Magic? || Years 5-7

Slughorn's Classroom: Year 6

 Double Potions was a much smaller, much more different atmosphere than the five previous years. Even outside of the dungeon classroom Amisty actually felt at ease as they joined the queue outside. Four Ravenclaws were there, as well as four Slytherins that she resolutely looked away from, and Ernie Macmillan.

"Harry," Ernie held out his hand, chin high, "didn't get a chance to speak in Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning. Good lesson, I thought, but Shield Charms are old hat, of course, for us old D.A. lags. . . And how are you, Ron - Hermione - Amisty?"

Amisty had just opened her mouth to reply when the dungeon door swung open. Professor Slughorn greeted them warmly with a beaming smile. As soon as she stepped inside, she was immediately greeted with various scents emitting from several cauldrons placed around the room. The quartets claimed their own tables, leaving the five of them to sit alongside a golden cauldron. A decision she was immediately beginning to regret the second the smell reached her nose. It was simultaneously the warm scent of chocolate, freshly laundered bedsheets, and the painful, striking cold of pine needles.

"Now then, now then, now them," Slughorn walked back into the classroom, spreading his hands wide. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making. . ."

"Sir?" Harry raised his hand.

"Harry, m'boy?" Slughorn replied fondly.

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything - nor do they - we didn't realize we'd be able to do the N.E.W.T., you see - "

"Ah, yes, Professor McGonagall did mention. . . not to worry, my dear boy, not to worry at all. You can use ingredients from the store cupboard today, and I'm sure we can lend you some scales, and we've got a small stock of old books, here, they'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blotts. . ." Slughorn headed toward the cupboard, pulling out three battered books and three sets of stained scales.

"Now then," Slughorn dusted off his hands with a smile, walking to the front of the class, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of things you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

He waved a hand at the cauldron by the Slytherin table. It looked like it was simply water, bubbling away.

Hermione's hand popped up, "It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth."

"Very well, very good!" Slughorn praised, walking to the next. "Now, this one here is pretty well known. . . Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately too. . . Who can - "

Hermione's hand went up again, "It's Polyjuice Potion, sir."

Amisty shifted in her seat, looking down at the slowly bubbling potion, resisting the urge to wrinkle her nose. She, fortunately, didn't have to take it second year, but she would rather not take it all.

"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here. . . yes, my dear?"

"It's Amortentia!"

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," Slughorn nodded, clearly impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" Hermione replied.

"Quite right!" Slughorn smiled. "You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," Hermione beamed, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and - "