Harry Potter and the girl he loved

part four - chapter 3

"Attention to detail in the preparation is the prerequisite of all planning," Slughorn tells us in potions the following morning.
Just then, Harry and Ron walk through the door.

Slughorn turns around to face the two of them.
"Ah, Harry my boy I was beginning to worry," Slughorn tells him, "we've brought someone with us I see."
"Ron Weasley, sir," Ron introduces himself and the same girl who said hi to Ron in Diagon Alley sighed heavily beside me, "but I'm dead awful at potions, a menace actually. I'm gonna--"

Harry puts his hand on Ron's back to stop him.
"Nonsense, we'll sort you out," Slughorn smiles, "any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine. Get your books out."
"Uh sir, I haven't actually got my book yet and neither's Ron," Harry says, awkwardly.

"That's alright, get what you want from the cupboard," Slughorn says and turns back to the class, "now, as I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?"

Of course, Hermione's hand is the first and only in the air.

"Yes, miss..."
"Granger, sir," she says and walks forward to the potions examing them, "that one there is Veritaserum. It's a truth-telling potion."

As she says this, I look over her shoulder at Ron and Harry who both leap for the same book at the same time. They scramble about until Ron pulls away with the newer-looking book in his hands looking rather smug with himself.
Harry scowls at him and Ron's book with his own.

"...and this is Amortentia the most powerful love potion in the world," I tune back into what Hermione's saying as Harry and Ron come stand beside me, "it's rumoured to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass, and new parchment, and...spearmint toothpaste."

Hermione stands back with us.

"Now Amortentia doesn't create actual love, that's impossible but it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. And for that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room," Slughorn explains popping the lid back on the potion.

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in that one," Katie bell pipes up gesturing towards a small vile.
"Oh, yes," the professor says taking the small vile out of it's stand, "what you see before you ladies and gentlemen is a curious little potion known as felix felicis. But it is more commonly referred to as--"
"Liquid luck," Hermione interrupts him but Slughorn doesn't seem annoyed.
"Yes, Miss Granger!" he  says, "liquid luck. Desperately tricky to make disastrous should you get it wrong. One sip you will find that all your endeavours succeed. At least until the effects wear off."

He says the last line with a small laugh as he places the vile back into the stand.
"So, this is what I offer each of you today," Slughorn explains, "one tiny vile of liquid luck to the student who, in the hour that remains manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death. The recipes of which can be found on page ten of your books. I should point out, however, only once did a student manage to brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. Nevertheless, good luck to you all. Let the brewing commence."

We all rush of to our stations to hopefully brew the winning potion.
I stand beside Harry.
"Hi," I smile.
"Hi," he says before leaning down to kiss me, "sorry for intruding on your class."
"Don't be, I'm happy you're here," I say to him, setting out all my ingredients.

~~

As we make our potions, we soon discover that it's not as easy as we all probably expected it to be. Everyone's ingredients fly about as we try to cut a particularly shifty thing that just won't stay still.

I look over at Harry who seemingly is the only one who has no trouble. He drips the juice into the potion.
"How'd you do that?" I ask, surprised.
"Crush it don't cut it," he tells me.