𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍

Chapter 5

"Protection?" Harry repeated, this didn't sound too good at all.

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Within the next hour there was a small assembly around Dumbledore's large and vastly cluttered desk, his spindly fingers were knitted together with his elbows propped on the varnished surface, looking at the small and rather odd collection before him.

Consisting of Harry, Hermione, Ron and of course, Draco, Theodore, Blaise and Pansy (Who refused to be left out) it was a strange sight to see, a tame mix of lion and snakes. On either side of the students, were their head of houses that had seen fit to escort them on this matter.

"Well, isn't this pleasant?" Dumbledore said at last, a warm smile on his lips and that familiar twinkle in his clear blue eyes as he gazed at the group. "Tea?" he offered, getting (mostly) neat declines from the students as he poured one for himself and Professor McGonagall, despite her own polite refusal. "Now, what do I owe the pleasure?" he said at last, setting his cup down after a gratifying sip, able to see that the students were getting a bit impatient.

"Miss Granger, I believe you are the organiser for this little gathering?" he smiled, the witch nodding her head, two books cradled to her chest as if they contained the answers to everything. The Slytherins looked at her and sneered in disdain, figures it was the bookish Gryffindor that had hauled them all up here when they could be doing something else with their time.

"Not to rush you, Granger, but we do have lives to get on with" came Malfoy's familiar drawl and Hermione bristled at the tone but she wasn't quite as easily riled as her two companions.

"Well it's for your benefit, Malfoy" she replied coolly in response, watching for the Slytherin's reaction. Draco easily applied the blank mask he was famous for, although his grey eyes narrow suspiciously. With a small gesture from the headmaster, the girl stepped forward and placed the two books on the desk before thumbing the small page marks to calm her nerves before stepping back from the desk.

"Since the changes with Harry, I wanted to try and see if I could help" she paused to let the Slytherins have their moment of eye rolling and sneering at her, Snape seeming unimpressed by the small declaration. "I found out which animal they had been 'fused' with in a sense, an African Lion which can be put down to the chunk of diced Lion heart were added to the potion" she explained lightly.

"It was mostly, out of curiosity to learn about the animal to see if Harry would develop any instincts or habits from his animal counterpart and, it's fair to say, there have been some displays of that. In all three of them" indicating loosely to the two Slytherin boys also. "And it was only when Harry told me about a 'sweet scent' which had been bothering him the past few days, that led to Malfoy, that made me believe it was best to bring this to you. I think it's in Malfoy's best interest that he be moved from the Slytherin dorms" she stated, wanting to get her main point out there, no point beating around the bush.

"And why exactly is that, Granger?" the serpent in question growled lightly, ears pinned back to show his irritation, a sharp look from Snape caused him to scowl but make no further comment and instead, folded his arms across his chest to let Granger explain her theories further. Needless to say, she had their attention, seeing as Snape had so far come up empty handed.

"Well," she opened the potions book, thumbing through the pages until it settled on a page with a list of ingredients and a description of the particular potion with a few illustrations of its colour and effects.

"The 'Heilahdus Draught' is a potion intended to give the drinker the heightened senses of whatever animal essence is mixed in during brewing" she went on, growing bolder with each word now that the Slytherins were no longer mocking her, but listening with begrudged interest. "But, Harry's potion was by no means identical as it is difficult to brew in itself. It was simply by accident, but...from what I can tell the potion of Harry's, can in a way 'think".