Somnio Salvus DRARRY

Chapter 3

Draco turned the page and began to read.

'Somnio Salvus enables the drinker's spirit to visit the sleeping subconscious of another, making it possible to observe the sleeping person's dreams. Events in the dream can even be changed and controlled by the visiting mind.' Draco smiled to himself. This must be it. He read on...

'This powerful solution is especially useful to a parent who wishes to put a stop to a child's nightmares - however, caution is necessary. If a person's dreams are invaded repeatedly, the mind's ability to process new information will be impaired. The effects of this include short-term memory loss, insomnia, and eventually, psychosis.'

Wow! thought Draco. Mother really took some risks with my mental health!

A footnote on the page caught his eye.

'The potion can only be used when the target is asleep. If they are awake, the conscious mind will fight off the intrusion'.

Draco's eyes scanned down the list of ingredients. Most of them were pretty common. If they weren't in the student store cupboard he was pretty sure he could get them in Hogsmeade. Except the viper blood of course. A quick glance through a Potions Encyclopaedia had confirmed that it was indeed a restricted substance, due to its powerful narcotic effect. Even without the restrictions, it would be rare and expensive. Apparently Blue Tongued Vipers didn't take kindly to being exsanguinated in their sleep. Very few wizards had the necessary skill to extract the blood without waking the snake. Those who failed didn't generally live to tell the tale.

The last ingredient sounded tricky too: 'One drop of nectar from an orchid grown on the dead stump of a Weeping Willow.' Draco knew that Greenhouse Five had orchids in it, he'd seen them through the window. He'd have to find an excuse to quiz Professor Sprout about them. He went to sleep feeling confident that he would be invading Harry Potter's sleeping subconscious within the week.

Harry didn't sleep that night. Too tired to stay up, but too scared to fall asleep, he dozed fitfully in between long periods of staring at the ceiling. Little problems like the library book he'd forgotten to take back suddenly became huge, nagging worries to his overtired mind. He began to seriously consider going to Madam Pomfrey for a dreamless sleep potion. He knew it wouldn't solve the problem of nightmares but at least he'd get one night's sleep. He was still reluctant to go to anyone for help though. He was embarrassed about being scared of a dream, and didn't want it to go any further than his closest friends.

He tried to occupy his mind with more pleasant thoughts, like Quidditch. Professor McGonagall had hinted that she might be able to arrange some extra practice sessions for the Gryffindor team...but it was no good. The thought of Professor McGonagall merely started him worrying about his Transfiguration essay. Hermione had been giving him personal tuition in Arithmancy because she said it was very helpful in understanding the finer points of Transfiguration. She was right, but he still had to write the damn thing.

He sighed, turned over and recited Arithmancy formulas in his head until it was time to get up.

The next day Draco visited the student store cupboard and helped himself to cactus pollen, nettle juice and angelfish scales. He visited the house elves in the kitchen at lunchtime to request sunflower oil and apple pips. He'd have to go to Hogsmeade to buy the baby's tears. But today he might have an opportunity to acquire the orchid nectar. The last lesson of the day was double Herbology in Greenhouse Three. He normally hated Herbology - it was boring and repetitive, and involved getting his hands dirty, but today he was almost keen.

When class started he glanced through the window while collecting seeds from a Fuming Pythus, and saw that the orchids in Greenhouse Five were in full flower. Now was the time to ask Professor Sprout about them. Maybe if he feigned enough interest she might volunteer some information about what type of tree stumps they were growing on. But at that moment, Goyle lifted his gas mask to scratch his nose, was overcome by fumes and passed out on the floor. Professor Sprout became rather preoccupied in getting him out into the fresh air, and when she returned it was time to pack up.