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YOU ROLL ON THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET, WATCHING PROFESSOR SLUGHORN IN HIS DESCRIPTION OF POTION-MAKING.
potions had, honestly, been on the bottom of your list of subjects you might keep, but hermione had insisted she couldn't do it alone this year, so you were guilted into joining her.
"attention to detail in the preparation is the prerequisite of all planning"
you blink, gaze turning to ron and harry as they walk through the door. you tilt your head, blinking in surprise.
the two of them had been even more adamant they weren't taking potions this year. ron especially.
"ah. harry, my boy, i was beginning to worry. we've brought someone with us, i see"
"ron weasley, sir" ron greets, "but i'm dead awful at potions, a menace, actually. i'm probably just gonna.."
"nonsense, we'll sort you out. any friend of harry's is a friend of mine. get your books out"
you give a giggle, slughorn clearly not have picked up what ron was putting down about not wanting to be here.
"sorry, sir. i haven't actually got my book yet, and nor has ron"
"not to worry. get what you want from the cupboard. now, as i was saying, i prepared some concoctions this morning. any ideas what these might be?"
hermione's hand sticks right up and you just sigh softly,
how she just knows these things..
"yes, miss..?"
"granger, sir" she steps up, "that one there is veritaserum. it's a truth telling serum. and that would be polyjuice potion"
your attention turns to ron and harry again who seemed to be fighting over something in the cupboard, you tilt your head, face twisting in confusion. whatever it was, it must have been something good.
"it's terribly tricky to make. and this is amortentia... the most powerful love potion in the world"
your lips part at that, you remember fred and george having that potion at their shop. honeydew, pumpkin spice and spring rain.
"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"
she blinks, heading back beside you, you raise an eyebrow at her.
"now, amortentia doesn't create actual love. that would be impossible. but it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession"
most of the girls lean forward, but that leaves your lips twisting into a small frown.
artifical love? that doesn't sound like something anyone should want..
"and for that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room" he puts the lid back on it, all the girls step back.
"sir? you haven't told us what's in that one" a girl nods over to a very tiny vile.
"oh, yes. what you see before you, ladies and gentleman... is a curious little potion known as felix felicis. but it is more commonly referred to as.."
"liquid luck" hermione finishes.
you blink in slight awe.
"yes, miss granger. liquid luck. desperately tricky to make, disastrous should you get it wrong. one sip and you will find that all of your endeavours succeed. at least until the effects wear off"
you raise your eyebrows,
sounds.. helpful
"so, this is what i offer each of you today. one tiny vial of liquid luck to the student who, in the hour that remains.. manages to brew and acceptable draught of living death.. the recipes of which can be found on page 10 of your books"
welp.. no luck there, you sigh, opening your book regardless.
potions had never really been your strongsuit in comparison to charms.
"i should point out, however, only once did a students manage to brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. nevertheless, good luck to you all. let the brewing commence"
everyone wanders over to their cauldrons, you and hermione placing next to each other, both equally struggling with inputting the ingredients.
you fiddle with the sopphorous bean, huffing softly as it refuses to stay put under your palm, flicking and shooting around.
you glance over — somehow, harry was successfully squeezing his into the cauldron.
"how did you do that?" hermione questions, looking frazzled.
"crush it. don't cut it"
"no. the instructions specifically say to cut" hermione says.
"no, really"
you glance at your book, it did say to cut. you give harry a strange look,
could this have something to do with why they were fighting for something in the cupboard earlier?
you shrug, holding the bean down and crushing it with your knife as harry instructed. he was correct, it crushed much easier.
you mix the substance in your cauldron, ducking down as something large and green shoots out and onto the floor behind you, wincing.
sweat-dropping, you continue to follow the instructions, failing just as miserably as before.
everyone seemed in the same boat, except, of course, for harry. he was flying through the instructions, doing the complete opposite of everything it says and still somehow doing everything right.
finally, slughorn comes around to test the draughts. unsurprisingly, yours, hermione's, and ron's potions had failed terribly. harry's, on the other hand, dissolved the flower within an instant.
"merlin's beard! it is perfect!" slughorn chuckles excitedly, clearly feeling as though he'd found a prodigy.
you could tell something was up, though. harry had never been good at potions. whatever he and ron had bickered over in that cupboard was doing something.
hermione smiles thinly, also clearly disproving.
"so perfect, i daresay one drop would kill us all"
finally, as the class concluded, slughorn stepped up to present harry with his small vial of liquid luck.
"so here we are, then, as promised. one vile of felix felicis. congratulations. use it well"
you shake you head, clapping slightly with the others.
harry might have cheated, but nobody would have gotten any closer, so who really cares?
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