The Ivory Backbone

Ch. 7: Potions

 

The gentle rise and fall of Lily’s chest distracted Severus from his work. Her soft breath broke the monotony of cauldron simmering and rain hitting the windowpane. She’d dozed off at his side about an hour after he’d started. The cauldron hissed and popped, pushing his mind back to his work. He hadn’t yet replicated the love potion, but he had all night.

Naturally, the page with the potion on it had been ripped out of Advanced Curses and Conundrums. He remembered thinking that the potion was easy to brew, but he couldn’t recall all of the ingredients. Lucius was highly unlikely to relinquish the missing page…if he still had it at all. Severus sighed. Knowing Lucius, he probably destroyed the evidence. And he really didn’t want to be alone with Lucius long enough to ask.

He swirled the beaker of Good As New gently and took another swallow from it. The Good As New was the only thing keeping him going anymore. He hadn’t slept the night before. It didn’t look like he’d get to sleep tonight, either.

He added a sprinkle of powdered oyster shell. The potion fumed blue and bubbled orange.

"Not good..." he thought. "Love potions are usually red."

Severus knew that he needed to brew the actual potion in order to reverse it. Easier said than done. He thought back to his Potions class earlier that day.

Lucius had been cleared by Madam Pomfrey to return to classes. He'd taken his usual seat beside Narcissa by the time Severus and Lily made it to the dungeon. From the sound of it, Narcissa was relating the argument at the breakfast table to him. Lucius nodded every now and then, but his eyes were locked on Severus. Severus hugged Lily tighter to himself. Lucius kept his usual impassive stare. Narcissa looked at Lily with her nose turned up and her arms tightly crossed.

"Morning, Severus," Lucius said suddenly.

"Morning." Severus squared his shoulders, remembering that Malfoys could smell fear. "Good to see you're well enough for class, Lucius."

"I must apologize to both of you for Narcissa's--eh--comments this morning. She can be rather bigoted at times."

Lily looked pleasantly surprised.

"Excuse me, darling." Narcissa's face twisted into a false smile, which Severus found most unbecoming. "But did you just apologize to that Mudblood?"

"Narcissa, that is a nasty word and I don't see why you foul your lovely mouth by saying it," Lucius said quietly.

"But..." Narcissa's smile faded, leaving her looking confused and betrayed.

"We'll talk about this later."

In spite of himself, Severus smiled. "Thank you, Lucius."

"Nothing like getting Splinched to give a person--new perspective."

Severus blanched. "Um--yes."

"What did it feel like...being Splinched?" Lily asked.

"It hurts." Lucius grimaced. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "And Sullivan's Good As New did about as much as water."

"Should've had Sev mix it for you," she said brightly.

"Yes, I should've. How would you have eased my pain, Severus?" Another feral grin spread across Lucius' face.

Severus took a step back. "Class is about to start. We should find a bench."

"Good idea," Narcissa said petulantly.

The only bench left was right in the front of the classroom. Severus hated being so close to Sullivan. But Lily was holding his hand under the desk, and this gave him courage.

Sullivan swept in the class five minutes after the hour. The ruby stripes smoldered menacingly against the sallow green stripes under the torchlight. Sullivan's robes always reminded Severus of a demented Christmas tree. Already, Sullivan was in a foul mood.

And yet, Sullivan's pointed features softened a bit upon seeing Lily and Severus. For a terror-filled moment, Severus thought that Lucius had slipped Sullivan a tube of enchanted brew. But then--

"Snape!"

"Sir?"

"Are you tutoring Miss Evans again?"

"Yes, he is," Lily volunteered.

"I asked Snape. Ten points from Gryffindor for talking out of turn. Now, Snape?"

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Excellent. That shows real selflessness, tutoring someone not of your house. Fifty points to Slytherin, for teamwork."

Severus blinked.

The class passed quickly with Lily's help. Sullivan handed out another fifty points to Slytherin in bits and pieces. Crabbe and Goyle got ten each for not blowing anything up. Narcissa got five for knowing how to brew a boil remedy for an unfortunate Gryffindor who fudged his potion. Lester Lestrange, Lucius, and Severus each got five for answering questions correctly. Sullivan also shaved twenty points from Gryffindor when Potter and Lupin walked into class fifteen minutes late. He carved out another fifty when Potter made a nasty comment (not quite under his breath) regarding Severus and Lily's seating arrangement.

"Snape, see me after class regarding your detention," Sullivan said at the end of class.

"See you at lunch, Sev?" Lily asked as she packed away her quill and ink.

"I hope so." Severus shot a dark look at Sullivan. "Depends on him."

"See you then," she said as she pecked him on the cheek. "If he doesn't kill you, that is."

Severus managed a weak smile.

He packed up his notes and made his way to Sullivan's desk. "You needed to see me, sir?"

"I've arranged for you to serve your detention with me."

Severus managed to not wretch. "Okay."

"I have a potion I need you to brew."

"But you're the Potions Master, sir."

"Don't patronize me, boy." Sullivan's hand flew, but he reconsidered at the last minute. It fell to his side. "I need a very powerful poison. Odorless, tasteless, and untraceable."

"Why--would you need something like that?" Severus asked.

"That's not your concern." Sullivan's features sharpened beyond what Severus thought was possible. "If you have a problem with your task, I could always see to it that Dumbledore learns exactly why Miss Evans has taken such an interest in you."

Severus felt sick and dizzy. "How'd you know about that?"

"I asked Lucius about the vials that he was carrying when he was Splinched. I never gave him Good As New, I gave him Veritaserum." Sullivan grinned smugly. "Let's be honest, Snape. Veritaserum is probably the only potion I can brew reliably. But it serves me so well."

"Lucius brewed that love potion!" Severus protested feebly.

"Did he really? When I can testify that it was a very complicated potion that only someone with talent--like you--could have produced?"

"I--I--I..."

"It doesn't have to go that far. Brew me my poison, Snape. Or your career at Hogwarts is through." Sullivan's nose was inches away from Severus' and the torchlight put a malignant glitter in his green eyes.

Severus lowered his eyes in defeat. "Yes, sir."

"And if anyone asks, you're brewing a Deflating Draft to replenish my stores, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Severus had spent the rest of the day pondering his dilemma. Suddenly, a potion came to him. It was tasteless, odorless, and untraceable; just as Sullivan had stipulated. However, Sullivan never said the poison had to be deadly. Ironically, it was the same poison he made for Narcissa in December. It was called Escherichia, and it guaranteed a long illness and possibly death.

However, since Severus had tempered this batch with Good As New, it was highly unlikely to kill.

He hoped.

Five cauldrons going all at once, a new record for him. One with the Escherichia for Sullivan, one with Lupine’s Passing for Cadogan, one with Good As New, and two with experimental love potions.

He added three drops of essence of belladonna to the orange potion. It fizzed up pink bubbles. The potion turned a deep purple.

"Damn…Thought I had it that time…" Severus thought.

The smallest cauldron contained a vial of Lily’s blood mixed with dragon’s blood. The viscous black ichor was a purgative, and Severus hoped that the dragon blood would purify Lily’s. So far, the liquid in the cauldron had turned a sick green. It smelled of rotten eggs. Severus sighed. There were very few spells that could be totally reversed…even fewer potions. But Severus had talent and proper motivation.

Lily sighed in her sleep. She shifted her head from her pile of books to the table. Several books slammed to the floor, startling Severus from his reverie. Lily opened one eye slowly.

He put down his quill and walked to the end of the bench to pick up the books. "Poor Lily. You’ve had a rough day, haven’t you?"

Lily murmured something unintelligible.

"I’m almost done, I think. Maybe you should go back up to Gryff—" Severus’ sentence died in his throat. A passage from Hogwart’s: A History had caught his eye.

 

"Only once in Hogwarts’ history has a student been accused of

using an Unforgivable Curse. Fifth-year Slytherin Padge Belyle

was accused of using the Cruciatus curse on seventh-year

Gryffindor Avalon LeDore in September of 1957. The matter

was resolved upon Belyle’s confession and subsequent expulsion.

Because of his age, Belyle was not imprisoned in Azkaban under

Juvenile Offender’s Act of 1815, which remains in effect to this day."

 

Severus read the passage twice before a plan began to formulate in the deepest recesses of his mind. Yes, this would blow it all wide open. This plan would make right all the wrong from the past two weeks.

The Escherichia fumed a bright puce, signaling its readiness. Severus smiled to himself. This was only the beginning.

"I’m sorry I dozed off," Lily mumbled. "I’m so sleepy."

"As soon as this black stuff is done, I’ll be finished." Severus gestured at the Lupine’s Passing with Lily’s book.

"Did my blood help you?"

"Not really…" "Yeah. Thanks for the blood."

Lily yawned. "Want to sleep with me tonight?"

Severus felt the blood creep into his cheeks. "Come again?"

"Not like that. I meant come and sleep next to me in Gryffindor Tower."

"Can’t. Sullivan’s going to walk me back to Slytherin dormitory."

"I should go before he shows up, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks for staying with me, Lil." Severus packed her books in her bag. He paused at her Potions book. Potter’s initials were inked in the corner, with a heart around them. Severus finally shoved the book in her bag with an icy lump in his throat.

Lily picked up her bag and let her fingers trace Severus’ jawline and pull him close for a quick kiss. "I love you," she said softly.

"Love you, too."

And she was gone. And Severus noticed the gaping hole in his plan. There was still no way for him to cure Lily.