The Five Winters - Harry Potter FanFic.net

The Five Winters - Chapter 1 to 20 - Harry Potter FanFic.net

"The Substantia Despero works much like a Dementor's pressence does, Sir," Hermione answered respectfully, "except its effects run much deeper- it unlocks all negatively associated memories and pushes them to the forefront of the user's mind, while placing all other memories under a sort of temporary block that prevents them from being accessed. The victim often goes mad with grief if the antidote is not administered within the first forty-eight hours, being unable to think of anything else except for the most disturbing and unhappy memories and events experienced in their life, without being able to balance or counteract it with more positive thoughts. It is often used as a torture device, Sir, where small sips of it are given to the prisoner, followed shortly by doses of the antidote and then more of the potion- it is an unbalancing psychological effect that is well-known for its ability to break people through constant application."

"Reguritated almost word for word from any copy of Advanced Potion-Making," Snape said dismissively, "But otherwise correct. It was a popular tool of the Dark Lord's-" the operative word being 'was', as Voldemort had been disposed of the year before, "-when he had a particularly strong-willed witch or wizard from whom he needed information from and could not otherwise acquire."

Like through Occlumency, Hermione thought immediately, but she did not voice this thought out loud.

"You will attempt to brew this potion. You will not finish in the two hours available in this class period. It is to be brought to me, bottled and labled, to my desk at the end of class. Be warned," Snape continued, "that the ingredients are very volatile, and should therefore be handled with care." With one last cursory glare at the class, he uttered: "Begin."

Hermione, who was seated next to Malfoy now that she had switched seats with Goyle, immediately got out her cauldron and began setting up her supplies. Proping her book up against her schoolbag, she quickly recited the list of necessary ingredients and went to retrieve them from the supply cupboard.

Soon, the class was working in studious silence. The effervescence caused by the combining of fluxweed and armadillo bile half-way through the instructions caused wisps of smoky purple steam to rise from the surface of the cauldrons, making visiblity in the dungeons low. Hermione and Malfoy were among the few whose cauldrons were actually purple- Harry's was a dark maroon with the consistency of wet cement. Ron's was green and emitting sparks, and was effectively Evanescoed by a horribly triumphant-looking Snape.

"Zero for the class, Weasley, and a fourteen-inch essay on the proper procedure for adding the beetle carapace," Snape smirked. Neville's tar-like concoction met the same fate as Weasley's. "You too, Longbottom. The powdered moonstone should have been added before the fluxweed, not after."

Malfoy smirked at this, but it was rather half-hearted. He still hated Potter, but as he was no longer fighting for the side of the Dark, he was no longer forced to hold up a charade of pure hatred for all the other Gryffindors, foolish though he found them.

He was sharing ingredients with Granger, which were spread out in an organized pile between the two of them. Hermione, focusing only on her cauldron, held out her hand to Malfoy, not turning to look at him. "Pass me the Ginseng, Malfoy? I can't reach it," she exclaimed, as she bent over to lower the heat under the cauldron.

Malfoy slid the ingredient over to her and turned back to his cauldron. "Have you noticed that he only ever humiliates you three in class whenever he thinks you need to be taken down a peg?"

"What?" Hermione asked distractedly as she began slicing the Ginseng.

Malfoy smirked good-naturedly as he added the powdered remains of watered-down nightshade. "Well, let's see," he said. "Fourth year, it was after Skeeter's article-"