Harry shrugged. 'I suppose we'll just have to rely on luck,' he said wishing he had something more sturdy to depend on. This memory was important and he couldn't fail Dumbledore.
Hermione entered the boys' dorm. 'Luck for what?' she asked as she walked in and sat on Ron's bed. The other boys were gone, and it was just the four of them.
'Slughorn's memory,' Ginny answered, as she watched Harry fruitlessly work to flatten his hair.
Ron jumped up from laying down on his bed. 'That's it!' he said excitedly.
Harry turned from the mirror. 'What's it?' he asked confused.
'Luck. Get lucky Harry!' he said quickly, and smiling brightly at his own intelligence.
Ginny rolled her eyes. 'Yeah right Ron, me and Harry have the best luck there is!' she said sarcastically.
Hermione then comprehended what Ron meant. 'Yes, Ron you're right!' she said giving him a hug for his brilliance.
'Are we missing something here?' Harry asked Ginny.
'Harry. Felix Felicis!' Ron said pointing to Harry's trunk at the end of the bed.
Harry nodded at Ginny,motioning her to go for it.
She went in and began to rummage through it.
'It's in the old socks,' Harry answered as she searched.
Ginny giggled as she pulled it out of the yellowing pair of socks.
'Felix Felicis, I forgot about you,' she said to the bottle of golden liquid.
Ginny handed it to Harry. 'Go on, take a swig. We're about to leave. Only, don't drink too much because we will only need about a few hours,' she said as she gingerly passed it to him.
'Thanks,' he murmured before drinking a small portion of it.
Ron looked in awe. 'Well, go on. How does it taste? What's it feel like?' he asked urgently.
'I feel great... brilliant, actually. Let's go, I have the feeling we should leave now,' he said as he helped Ginny sit up from on his bed.
He then turned and looked in the mirror. He took his hand and began to try and flatten his hair again. Nothing happened and it stayed upright in it's messy position.
'Dear, Felix Felicis is for luck, not miracles,' Ginny said giggling at his attempt to use luck to make his hair stay flat.
Harry grumbled but smiled all the same.
The four proceeded to walk out of the common room and on their way to the dungeons. There were no disturbances and they got there fairly quickly. When they arrived, the party was in full swing with dancing couples and all.
Right as they entered, Slughorn greeted them amiably. 'Hello there all. Some of my most favorite guests, come in, come in. Happy belated New Year!' he said throwing some confetti and shaking Ron and Harry's hands. After brushing the confetti off her shoulder, Hermione gave Harry a pointed look, and he refused to release Slughorn's hands. Ginny followed his lead.
'Professor, would you like a drink?' Harry said, as he led the dumpy man over to the "adult" refreshment table. Some other professors were around, but due to some possible luck, they all seemed to dissipate quite quickly.
'Why Harry, great chap. Sure, I'd love a drink or two,' he said walking over and was about to dip a glass into the great bowl of unalcoholic beverage. Harry distracted him for one moment.
This is where Ginny came in. She quickly switched the signs that marked which one was whiskey and plain. Slughorn laughed at something Harry said, and proceeded to get his drink.
'Sure great party, Professor,' Ginny said over the loud noise of the music.
Slughorn grinned after drinking deeply into his glass. 'You think so? Yes, I have to agree,' he said to her a little gloatingly.
Harry conjured up some butterbeers for him and Ginny. He smiled and said, 'To the New Year!' They both downed a small bit of their drink, and watched Slughorn do the same. He drained his, and Ginny magically refilled it, with him not even realizing, for he was too busy making a dry joke.
'More like belated New Year, eh Harry?' he said slyly, as if he had one over on Harry.
Harry smiled widely. 'Exactly,' he said shrugging.
Ginny took up next. 'Then, to the belated New Year!' she said loudly, taking a drink.
Surprisingly, Slughorn was as dimwitted as they thought and he too took a drink. Harry refilled the glass, and they began to tell he was getting drowsy. Before long, everything was being toasted to.
'To Harry Potter!' Slughorn announced with a silly grin.
Ginny and Harry glanced at each other. 'Harry Potter,' They mumbled with feeble grins as well.
Harry knew that luck was helping them, as the music seemed to get louder and louder as Slughorn did. It also was strange that no one, no guest, had come over to greet Slughorn while he was drinking with Harry and Ginny. They even stayed away from the punch table, which they were standing by.
'To all Potters,' Ginny said, having an idea. She had a sly smile on and knew Slughorn would fall into the trap.
Harry smirked at Ginny; she was a Potter too, now. 'All Potters,' he and Slughorn said at the same time.
Slughorn stopped toasting, but looked a little misty eyed.
'Say, Professor, didn't you mention Lily Potter being one of your top students once?' Ginny said slowly and clearly so that the drunk Slughorn would comprehend what she said.
Slughorn thought about it. Harry gave Ginny a curious look, he wondered where she was going with this.
'Why of course, she was a great, great witch, Lily Potter was. And then... then I heard of the news of her death and it was simply terrible. Never heard of a funeral date either,' Slughorn said stumbling a bit on the words.
Ginny pressed on. 'You've heard of the rumours though, haven't you?' she asked quietly to him and very softly.
'Rumours, what rumours?' he asked her a bit groggily.
'Oh you know, the Chosen One, of course,' Ginny said, receiving a sharp look from Harry.
Slughorn nodded and said, 'Yes, yes... Lily Potter dying and young Harry being the only one who can kill You-Know-Who,' he clapped a large hand on Harry, who didn't know if it was because he was acknowledging him or because he needed to steady himself.
Ginny got spoke so quiet that even Harry had to strain his ears over the loud music. 'Professor,' she said in an undertone. 'Could you - possibly tell me, what is a horcrux exactly?' she asked him.
Slughorn shook his head and groggily had tears leaking out of his eyes. 'I can't... I'm so - so ashamed.'
Harry caught on then. 'Professor, you loved Lily Potter. You worshipped her. Why can't you help her son, get the memory that can stop the wizard who killed her?' he asked pitifully.
'The Chosen One? Are they true - the rumours?' Slughorn asked looking at Harry out of focus.
Harry put on a mystic voice. 'True? They're fate.' He said quietly.
'But I - the memory... it'd ruin me,' he said mournfully.
Ginny clasped a hand on his. 'By giving us the memory of horcruxes, you would make up for all the wrong you did before,' she said sadly and calmly.
'Are you - are you sure?' he asked them both leaning heavily on them.
Harry and Ginny nodded, but not too eagerly.
Slughorn look at his empty glass now, that once had held Firewhiskey. He shrugged and then nodded with more tears leaking out. Slowly, he took his wand and retracted the memory from his brain. He put it in the glass and gave it to Ginny. He patted her hand which held the cup.
'You're a good girl... very good, you'll be brilliant one day you know.'
Harry firmly put his hands on Ginny's shoulders and pulled her from Slughorn's grasp. 'Thanks Professor, it was really nice talking to you,' he said, steering Ginny away, as she clutched the glass.
'Yes, yes. Goodbye now. Enjoy - enjoy yourselves,' Slughorn said, as he wobbled to someone else talking gibberish.
Ginny and Harry quickly found Hermione and Ron and showed them the cup which held the silvery liquid.
'Let's go,' Ginny hissed to them. She handed Hermione the glass and watched her seal it with magic so the memory wouldn't fall out.
They were about to leave when someone grabbed Ginny's arm. She turned away from Harry to see Dean holding her tightly, and not to mention painfully, by the arm. He seemed quite possessive.
'Gin, you wanna dance?' he asked looking smug that he was holding her to him.
Ginny let out a breath and looked somewhat surprised that he had the nerve to ask her that. 'Actually Dean, I'm just leaving. So, goodbye,' she said frowning, as she began to pull away.
'No come on, let's dance,' he ignored her protests and was dragging her into the crowd, when luckily Harry turned and saw her being forcibly taken by Dean into the center of the dance floor.
Harry briskly walked over to where they were and parted his way through the crowds. He turned Ginny around to look him in the eyes.
He let out a very exaggerated sigh of relief. 'There you are, Ginny,' he said, as he held onto her shoulders and deeply, passionately kissed her. Ginny grinned and began to kiss him back. She felt someone let go of her hand, and she cut off the kiss to see Dean looking at them with envy.
'So it's like that, is it?' he asked, looking at Harry and Ginny with some disgust.
Harry nodded. 'Yeah, that's how it is. Stay away from girlfriend from now on. Come on Gin, Hermione and Ron are waiting,' he said, as he took his hand in hers, and they walked out of the crowd and to where Ron and Hermione were staying.
'What took you?' Hermione asked them when they met back up.
Ginny smiled thankfully at Harry. 'Harry was just rescuing me from Dean,' she explained shortly, waving the subject off.
Ron sent a dark look in the direction of where Dean was sulking.
Harry put an arm around Ginny. 'He's gonna keep doing it, you know,' he told Ginny seriously.
Ginny nodded her head. 'I know... but we can't worry about that now. Tomorrow, we'll visit Dumbledore and give him our homework,' she said pointing to the sealed glass Hermione was holding.
'Right,' Harry said shaking off the feeling of protectiveness of Ginny because of Dean. He knew she didn't like being taken as a baby, so he didn't want to make her mad by standing up for her.
'Harry, wake up. Harry... wake up,' Ginny was shaking Harry awake and softly whispering into his ear. She didn't want to wake anyone else in the boys' dorm up; especially Dean.
Harry slowly opened his eyes, and rolled over.
Ginny sighed and pushed his glasses into his hand. She was also holding the memory. 'We've got to go before breakfast starts,' she told him as he rolled back over to face her.
'Alright, I'll meet you in the Common Room,' he said, sitting up straight.
Ginny left the dorm so he could change.
After meeting back up with him infront of the warm fire, they walked hand in hand to Dumbledore's office.
'You think he's here?' Ginny asked, as Harry began randomly guessing candy names.
Harry shrugged. 'Toffee eclairs?' he asked and was satisfied with the response.
The doors to his office began spinning and they walked up the spiral staircase to knock on the first door.
Suddenly, Dumbledore wrenched open the door and smiled at them. 'You have it?' he asked looking thrilled.
Ginny nodded and held up the sealed glass.
'Great, come in, come in... quickly,' Dumbledore said, looking around to see if anyone had followed them, and then shutting the door.
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