Harry Potter and the White Conference

Chapter 6: Potions

“The Loci Transferendus potion is incredibly complicated to brew. Only three potion masters throughout the wizarding world are capable of completing it successfully. Luckily, we have one of them here at Hogwarts. What I have done, is enlisted Professor Snape to enhance the potion not only to carry the user through space, but also time. He is truly quite gifted in the art of potion making. We are really quite lucky to have him.” Dumbledore explained gravely.

“Wait a second, Professor Dumbledore. Are you trying to tell me that I will be the one using the travelling potion??” Sophia interjected.

“You have an extensive knowledge of other cultures and their history, and the folklore that you used to teach in the muggle world was not all fiction. This should make it easy for you to find the person, give him a supply of the potion to get to Hogwarts on March 21st, and come back without causing a stir. Not only that, but Voldemort will not be watching you. I think that you are the perfect choice.”

“Can I at least think about this?”

“Of course, my dear, that is why I’d like you to attend Professor Snape’s lecture tomorrow. I am sure you will feel much more at ease once you witness the potion firsthand.” Dumbledore smiled at her warmly.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sophia was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Potions class Dumbledore wished her to attend included the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors (unfortunately the two houses that Snape loved to torment the most, but perhaps that means he will leave her alone). This meant that Hermione, Ron and Harry would be there. She decided to do some reconnaisance before the class in the afternoon.

She scribbled a note to Hermione that she wanted to chat with her, and sent it off. She was sitting on the stone wall in the garden when she received her reply. Hermione would meet her at the portrait of the Fat Lady after lunch. ‘Perfect,’ Sophia thought, ‘then I can go to Snape’s dungeon with the Gryffindors.’

Hermione let her into the Gryffindor dorm and they sat down in a corner of the common room with Ron and Harry.

“I was wondering if you three know anything about Snape?” she asked.

“Sure, what do you want to know?” Harry answered.

“Well, Dumbledore seems to trust him a lot, but he seems like the epitome of a Deatheater...” Sophia trailed off.

Hermione laughed, “that’s because he is a Deatheater, and, as far as we know, Snape is quite trustworthy, although Ron and Harry would love to find evidence to suggest otherwise.” Sophia looked shocked and so the three Gryffindors began to explain the story of Snape’s work with the Order of the Phoenix, and his work as a spy. Sophia somehow was not all that surprised to hear that Snape put his life on the line to help Dumbledore, not after the scene she had witnessed in Dumbledore’s office.

“This might explain Snape’s cruel treatment of everyone who is not in Slytherin, Hermione. Perhaps there are some Deatheaters left whose children are students here. Maybe he doesn’t want to seem to be anything other than vicious?” Sophia suggested.

“I suppose that does make sense...” Hermione started.

“I’ll bet the bloody git has forgotten what it is like to act like a human being.” Ron said.

Sophia was lost in thought, her lips pursed in a tight line.

“What was it you were going to tell me the other night?” Hermione asked.

“Oh, I almost forgot. My apologies. Well, I was going to suggest a way of dealing with Professor Snape. You see he seems to delight in confrontations and arguments. So I just refuse to give him that. It seems to work so far.” Sophia did not particularly wish to tell the youngsters that she was trying to beat him at his game by being ridiculously nice to him.

“Is that the bleeding time? Blast! We’ve got to get to Potions!” Ron said, grabbing his stuff.

***

They entered the dungeon only moments before Snape emerged from his office, carrying a large tray of vials. He put the tray on his desk and looked around the room. Unfortunately, Sophia had managed to show up. She was sitting at the back chatting with Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Snape scowled when he saw Potter. Bloody Saint Potter. So, Sophia was one of the newest members of his fan club. What the hell do they see in that little twerp!

“Take your seats, we have a lot to do this class.” He said in a commanding voice. Everyone rushed to avoid being the last person to sit down, thereby earning a detention. However, Snape was too distracted to notice.

“Does anyone know what the Loci Transferendus potion is?” He asked, while setting out the vials and not looking up.

Hermione instantly raised her hand, while everyone looking around blankly. Sophia smiled, good old Hermione, always knows the answer.

“Yes... Miss Granger,” Snape sighed when he saw that she was the only one with her hand in the air.

“The Loci Transferendus potion enables the drinker to instantly appear wherever he or she desires. It is an incredibly complicated potion, and only two people in the wizarding world are qualified to make it properly, one of whom lives in Africa, and the other whom has been missing for two decades,” she answered very matter of factly.

Snape smirked.

‘Oh dear,’ Sophia thought, ‘Snape is never going to let her forget that she got something wrong.’

“Well, I hate to contradict the omniscient know-it-all of Gryffindor, but these vials all contain a sample of the Loci Transferendus potion. I guess there must be someone in Britain capable of brewing it.”

Hermione blushed and Sophia glared at him, willing him to leave her alone. He must have sensed her thoughts because he quickly turned back to the rest of the class.

“Every pair will now pick up a copy of this book from my desk,” he held up a copy of Most Potente Potions, “and turn to page 879.”

“If you please, sir?” Hermione raised her hand meekly.

“What, Miss Granger?”

“We aren’t going to be brewing this potion are we?”

“Of course not, Miss Granger. I do not wish to see any accidents here. Ingestion of an improperly brewed Loci Transferendus potion is fatal. Not only will you cease to exist, but every particle of your body will be scattered throughout the world in microscopic pieces.” Everyone shrank back in horror. “No, I have prepared enough potion for you all. You will merely be studying it. Now come get your books and I will pass out the potion.”
Sophia was still in line to get a book with three other young Hufflepuff’s when the copies ran out.

“You will all need to find someone to share with.” Snape said shortly to the rest of the qeue. Sophia nodded and looked back, luckily Hermione was waving her over with an already opened textbook.

“You have 15 minutes to study the recipe intently. Then I will ask for one volunteer from each pair to test the potion. The other will observe the effects. And then you will switch.”

Sophia sat down beside Hermione and smiled at her.

“Blimey,” Ron whispered to them, “I bet this is just his way of getting rid of students from his most hated houses, the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors!”

“Ron, shssh! He’s looking at us.” Harry hissed. Indeed Snape was watching the group intently, but his dark hair hid that he was only concentrating on Sophia. They all turned to reading the textbook.

Hermione gasped, grabbing Sophia’s arm. “Look at this, the recipe is eleven pages long! I have never seen a more complicated recipe, and I’ve looked at this book many times before. Snape must be incredible!” Sophia smiled and was about to agree with Hermione when Snape moved in front of their desk.

“Thank you for that assessment Miss Granger, and the reason you have never seen the recipe in this restricted book is because it is sealed off. Only those who have passed certain levels of Potion-making are able to unlock it,” Snape almost smiled at her.

“That is fascinating! Thankyou, Professor. I never knew such enchantments on books existed!”

“That was ultimately the point, Miss Granger,” Snape answered quietly, and continued on his tour of the classroom.

“Whoa, weird. He wasn’t mean.” Hermione whispered.

“That’s because he is happy to be finally getting rid of us, Hermione. Don’t take the potion!” Ron whispered grabbing her arm with both of his hands.

“Oh, Ronald. You really do exaggerate. Now hush, we have a lot to read.”

Exactly 15 minutes after the students started reading the recipe, Snape passed around the vials of the precious potion.

“Do try to picture your target location, the Quidditch Pitch, simply for the experience. However, for those who are less than skilled in the powers of the will,” Snape looked directly at Neville and then continued, “the potion is specifically designed ONLY to take you to the Quidditch Pitch, where you will remain for 35 seconds, and then it will take you right back here.”

Sophia looked at Hermione, “I’ll go first,” she said to the younger girl.

When Snape reached their desk he handed Hermione a potion, and gave Sophia one from the corner of the tray. He looked at her pointedly. “Miss Granger, you will go first,” he said quickly and moved on.

“See Hermione, he wants to kill you first! Don’t do it!” Ron grabbed her arm again.

Snape turned around fiercely, “Mr. Weasley, you will go alone, before the rest of your class. Come up to the front.”

Ron whimpered, but followed his orders all the same. He slowly made his way to the front and stood between the blackboard and the desk. “Now, Mr. Weasley,” Snape glared at him fiercely. Ron plugged his nose and drank the potion in one gulp. The area around Ron became fuzzy, and suddenly he dissapeared in a small shockwave. Hermione gasped. “Wait for it...” Snape said quietly, willing his class not to panic.

Exactly 35 seconds later there was another tiny shockwave and Ron appeared back in the room. Hermione sighed in relief and everyone started clapping.

“Bloody brilliant!” Ron exclaimed.

“Hooray, Ron.” Some of the students cried. Snape rolled his eyes.

“Attention!” Snape said, “now would the first traveller of every pair follow Mr. Weasley’s example.” He moved through the aisles of desks and came to stop near Sophia and Hermione’s.

“Your potion will take you to Dumbledore’s office for 35 seconds,” he whispered to her while Hermione was still on the Quidditch Pitch with the others.

When the rest of the students had taken their journey, and after Sophia had appeared in Dumbledore’s office long enough to say hello to him and Fawkes, all the students scribbled furiously to write their notes of the experience. Snape tried to continue with the lecture, but was interrupted again by Hermione’s hand in the air. He sighed again.

“Yes, Miss Granger,” he said exasperated.

“Professor, does the potion normally take you to a place for a specified time, or was that just for us?” she asked.

“That was a safety precaution that I instituted directly into the potion,” he answered.

“So how does the drinker determined where he or she will end up?”

“It involves a certain amount of wandless magic. The drinker must picture the exact location in his mind. It is somewhat like apparating, except more flexible and subtle. Now, may I continue with the lecture, Miss Granger?” He turned back to his blackboard without waiting for a reply. Hermione, on the other hand, felt like she had gotten off easy for asking so many questions.

‘He probably just didn’t want to give out detentions in front of Professor Aristides,’ she thought.

After the lecture was finished Hermione stayed behind to take advantage of Snape’s good mood and ask more questions. Sophia decided to wait for her and make sure that she was okay.

“Please sir, how long did it take you to fully brew this potion? By my calculations it should be approximately 46 hours of preparation time, and three months of brewing time.” Snape almost smiled, this girl really was brilliant.

“That is about correct, Miss Granger. Three months and eight days to be precise. But extra time was required in order to include my specifications.”

“Wow,” she whispered under her breath.

“Perhaps one day you will be able to calculate the required time yourself.” Snape asked, and then headed off towards his office.

“Whoa, Hermione,” Ron exclaimed, “I think Snape just complimented you!”

Sophia laughed, “do him a favour Ron, don’t spread the word around, or rest assured that it will probably not happen again.”

Sophia left the trio and went to speak with Dumbledore. However, she had much more on her mind than the travelling potion. She was really seeing a new side to Severus Snape, and she was really beginning to feel sorry for the man who was probably the loneliest person on the planet.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stay tuned! We get to meet Gandalf next chapter!