Two Souls

Chapter Seventy Two

         By the time I had arrived to Potions with Professor Slughorn, everyone else had been seated. Slughorn instantly recognizes me from the Hogwarts Express and grins at me. Much to my pleasure, he doesn't question my whereabouts.

"Now then," He continues as I take the only empty seat next to Goyle. Pansy has sneakily sat next to Draco, who looks completely uninterested in her. "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of things 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 gestures to a cauldron filled with clear, plain water. I instantly recognize it as Veritaserum, a truth potion, but don't bother to answer it. Hermione already has shouted out the answer without even bothering to be called on.

"Now, this one here is also pretty well known. Who can tell me what this one is —?"

"Polyjuice potion, sir!" Hermione shouts excitedly, again without being called on.

Hermione accurately names the next two potions, Amortentia and the Babbling Beverage, before I lose interest and my eyes trail around everyone else in the room. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil are giggling about something stupid in the front, Terry Boot tries to discreetly pick his nose (gross!), and Hannah Abbott rests her head on the desk in front of her.

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," Ernie Macmillan says, pointing to a small black cauldron  bubbling with gold drops.

"Felix Felicis, it's liquid luck," I say out loud, just as Hermione opens her mouth to speak. She huffs but doesn't make a big deal.

"Oh yes, Miss Grey! It makes you lucky!"

The whole class sits up, including me, as we give Professor Slughorn our now undivided attention. "Desperately tricky to make and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that your endeavors tend to succeed. . . at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people take it all the time, sir?" Terry Boot asks excitedly.

"It causes giddiness, recklessness, and too much overconfidence. It tends to be highly toxic in large quantities as well. But taken sparingly and occasionally will give you the perfect amount of luck!" Slughorn announces.  "And that, is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."

The class jitters with excitement as Slughorn tells us how it is prohibited to be used in organized events and should be used on a regular day.

"So, how are you to win my prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should give you all enough time to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from everybody. The person who does the best will win a little Felix here. Off you go!" Slughorn says excitedly.

Draco and I exchange a knowing look.

We have to win the liquid luck.

I begin to chop up some valerian roots whilst the other students nervously peek around to see what everyone else is doing. Within ten minutes, Hermione and I have seemed to progress the furthest with Draco trailing behind us.

"Sir, I think you knew my grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy?" Draco asks coolly as Slughorn passes.

"Yes. I was sorry to hear he had died, although of course it wasn't unexpected, dragon pox at his age . . .," Slughorn exits before finishing his sentence. I scowl. He clearly seems to be favoring the Gryffindors.

My black potion fades into a light shade of lilac as I stir clockwise and counterclockwise. Harry Potter, somehow, has managed to make the lightest potion of them all. The Slytherins begin whispering about how he had obviously cheated, and even Hermione looks skeptical about her friend.

"I told you that class is ridiculous," Draco says, rolling his eyes. "He obviously favors the Gryffindors. Did you see how he gave Granger thirty points to Gryffindor for answering his question and gave you nothing? My father —"

"It doesn't matter," I tell him softly. "Besides, we have — er — other things to worry about."

Draco stiffly nods. "Right."

"Er — we should start that soon, you know. Perhaps maybe next week?" I ask tentatively.

He nods. "Let's save it for next week so we don't look too suspicious," He whispers.

******

The rest of the week by progressed dully. To no surprise, our classes had become increasingly more difficult. Like Defense Against the Dark Arts, nonverbal magic was required in nearly every class now. My minutes of glory were short lived because by now, almost all of the sixth years could perform nonverbal magic quite well.

Draco and I were set to work on the Vanishing Cabinet tomorrow, but for today we had our Quidditch tryouts. Urquhart, being the only seventh year on the team, had taken over the Captain position from Montague.

"Welcome back everyone, eh?" Urquhart says, grinning. "All positions are fair game except for Seeker — we all know that one's for Malfoy."

A decent amount of students have shown up for tryouts. Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle all stand towards the back looking overconfident. Even Zabini — who has never once made the team — looks arrogant.

A few fifth years as well have shown up, the only ones I recognized being Ryan Harper, Billy McLaggen, and Emmett Vaisey. Billy happens to be the brother of Cormac, one of the students who I had met at Slughorn's gathering. A bundle of fourth, third, and second years show as well, none of being whom I recognize.

"I'll divide you into groups by your years — gather together everyone, don't be shy," Urquhart says. I stand with Zabini, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. It is obvious we'll make the team, the only question being whether or not Blaise will make it.

"Sixth years, you're up first."

Zabini decided to try out for a Chaser position and I am very surprised when he manages to pull his own weight. He soars the Quaffle in several times with Urquhart as Keeper. Crabbe and Goyle also do quite well as Beaters, using their abnormally large size to an advantage.

"Grey!" Urquhart yells, flying towards me. His forehead drips with gross sweat and he pants. "You were Keeper at Ilvermorny, right? D'you mind trying it out again?"

I bite my lip. I haven't played as Keeper since my third year, with the exception of when I tried out two years ago. "Sure," I agree.

Urquhart has the younger years run Chaser drills with me and I am surprisingly quite good as Keeper. I'm a little rusty, sure, but I'm far better than Ron Weasley and Gryffindors tends to be our biggest rival.

"All right!" Urquhart calls after about an hour.

"Draco Malfoy, Seeker. Amelia Grey, Keeper. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, Beaters. Emmett Vaisey, Brian Urquhart, and Blaise Zabini, Chasers. Ryan Harper, you're reserve Seeker. Billy McLaggen, you're reserve Keeper. Amelia Grey, you're reserve Chaser."

"But I —"

"No one else is a good enough Chaser. I'll see you all next week for our first practice," Urquhart says.

—-
Ngl this chapter was a bit of a filler just so you could meet Slughorn and get to know this year's Quidditch team !!:)