12. The Missing Ingredient

Ginny flipped through book after book, trying to discover a potion, which contained Boomslang Skin, Mandrake Root, Magic Mushrooms, goat's urine and what appeared to be a Muggle drug known as Ecstasy (it had taken her hours to figure out what that last ingredient was). She had found no perfect match, but she was beginning to form her suspicions. Her most useful clue, surprisingly enough, had come from the Muggle magazine, where she had finally found out what Ecstasy was.

"The primary effect of Ecstasy is a powerful sense of well-being, and an illusion of having a deep, spiritual connection with everybody around you."

After this promising start, the magazine article went on to describe all the undesirable effects of Ecstasy, ending with a warning to all parents never to let their children out of their sight, because the moment they do, the children will run straight to the nearest drug-dealer and gorge themselves on the little pills.

Ginny wondered briefly why anyone would go to so much trouble when all you needed for a sense of well-being was a good old-fashioned Cheering Charm.

At any rate, the "illusion of having a deep, spiritual connection with everybody around you" suggested that the fragrant brew she had discovered in Sirius's cupboard was a love potion. However, it was clearly not complete: after only a brief search through her books, Ginny realised that the one ingredient, which all love potions had in common, was missing from the flask of potion she'd swiped.

In fact, it was this essential ingredient, which was largely responsible for love potions now being illegal. After all, there was really no ethical way of obtaining virgin's blood.

"Now, where would Sirius be getting virgin's blood from?" she said aloud to herself.

And then she remembered: a goat chewing peacefully on the curtains... a goat rushing at her with its sharp little hoofs and horns.

Ginny was still rolling around on the floor laughing, when a pale and sick-looking Hermione walked into the room. She took one look at Ginny and snarled, "What the hell is so funny?"

Ginny took a few deep breaths and wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh... nothing," she said. "Just remembering Draco's rendition of YMCA'. What's up with you?"

"Er..." said Hermione, somewhat calmer now, "Nothing. Sorry. Just saw something a bit..."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing! You know what? I think Fred and George are pretty cute! I wonder what it's be like to do it with twins?"

Ginny had to suppress a scream. "Ugh, Hermione, okay, that's enough! Snape was gross enough, but when it's my brothers, I don't want to know, okay? What happened to stirring Snape's cauldron, anyway?"

For a moment Hermione looked as if she would vomit, but she quickly regained control of herself. "Oh, I changed my mind about him. I'm over him."

"How come?"

"Believe me," replied Hermione darkly, "You don't want to know."