Mya was sat at the breakfast table the next morning, peacefully eating her food and enjoying the company of her friends, when McGonagall walked up.
"Miss Halliwell," McGonagall stood behind the girl.
"Y-Yes, professor," Mya had some orange juice in her mouth she was about to swallow when McGonagall snuck up behind her. She quickly swallowed before turning around.
"I just wanted to give you your OWL report," McGonagall held out a sealed envelope. "Seeing as we could not deliver it to you over the summer."
"Right, yeah, thank you," Mya took the envelope before turning back around.
"Well, open it," Ron urged her.
"I don't want to," Mya pouted. "I probably failed everything."
"Do you want me to open it?" Hermione asked.
"Yes please," Mya handed it to her.
Hermione took off the seal before unfolding the paper, her eyes scanning across it very fast. "Well, this isn't bad at all."
"What did I get?" Mya asked.
"You got an A in History of Magic. An E in Astronomy. An O in Care of Magical Creatures. An E in Charms. An O in Defence. An A in Herbology. An E in Potions. An A in Divination. And an O in Transfigurations."
"Shit, I passed them all," Mya let out a laugh as she snatched the paper back to see for herself.
"Well, you're not going to be in History of Magic, Herbology, or Potions," Hermione pointed out. "You would have needed to get better marks in those. But you did pass."
"Thats all right with me," Mya said. "I didn't want to take those classes anyways. I'm probably going to drop Divination and Care of Magical creatures though."
"You can't do that," Ron told her. "You have to be in Care of Magical creatures."
"Why?" Mya asked.
"Because we aren't taking it," Harry informed her.
Mya rolled her eyes. "I don't feel like getting attacked by another creature this year."
"Hey," Lea scooted onto the bench next to Mya. "Did you get your scores?"
"Yeah, you?" Mya asked.
"Snape just gave them to me," Lea pulled her letter out of her bag. "I got O's and E's in everything."
"Did you get an O in potions?" Hermione asked.
"Yep," Lea smiled.
"Thank Godrick," Hermione let out a sigh of relief. "At least I will have someone in the class with me."
"It's not our fault Snape hates us," Ron shot her a look.
"Snape's not the teacher anymore," Hermione reminded him as she swung her bag over her shoulder and stood up from the bench. "Come on Lea, we better not be late for our first lesson."
"I'm right behind you," Lea reached over as she grabbed a croissant for a quick breakfast before standing up and following Hermione out of the hall.
The two girls had a very exciting conversation as they walked down to the dungeons. Brainstorming all the advanced potions they might get to make this year. Lea understood that people didn't like the class before because of Snape, but it was really interesting to learn all this stuff.
Hermione chose a table for them close to the front as they sat down.
Hermione furrowed her brows as she looked over Lea's shoulder. "Why is Draco is staring a hole into the back of your head?"
"What?" Lea turned around quickly, but Draco had already looked away from her. "He hasn't talked to me since we got back."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Pansy might have led on that I'm the reason his father is locked up now," Lea turned back around to look at her.
"Don't listen to Pansy," Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know most of the things that come out of her mouth are a lie."
"Than what could it be?" Lea asked. "I-I just want to talk to him, but I can't if won't look at me."
"I don't know," Hermione honestly said. "Maybe it will just work out on its own. He'll come around... probably."
The classroom door opened up as a short plump man with tin grey hair came walking in. "Hello, all. Welcome to 6th year potions. Give me a moment to set up, but I had a real treat for you all today."
***
Mya, Ron, and Harry stood on a bench in the hall, watching all the first years get lost on their way to their classes. Because this is what happens when sixth years get the morning off from classes.
And McGonagall could see this problem right away. "Potter."
"Oh, this can't be good," Harry jumped off the bench.
"Hey look, that first year keeps walking back and forth," Ron pointed to a poor little Ravenclaw girl who kept walking up and down the crowded corridor, as if her classroom would magically appear. "Must have been sorted into the wrong house."
A moment later as the crowds started to die off when the bell rang, Harry came back over to them. "Come on, McGonagall said we have to go to potions."
"No," Ron groaned as he jumped down. "I thought we got out of that with our marks?"
"Apparently, Slughorn takes Exceeds Expectations," Harry informed him.
"Well," Mya jumped down. "Good luck boys."
"She said you have to come as well," Harry broke the news.
Mya swore under her breath. "Do I have to?"
"If I have to, you have to," Ron grabbed her arm before dragging her down the hall with them. "I don't want to take potions either, we got quidditch tryouts coming up."
"Mya, are you trying out?" Harry asked as they walked down the stairs to the dungeons.
"Me?" Mya pointed to herself. "I never even ridden on a broom before!"
"Thats true," Harry sighed. "I don't know who I am going to get to replace Fred and George's spots. I have a feeling quidditch captain is going to be harder than I thought."
"Yeah, but it's good for me," Ron grinned. "I mean, you know, you'll be fair and all."
Harry pushed open the door to the potions classroom. Slughorn had been standing with his back to the door, all the students huddle together around his work desk.
"Ah, Harry, my boy, I was beginning to worry," Slughorn turned around to greet them. "We've brought others with us, I see."
"Ron Weasley, sir," Ron introduced. "But I'm a dead awful at potions, a menace, actually."
"Yeah, me as well," Mya and Ron tried to slowly back up. "We should probably just go-
"Nonsense, we'll sort you two out," Slughorn waved them off as Harry grabbed both their sleeves so they couldn't go running out of the classroom. "Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine. Get your books out."
"Oh, sorry, sir. I haven't actually got my book yet," Harry told him. "Neither does Ron or Mya."
"No to worry, get what you want from the cupboard," Slughorn turned back around to his class. "Now, as I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?"
The three walked over to the cupboard. Mya opened it up, and sat on one of the shelves were three copies of Advanced Potion Making, by Libatius Borage. Two were fairly new, and one looked battered and beaten up.
Without saying a word to one another, they each dove to get one of the new books. Mya, being the smallest of the three, got one of the new books first as she shoved her way between the two boys. Ron shoved her into Harry as he grabbed the other one. Leaving Harry with the older copy.
Mya and Ron high five before they walked back over to join the class.
"And this is Amortentia," Hermione was standing with her book held close to her chest in front of one of the three cauldrons sat on the table. "The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass, and new parchment, and... spearmint toothpaste."
Hermione shook her head a bit as she walked back over to Lea.
"Now, Amortentia doesn't create actual love. That would be impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. And for that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room," Slughorn placed a lid on top of it as some girls started to move towards it. They each blushed as they stepped back.
"Sir?" Parvati Patil raised her hand. He gave her a signal to continue. "What's in that one?"
"Oh, yes," Slughorn picked up the tiny vial from its stand. "What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen is a curious little potion known as Felix Felicis. But it's more commonly referred to as-"
"Liquid luck," Hermione finished for him.
"Yes, Miss Granger, Liquid Luck," Slughorn held it up for them to see. "Desperately tricky to make, disastrous should you get it wrong. One sip and you will find that all your endeavors succeed. At least until the effects wear off. So, this is what I offer each of you today. One tiny vile of liquid luck to the student who, in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death, the recipes for which can be found on page ten of your books. I should point out, however, only once did a student manage to brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. Nevertheless, good luck to you all. Let the brewing commence."
Everyone opened up their textbooks as they walked over to their workstations, trying to figure out where to start and what they needed.
And once they did find that out, it only got more hectic in the room. The first optical the faced was with the Sopophorous bean. They went flying around the classrooms and whizzing over people's deads as they tried to duck for cover.
Mya took her knife as she tried to stab the thing repeatably.
"Mya!" Lea hissed as she placed her hands onto of her friends. "It says cut, not act out a murder scene. I will take your knife away from you."
"No," Mya looked up innocently. "Don't take my knife away."
"Then cut it, properly," Lea told her.
"You can't cut them," Mya lowered her voice. "You know that as well as I do."
"Wait," Lea whispered as she glanced quickly over at Harry.
Mya looked over to see Harry crushing his Sopophorous bean, it opened up easily before he dripped the juice into his cauldron.
"How did you do that?" Hermione looked surprised at him.
"You crust it. Don't cut," Harry told her.
"No, the instructions specifically say to cut," Hermione looked a bit frustrated.
"No, really," Harry looked back down at his battered up book.
"Wow, I think he might have a point," Mya tried to act shocked at the news as she crushed her bean. "And would you look at that, easy."
They continued on with making their potion. The more they brewed, the hotter the room got. And it didn't help when a couple of cauldrons exploded.
Mya's hair was frizzy and sticking up all over the place as she waved her hand from the smoke that just came out of her cauldron. She didn't know if she was making it right anymore.
Lea's eyes kept wandering up and over to Draco. She needed a moment alone with him, and saw the perfect opportunity. to do so when he headed towards to storage cupboard.
"I-I need some more Moondew," Lea got off her of her stool.
"You can use some of mine," Mya offered.
"No, I'll get my own," Lea had her eyes trained on the cupboard as she walked over to it.
When she got there, she pulled open the door and walked inside. Draco's back was to her as he reached for something on the high self. She quietly shut the door behind her.
"Do you mind grabbing me some Moondew," Lea watched his back tense up as he almost dropped what he had in his hand. "Draco."
He slowly turned around to face her, but still would not look at her, merely he looked over her head. He tried to walk towards the door, but Lea blocked him.
"Draco," Lea spoke more firmly. "Speak to me, please, anything."
"What do you want me to say?" There it was, he finally looked at her. Lea expected it to feel more special, but he looked sad and angry when he stared down at her. "You ran off the ministry and ditched me as my father was thrown into Azkaban."
"I didn't mean to," Lea lowered her voice. "Draco I never wanted to leave you. It was forced upon me. You don't know how much I had to go through to get back here."
"Lea I tried to see it your way, but your way got my father locked up," Draco said.
"He did a bad thing, he's on Voldemort's side," Lea tried to get him to see reason. "Draco, please, please see that I had to do what I needed to do because it was the right thing to do."
"He's my father," Draco placed his hand on the doorknob. "I'd do anything for my father."
He opened up the door before storming out.
Lea wanted to close the door and just cry in here. She loved him, she really did. But right now he wasn't looking at her with any sort of love in his eyes.
She turned around before grabbing the Moondew off the self before walking back into the classroom. Using her sleeve to dry her eyes as she walked back to her station.
"You alright?" Mya asked when Lea sat back down next to her.
Lea nodded her head before getting back to working on her potion.
By the time Slughorn had called it time, everyone looked like a mess. Slughorn walked around each station expecting potions as he went. Crabbe's potion even tried to attack him at, before Slughorn set whatever was in there away.
"Hello, Miss..."
"Halliwell," Mya's hair was all in one big messed up bun now. "It's terrible, I wouldn't even bother looking at it."
"Yes, I must agree," Slughorn looked in her cauldron for a moment before going to the next person. "Harry! Shall we see how you did?"
"Yes sir," Harry took a step back so Slughorn could inspect it.
Slughorn dropped a feather into Harry's potion, looking more than impressed. "Merlin's beard. It's perfect. So perfect I daresay one drop would kill us all."
They all stood, glaring at Harry as Slughorn took the vile off of its stand.
"So here we are then, as promised," Slughorn walked back over to him. "One Vile of Felix Felicis. Congratulations. Use it well."
Harry smiled as they all gave less than enthusiastic claps for him.
"I hate potions," Mya muttered as she packed up her things.
"Yeah," Lea wasn't paying attention to her though. She was watching as Pansy clung onto Draco's arm, leaning in to whisper something in his ear that made him laugh. "It really sucks."