Amulet of Time 4: There and Back Again

Chapter 8: A Talk with Sev

The seventh year Potions class was rather surprised when they noticed Harry willingly going up to the Potion Master's desk. Everyone knew that the pair didn't get on during Harry's first four years at the school, so it was a rather shocking development. What was even more surprising to the watching students was the gobsmacked look that appeared on their teacher's face after the Boy-Who-Lived told him something. To them, Snape was a cold hearted individual who never showed even a hint of human feeling. When they saw his mask of contempt and indifference slip and show such a vivid emotion, they realised something was up. When said Potions Master stood up abruptly and ordered them to pack up and leave, the gossip started to fly around. After all, it wasn't every day Severus Snape lost his cool.

Striding down the corridor with Sev, Harry wasn't quite sure what to think. He had been surprised at how astonished his friend had been when he reeled off the antidote to a simple Dark Arts potion. It was one of the things the four time travellers had studied in the past, so he knew how to make the counter potion flawlessly. It was one of the most useful draughts, as it countered not only the Infierno Poison, but also a lot of substances concocted with similar ingredients. He found the fact that the knowledge of it had been lost rather disturbing. In the age of the founders, it was common knowledge, as it was so versatile. The fact that no-one these days could brew it was a little disconcerting.

Harry had stood back and watched in amusement as Sev had stood up abruptly after his little revelation. The older man had extinguished the flame under the sludge he was trying to brew before ordering everyone out of the classroom and hurriedly putting his ingredients away. The rest of the class had sent Harry curious looks before scrambling to clear their things away, the Ravenclaws complaining the whole time about not getting to finish their work.

Once the pair was alone, Sev had gestured for him to follow and swept out of the dungeon classroom, locking it on the way out. Harry now found himself several feet behind the almost sprinting Potions Master as they made their way to the headmaster's office. Harry tried to ask what was going on, but Sev simply sent him a sharp shake of the head before continuing on his way. When they finally reached the stone gargoyle, Sev shouted out the password and jogged up the moving staircase, knocking urgently on Dumbledore's door when he reached the top. By the time Harry caught up, the headmaster had called for them to come in and Sev had pulled the heavy wooden door open. The pair nodded to the old wizard before seating themselves in front of his desk and taking a few deep breaths. Once they were calm, Dumbledore held up his usual dish of sweets and offered them to the new arrivals.

" Lemon Drop, gentlemen?"

Severus gave him a withering look before stating their purpose for being there.

" Harry knows the antidote to the Infierno Poison."

The dish of Lemon Drops fell to the floor with a loud crash, but the headmaster didn't seem to notice. Harry watched in amusement as the older man gaped at the pair seated before him. Severus also found his reaction rather satisfying. After all, it took a lot to surprise Albus Dumbledore.

" Y-you're sure?" the old man stuttered, " You're not thinking of a different potion?"

" I know what the Infierno Poison is, Sir," Harry confirmed, " It's not like I've never made it myself. I don't get it, though. Sev said something about the antidote being lost. I don't see how that is possible, when it was widely used and simpler to make than the poison itself. Surely some record of it has survived…"

" None that we know of," Severus said with a sigh, " We don't know why the knowledge was lost, we just know that it was about seven or eight hundred years ago."

" Well, that explains it, at least it does if it's seven hundred years, or even six hundred and fifty."

" Why? I'm not sure when it was, but the last record of it was in 1189, but it could have been made after that and not written about."