Amortentia is a one-shot series set during Half-Blood Prince, in which the scene where Slughorn uncovers the most powerful love potion in the world, Amortentia, is used and the different Hogwarts students smell their unique scents. I thought this would be a good exercise in working with many different characters, and also an enjoyable experience of being able to be inside of various students' heads even if only for a few hundred words. In all six different one-shots are planned for this series.

All ships that are definately known (such as Ron/Hermione) are canon in this fic.

Please leave a review!

-Jackie//xxArtemisxFowlxx

Amortentia
One-Shot Series

Pt. 1 – Harry Potter

After morning broke and breakfast had been eaten, Harry Potter found himself sitting at a wooden table in Slughorn's potions class next to Hermione, his eyes bleary and tired from a poor night's sleep. Across from him Ron yawned and stretched his arms, feeling likewise after a long night of catching up after the summer with other Gryffindors. Hermione shook her head disapprovingly as she flipped anxiously through her already worn copy of Advanced Potion Making.
"Really," she chastised, "I would have thought you two would have had more sense than to stay up so late the night before the first day of classes!" Harry and Ron cast slightly amused glances at each other, both of them hiding snickers. "Boys," Hermione breathed softly with a subtle shake of her head.
"Good morning, class!" Professor Slughorn bellowed heartily as he set his bag down on a large desk in the front of the class, spreading his arms wide to greet them. "I trust everyone had a good night's sleep?" he asked, eyeing the class amusedly as they mumbled half-heartedly in accordance. "Well no matter, no matter! I've a little exercise to wake you all up!" He ambled over near Harry's table, giving a sly wink at the wizard as he did so, and uncapped the cauldron that stood nearby. A golden, bubbling potion showed, but that wasn't what caught Harry's attention the most.
An incredibly enticing scent wafted up his nostrils, a warm feeling seeping into every pore of his body. The sensation was so mind-numbing that he barely noticed some of the other students across the room rising from their seats at the alluring smell. Harry cast a lazy smile at Ron who similarly grinned back, his own nose inhaling deeply. What Harry smelled at first was overall confusing, and he wasn't sure he could pick out any individual scents in the disarray that confronted him. Yet as his mind slowly defogged from the initial reaction, he found himself able to focus on certain parts of the potion's aroma.
The first whiff he identified was of warm treacle tart. It brought back pleasant memories of eating in the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione, throwing jokes around and laughing over dinner. He could imagine Ginny, Fred, George, and even Neville there as they enjoyed themselves, and the friendship he felt was incredible.
Soon that vision faded and was replaced with a new fragrance, one that sent Harry soaring above the entire classroom, or possibly the world. It was wooden and oaky, reminding him of his broomstick, and thus the sensation of flying on his Firebolt. He was only partially aware of sitting still next to Hermione as he flew over the vast countryside in his mind. A wind seemed to be buffeting his black hair as he soared, the sensation of freedom overwhelming. Almost sadly the hallucination faded, but it was quickly replaced with something equally exciting and even more overpowering.
A soft and welcoming scent drifted into his mind, hinting tenderly of fresh flowers. It wasn't as strong as the previous illusions, but it called to him more than any of the others. Harry focused on it as hard as he could, hoping for it to become stronger by doing so. Small flashes of the Burrow and velvety red hair eluded him tauntingly, a girl's tinkling bell-like laugh echoing behind the images. Unknowingly Harry gripped the seat of his chair in frustration as he tried to catch a stronger whiff of the enticing perfume. The visions were then sharply cut off, and Harry blinked his eyes rapidly as he was forcefully snatched from his satisfying reverie. His mind was lost and confused as his thoughts came back, the fogging memories leaving as the air became normal once more. Harry looked towards the cauldron that had emitted such sensations to see that Slughorn had placed its lid back on again. The professor stood there bemused as he took in the equally dazed students' expressions, his eyes twinkling.
"Might I ask who knows the name of this most mischievous little concoction?" Hermione's hand instantly shot up next to Harry, and he groggily wondered how she had managed to clear her mind so quickly.
"It's Amortentia, sir!" Harry had never heard of such a potion, but the name alluded at his prior daydreams once again.
"Very good indeed, Ms. Granger!" Slughorn congratulated with gusto. Harry looked at the other two tables in the room, feeling amused when he saw Draco Malfoy straighten his school tie as he relaxed his startled expression after his own visions. Other students similarly unwound themselves, the Slytherins looking obviously uncomfortable after experiencing so much passion.
Harry himself still felt a bit ruffled, but the ensuing class work helped ease his mind. He focused as much as he could on the assignment, but the last scent he had experienced lingered teasingly in his conscience. After handing something to Ron and seeing his red hair, the memories of his sister Ginny surfaced creating a similarly warm feeling as the Amortentia had. Another lethargic smile stretched across his face as he thought of the little girl he had always imagined to be his sister. The images were stronger and more satisfying than what the potion had induced, and he slowly felt his hunger subside. Ginny was someone he could wrap his arms around, a girl with sparkling eyes and a bell-like laugh, complete with two warm lips that he could kiss. This new feeling was much more than the mere scent of Amortentia—it was real.

So what do you think? This is my first time writing from Harry's point of view (I'm a major Draco fan) and I like how it turned out.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Constructive criticism? Leave a review!

-Jackie//xxArtemisxFowlxx