The Last Horcrux

Gender Reveal

The potions department in the basement of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was a busy place. Orders for potions arrived in a steady stream, carried by St. Mungo's clean and efficient troupe of messenger hamsters. These creatures traveled through a network of tubes, wearing little white vests with the St. Mungo's emblem blazed across their backs. They placed orders from the healers on a large metal spike at the center of the Potions Lab and carried the completed concoctions back up to the wards. The most commonly used potions (Pepper Up, Skele-Gro, Vitamix and Draught for Dreamless Sleep) were brewed in large vats in the center of the room, with purple fires underneath to keep them constantly at a low boil. These potions could be ladled into bottles and dispensed as needed. More specialized potions were brewed by individual potioneers at their benches. For extremely hard or difficult to manage cases, the potioneers would meet in conference with the healers to figure out a treatment.

Sev kept his head down and did his work. He was relieved to have a job that involved simply the brewing of potions, something he happened to be very good at. He was glad to be free of the hassle and drama of his years at Hogwarts, teaching a bunch of ungrateful teenagers.

His fellow potioneers had initially given him wide berth. Everyone knew who he was, obviously. His reputation as a former Death Eater, the right hand man of Voldemort, went before him. Many people working in the potions department were his former students. Sev cringed at the thought of how he had once terrorized them. But gradually, as with all things, they got used to him. Before too long, he was being called in to confer on the more challenging cases, and he was often able to offer a solution, or at least an idea of something to try.

He had two photos spellotaped over his workbench; One of the children - Amanda, Gavin and Oakley, taken at the shore on a summer holiday, their innocent faces smiling at the camera, bathed in summer sunlight, the wind fluffing their hair. Another of Remus in profile, staring out to sea. He looks lean and strong - not young - you can see the weight of the years on him - but determined and proud. Sev loved that photo.

He had a busy morning filling custom orders. When lunchtime came, he went to get a cup of tea to go with the lunch Remus had packed for him. The St. Mungo's Hospital Tea Shop had been done over about forty years ago. It had a 1950s vibe - white formica counters, cracked green vinyl seats, fake chandeliers glaring from the ceiling. There were cases of sandwiches. A rotating cake stand, encased in glass, was garishly lit from within. A bowl of apples that no one ever bought shone waxy and poisonous looking on the counter. There was a huge silver samovar in pride of place. Healers needed a lot of strong tea to get through their days.

Sev arrived in the middle of the lunch rush. He checked his pocket watch impatiently as he stood in line. It was an elaborate wizarding gadget that Remus had got him for Christmas the year before. It told the time, the date, the weather and the phase of the moon. It had a hand for each member of the family, showing their whereabouts and their general level of threat. There was also a meter that registered the concentration of magical energy in the atmosphere.

Sev paid for his tea at the ornate brass cash register. He turned to go back to his lab and found himself face to face with Minerva Mcgonagall, who was in line behind him.

"Minerva," said Sev.

"Severus," she replied somewhat stiffly. She looked as if she had been caught out.

"Everything all right?" Sev asked. He looked her over with concern. Was she ill?

"Fine, Severus. Don't be alarmed. I'm right as rain. Just here for routine medical care."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Sev, not sure if he believed her. He had never known Minerva to be ill. Why would she need routine medical care? "Let me buy you a cup of tea," he offered.