George Weasley // Stuck with me

3.Hello

The hall burst into wild protest, many from people currently dating someone and others from people who weren't planning on marrying anyone anytime soon.

"Quiet!"  McGonagall shrilly yelled "I understand this is what none of you would have wanted.  I tried to explain to the ministry that you should be allowed to find love at your own pace and your own time.  They of course did not listen and instead read far too into the account of how many good people we had lost, aiming to replace them by forcing the rest of you together.  They are too afraid to leave the future to chance and instead would rather push life into existence by making you have families you may not even want nor are ready for.  If I did not think that my position as headmistress would be the best place for me to help all of you I would quit my job in protest to this outrageous decree.  However I would rather be here to help all of you the best that I can, rather than leave you to your own devices and new professors who do not know you the way that I do."  

The hall was dead silent.  Everyone processing what the headmistress had said.  Some it seemed went through all five stages of grief at once, appalled by the power the ministry had over their lives.  Disgusted by the mindset of choosing something so personal and private in someone's life for them.  To tell an entire generation who and how to love.  Understanding that if this wasn't followed, they could go to prison.  McGonagall took a deep breath and continued,

"Now this potion can by no means tell you your soulmate, in a way it works almost like a polyjuice potion.  Everyone must submit some form of themselves, we ask that you pluck a hair from your heads, into the potion.  Using this information when someone ingests some of the finished potion, they will only be able to hear one person.  One at a time we will ask you all to come forward and take the potion.  Once taken on the count of three the the entire hall will say 'hello'.  The person who has taken the potion will only be able to hear their best match and potential partner speaking, thus making it known their 'soulmate' so to speak.  If when the hall speaks and no voice is heard your best match may not be present.  If you fall into this category we will ask the seventh years tomorrow at lunch to stay behind and we will repeat this process.  Once your turn is finished there is an antidote to take that will reverse the effects and your hearing will be restored.  Now if the graduates from the Hufflepuff house could please line up and drop a hair into the cauldron and we shall continue on from there."

The Hufflepuffs shuffled up to the cauldron still shell shocked a small crackling sound emitting every time a hair was dropped in.  Then the Ravenclaws lined up being led by a more serious but still serene looking Luna.  Ah merlin here we go.  McKenna thought as she stood up with the rest of her friends.  Her hands were sweating profusely and her knees felt wobbly as the Gryffindor table made their way up to the cauldron.  Pulling a hair from her head McKenna dropped it into the cauldron, a small amount of sparks flew up and the smell of hazelnut reached her nostrils.

Walking back to the table she passed Neville giving him a small smile, his face looking as nervous as she felt.  He smiled back fidgeting with his fingers as the Slytherin table stood up and made their way through the line.  Sitting back down McKenna sent a weak smile in the direction of Hermione as her and Ron hope that the potion chooses them for each other.

"Now we will be calling you forward alphabetically by your first name unless we have any brave volunteers?" McGonagall asked the hall as the last few students retook their seats.  Not surprisingly nobody moved to go forward. 

"Right then" McGonagall continued "If Alicia Spinnet please step forward."  Everyone in the hall turned to her.  Alicia stood up and slowly made her way to the front of the hall.  Slughorn gave her a small vial.  Taking a deep breath Alicia downed the contents of the vial.  She tightly closed her eyes, disgusted by the fact that she just drank the hair of everyone in the room.  Opening her eyes she looked around and then nodded at McGonagall who seemingly was asking if the potion had worked with wild hand gestures.