and they seemed to be falling asleep
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where they sat. The lights were still on but they shone very dimly. The receptionist
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was minding her own business, filling out a crossword puzzle. She glanced at Harry
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when he walked in but didn't even address him, knowing very well by now that the boy
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worked here.</p>
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<p>Occasionally, a nurse would walk the corridors and enter a few rooms to administer
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medicine where it needed to be dispensed but this all happened in perfect silence,
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nothing but the sound of footsteps giving away that anyone was even still working at
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this hour.</p>
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<p>And soon, Harry's own footsteps filled the ward as well as he hurried towards the
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elevator. Once inside, he mashed the button to go down, knowing full well that it
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didn't help in the slightest to keep pressing it, but it made him feel slightly
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better all the same.</p>
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<p>Once downstairs, he didn't even wait for the elevator doors to fully open to dash
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out and hurry towards the lab. Draco was still firmly on his mind and he wondered if
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he would be able to help out his friend before he descended into madness himself.</p>
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<p>He had already set a few steps into the lab before realizing that the torches were
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already burning. A cauldron was on the fire and a concoction that Harry did not
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immediately recognise was bubbling steadily. The shutting of a cabinet door caught
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Harry's attention next and he locked eyes with John who had a furious glint in his
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eyes that quickly vanished when he spotted Harry.</p>
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<p>"John," Harry said carefully. "What are you doing here already?"</p>
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<p>"Ah 'aven't left yet," John replied easily. "I didnae ken tha' it was so late
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already."</p>
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<p>Harry frowned as he glanced at the potion again. "What are you making?" he asked.
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"That doesn't look like any healing potion I've ever seen."</p>
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<p>John cleared his throat and took a few steps towards the cauldron and
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inadvertently Harry before replying. "Ah became a wee bit jealous when ah saw ye
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inventin' yer own brews," he said. "Ah wanted to try me hand at me own creation."</p>
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<p>"And what exactly are you trying to brew?" Harry asked, taking a cautious step
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back.</p>
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<p>John smiled kindly. "Why dinnae ye come and smell it," he said. "Ye'll find out
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with tha' keen nose of yers."</p>
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<p>"No thank you," Harry said. "In fact, I think I forgot something. I'll be right
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back." Harry turned around and was about to bolt when he suddenly couldn't move
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anymore. He was able to shift his eyes just barely to notice how a greenish smoke
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seemed to envelop his body, causing it to freeze where he stood.</p>
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<p>John sighed as he walked to face Harry. "You are much too clever for your own
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good, do you know that?" he said. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I respect you
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and your talents very much, Harry Potter. But for some reason, you decided to get in
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my way."</p>
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<p>He walked over to the bubbling cauldron, covered his nose and scooped up a fair
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portion with a ladle which he then brought over to shove underneath Harry's nose.</p>
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<p>"It might be a tad earlier than I had envisioned but you're here now," he said.
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Harry wished desperately that he could respond. That he could do something. But not
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only was he paralyzed, but the potion that he was made to smell was also making him
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drowsy.</p>
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<p>"Don't fight it," John said soothingly. "It will all be over soon."</p>
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<p>Whatever it was, it was too strong, and soon, Harry felt his eyes droop shut, and
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his senses turn to black, no longer realising why he thought it so important to stay
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awake in the first place.</p>
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<hr size="1" noshade="noshade"/>
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<p><em>A poisoned gift indeed... I will not be updating tomorrow, just to be clear.
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But you can expect the next chapter on Monday. Please do leave a review because I
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would love to know how you feel about all of this.</em></p>
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<p><em>Two more chapters to come.</em></p>
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