ℒℯ𝓈𝓈ℴ𝓃 ℴ𝒻 ℒ𝒾𝒻ℯ 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ

❀ 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝓉𝓌ℴ ❀

❤︎𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓹𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻, 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓵 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓯𝓾𝓵, 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓼𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓻, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓻❤︎

As the first rays of dawn painted the sky with delicate hues of gold and rose, I blinked sleepily and glanced at the exquisite antique clock adorning my bedside table. The hands pointed to 8.35 a.m., and a jolt of panic surged through me. With a gasp, I sprang out of bed, hastily making my way to the adjoining bathroom. As I brushed my teeth with hurried strokes, my robes and undergarments floated gracefully towards me, summoned by the deft flick of a Summoning Charm.

Five minutes later, I dashed through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, my footsteps echoing in harmony with my racing heartbeat. By some fortuitous twist of fate, I reached the potions classroom before the imposing figure of Professor Snape. A disapproving shake of Ginny's head greeted my entrance, but before she could utter a word, the door swung open, revealing the black-cloaked form of our formidable professor swiftly passing by. Some things, it seemed, never changed, offering a semblance of comfort in this ever-evolving world. Determined to maintain my rightful place in the front row, a space I had occupied for the past six years, I hurriedly settled into an unoccupied chair, with Hermione and Ginny to my right, and Ron and Harry seated behind me. Ron, convinced by Hermione's insistence, had reluctantly chosen to pursue his N.E.W.T.s in potions. Seamus and Neville, responsible for countless cauldron explosions throughout our years at Hogwarts, occupied the table to my left. Neville's participation in potions was enforced by his Gran, as he would have gladly avoided any contact with Professor Snape altogether. The professor, however, remained unimpressed, casting skeptical glances at the two notorious troublemakers. One could hardly blame him, considering the havoc they had wreaked over the past seven years.

Amongst us sat the remaining Slytherin students, looking somewhat lost. My gaze caught Draco's, and with a silent wave, I beckoned him to join me. A grateful smile graced his features as he settled into the chair beside me.

"Turn to page 200 and commence your work, partnering up as instructed. I expect your finished potions, neatly labeled, on my desk by the end of the hour. Now, begin," resonated Professor Snape's deep voice, commanding attention throughout the room.

With a smile playing upon my lips, I turned to the designated page and immersed myself in the intricate instructions. The art of potion-making, it seemed, retained its timeless allure, even amidst the whirlwind of change that enveloped us. Draco and I exchanged a knowing glance, preparing ourselves to embark on the creation of the "Draught of Living Death."

"Ready?" I inquired, anticipation glimmering in my eyes.

Nodding in affirmation, Draco gathered the necessary ingredients, while I retrieved the cauldron and ignited the fire beneath it. With precision, he deftly chopped the Aconite roots into fine pieces, carefully immersing them into the simmering brew. Satisfaction washed over me as the desired blue vapors emerged, gradually transforming into a captivating shade of blackberry. As he added the valerian root and the juice of the Sopophorous Bean, I continued stirring the potion, counterclockwise seven times, and then once clockwise. The concoction transitioned through various hues, from dark violet to lilac, and a delicate shade of pink, before finally settling on translucence, its clarity akin to the purest springwater.

"How did you manage that?" Hermione and Ginny chimed in, their curiosity piqued as they inspected our cauldron.

"Ask him," I responded with a smile, gesturing towards Draco, the source of our unconventional success.