Yours, Luna Lovegood

The Talk

Luna lay with her head and shoulders propped comfortably against the far arm of the mid-century leather loveseat in Harry's room, her legs angled over his waist and thighs. Her body was softly molded to the contours of the cushions. She thoughtlessly wiggled her toes over the opposite arm as she read, humming softly.

God, she's beautiful. Harry had never felt so intimately comfortable.

They'd taken nearly forty-five minutes to choose a few volumes from the Potter Library, commenting enthusiastically about generations-old handwritten notes in the margins of spell indexes and magical theory texts.

Harry chose a tattered volume, worn from what must have been hundreds of years of reference, with a dark brown leather bound cover, entitled Potions for the Strengthenying & Protection of the Mynde. Luna chose a more recent volume, perhaps 150 years old. It appeared to be a magically annotated record of ancient poetry and fables entitled, Rumors of Faerie.

They settled in the reading nook, shifting to close the gap between them. Harry felt a settled peace when he could feel her against him. He'd always struggled to focus his attention on difficult texts, but restlessness vanished when he sensed her touch.

Despite some archaic spelling, the book Harry had chosen was fascinating. A comprehensive introduction explored the nature of potion craft and its relationship to the magical core of the witch or wizard engaged in it. Snape had never touched on the magical theory behind potions. Harry could recall only sharp demands related to execution, punctuated by snide, superior comments.

But the magical theory behind potion craft was brilliant. Harry was enchanted with the notion. When a wizard engaged in the preparation of ingredients, his magical core was actively, purposefully interacting with those ingredients, prompting them wordlessly to evoke their essence, commanding that essence to engage with the unique essences of corresponding and sometimes contradicting ingredients, in order to yield an interaction which mere spellcraft could never accomplish. Profoundly powerful potions were the product, not merely of correct execution, but rather the orchestrated chorus of execution, emotion, and intention.

The interactions of dark potions, for instance, were most powerful when the witch or wizard harbored hatred, were driven by wicked intentions. A good wizard might never properly execute a dark potion, for if his intentions are not malicious, if hatred doesn't consume him, a significant aspect of the potion is missing altogether.

Likewise, a dark wizard may never find success crafting a potion intended to heal, or to promote peace, or to combat the ill effects of dark witchcraft. Love is absent from his heart, and he intends only self-protection and self-promotion.

These rules, apparently, were especially relevant to potions purposed to protect and promote the mind. Harry hadn't, as it happened, ever considered the potential benefits of such potions. Yet Dumbledore's fears loomed on the horizon of his mind. He considered the potential of whatever "connection" was harbored with Tom, and how destructive that might be.

Harry's finger traced the markings and notes on the margins. This volume held the artifacts of the pursuits of at least a half dozen of his ancestors. As much to be a part of this trans-temporal community, as to explore a means whereby he might protect himself from the vague specter of Tom's nefarious influence, Harry decided just then to approach Potions with a renewed interest, and to attempt a recipe or two within this book. He quickly found two that held his interest.

Intelligentia Concentrata — a potion to hone the efforts of a mind, particularly when attempting to understand a difficult subject

Mens Protecta — a potion to bolster the efforts of a witch or wizard attempting to protect the mind from the infiltration of an enemy