Harry's Quick Fix

Harry's Quick Fix

By: Kinsey Douglas

Chapter 1:

"Harry's Scheme"

Hermione Granger stood with Ginny Weasley by the window inside Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, observing their new line of love potions. She frankly had no idea why she was even interested in such an object, but Hermione being who she was, was indubitably curious. Harry was off examining the Edible Dark Marks that George had shown him minutes earlier, wearing a puzzled expression. Hermione thought she heard him say, "The Dark Lord is not funny!" The children around him were calling him a bore. Ron was stuffing a big cardboard box with random interesting objects that could be found about the shop, and he was intent to ignore Hermione, for they had had a row earlier that morning concerning breakfast sausage. Harry had been increasing less tolerant of their frequent spats, and during the one earlier that morning he had told, rather yelled, at both of them. She had been quick to apologize for herself and Ron, the obvious excuse being that he's immature, but Harry was still sensitive.

"For that, Hermione," said a deep voice from behind the young witch, who had been deep in thought, "you can have one for free." She turned, startled, to find Fredrick Weasley behind her, wearing a brightly purple colored robe that had 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' adorned in bright yellow. Hermione smiled awkwardly, still somewhat caught off guard.

She put the bottle down as quickly as she could. "I'm not interested," Hermione said quickly, trying her best to get the conversation done with because Fred's face was only inches away from her own. She blushed a bit and walked away. Fred just shook his head and turned to Ginny.

"I am not letting you buy one of those," he said sternly. Ginny toyed with the potion bottle she had been eyeing earlier, and finally set it next to the one Hermione had been observing. "Besides, aren't you currently dating Dean Thomas?"

Ginny sighed. "Ron's a prat for telling you." She turned away to look at the cage of Pygmy Puffs.

Fred laughed whole-heartedly. "Ron's a prat in general!" He said while his sister was still within earshot.

Harry, however, who had abandoned his observation of Edible Dark Marks, crept to where Hermione had been standing next to the love potion rack. The sign advertising them was blinking between the picture of a heart, the bright pink neon word LOVE, and a picture of a man and a women kissing. The sign then read:

This could be you and your true love!

Make love ring true with Weasley's Love Potion line!

He ignored this and turned back to the potion rack. Grabbing one from multiple different love potion lines, he ran as fast as he could to the counter where neither George nor Fred was stationed. If they were there he would surely be questioned and then his plan would be ruined. Harry knew that Hermione and Ron were more than friends. If they weren't why had Ron been so unreasonable about Hermione attending the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum? Even by disregarding this outright clue of secret love, their daily banters were convincing enough for him and most of their grade. Ron, however, was either too stubborn to admit it to himself or Hermione. Harry was sure that Hermione had thought through her feelings in the past year or so, perhaps even earlier than their fourth year. He could not be sure. But all in all, he had five potions total for maximum effect.

The woman behind the counter was wearing the same attire as Fred and George with identical adornment. She peered down at the multiple objects and smiled all-knowingly.

Harry shifted his stance out of awkwardness. "They're not for me," he said, flustered.

"You're a friend of Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley," she said. Harry thought of Fred and George being called 'Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley' strange, but he just looked at the woman behind the counter. "So you get a discount. That'll be five galleons."

Harry plunged his hand in his pocket for the money, despite the high price. He was ready to do anything to stop Ron and Hermione's fighting. He found the appropriate coinage, set in on the table and smiled at the woman. She smiled back with the same all-knowing look as before and he took all five potions in his hand and put them gently in his coat pocket.