As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 30

"There," said Ron as he dropped an armload of sweets onto the table in front of Harry, "we brought back all we could carry."

Harry grinned. "Thanks!" They were in the far corner of the common room, away from anyone else who might be able to hear their conversation.

Ron and Hermione sat down at the table with Harry and filled him in on everything about Hogsmeade. They told him about everywhere they had gone and Harry found himself turning his head back and forth while trying to keep up with them. It reminded him of when he had conversations with the twins and eventually held up a hand to silence them.

"Listen," he said with a laugh, "that's all really great. Honestly. But the two of you are giving me a headache."

Hermione blushed. "Sorry. Tell us about your day. I hope you weren't too bored here. Did you manage to get any homework done?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione, it's bad enough he missed Hogsmeade, you can't expect him to do work, too."

"Oh, Ron, just because you wouldn't do homework unless someone forced-"

"I had tea with Professor Lupin, actually." Harry said, cutting into the conversation before Ron and Hermione could get into yet another argument.

That got their attention and they both turned to face him.

"Really?" Hermione asked brightly. "That's so nice, Harry! Did he tell you about what we'll be studying next?"

Ron groaned, "Give it a rest, 'Mione."

"No," Harry said, ignoring Ron. "We talked about my parents, though. He knew them! They were friends. Best friends even," he finished quietly.

"Really?" This time it was Ron who asked. "I bet he has loads he could tell you about them!"

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Harry said hopefully, "it would be nice to hear about them from someone who was really close to them."

"I'm sure he'll tell you anything you want to know, Harry," Hermione assured him with a smile.

"There's something going on between him and Snape though."

"Well, it's obvious that Snape hates him," Ron said quickly with a shrug.

"I think it's more than that though," Harry replied. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, moving some of the candy out of the way and speaking quietly just in case someone walked by who could hear them. "They both say that they knew each other while they were here at Hogwarts, and Snape said that Professor Lupin knows about how he was adopted. And Snape knows what Lupin's boggart turns into. And he's making him a potion because he hasn't been feeling well. Except that," Harry took a breath and looked around, but no one was anywhere near them, "it's the same potion that Snape's been brewing all summer. I remember because he was working on it a lot while I was helping out in the lab-"

"Snape let you help out in his lab?" Ron asked.

"Ron, don't interrupt," Hermione scolded. "Go on, Harry."

"Well, anyway, I recognized the potion but what kind of sickness could Professor Lupin have that he would need a potion that needs at least a month to brew? And why does he need so much of it?"

"Do you know what the potion was," Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"No," Harry admitted, "but Snape wouldn't let me help out with it at all. He said it was too advanced."

"And they didn't tell you how they know each other?"

"No, only that they went to school together. But I know it's more than that. I have an idea, but it's just a guess, and I could be completely wrong."