The Huge Magical Snake Problem

The Lifted Curse

When Harry and Severus emerged from the Chamber of Secrets, he had the largest grin on his face. It really was incredible that he got to go back down there, and see the place again. Mercifully, Myrtle was nowhere in sight.

He tilted his head over to look at Severus. The potions master had a pensive expression on his face, obviously mulling over what they had found. They had spent almost an hour culling through various books, searching for information that they could use.

There had been a section solely for potions books. Harry could tell that the man was seriously intrigued by it, because he had used half his time down there reading aloud one to Severus. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that they had not discovered everything down there, so it was a given that they were to go into the Chamber at another time.

Both he and Severus were carrying armloads of tomes that the older man had deemed important. Harry was planning on spending his afternoon drawing and translating the books to English. After dropping the books off at the dungeons, Severus was most likely going to report this to Dumbledore.

Harry pushed back the intense rush of impending doom that inadvertently rose up in his heart when he thought of the headmaster and his critical condition. There was no use for worrying about it if there was nothing he could-

Wait.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks, startling Severus and Nagini.

What if there was something he could do?

Severus turned around with a slightly annoyed expression, until he saw Harry's face. Then, it morphed into thinly veiled concern. "What is it?" he asked shortly.

Harry didn't respond. He started to rush towards a stairwell, and instead of going down, he went up. The infirmary was a floor above them. The books in his arms hardly weighed him down as he sprinted up the stairs, adrenaline rushing through his veins.

"Harry! Harry, slow down!" Severus shouted, running after him. "What has gotten into you?"

He began to slow down when he got to the infirmary doors. "We are such idiots, we are such idiots," Harry said over and over. He pushed them open with his shoulder, startling Madam Pomfrey, who was organizing sets of rags on a nearby shelf. Nagini caught up with him the fastest, slightly coiling behind him.

Harry quickly set down the books and sped over to the headmaster. The old man was lightly sleeping, but he abruptly woke up when Harry skidded to a stop.

"Harry, my boy-" Dumbledore sleepily started, but Harry cut him off."

"Professor, I think there's a way that we can save your life," he said in one breath.

Severus ran into the room, stopping short when he almost stepped on Nagini. "Har - Harry, what are you doing?"

Harry's head whipped around. He was still breathing heavily from the sprint up the stairs - he needed to work out. "I think there's a way that we can heal the headmaster!"

Every adult in the room began to speak. "How do you-"

"How can that-"

"What is-"

Harry held his hands above his head, silencing the entire room. "Professor, do you remember my... special... magic?" he addressed Severus.

The man's eyes widened, and he placed his head in one hand. "Why, why did I not think of this sooner?" he groaned.

This was so out of character that Harry's mouth almost gaped open. Instead, he nodded exaggeratedly.

Madam Pomfrey looked bewildered. "What in Merlin's name are you talking about?"