Harry watched as the memories returned. In this scene Lily, Severus, and Olivia, in that order, stood in front of Professor Slughorn's wide black desk. There, he was writing their names in an emerald-green ink on shiny-gold parchment paper.
"Professor I appreciate this," started Lily, "But,..."
"No, 'but's my dear, I must insist you three take a break from your studies after your marvelous performances this morning. Besides who would want to go to a History class taught by a ghost anyway?"
"Actually, Professor, I find History of Magic quite enthralling."
"Of course, you would, Miss Evans. Why don't you ladies and gentleman stick around and I'll show you how to brew a Draught of Peace."
At this, three pairs of eyes magically lit up.
"Ah-ha," chuckled the professor. "I thought that would catch your attention. If you will follow me."
Harry and the adult Olivia followed the four into a room Harry knew well from his Occulumency lessons with Snape in his 5th year, however he could not recognize it at all. On the walls, where there would be bottles and bottles of potions and ingredients were more trinkets from Slughorn's famous friends and photographs upon photographs of these wizard-celebrities looking down and waving at the crew.
"How are you today, Professor," asked a woman with a honey-like voice. The portrait, Harry noticed, was autographed in gold ink with the name Linda Loverly.
"Oh, just wonderful, thank you, Miss Loverly." Slughorn motioned for the children to sit down on a long black leather couch, then informed them that the portrait which had spoken to him, was a singer and one of his very first students.
He was about to go on about the rest of his acquaintances when Lily sharply interrupted, "I can barely contain my excitement to learn such an advanced potion, Professor."
"Yes, yes, well you three are capable of making one I'm sure," he replied, even with a completely disappointed look on his face. With a flick of his wand, flames erupted beneath the cauldron that lay atop his black desk. "Let's begin, shall we".
The three eager students inched ever so closer to the edge of their seats as Professor Slughorn began to prepare the ingredients. He said their names aloud as he pulled them from his own supply cupboard, "Let's see now, powdered moonstone and syrup of hellebore. Ah, yes, now tell me why this is an advanced potion to make."
Lily raised her hand as she responded, "Because handled incorrectly, the hellebore is a poisonous plant."
"Correct," the teacher commented with delight.
"Did you hear that just now, Harry," Olivia asked referring to the ever slightest sound of a door closing.
"Yes, I think so."
"So, did I at the time."
"Can't stop staring at the bloody door, can you," Snape snarled. He was quite irritated that she inched closer towards him as her body twisted.
Olivia just raised her eyebrows and turned back right around in her seat, still wondering why she heard the door close. "Perhaps it was just a draft," she concluded.
"Now to make the best quality of this potion you have to stir, once counter-clockwise for every fourth clockwise unless it's after the Last Quarter moon, then it's 3 clockwise for every fourth counter-clockwise. Do you understand?"
The three of them didn't respond because they were still absorbing the information with their heads cocked to the side. That is until Lily noticed a critical detail. "Professor, it just stirred itself twice counter-clockwise."
"That's impossible my dear, Gluten's self-stirring wands never fail. You know he invented them because of me, don't you?"
"No, sir, but..."
"Everything's fine the potion's turned as bright as a dandelion." So it was, apparently whatever disruption Lily had noticed, passed its course. Harry didn't notice it, for he was too busy looking at the wand that appeared in mid-air and waved at the cauldron, while the Professor wasn't looking, behind the backs of the students.
"That's---,"
"Yep, I'm afraid so," replied Olivia holding a hand to her head.
Professor Slughorn pulled out 4 teacups and saucers and filled them with the brilliant yellow solution. "Ah, now let's have a drink shall we."
The teacher, after passing out the filled cups, leaned against his desk and deeply drank from his cup, chugged it more likely. The three merely looked at him in amazement...or disgust. It was hard to tell the difference from their faces.
"Now, now there's nothing wrong with it," Slughorn managed to mutter before his head dropped back with his mouth open and eyes shut.
"Professor," Lily shrieked.
"Is he alright," questioned Olivia who was answered by the sure sound of him snoring.
"I'll be damned," said Snape. "His own potion was a blunder."
"It can't have been," suggested Lily.
Olivia sniffed her own potion. "Are you so certain? You were the one who noticed the mistake in the wandwork."
"Yes, but I'm not sure what I saw. My eyes could have merely been playing tricks on me."
"Well, one of us should try it, to see how severe the damage is before summoning Madam Pomfrey," Severus suggested.
"What if it's poisoned," the blonde brought up. "Hey don't look at me like that."
Severus was glaring at her. "Oh, the stupidity," he thought. "It can't bloody be poisoned if he's just sleeping."
"What if he doesn't wake up," Lily asked herself aloud. The two turned to look at her.
"If you're so certain it's harmless, why don't you drink yours, Severus?"
"No. Why don't you?"
"Because I suggested first."
"So?"
"So you should drink up!"
"I won't."
"You're not afraid of what I'll do to you once you're asleep are you," Olivia grinned.
"I am not."
"Oh stop your bickering you two. I'll drink it." Before Lily could be stopped, she had taken a sip of the dandelion-colored potion. The two stared at her, waiting for any odd effects. "What are you looking at?"
"Hmm," Olivia took a sip of hers as well.
Severus just sat their glowering at his cup which was growing cold. "What?"
"Well..." the girls looked at him.
"I said I'm not drinking it."
"Oh, yes you are," Olivia said ever so peacefully. Swiftly and with a fluid motion she snatched the cup from his hand without spilling a drop. "Hold him down, Lily."
Lily giggled as she poked her dear friend in the side. "Stop, stop," Severus shouted, but she began pulling him down towards her end of the couch. "Oh, alright! I can do it myself!"
Severus sat straight up and pulled his robes down, snatching the cup out of Olivia's hand, too quickly. The cup flew out of his hand and the potion poured all over Lily's robes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," repeated the boy as he grabbed a napkin and began wiping up the potion from his friend's torso.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS," suddenly came a voice from behind the three. Snape's arms locked to his side and his body jerked upright like a plank. Harry watched as his dad ripped off the cloak that concealed both he and Sirius Black.
"What's going on," Olivia needn't have asked because Lily soon shouted the names of the intruders.
"James! And Sirius! What have you done now?," she asked as she spun around to look at the two.
"Just checking on you girls." His father was ever so cheeky thought Harry.
"Don't give me that," Had Lily been in her right state of mind, surely this would have come out dangerously. "What are you two doing out of class?"
"Well," Sirius started slowly, possibly looking for a reason. "We saw that you were alone with him."
James elbowed his friend in the side. "We knew Snivelllus would try something like that!"
"Like what," the red-head asked James. "It was an accident."
"Was not," he argued. "He had his hands all over my girl."
"For the last time, I'm not your girl. Were you two the ones who messed with the potion as well?"
"Maybe," the look on James's face was very evident of his guilt or pride in the matter.
"Excuse me," Olivia raised her hand as if she were in class, watching the eyes of the petrified Severus Snape wander back and forth his breathing rigid. "What do you mean you saw us?"
"Never mind that," said Lily now remembering her friend's condition. "Let him go."
"No."
"Never."
"Not unless-"
"Not unless what," questioned the blonde.
Sirius and James deliberated amongst themselves for a minute before the Black answered, "Not unless you two go out on a date with us."
"Never," answered Lily whose senses were at least not impaired by the potion.
"Deal," said Olivia who gave Lily along look as if trying to transmit her thoughts telepathically.
"You-you will," stammered Sirius.
"Yes, we will," calmly replied Olivia who seemed to be on the same wave-length as Olivia now. "Next month at Hogsmeade."
"Yes," yelled the boys as they slapped each other's hand.
"Now, will you let him go!?"
"Oh, Finite Incantatem."
The adult Olivia laughed for some reason Harry did not know. "I think your mother thought that if they wanted to play, we could play on the same level and so we did."
The boys left leaving the three be. "Lily, I wish you wouldn't," Snape spoke as he recovered and sat upright.
"I know, but I'll show that Potter once and for all to leave us alone."
"I don't need a girl sticking up for me," Severus was very adamant about this.
"What about two girls then," questioned Olivia.
Severus just dropped his head and shoulders, placing a hand to his forehead as the scene went black.
