Chelicerata

A/N: Sorry this took me so long to get up! I've been really busy, with RL kicking my ass. But, it's up now! YAY! Leave me lovely reviews; they make me want to buckle-down, write, and post more. If you leave your e-mail, I alert to updates. Happy reading! ~ FA

To Dhalim: Hello, my lovely reviewer! I was putting together the e-mail alert list for this story and clicked onto your profile in an attempt to find one for you. Instead, I came across your "Ja Souhaite" challenge. I responded on the page the link leads to...pretty please go read my response and e-mail me the answers to my questions so I can start writing! If I don't hear from you in the next few days, I'll begin writing anyway. I've been trying to wait, but I'm very eager to start. ^_^ ~ FA

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Harry had been in the hospital wing for hours. Hermione and Ron were sitting with him now, chattering about nothing. Harry had explained what had happened with Zacharias and not even Hermione had a clue as to what was going on. This, Harry felt, did not bode well. Snape had been busy making a potion when Poppy called, so the meeting to discuss Harry was put off until he was finished. Harry wasn’t happy to be left waiting, but knew better than to protest. Snape wouldn’t walk away from a potion for anything.

Finally Albus, Poppy, and Snape entered the room. Hermione looked at them anxiously and Ron said firmly. “We want to stay with Harry, Headmaster.” He knew if Albus said yes, no one else would argue. “We’re his best friends and we won’t leave him.”

“Of course, Ron.” Albus smiled. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”

Poppy sighed, shaking her head, and handed Severus the vial. “Severus, dear, what do you think this substance is?”

Severus held the vial up to the light, swirling it around. He frowned at it, swirling it again. Then he sniffed it. “Well, Poppy, if I had to guess, I’d say it’s venom. Spider, actually. It’s similar to Acromantula, but there are slight differences. The viscosity isn’t quite right, nor is the smell. I would assume it came from some close relative, though.” He frowned at the vial. “Where did you get this from?”

“From Harry.” Poppy explained. “Here; I have a feeling it’s been long enough that I can show you. Harry, do you mind?”

Shaking his head, Harry stuck out his tongue. Poppy began running her wand down it again and after a few strokes more venom beaded on the end of it. Stunned, Snape held the vial under the tip of Harry’s tongue, catching it. This time it took longer for the venom to stop. Poppy sighed and stoppered the vial, setting it on the table. She looked very grave.

“I believe that there was only a small amount the first time because Harry had just injected Mr. Smith’s tongue full of it.” She shook her head in bewilderment. “I believe that, for safety reasons, Harry should be drained of the venom every three to four hours. We don’t need anyone else being poisoned.

Albus’s eyes twinkled brightly. “Mr. Smith’s tongue, you say? Why Harry, however did you manage that?”

Harry blushed, looking down at his lap. “I, er…that is…Zach kissed me and then he just…started bleeding.”

“Did you bite him?” Severus demanded sharply.

Harry’s head snapped up. “What? No!” Harry was horrified. “No, of course not! He just put his tongue in my mouth and it touched mine and then…he was bleeding.”

Poppy sighed. “Harry, would you mind sticking your tongue out again?” Harry complied, looking resigned. Poppy cast a protective charm on Snape’s hand and gestured. “When I say to, touch Harry’s tongue.” Then she blew into Harry’s mouth. Harry waited and she did it again. He made a face and Poppy said. “Now, Severus.”

Looking at the Mediwitch as though she were insane, Severus complied. He frowned and ran his finger over Harry’s tongue; the charm kept him unharmed. “It looks unchanged, but it feels like it’s made of metal blades. How is that possible?”

“I have only a theory, I’m afraid.” She sighed and shook her head, looking at Albus with dread in her eyes. “I fear that Harry may be a Chelicerata.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Severus snapped. “The Chelicerata are extinct, Poppy. How could Mr. Potter possibly be one?”

“What is a…” Harry frowned, struggling with the unfamiliar word. “A Cheli…chelice…what is that?”

Severus frowned at Poppy. “They were rare magical creatures, Potter. The Chelicerata were part human, part spider. They were venomous and highly dangerous to any human other than their mate. However, the only way to find their mate was to see if they could kiss them without harming them.” Severus sneered. “Since very few humans were willing to risk injury to kiss one, they died out a few hundred years ago.”

Hermione was frowning as she spoke slowly. “Legends say that the first Chelicerata was born from an Acromantula and a witch. They loved each other and, somehow, their magic allowed them to…reproduce. The Acromantula bit her stomach and she soon grew heavy with child. The baby was seemingly human until adulthood, when its tongue became venomous and sharp. Finally he found a witch who was unharmed by his tongue and they were able to be together. So it was for every Chelicerata born after.” Her dark brown eyes flicked to the venom-filled vial on Harry’s bedside table. “Professor, didn’t you say the venom Harry’s secreting seemed very close to Acromantula venom?”

“Is there some way to test?” Harry asked softly, his face pale. “I mean, to see if I am one of these spider-things?”

“I think the only way to be sure would be to see if…” Poppy sighed. “To see if your kiss harms anyone else, or if this was some sort of strange reaction to Mr. Smith, which I doubt since I’ve been able to trigger the change as well.” She frowned and added. “Although I must insist we continue to drain your venom, because I don’t think you want to risk killing anyone.”

“I don’t want to kiss someone if they’re going to come away bleeding!” Harry protested, looking horrified. “It’s just…wrong!”

Ron laughed suddenly, looking gleeful. “You could always kiss someone you don’t like.” He suggested, wiggling his eyebrows. “How about Malfoy? He spent the whole afternoon gripping about how your beauty was lost on an idiot like Zacharias Smith. Bet he’d kiss you.”

Harry grimaced at the idea of kissing Draco Malfoy. Though they weren’t really enemies anymore, since the Dark Lord was dead, but he found the blonde to be obnoxiously immature most of the time. “If he agrees, knowing the risk, then fine. I can live with accidentally shredding his tongue.”

Severus Snape made a small noise of disgust and said sarcastically. “Really, Mr. Potter. I highly doubt anything is going to happen. There is, as I said, no possible way for you to be a Chelicerata. They are all dead.”

“Yeah, well, tell that to Zach.” Harry muttered, glaring at his hands. “He’s the one who had to take spider anti-venom after kissing me.”

Severus couldn’t think of anything to say to that, snarky or otherwise, so he simply scowled.