✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

02 | A M O R T E N T I A

for a spell that can't be broken,
one drop should be enough.

  "NOW THEN", SAID Slughorn, standing in the front of the class and inflating his already bulging chest so that the buttons on his waistcoat threatened to burst off, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your NEWTs. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?" 

   Ember, standing with the Slytherins,  was closest to this potion, which looked a lot like plain boiling water. To Nobody's surprise, Hermione's hand was the first to shoot up, and Slughorn pointed at her.

   "It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion thar forces the drinker to tell the truth", said Hermione.

   "Excellent!", Slughorn roared, clapping his hands together. "So let's get over to this one ... It's causing quite a little trouble in the Ministry lately, so does anyone know —"

   "Polyjuice Potion", said Ember, without even making an effort to raise her hand. "Turns you into another person for about an hour after taking it by adding something from said person, like hair for example."

   "Excellent, excellent!", Slughorn cheered, his eyes remaining on Ember for a while, then they widened, as he seemed to recognise — "Miss Potter! Ah, of course, of course! A quite talent for this class runs in the family, I see?" He winked at Harry, and Ember used this second of Slughorn's unawareness to roll her eyes. "Well then, I'm sure you'll not cease to surprise us in here. Now, this one here ... yes, my dear?", said Slughorn, now looking slightly bemused, as Hermione's hand punched the air again.
 
   "It's Amortentia!"
 
   "It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask", said Slughorn, who was  looking mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?" 

   "It's the most powerful love porion in the world!", said Hermione. 

   Ember scrunched her nose; the spiral foam of the Amortentia potion had her hypnotized. Staring into the boiling liquid, suddenly she stirred. Was that — ? She looked around, blinking in surprise. A strange sensation took over her, something she hadn't felt in a while, a long, long while as it seemed, and a warmness spread through her body, just like eating chocolate after a really mean Dementor had passed her by. And a certain smell filled her nostrils; the smell of Mrs. Weasley's apple pie and the scent of fresh cotton wool she knew all too well from long lost nights she had spent at the Burrow ...

   "— and it's supposed to smell differently to each of according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and —" 

   Hermione's voice caught Ember's attention, snapping her back to reality.

   "May I ask your name, my dear?", said Slughorn, ignoring Hermione's embarrassment. 

   "Hermione Granger, sir."
 
   "Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?" 

   "No. I don't think so, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see." 

   "Are you alright?", Draco muttered in Ember's ear, and she quickly looked up, forcing herself to a smile as she nodded, but her thoughts had already drifted off again, for a second closing her eyes.

   So the potion smelled different to anyone. It didn't need a genius to combine the rest. Freshly mown grass, just like found on a Quidditch field, and new parchment, just like the ones she was writing a letter on like every day for more than a year now — Hermione's Amortentia obviously withheld the scent of Viktor Krum. Why, so of the potion was smelling like the ones you adore ...

   Ember's eyes widened, fluttering open in a sudden realisation. It was no coincidence that her potion smelled like the Burrow. It wasn't really the Burrow's scent. Well, of course it was. But there was only one person she knew, that had eaten so much of his mother's apple pie in his life, that he was probably sweating cake batter through every pore; the same person that could easily sleep in a whole day in cotton wool sheets, so not even the sweat after an exhausting Quidditch practice could ever wash this scent off his skin.

   Swollowing hard, Ember's eyes involuntarily followed orders that weren't her own, without even searching they found their aim: a pair of brilliant saphire blue eyes, and they were already staring back at her, while their owner's ears turned to the colour of raw meat —

   "Hey!" Malfoy's voice dragged her back to reality, her eye contact to Ron broke, and the newest familiar feelings inside her crawled back in place. "C'mon now, we need this Felix Felicis potion!"

   "What?"

   "Liquid luck", Malfoy growled. "Where's your mind been?"

   Throwing on last glint at Ron, Ember found him busy preparing his cauldron. "Nowhere", she muttered. "Just drifted off ..."

   It was Harry, who won the liquid luck. However he did it, would forever remain a mystery to Ember. Malfoy's mood after class was on its worst. Felix Felicis would have significantly increased their chances to successfully accomplish their mission. Without a word, Malfoy left Ember standing in the classroom, rushing out in long steps.

   "My dear, it was a nip and tuck, I have to admit", Slughorn, who suddenly appeared next to her, said. "This really is NEWT material!" One of his thick fingers tapped onto the cauldron. "But I wouldn't have expected anything less from Lily Evan's children."

   "Thank you, sir." Ember tried not to sound annoyed. The classroom emptied, she had a glimpse of her brother's curious eyes behind his circular glasses, before him and Ron exited.

   "I'm having some little parties in my office from time to time", Slughorn said, and Ember's eyes snapped back at him. "Chosen young witches and wizards only."

   "I am honoured, sir, but I am not —"

   "Oh, but I won't accept a no!", he replied, laughing. "You'll receive an invitation per owl. Of course Harry will come, too, so you'll be in the best company, won't you?"

   "That sounds — erm — fun", Ember muttered. "How can I say no to this then?" Really, how?

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