When Tomas was working with his friends on Snape's homework during their after lunch break he heard his name being called across the common room. Looking up from his work he saw a first year boy hurrying towards him holding a roll of parchment.

"What is it?" Tomas asked when the boy once he had reached him.

"Dumbledore told me to give this to you," The boy said holding out the roll of parchment.

"Thanks," Tomas said taking parchment from him.

"Now scram," Blaise said. The boy gulped and dashed off as quickly as possible.

"I swear they get shorter each year," Draco snorted.

"So what does Dumbledore want Tomas?" Pansy asked.

"I'm supposed to come to his office on Saturday at eight with Harry Potter," Tomas said. "He says Harry will know the password."

"What does the old coot want you for?" Draco asked.

"No idea," Tomas shrugged. "And he's not an old coot Draco!"

"Whatever," Draco said rolling his eyes. "I have no idea why you think he's so great when its obvious that he definitely lost it a long time ago."

"Oh yeah?" Tomas said. "Then why is he the only one that Voldemort fears?"

That shut Draco up.


After break Tomas, Draco, Pansy, and Blaise headed to double Potions well Crabbe and Goyle headed to Transfiguration instead due to having flunked their O.W.L grade for the class with flying colors.

When they arrived in the corridor they discovered that Crabbe and Goyle weren't the only ones to have failed to get the required O.W.L grade.

Only a dozen people were progressing to N.E.W.T level. Including them there were four Ravenclaws, one Hufflepuff, and three Gryffindors—Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Ron glared at them but luckily the Hufflepuff started talking with him before he could say anything.

"What do you think Slughorn's class will be like?" Blaise asked.

"No idea," Draco said, "but I bet it's nothing like Uncle Sev's."

The others barely had time to agree before the dungeon door opened and Slughorn came into the corridor waving them inside with a beaming smile. He greeted Harry, Blaise, and Tomas with particular enthusiasm making them Draco roll his eyes.

The dungeon was surprisingly already full of vapors and odd smells. They all sat down together well eyeing the three large bubbling cauldrons at the front of the room.

When the golden-colored cauldron's smell wafted over to their table Tomas let out a low sigh of pleasure. The scent had to be the most wonderful scent he had ever smelt. It reminded him of the ocean, inky old book pages, and a soft vanilla smell that gave him a warm cozy feeling.

He looked over at the others to see that the potion had had the same affect on them.

Once they had all gotten their equipment situated Slughorn turned to the class and inflated his already bulging chest. "Now then," He said. "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. They are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of them, even if you haven't made them yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

He gestured towards the cauldron nearest Tomas's table that appeared to have what looked like plain water boiling inside it.

Tomas and Hermione's hands shot up in the air in unison and Slughorn chuckled at them. "I'll let Mr. Snape have this one," He said pointing to Tomas, "but you can have the next one if you know the answer. Now Mr. Snape go ahead."

Tomas nodded. He had known what the potion was the first time he saw it. How could he not have when he had seen Snape use it so many times?

"It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the person you give it to, to tell the truth," Tomas said.

"Very good, very good!" Slughorn said happily. "Ten points to Slytherin!" "Now," He continued, pointing at the cauldron nearest the Ravenclaw table had what looked like a slow-bubbling mudlike substance in it, "this one is pretty well known… Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately too…" "Would you like to give it a try?" He asked Hermione.

Hermione nodded and said, "It's Polyjuice Potion, sir." "Excellent, excellent!" Slughorn said. "Now this one here…yes, my dear?"

"It's Amortentia!" Hermione said quickly.

"It is indeed," Slughorn said looking slightly bemused, "but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" Hermione said.

"Quite right!" Slughorn said now looking mightily impressed. "You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," Hermione said enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and—" But she turned slightly pink and did not complete her sentence.

"I wonder why she stopped," Blaise frowned.

"Who knows?" Draco shrugged.

"May ask your name, my dear?" Slughorn asked.

"Hermione Granger, sir," Hermione said.

"Granger?" Slughorn said. "Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"

"No, I don't think so, sir," Hermione said. "I'm Muggle-born you see."

"Bet you that crushed his hopes," Draco whispered to Blaise and they both sniggered.

But Slughorn didn't seem the least bit put out by this statement and instead beamed at her and then Harry.

"Oho!" He said. "'One of my best friends is Muggle-born, and she's the best in our year!' I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"Well, well take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor, Miss Granger," Slughorn said warmly.

Draco looked like someone had punched him in the face. "I can't believe he likes that little mudblood!" He hissed earning him a swat on the arm from Tomas.

"I told you not to say that!" He said. Draco glared at him but Pansy shushed them before he could say anything.

"Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course," Slughorn was saying. "It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room."

"Yeah right," Draco snorted and Blaise shared his smirk of disbelief.

"Oh yes Mr. Malfoy," Slughorn said nodding gravely at the two of them. "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love…"

Tomas didn't doubt the man. Obsessive love after all was certainly what had made Voldemort lock his mother up for such a long time.

"And now," Slughorn said, "it is time for us to start work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," The Hufflepuff boy piped up, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was the color of molten gold and was splashing about happily.

"Oho," Slughorn said again. Tomas was sure that he hadn't forgotten the potion at all but had waited until someone noticed it as to add dramatic effect. "Yes," He said. "That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis." "I take it," He turned with a smile to Hermione, who had let out a gasp when she heard the name, "that you know what Felix Felicis does, Miss Granger?"

"It's liquid luck," Hermione said excitedly. "It makes you lucky!" The whole class seemed to become suddenly interested giving Slughorn their undivided attention.

"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor," Slughorn said. "Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis. Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed…at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" A Ravenclaw asked.

"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," Slughorn said. "Too much of a good thing, you know…highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly and very occasionally…"

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" Another Ravenclaw asked.

"Twice in my life," Slughorn said. "Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days." He gaze dreamily into the distance for a few moments before speaking again.

"And that," He stated, "is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson." The whole room went silent as everyone looked at him in awe.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," Slughorn said, taking out a small glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it to them all. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt.

"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competitions such as sporting events, examinations, or elections. So the winner is only allowed to use it on an ordinary day…and watch how the ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"

"Sounds good to me," Blaise said.

"But what do we have to do, sir?" Pansy asked.

"Thank you for asking Miss Parkinson," Slughorn said. "Turn to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making please. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be enough time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of the Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

The room instantly was full of scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons to them and loud clunks as people began adding weights to scales, but nobody spoke a word. The tension in the air could have been cut by a knife.

Tomas however wasn't as worried as the people around him because he had already made the potion over the summer when he was fourteen. Snape had drilled him on it over and over again until he was able to make it perfectly.

It also helped that his father knew enough about potions to show him ways that went against what the book told you to do and made your potion even better.

By the time Slughorn had told them to stop his potion was only equaled by Harry's and Tomas had to give the boy credit. Their potions were practically equal.

Slughorn moved slowly among the tables, peering into the cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions a stir or a sniff.

When he reached Harry and Tomas's potions he stared hard at both potions before finally beaming at their creators. "Both of these potions are brewed to perfection!" He cried. "You both win! Excellent, both of you, excellent! She was a dab hand at Potions, Lily was! The same with your parents Tomas! Here you are, then here you are—one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!"

He quickly made another tiny glass bottle with a wave his wand and filled both of them with Felix Felicis before handing them to the boys.

Tomas slipped the bottle into his inner pocket with a small smile. He already had plans for what he wanted to use the potion for.