Harry’s Detention with Professor Snape and its Consequences

Harry groaned when he approached the Potions classroom. It was the first day of the winter holidays, and all of his friends had returned home in the morning together with all other Gryffindors. Recently, Harry had enormous problems with nightmares that were plaguing him every night, so that he had difficulties staying awake during the day. Unfortunately, in the last Potions class before the holidays, he had closed his achy eyes just for a few seconds, and naturally the menacing professor had taken an immense pleasure in assigning Harry detention during the holidays. ‘Of course, leave it to the greasy git to give me detention on the first day of the holidays,’ he thought, annoyed.

On his hesitant knock, he was called in immediately, noticing with relief that the teacher’s voice sounded less menacing than normal.

"You will brew the fever reducing potion that you were supposed to brew in class yesterday when you preferred to sleep," the professor sneered, pointing to the table next to his own. However, his sneer seemed somehow strange to Harry.

“Yes sir,” he replied shortly and stepped over to the assigned desk. ‘At least that’s better than to scrub cauldrons,’ he mused. While he busied himself getting the ingredients together, Severus stayed at the teacher’s desk grading homework. To Harry’s great relief, the teacher didn’t bother him at all, and Harry nearly enjoyed peacefully brewing the potion, which wasn’t difficult to brew, especially since he had done his homework for yesterday’s class diligently and knew what he was doing. While the potion had to simmer for two minutes within the process, he threw a hesitant look over to the teacher, who had remained quiet so far.

Severus was still sitting at his desk, a quill in his hand, but his eyes were closed, and Harry noticed that his cheeks were flushed and looked dark in his sickly pale face. Moreover, his hair was sweaty and was strangely sticking to his forehead. ‘He looks as if he was ill,’ Harry thought and turned back to his potion, glancing back at the teacher again, when he started to let out small coughs. During the rest of his detention, Harry watched the professor closely, getting to the conclusion that he definitely had to be ill.

When the potion was finished, Harry turned to Severus. “It’s finished, sir; what shall I do with the potion?”

The professor opened his eyes and slowly stood up, looking piercingly into Harry’s cauldron. “That looks correct, Mr. Potter.” He took a small spoon full of the potion and put it into his mouth, nodding contentedly. “Please bottle the whole batch into the small phials over there.” He pointed to a shelf at the opposite wall. “And don’t forget to write the correct name onto the labels. Madam Pomfrey can use the potion in the hospital wing.”

Harry gave the teacher an amazed look. Never before in the five years since he came to Hogwarts had the man told him that a potion he brewed could be used for anything. ‘Maybe it’s just because he’s sick,’ he thought. ‘His voice sounds hoarse too.’

Harry quickly bottled the potions and cleaned up his work space, and the teacher released him without any menacing comment. On the way back to Gryffindor, Harry couldn’t get his thoughts away from the image of the teacher, who had looked so ill as he sat at his desk, eying Harry with glassy eyes. Knowing what it meant to be sick and all on his own, he just wished he could do anything to help the professor. However, he hadn’t dared ask the man if he was all right. ‘Maybe I should talk to Professor McGonagall, so that she can ask someone to help him,’ he mused and headed straight for his head of house’s office.

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Harry hesitantly knocked at the door of Minerva’s office, glad to be called in without having to wait. “Mr. Potter, come in,” she addressed him, a surprised look on her face. “What can I do for you? Is it too quiet in Gryffindor?”

Harry let out a small snort. “No Professor, in fact I just returned from a detention with Professor Snape.”

“If you want to complain about Professor Snape...” A stern frown appeared on her face.

“No Professor, I don’t want to complain,” Harry interrupted the teacher. “I’m just a bit worried about Professor Snape.” Seeing that Minerva shot him an unbelieving look, he explained, “He was extremely pale, but his cheeks were flushed, his eyes were glassy, and he behaved completely out of character. He even commended me and let me bottle a whole batch of my potion for Madam Pomfrey. He was also coughing, and his voice sounded a bit hoarse.”

Minerva let out a small sigh. “Thank you, Mr. Potter, for bringing this to my attention. I will go and check on him immediately. Professor Snape is a very private person, and even if he needed help, he wouldn’t easily tell anyone. By the way, are you feeling all right, Harry? You look very tired.”

“Yes, Professor, I’m fine,” Harry replied shortly. “I’m going to bed immediately. Good night, Professor.”

“One moment, Harry,” Minerva held him back, suddenly remembering something. “Where have you been at lunchtime? We missed you in the Great Hall.”

“I’m sorry, Professor, I was asleep. I didn’t sleep well during the night, so I slept a bit this morning.”

“Very well,” the teacher said sternly. “However, you are not to miss a meal. Please try to sleep apart from the mealtimes, and if that’s impossible for some reason, go to the kitchen and get something to eat later. Normally, I want to see you in the Great Hall for all meals.”

“Yes Professor,” Harry replied and returned to his dormitory, where he went straight to bed.

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Minerva left immediately after Harry and strode down to the dungeons. She found Severus still sitting at his desk in the Potions classroom. “Good evening, Severus,” she greeted him in a friendly voice.

Severus groaned. “I already enjoyed the company of a foolish Gryffindor for a few hours. What is it now?” he asked in a small but slightly hoarse voice.

Minerva let out a small snort before she replied, “I only came because a foolish Gryffindor sent me here.” She stepped over to his desk and quickly put a cold hand to his forehead, letting out a gasp. “Severus, Harry was right, you’re ill. You’re burning up. Please go to bed, Severus.”

“I’m fine,” he croaked hoarsely, letting out a few coughs.

“Severus, you will let me put you to bed; otherwise I’m going to call Poppy immediately!” Minerva replied sternly. “I know that it must be a disgrace for the best Potions master of the time to fall ill, but you won’t get better sitting here pretending to grade homework like you obviously did during the last few hours. Now, Severus, let’s go.”

Severus slowly stood up, glad that the woman, who could be so annoying sometimes, steadied him, since he felt very dizzy. He heavily leaned onto her arm while they walked through his private rooms straight into his bedroom. Minerva quickly transfigured his clothes into light pyjamas and helped the younger teacher to lie down, before she conjured a Muggle thermometer and ordered her colleague, “Open up and let me take your temperature.”

Severus groaned and mumbled hoarsely, “No Minerva, I’m not a student.”

However, the older professor was faster and stuck the thermometer under his tongue as soon as he opened his mouth again to contradict a bit more. While they were waiting for the reading, she sat on the edge of his bed and conjured a cool cloth to carefully wipe his sweaty forehead. “Harry told me you had to be sick because you commended his potion and even told him you would take his batch to Poppy,” she explained to Severus in a quiet, soothing voice, before she silently stayed at his side until the thermometer beeped.

“40.9; Severus, that’s an extremely high fever. I will get Poppy right now.” Ignoring Severus’ protests, she hurried to the fireplace in his living room and called the healer, who had just returned to her family in the morning.

“Poppy, you have to come to Severus’ quarters,” she told her friend urgently. “He’s ill with a fever of nearly 41 degrees.”

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A minute later, Poppy entered Severus’ bedroom. She examined him closely, peered into his throat, his ears, and his eyes, before she waved her wand over him several times. Finally, she put her wand away and sighed. “It’s wizard’s scarlet fever. Fortunately, we discovered it in time; otherwise he would be spiking red spots all over his body and would be off much worse. He needs a potion, which I have to fetch from Severus’ lab. In order to not get the red spots he also needs a special healing salve that has to be applied every four hours, until the fever drops at least under 39 degrees, which will probably take a few days. Minerva, I’m sorry that I cannot be here, but as you know, tomorrow is my niece’s wedding.” She pulled a potion out of her bag and handed it to Minerva. “First of all you have to drink this. It will immunise you against the illness.”

Minerva quickly gulped down the potion and handed the phial back to Poppy, who continued her monologue. “I only have a very small amount of the healing salve left, because I had a case of this illness last week, and Severus so far didn’t have time to brew more. It will last over night and for tomorrow morning. You have to brew more in the morning. I will lay out the recipe for you in the potions classroom. Are there any students remaining in the castle, who could help you?”

“Only Mr. Potter, but I’ll ask him. He can’t be worse at Potions than I am, and Severus apparently accepted a batch of his brewing for the hospital wing,” Minerva replied in a voice showing that she was proud of her student.

“Minerva, I will come again tomorrow evening and take turns with you over the night,” Poppy promised, before she pointed her wand to a parchment on Severus’ night table, filling the parchment with instructions for Minerva. “You don’t have to stay with him around the clock; you only have to be here in time to apply the salve every four hours and give him his potions three times a day,” she told her friend, while she put several potions phials on the night table, spelling two of them straight into Severus’ stomach. “And you need to take his temperature before you give him the potions or apply the salve.” She handed Minerva a magical thermometer. “Please take this, Minerva, and then I will be informed of the result automatically. If he is asleep, you can just take his temperature under his arm, so that you don’t have to wake him up.”

Finally, Poppy showed Minerva how to apply the healing salve, ignoring Severus’ hoarse protests. She spelled his pyjamas off, only leaving him in his pants, spreading the salve all over his body, and finally tucked him in tightly.

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During the night, Minerva applied the healing salve as she had been instructed, before she conjured a comfortable chair, in which she could sleep for a while until the freshly conjured alarm clock alerted her that it was time to tend to Severus again. In the morning, Severus seemed to be even more upset about Minerva’s presence in his quarters than in the evening before. “I’ll be fine,” he croaked hoarsely. “I’ll be well able to take these potions on my own.”

“Obviously, so far you haven’t been able to take a potion against your fever or against anything else,” Minerva admonished him lightly. “Moreover, you won’t be able to apply the healing salve on yourself. Now please shut up and let me check your temperature.”

Severus grudgingly opened his mouth, and Minerva took advantage of his inability to talk around the thermometer and applied the healing salve at the same time. ‘How did she know that I was ill?’ Severus wondered, while he patiently endured his colleague’s fussing. ‘They should just let me alone, but I can’t remember having felt so sick before, and it feels good to be cared for. Nevertheless, they should stop the fussing,’ he thought weakly.

“40.7,” Minerva sighed and helped him to sit up and drink his potions. “Now Severus, I will leave you now for an hour to attend breakfast in the Great Hall and to inform Albus that he will find me here in your quarters for the next days. You will stay in bed and try to sleep; do you understand me?”

“Calm down, Minerva. I won’t go anywhere; or do I look as if I was going to brew a potion right away?”

“Oh, good that you remind me, I have to brew another batch of your healing salve,” Minerva remembered.

“You? Brew my healing salve?” Severus enquired, horrified. “Even Potter is more adept at brewing,” he continued his rant.

“Shall I ask Harry to brew the salve for you? I know that I’m not good, but it’s the first time that you tell me he is adept. Normally, you always claim what a dunderhead he is.” She gave her colleague a confused look.

Severus sighed. “You know that I have to appear as if I would hate him. If I didn’t anger him in the classroom, breathing into his neck so that he cannot concentrate, he would be as brilliant as his mother was. Yes, you can ask him to brew the salve. However, don’t tell him the purpose; just tell him I remembered that he had to serve another detention.”

Minerva let out a snort. “Don’t forget, Severus, that he is the one, who noticed in time that you were ill. If he hadn’t told me, you’d probably already spike red spots all over your body. Poppy said we caught it right in time. Therefore, I’m going to tell him the truth, and believe me, he’d be much more careful with the potion if he knew that it was needed than if he thought it was just another detention.”

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Harry only arrived for breakfast when Minerva was nearly finished. He had hardly been able to sleep during the night and had only slept two hours in the morning. “I’m sorry, Professors,” he apologized to the few teachers, who had remained at the castle over Christmas.

Minerva watched the boy in concern, seeing that he hardly ate anything and looked very tired. “Harry, are you feeling well?” she asked worriedly.

“Yes Professor. I’m sorry, I didn’t sleep well and am very tired,” Harry replied quietly.

“Harry, can you do me a favour? I need to brew a healing salve for Professor Snape, and he told me that you were much more adept at Potions than I. Could you help me to brew the salve? Or... let me say, could you brew the potion and I assist?”

Harry let out a small laugh. “.? You’d better call Madam Pomfrey, Professor. Professor Snape seems to be seriously ill if he said that.”

“He is very ill, Harry; otherwise he would brew the salve by himself,” Minerva replied in a stern voice, causing Harry to agree on brewing the salve immediately.

Minerva helped her student preparing the ingredients. However, apart from that, she mostly sat there, watching as Harry brewed the salve with an amazing concentration. From time to time, he was rubbing his eyes or his forehead as if a headache was bothering him, but Minerva saw that he was doing his best to brew the potion flawlessly. She sighed in relief when Harry looked at her and stated, “Finished.”

“Thank you very much, Harry; thirty points to Gryffindor. Now you can head back to the Great Hall; it’s already lunchtime.”

“Thanks, Professor, but that’s really not necessary. You better show the potion to Professor Snape before you apply it and tell me if it’s okay; otherwise I’ll try again. I’ll stay here until you know if the potion is all right.”

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Ten minutes later, Minerva returned, chuckling. “You’ve just earned yourself another twenty points for Gryffindor,” she told the astonished student.

“Professor Snape gave me points for that?” Harry asked incredulously.

“Yes Harry, he did,” Minerva replied amused. “Very well, thanks a lot for your help. Now go and eat lunch, and try to rest a bit during the afternoon. You look exhausted.”

“All right, Professor. Just call me if you need any more help,” Harry replied and left the classroom. He quickly passed in front of the Great Hall and headed straight for the common room, not feeling hungry at all.

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Harry let himself sink on the sofa in front of the huge fireplace, craving the warmth. In fact, he wasn’t feeling very well. His head was pounding, his eyes hurt, and his throat was starting to feel scratchy. Moreover, he was shivering in spite of the warm Weasley sweater he had pulled under his robes in the morning. ‘Maybe I got the cold from Professor Snape,’ he thought, feeling completely annoyed, knowing that he couldn’t travel to Grimmauld Place on Christmas day to see his friends if he was sick. ‘Well, the day after tomorrow is Christmas eve, so it’s still three days ahead; that should be enough to get rid of a cold,’ he mused and decided to spend the time until Christmas resting as much as he could.

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During the afternoon, Severus’ fever spiked, and Poppy came over to Hogwarts for a few minutes to instruct Minerva to give their ill colleague a lukewarm bath in order to get his temperature down. Until late in the evening, Minerva cared for the hardly responsive teacher, and only when Poppy arrived to take over the night shift, she returned to her quarters after more than a day. Early in the morning she went back to Severus’ quarters, knowing that Poppy had to leave for her family soon.

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In the morning, Harry felt absolutely awful. The pounding in his head had progressed to a splitting headache, his throat wasn’t slightly scratchy anymore but so sore that he could hardly swallow, and his eyes hurt so much that he wasn’t willing to open them at all. Above everything else, he felt icky all over his body and hot and cold at the same time. Shivering vehemently, he closed the curtains around his bed to keep the cold out and the sun that was shining through the window.

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At lunchtime, Minerva attended the first meal in the Great Hall since breakfast the day before. “Where is Harry?” she asked the headmaster, when she finished lunch, and the boy still had to appear.

“Harry?” Albus asked surprised, giving her a questioning look. “I thought he was with you. I haven’t seen him in a day.”

Minerva stood up immediately. “I’ll go and check on him.” She hurried up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower and entered the common room, finding it empty. With a hint of foreboding she opened the door of the sixth year boys’ dormitory and pulled the curtains of Harry’s bed aside.

“Harry,” she breathed, “Are you all right?”

“No,” Harry whispered. “I don’t feel good, Professor.”

When Harry slowly turned around, Minerva gasped. His face looked yellowish and pale, while his cheeks had a dark red colour. His half-open eyes seemed dull and glassy. She carefully extended a hand to feel his forehead, only to quickly pull it back in shock. The boy felt at least as hot as Severus had been two days before. “Is your throat sore, Harry?” she asked, trying to assess if he had caught the wizard’s scarlet fever from Severus.

“Yes,” Harry mumbled miserably. “My throat, head, and eyes, and my whole body feels icky.”

“Harry, I have to check your body for the symptoms of the scarlet fever that Professor Snape has. Would you mind me doing that? Do you want me to call Madam Pomfrey?”

“I don’t mind, Professor; if it just helps to feel better,” Harry croaked.

Minerva gave him an understanding smile. “All right, in the meantime, let me take your temperature, child. Can you open your mouth for me?” she asked, quickly conjuring a thermometer. While they were waiting for the reading, she waved her wand to undress the boy down to his pants and saw that his whole body was covered by small, red spots. “Yes, you have the wizard’s scarlet fever, Harry. I’m sorry.” She sighed. “Good that you made so much of the healing salve; we will need it for you too. 41.3,” she gasped, taking back the thermometer. “Harry, please wait a moment; I’m going to call Madam Pomfrey.” Seeing that he was shivering vehemently, she carefully tucked him in and hurried to the fireplace in the common room to call her friend out of her holidays again.

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“Yes, it is the wizard’s scarlet fever,” Poppy confirmed a few minutes later and quickly spelled a fever reducer into the child, causing him to sigh in relief. “Minerva, I will return to Hogwarts. You cannot possible care for two of them on your own.”

“I can, Poppy,” Minerva contradicted vehemently. “It would be nice if you could take over for a few hours during the night, but other than that I’ll be fine. The main problem is that they are so far away from each other, and that Severus is the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”

Poppy frowned. “That won’t help him in this case. He can decide if he wants to move to the hospital wing together with Harry, or if he wants Harry to move to his quarters. Do you want to break the news to him or shall I?”

“I will try,” Minerva said hesitantly, knowing that her younger colleague wouldn’t agree easily to any of their suggestions.

Poppy gave her friend an encouraging smile. “All right, I will stay with Mr. Potter and apply the salve in the meantime.”

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Minerva lightly shook Severus shoulder, causing the man to blink in confusion. “Severus, I’m sorry to disturb you, but I have something urgent to discuss with you.”

Severus groaned. “Let me alone.”

“Yes, I know that you’re feeling awful, but I have a problem. Harry has fallen ill as well. He caught the wizard’s scarlet fever from you, and I cannot care for you here and for him in his dormitory. Therefore, Poppy has decided that either both of you must move to the hospital wing or we have to take Harry here into your quarters, so that I’ll be able to look after you both.”

“No! Just go and care for him, I’m an adult and very well able to look after myself. I don’t need you and that annoying Mediwitch fuss over me,” Severus replied, exasperated.

“Maybe I should remind you that it was Harry, who saved you from getting all the red spots, which he is sporting now,” Minerva replied icily. “You still have a fever of more than forty degrees and are definitely not able to look after yourself. You can be lucky that Harry was still well enough to brew your healing salve two days ago, otherwise you’d be much worse now, since I wouldn’t have been able to brew that properly.” She took the cold cloth and carefully bathed his sweaty face, while she continued her rant.

‘Ah, that feels good,’ Severus thought in relief, remembering all the times Minerva had spent sitting on the edge of his bed trying to read his every wish from his lips. She had been there whenever he woke up from his fever induced dreams, had made him sip water when he was thirsty, and had applied the salve to his body with gentle hands.

“All right, get the boy here,” he mumbled hoarsely, “as long as he leaves me in peace.”

Minerva let out a relieved snort. “Believe me, he will leave you in peace; he is already worse than you were when we found out you were sick.” She carefully placed the self-refreshing cloth on his burning forehead before she quickly floo-ed back to Gryffindor, while Severus groaned and fell into a feverish nightmare about his fifth Hogwarts year and the Marauders.

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A while later, Minerva conjured a second bed in Severus’ bedroom, and Poppy carefully tucked a sleeping Harry in, making him moan in discomfort as the covers hit his aching body. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but it’s necessary,” Minerva whispered soothingly, while she sat down on the edge of his bed and began to softly wipe his face.

In the meantime, Poppy waved her wand over Severus. “I expect his fever to come further down now, Minerva. It will probably be a matter of a day or two until you can stop applying the healing salve. Until then I will take turns with you caring for them. I will return in a few hours.”

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As Poppy had predicted, two days later Severus condition improved. “You don’t have to apply the healing salve anymore,” Poppy told Minerva. “Moreover, we won’t give him any more nutrient potions; he will have to eat soup by himself.”

Severus also started to take in his surroundings, noticing for the first time that Harry was in the same room, when Minerva made him sit up and eat his soup. “Oh my,” he groaned, seeing Harry’s face that was still yellowish and had red spots everywhere.

“Yes, he got it really bad, the poor child,” Minerva replied, and Severus couldn’t help feeling sorry for the boy.

‘He wouldn’t have got that if I had gone to Poppy to let her check on me when I felt unwell and noticed that it wasn’t just a cold,’ he thought remorsefully. “I’m better now; I will help you care for him,” he promised, pushing away his plate.

“No Severus, you will eat this all, and no, you’re not well enough yet. I have instructions from Poppy to keep you in bed until your fever is completely gone, and believe me you’re still far from it,” Minerva replied sternly, looking into her colleague’s glassy eyes.

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During the following days, Harry drifted in and out consciousness. He felt absolutely awful and didn’t even know where he was. However, he registered that someone always remained at his side, saw to his needs all the time, and tried to make him feel better. Gratefully, he tried to thank them but could only get a small moan out of his sore throat.

One day, Harry woke up, feeling quite alert for the first time since he had fallen ill. His whole body was still icky, his throat was on fire, and he had the impression that his skin was burning. Suddenly, he felt something cool on his forehead and thought, ‘That feels good,’ when a soothing voice penetrated his ears. “Is there anything I can do for you, Potter?”

Harry lazily opened his sore eyes only to shut them close instantly when he saw the potions professor sit on the edge of his bed. “Shall I help you to sit up so that you can drink a few sips of water?” the teacher asked softly, bathing his hot face with the cool cloth once more.

The thought of something to drink was so appealing that Harry once more opened his eyes and croaked, “Yes please.”

Instantly, he felt strong hands pull him up just enough, so that he could take sips from a straw that found its way into his mouth. “Drink slowly, Potter, only small sips,” the soft, silky voice accompanied his efforts to get as much water as possible through his burning throat.

“Severus! What are you doing out of bed?” suddenly a stern voice that he recognized as that of Madam Pomfrey interrupted the soothing voice, and Harry nearly choked on his straw in shock.

“Be careful, Poppy; you gave Mr. Potter a fright,” Severus replied and began to soothingly rub Harry’s back as he coughed harshly.

“I’m sorry that I had to leave the two of you alone for a while, but I had to look after Minerva,” Poppy explained, sighing. “She came down with a bad head cold and was spiking quite a fever, so that I had to make her stay in bed. She probably neglected to care for herself and neither ate nor slept enough while she was taking care of the two of you. She won’t be able to look after you for the next two days. You have to be satisfied with me. I will spend as much time as possible with you, but I also have to care for her. Now Severus, back to bed please.”

Harry watched amazed as the teacher obeyed to the healer without as much as a blink. Poppy waved her wand over Harry, before she applied the salve onto his skin and made him drink a few potions. “How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?” she asked kindly, when she sat down next to him and readjusted the cloth on his forehead.

“Sore and icky,” Harry mumbled, already drifting off to sleep.

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Harry woke up, when he felt the cool air of the dungeons hit his skin full force. He shivered vehemently and opened his eyes in protest, seeing Severus sitting on the edge of his bed. “I’m sorry,” the professor apologized, while he was gently applying the healing salve onto Harry’s stomach. “Please don’t move; I’m just taking your temperature under your arm, because I hoped we could do everything without waking you up.”

“No, please, it’s so cold,” Harry replied, his teeth chattering.

Severus immediately stopped applying the salve and pulled the blankets up to Harry’s chin after checking that the thermometer was still in its correct position. “I will still have to apply the cream, but I will wait until you’ve taken a fever reducer,” he promised in his silky voice that had a soothing effect on Harry, who calmed down immediately and remained quiet until Severus pulled out the thermometer. “Still 40.2,” he stated, frowning, and made Harry drink three potions, noticing that the boy relaxed visibly at the effect.

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Harry’s condition only improved very slowly. Even after Severus had been given a clean bill of health by Poppy, Harry still had a very high fever. Whenever he was alert, Severus or Minerva were sitting on the edge of his bed and cared for him.

One day, Minerva told him, “Harry, tomorrow school is going to start. However, you will have to stay in bed for at least another week. Would you prefer to stay where you are, although Professor Snape and I will only be able to look in on you between classes and during breaks, or shall we take you to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey can look after you all day?”

“Remain here, if I’m not bothering anyone,” Harry mumbled before he looked at his head of house and asked, “Where am I by the way?”

Minerva laughed. “You’re in Professor Snape’s bedroom, Harry. However, he already suggested taking you into his guest room now that your condition has stabilized enough, so that you don’t need constant monitoring anymore.”

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Later that day, Harry woke up to a cold hand on his forehead. Opening his eyes, he noticed that the teachers had moved him to another room, and that Severus was sitting on the edge of his bed. “Thank you, Professor,” Harry mumbled, noticing that his voice was still a little hoarse, “for taking care of me, and for letting me stay in your rooms.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Potter,” Severus replied softly. “Now please open up and let me take your temperature.” When Harry obeyed, he carefully slid the thermometer under his tongue, before he continued to speak, “I have to thank you too, Mr. Potter, for alerting Professor McGonagall about my illness before it became as bad as it was in your case and for brewing the healing salve for me. No, don’t talk, wait until the reading is finished,” he admonished the boy, seeing that he opened his mouth to speak. He quickly adjusted the thermometer back to the right position and went on, “I have thought about something. I’ve never told you that before, but in fact, you’re very adept at Potions. Therefore, I’d like to suggest something to you. If you were interested, I’d be willing to tutor you in advanced Potions one or two evenings a week, and maybe you could think about the possibility to become my apprentice when you finish Hogwarts instead of becoming an Auror. You don’t have to decide anything now; I just want you to keep my suggestion in mind and think about it when you’re back to full health.”

“Thank you, Professor, I’d like you to tutor me,” Harry replied as soon as he was able to talk again. “When I was brewing the healing salve, I noticed that I love brewing potions, provided that nobody is breathing into my neck waiting for me to fail my potion.” When he slowly averted his eyes to the professor, he saw that the edges of his mouth pulled slightly up to one of his rare smiles.

The End

I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!

All recognizable characters belong to Mrs. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.