Brews and Braids

Chapter 2

The first few weeks of the school year passed without a noticeable incident. The eighth years, being such a small group, had all of their classes together. Whenever they had to work in pairs, the professors kept the students in their roommate pairings. Hermione and Pansy were getting along well — too well, in Harry and Draco's opinion. They were like partners in crime. In truth, Hermione and and Pansy still didn't know each other well, but it was easy to get along and even easier to tease Harry and Draco, who did not get along nearly as well.

It was an argument between Harry and Draco that turned the eighth years' school year on its head.

Professor Slughorn waited until the entire class was quiet and watching him before explaining the day's potion.

"Today you will be making a Youth Elixir in your assigned pairs. I trust that all of you did the reading. This is a highly regulated potion, as it is easy to mess up the necessary calculations and as the potion could be used for dangerous purposes. Can anyone tell me what this potion does? Yes, Ms. Granger?"

"The Youth Elixir changes the drinker into their younger self, both physically and mentally. How much younger and for how long depends on the quantity consumed and the amount of powdered moonstone added. The multiple variables are what makes the calculations so complicated. While the drinker is their younger self, they will have no memories of their future, but they will remember their time spent as their younger self when they return to their previous age. The intended purpose of the potion is to allow the drinker to re-experience the joys of youth, but there have been many documented cases of the potion being misused."

"Very good, Ms. Granger. 10 points to Gryffindor. I've taken the liberty of doing the calculations for a potion that would make the drinker 2 years younger for a period of one hour. You will not be testing the potion yourselves because of its delicate nature, but I will be testing it on animal subjects. Before you ask, Ms. Brocklehurst, no animals will be harmed in the process."

A few laughs bounced around the dungeon.

"What?" Mandy said defensively, "It's a reasonable concern. Thank you, Professor, for acknowledging it."

Slughorn gave her a slight nod, though he'd only mentioned the topic because he knew she would interrupt to ask if he didn't. "You may begin."

Hermione and Pansy worked well together in potions; Harry and Draco, whose cauldron was directly behind the girls, did not. 

Pansy was standing slightly in front of Hermione, stirring the potion, while Hermione read the next step aloud when Harry and Draco got into a loud argument. Hermione tuned them out as she concentrated on the instructions, so she didn't realize that the boys were pushing at each other — the open bottle of powdered moonstone in Harry's flailing hand — until it was too late. One of the boys knocked into the cauldron, knocking it over and dousing Hermione in their potion.

Pansy turned around when she heard Hermione's yelp, her eyes drawn downward. Standing in front of her was a child with bushy brown hair. She was about 4 years old and drowning in too-big robes. The room was silent as the girl looked around in wonder.

"Is this a dream?" she asked Pansy. Rather than wait for an answer, she gave herself a sharp pinch on the arm. "Nope, not a dream. Are you kidnappers? You don't look like kidnappers. Do you know where my parents are? I'll get in trouble if they think I wandered off again."

Pansy gave the girl a soft smile. "You're right, this isn't a dream and we aren't kidnappers." She crouched down so that her face was level with the girl's. "I don't know where your parents are, but you'll be safe here until we find them."

The girl nodded. "Okay. I'm Hermione Granger. What's your name?" Hermione stuck her small hand out for a handshake.

No one else in the room, even Slughorn, dared make a sound in fear of disrupting the strange scene taking place in front of them.