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“Sev? Kanner’s core-burn syndrome?” She paused to study him with a judicious, appraising eye, before continuing: “You can explore your regrets later…. After I have a better appreciation of the situation and we have come up with a feasible course of action.”

 

“Of course,” Severus answered dryly, appreciating her accurate estimation even if he did feel slightly discomforted that she had read him so well.

 

“Well ordered priorities are essential,” he noted referring back to a bit of inside humor they once shared.

 

“Indeed.”

 

“As Mister Longbottom has already stated, Mister Potter was able to sufficiently eject the dragon’s blood itself before it reached his heart, where it would have been immediately fatal; however, it seems that his uncle’s early mistreatment (as one might expect given that the man was a muggle) did not prepare the boy to throw off the dragon’s blood’s accompanying core energy. This, in itself, is not an unknown circumstance – particularly in poisoning victims from remote areas who are treated by lower-level healers, who do not know of the need to treat it as a magical taint as well.’ 

 

‘The result of this is Kanner’s core-burn syndrome, a currently irreversible condition in which the Dragon’s pure core energy, that was carried in its blood, rejects the lesser core energy of its human victim. Given the unfathomable mystical power imbued in the Dragon’s energy, this energy overwhelms its recipient’s systems in order to burn the lesser magical core out. The energy, itself, while somewhat sentience-sensitive, is not actually sentient and does not have the ability to recognize that the destruction of its host’s magical core results in the destruction of it as well.’

 

‘In any event, this core-burn results in intense pain that overwhelms and destroys the nervous system, upper cognitive functions – including the ability to communicate and understand verbal and nonverbal communication, the modulation of sensory experiences, and the ability to moderate emotional responses. Yet, strangely, perhaps perversely, the mind itself persona, emotions, and intellect are left intact while the body slowly burns the magical core out – denying its victim even the release of insanity that the cruciatis induces as an escape from intense pain. Perhaps even more ironically, the greater and purer a wizard or witch’s magics – the longer his or her body resists the burn – the longer the torture.” Severus finally finished, dropping his forehead into his palms as though the explanation itself had exhausted him.

 

“Merlin, that poor-poor child. How horrible. Is there nothing that can be done?” Juliette wiped tears from the edges of her cheek as she considered the child’s almost cursed life. Everyone in the wizarding world had long been aware of the child’s sufferings after his seventh year interview with a prophet reporter in which he set many of the malignments slung by Rita Skeeter straight, and many including herself had hoped that after the war he would finally have a chance to live. But, it seemed that the young man was to have no such chance… thanks to her daughter’s breakdown.

 

“No. To my knowledge, no one…”

 

“Yes.” A voice tiredly and quietly spoke over him as Mr. Longbottom appeared at the top of the stairs.

 

“Mr. Longbottom?” Severus asked archly. “Would you care to explain your answer?”

 

“Neville, please. We may no longer be colleagues…” at Severus’s raised eyebrow, he quickly qualified, “in the order if no where else, but we are adults with more than a passing knowledge of each other – who would in all likelihood be friends if we were so inclined. Using my given name is only appropriate.”

 

“As you would, Neville.” Severus ignored his wife’s amused glance, more interested in the boy’s answer than such social niceties. “Explain!”

 

“Well, I don’t have direct proof that this would work. Wait!” he threw up a hand to forestall Severus’s sharp retort. “There is a treatment used to treat the lesser core-burn effects of cruciatis torture, and it hasn’t been tried on anyone with this level of core-burn, but I believe that its use is suggested by the prophecy.”

 

Severus was ready to sneer at the suggestion that a lower level treatment would have any effect on dragon’s energy, until Long… Neville mentioned the prophecy.

 

“How?”

 

“If I remember correctly,” the young man paused to reach into his robe, pull out a walking pouch as he approached, and searched it until he finally pulled out a folded piece of parchment, which he handed to Severus as he continued, “I believe the prophecy included the stanza “So, in death’s grim protection, go alone and forlorn, to be made whole, to be reborn.”

 

Scanning the report of a French potions study on the efficacy of de-aging potions in the treatment of fifth level previously irreversible core-burns, Severus quickly read the most pertinent details and finally stared at the parchment almost blankly until Juliette gently took it from his grasp.

 

De-aging! Potion De-aging – no less! Not only illegal – after it was used in the last war to help numerous Death Eaters escape justice for their crimes- but bloody dangerous as well. Beyond the inherent danger in many of the materials used -just tailoring the absorption to the recipient’s digestive pattern’s is ruddy difficult- not to mention, balancing it against the recipient’s magical core. Severus’s thoughts reeled at the possibility, but the theories behind the French study were sound.

 

“There are complexities to your suggestion, Mr. Longbottom that you might not have considered.” He began, taking on the role of the devil’s barrister.

 

“I’m well aware.” The young man answered in a surprisingly hard voice.

 

“It is, for instance, illegal.”

 

“Only in Great Britain, and only because of the death eater’s misuse of it.” Neville challenged.

 

“The potion ingredients ar...”

 

“Controlled materials, I know.” Neville waved the concern away. “But, by some remarkable coincidence, I happen to be researching those very ingredients in my potion’s mastery studies and have quite large amounts in stock of each material.”

 

The response sounded almost too pat, but Severus didn’t quite know where the falsehood lay, so continued to the next concern.

 

“Due to its illegality, we cannot involve the school in this – so lack an up-to-date lab as well as the benefits of the schools hospital wing.”

 

“Actually, that’s the least of our worries; I have a shielded, fidelus-charmed, modernized potion’s lab and recovery rooms set up at Greenman’s glen.”

 

While it made sense, given Longbottom’s studies, that the boy would such labs and facilities – Severus still felt as though the answer seemed too ready.

 

“Well, it seems as though you have thought this through.”

 

“More than…” Neville confirmed, then explained at Severus’s curious glance: “The French trial would not accept either of my parents because, according to intake specialist, their injuries occurred too long ago to promise the prognosis needed for the first round of studies.”

 

Both Severus and Juliette nodded in understanding, but Severus’s role as devil’s barrister wasn’t entirely complete.

 

“You do realize that if you were to be discovered or even suspected of brewing an illegal potion, you would forfeit any opportunity to achieve either your healer’s license or your potion’s mastery.”

 

“Hmmm. A license that I don’t have, yet – in exchange for parent’s that I’ve longed for all of my life. Somehow, it’s a decision I can live with. Look, I’d give up any career chance and sign on as Filtch’s assistant if it would give me a chance to help my family, and that includes Harry.”

 

“Yes, I’ve noticed that he does seem to inspire such dogmatic dedication. Very well, have you decided what potion variation you intend to use?”

 
“Hestia’s lace and Fairy breath.”

 
The selection was very nearly ideal for the purpose as both ingredients were mystically potent and remarkably effective in treating victims of trauma, violence, and powerful curses… particularly those causing intense pain. The boy apparently had thought it through. Additionally, though, the materials were rarely used due to the requirement that the potion maker personally grow the two ingredients, they were very well suited to Longbottom’s personality.

 
To Severus’s knowledge not one in twenty of the best known potion masters were able to grow Hestia’s lace, a delicate flower that could only be added while still living but that would quickly die at the merest trace of a negative emotions, including impatience and frustration – emotions that Neville Longbottom seemed to be in persistently short supply of. Similarly, few potions makers could claim the gentleness and kindness required to lure and keep fairies inhabiting the fairy’s breath plant.

 
It was a formula that Severus, for obvious reasons, could not brew, but both men knew that he would be too occupied attempting to cast and maintain the necessary pain management charms and spells that Potter would need to make his wait for the potion bearable.

 
A glance at Juliette told him that she agreed: it was probably the best option they could give the boy.  

 
“That variation requires…” Severus paused to consider how long it would take, including the required growing time and circumstances – “four months to brew. When do you believe you will be able to begin the brewing preparations?”

 
The young man’s lack of rejoinder after his earlier rapid responses drew their attention to him to see that he was wearing a wry, half-embarrassed grin.

 
“Neville?” Juliette asked before her husband had the chance to lose his patience.

 
“If I didn’t already know about the prophecy, I would still find the timing rather remarkable.”

 
Neville waited barely a second as she shared a glance with her husband to see if he thought they were interpreting the statement in the same way before he chimed in, “Barely two minutes before Harry summoned me, I finished decanting the finished potion…enough for two recipients.”