Forbidden [d.m.] || rewritten

chapter 19

It was a Monday morning when I tread down to the dungeons with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. We had our first double Potions lesson with Slughorn today. Arriving at the corridor, I noticed that there were only several other students waiting outside of the door, meaning that only a handful of us were progressing to the N.E.W.T. level. Leo was standing with his three Slytherin friends— Blaise, Theo, and Malfoy. A few other Slytherins stood beside them, two of them being Pansy Parkinson and Astoria Greengrass. The four of us were the only Gryffindors besides Leo. There were a few Ravenclaws and only two Hufflepuffs that were there, too.

Harry and Ron were given the "go-ahead" with Potions after McGonagall told them Slughorn was accepting students who had received an "E" on their O.W.L. Harry didn't seem too fond of this new Professor, but, honestly, anyone was better than Snape.

I spent the past two days thinking about what Leo was going to do about Malfoy. What could be brewing in that blonde boy's head? 

We filed into the classroom once Slughorn opened the door, greeting each and every student as they walked through the door. Before I could take a step into the room, Professor Slughorn stuck his stubby hand out at me and shouted, "Merlin's beard!"

"It's nice to meet you, professor." I shook his head and put on a grin. "I'm Sage. Sage Potter."

"Oh, don't think I don't know who you are! Such a pleasure! Such a pleasure! I would recognize a Potter anywhere. And, my goodness, you look so much like your mother!"

I let out a chuckle and excused myself into the room. He was a bit too enthusiastic for my liking. As soon as I set foot into the room, the strongest aroma hit me like a Mack truck. All I could smell was a mixture of aftershave, fresh parchment paper, and eucalyptus. Perhaps Slughorn had a strong brew going. 

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I sat at a table of four; the three Slytherins and Leo took another table of four. The scent only grew stronger once we sat at the table with a large cauldron on the top. The fumes coming from the potion within only made me drowsy and somewhat tranquil.

"Are you smelling that, too?" I asked Harry.

"If you mean that odor of broomstick wax and mince pies... yes. It's like I'm breathing in a candle."

Broomstick wax and mince pies? How was Harry smelling something totally different?

"Alright then. Settle down, settle down," said Slughorn, grabbing the attention of all in the class. He followed his plump belly everywhere he walked as he strode through the room. "Everyone take out their potion kits and your copies of Advanced Potion-Making. Now, I've prepared a few concoctions for you all to see the kind of things you ought to be able to make after you've completed this class."

He went through each cauldron at every table. The first one, filled with Veritaserum, was easily recognizable to me given its clear and bubbly appearance. The second one was Polyjuice Potion, which I had drank once before in our second year when we pretended to be students in Slytherin. 

Professor Slughorn rounded on our table and hummed with excitement. "Now, does anyone know what this one here is?" He peered as everyone raised slightly in their seats to get a glimpse of the liquid in our cauldron.

I was eager than ever to figure out why in the world this potion had such a strong aroma to it. Hermione's hand shot up into the air and she squealed, "it's Amortentia!"

Slughorn beamed with excitement to have such an ambitious student."Correct! Amortentia—" he held up the shimmering pink liquid in a vial, "—is the most powerful love potion to exist!"

Love potion? I'm smelling a love potion?

"Amortentia smells different to everyone." Hermione said enthusiastically. "It's supposed to smell specific for each of us depending on what attracts us. Personally, I smell freshly-mown grass, some parchment, and—" Hermione's cheeks turned slightly red, "—spearmint toothpaste."