Severus's arrival and dramatic accusations shocked everyone into silence for a short while. Even the bickering boys halted in their tracks and a few of them even showed a trace of relief. Hermione noticed that both Draco and Ron were among those who briefly seemed to lose focus on their infatuation with Ginny, and looked pleased that an answer for the peculiar turn of events was forthcoming.
"As you can see, you're not the only one suffering from that particular affliction," Hermione said to the Potions Master as a few of the boys began to start bickering once again. "Although you do seem to be coping better than most."
"Coping is a comparative term," Severus snarled. "Believe me, it's taking me every ounce of my self-control not to storm Gryffindor Tower and profess my admiration for a certain young witch."
"As if she'd be interested in an old fart like you," Blaise snorted. "Ginny is young and virile, she needs someone equally young and virile to keep up with her."
"And that doesn't mean you," Theo hissed at his friend. "I'm young and virile."
"Neither of you are a patch on me," Draco scoffed. "Let's be honest, with me in the game, none of you stand a chance. Who in their right mind would turn down a Malfoy?"
"As I was saying, you're not alone Sir," Hermione said, focusing on Snape and rolling her eyes at the bickering teenagers.
"Everyone is suffering in the same way?" Severus checked.
"All apart from me," Harry answered.
"And why not you, Potter?" Severus demanded, narrowing his eyes at the boy he'd never much liked. "Are you behind this?"
"Of course not," Harry replied in indignation. "I just hadn't gotten around to having a chocolate."
"Then how do you know it was the chocolates?" Severus questioned. "I was only assuming as they're the only unfamiliar thing that have passed my lips today."
"Your assumption just hurried us along," Harry admitted. "Hermione and I had only just started to try and work out what had happened. But since I haven't had a chocolate, and everyone else has, it makes sense. It also makes sense that you're all obsessing over Ginny, and she was the one who gave me the chocolates."
"Why would she want everyone to fall in love with her?" Severus asked.
"I don't think it was meant for everyone, just Harry," Hermione replied. "But since it's affected so many people, we now have a problem."
"Indeed we do," Severus confirmed. "And given how I'm feeling, I think it's a miracle no-one has yet left the head dorms to pursue the witch in question."
"I think at the minute, fighting each other seems to be taking precedence," Hermione remarked. "But it won't last, sooner or later someone is going to make a break for it. So, what are we going to do?"
"We need some more information on what exactly we've ingested," Severus said, very obviously working hard to keep his mind on track. "Miss Granger, I suggest you inform Professor McGonagall of what is going on here. I also suggest you keep the boys here. The last thing any of us needs is to come face to face with the girl we're all infatuated with."
"What are you going to do, stay here?" Hermione asked.
"No, I will return to my quarters and quarantine myself down there," Severus answered. "In fact, you can come with me and seal me in. I take it you know a spell that means only you should be able to break through the seal."
"I do, but I would think that given time, you could break it," Hermione conceded, well aware that Severus was a very smart man and could no doubt break through her magic as while she was talented, she was still just a teenager and was still only just mastering her magic.
"I'm confident that I have enough willpower to keep from trying to break free," Severus said. "Although, this could just be a very short term affliction. We could be back to ourselves in a matter of hours."
"I hope so," Harry muttered. "But what about in the meantime? Is it really fair to allow the others to think they're in love with Ginny? Especially Ron."
"All you can do is appeal to the logical side of their mind," Severus explained. "Some of them will find it easier than others, but deep down they should all know how wrong this is. Why don't the two of you try and get them to see sense? While you're doing that, I can examine the chocolates."
While Severus took the box of chocolates over to the table where Hermione had been working earlier, she and Harry had a brief conference about how they were going to get the others to see sense. Deciding that Ron should be their first priority, they pulled him away from the others and sat him down in an armchair.
"Ron, you need to snap out of this," Hermione said softly. "You've been drugged and what you're feeling is wrong. You don't love Ginny."
"But I do," Ron argued. "I've always loved her."
"Yes, as a sister," Harry pointed out, once again seeing the flash of revulsion in Ron's eyes when he mentioned their true relationship. "You have to hold onto that thought, Ron. You have to be strong and you have to fight this. You don't love Ginny in that way. You love her as a sister, and nothing else."
"It's so hard," Ron muttered, clearly wrestling with himself. "I know you're right, but I can't stop these thoughts. I'm sick."
"No, this isn't your fault, Ron," Hermione insisted firmly, silently cursing Ginny for the anguish she was causing. "None of this is your fault. But you have to stay strong. You have to fight your feelings and remind yourself that Ginny is your sister. Don't give in to what you know isn't right."
"She's my sister," Ron whispered determinedly. "My sister."
Leaving Harry to keep Ron on the right track, Hermione decided to tackle Draco by herself. Removing him from the fray, she took him to one side and forced him to focus on her. When his attention was firmly on her, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a searing kiss. A kiss he was soon returning with his usual passion.
"You don't love Ginny," she whispered when their lips parted.
"I know," Draco replied, and when Hermione looked up at her boyfriend she could see the confusion in his expressive grey eyes. "I love you, I know that. But I can't help myself. Something keeps pulling my thoughts back towards her."
"A love potion," Hermione explained, not sure how much Draco or anyone else had taken in about what was going on. "The chocolates were drugged. But you have to fight it, Draco. You have to keep fighting for what you know is right. And your feelings for her, are not right."
"No, they're not," Draco agreed, his voice steely with determination. "I don't even like the girl."
"You keep reminding yourself of that," Hermione said, leaning up and giving her boyfriend another kiss. "And remind yourself of who you do love."
Confident that Draco could now begin to fight against the love potion coursing through his veins, Hermione joined back up with Harry and they set off putting seeds of logic into everyone else. With Blaise the key was reminding him of Daphne, and the fact she was his girlfriend, and with Neville, they reminded him of his blossoming romance with Luna. The others weren't quite as straightforward as they didn't have girlfriends to focus on, but as Severus had said, deep down they all know that something wasn't right and they urged everyone to hold onto that feeling.
Half an hour later, everyone had calmed down and for the first time since everything kicked off, Ginny's name wasn't in the air. However, Hermione was well aware that some of the boys were going to fare better than others at keeping themselves under control, and for some the only real peace they would get was when the potion had either worn off or they'd been given an antidote.
"Without a proper examination in my lab, I can't procure an antidote," Severus informed Hermione and Harry. "I can take them with me, and make a start, but to be honest I think our best course of action is to get information from the witch who did this."
Since Hermione had agreed to escort Severus back to the dungeons, and then inform Professor McGonagall of the situation, Harry was charged with staying in the head dorms and making sure the others were all coping. It was also decided that Hermione would seal the door behind her, meaning that no-one could escape when Harry's back was turned.
Leaving Harry in charge of their love-struck friends, Hermione escorted the Potions Master back to his rooms and sealed the doors to both his office and classroom. She then made her way to Professor McGonagall's office, where she proceeded to tell her head of house everything that had occurred that evening.
"How sure are you that it was the chocolates that caused this?" McGonagall asked.
"Pretty sure," Hermione answered. "It's the only thing everyone but Harry had. And Professor Snape found evidence that they'd been tampered with when he checked them. He found little pin pricks on the bottom of each chocolate."
"And you're sure it was Ginny who laced the chocolates?" McGonagall questioned.
"It's the only explanation that makes sense," Hermione replied. "She gave those chocolates to Harry, and now everyone is mooning over her."
"The evidence does seem to be stacked against her," McGonagall admitted. "But I'd rather not accuse her without at least hearing her side of the story. I'll send for her to come and see me."
"Could I stay and hear what she has to say?" Hermione asked. "People I care about have been affected, and if she did do this, I want to make sure she knows the heartache she's caused. Merlin knows how Ron is going to deal with this when he gets his wits back. He's in a pretty bad state as it is as he knows what he's feeling is wrong, but he's unable to stop it."
"I think I'll also contact Madam Pomfrey," McGonagall mused after giving Hermione permission to stay and talk to Ginny. "Maybe she can provide something that can give the boys a bit of relief."
Within ten minutes McGonagall had spoken to Madam Pomfrey, who had promised to find something they could give to the boys, and she'd sent an urgent message to Ginny, ordering her to come and see her. Less than five minutes later, there was a tentative knock on the door and Ginny entered when McGonagall called for her to do so.
"Miss Weasley, take a seat," McGonagall said, gesturing to the empty chair in front of her desk.
"Is there something wrong?" Ginny asked, her eyes flicking to where Hermione was sitting next to the deputy headmistresses desk.
"You could say that," Hermione answered. While she and McGonagall had been waiting for Ginny they had been talking, and she'd been given permission to lead the questioning so that McGonagall could watch and work out if Ginny was being truthful with them. "Right at this moment, the head dorms is overrun with wizards all madly in love with you."
"What?" Ginny gasped, genuinely shocked by the news as it had never occurred to her that Harry might share the chocolates out. "I don't understand," she muttered, trying to work out how she could get out of the mess it looked like she was in.
"We suspect the chocolates you gave to Harry have been laced with a love potion," Hermione answered. "It's certainly what Professor Snape thinks."
"Professor Snape?" Ginny echoed, hardly able to believe the Potions Master was involved as if anyone could work out the chocolates had been spiked, it was him.
"Professor Snape is also a victim of the love potion," McGonagall said, her eyes never leaving Ginny.
"Oh no," Ginny whispered.
"And so is Ron," Hermione added.
"Ron?" Ginny cried, genuinely horrified at the thought. "Not Ron. Please say you're joking."
"Sadly not," McGonagall said quietly.
"Right now, he is up in the head dorms, tearing himself apart due to the effects of this love potion," Hermione said sternly as tears began to roll down a shaken Ginny's face.
"Did you lace the chocolates with the love potion?" McGonagall asked, fairly sure that if Ginny had intended to try and wriggle her way out of trouble the mention of her brother getting caught up in the mess had caused her to think otherwise.
"It was meant for Harry," Ginny whispered. "Only Harry. I just wanted my chance with him."
"And ironically enough, Harry is the only person not affected by your little scheme," Hermione snorted. "He hadn't had any of your chocolates before their affects kicked in for the others," she explained when Ginny gave her a confused look.
"Where did you get the potion from?" McGonagall asked.
"I made it myself," Ginny lied, knowing that no-one would ever believe her mother had given it to her. "I found it in a book and cooked it up myself."
"How long will the effects last?" McGonagall asked, shaking her head in disappointment at the young girl sitting in front of her.
"Twenty four hours."
"Twenty four hours?" Hermione echoed in horror. "Why on earth do they last that long? How long did you want to keep Harry under your spell? Or were you planning on giving it to him every day."
"I sincerely hope that was not your intention," McGonagall said sternly.
"Of course not," Ginny cried in horror. "I would never do that. I simply wanted him to give me a chance. This was a one-off, I swear."
"One-off or not, it is still a very serious matter," McGonagall said. "I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower, where you will give me any leftover potion. You are then confined to Gryffindor Tower for the rest of the weekend, lest you run into any of the unfortunate boys you have poisoned. I will also be sending an owl to Professor Dumbledore tomorrow morning. No doubt he will not be happy to be recalled from London for such a thing. I will also be informing your parents, and of course a suitable punishment will be administered."
"Not my parents," Ginny gasped. "Please don't tell Mum and Dad, I'm begging you."
"I'm sorry, but the matter is out of my hands," McGonagall replied, not sounding at all sorry as personally she thought Molly and Arthur ought to know what their daughter had been up to. "You have dosed nine of your fellow students with love potion, not to mention a Professor. This could very well lead to a suspension, or even an expulsion. I suppose it could even result in legal proceedings if any of the affected boys wished to take it that far."
"This wasn't meant to happen," Ginny cried, now sobbing profusely. "None of this was meant to happen."
"Maybe you should have thought through the consequences of your actions," McGonagall said coldly as she rose to her feet. "Come on, let's get you back to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione, I will be along to the head dorms as quickly as I can. I also want to go and visit Severus, and see how he's coping."
"I sealed him in," Hermione reminded the deputy headmistress. "Do you want me to go and remove the seal and replace it with a simple locking spell."
"No, as deputy headmistress and the witch in charge with Professor Dumbledore away, I can counteract any spell performed by a student or Professor," McGonagall explained. "I will be able to get in to see Severus, and I can then lock him back in again."
Thanking McGonagall for her help, Hermione moved towards the door, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Turning round, she found herself face to face with a still crying Ginny.
"Tell them I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't mean for this to happen to them. Especially not Ron."
"I'm not sure that is going to bring them much comfort," Hermione snorted. "Whether you intend it to happen or not, it has happened, and the boys have to deal with it. And let's not forget, it wasn't an accident. You just happened to get the wrong victim. It was Harry you wanted like this, and you got other people instead. At the end of the day, you still set out to use a love potion on someone, and I for one hope you reap the consequences of your actions."
Not giving Ginny a chance to say anything else, Hermione swept from McGonagall's office and headed back to the head dorms, well aware that the ordeal was far from over. She doubted an antidote could be knocked up within twenty four hours, so it was looking like the boys had a whole day of being infatuated with Ginny to look forward to. The only blessing was that Madam Pomfrey might be able to provide something that could ease their symptoms until they disappeared for good in a day's time.