Chapter 13: The secret of the Vial

In the following weeks Harry hadn't told anyone about the pure love. This was one of the times Harry wished more than ever that he had a parent. Someone with more experience than him who would always have a good idea and, even if they didn't, could make you feel better. Then it clicked.

Sirius.

Harry was extremely late for Divination and was running off to class when he bumped into something tall and solid. Harry looked up into the twinkling blue eyes of Georgio.

"Hullo Harry. Good thing I bumped into you I want to show you something. Come with me." He pulled Harry's arm and lead him in the other direction towards the dungeon where Sirius' office resided.

"But Sirius I'm late for Divination-"

"Don't worry Harry I'll explain it to Trelawney later- the old kook- for now I have something very important to show you." Harry still had his doubts but wouldn't pass up the chance to miss out on the intoxicating fumes of the Divination room and having Trelawney predict his death every five minutes.

They turned off into Sirius' office and pushed open the large, oak door. The door swung open to expose an attractive woman sitting on Sirius' desk.

She looked short and friendly, with her shoulder length chestnut hair and wide, brown eyes. The expression on her face reminded Harry a lot of Hermione, her eyes filled with wonder, discovering the secrets of her surroundings.

"Harry this is Claire." Claire slipped off the desk her plum coloured robes billowing behind her, gold piping sparkling in the light.

"Pleased to meet you Harry, Sirius has told me all about you." She extended a hand to him.

"Er pleased to meet you too Miss…" He said shaking her hand.

"Just call me Claire."

"Alright Claire then. Now not meaning to be rude but why are you here? How do you know Sirius?"

"Well I'm glad you asked that Harry well your godfather and I- Oh wait… I think I'm going to sneeze-"

"Brace yourself Harry." Sirius warned.

"Ah… ah… AHCHIZZLE!"

"Oh my God Claire you still have that adorable sneeze of yours."

"I hate it. It's bothered me since first year. Although my friend Lauren thinks it's hilarious, every time I sneeze she just cracks up laughing, the first time I met her and sneezed she didn't stop laughing for a full ten minutes." (A/N: This is actually true. My friend Claire DOES sneeze like that and the story about Lauren cracking up for ten minutes is also true.)

"Er we're kind of getting off track."

"Well basically Harry, Claire was my girlfriend in Hogwarts. We were to be married before stupid Peter framed me and I was sent to Azkaban." Sirius explained, who was now out of his disguise and looking like his normal self again- although not as haunted and sad.

"Will you be staying?" Harry asked quite liking Claire as she seemed to make Sirius happy.

"Hopefully yes."

"That's great! Are you guys going to get married?"

"Well not until my name's been cleared, DER Harry."

"Well SORRY, jeesh." There was an awkward silence before Harry remembered that he wanted to tell Sirius something.

"Um Sirius can I have a word with you?"

"Erm sure Harry." Claire had a worried look on her face noticing this Harry said,

"Don't worry it's not about you I think you're great."

"What? What gave you the impression I thought you would do that?" she said hurriedly.

"It was nice meeting you." Harry and Sirius left the room leaving Claire alone with her thoughts.

"So what do you think?"

"I like her. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh? And what do you want to talk to me about?"

"This." Harry pulled out the vial that contained the pure love potion. Sirius stood in awe of its beauty, watching the colours swirl around.

"What is it?" He finally asked, his eyes still focused on the vial.

"A pure love potion. It's supposed to kill Voldemort."

"Ah… makes sense." Sirius said, for once not even wincing at the sound of Voldemort's name.

"Really?"

"Do you know why your parents died and you did not? Do you know why You-know-who 'died' instead?"

"Well yeah… oh." Harry mulled things over before coming to a conclusion.

"So if I pour this on Voldemort it'll be like what happened to me except about ten times stronger?"

"Yes. Except it will probably be about one hundred times stronger."

"What do I do?"

"Keep it with you. Wherever you go." Sirius said, never dropping Harry's gaze.

"I will." Harry said pocketing it again, but kept a firm grip on it. Together they walked back into Sirius' office. They saw Claire examining a strange, green blob in a jar.

"Stillius, Sirius said, "Used in forgetfulness and sleepiness potions." He grinned and went to join Claire. They held hands and smiled, looking into each other's eyes, ignoring Harry completely.

Harry watched them awkwardly before he felt a sudden pain inflicting the hand holding the vial. He looked at it to see it was scorched and red. He touched the vial but immediately pulled his hand away when he found it was somewhat hot.

"Erm… I really have to go to class."

"Ok Harry." Sirius said still looking at Claire. Harry slipped out silently and closed the door, relieved, behind him. He felt the vial again and found that it had gone back to normal temperature. He brushed it from his mind and trudged to the North tower.

After almost passing out from the odour of Trelawney's classroom Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room with his best friend Ron. The vial had not had any more erratic behaviour since the first time. That was until…

Hermione walked through the portrait, plonked her books down and flopped next to Harry on the couch.

"Ugh Professor Linsley gave us a ton of homework I have- what are you guys doing?" The two boys were staring intently at the pure love potion, which was lying on the coffee table in front of them.

"Hmm? Oh hello Hermione." Harry said. He leaned over to kiss her cheek when Ron gave a small shout of surprise.

"Oh!"

"What is it Ron?"

"Look." Ron pointed to the vial. It has turned an even deeper shade of red and was bubbling vigorously. Harry put his finger to the glass to find it was hotter than before. Then, as soon as it started the bubbling stopped and the glass was once again cool.

The three stared at each other their faces a mixture of confusion and awe.

"What was that?" Ron finally asked.

"Harry? What is that?"

"It's a pure love potion."

"Where did you get it?" Harry told her the story of what had happened in the lake, just as he had told Ron in the corner of the Divination. By the end of his story she was deep in thought. The look in her eyes was exactly as Claire's had been when she was studying the Stillius.

"Harry? Has this happened before?" she finally asked.

"Yes. When Sirius and Claire were together. Though it wasn't as hot as this time. What does that have to do with it?"

Hermione chewed her lip, contemplating what Harry had just said. After a few moments she slapped her knee and stood up.

"I've got it!"

"Wada wada?" Ron said, waking up from his brief slumber.

"I think I know what the potion means Ronald, get with the program."

"Oh."

"So what does it mean?"

"Wait let me do a test first. Harry, come here." She patted the seat next to her. Confused Harry did as he was asked and flopped down beside her.

"So what do-" he was immediately cut off by Hermione's lips sealing his. After his moment's surprise he kissed back. When they finally broke the kiss Hermione turned her attention back to the vial while Harry just grinned madly.

"Aha! Yes I knew it!"

"Knew what…oh." The potion was going haywire swirling faster and faster, condensation forming at its edge.

"I still don't get it Hermione. What does that prove?" Ron asked dumbly.

"Gosh Ron do I have to explain absolutely everything to you? The potion is activated by love."

"Love?"

"Yes love. Notice the name 'Pure love'. Der."

"Do you think it needs to be activated when I put it on Voldemort?"

"Probably." She chewed her lip again, thoughts running through her head, chasing each other like cats and mice. Ron yawned widely exposing a piece of spinach stuck between his teeth from dinner.

"Ron's right, we should probably go to bed." Harry said.

"Yeah. I'm turning in. Night." Ron climbed the marble staircase and disappeared behind the door.

Harry walked up to Hermione who was leaning against the window frame, biting her lip so hard that Harry was afraid it would split. He placed his hands on her waist and rested his head in the crook of her neck. She rested her head on top of his and sighed.

"Relax Hermione. Just breathe. Don't worry yourself so much. I'll allow you to worry a bit but just a teeny, weeny, ickle, itty, bitty, microscopic bit." Hermione smiled and Harry felt her relax a bit.

"Harry you always know what to say." They stood there for a moment watching the lights of Hogwarts go out one by one. The last one flickered out and the night was cast into complete darkness.

Harry sighed and led Hermione back to the couch where they watched the potion bubble on the table.

"If that potion's going to bubble like that every time I'm near you I'm going to have a hard time stopping myself from chucking it across the room."

"Don't though."

"I was just kidding." They snuggled by the fire until sleep engulfed them as they ventured to the land of nod.

A/N: So there u go. Not my best chappie I know. Please Please Please Please Please Please review. Also thanx to Claire and Amie! Hehehe land of nod lol.

Luv yall

Laura