Advanced Potions: The Love Potion

Advanced Potions: The Love Potion Chapter 01

Professor Severus Snape was in a bad mood. As the new Advanced Potions class filed in, he tucked his greasy hair behind his ears and began his usual speech to the class.

"As all of you know, this is Advanced Potions, for those that have proved themselves worthy of the delicate art of potion-brewing, and a few..." Snape trailed off, searching for the right word. "Others," he finally said ilkily, glaring at the Gryffindor students. "However, I am warning you. Anyone whose grade slips below Satisfactory three times will be kicked out of this class."

He allowed his gaze to rest maliciously on Harry Potter, and his lip curled into a sneer. "I must say, however, that I am extremely surprised that some of us," he stressed, "even got into this course..." Snape surveyed the list. It irked him that Potter and Weasley were in the class. Granger, unfortunately, was too smart for her own good; she actually was quite adept at potion making.

Abbot, Hannah

Brown, Lavender

Bustrode, Millicent

Crabbe, Vincent

Finch-Fletchley, Justin

Finnigan, Seamus

Granger, Hermione

Macmillan, Ernie

Malfoy, Draco

Midgen, Eloise

Parkinson, Pansy

Patil, Padma

Patil, Parvati

Potter, Harry

Weasley, Ronald

Zabini, Blaise

After calling roll, nodding at Malfoy and glaring at Potter, Snape began class. "Now, which one of you can tell me what the effects of the Love Potion are?" Ignoring Granger's hand waving wildly in the air, Snape gave Malfoy a curt nod.

"The Love Potion," Malfoy drawled as Pansy blushed, "is a complex potion that induces feelings of infatuation, undying love, and lust among those who come into contact with it. It can be absorbed through the skin, ingested, or inhaled. It also happens to be," Draco smirked, "illegal."

"Correct, Malfoy. Ten points to Slytherin. Snape echoed Malfoy's smirk as he saw Granger put her hand down dejectedly. "Why haven't you been writing this down? Quills out, now!"

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Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley walked out of Advanced Potions, fuming. "Slimy, idiotic, git!" Ron was howling as soon as they were out of earshot. "He put all of that in about the Gryffindors on purpose!" Ron proceeded to show off his colorful vocabulary.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

"Hey! I am sticking up for you, too, just in case you didn't notice!"

"Ron!" Harry said, eyes widening. Ron turned around; Draco Malfoy stood right behind him.

"Careful, Weasel," he sneered. "I might just have to report you! Be good, Potty, Mudblood!" Ron grumbled as he left, but in an undertone so that Malfoy didn't hear him.

"Slimy, idiotic git with his sneering, blonde ferret!" Harry and Hermione broke out into peals of laughter at the thought.

"Hey," Harry wondered. "How did Crabbe get in?"

"I dunno," Hermione and Ron said at the same time, still wheezing with laughter.

Their next AP class, they walked in with a considerable amount of confidence, which quickly faded as Snape began to speak. "Today we will make the Love Potion, and yes, Granger, I do have permission," he smirked as Hermione opened her mouth to speak. She promptly blushed at the reprimand. "All right, I will put you into partners. Let's see...Abbot and Crabbe, Brown and Finch-Fletchley, Patil and Finnigan, Patil and Macmillan, Midgen and Zabini, Bulstrode and Weasley, Parkinson and Potter, and--oh, yes, Granger and Malfoy."

There was general outcry and mayhem, as the students protested in the choice of partners. Ron looked across the room at Millicent Bulstrode and paled visibly. Millicent Bulstrode had a face like a hag and was half a head taller than Ron. She was also reputed to have a good right hook. Ron gulped and sat down, looking as if he had just been sentenced to death row. Pansy was screaming in a shrilly voice at Harry, who looked as if the Cruciatus Curse was better than the agony Pansy was subjecting him to. Hermione was trying not to look at Malfoy, whereas he looked furious and betrayed, but amused at Hermione's anger. He quickly regained his composure, his lazy drawl, and his famous smirk.

"What, Granger, you should be honored. No one would have wanted to be your partner, except maybe the select few that think that sleeping with Mudbloods is more to their taste!" At this Harry and Ron let out a roar and started to dash towards Malfoy, while Hermione's face darkened with hatred. Finally, Severus had had enough. Professor Snape muttered a spell and sent a huge flash of light out of his wand with an accompanying bang that shook the dungeon and ricocheted off of the walls and echoed forcefully, reducing the class to silence.

"That's ENOUGH!" he shouted, his eyes narrowing with fiery anger. His voice then dropped to a sinister whisper, but it kept everyone's attention. "The partners were assigned based on gender and house. If I hear one more complaint about whichever partner you happened to get, the offender will lose seventy-five points from their respective house and a month's worth of detention! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" A timid murmur of assent emitted forth from the assembled students, and they hurried out of the classroom to go to lunch. Hermione, however, went straight to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, head down, looking at no one. Harry and Ron exchanged worried looks, and quietly ran after her, only to be blocked in the doorway by a livid Myrtle.

"Leave her alone!" she shrieked. "Myrtle, just let us talk to her," Ron pleaded and Harry tried to look past Myrtle. "Hermione?" Harry called. "Myrtle, get out of the way!" Ron yelled as she once again blocked them. With a muttered oath, Ron walked right through the ghost and a concerned Harry followed. All that they could see of Hermione was her bushy hair hiding her face and her shoulders heaving with sobs.

"Hermione, he's just a stupid prick. Malfoy's always been like that," Harry attempted.

"Bastard." Ron glared. Harry bent down to sit by her and patted her shoulder gently.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent," Ron added, trying to be helpful. Hermione lifted her head in surprise.

"How did you know that?" Hermione said. "Eleanor Roosevelt said that, and she was a Muggle..."

"Erm, yeah," Ron said, "but I kinda looked in your Muggle Studies book, just a peek y'know," Ron looked incredibly uncomfortable. After a few hiccupping sighs, Hermione started to get to her feet, taking Harry's offered hand. Harry slung his arm around her shoulders and Ron did the same.

"Thanks, you guys."

"Hey," Harry said. "We'd never let you down. We're the Three Musketeers!" Hermione smiled at the thought of the Muggle movie.

"Forget about ferret boy, Hermione," said Ron and the trio walked off together, arm in arm.