Chapter 165. The Healing.
For the next two days, Severus devoted himself to potion-making, or, more precisely, to brewing one specific potion intended to help Macmillan, though not for him alone. Alongside that, he kept an eye on the news and kept Bellatrix in mind, while José watched her. Shafiq and Nestor had temporarily taken up residence at one of the inns in Diagon Alley under assumed identities.
An incident this conspicuous did not pass without notice, of course. The very next morning, Aurors arrived first thing, led by Moody, who had by now become a liaison to both sides: in addition to his role in the Order of the Phoenix, he had become the Ministry's go-to man whenever they needed to deal with the "Archimagus."
The interview itself was brief. Moody mostly asked who might be responsible for the attack on the shop, and whether Severus had received any anonymous threats beforehand.
Severus answered calmly, without going into detail, making it clear through every word and look that he wished they would wrap up and leave. He could not step away from the cauldron for long.
Moody found his manner irritating. Severus treated him as little more than a bothersome fly, not as a senior Auror, and there was nothing Moody could do about it. Moody had no choice but to endure, keep his temper, and gather what information he could, which amounted to very little, since the answers rarely went beyond yes, no, I don't know, and possibly, as though the destroyed shop belonged to someone else entirely.
The attack had come at midnight, so there were no witnesses. The curfew had been in effect for two years now, and by eleven in the evening there was no one on the street except patrolling Aurors, the same ones who had arrived at the scene and drawn the attention of the Queen's wizards long enough for José to do what he had done.
In the end, Moody left with almost nothing, though Severus did let slip a hint: that there were "a great many rats in the city" and that it paid to be vigilant.
Moody was not the only visitor. Charles, the brother of the Steel sub-group's leader, also stopped by and conducted his own version of an interview, with a somewhat lighter touch. He justified his visit by pointing out that Severus was no longer an ordinary wizard but a member of Black Star, and that attacking him was the same as spitting in the organization's face: they were obligated to respond.
Severus told him much the same story, adding only that he would handle things himself and there was no need for them to get involved. Charles was displeased but didn't press the matter, leaving in a mild huff. However, Severus did drop a more specific hint to him about "rats" coming from the west. Severus had established that the Black Star and the Queens were not on friendly terms. They hadn't openly fought in centuries, but there was a long history of disputed territory between them, and the implication was easy enough to follow for anyone paying attention. And if it wasn't, Charles's brother had sharp enough instincts to figure out the rest.
No one else came after that, except Bella, who reached out through the mirror to ask if he was all right. Of course, it was essentially another round of questioning, which, despite everything, managed to lift his thoroughly sour mood, at least a little.
---
Looking at the small vial from which a yellow glow emanated, Severus wore a tired smile. Physically, he was still holding up, thanks to the Alertness Potion, but emotionally, after five days of this, he was completely wrung out. He hadn't felt this hollow in a long time.
Once all of this is finished, I'm not leaving bed until Sunday. But still, nine out of ten had turned out well. That's something. He looked down at the table, where eight more small bottles lay, and then at the knot of roots still radiating magic, slightly dimmer than before. He let out a heavy breath. "That means only eight potions now, not counting the first test batch."
"You're finally done?" Nagini's worried voice reached him. She had stayed close to him for almost the entire time, falling asleep partway through the second day. A house-elf had carried her to the bedroom, and she had only just woken up a few minutes ago.
"Yes. Two more things to take care of and then I can rest." His smile brightened slightly at the sight of her. He glanced up at the clock: nearly ten in the morning. With another sigh, he set the vial down, passed his hand over the bottles and the Heart of the Ent King, and they vanished, replaced by a small bottle of green liquid. He uncorked it and drank it immediately. A few seconds later, a copy of himself stood opposite him, and Severus's brow furrowed. "When this is all over, I am definitely going to sleep." A cloak appeared in his hand and he swung it over his shoulders. "Ready?" He looked at Nagini with a smile.
She gave a quiet nod and slipped onto him, coiling around his neck.
Just as he was about to Apparate to the Macmillan home, the house-elf materialized before them, holding Lucky, who jumped out of her arms and onto the copy's shoulder.
"Mrrryow!"
"Welcome back, little one. They've already gone, I take it?" The copy stroked his head. Lucky purred contentedly and nodded. "Good work. When all of this is done, I promise to take you to the finest sushi restaurant in England."
"Meow?"
"A place that serves nothing but fish." At those words, Lucky's eyes lit up, and he rubbed against his cheek with tremendous dedication.
"All right, all right, let's go." Amusement crept into his voice. This creature really did know how to improve his mood.
---
The moment they appeared before the small manor, John, who had been waiting anxiously, jumped up from the bench and fixed his gaze on the elderly mage, behind whom Severus stood, nodding at him with a confident smile. John's heart beat harder.
"I... I'm glad to welcome you to our home, Master Ihiros." His voice was unsteady. He bowed to the elderly mage, who measured him with a flat, penetrating look that sent a wave of goosebumps over him.
"Take me to your father. My time is limited." The old man spoke in a voice devoid of warmth, then released him just as abruptly, allowing John to finally breathe.
"Y-yes! I apologize, please, this way, follow me." He nearly stumbled over his own feet, as if afraid the mage might turn and leave at any moment.
John set a brisk pace to the door, held it open for Ihiros, then caught up and walked slightly ahead, leading them up the staircase to the room where his father lay.
Severus found John's behavior quietly amusing. It was rare to see him looking this worried and keyed up.
When they reached the right door, John stepped forward and opened it, allowing Ihiros and Severus to enter first before following them in.
"Stay by the entrance," the elderly mage said without looking back, walking to the bed.
Severus gave John an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"Don't doubt it. My teacher will heal your father." John gave a strained smile and nodded in return, his eyes fixed impatiently on the result.
"I... I believe it." His gaze drifted back to "ihiros's" back. The man's palm was pressed to Faust's forehead. The only other time I felt this kind of tension standing near someone was the day Dumbledore came to our shop. But this man is far more frightening than he was. He swallowed and looked at Severus with something close to envy. "You are very fortunate in your teacher." "I know."
Meanwhile, two vials appeared in "ihiros's" hand: one filled with a glowing liquid, the other containing something hovering between liquid and gas, radiating a faint silver light.
It didn't match a true Eternal Life Potion in quality, but it should be enough to help the new personality take hold and settle into the empty mind. He uncorked both, directed the white vapor with one finger toward the man's forehead, and watched as it was slowly absorbed. "ihiros" had positioned himself to block John's line of sight. If John had seen the vapor entering his father's head, he would almost certainly have recognized it. Memory extraction was covered in the fourth-year curriculum, and everyone knew what memories looked like when they moved.
When that was done, the "old man" set the empty vial aside, gently opened the man's mouth, and began slowly pouring the second one in, his finger resting against the man's throat to help him swallow.
He put the second empty vial away, placed his palm on the man's head, and closed his eyes, sinking into the man's mind. Inside was an endless white expanse with a curl of smoke drifting at its very center.
Not bad. They've taken root. Now... In the next moment, a yellow glow erupted from below, rushing directly at the small knot of personality and memory drawn from the portrait, repainting it from white to its own color in a matter of seconds. An enormous number of threads shot outward from it in every direction across the empty space, and Severus let out a breath of relief. Good. He is beginning to take over the empty vessel. All that remains now is to wait.
He opened his eyes, lifted his hand from the man's head, and turned to face John, who stood frozen in place, watching Ihiros's outcome with bated breath.
"I'm finished. He should wake within a few hours, though there may be gaps in his memory." He gave John the same flat look, then turned toward the exit.
"Severus, stay here for a moment. I have another matter to attend to. We will resume your training afterward."
"Yes, Teacher."
"Master, thank you. I... I can never repay you for saving my father, but if there is anything..." John stepped toward him and bowed deeply. The happiness he felt was beyond words. After every healer had thrown their hands up and given up, a man had appeared and simply healed his father.
"You have nothing I need. Thank your student. He would not stop pestering me about this." With a trace of irritation and a dismissive wave, the 'old man' vanished, leaving John blinking in puzzlement.
"Well, shall we have some tea?" Severus looked at him with a slightly sheepish smile, stroking Lucky's head.
"Severus." John looked him in the eye with complete seriousness. "I will never forget what you have done for our family."
"None of that. We're friends. Have you forgotten?" Severus gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, then walked out of the room, leaving John alone with his father. "You owe me breakfast," he called from the stairs. "I didn't have time to eat at home. And something for the kitten too."
"Thank you..." John whispered, barely holding himself together. "I swear, one day I will repay you for all of this." He clenched his fists and looked at his father's face, which finally, for the first time in five hard days, wore a peaceful expression instead of the previous blankness.
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