Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Hermione looked at her wristwatch, another ten minutes. She rose from the squashy beanbag, taking along two phials of blood-replenishing potion and pepper-up potion and headed to the room opposite hers.
She put the potions on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the massive bed.
Her eyes wandered on the unconscious man’s face. His once sallow face was now pale from the constant blood loss. It felt so weird to look at his face now when it looked calm, or maybe more to empty; the forehead was relaxed without the well-practiced frown, the intimidating onyx orbs were hidden behind shut lids and the thin lips were rested from mean smirks and sneers.
Hermione’s eyes ventured lower and settled on the heavily and thickly bandaged neck, explicitly to the blood-stained spot. The white bandage was already stained though it was applied not more than half an hour ago.
Hermione then had the palm of her hand on the man’s forehead and sighed when his temperature was still high. The hand then travelled lower, her fingers lined the black eyebrows and thought that she missed them raised.
They next moved to the prominent nose, pacing it up and down and thought that that big of a nose will only look best on him. She then had both of her hands on the sides of his face; her pretty fingers gently caressed the cheekbones and the slightly cold cheeks. The fingers moved again, now tracing his strong jawline, and she smiled remembering his tight face and his clenched jaws whenever he was in rage.
She was however, hesitated to run her fingers on the pale lips which used to dangle with evil smirks and spat hurtful remarks that she only managed to give them a quick brush.
Hermione looked down again at her watch, it was already time.
Her right hand got to his back, lifting the torso slowly and carefully while her other hand supported his head. Next, with her now-free right hand, she took the phial of blood-replenishing potion and slipped its content into his slightly parted lips and massaged his throat to let him digest the liquid. His body instantly glowed faintly-red before his pale face became a bit rosy. Hermione waited for a few minutes before she slipped the pepper-up potion into his mouth. She could then felt a warm sensation radiating from him, meaning that the potion was doing its job.
She laid him down, conjured a damp cloth and placed it on his forehead and tucked him in.
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They were shocked of a scream from Winky. She was trembling with eyes welling up with tears. Her lips quivered as she attempted to speak and her already bulging eyes were wide with shock.
“What’s the matter, Winky?” asked Hermione a little impatiently after moment passed by without anything coming out from Winky. She looked at Harry quizzically but he was puzzled just like her.
“It is that thing. It is that. It cannot be,” shrieked Winky. Her right forefinger, long, bony and trembling, was pointing at a crate of phials on the desk. Some of them were broken with its filling dripping.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, frowning. Hermione proceeded to the desk, tried to identify the potion without touching them. There were about more than dozens identical phials containing the same shining aquamarine-coloured liquid in the crate. Hermione frowned again; what is this? I don’t think I’ve ever seen such potion.
“It is that thing, Mister and Miss! It is that thing! Oh, bad Winky! She forgot that thing! That important thing! Bad Winky! Very bad Winky!” she took a copper ladle at the desk and started hitting her head, all while wailing her heart out.
Harry ran to her, snatched the ladle and gripped her shoulders. “Stop it, Winky! Calm yourself and tell us what you are talking about.”
Winky wiped away her tears and looked at them; her head hung low between her hunched shoulders. Hermione stroked Winky’s shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile.
“Mister and miss...it is the thing. The thing that helped to protect the boys and girls and the good teachers in Hogwarts since...since...” she broke into sobs but sniffed them away as she continued, “since the good and great Headmaster became the new Headmaster. Since then and until the battle, the potion had protected people in Hogwarts.”
“What do you mean, Winky? What is the potion, actually? And how did it protected everyone, no one ever told us anything about it,” asked Hermione softly.
“Miss, that potion is not ordinary, no. Not everyone knows about it but Winky and her friends and the great Headmaster. The headmaster brewed it almost every night, when the castle is silent and everyone else is asleep. And sometimes he would ask Winky and her friends to help him. The potion is Miss and Mister, a powerful one. And it is very hard to make, yes it is. Winky had seen how tired and weak the headmaster had become after brewing them...” she sniffed again. Both Hermione and Harry were taken aback.
“The potion, good Miss and Mister, is to protect the students and the teachers from poisons and... venom of snakes. The headmaster said it will slow down poisons and venom from killing them for enough time until the right antidote is given. But not only that, no it is not. The potion also helped cured the pains, the bruises and the cuts the students get from the evil siblings because they cannot easily go to the hospital wing to be treated. The potion will help to keep them safe for more than twelve hours for every time it is taken. Very great is the Headmaster, very great indeed,” again, she sniffed and wiped the streaming tears on her cheeks.
Hermione found herself gasped, and without her realising, tears started to roll down her cheeks. Harry beside her was gasping as well. Stuttering, she asked Winky to tell them more.
“The great, very great Headmaster asked Winky and her friends in the kitchen to put drops of the potion into the plates and goblets of the students and teachers, except for the evil siblings, every meal time, every day. The Headmaster made everyone in the castle to be there for meals and punishments they will get if they don’t. The Headmaster only wants to protect but everyone thinks the Headmaster is bad! Oh, very great he is the Headmaster! But...” suddenly, she looked terrified. Her lips began to tremble again.
“But what, Winky? What is it?” asked Harry.
“Bad Winky! Very bad Winky! How could she forgot?” before she could reached for anything, Harry held her shoulders again. She sniffed loudly before began to talk again. “The Headmaster was busy; sometimes the Headmaster had no time to eat at the Great Hall and sometimes when Winky tried to bring the Headmaster his meals, Winky cannot find him in the castle. And that day...Winky forgot to bring the Headmaster his meal, before the battle began. Winky cannot find him in the castle at first. The Headmaster had not eaten anything since dinner the day before. And...and,” she broke into tears again, this time her wobbly knees could held her no more, bringing her kneeling on the floor.
“And it looks like he didn’t take the potion as well, did he?” trembling, Hermione completed Winky’s sentence. Hermione then found herself in Harry’s arms; he tried to calm her who was sobbing hard.
“Don’t worry, ‘Mione. We won’t let him die. We won’t. Not that easy. Not after all these things. You have my words,” said Harry with determination. But Hermione could sense a glint of sadness and grief in his voice. She nodded to Harry, also with strong determination.
You’d find that Gryffindors won’t give up easily, Professor.
“Hey... Hermione? Are you okay?”
Hermione jerked when her shoulder was touched. She was brought back from the memory of the past few days’ event. She turned to find Harry looking intently at her, concern was written on his face.
“Harry. Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Just...just how long have you been here?” she asked, a bit embarrassed at being caught lost in thought.
“Well, only a few minutes. But I’ve been knocking the door for a few times, and called you for a few more times, you know,” he smiled teasingly. “But it seems like something had kidnapped Hermione Granger’s mind to an unknown land that knocking and calling are not enough to bring her back here. So, tell me dear sister, what is it? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Harry, thank you. It’s nothing. I was just thinking about the potion in Professor Snape’s office. It amazes me. I’m sure I’ve never heard of such potions before.”
“Yeah, it’s amazing. But this is one great Potions Master we’re talking about. He's Snape. Nothing impossible about that man, no. It seemed like even in the chaos, the Half-Blood Prince could still emerge and do wonders. Brilliant!” exclaimed Harry. Hermione smiled slightly at his comment.
“We won’t give up, right, Harry? Never, ever give up. We would see the smirks, sneers, frowns, raised eyebrows, clenched jaws and slit eyes again, won’t we? He would recover just like Mr. Weasley did,” said Hermione with small voice.
“I’ve said to you once, ‘Mione. I’ve promised you. We would never ever give up. Trust me, it’s just a matter of time before we get back that greasy git,” Harry said convincingly.
“Harry!”
Harry just grinned at the glaring Hermione and eventually both burst into laughter. Get well soon, greasy git!