Percy Jackson and the Locket of Salazar [Book 6]

17) A Very Funny Chapter Title

After Care of Magical Creatures I had Arithmancy, at which point I rubbed it in Hermione's face that we learned cool stuff. Unfortunately, we were interrupted by learning about magical numbers, which, fortunately, was pretty cool.

After Arithmancy was our lunch break, in which Hermione and I started the homework given to us by Snape. It was overly complicated, even Harry struggling to understand it.

Then, double Potions. I had been looking forward to learning advanced Potions, thinking it would help me develop my own potion (which I actually needed to find, Snape had had it last). Standing outside the door to Slughorn's classroom, I could see only about a dozen students had decided to continue on with Potions. Four Slytherins, four Ravenclaws, two Hufflepuffs (including myself) and three Gryffindors.

Honestly, Ernie being their surprised me. He wasn't the most academically inclined, and the Potions exam had been pretty hard. Perhaps he was better at the class than I thought he was, or did really well on the practical. Regardless of how he made it, he made it.

"Harry," Ernie struck out his hand to greet my friend, "didn't get a chance to speak in Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning. Good lesson, I thought, but Shield Charms are old hat, of course, for us old DA lags... and how are you three?"

Before we could answer, the door opened, Slughorn smiling as we entered. His mustache curved above his beaming smile, which only grew at the sight of Harry, Blaise, and me. There were four seats at a table, so I pulled an extra one up, staring at Slughorn challengingly as I did so. He said nothing, luckily.

The room was full of odd vapors and smells. We sat nearest a gold cauldron that was emitting a rather pleasant smell: the sea breeze, the smoke of burnt offerings, and Draco's lemon shampoo. I recognized all smells for what they were at once, raising an eyebrow at the seduced looks on my friend's faces, absently wondering what it was they smelled.

"Now then, now then, now then," Slughorn said. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making..."

"Sir?" Harry tentatively rose his hand.

"Harry, m'boy?"

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything — nor's Ron — we didn't realize we'd be able to do the N.E.W.T., you see —"

"Ah yes, some of the professors did mention... not to worry, my dear boy, not to worry at all. Anyone without supplies can use ingredients from the store cupboard today, and I'm sure we can lend you some scales, and we've got a stock stack of old books here, they'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blotts..." Slughorn walked over to a corner cupboard and procured several battered copies of Advanced Potion Making. He passed them out to three of the Slytherins, Ernie, Harry, and Ron, as well as some rather rusted scales. "Now then, I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?" He motioned to the potion nearest the Slytherin's table, a cauldron full of what looked like plain water boiling.

I knew it, of course, I recognized all the potions in the room, but I had a friend who very much liked to answer questions in class. Hermione's hand was raised before everyone else's, and Slughorn pointed to her, and she quickly said, "It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth.

"Very good, very good!" Slughorn said happily. "Now," he motioned to the potion nearest the Ravenclaw table, "this one here is pretty well-known... featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately, too... who can —?"