In an Alternate Universe

Chapter 28 ~ Testing the First Potion

“I tell you, Harry, Granger’s put a spell on him. I just know it,” Ron whispered to Harry as they ate lunch in the Great Hall.

”He’s acting just like her. He doesn’t smile or hardly even talk. He won’t fly with us and he isn’t even nagging at us about our work. Now, come on. Something stinks at Hogwarts. And it’s Granger.”

Ron was talking about Severus of course. Over the past couple of days, there was a marked change in his demeanor. He was more brooding, silent, unwilling to enter into conversation. He seemed . . . distracted.

”Maybe it’s just that he’s kind of stressed. He has to go to classes, do his homework, brew the potions and make his rounds at night. That’s a lot to do, Ron. He’s probably just cranky,” Harry offered as a possible explanation.

Ron snorted.

”The more work Sev has, the happier he is. You know that. He practically glows when exams come around. I’m telling you Harry, something is going on down in the dungeons. Something that’s changing him,” Ron insisted.

Just then, Severus entered the Great Hall. The murmurs became hushed as he walked to the Gryffindor table. There was a rather dark aura coming off the Gryffindor, a sense of heaviness and . . . something indefinable that everyone felt.

Ron and Harry shifted over and Severus sat down. He didn’t have his usual bursting backpack full of books with him. The wizard drew a plate of chicken towards him and didn’t say anything to either Harry or Ron. Harry noticed his hair was looking a bit lank, not shiny as it usually was. It was as if he weren’t washing it, although he smelled all right.

”Hi Sev,” Harry ventured.

”Hi,” Severus replied shortly, filling his plate as Ron stared at him as if looking for telltale signs of hexing or potion poisoning.

”Severus, we’re going flying after supper tonight. Think you can tear yourself away from the dungeons for a couple of hours?” Ron asked him.

”No. Too busy,” Severus answered him.

Draco Malfoy and his goons walked by, finished with lunch and on their way to Slytherin house to lounge a bit before the next class

”Aw come on,” Ron pressed, “you aren’t brewing constantly . . . anyway, it’s Friday. You don’t have to do homework tonight. You have the whole weekend. Come on, Sev. It’s not good for you to spend so much time around Granger. She’s rubbing off on you. Sucking out all your joy like some greasy vampire.”

Suddenly, it felt as if a small explosion went off in Severus’ head.

”I SAID NO!” Severus snarled at Ron suddenly, his voice loud and angry. “Now leave me alone. I have more important things to think about other than wasting my time flying about with you two!”

The whole hall fell silent as his voice echoed through the hall. Hermione stopped eating, watching the pale wizard with interest.

Severus’ black eyes darted about for a moment and he scowled at everyone looking at him. Why were they all looking at him? He couldn’t stand it.

The Gryffindor wrapped two pieces of chicken in a napkin, stood up and exited the Great Hall, his robes billowing as he stalked away, Harry and Ron looking after him

“See? See, Harry? He’s acting just like Granger. His robes are even billowing. It’s some kind of transformation hex or something,” he said in a low voice.

Both of them looked up at the dais at the Potions mistress. She was smirking at them.

”She knows we know,” Ron hissed, ducking his head.

”She’s just enjoying Severus yelling at you,” Harry said, “she’s a teacher. She wouldn’t do anything to him other than take points or give him detention.”

Ron shook his head.

”You’re talking as if she’s a normal teacher. She’s not. She’s a demoness in teacher’s robes,” he said, biting into a donut.

”Watch, Severus is going to go completely Slytherin on us. Mark my words,” Ron said.

Harry looked a bit worried at this statement. Severus was acting snarky. He was always rather blunt, but not this much.

There probably was something going on in the dungeons.

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Severus walked behind Draco and his housemates angrily. He really did have something to do tonight. The Polyjuice potion would be completed . . . three weeks earlier than thought possible. Hermione was going to test it and see if it were viable. There would be no elation on his part when she announced it was. He had nothing to look forward to other than recognition for his accomplishment. That might have worked for others, but not for him. He had another prize in mind, a prize that was out of reach now.

As he walked, he couldn’t help hearing Draco talking to Crabbe and Goyle, bragging about his mum’s vacation.

”Yeah, my mum’s going to spend a week in the Riviera. Wining, dining, you know, enjoying herself. She likes to get away. Only dad’s going to be at the Manor,” the Pureblood said. “But I’m sure he’ll find some way to entertain himself.”

Severus’ brow furrowed as the Slytherins continued down the corridor. He unwarded the Potions office and let himself in, closing and warding the door behind him, then let himself into Hermione’s study. He stood there for a moment, then made a decision.

He walked into Hermione’s bedroom, then her bathroom, his eyes scouring her vanity. He saw what he was looking for.

Her hairbrush.

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Severus stood by as Hermione fed the potion to a lab niffler to check to see if it were poisonous. The wizard said nothing as the niffler choked and scrubbed at its muzzle with its paws, a look of disgust on its furry, ferret-like face. But it didn’t keel over.

Hermione recheck the consistency, scent and color, then scooped up about a quarter cup of the potion, dropped a hair in it and offered it to Severus.

”Your brew, your poison,” she said to him with a wicked smirk.

Severus eyed the bubbling brown potion then took it from her.

”Is it a human hair?” he asked her.

Hermione arched an eyebrow.

”Don’t tell me you’re worried about a repeat of your second year, Severus. Let me see, what did you turn into again? Oh yes . . . a cat creature,” she grinned. “Well, it’s not a cat hair.”

”But is it human hair?” Severus asked her again, his eyes narrowed.

Hermione looked at the wizard. There was something very . . . angry about him.

”Yes it’s a human hair,” she snapped, “whose hair we’ll know if the potion works. Shaving three weeks off the process doesn’t bode well that it will. I’m not going to risk being deformed in case it doesn’t . . . so drink up.”

His eyes resting on Hermione, Severus drank the brew down without making a face, and set the empty glass on the counter. His skin began to pulse and bubble, his black hair writhing, graying and growing longer. Whiskers shot out of his chin and his already large nose remained long but became crooked and his robes changed to bright purple.

He looked down at his slightly wrinkled hands and pulled at his long white beard. He was the spitting image of Albus Dumbledore. He looked at Hermione who noted there was no twinkle in those sober blue eyes.

”Well, it worked. You should turn back in about fifteen minutes,” Hermione said to him.

”It is going to last longer than that,” Severus said shortly in his own voice.

He was right. The transformation lasted for almost an hour, as long as a full glass of the potion.

”Incredible,” Hermione breathed as he transformed back.

Severus didn’t say anything as he began to fill bottles. If Hermione had still been under Oath, and hadn’t been raped he would have been overjoyed. Still, he was glad the potion was viable.

Hermione looked at him.

”What? No gloating that you proved me wrong?” she asked him.

”I already knew you were wrong. Why would I gloat?” Severus said rather coldly, focusing on the bottles.

Hermione blinked. Since their return she hadn’t seen the boy smile once. His entire demeanor had changed toward her and toward his friends.

”Severus, what’s wrong with you?” she asked him.

Severus turned to face her with several bottles in his hand

”Nothing I can’t fix,” he responded, handing Hermione the bottles.

She frowned up at him, then carried the bottles to her potions stores. As she stocked the potion, Severus slipped a bottle he left on the counter into his pocket, then began to clean up his workspace, carefully scourgifying the cauldron and putting it away.

Hermione returned.

”I am going out for a while,” Severus said, looking down on the Potions mistress. “I’ll set up the next brewing tomorrow.”

His eyes had a certain coldness in them, as if his very soul was gone.

”Where are you going?” Hermione asked him.

”Just to walk about. Clear my head. Get out of these dungeons for a while,” the Gryffindor responded.

Well, he had been spending almost all his time down here, either in his room studying or in the labs. He’d made no attempt to engage her in conversation at all, which was fine because she had quite a bit of work to do for her classes. She had expected him to be at least a little annoying, but the young wizard gave her a wide berth.

If it wasn’t for the rose, Hermione would have believed he’d lost his attraction for her. But the flower’s constant state of bloom said otherwise.

”Be back by curfew. Midnight,” the witch said, dismissing him.

Severus left without so much a word of goodbye.

”Hm, maybe I am rubbing off on him,” Hermione mused as she headed for her quarters.

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Severus walked out on the grounds and immediately walked around the castle. It was dark out, and a number of students saw him striding in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. He stepped between the trees and quickly disillusioned himself, running for the main gate. Since it was night, his shimmer wasn’t noticeable.

He let himself out the gate and warded it back, then cast a Silencing spell around himself and did an experimental Apparition.

He arrived at his destination and looked around with satisfaction. Yes, he could Apparate here.

He took out the bottle of Polyjuice potion and a small piece of parchment. He uncapped the bottle, then carefully took out the single brown hair it contained. He slipped it through the neck of the bottle, then after waiting a few seconds, drank the bottle down.

The transformation took.

He had to work quickly. It was nine o’clock now. He only had until midnight.

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A knock sounded on the door of Malfoy Manor. A very timid-looking house elf answered and invited the guest in.

”Waits here. I will retrieves the Master,” the little nervous creature said with a bow.

Presently Lucius Malfoy strolled down the long corridor, dressed in silk black robes, his blonde hair flowing and perfect, a look of surprise and delight on his face as he greeted his visitor.

”Hermione. You’re looking . . . quite well,” he said facetiously, kissing the back of the witch’s hand. “It’s been a while I know, but I feel as if we’ve only been apart for . . . mere days.”

The witch scowled at him but didn’t speak.

”Why are you here? Is there something you want from me? Something you’ve . . . missed,” the wizard purred.

Suddenly he was hit by a bolt of red light, his unconscious body grabbed and thrown over the witch’s small shoulder.

From the shadows, the house elves watched as their master was carried out the door. They said nothing. Not even to each other as they went about their business as usual.

They were severely warned never to say anything about Hermione Granger to anyone under the threat of a very painful death.

Not one of them would disobey that order no matter who questioned them.

She was one of their master’s secrets.

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A/N: Thanks for reading.