Fifty Draughts of Snape

Chapter One: The Interview

Harry Potter pushed himself out of bed and meandered across his bedroom towards the en suite bathroom, in the flat he shared with his best friend, Ron Weasley. Ron had gone through their supply of Dreamless Sleep the night before, as he had an important interview with the Wizarding World-famous potions master, Severus Snape, in Central London that day. Trudging into the bathroom and relieving himself, Harry dragged a hand through his messy black hair, and stared at the startling green eyes in his mirror. Shaking his head, Harry washed his hands and completed the various absolutions before he walked out of the bathroom, through his bedroom, and out into the living room, where he saw a pitiful-looking Ron, wrapped in an afghan, which had been knitted by his mother, upon their couch.

Harry raised his eyebrows, taking in the disquieting color difference between his best friend's red hair and white face. "What's going on with you?" he asked.

"Wizard's Flu, I think," Ron said, trying to get himself into a more comfortable position. "I even tried some of those Muggle crackers 'Mione recommended," he went on, wrinkling his nose and shaking his head. "They didn't do any good."

Harry pursed his lips, crossing the room and perching upon one of the wingback chairs. "What about the interview?" he asked.

Ron pulled a face. "I only joined The Fortnightly Firedrake at Flarmerth because 'Mione said it would look good on my final application for the Auror Department at the ministry," he said, suddenly growing paler. He conjured a bucket from nowhere, and bent his head into it, retching into the thing.

Harry felt his insides somersaulting as he waved his hand, effectively blocking the smell from coming anywhere near him. "You could've chosen to be a part of the Quidditch section, or the one on magical creatures," he put in. Ever since their graduation from Hogwarts three years before, Harry and Ron had been accepted at Flarmerth Academy of Wizardry, an-all boys' wizard university, located in London. Harry had given up dreams of the Auror Department, and had taken up a course in English literature—of course, this meant wizarding and Muggle—and found it fascinating.

Ron stuck his tongue out at Harry, once he'd finished vomiting. "And I told you and 'Mione that those were taken," he said bitterly, casting a Cleaning Charm upon his teeth. "I know I could've attempted to join them whenever a new term began, but..."

"But you didn't want your previous work to go to waste. I understand," Harry told him, giving the man a sympathetic look. "Do you think that you'll be able to make the interview with the potions bloke today?"

"Severus Snape—Slughorn talked about him enough," Ron put in, and shuddered. "And no, I don't think so. Feeling too rotten, and you know 'Mione would kill me if I dared to potentially infect a fellow academic," he said quickly, although no color flooded his cheeks as he mentioned his steady girlfriend of several years standing.

Harry sighed, leaning back slightly into the chair. He knew how Hermione would be very upset if Ron's illness transferred to this Snape person, he decided that Ron was likely not going to be leaving the flat that day. But, then again, Hermione was excellent at putting things together, so he asked, "What about 'Mione doing the interview for you?"

Ron shook his head at his best friend. "You know how she's been whenever she started at Vaenmiara after Hogwarts," he said, his tone slightly bitter.

Harry gave a heartfelt sigh and nodded. It was true; their best friend had finished first in their class at Hogwarts, naturally, and had joined the all-girls' Vaenmiara Academia of Witchcraft come September, taking correspondence courses throughout the summer. She, like them, was on track to graduate that June, from the prestigious university located in Bath, and was set to obtain a degree in Wizarding Law. Because of this, Hermione had a full class schedule, plus partook in tutoring sessions involving students who needed a leg-up marks-wise, and regularly contributed to the Muggle history section of The Valcore Vlog.