Why can't I stop thinking about it? Hermione thought desperately, staring up at the roof of her four-poster bed.

Dumped

Harry Potter and the gang have returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their fifth year. Hermione Granger, who was meant to spend the holidays with a certain Bulgarian Seeker, never ended up going. Why not? Well, take a look at Krum's 'krummy' letter…

Dear Hermione,

I'm sorry, but you can no longer visit me in Bulgaria. I know this is unexpected, but I'm involved with someone else now and would not want to inconvince you. I really enjoyed our time at Hogwarts, and hope we can remain friends. Also, thank you for your hospital…

'Hospital?' Hermione said to herself, cutting off for the moment. 'Oh, you mean "hospitality", don't you? Moron...'

...and for the Butterbeer you so kindly delivered.

Yours Sincerely,

Viktor Krum

Hermione had read this letter one too many times over the holidays. Knowing this time should certainly be the last, she bitterly screwed it up, reached for her wand and pronounced 'incendio'.

'Humph! Friends indeed,' she uttered snootily, happily watching Krum's letter burn. 'What a waste of time! And all that Butterbeer I sent him, just because he said they didn't supply it in Bulgaria! Never again, I swear.'


Love Potion

Later that evening, when the school was seated to dinner in the Great Hall…

'QUIET! Quiet please! I have an important announcement to make,' commanded Professor McGonagall, standing up at the teacher's table. 'A very serious matter has come to my attention. It seems someone in this school has made or acquired an illegal potion!'

Her eyes momentarily fix on Fred and George at the Gryffindor table, but they appear to know nothing. If anything, they look rather insulted.

'To be precise,' she continued, 'it's a love potion.'

Giggling and snickering immediately erupted from the students around the Hall. Professor McGonagall, however, looked as though giggling or snickering was the last thing on her mind.

'Love potions,' she said gravely, 'as humorous as some of you may think, are very dangerous. Not to mention strictly forbidden! A younger student is in the hospital wing as I speak. I urge anyone, who has any information, to notify a teacher immediately. In doing so, you can expect an added one hundred points to your house. Thank you.'

Professor McGonagall sat back down, prompting the Hall into chatter again. Giggling and snickering also, predictably, ensued. At the Gryffindor table, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George had grouped together.

'Can you believe she thinks we're making love potions?' said Fred, outraged.

'I know,' agreed George, equally outraged. 'As if we need a potion to get girls! What about our striking good looks?'

'And our wittingly charming personalities?'

Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the twins, who didn't stay and chat with them for long. They soon left to join their friend Lee Jordan, thus spreading their outrage further, and leaving the other three to themselves.

'Love potion?' said Ron ridiculously, managing to speak and shove turkey into his mouth at the same time. 'Who'd be thick enough to use a love potion? Pass the cranberry sauce, Harry.'

Harry shrugged and passed the cranberry sauce. Hermione on the other hand, was suddenly angry.

'Well, perhaps this person really liked somebody, and found out they didn't like them back, Ron!'

'Yeah but - '

She started to speak very fast…

'And this would make you feel quite rejected when the person you were meant to invest your summer with suddenly cancels with absolutely no regard for your plans whatsoever, and then has the nerve to write a letter saying, "sorry, I'm involved with someone else now. I haven't inconvinced you, HAVE I?" '

With that, Hermione stabbed her fork into her turkey and stormed out of the Hall. A number of people looked up to watch her go, distracted from their dinner. Fred muttered something about 'the turkey not being half bad'. Ron and Harry exchanged odd looks. Ron was the first to comment.

'Is it just me, or do you get the feeling Hermione's upset about something?'

'Yeah,' said Harry, glancing at her empty seat. 'I don't think she went to Krum's for holidays. He must've broken it off.'

'Really?' said Ron, a little too excitedly. Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

'I…I mean, it's probably for the best, you know,' he added, toning down the excitement. 'Long distance relationships, they never work out. Hermione would soon tire of sending letters to Bulgaria all the time. Not to mention all the owls she'd have to use…'

'Right, of course,' said Harry, not sounding very convinced.

'I'm serious!'

'Okay!'

Once dinner finished, all students casually dispersed back to their dormitories. But what would an end to a meal be without a verbal attack from Malfoy?

'Feeling glum, Potter?' he said, blocking Harry on the way out. 'Isn't the love potion working?'

'What are you talking about, Malfoy?' said Harry, glowering.

'By the looks of things, Granger left dinner early with her knickers in a knot. What's the matter? Are you and your girlfriend still having issues since last year? May I suggest couples therapy?'

It was then that Ron decided to intervene. 'Shut it, Malfoy! Harry and Hermione are just friends!'

Malfoy snickered. 'Oh, what's the matter Weasley? Jealous?'

As was typical, Ron's ears burned bright red.

'Hey, Potter! Maybe you could lend the weasel some love potion. Hell, it's the only way he'll ever get a girl to notice him.'

Harry restrained Ron just in time, before he launched an attack right under the teacher's noses.

'Come on, Ron,' he said, directing his friend away. 'We don't need to put up with this.'

Needless to say, Malfoy was left looking quite pleased with himself.


Ginny's Love Potion?

Meanwhile, Hermione had already made her way back to Gryffindor quarters. She was in the girl's dormitories when she could've sworn she heard crying coming from Ginny's room...

'Hello?' she said in a low voice, knocking tentatively on Ginny's door. 'Ginny, is that you?'

The door opened slightly. Ginny peeped out, tears lining her face.

'Her - Hermione?'

'Can I come in?'

Slowly, Ginny opened the door wider and let Hermione through. They both sat down on Ginny's bed, which was littered with used tissues and a half-empty tissue box.

'What's the matter?' asked Hermione.

Ginny's lower lip started to wobble. 'I - I'm - I'm going to be expelled!' she cried, sobbing hopelessly.

'Oh dear,' said Hermione, handing Ginny a new tissue. 'Come on now, calm down. Why do you think you're going to be expelled?'

Ginny sniffed. 'Can you keep a secret Hermione?'

'Of course I can.'

After taking a moment to blow her nose, Ginny continued.

'You know how Professor McGonagall said someone was using a love potion? Well…'

Hermione's jaw fell open.

'Ginny you...you didn't? You made a love potion?'

'I didn't make it!' she retorted, eyes flooding. 'I - I found it. I di - didn't think it would get so out of h - hand, I swear! All I wanted was for Ha - Harry to like me! Please don't tell anyone Hermione, my m - mum would kill me if she knew!'

Breaking down, Ginny flopped her head onto Hermione's shoulder and wailed.

'There, there, it's all right,' said Hermione soothingly, patting Ginny on the head. 'Ginny, please calm down. I won't tell anyone, but you have to promise not to do this sort of thing again! Where on earth did you find a love potion anyway?'

'My m - mum had a bottle of it already made a - at home,' she said, looking up. 'I found it hidden in a cupboard during the holidays.'

Hermione nodded, and was then struck with a rather alarming thought.

'Ginny, you haven't put Harry on this love potion…have you?'

'No,' Ginny replied. 'No, I never did. Thank god.'

Thank god indeed Hermione thought, and was eased slightly

'So, do you have any potion left?'

Regaining some of her composure, Ginny wiped her tears and stood up. She went over to her school bag and pulled out a smallish, round bottle of iridescent pink liquid and passed it to Hermione.

'There,' said Ginny. 'You keep it.'

'Why?'

Ginny eyed the potion in Hermione's hand apprehensively, as if it were about to explode.

'I can't bring myself to get rid of it. Once I used the potion, it kind of possessed me. It's hard to explain. But you're a lot stronger then I am. Please Hermione, just keep it away from me!'

Hermione held the potion up to her face for closer inspection. It was so bright. A pleasant tingling sensation swept through her whole body…her stomach fluttered…

'Hermione?'

Ginny was looking at her funnily.

'Ah, right!' said Hermione, recovering from her reverie. 'Well Ginny, I hope you learned a lesson from all this. And don't worry, I'll dispose of the potion immediately.'

With the potion carefully concealed under her robes, Hermione left Ginny's room and hurried back to her own. Once there, she proceeded to hide the potion under her bed, after which she changed into a white night-dress and said goodnight to her roommates.

But Hermione couldn't sleep.

All through the night, she tossed and turned, counted Hippogriffs, tried sleeping at the other end of the bed, but it was no use. She couldn't stop thinking about the stupid potion!

Why can't I stop thinking about it? Hermione thought desperately, staring up at the roof of her four-poster bed. It was hopeless. She'd never get to sleep at this rate.

'I have to find out more.'

On that thought, Hermione quietly slipped out of bed. Collecting Ginny's potion and some school things, she put on her bed robe and headed for the library as soundlessly as she could.