Chapter Four: Relentless Researching

"Hey, Ron, I need you to take over Quidditch practice tonight," Harry said at dinner. "I've got to help Hermione with some research. It's really important." Ron frowned.

"Why are you researching?"

"Er...It's for McGonagall. You remember how she said she'd help me become an Auror if she had to personally train me every night?" Ron nodded. "Well, it looks like she'd finally living up to it. So Hermione's helping me research on past Aurors, but tonight's the only night I can do it. The paper's due first thing tomorrow morning. Can you just take over Quidditch this one night?"

Ron thought about it, as if it were a burden, but Harry knew that he would love to. "I suppose I can train the Chasers. Ginny's pretty good, and of course Alicia's fine, but that new girl, What's-her-name..."

"Riley," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, her. She could do with some help. She's good, but she spent her time playing Quadpot over in America. It's pretty much the same as Quidditch, but she rushes because in Quadpot, the Quaffle explodes. I could work with her to get her to slow down."

"Thanks, Ron. I really appreciate it." Ron smiled, and Harry felt his chest swell with pleasure.

"No problem, Harry. Just don't let Hermione drive you mad. If you start to twitch compulsively, get out of there quick." Harry laughed, and watched Ron leave to get ready for practice. He hurried to finish eating, then headed for the library for the third time that day.

"Did you find anything?" Harry asked, sitting down next to Hermione. She nodded, then pointed to a rather thick roll of parchment.

"That's a list of all the colorless love potions I've found so far." She pointed to another roll, which wasn't quite as thick, but close. "That's a list of all the orange love potions I've found. Start looking up the properties of each one and see if any of them match. If they do, write them down."

Harry nodded and unrolled the parchment with the orange potions. He picked up a thick, leather-bound book and began to flip through it. Four hours later, he was still flipping through them.

Lovey-Dovey Draught...What kind of name is that? Well, it is a love potion, but still...Sweet, chocolate taste...Well, it was sweet, but it didn't taste like chocolate...Agape Anti-Antidote...Couldn't they have just said 'potion'? How hard is that? Salty taste...Turns the balls of fingers blue for five minutes after consumption...Nope. I would've noticed if my fingers were blue...Amare Potion...Sweet, peppermint taste...Stripes the tongue red and white for five hours...It didn't taste like peppermint. Besides, somebody would have noticed if my tongue was red-and-white...Confuzzlement Concoction...What the...? Created by an eccentric American witch, who insisted on calling herself Boomerang, this potion is not really a love potion, though it is classified as one. Instead, it confuses the drinker into thinking that he or she is in love with everyone, until they figure who they really are in love with...Crazy Americans...Well, we know it's not that one...

"Come on, Harry...Let's get you to bed," said a soft, sweet voice. Harry felt himself being picked up and carried out of the library. He thought it was Hermione at first, but it occurred to him that Hermione didn't have the strength. Ignoring the voice in the back of his head that was wondering who was carrying him, Harry sighed and snuggled into the warm jumper they were wearing and fell asleep.