Chapter Four: Food Coloring

Lummy panted – she had just caught up with Harold, who had been following very closely behind the Marauders since they had left Transfiguration. She frowned; they were in some very dark part of the castle. Potions, her schedule said.

A fat man toddled into the dungeon. He introduced himself as Professor Slughorn for Harold and Lummy's benefit.

"Today, we shall be making a potion both difficult and dangerous. A simple calming draught it is named. However – if a particular ingredient is added incorrectly, it could yield the Draught of the Living Death. And a second incorrect ingredient yields…well, Death itself. At the end of today's lesson, you shall drink your partner's potions – so beware!"

Potions, as every Seventh year knew, was the opportunity for Severus Snape to vie with Lily Evans. Severus was partnered with Sirius Black's insufferable cousin Narcissa, but he didn't seem to care who his partner was. Today, Severus Snape would outdo that Mudblood Evans. His rival was partners with her boyfriend, James Potter. Lily, however, was just as unconcerned with James as Snape was with Narcissa.

"Come on, one kiss before the cauldron…"

"Don't be a dolt, James."

And as good as James and Sirius were at Transfiguration, they were spectacularly faulty at Potions. Sirius was partnered with Remus, who was looking a bit green already: Sirius and James were transfiguring each other's cauldrons instead of mixing their potions. James was a bit miffed by Sirius' lead in McGonagall's class, and made Sirius' cauldron into a miniature lion – and it stood up and gave a roar, startling the class.

"Lost your touch, Prongs?"

Sirius flicked his own wand nonchalantly, and James' half-made calming draught climbed out of the cauldron and became a pack of hyenas that chased the lion.

But it was Harold and Lummy who were most worried. Both of them had only empty cauldrons in front of them, and knew neither head nor tail of the ingredients written on the board.

"Well, Harold, we've got to make something."

Harold shrugged, and took a water bottle out of her bag and poured it into her own cauldron. Lummy did the same then cocked her head and said –

"But that's boring! I've got a pack of flavored food coloring."

Harold refused to use it, but Lummy just added drops to her water to match the changing colors of Lily's and Snape's potions.

"Time's up!" declared Professor Slughorn. The students looked amongst themselves anxiously, except for Harold and Lummy, who stared up at the ceiling, looking at the stones.

James tested Lily's potion first. It was perfect.

Lily sipped James' potion gingerly. Her red hair grew into a cloud of ringlets that reached her knees. Professor Slughorn took note.

Remus was green already. But when he drank a portion of Sirius' concoction (that had been transfigured into a lion, a bear, a pair of dancing toothpicks during class), he turned an even brighter shade of green, screamed "BATHROOM", and dashed out of the dungeon.

Sirius looked slightly miffed for a moment, but took a sip of Remus' potion. Nothing happened for a second, but soon, his expression changed to one of maniacal amusement, and he chased after Remus yelling "Bathroom Boy," and giggling madly in turns.

Professor Slughorn looked mildly annoyed that two students had left class without permission.

Narcissa took a draft of Snape's potion. It too was perfect.

Snape took a sip of Narcissa's potion, then spat it out. He looked straight at Narcissa, shrieked, "This is pure filth," and strode out of the dungeons, his robes billowing behind him.

Professor Slughorn almost moved to stop him.

Soon, everyone was waiting for the last pair – Harold and Lummy.

Lummy was a spectacular actress. She looked around, wide eyed. Then she took a sip of Harold's water. Nothing happened.

"Miss …er – Lummy, was that calming draught in that cauldron?"

"Actually, it was Evian."

"Who? Oh, nevermind."

Lummy's potion was a different story. It was precisely the perfect color of Severus' and Lily's…only, there was absolutely no steam issuing from it. The class looked about anxiously – it couldn't be just colored water…could it?

Harold took a deep breath, and drank a sip of Lummy's colored water. Nothing happened. But, Harold thought, this was delicious. Green apple with a hint of watermelon. Harold took another sip. Still more enchanting. And so, Harold did what no other Potions student at Hogwarts had done. She chugged her partner's potion, emptying the cauldron. Everyone expected her to drop dead.

Professor Slughorn stared at her for a moment.

"Are you quite alright, my dear?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well…you…"

"Chugged it?"

"Well…yes…"

"It was delicious."

The bell rang, and Harold strode out of the dungeons, her robes merely dragging behind her.

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Do review, Loves. And give a conjecture as to who ends up with whom.