The Potion Master's Apprentice

Chapter 13

Harry turned over in his bed once again and sighed in frustration. This was the third night in a row that he just couldn't fall asleep. Tonight, though, was worse than the others. He had the nagging feeling that he needed to be elsewhere; but where, he had no clue. After what had to be another eternity of staring at the ceiling, Harry got up to walk around the castle.

It wasn't long before he found himself walking up the steps to the astronomy tower. He hadn't been paying attention to where he was going, but he found he was looking forward to seeing the stars.

The door opened and he froze at what he saw.

A small stone bench was sitting on the ground with some flowers, a bowl and some candles. A wooden container lay underneath the bench. Harry walked forward, wondering who had been up here and why they would have left their things.

"Harry, I thought you were asleep." Severus's voice came from a small storage closet to the side. He emerged holding several more bowls.

"I couldn't sleep again, so I started wandering around the castle. I can go if you'd rather do...whatever it is you're doing alone." Severus raised an eyebrow and set the bowls down next to the bench and turned back to him.

"I was just about to hold a small ritual to thank the elements for their creations and to request that they give a little boost to greenhouse four for Pomona. She's tried everything to get her umbrella plants to bloom and nothing seems to be working. She'll worry herself to death over them at this rate."

"Oh," Harry was surprised. He'd never seen a ritual done before, but he could tell it was important to Severus. "I'll just leave you to it, then."

"Harry, wait." Severus lightly touched Harry's forearm to prevent him from leaving. "Would you like to learn? I'd be more than happy to have you with me, and I can explain things along the way."

"Won't that mess the ritual up?"

"Not at all. Everyone has to start somewhere and it's nothing complicated." Happiness spread through Harry at hearing that. He had heard Severus on occasion talking to different elements from his room, but had never interrupted. It seemed too personal. He had intended to go to the library at some point to look for books on the subject, but instead had spent his time mindlessly brewing potions for the infirmary so he wasn't bogged down with loads of work just before school.

"I'd love to learn," he said. Severus led him to the little bench and they sat on their knees in front of it. Severus opened the container below the bench and poured something in four bowls.

"Since the point of what we're here for is gardening, we're going to focus a little heavier on Earth; hence the salt. The five bowls are for the five elements, four elements going at each of the cardinal directions and Spirit-the culmination of the four-will be on the altar in the middle. We start by setting up the spot for Air. Now take that sandalwood, that's it, and mix it into this bowl while thinking of the air around you and how it feels." Harry did as he was told, surprised to find that a warm breeze tickled his fingers. "Perfect, now that goes to the right of us about two or three feet.

"Here, take this medallion and set it on the salt in that bowl." Harry took the offered medallion in the shape of a sun and placed it gently in the bowl before taking the yellow candle held out to him and placing that behind the bowl. "Perfect. Air should always be to the East if you can figure out your cardinal directions. The sun and yellow represent Air, hence the yellow candle and the medallion. Since Air is commonly associated with clarity and cleansing, sandalwood is always a good way to go as well. Now, we'll move on to Earth." He handed Harry another bowl and some sage. "Same thing now, just with the Earth." Harry obliged before setting the bowl down behind them followed by a pentacle medallion and a forest green candle.