Potionary Confinement

When Death Comes Knocking

CHAPTER FOUR

It would be their fourth night in there if they didn't get out that day.

When Harry woke up, he felt worse then ever. The Pepper-Up Potion didn't do a thing.

He was still fevered, and his throat burned so bad, he thought he'd die. His whole body, especially his hair, was soaked with sweat.

Harry lifted his head to see Snape brewing a potion, sitting criss-cross in front of it, with two other identical potions next to it. How long he's been brewing them, Harry didn't know.

By the smell, Harry knew it was Pepper-Up Potions for him. A pang of gratitude swelled inside his chest.

Snape noticed he was awake and moved the brewing potion next to the finished ones. "Oh good, you're awake."

Snape helped him sit up, and Harry could barely hear his instructions. Then he drank the potion with the help of his professor, and immediately his head cleared.

Harry rubbed his eyes. "Professor..."

"How do you feel?"

"My stomach hurts... but that might just b-be because I'm hungry," Harry stuttered. "My headaches gone though."

Snape nodded, relieved. "That's good. That's an improvement. I have two more just in case you need them. Please tell me if you do, okay?"

Harry nodded and laid back down in his sleeping bag. He was so tired... so, so tired.

"It's very early, so I advice you to sleep some more. It'll help you recover more quickly," Snape said.

Harry looked at his shoes until he dozed off again.
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They woke up a few hours later when the air suddenly became freezing cold.

Harry gave a yelp. He was freezing already as it is, and this cold chill didn't help.

Snape next to him, stood up hastily, and helped Harry to his feet. Harry shook violently and shook his bangs out of his face.

"What the hell — ?" Snape asked, looking at the ceiling to see nothing that could possibly cause the sudden freeze out of.

"W-Who is d-doing this, s-sir?" Harry stuttered from the cold. A painful shiver went down his spine.

Snape turned around and gave him a heating charm with a flick of his wand, and a second later he too was warm. Harry figured who ever locked them inside this room, wanted to make their life a living hell.

"Someone wants to kill us. Someone in the castle," Snape looked down at Harry. "Both of us. And I have my suspicions."

Harry's eyes widened. "In this castle?"

"Yes, in this castle," Snape lowered his voice. "I believe they have their reasons, but I have no proof. Dumbledore, of course, knows about my theory, but he says he isn't pinpointing any of his staff unless he's one hundred percent certain they're a Death-Eater."

Harry gulped. What else could go wrong?

"Don't worry, Potter," Snape reassured. "Hogwarts is under control as long as Dumbledore is here."

"But — but what if they're just under the Imperious Curse? What if it's Professor McGonagall? Or — or Dumbledore?!"

"Calm yourself, child," Snape chuckled. "I am positive it is neither of them."

Harry looked relieved.

"As you know, somebody is brewing Polyjuice Juice potion and stealing the ingredients from my stores," Snape told. "I suspected you at first, but obviously it can't be you if you're in here with me. You also told me that you saw Barty Crouch stealing from this room. I find it extremely unlikely that that paranoid fool would do any of this, so I'm convinced it's somebody inside the castle on a daily basis."

Harry thought of what he was saying, his stomach growling again. "So... the person who put my name in the Goblet of Fire and locked us in here, is a Death-Eater under Polyjuice Potion?"

"I believe so," Snape nodded. "Professor Dumbledore is keeping an eye out on all the staff because we can't be sure."

Snape rubbed his eyes. "If only I could tell Dumbledore where I am... then we could — "

Then he stopped abruptly.

Snape gave himself a facepalm. "Why didn't I think of it before?"

Harry looked alarmed. "Think of what before?"

"A Patronus!" Snape said with excitement. "I'll send him a message through my Patronus."

Harry lit up. This was amazing! They'd be out of there in no time. "So we'll be out of here soon?"

Snape gave a thin smile. "I hope so."

Snape then made the circular motion and said, "Expecto Patronum!"

And a beautiful silver doe conjured out of his wand, and walked gracefully around them in the small cupboard. Harry was amazed.

He never expected a person so dark and unhappy to have such a soft and innocent Patronus. It even matched his own, which was a stag. He thought that was pretty cool.

"Headmaster, it is I, Professor Severus Snape, calling for help. I am locked inside my private stores with Harry Potter, who is very sick and will likely starve to death very soon. We cannot open the door by any means, physically or magically. Please hurry."

The doe looked at him, blinked with her long lovely lashes and circled around him, not moving.

Snape immediately got mad and hit the wall in anger, but Harry wasn't paying attention.

And he didn't even hear or catch Snape looking at him, as Harry reached a hand out to touch the doe that walked up to him.

Snape sat down. He decided to keep the doe out for some warm company.
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"My Patronus is a stag, sir," Harry said excitedly. "Isn't that cool?"

Snape looked away, the doe walking back towards him.

"My message is delayed," Snape said and checked his watch. "It won't reach Professor Dumbledore until next Tuesday. It's Thursday."

Harry sat up and looked at him crestfallen. "What?"

Snape looked at the ceiling. "I know. I don't know why it's delayed. It's never done this to me before. I think... I think whoever locked us in here did something very powerful to this room. Obviously they used magic for the lock and Silencing Charms, but I can't send messages."

Harry felt like he was going to cry.

"We'll figure something out," Snape sighed. "I need to think for a while. Why don't you get some rest."

Harry did as he was told, and laid down for what felt like years.
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