Percy Jackson and Harry Potter Halfblood Heroes (Book 6)

Chapter 10

The next day Harry confided in Percy, Ron, and Hermione the task that Dumbledore had set him, though separately, for Hermione still refused to remain in Ron's presence.

"He loves you," Ron said over breakfast, waving an airy forkful of fried egg. "Won't refuse you anything, will he? Not his little Potions Prince. Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him."

Hermione, however, took a gloomier view.

"He must be determined to hide what really happened if Dumbledore couldn't get it out of him," she said in a low voice, as they stood in the deserted, snowy courtyard at the break."Horcruxes...Horcruxes...I've never even heard of them..."

"You haven't?"

"My cousin Nico talks about them," said Percy with a thoughtful expression. "Something about cheating death."

"But that's impossible," said Hermione not even looking at Percy. "The only way of cheating death is immortality and that was the sorcerer's stone which Dumbledore has destroyed."

"There are many ways of cheating death, Granger." Percy pointed out although it looked like he was speaking to Harry. "Such as chaining Death himself, sacrificial barriers like Harry's mother has done." his voice broke off when he mentioned Lily Potter.

Hermione scowled at him.

"They must be really advanced Dark magic, or why would Voldemort have wanted to know about them? I think it's going to be difficult to get the information, Harry, you'll have to be very careful about how you approach Slughorn, think out a strategy..."

"Percy and Ron reckon I should just hang back after Potions this afternoon..."

"Oh, well, Percy thinks that you'd better do it," she said, flaring up at once. "After all, when has Percy's judgment ever been faulty?"

"Thanks for the compliment," said Percy

"Hermione, can't you —" said Harry

"No!" she said angrily, and stormed away, leaving Harry alone and ankle-deep in snow. Percy shook his head and keeping his distance followed Hermione while to potions. 

Potions lessons were uncomfortable enough these days, seeing as Harry, Percy, Ron, and Hermione had toshare a desk. Today, Hermione moved her cauldron around the table so that she was close to Ernie, andignored Harry, Percy, and Ron

'What've you done?' Ron muttered to Harry and Percy, looking at Hermione's haughty profile.But before 

Harry could answer, Slughorn was calling for silence from the front of the room.

 'Settle down, settle down, please! Quickly, now, lots of work to get through this afternoon! Golpalott'sThird Law ... who can tell me –? But Miss Granger can, of course!' 

Hermione recited at top speed: 'Golpalott's-Third-Law-states-that-the-antidote-for-a-blended-poisonwill-be-equal-to-more-than-the-sum-of-the-antidotes-for-each-of-the-separate-components.' 

'Precisely!' beamed Slughorn. 'Ten points for Gryffindor! Now, if we accept Golpalott's Third Law astrue ...'

'... which means, of course, that assuming we have achieved correct identification of the potion's ingredients by Scarpin's Revelaspell, our primary aim is not the relatively simple one of selecting antidotesto those ingredients in and of themselves, but to find that added component which will, by an almostalchemical process, transform these disparate elements –'

'... and so,' finished Slughorn, 'I want each of you to come and take one of these vials from mydesk. You are to create an antidote for the poison within it before the end of the lesson. Good luck, anddon't forget your protective gloves!'