"Ooh, we still get to learn under Firenze, (Y/n)," Cho said, smiling as she looked down at her time sheet. Marietta snorted.
"Wonder how much homework Professor Vector will give us on our first day..." Marietta murmured.
"Is she strict?" (Y/n) asked worriedly.
"Definitely, but if you follow her rules, you won't have a problem," Marietta said.
"You're double-booked multiple times this year, (Y/n)," Cho murmured, peering at (Y/n)'s time chart. "I started understanding that it wasn't a mistake as of last year, but how are you doing it if you're taking every single class at Hogwarts? Do they just give you the work after and you're expected to keep up off of it?"
"That is what Professor McGonagall told me," (Y/n) lied.
"Wow, your brain is wonders... I don't think I'd be able to learn solely based on text. I need some method learning too, you know?" Cho murmured.
"I couldn't think of a worse way to start off the school year after getting Obliviated," Marietta said. "I mean, fourteen classes after just learning you're a witch?.."
"Marietta! You could at least try and approach the topic more gently..." Cho murmured. "Are you planning on retaking Apparition?" she asked (Y/n).
"Yeah, probably. That might be a necessity after Hogwarts, right?"
"Well, so long as you don't want to use the Floo Network or go through the process of getting a legal Portkey, then yes..." Cho said, nodding.
"Well, if I live in London, I could always drive— or walk, even— to the Ministry, right?"
"You could," Cho agreed. "If you worked at the Ministry, of course..."
"Better to just retake Apparition," Marietta chimed. "Even if you never wind up using it, won't it be useful if you do need to?"
"Fair point," (Y/n) agreed. "I have until next semester to figure it out, though..."
"Do you think it's possible Flitwick and Slughorn might let me into N.E.W.T. Potions?" Cho asked. "I got 'Exceeds Expectations,' in fifth year and now that Snape's not the teacher, I might meet the requirement."
"I did too," Marietta said. "Look— Flitwick's talking with the sixth years, maybe he'll hear us out?"
"Yeah, let's go," Cho said, getting up. "See you after your double Potions, (Y/n)... We might be allowed to see you for the next class."
"Wait— I do not know where—" (Y/n) pressed her lips together once Cho and Marietta were out of earshot. She looked around for anyone that may be able to point her in the direction of the Potions classroom.
"Lost already?" mused a voice from behind (Y/n). She whipped around, vaguely recognizing the boy in front of her as one of the alive people in attendance during Cassius's Deathday party.
"You were at Cassius's Deathday party, right?" (Y/n) asked and the boy nodded. "I am sorry, I do not remember your name..."
"Theodore Nott," said the boy. "Or just... Theo," he added with a shrug. (Y/n) smiled and nodded.
"Might you be able to point me in the direction of the Potions classroom?" (Y/n) requested.
"It's in the dungeons," Theodore said. "Come on, I'll take you."
"Don't you have class?"
"Eh, Flitwick won't mind if I'm late," Theodore said. He waited for (Y/n) to get up and grab her bag before gently taking her hand and guiding her down towards the dungeons.
"Why have a class in the dungeons in a castle as big as this one?" (Y/n) asked.
"Some potions can't handle bright lights," Theodore answered.
"Oh... Fascinating," (Y/n) beamed. Theodore's lips turned up.
"Down here," Theodore said. "Don't mix it up with the stairs down to the basement, or you'll wind up near the Hufflepuff common room."
"Is the Hufflepuff common room bad?"
"Far from it," Theodore said. "But if you don't know the password, you'll be doused in ink or vinegar." (Y/n) crinkled her nose.
"Do any other of the common rooms do that?"
"Nope. Just Hufflepuff," Theodore answered. "If you don't know— or can't remember— the Gryffindor or Slytherin password, you'll just have to wait for someone to come along that does... And for Ravenclaw, you get one chance with the riddle before needing to wait for someone else to come along."
"Good to know..." (Y/n) smiled. "How many of the common rooms have you gotten into?"
"All of them."
"Oh..."
"Same for you," Theodore said. "You always said you liked the Ravenclaw tower the best, yet you stayed in it the least."
"Well, what's a girl to do with so many inter-house relationships?" (Y/n) smiled. Theodore chuckled, shaking his head.
"Here's your stop," Theodore said, coming to a stop. He seemed just as interested as (Y/n) in terms of the vapours and odd smells coming from the classroom.
"Are there assigned seats?" (Y/n) asked nervously.
"You've got a new teacher, I'd imagine he'll assign new seats if he chooses to assign any at all," Theodore answered. "You've got this," he assured, clapping a hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder.
"I do," (Y/n) nodded, tightly gripping her bag. "Well, I will see you the next time I see you."
"Right," Theodore grinned, lingering and watching (Y/n) enter the classroom. (Y/n)'s eyes scanned the room— there weren't many students in the seventh-year N.E.W.T. course. She took one of the unoccupied seats at an empty table. As other students filed in, they too wound up sitting at empty tables before the later students needed to start sitting at occupied tables. With how spread out everyone was, nearly everyone got their own table with the exception of two who had to share with two others. Professor Slughorn greeted (Y/n) with great enthusiasm that (Y/n) returned with an awkward smile.
The table (Y/n) wound up sitting at was near a gold-coloured cauldron that was emitting a very alluring scent— One that attracted (Y/n) greatly and made her feel rather safe: Somehow, it reminded her of baked goods, her favourite drink, lotus, and a scent (Y/n) couldn't quite put her finger on, but it was home. She took a few deep breaths, basking in the familiar scent before Slughorn closed his classroom door after the tardy bell rang.
"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making..." The students, as one, moved to take out the list of items Slughorn had asked of them. While (Y/n)'s book would have been new last year, presently (Y/n) found several sticky notes and page markers sticking out of her book.
"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 indicated the cauldron nearest a boy who wore Slytherin robes. Several people rose to their feet to see what was inside. A Slytherin girl's hand flew into the air before anyone else; Slughorn nodded at her.
"It's Veritaserum, a colourless, odourless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth."
"Very good, very good!" said Slughorn happily."Now, he continued, pointing at the cauldron nearest a Hufflepuff boy, "this one here is pretty well known... Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately too... Who can—?"
"It's Polyjuice Potion, sir," answered the Hufflepuff.
"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here..." Slughorn motioned toward the cauldron (Y/n) was nearest to. The Slytherin boy sitting in front of (Y/n) rose his hand.
"It's Amortentia!"
"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, "but I assume you know what it does?"
"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" said the Hufflepuff boy.
"Quite right. You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"
"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," said the Slytherin boy. "It's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us— (Y/n) and I did a report on it last year." Though the boy did not see it, (Y/n) sent him the briefest looks of betrayal.
"I see, I see," Slughorn beamed. "Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room— oh yes," he said, nodding gravely. "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love...
"And now," Slughorn said, "it is time for us to start work."
"Sir, you haven't told us what's in that one," said a Ravenclaw boy, pointing at the small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the colour of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilt.
"Oho," said Slughorn again. (Y/n) believed that Slughorn had not forgotten the potion at all, but had waited to be asked for dramatic effect. "Yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. Liquid luck." The whole class sat up a little straighter now. "It's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis. Desperately tricky to make and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavours tend to succeed... at least until the effects wear off."
"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?"
"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," said Slughorn. "Too much of a good thing, you know... highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally... I have taken it twice in my life. Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoons taken with breakfast. Two perfect days.
"And that," Slughorn continued, "is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."
Ther was silence in which every bubble and gurgle of the surrounding potions seemed magnified tenfold.
"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," said Slughorn, taking a minuscule glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it to them all. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt.
"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competitions... sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only... and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!
"So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win my fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"
There was a scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons toward them and some loud clunks as people began adding weights to their scales, but nobody spoke. The concentration within the room was almost tangible
(Y/n) had no plans of winning the phial of Felix Felicis, but she did have the desire to prove she could brew potions just as well as her classmates. Upon opening her textbook, she found that there already were sticky notes and writing in the margins and she wondered if she had brewed this potion before. In addition to the notes, there were some words that had been covered with white-out and replaced with writing that was undoubtedly (Y/n)'s. She chose to follow her previous notes rather than just the textbooks— not that she had the choice with the white-out covering some words. She got her needed ingredients.
(Y/n) then measured her standard potioning water and added African sea salt before setting it aside, careful not to let the liquid move. She set a timer for five minutes and once it was up, she poured all of the water into the cauldron before quickly casting a spell that cleaned out her beaker. She used a graduated cylinder to properly measure the essence of wormwood. She used her right hand to slightly tilt the cauldron and poured half of the essence in with her left hand. She then did the same with opposite hands and finished off the measured essence. (Y/n) diced up her Valerian roots before letting them brew in a beaker with water.
Everyone kept glancing around at what the rest of the class was doing; it was both an advantage and disadvantage of Potions, that it was hard to keep your work private. Within ten minutes, the whole place was full of bluish steam. (Y/n) was very proud indeed to find that her potion, as the directions described, was a "smooth, black currant-coloured liquid."
Noticing an arrow that led up to a sticky note, (Y/n) followed it and discovered she was not to chop her Sopphorous bean and, instead, crush it to get more juice from it. She very carefully used her pestle to crush the bean, which produced so much juice that she was amazed the shrivelled bean could have it all. Immediately and carefully, she poured the Sopphorous bean into the cauldron. Then, once her timer went off and after making sure there were no traces of root, (Y/n) accurately poured seven drops of the reduced root liquid into the cauldron.
(Y/n) was surprised with how accurate of an annotation she had made, for, with every stir lasting around two seconds, her potion became the "clear as water" the textbook described. She slowly added seven square pieces of the Valerian root. Then, she added the correct measurement of Powdered Root Asphodel.
(Y/n) was to stir next and she noticed yet another arrow that lead up to the same sticky note.
"Hold the cauldron with your right hand. Stir seven times counterclockwise, once clockwise, repeat until palest pink" -Snape's blackboard
(Y/n) thanked herself silently and listened to the instructions— Seven stirs counterclockwise, one clockwise, pause... seven stirs counterclockwise, one stir clockwise... Her potion had immediately turned the palest pink described. After letting it sit for two and a half minutes, (Y/n) added one last diced Valerian root as her annotations instructed and then she stared into her cauldron, wondering how she had done. At length, she began cleaning up after herself.
"And time's... up!" called Slughorn. "Stop moving, please!" He moved slowly among the tables, peering into the cauldrons and dropping in a leaf into each cauldron he reached. He used tongs to pull back out the leaf and throw it away for the unsuccessful ones. He made sure to clean the tongs in between each use. (Y/n) wasn't sure what he was looking for, but Slughorn praised those whose leaves charred or even came out half-burnt. As a result of being in the back of the classroom, (Y/n) was the last to be tested and all eyes were on her. Slughorn dropped in a leaf and it immediately disintegrated. Incredulous pride and delight crossed Slughorn's face.
"The clear winner!" Slughorn cried to the dungeon. "Excellent, excellent, my dear! Good lord, where does your talent come from? Your mum was most definitely talented, but Potions was never her strong point! Here you are, then, here you are— one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!"
(Y/n) slipped the tiny bottle of golden liquid into her inner pocket, feeling awfully proud she was not only able to keep up with her peers but also somehow manage to come out on top. The students in the room were entirely neutral— Bitter they hadn't won, but somewhat proud (Y/n) was catching on to her old roots so nicely.
"(Y/n), if you would wait a minute, please," Slughorn said.
"Will it be quick? I really must be getting to Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic..." (Y/n) said anxiously.
"Yes, yes, of course," Slughorn chuckled. "Dumbledore said I just need to make sure you'll be catching up just fine..." He looked down at a chart which, no doubt, included the minimal requirements every year was meant to meet. He skipped past the first three pages. "Let's see... We'll start with Antidotes... I want an essay comparing one vanity-related Antidote and one wellness-related Antidote." He nodded to himself as though confirming that was what (Y/n) had to do. "To be turned in anytime next week... Whether that be during our next class or not."
"Right, thank you," (Y/n) said, nodding her head and quickly writing down the first piece of homework she had recieved for the week— Though, she did not have much hope that all of her teachers would only task her with review work considering it was only a Monday and she still had multiple classes to get through for her first day. She entered an empty corridor and placed her agenda in her bag before cautiously taking her Time-Turner out from beneath her shirt and rewinding time based on whenever Double-Potions first began.