CHOSEN ONE

34

"Ron?"

"Harry? Harry, why didn't I see it before, it's so obvious? I love her."

"What?"

"I don't know if she even knows I exist and I love her!"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Romilda Vane. Her eyes...her hair. I'm in love with her, Harry."

"Is this a joke?"

"How dare you? You take that back!"

Harry retreats back and his foot hits the box of chocolates from which Ron was eating.

"Oh, my God, Ron, those are the chocolate cauldrons she gave me! You weren't supposed to eat those, they're spiked with love potion!"

"Shut up! Just shut up! You're talking about the woman I love!"

Erin is stumbling running to boys dormitory

"What the hell is going on? Why I smell Amortentia here?"

"Get out of the way, I need to bring him to professor Slughorn."

"Go on I have antidote but you don't need it." Erin dropped the vial and the antidote spilled she left

"All right, all right--Ron, listen to me. If you.. If you come with me, I'll introduce you to her. Right now."

"But you have to come with me right now."

He pulls Ron toward the door. Harry and Ron burst through the door.

"what would she be doing in here?"

"She'll be by any minute, she's got extra Potions classes. Professor Slughorn!"

Slughorn looks surprised. Harry runs up to him.

"Ron's swallowed a love potion by mistake. Can you help him?"

"Why isn't she here, Harry?"

"She's coming."

He gives Slughorn a "see?" look.

"Oh, yes, I see. Well, yes, I should have the antidote right here."

"How do I look?"

He's smoothing his hair back anxiously.

"Oh, very handsome, Mr. Weasley, but--"

He selects a vial off the storeroom shelf, adds a pinch of something to it that goes poof.

SLUGHORN

I suggest you drink that off before she arrives. It'll help steady your nerves when you see her.

RON

Right. That's good!

He takes the vial and drinks it down. Comic moment of Ron gagging and feeling the effect of the antidote, then he plunks down in a chair looking horrified.

"Bloody hell!'

His head falls into his hands. Harry and Slughorn look relieved.

"Ah, well, that's done it, hasn't it."

He looks at Harry.

"A little pick-me-up, that's what he needs for afters. Let me see..."

He bustles under his desk as Harry comforts Ron.

"Cheer up, Ron, it's over."

"I acted like an idiot."

"..wine, oh, here's that mead I was going to give Dumbledore for Christmas--well, what he doesn't know about he won't miss."

He waves his wand at the bottle; it uncorks and pours itself into three goblets which appear. The goblets zoom over to each of the three.

"There we are."

He raises his goblet in a toast, Harry does the same.

"To unrequited--"

Ron tosses back his mead without bothering with the toast.

"--love, and--"

The instant the mead hits Ron's throat he grabs his throat, dropping the goblet with a crash. His eyes bulge, and he collapses, twitching on the floor. Harry, shocked, drops his goblet too, rushes to Ron and drops at his side. Slughorn stands shocked, looking at the goblet with horror.

"Do something!"

Slughorn backs away a step.

"I didn't know--I would never--!"

Harry stands and grabs the front of Slughorn's robes.

"Help him!"

An agonized moment as Slughorn is still in shock, and Harry throws Slughorn aside and dashes behind him to the Potions shelves. He seizes a familiar jar, wrenches out a bezoar, dashes back to Ron's side, and shoves the bezoar down his throat. Ron gasps, trembles, closes his eyes and falls still. The shot zooms overhead to take in the scene of the three.