Love Potion No. 13

Chapter 5

Harry lay staring at the night sky, the soft dewy grass beneath his head and the warm woolen patchwork quilt Mrs. Wealsey had sent for him draped over his body. He’d only been back at the Dursley’s a week and already he’d had enough without another four weeks ahead of him. Dudley was his usual arrogant self, Vernon was just as nasty and his Aunt was just pathetic really. Tonight was one of Vernon’s business dinners and so Harry had been put outside for evening. Harry was rather glad he’d been spared having to act civilized around Vernon’s guests, and his backyard outing allowed him some time to himself to stare at the stars and watch Hedwig fly backwards and forwards in the night sky catching grubs and mice. Harry had noticed rather acutely how fond of the evenings and nights he’d become since finding out about his animagus form. Harry supposed it was the bat in him, craving the freedom and space of the night sky. He hadn’t dare transform while at the Dursley’s although it was a perfect way to escape if he wanted despite his lack of flying skills. Still the chaos it would cause should he get caught wasn’t worth the risk so instead he was just content watching the other bats flying between the trees. Since learning about his animagus form Harry had also become more aware of the bats around him. During the day in the park he sought out trees he instinctively knew where there were bats resting and at night he would watch them fluttering about in the tree outside his bedroom window. One particular bat had hung upside down on the power lines outside his open bedroom window three nights in a row. The creature was bigger than he was in animagus form, and seemed to stare at Harry through the window. Harry had fed it some crickets he’d caught in the garden, watching as it nibbled a few before going back to staring at him.

Tonight however the bat in question was nowhere to be seen and Harry supposed the creature had moved on. With a sigh Harry closed his eyes and settled back for the rest of the evening until Vernon let him back indoors. The quiet sounds of the evening however were interrupted with a piercing scream and a burst of orange light that sprang from the kitchen window and open back door. Harry was on his feet instantly his wand at the ready as he watched a familiar figure step out of the back door.

“Ah Harry, there you are.” Dumbledore smiled at a stunned Harry, who immediately lowered his wand as the headmaster approached him. “Come along we don’t have much time.” Harry was stunned as Dumbledore wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist pulling the boy against him tightly as he cast a charm around them that glowed blue.

“What about my….” Harry thought about his things back in his room but Dumbledore merely smiled warmly.

“Tonk’s is already collecting your personal affects Harry, now together on three. One, two, three…..” Harry didn’t have time to brace himself as the familiar sweep of apparition washed over him. In the blink of an eye Harry found himself on the front path leading up to the burrow. All the lights of the little cottage were on and Harry could see many people moving backwards and forwards in the house. Dumbledore guided Harry quickly up the path and in through the front door, where Harry was instantly assaulted by a frenzy of many different conversations happening.

“Harry!” Ron and Hermione came running from within the bustling crowd, dragging him purposefully over to the kitchen table where the twins, and Ginny were all seated in their night things.

“What’s going on?” Harry inquired as he sat down next to Hermione who pushed him a glass of hot chocolate across the table.

“Chaos that’s what. Deatheaters have attacked the ministry and killed six Auror’s. Word is that they’re using a new curse that’s virtually unstoppable.” Harry sighed heavily. He knew it had been too good to be true for Voldemort and his followers to be so inactive over the past year. It stood to reason they were developing and perfecting a new weapon.

“Dad reckons he’s lucky to be alive, his desk is right across the hall from the Department of Mysteries which is where they were going.” Ron glanced across at where his father was standing with Sirius and Mrs. Weasley, looking very upset.

“What do you think they were after?” Harry inquired as he watched his friends shrug their shoulders unknowingly. Before Harry could continue however Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly and clapped his hands together to draw the attention. The Weasley’s kitchen fell silent immediately everyone automatically looking towards the headmaster.

“Now we are all safe and accounted for let us not get ahead of ourselves. The death eaters may have attacked the ministry but from our inside sources they took nothing. I suspect the attack was merely a show of force, a way of displaying to the ministry Voldemort’s latest addition to his weaponry in this war.” Dumbledore paused and looked over his glasses at a few key wizards in the room before continuing. “However this incident must be treated seriously, and until such time as we are supplied with more information regarding Voldemort’s new curse then we must be careful. While this curse may seem impenetrable I will remind you all, that magic in any form is based on three simple principals which we are all aware of, it is simply a matter of judging which of these principals are being applied in order to fight the curse.” There was a muttering of agreement around the room but then Dumbledore frowned and shushed the crowd with a wave of his hand. In the deathly silence everyone listened to what Dumbledore had obviously just heard. It was faint even to Harry’s hearing, but it was definitely there and getting closer by the minute. The sound was like a flapping of an owls wings coming into land. After a serious moment as everyone waited on baited breathe as the sound got closer, Albus smiled brightly and quickly opened the window over the sink. “Ah, that would be Professor Snape.” Harry was stunned as he watched the very same bat that had sat outside his window the past three nights, come gliding in through the open window, transforming with ease back into the imposing figure of the potions professor, who landed with a smooth grace Harry envied instantly.

“Albus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, good evening.” Severus straightened his cloak and undid the leather tie holding back his hair as he greeted politely Albus and then the Weasley’s whose house he’d just entered. Harry continued to stare stunned at Snape hardly believing what he’d just seen. It was only when the potion professor’s dark gaze locked with Harry’s that the boy realized he was staring. For the brief moment as their gazes met Harry felt something tighten in his chest. Everything seemed to suddenly make sense. The reason Snape requested to be present at Harry’s tutoring sessions in transfiguration, the reason why Harry’s medical condition after the potion explosion had been referred to Snape, even the reason why Snape had taken Harry into his private chamber to break the news to the boy about his animagus form. Snape was a bat himself; it was no wonder he knew how to fly! With realization came a sudden feeling of having been betrayed, especially when he glanced around and saw that everyone aside from his school friends were not in the least surprised having seen Snape transform. Standing abruptly from the table Harry turned and ran upstairs leaving Snape staring after him his gaze narrowed in irritation.

Throwing himself down onto Ron’s bed Harry waited for the inevitable. As predicted not a moment later Ron came barging into the bedroom throwing himself down beside Harry on the bed to stare at his friend sympathetically.

“This suddenly sucks so much.” Harry whispered as he felt Hermione come into the room and sit down on the edge of the bed having closed the door on the conversations that had started up again downstairs.

“Big time. I mean we should have guessed really he practically looks like one, but it’s shit his animagus is the same as yours.” Ron muttered in agreement as he reached beneath the corner of his mattress and retrieved a bag of BertyBott’s every flavored beans to pass between his friends.

“I should have known something was up when that bat began hanging outside my room.” Harry sighed angrily remembering how long it had taken him to catch the crickets in the garden for the bat in question.

“He’s been hanging outside your window.” Ron looked horrified consciously glancing outside his own window to see if there were any signs of life. “Think of what he’s seen.” Ron muttered as he rose to close the curtains still not convinced no one was watching them. Harry closed his eyes tightly and tried to think of everything he’d done the past three days while Snape had been outside his room. When he could come up with nothing more embarrassing than having his Professor see him changing then he reopened his eyes to smile in relief at his friends. Hermione rolled her eyes and handed Harry some more of Ron’s candy beans.

“Boy’s honestly that’s all you think about.” Hermione supplied sarcastically as both Ron and Harry looked at one another knowingly. “Besides it must have been important to have him there or else he wouldn’t be doing it. I’m sure the professor has much more pressing matters than hanging around outside your bedroom Harry.” Hermione snapped at Harry for being childish as she rose from the bed to reopen the curtains of Ron’s bedroom to let in some fresh air.

“Still doesn’t account for why he didn’t tell Harry he was a bat too.” Ron injected quickly jumping at any chance to bitch about the potion professor.

“He should have said something, they should have said something.” Harry muttered as he pointed irritably at the door where the muffled sound of voices filtered up from the kitchen below.

“Perhaps it wasn’t important.” Hermione tried to reason with the two boys but neither of them was interested in what she had to say. “Fine, I can see it’s making no difference what I say, I’m going down stairs to find out what’s happening. At least ‘they’ as you put it Harry have something worthwhile to say.” With a haughty snort Hermione threw open the door of Ron’s bedroom and strode off down the corridor leaving Harry staring at the pictures of the Chuddly Cannon’s on Ron’s bedroom roof, while Ron did an impression of Hermione’s attitude.

“She’s so up her self sometimes.” Ron spat as he collapsed down onto the bed beside Harry.

“And that’s why you’re so in love with her.” Harry countered cheekily barely missing the pillow that Ron tried to smother him with.

“Shut up Harry, it’s not like you can talk ogling my sister like you do.” Ron made kissing faces at Harry who merely turned over to stare at the open window and into the evening sky.

“I don’t like your sister Ron.” Harry mumbled thinking of another red head entirely, that had far less feminine curves than Ginny and much better taste in clothes. Ron snorted in disbelief but didn’t pursue the topic further knowing it would only cause them to fight like last time Ron had brought up Harry’s attachment to his sister.

“Look on the bright side Harry at least you make a better looking bat than Snape does. Did you see the fat little stomach he had on him when he came in through the window, he’s porkier than Errol.” Harry chuckled and rolled back over to face his friend who was prodding him gently in the arm wobbling the slight fat wings the boy had developed over the few weeks he hadn’t been practicing Quidditch.

“Yeah true but it’s probably more the fact he’s a different species from me Ron, rather than over indulgence or middle age spread.” Ron shrugged his shoulders uncaringly as Harry slapped his hands away from his flab.

“Technicalities Harry, just face it he’s a fat bastard bat, just as we predicted.” Ron burst out laughing causing Harry to follow until both of them were rolling around on the floor in hysterics, fueled by too much sugar on an empty stomach. Perhaps Hermione had been right, that it hadn’t been such an important piece of information. Yet despite the outward show a little part of Harry still felt strangely betrayed.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>