𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Diligo Visum

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy."

Harry tried to twist his features into an appropriate scowl as Snape sneered wickedly and Ron patted him consolingly on the back.

"Don't let the prat get to you, mate," Ron murmured lowly as Harry got up from his seat to join Draco across the room. Although, Ron didn't seem to be following his own advice because he was sending Draco dirty looks.

Draco, for his part, was ignoring them both, although he twitched a bit when Harry sat down beside him close enough that their thighs brushed beneath the desk. Harry did his best to look as though he'd rather be anywhere but there, and Snape glanced over at his supposed discomfort with an expression of vindictive pleasure.

"Mr. Weasley and Mr. Goyle."

Ron, looking as though he was walking to his death, moved to sit beside the exceedingly laconic, boulder-like figure of Gregory Goyle.

"Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Zabini."

Neville made an eep-like sound, before he shakily made his way over to sit beside a sneering Blaise Zabini.

"Miss. Granger and Miss. Parkinson."

Neither girl looked at one another as Hermione got up and made her way dutifully to the seat beside Pansy.

"Today you will be concocting the advanced Potion, Diligo Visum," Snape began, once he'd gone through the attendance list and the entire class was sorted. "Does anyone care to explain what this potion does, specifically?"

Snape's eyes scanned the room, purposefully glancing over Hermione as her hand shot into the air and inevitably lingering on Harry. Harry mentally groaned. "Mr. Potter?"

Harry sent a desperate look toward Draco, but the boy continued to ignore him completely. Harry didn't have to fake a scowl in the other boy's direction this time. "I don't know, sir."

"Of course you don't," Snape snapped, although he appeared amused. "Ten points from Gryffindor. Does anyone else care to explain? Mr. Malfoy?"

"It's a potion designed to reveal if someone's in love," Draco recited, although he seemed a bit less haughty than usual. His eyes darted uncomfortably toward Harry for half a second. Harry's heart beat sped up and sweat accumulated on his palms as he gripped the edge of the desk.

More than a few girls in the room giggled and blushed. Pansy, herself, was sending Draco a predatory look.

"Correct as usual, Draco," Snape commended, his face contorting into a pleased smile. "Ten points to Slytherin."

"But Professor," Theodore Nott asked. "Why would we need a potion for that?"

"There are maladies that can only affect wizards or witches who are in love. If such a witch or wizard were to be incapacitated, a medi-wizard or witch could give them this potion and narrow down a possible cause for the illness," Snape replied. "In more modern times, it has also been abused by post-adolescent witches, much as love potions are."

Snape looked disgusted at even the mere thought of love potion-abuse by teenage girls. "For our purposes, due to the visible nature of the potion's effect on the drinker and the relative safety of the potion's ingredients, it is a common potion tested in exams like your NEWTS."

"What happens if someone's in love, sir?" Seamus asked after putting up a hand with an answering nod from Snape.

"A golden rune will glow on the imbiber's forehead," Snape replied succinctly, and with a swish of his wand, he drew a circle in the air cut in half by a line that went straight down and was divided crosswise by another line. Then he drew two short lines on either end, parallel to the middle line so that the rune looked like a circle hanging above a capitol E on its side. The rune hung there, glowing gold in the darkness of the dungeon before Snape swiped his wand and it shimmered out of existence.