Family

Family

Chapter Eleven
Snape´s Potion

Harry got down for breakfast the next morning in a daze, with barely ten minutes left before his first class that day. His limbs felt strangely weak, and his headaches had returned in their full strength.

Rubbing his temples, he looked around the Gryffindor table for Ginny. She was not there. Maybe she´s already preparing for class, he reasoned, and headed to where Ron and Hermione sat.

"You okay?" Ron automatically asked him.

"Guess so," Harry mumbled, sitting down beside Hermione and grabbing a toast. "Must be all the dancing last night."

Must be the kiss, something in his head told him. Harry looked at Ron, as if he had heard what his head had been saying, but Ron was looking at Hermione fretfully.

Hermione had her lips pursed as she stared at the ceiling. She looked as if she and Ron had been arguing before Harry arrived.

"No owl carries the Daily Prophet anymore," she said, her voice cracking.

"Hermione," Ron half-groaned, "cut it out. Please."

Harry looked at the two confusedly. "What´s going on?"

Before Ron could speak, Hermione squealed, "Can´t you see? No Daily Prophets arrive at Hogwarts anymore, ever since the Hogsmeade attack! Why do you think so?"

Harry stared at her. He had never given it any thought before. Besides, since last year, he had lost all his confidence in the wizarding paper.

"Because," Hermione went on, glaring at Harry, "it´s either the offices had been burnt down, or Dumbledore´s doing something to stop all the news from entering the school. How are we going to know what´s happening outside, then?"

"I´m sure he´d tell us if it´s true and important," said Ron quietly. "You know the Prophet carries a lot of rumors, Hermione, and Dumbledore doesn´t want to start a panic among us after Hogsmeade--"

Harry knew Hermione easily lost her temper, but it was very uncharacteristic of her indeed to slam her fists on the table. It made Harry´s head ache even more. She promptly stood up. "I´ll be preparing for class," she snapped, and stomped out of the Great Hall.

Harry stared at Ron. "What´s eating her?"

Ron, who was gazing after Hermione, shook his head. "She was going on about her parents before you arrived," he muttered.

Harry felt something cold slip in his stomach, suddenly remembering. His parents--and Sirius--and...himself--coming home to find his mother´s parents--

Harry shut his eyes as another wave of pain passed through his head. He shook his head firmly. No, it can´t happen to her, he thought. Dumbledore would have told her. And she´d have told us. No--it can´t happen to anybody´s parents.

"C´mon, Harry," said Ron, standing up. He seemed too preoccupied with thoughts on Hermione that he didn´t notice Harry feeling weary and nervous. "We´d better go too, we´ll be late."

With his head still spinning, Harry followed Ron.

By lunchtime, Harry decided to himself that he would just skip Potions and lie in his bed until he felt all right again. It wasn´t so bad that he felt he should go to Madam Pomfrey--he had injured himself worse than this before--but he was still aching all over. It was a tired kind of ache--like it was costing him all the effort he had to move.

Something, however, stopped him from skipping classes that day.

"Hey--Harry!" It was Colin Creevey, panting after running towards him in the corridors. "Ginny wasn´t in Potions today--know where she is?"

Harry suddenly felt his blood run cold.

"She wasn´t...in class?"

"No," Colin told him, knotting his forehead in what seemed like suspicion. "I thought you knew where she is--"

Harry looked around him nervously, then spoke to Colin in a softer voice. "Listen, are you sure about this?"

"`Course I am," Colin replied, shrugging. "It was all my classmates were talking about--I mean, she just celebrated her birthday last night--"

"Right," said Harry. "I´ll...look for her in Gryffindor Tower or something. Thanks, Colin."

"Anytime, Harry!" Colin called out as Harry sprinted away.

Harry did not care how his legs ached with every step. The only thing that mattered then was Ginny. It had been a week and a half since Lucius Malfoy put that curse on her. And she´s supposed to slip into a coma after two weeks or so...but what if they had taken the curse for granted? What if she was...in a coma now?

Harry took the stairs two steps at a time, his knees threatening to give way. "Shazam!" he gasped to the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open, and Harry got in. He didn´t even think twice as he did something that he knew Hermione would never forgive him for: he headed to the girls´ staircase and looked for the door with the sign, "Fourth Years."

"Second...third...there!" he breathed. He didn´t even knock--he turned the knob and, seeing that the door was unlocked, opened the door.

Ginny, still in her nightdress, was sitting on an armchair beside the window. She didn´t seem surprised at all that Harry had entered a girls´ dormitory. She had not slipped into a coma, that much was true, but what Harry saw instead made his very heart ache. Ginny´s hair was in disarray, her face was terribly pale, and her eyes were bloodshot.

"Ginny?" Harry said cautiously as he approached her.

Ginny looked at him. Her eyes, last night brilliant and blissful, were now blank and tired.

"I don´t want to go to sleep again," she whispered, her voice filled with grief.

Harry bit his lip, understanding. "I´m sorry."

"I´m sorry about your grandparents."

Harry shook his head. "I´m sorry you had to feel what it´s like to lose your parents."

Ginny let out a choked sob. Harry drew near where she sat, and not knowing what else to do, gathered her in his arms. He felt her shake as she sobbed bitterly into his robes. He stroked her soft hair, absently twirling a few strands in his fingers.

"You know," Ginny said, her voice muffled, "it was a horrible feeling--like my heart was being torn to pieces--and everything around me was spinning--and then, I blacked out, and I woke up...oh, Harry, your mum." She looked up at him, sniffling. "Your mum suffered a lot. I felt it. I felt what she felt, Harry."

Harry looked away guiltily. He didn´t want to tell her that what actually made him feel worse this morning was his unnaturally aching body, and not the dream. He didn´t even recall the dream if it weren´t for Ron. Oh, why was Ginny the one to suffer? Wasn´t she suffering enough already?

Harry´s gaze fell on the windowsill, where the Muggle wireless he had given her the night before was perched. He suddenly became aware of a sad song playing.

"I´m really sorry," Harry mumbled. "If only I could take the dreams from you--but you know I can´t--"

"I know, I know." Ginny tried to smile, but failed to do so. "I´ll be all right, Harry."

Harry took a deep breath. "Is there...something I can do?"

"Just this," Ginny whispered. "Just...just hold me like this."

"All...all right."

Harry sat down on the arm of the armchair and let Ginny´s head fall on his waist. For a long, quiet moment, Harry held Ginny there, with an arm around her shoulders. The sad music came to an end, and a slow song began, something that Harry was vaguely familiar of.

"No more talk of darkness;
Forget these wide-eyed fears.
I´m here, nothing can harm you--
My words will warm and calm you.
Let me be your freedom,
Let daylight dry your tears.
I'm here, with you, beside you,
To guard you and to guide you..."

Harry felt, more than heard, Ginny sigh and snuggle closer to him. Harry leaned back, forgetting his physical pains, basking in Ginny´s heartening presence...it was somewhat like they were giving comfort to each other.

"You okay now?" Harry whispered after a long while.

"Sort of. Don´t you have a class?"

Harry glanced at his wristwatch. "In about fifteen minutes. Why?"

"Have you eaten lunch?"

"Uh...no. I don´t plan on going to classes."

Ginny looked up at him, her face filled with concern. "Something wrong?"

Harry knew Ginny thought he was a bad liar, so he kept his face passive. "No, I--I just wanted to stay here with you." And almost immediately as he said it, he thought, Oops.

"Don´t," Ginny said, sitting upright. "Go to classes. I´ll be fine."

"Ginny--"

"Harry--please. Don´t--don´t cut classes for me."

Harry´s heart plummeted to his stomach. He felt miserable and guilty all of a sudden. He initially wanted to cut classes not because of her, didn´t he?

Ginny was still looking at him weakly, but sternly, not unlike Professor McGonagall´s expression.

"At least go to Madam Pomfrey, then."

Ginny shook her head firmly. "No. They´ll be fussing over me. Remember--I don´t want anyone else to know."

Harry pursed his lips. He was torn, torn between wanting to make sure Ginny was all right and wanting to grant her wish. It was such a difficult choice that Harry felt his chest heaving just by thinking about it. Finally, with a huge sigh, he nodded. "All right, Ginny."

Harry looked around him. And it struck him for the first time since he came--this was a girl´s dormitory. And he was alone with Ginny.

Harry swallowed. He stood up. "Right. I´d better go."

Ginny apparently noticed Harry´s sudden queasiness. She smiled. "Don´t worry. I wasn´t going to--you know, jump on you or something."

Harry managed a weak laugh as he adjusted his glasses to hide his tense expression. "Of course not." He was more worried about him jumping on her, actually, if he wouldn´t be able to control himself.

"I´ll ask Ron if you went to classes or not," said Ginny.

Harry feigned another smile. Ginny wasn´t going to let him off that easily. And he wouldn´t want her to think that something was wrong with him--although he felt there really was.

Hermione was still in that peculiar mood during Potions. Of course she did her potion flawlessly--she always did--but she was a lot more subdued and preoccupied. She partnered Ron, and he was trying to talk to her, but Harry could only see her shaking her head stubbornly.

"Harry, the knife," muttered Dean Thomas, who was partnering Harry.

"Er--what? Oh, sorry," said Harry, when he saw that his cutting knife was dangerously perched on the edge of the table.

"What´s the matter with you today?"

Harry shook his head. "Beats the heck out of me."

Dean snorted as he carefully put cut pieces of dragon liver into his cauldron. "And something´s wrong with those two, too," he said, pointing his thumb at Ron and Hermione, who were working in front of them.

"I know," Harry said quietly, stretching his arms discreetly. Potions was boring the heck out of him, and his body was still aching. He should have gone to their dormitory instead--Ron wouldn´t have noticed otherwise, for he had Hermione to worry about.

"Hey--do you still have some diluted Bubotuber pus? Mine´s not enough."

Harry rummaged through his potions kit and pulled out a vial of some murky brown liquid. "Here."

Dean looked at the bottle suspiciously, then at Harry, who was working on his dragon liver. Dean shrugged, measured a quarter of a pint, and put it in this cauldron.

All too suddenly, orange smoke came bursting out of Dean´s cauldron. Harry immediately got a whiff of what reeked like rotten meat. The whole class turned to look, then pinched their noses in disgust.

"Uh-oh," Harry muttered, even as Snape came swooping on their table and picking up the vial of diluted Bubotuber pus. Snape narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized its contents.

"Rafflesia extract," Snape said in an oily manner as he set the vial down. "Don´t you know the difference between rafflesia extract and Bubotuber pus, Thomas?"

"I gave it to him," Harry said at once as Dean opened his mouth to speak. "It wasn´t his fault."

Snape sneered down at Harry. "I should have known. Thirty points from Gryffindor, Potter. And a further twenty for believing everything famous Harry Potter says, Thomas."

Malfoy and the Slytherins stifled their laughter behind Snape. Fifty points. Harry swore under his breath. "Sorry, Dean," he whispered as Snape turned away. "I don´t know what´s up with me."

Dean sighed, then nodded. "No problem," he said, waving a hand over his cauldron to get rid of the nauseous smell. "At least it didn´t burn a hole in my cauldron."

Potions dragged on for another half hour until the bell rang. Harry, sighing in relief, helped Dean clean up their mess.

"Potter, stay after this," Snape suddenly muttered behind them.

Harry´s jaw dropped. "What--I´m getting detention?"

Snape pointedly ignored him as he swept across the room, inspecting their tables for any mess left. Harry stared at Dean. Dean shrugged.

"What does he want now?" asked Ron.

"Dunno," said Harry, looking at Hermione. She was eyeing him suspiciously. "I don´t get it--he didn´t say anything about a detention--"

"Thomas! Granger! Weasley! Get out of here!" Snape barked at them. Dean, Hermione and Ron quickly picked up their things.

"He´s going to suck your blood," Ron whispered to Harry.

"Thanks for the encouragement," Harry said wryly.

Grinning, Ron clapped Harry on the back and headed out of the dungeons after Hermione.

Snape closed the door and locked it. Double-locked it, even. Then Snape cast a Silencing Charm on the room.

Harry found himself swallowing. Maybe Ron was right--maybe Snape was a blood-sucking vampire.

Snape, meanwhile, was running a hand through his greasy hair and searching his counter for something. Harry strained to look at what Snape could be looking for.

Finally, Snape came up with a small bottle of clear golden liquid. His next words caught Harry off-guard: "Ginny Weasley was absent in my class this morning. Have you seen her?"

It took Harry a while for Snape´s words to sink in. "Er--y-yes," he stuttered. Snape was eyeing him closely. It was hard to read what was in his mind. "She wasn´t...feeling well."

"Has she gone to Madam Pomfrey?" Snape pressed on quietly.

"No--she didn´t want to." Harry´s mind was racing. He had to think of a good lie. Ginny didn´t want anyone else to know.

But didn´t Snape know?

"Very well," Snape said. He handed Harry the bottle. "This is to dampen the physical pains she might experience. One drop in her evening pumpkin juice will be enough. And as bad as you are in Potions, give her the right dose, for pity´s sake."

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Well?" Snape raised his voice and shook the bottle in front of Harry´s eyes. "Are you going to take it or not?"

Harry took the bottle. In the pretense of glaring, Harry tried to search Snape´s face--but nothing had changed. His eyes were still cold and black, his mouth in that grim thin line. And although Snape was aware of Ginny´s condition--Harry was sure of it now--Snape didn´t seem to show any emotion for it. But something in what he had said made Harry think about believing in him, even just this once.

Harry nodded resolutely. "Thank you."

For a nanosecond, Snape seemed to look surprised at hearing a thank-you from Harry. It quickly faded, however.

"Finite Incantatem!" said Snape, removing the Silencing Charm from the room. "You may go."

Harry picked up his bag and potions kit and quickly scooted out of the dungeons.

Asides from Snape´s potion, which Harry had given Ginny at dinnertime, and Hermione´s odd behavior all day, Harry had another thing in mind to worry about. He sought for the answer that midnight.

"Snuffles."

Harry found the great black dog in the corridors. Harry opened his Invisibility Cloak a bit so that Snuffles can see his face. Snuffles jumped up in surprise; then, seeing Harry and noting the Cloak, looked up at him with chocolate brown eyes questioningly. Harry scratched Snuffles behind the ears and motioned for him to follow in the empty Transfiguration classroom.

Closing the door, Harry turned to the dog. "Why were you hanging around the corridors?"

Sirius immediately transformed back into his human form. Moonlight poured into the room, highlighting his tired red eyes and the stubble on his face. "Nothing," he said, brushing his black shirt. "Well, keeping watch, I guess. And speaking of keeping watch, have I ever told you that I think Lucius Malfoy´s son is a git?"

Harry grinned widely. "Not yet."

Sirius shrugged. "I´m telling you now. So." Sirius peered into Harry´s face in a very godfatherly way. "What´s keeping you skirting around corridors on a night like this?"

Harry took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you something about my parents. Actually, about Mum´s parents."

Sirius frowned, apparently startled at the question. "Lily´s parents?"

Harry nodded. "They...they died in a Death Eater attack, didn´t they?"

Sirius stared at Harry for a long time. Then he turned his back on him and walked to the other side of the room, his hand curled under his chin, apparently remembering that day. Harry waited patiently.

"Yes," said Sirius softly, his back still on Harry. "A band of Death Eaters came into the Evanses´ house, knowing that James, Lily and I were going there that day. But they were too early." Harry saw Sirius shake his head, as if still not believing in the incident although it had been more than fifteen years since it happened. "Seeing that we weren´t there, they found no other alternative but to kill them."

Harry winced and shook his head in disgust. He himself had trouble believing in it.

"It had been a lost cause for them, really," Sirius went on. "They could have just modified their memories or something, but no--they´re Death Eaters, and killing and torturing Muggles is what they´re all about."

"So they...they just killed them for no reason at all?"

Sirius turned around and smiled grimly. "That´s your father´s theory, at least."

Harry tried to speak, but he seemed to have lost his voice. He found himself leaning against the wall, for his head started to spin wildly. He momentarily put a hand on his forehead.

"You all right?" asked Sirius.

Harry waited for the pain to subside before opening his eyes. "Do you have any idea how many times I´ve been asked that today?"

Sirius cocked his head. "You do seem a bit pale," he said. "What´s the matter?"

"Nothing, Sirius. Really." Harry squinted up at him. "There´s something else, though..."

"Fire away."

"The attack. When did it happen?"

Sirius frowned once more. Then comprehension dawned on his face. "You dreamed of it, didn´t you?"

"Yeah...Ginny did, too. All I know is that it was around spring or summer, and I was a baby."

"Of course." Sirius began pacing back and forth across the room. "The attack happened on an April, and you were a few months old. Harry--what was the dream you had before that one?"

"It was...it was Easter," said Harry.

"Easter of that year?"

"I don´t know," Harry admitted. "I...I don´t...remember seeing myself in that dream, though--"

"So--the last dream happened a year before this one?"

"I guess so." Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "I don´t get it, Sirius--when Ginny and I dreamed of my parents before, one dream seemed to have happened a few weeks before the next one. Why did this one happen one year after the last?"

Sirius was staring at the ring on Harry´s finger. "Maybe the rings simply pick scenes from James and Lily´s life randomly," he said. "I don´t know. I don´t get it, either."

Harry felt his heart plummet to his stomach. "Randomly? Sirius, that lessens our chances of finding out the counter-curse!"

"Randomly--but chronologically, right?"

Harry stared at his godfather. "Er--yes. Yeah, they seem to happen chronologically."

Sirius nodded. He stared out the window into the night. "April nineteen eighty-one. At that time, James and Lily were already working on the counter-curse. There´s still a chance, Harry."

"I just hope we won´t jump one year ahead again," Harry muttered dryly.

Sirius let out a grim laugh. "Harry, your parents are already gone by October of that year."

Harry´s head shot up. But of course--how could he have forgotten?

"I just hope," Sirius said, "that you and Ginny will be able to dream of what the counter-curse is all about before Saturday. Do you know where Ginny was hit?"

"The chest," croaked Harry. "The worst part to be hit, too."

Sirius clucked his tongue. "Saturday," he repeated. "You should be able to find an answer by Saturday. You just let those dreams keep on coming, all right?"

"But Sirius," Harry began, suddenly remembering, "the other night, Ginny and I weren´t able to dream about them."

"And...it´s never happened before?"

"Yeah."

"And then you dreamed about the attack on the Evanses last night?"

"Yeah..."

"Wow." Sirius shook his head disbelievingly again. He glanced at the ring again and chuckled wryly. "If your parents were really the ones who made those rings act the way they do now, then I´ve found the reason why the rings act strangely." Sirius smiled at Harry. "James did just about everything that way."

Harry began to smile as well. "Really?"

"Yeah."

A clock chimed somewhere. "One o´clock," said Sirius. "You´d better go back to your dormitory."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, right--as if you and Dad didn´t hang out this late when you were here."

"Unfortunately for you, I happen to be your godfather," said Sirius. "Listen--I´ll talk to Dumbledore about this conversation. He´s in his office right now, but he´s very busy, I can tell you. Now go to bed and dream."

"All right." Harry took his Invisibility Cloak and draped it on his back.

"And, Harry--I hope your dreams will be a lot better this time."

Harry smiled. "I hope so, too."

Sirius ruffled Harry´s hair, then transformed into a dog. Harry opened the door for him. He hugged Snuffles tightly by the neck, pulled the Cloak over his head, and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

Author´s Notes: The song "All I Ask Of You" is from the musical Phantom of the Opera. As you can see by now, I love putting song lyrics all over my fics. =)