Chapter Three

Felintious and Broomsticks

The Gryffindor common room slowly filled with curious students. Katie bell, a sixth year, sat beside Lavender Brown. Both giggled in unison.

"You and Oliver Wood?" Lavender said remembering his only vaguely.

"Yes. He is such a sweetheart. I remember, before he graduated, we snuck out at night and rode our brooms over the lake."

Dean and Seamus came in followed by Colin Creevey, a fourth year.

Colin held onto his new camera, the Nico 320, close to his chest. He had saved up all summer to buy it. And even though it cost him quite a few galleons it was well worth it. It had a quicker shutter speed, stabilized while capturing photos so the movement would be clear, and it could take pictures in the dark without flash. It also had a brand new feature called automatic enchantment. It meant he no longer had to put a spell on his film to make the pictures move.

"Looks like we're ready to start," said Dean.

"Wait." Colin looked around the common room. "What about Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Shouldn't they be here too?"

Looks flooded the room accompanied with silence.

Perry Duncan was the one to shatter it. "They do take the fun out of things don't they?"

"They're really close with Dumbledore. They might tell him what we're doing," Parvati Patil added. "What are we doing?"

"Then it's settled," said Dean. "They don't join us."

Parvati huffed. She didn't appreciate her question being ignored.

Seamus made fake glasses with his fingers and held them up to his face. "He's back! I swear he's back!"

Everyone laughed except for Neville. He only managed an empty chuckle.

When the laughter died down Parvati asked again, standing up this time to make sure she was answered.

Neville and Seamus stood in front of the fireplace and told the others what they had heard.

"Are you sure?" said Parvati.

Seamus nodded. "We heard it come from Dumbledore himself."

Colin was wide-eyed. "What do you reckon it is?"

Dean shrugged. "But if Dumbledore has it then it must be awesome."

"Right, so we have to keep this between us." Seamus made his tone more serious. "That includes all the Gryffindors who aren't here."

"Why?" asked Katie.

Parvati answered her. "What do you think Umbridge would do if she finds out?"

"I almost died when she started talking at dinner today," said Perry. "I never knew a voice could be so annoying."

"I hope we get to practice our defense spells on her," said Lavender.

Angelina walked in and immediately all conversation ceased. "What are all of you doing?"

All at the same time they turned to face her and said, "Nothing."

Confused, she went up to the Boys' Dormitory. Over her years at Hogwarts she learned that strange things usually had a logical explanation. She had also learned that the explanation was usually Fred and George. Since she needed to talk to Fred, Angelina decided to forgive him for his incompetence.

"Angelina! What a pleasant surprise." Fred was holding an ear attached to a string.

"What is that?"

George was reeling in his own ear. "They're called extendable ears. They help us eavesdrop."

"So, you guys know what going on in the common room?"

"Yes," they said at the same time.

"Are you going to tell me?"

Together they replied, "No."

Back in the common room discussion about the stash took place.

"Dumbledore gets a lot of perks as headmaster, right?" Lavender was glad to have everyone's attention. "Maybe he tests out brooms."

The stupidity of the guess was overshadowed by the Gryffindors' love of broomsticks and even more by the possibility that they could win the Quidditch season with the help of those brooms.

"They're probably models that haven't even been released yet," said Katie.

"I bet they're autographed," exclaimed Seamus.

After more speculations they came to an agreement that tomorrow night they would take action. "Just a few of us will go. We don't want to be suspicious," said Seamus. "I'll go. Any other volunteers?" Neville raised his hand and was joined by Perry.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the common room with invisibility cloak gripped in Harry's hand. Once again everyone stopped talking and watched as the trio headed up the tower stairs.

When Harry reached the top he turned to Ron and Hermione. "See! They all hate me! They're all just too brainwashed to realize that Voldemort is back!" He slammed the door and jumped onto his bed preparing for a night of angst and self-pity.

The next day in potions class the students were waiting for Professor Snape to arrive. The only hint to what the lesson would be was a small wooden box on his desk and a single word written on the board. Felintious.

Severus Snape entered the room. He was accompanied by his highly evolved skill: advanced cape flapping. It followed him in slow motion, creating massive waves when he made the slightest movement. He faced the class, his cape fluttered behind him even when he stood still.

"Good eeeeevening claaaaass," he said in his monotone voice. "Today we are going to concoct a fairly simple potion from the felintious plant generously donated to us from a personal collection."

Hermione Granger raised her hand. "But Professor Sprout doesn't have any felintious in any of her greenhouses. I'm sure of it."

"You shouldn't make assumptions Miss Granger; some might find it a bit pretentious. Ten points from Gryffindor." Hermione received several glares and one dirty look.

Draco Malfoy spoke, not caring to raise his hand. "But Professor Sprout doesn't have any felintious in any of her greenhouses. I'm sure of it."

"Good observation Draco. Twenty points to Slytherin."

Hermione's mouth dropped open.

Snape began to pace. "Unfortunately, I was asked to keep the donor's identity a secret. But I will say that they are a very powerful wizard."

Snape thanked Pomona Sprout as she placed the wooden box on his desk. "Anytime. I have a good lot of 'em growing under me bed. Just the right amount of darkness and warmth."

Shortly after she left an owl flew into the dungeons and left Snape a letter. He ripped open the wax seal.

Dear Severus,

I am aware that Pomona gave you a felintious plant. Before your fifth year class arrives I have a favor to ask you in regards to the plant and a slight lesson change.

Sincerely,

A. P. W. B. D.

Snape stepped out of Dumbledore's office puzzled. Why would Albus want him to lie? Why was he asked to give his student the impression that it was the Headmaster who donated the felintious? And why would Albus ask him to teach the Enortis potion instead of the difficult healing potion he had originally planned?

Snape then realized he was late and hurried to the dungeons.

"Who can tell me the uses of felintious?"

Hermione's hand rose in the air almost hitting Ron in the nose.

Snape looked beyond his massive nose for hands.

"No one?"

Neville slowly raised his hand. He had read about felintious in the book given to him by the fake Mad-Eye Moody.

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Longbottom?"

"Well… umm… the fel… felintious plant is a very powerful and multipurpose plant. It was created by Sir Lucas Felintious in 1405–"

"1406. A common mistake." Snape continued to pace as he bored the class with information that he knew they wouldn't remember, but would put on the OWLS anyway. "It grows in dark warm areas and requires constant care since it is a wizard-made plant. This care includes complex potions and spells." Snape pointed his wand at the small barred window and the curtains shut immediately. "It has also been known to induce hallucinations."

"Excellent," said Blaise Zabini.

Snape walked passed Blaise. "But the practice of drinking, smoking, eating, or any other form of consumption is frowned upon. It also is said, with special preparation, to have similar healing abilities to unicorn blood. Only it leaves a sour taste in your mouth instead of a cursed life." He reached into the box and pulled out a small twig that looked like it had been snapped from a larger whole. "I do warn you, many people have tried to use it to gain immortality and many have been driven mad."

"But not all." Draco starred at the pink glow coming from the single bundle of leaves.

Snape placed the plant in front of Millicent Bulstrode. "There's only enough for one leaf per student." He once again began his stride. "Now, the potion we're making today is known as the Enortis potion. It allows the drinker to see in the dark. The length of the effects depends on the concentration. So, remember to add a lot of water.

"Professor," Pansy Parkinson lifted her head from Draco's shoulder and began to twirl her hair. "What's wrong with having night vision for a long time?"

"Because the drinker also receives certain animalistic qualities." Snape held up a glass vial filled with a crimson liquid. The colour of the potion ranges from pink to red. The redder the liquid the higher the concentration." He placed the vial in his desk drawer not quite sure why Dumbledore asked him to show it to the class and leave it in a locked drawer. He also didn't understand why Dumbledore told him to deny any students requests, including his Slytherins, for the potion. "You have half an hour. We will test them at the end of class."

Half an hour later the potions were done and consumed by the students. Two had been sent to the hospital wing while the rest licked themselves, growled and jumped on tables acting like well... animals.