𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 || h.potter

thirty-nine || Year 6 ✔️

Hermione and Amelia walked inside their Potions classroom near the Dungeons. Amelia's wondering where Harry was. She shrugs and decided to listen to her Professor, when suddenly the door bursts open, Ron and Harry walk in and the other students turn in unison.

"Harry m'boy!" greeted Slughorn. "I was beginning to worry! And I see we've brought someone with us..."

"Ron Weasley, sir." Ron smiles slightly. "But I'm dead awful at Potions, a menace actually, so I probably should just be going—"

"Nonsense, we'll sort you out." Slughorn cuts. "Any friend of Harry's is a friend of Mine. Right then, books out—"

"Umm, sorry, sir, but I haven't got my book yet—nor's Ron. You see—" Harry reasons.

"Not to worry. You can get what you need from the cupboard." smiled Slughorn.

Amelia and Hermione rolls their eyes, and shake their heads.

Slughorn resumes, gesturing to the cauldrons bubbling before him. "Now, as I was saying, I've prepared a few concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be? Yes, Miss...?"

"Granger, sir." said Hermione, as she puts her hand down. "That one there is Veritaserum. And that would be Polyjuice Potion. And that..is Amortentia! The most powerful love potion in the world."

"It's rumored 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 pauses and looks around confused.

Slughorn regards her. "One of my best friends is Muggle- born. She's the best in our year..."

Harry, settling into his seat with the soiled textbook, looks up just as Slughorn's eyes shift to him for confirmation. As Harry nods, Amelia glances curiously at him.

"Now Amortentia doesn't create
actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession." explained Slughorn. "For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room."

Slughorn turns, finds a sea of dreamy faces leaning into the vapours. Instantly, he clangs a cover onto the cauldron, bringing them round. As Ron blinks, he finds Lavender still staring dreamily at him. Noticing, Hermione's eyes narrow.

"Sir? You haven't told us what's in that one." Katie Bell points at tiny vail.

"Ah, yes." Slughorn nods. He takes the golden liquid inside the tiny vail and shows it to the class. "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." Amelia finishes, Slughorn nods.

"Yes, Miss...?"

"Black, sir." said Amelia.

"Ah, Miss Black. Desperately tricky to make. Disastrous should you get it wrong. But brewed correctly, as this has been, it has remarkable powers. One sip and you will find that all your endeavors succeed... at least until the effects wear off."

"But then why don't people drink it all the time?" asked Katie.

"Because taken in excess it causes giddiness, recklessness and dangerous overconfidence." replies Slughorn.

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked Blaise.

"Twice. Once when I was twenty-four. Once when I was fifty- seven. Two tablespoons taken at breakfast. Two perfect days..."
Slughorn eyes the vial dreamily, adrift. Finally he blinks. "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 an acceptable Draught of Living Death, the recipe for which can be found on page ten of your textbook."