Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Behind the Fog (Backup Upload) ❯ Behind the Fog (Backup Upload) 11th Chapter ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Anything you recognize is property of JK Rowling. Additionally this is not my story. I am uploading this to my own account in support of the author the story belongs to who has been struggling with hackers.

The thing I've most been dreading as a fan is that the story would be removed from the site by the hackers and the author wouldn't have access to their old chapters when the situation was eventually brought under control in the event the site moderators wouldn't be able to give the author their account back.

For anyone interested the author goes by Hancock23 on Fanfiction -dot- net. I will remove the story from my account when Hancock23 has gotten the story safely uploaded elsewhere or has been safely given their account back on Fanfiction -dot- net. Without further ado I give you a backup upload of: Behind the Fog by Hancock23.

PS: This Backup Upload contains minor edits for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Plus some rewording/restructuring of sentences so they make better sense and flow better. Hope you don't mind me becoming something of a Beta Reader for this Backup Upload Hancock23.

Chapter Eleven - Meetings

Draco was glad that he had quit the quidditch team, because looking at the state of things, there was no way he could have handled the business, school, quidditch practice, and still had time to read his manga. September had flown by in a haze of potion fumes and hurried meetings with Marina, and October was no better. In the month since the cure had been launched, they had managed to sell two thousand vials of it, and they were still receiving orders.

In fact, business was about to pick up even more, now that an expert in the United States had assured that country's Ministry of Magic that the cure was safe and had no discernible side effects. Bill had sent him the permit that allowed Dragon World to export the cure to the States and that permit was worth more than its face value, because they knew for sure that some other countries had waited until the United States gave the cure a thumbs up before allowing export of it into their own countries. They expected to ship at least another six thousand vials before the month was out and Draco had his work cut out for him with the Cruciatus Cure potion demand, on top of the other potions he had to make.

The store had adopted a strategy of giving free samples of their other products for every order of the cure and that had drummed up more business than had initially been anticipated. To say that Dragon World was thriving would be a major understatement and the Wizarding World had already begun taking note, saying that no business had grown that quickly in Diagon Alley including Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes which had been a hit from the moment it opened.

Speaking of the joke shop, the twins were in negotiation with Dragon World because they needed a new supplier for their potions once their current contract expired. The owner of the shop that currently supplied them with potions had died, and the new owner wanted to change the terms of the contract in a way that the twins didn't like. Draco could not help but marvel at the irony of it.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he turned back to the slowly bubbling cauldron of hair straightening potion, and when he was sure it was the desired colour, he went to pack the vials of acne potion he had made earlier and left it to cool. There was much to be done before his meeting with Marina, who was coming to Hogwarts to discuss the product Draco wanted to launch mid-November.

Bill Weasley was prepared for it. He had been carrying out his Order duties without fail, but he hadn't had an extra minute to attend the meetings. In fact, one of the reasons that he had agreed to come to this one was because he needed an excuse to be in the school so that he could attend the meeting with Draco later.

"I apologise for not being able to come to the meetings." He said when all the Order members were seated in the headmaster's office, which had been enlarged to fit all the people who had come through the office's Floo; which would remain open for the rest of the afternoon and the early evening hours. He noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione had finally been allowed to join the order, probably because Harry had become an adult in the eyes of the law.

They were not the only new faces, however; Frank and Alice had spent two weeks with their son at home, before declaring that they wanted to get back to fighting Voldemort. Neville had gone back to Hogwarts, and the Longbottoms had started taking small missions for the Order as they were still adjusting to the changed world. "As you all know, I have recently quit my job at Gringotts, and my current one has been taking a lot of my time."

"We are very grateful Bill, for what you did." Frank said, and Bill smiled.

"It's good to see you up and about, and I will convey your gratitude." He said.

"Both Voldemort and I have set Severus to analyze the Cruciatus Cure potion, but he has not been able to figure out how to make it." Dumbledore said. "I am sure you have realized that a person who can create something like that could be a great asset to the Order. It would be best to approach him, before the dark lord does."

"Yes, I know, but I am not at liberty to discuss his identity." Bill answered solemnly.

"You have sworn the unbreakable then." The headmaster said, matter of factly.

"No, I haven't Albus." Bill said. "I just understand his need to remain in the shadows, for now at least. I doubt he will agree to work with either the Order or Voldemort, but I will ask him either way."

"I see." Dumbledore was clearly displeased, and a tense silence fell over the room.

"Any chance that you yourself know how to make the damned potion?" Severus asked, and Bill had to smile at the man. Severus could not stand not knowing.

"I have never asked how he makes it, although I have tried and failed to analyze the potion. All I know is the potion ingredients list which I am sure you have figured out and the fact that it takes seven days to brew." It was as he was saying this that Bill got an idea; Draco needed help with making the potions, and they had been considering hiring a potions maker.

Bill knew of no one better than Severus, and although Draco was not enamoured with the thought of working with his godfather, there was a trade that could be made. He decided to talk to Severus after the meeting was over and then pitch the idea to Draco later. The rest of the meeting passed quickly as the different order members gave reports of death eater movements and in less than two hours, Bill followed Severus to the dungeons after excusing himself from his family saying that he had forgotten to speak to the headmaster about something and he wanted to go back. He found the potions master in his office, about to start grading papers.

"I want to make you an offer Severus." He said, as he locked the door behind him.

"What offer?" Snape asked looking at the redhead sceptically.

"There is a way for you to learn how to make the potion."

"I thought you said you don't know how to make it?" Snape's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I don't, but I could ask."

"And he will just tell you?" Snape was definitely suspicious now.

"Yes, in fact, he will tell you."

"Get on with it Weasley." Snape said losing patience.

"We need a potions maker." Bill raised his arm to stop Snape from making the retort that was so clearly on his tongue.

"If you can make an unbreakable vow that you will not disclose the method to anyone or use it to make potions to sell or give other people for the duration of the patent; I will get the instructions for you. Of course you will be paid for your work, and the best part of it is that you will be able to study it." Severus Snape did not have to think much about it.

He was not fooled into thinking that knowing the ingredients and formulae was all that would be needed to learn, the fact that such healing properties had been extracted from common ingredients was the most incredible thing about the potion, and he wanted to know how. "Do you agree?" Bill asked with a smug smile, and Snape rolled his eyes.

"You know very well that I can't refuse." The man said.

"I will talk to him then." Bill said standing up from where he had sat on a chair's arm. "Before I go, I want you to do something for me."

"What?"

"I want you to attempt legilimency on me."

Severus Snape looked at him weirdly, but nevertheless, he thought it would do no harm, and he might even get lucky and find out something about this mysterious inventor.

"Legillimens." The potions master said looking into Bills eyes, and in a moment, he was in. He saw Bill sitting in a sea of red flowers. The man was holding out his hand, and a butterfly landed on it a few seconds later. For some reason, Severus was fascinated with the butterfly, and he could not tell how long he stared at it before he came back to his mind.

"What did you see?" Bill asked, and Severus flushed an attractive dark red that made Bill blink in surprise.

"You were sitting in a sea of flowers, and there was a butterfly." Severus said quickly; as if he wanted to get the disturbing image out of his brain as fast as possible. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I should be able to send you an answer by owl tonight. In my message, there will be a separate piece of paper with one word written on it. Hold your wand to your temple and wave your wand in an arc like this…" Severus watched as Bill demonstrated the wave, "…and say 'dopamins.'..."

"What will happen?" Severus had not lived so long by making a habit of trusting people even if they were friends, and he did not intend to start now.

"What you saw in my brain was a hallucination. Coincidentally, that is the next product our company will be launching; it forces anyone trying to use legilimency on you to hallucinate while thinking they have successfully invaded your brain." Bill said, and while Severus was standing there gobsmacked; he left to meet with Draco and Marina. There was a lot to talk about and plan.

Severus Snape did not receive Bill's owl until nine at night. There were three envelopes, and he noticed that the envelopes were numbered for some reason. He started with the one labelled one.

Severus Snape,
I have talked to him, and he agrees with the plan. The reason there are three envelopes is because I wanted to forewarn you before you do anything. The envelopes must be opened in the order they are numbered. The second envelope contains a contract that you will sign.
The contract is the unbreakable vow, and once you have signed it, the vow will be binding, and the contract will burn to register the completion of the vow. The third envelope contains several separate parchments.
The first is another contract which details your compensation details I have already signed, and if you are in agreement with the terms, please sign. The parchment shall duplicate once you have signed and one copy you will kindly send back with my owl.  The second is the legilimency spell-please note that the contract will be binding for any spells, potions, and products you will be privy of from now on. The third will be a spell you will use on all your letters to me or anyone connected with this company-it creates an illusion message if the letter is opened by a person who is not the intended recipient.
The fourth parchment contains what you need, detailed instructions for creating the potion. Please note that you will not be able to view the second, third, and fourth parchments until you have signed the contract. Notify me immediately if the sum is not satisfactory.
If you are in agreement with everything and send back a reply with my owl, you will be provided with the ingredients and equipment to start brewing the potion by morning.
Good luck.
Bill Weasley.

Severus made quick work of the remaining envelopes, and even though he was in a hurry to reach the third and see the instructions he wanted, he made sure that he did not commit himself to something that would prove problematic. Eventually, he opened the last one and read the instructions, and he had to sit down as he read. This would prove to be the most complicated potion he had ever brewed but he felt an excitement he had not felt in years bubble in him.

As he read through, the man who was lauded as one of the most brilliant potions masters of this age was humbled. The more he read, the surer he became that the creator of this potion was a genius and the more he felt like one of his students who had to receive direction for every step to make a potion.

He did not mind though, because he recognized that this person was on another plane that no one, even a person of his brilliance could reach. Tomorrow, he would start working on the potion, following the instructions to the letter and he would spend every other free moment trying to understand the reasoning behind the weird stirring patterns, and timings; that were the essence of the potion.

He wrote a short acceptance letter to Bill before he went to bed. The following morning, he was shocked to find a mountain of ingredients in his personal potions lab. He did not waste time wondering how they got there, he could wonder about that later; for now, he had things to do.

Uploader's Note: This Has Been A Backup Upload of Chapter 11 of Behind the Fog by Hancock23.