Unintended Target

'So how do Horcruxes actually work?' asked Hermione, her face illuminated by the thin strip of moonlight cascading in from the window.

'Couldn't tell you honestly,' said Y/N. 'I just know that they're part of someone's soul. They get broken apart somehow and then can be placed into objects.'

'It's weird, isn't it?' said Hermione. 'I mean, we hardly know everything, but for us to have not even heard of them... Especially with your knowledge of dark objects and the like. Shame we don't have one so you can test your backwards casting thingy.'

'"Backwards casting thingy" is the best description of it I've ever heard,' laughed Y/N, 'but yeah, you're right. I feel like we should have at least seen it somewhere. And normally I'd suggest asking someone, but Dumbledore has made it clear that we're to tell no one else about this. Besides, next best option would be Snape and as much as I don't trust Harry's theory, I don't trust Snape either.'

Y/N's feelings towards Snape had been very on and off. He'd done Y/N some favours certainly. Between saving him in his first year, letting him visit Hermione in his second and the pep talk in his fourth. But then the image of those potions' lessons, or his actions on the night Sirius had escaped rivalled those.

And besides, despite his preparedness to break his seal of secrecy to his friends, particularly Hermione, he was not yet prepared to break that with Snape, nor with Remus, whose name also floated through his mind. Remus had other things going on right now and asking about Horcruxes would raise too many questions.

The two of them rose from bed the following morning and made their way downstairs, where they found Harry recounting his lesson to Ron. Lavender was thankfully absent.

'She's not that bad,' said Ron as he saw the look of relief wash over Y/N's face.

'She's not WHEN she's not trying to eat your face,' said Y/N. 'You two need to learn how to kiss subtly, dear lord man.'

They made their way down to breakfast, taking their seats at the Gryffindor table just as Harry completed his retelling.

Ron seemed to think that Harry was unlikely to have any trouble with Slughorn at all.

'He loves you,' waving an airy forkful of fried egg. 'Won't refuse you anything, will he? Not his little Potions Prince. Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him.'

'He must be determined to hide what really happened if Dumbledore couldn't get it out of him, though,' said Hermione. 'I mean if you aren't going to tell him, who will you tell?'

'What are Horcruxes?' asked Ron, looking to the couple, but his mouth fell open as they both shrugged. 'You what?'

'No idea,' said Y/N. 'All I know is they're vessels that carry a part of someone's soul. Dunno how they're made or how to beat them, I just know that they exist and are a thing. Me and Hermione were talking about this last night. We don't know how we've never heard of them.'

'I mean, Y/N's sense alone should tip him off to these things,' said Hermione, 'but I've never seen the name mentioned in any book. Normally we can find at least a name drop even if not a full description. But these seem gone, as if there's nothing on them anywhere in the library.'

'Wait, maybe there isn't,' said Y/N. 'If Dumbledore knew this is what Voldemort had done, maybe he took the books out of the library and hid them? Didn't want someone else doing the same.'

'It's possible,' said Hermione thoughtfully. 'But we have no way of confirming that unfortunately. Not without stealing from him.'

'Don't tempt me,' muttered Y/N darkly.

'You really don't like him now, do you?' Harry asked. 'You said the same to Scrimgeour over Christmas, I was going to agree with him. And you warned me against him last night.'

'I'm sure you remember that lovely trip I took to Azkaban that put me in the Hospital Wing and left me here early?'

'Yeah of course,' said Harry.

'Dumbledore put me up to that, knowing that it was a trap. He sent me straight in against eleven Death Eaters alone, believing I could buy enough time for them to get the drop on the Death Eaters and capture them. He did not account for the fact that Voldemort himself was also there. I nearly died.'

Hermione, who had already heard all of this the day after, wrapped herself around his arm protectively as Ron and Harry gaped at him.

'And Dumbledore knew it was a trap for you?'

'I'm pretty sure he helped set it. And I also have it in good faith that Emmeline's death might have also been a trap. I'm all for helping and fighting, but becoming a weapon that he can just point wherever he wants? Not really on the cards.'

'I didn't realise things were so bad,' said Ron.

'No, nor would you have,' said Y/N. 'I didn't even tell Hermione until recently. However, Dumbledore saw fit to hide some rather crucial information from me. So if some "top secret" information happens to flow through some cracks...' Y/N shrugged.

'So what's the plan now then? Are you still in the Order?' asked Ron.

'Yeah, I am,' said Y/N. 'The Order's end goal is to defeat Voldemort. So is mine. And besides, the other members I have no problems with. However, I've told Dumbledore that I will not be doing any more work directly for him. I'm going to clear this tomb and protect you lot. That's my mission until I decide otherwise.'

'Dunno if I'd have the balls to stand up to a guy like him...' said Ron.

'Funnily enough, when you're pissed off, a lot of things suddenly become possible.'

The four of them left the Gryffindor table not long after, each beginning their day proper. The classes the four of them shared were laced with Hermione and Y/N trying to encourage Harry to come up with a plan to deal with Slughorn. But Harry seemed resolutely set on Ron's scheme, waltz up once the class was over and ask.

'Ah yes, because when have we ever been right over Ron?' muttered Hermione darkly.

Finally, they arrived outside of the dungeons for Slughorn's class. As per usual, he stepped out of his classroom and jovially invited them all inside, beaming around at Harry in particular as they entered.

The quartet took their positions around their table, just as Slughorn began.

'Settle down, settle down, please! Quickly, now, lots of work to get through this afternoon! Golpalott's Third Law, who can tell me-?' Hermione's hand shot into the air. 'But Miss Granger can, of course!'

Hermione recited at top speed:

'Golpalott's-Third-Law-states-that-the-antidote-for-a-blended-poison-will-be-equal-to-more-than-the-sum-of-the-antidotes-for-each-of-the-separate-components.'

'Precisely!' beamed Slughorn. 'Ten points for Gryffindor! Now, if we accept Golpalott's Third Law as true-'

It was immediately obvious that none of the class other than Hermione or Y/N understood even a fraction of what Slughorn was talking about. This boded both well and poorly for Harry, who wanted to earn Slughorn's favour but would now be forced to create an antidote to a completely unique poison that the Prince couldn't help him with.

Technically this was only why it was bad for Harry. It was good because there was still a small part of Y/N that wanted to see Harry slip up.

By the time Hermione, Slughorn and occasionally Y/N had gone back and forth over the meaning of Golpalott's Third Law, the rest of the class had thoroughly zoned out, meaning that it wasn't until Hermione and Y/N had both scooped up their poisons that the rest of the class actually realised they were meant to be moving.

The couple set to work, steadily heating their cauldrons and beginning to brew their antidotes.

Sure enough, as the lesson progressed, Y/N kept glancing over towards Harry's antidote with mixed feelings.

Technically Harry wasn't doing anything wrong by using the Prince's potion book. If the material is there then why not take from it? But being beaten by Harry through someone else's work had left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth. Now however, Harry's previous skill in potion making was shining through. And as Slughorn passed them at the half-way mark and glanced curiously into Harry's cauldron, he withdrew, retching slightly and looking mildly upset.

On and on they brewed, and towards the end Y/N could no longer chance glances up. He was now both trying to brew his own potion and somehow on repair for Hermione's. In the stress of trying to prove she could do it, she seemed to have added an ingredient early and now her potion was thickening horribly.

By the time Slughorn called for them all to stop. Hermione's had been somewhat saved, his own was finished and Harry stood in front of an empty cauldron, his fists clenched.

Slughorn glanced down into Ron's with a sad sort of smile, gave Hermione's a polite nod, patted Y/N jovially on the back and then finally reached Harry.

'And you, Harry,' said Slughorn. 'What have you got to show me?'

Harry held out his hand, and sitting in his palm was a small brownish looking round object. A Bezoar.

Slughorn looked down at it for a full ten seconds. Y/N stared too; he wasn't sure what to call this. Bravery? Stupidity? Desperation? Either way, Harry technically wasn't wrong... and apparently Slughorn agreed.

He threw back his head and roared with laughter.

'You've got nerve, boy!' he boomed, taking the bezoar, and holding it up so that the class could see it. 'Oh, you're like your mother. Well, I can't fault you. A bezoar would certainly act as an antidote to all these potions!'

Hermione looked extremely annoyed. Y/N could hardly blame her, they'd practically had a nightmare trying to get hers up to an acceptable standard and Harry simply grabbed a stone, but there wasn't much they could do. And, Y/N supposed, it would put Slughorn in a good mood, making it that much sweeter when Ron's plan failed.

'And you thought of a bezoar all by yourself, did you, Harry?' asked Hermione through gritted teeth.

'That's the individual spirit a real potion-maker needs!' said Slughorn happily, before Harry could reply. 'Just like his mother, she had the same intuitive grasp of potion-making, it's undoubtedly from Lily he gets it. Yes, Harry, yes, if you've got a bezoar to hand, of course that would do the trick, although as they don't work on everything, and are pretty rare, it's still worth knowing how to mix antidotes.'

The only person in the room looking angrier than Hermione was Malfoy. Why he was, Y/N didn't know. It was hardly like Malfoy would care about his grade given all that he'd been saying that year. Perhaps it was the principle.

Before either of them could express their fury that Harry had come top of the class by not doing any work, however, the bell rang.

'Time to pack up!' said Slughorn. 'And an extra ten points to Gryffindor for sheer cheek!'

Still chuckling, he waddled back to his desk at the front of the dungeon. Harry lingered behind, but to save her trying to rip his head off, Y/N threw an arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her from the classroom.

'I can't believe him!' she called as they made their way up the corridor. 'He didn't even do anything! All that effort, all that work, both of us putting in all we could to make sure mine was okay and yours was great, and the most we got was a nod. He gets 10 POINTS-'

'Yes love I know,' said Y/N, turning them out of the corridor and pulling her into an empty classroom.

Hermione's bad mood improved slightly the next time they spoke to Harry as he told them that, much as the couple had predicted, Slughorn had deduced at once what Harry was after, hurrying from his office before Harry could even clarify what he wanted.

Especially when Harry now decided to turn to Hermione and Y/N to ask for their advice on how to deal with the situation.

'It's a little bit too late for that I'm afraid,' said Y/N. 'Not in a vindictive way, but in a "he already knows what you want" way. You have to remember, he knew Dumbledore had that memory, meaning he'd be on edge. He now knows you've seen it, so he'll be on edge. I dare say you'll be hard pressed to even get him alone anymore.'

But how correct Y/N was, even he couldn't have predicted.

Slughorn very quickly picked up where he'd left off with Harry, praising his potion work over the next few lessons and showering him in the usual praise. However, he did not arrange anymore of his meetings, and was normally one of the first out of the Potion's classroom, downright refusing to give Harry an excuse to get him alone.

It was somewhat impressive, Y/N could tell why he was respected amongst his peers, even if Y/N didn't quite feel the same.

And besides, Y/N had bigger problems right now.

February rolled around, bringing with it pending examination stress, the upcoming second quidditch match of the year, Valentine's day (though this was less of a chore and more of an excuse for Y/N to hire Dobby to the room of requirement again) and the first lesson of their Apparition course.

Hermione had also spent the last month or so combing the library for any mention of Horcruxes, trying desperately to find out more. Whilst Y/N had explained the basics, they still weren't sure how exactly to destroy one.

But the name had only cropped up once. And the passage had essentially said that they exist, but the author refuses to speak of them.

Harry, Y/N and Hermione arrived in the Great Hall on the first Saturday of February. Ron had already come down earlier with Lavender.

The four house tables were gone. Instead, the front of the Great Hall was lined by Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Snape and then a small wizard dressed in Ministry garb, who was no doubt their Apparition instructor.

He was strangely colourless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair and an almost ghostly air about him. Maybe frequent Apparition had a negative effect on someone?

'Good morning,' said the Ministry wizard when all the students had arrived and the Heads of Houses had called for quiet. 'My name is Wilkie Twycross, and I shall be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests in this time-'

'Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!' barked Professor McGonagall.

Everybody looked around. Malfoy had flushed a dull pink; he looked furious as he stepped away from Crabbe, with whom he appeared to have been having a whispered argument.

'-by which time, many of you may be ready to take your tests,' Twycross continued, as though there had been no interruption. 'As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts.'

'Someone else actually knows about that?' hissed Y/N. 'Oh my good god I thought we were going crazy, that Hogwarts: a History never existed, and we were wrong all this time!'

Hermione bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

'The headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasize that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try. I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you.'

There was a great scrambling and jostling as people separated, banged into each other, and ordered others out of their space. The Heads of Houses moved among the students, marshalling them into position and breaking up arguments.

Y/N begrudgingly released Hermione's arm from his and the two stepped apart. Luckily, Y/N managed to net about a ten foot barrier around him wherever he went with a look these days, so they had no issues.

But just as they took up position, Harry sped off.

'Harry, where are you going?' demanded Hermione.

But he did not answer, and he vanished into the crowd.

'He'll either be looking for his boyfriend or looking for his boyfriend,' said Y/N wryly. 'My money is on the blonde one.'

'I wish he'd just leave it alone,' said Hermione. 'He's going to get himself into so much trouble.'

'Quiet!' shouted the four heads of house and, with another knowing look at each other, the couple turned to face Wilkie.

'Thank you,' said Twycross. 'Now then.'

He waved his wand. Old-fashioned wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in front of every student.

'The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D's!' said Twycross. 'Destination, Determination, Deliberation! Step one: Fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination. In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now.'

Everybody looked around furtively to check that everyone else was staring into their hoop, then hastily did as they were told.

Y/N focused all that he could on the middle of that hoop. Funnily enough, it wasn't much different to his magical training this far. Focus all your attention on disarming, breaking a shield charm or overpowering. Use all of your being on that one singular goal.

'Step two,' said Twycross, 'focus your determination to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!'

Y/N began to feel that swelling feeling, that energy coursing up inside of him, but his mind remembered his last trip to the tomb. He couldn't allow it to be free. If he did this right... he might be able to pull it off, it all depends on whatever the third D stood for.

'Step three,' called Twycross, 'and only when I give the command, turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On my command, now, one-'

Y/N's mind focused up, he could do this, he knew he could.

'-two-'

Already he could feel the energy preparing itself, already moving to his intended destination. Guiding him forward, that pressing feeling already surrounding him.

'-THREE!'

With a crack like a whip, Y/N twisted on the spot.

Reality closed in around him, squeezing him forward as though through a tube. And the next second his spinning stopped, and he steadied himself in the middle of his hoop.

Hermione gave a delighted squeal followed by a round of applause and several of the other students nearby did as well, all looking mildly impressed.

As Y/N's eyes turned up towards the teachers. Flitwick, Sprout and Snape wore varying looks of impression. McGonagall wore a look of silent pride. And Twycross was blinking rather stupidly.

'My my, we have not had a successful apparition on a first attempt in some time. Well done, Mr...?

'L/N. Y/N L/N.'

'Ah yes of course,' said Wilkie. He did not elaborate, but Y/N already knew what he'd meant. Y/N's name was front page news most days, bearing his now hated title. He wouldn't be surprised if this somehow made it too.

"Dumbledore's Apprentice masters Apparition"

The thought made him shiver in disgust.

Two more attempts followed, in which only Y/N managed to vanish and reappear in his hoop. The second attempt was once more punctuated by that cracking sound. The third, however, became the small pop instead. Y/N wondered what affected it.

By this point, Professor McGonagall was glowing, looking very high and mighty up on the stage as she glanced down at the students. A look that both said she was proud at it being a Gryffindor, and proud at it being her son who was managing this so well and so consistently.

Then, on the fourth attempt, someone else managed to travel from their starting position to their hoop. Though... not all of them.

There was a horrible screech of pain and everybody looked around, terrified, to see Susan Bones of Hufflepuff wobbling in her hoop with her left leg still standing five feet away where she had started.

The Heads of House converged on her; there was a great bang and a puff of purple smoke, which cleared to reveal Susan sobbing, reunited with her leg but looking horrified.

'Splinching, or the separation of random body parts,' said Wilkie Twycross dispassionately, 'occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continuously upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation... thus.'

Twycross stepped forward, turned gracefully on the spot with his arms outstretched, and vanished in a swirl of robes, reappearing at the back of the Hall.

'Remember the three D's,' he said, 'and try again, one, two, three!'

By the end of the session, no one else had managed to move, whether legitimately or via splinching. Y/N was getting more and more confident with his own apparition, and for the final round, Twycross challenged him to try apparating up to the stage behind where he and the teachers stood, which Y/N had managed as well though a little bit clumsier. Being able to see where he wanted to go definitely helped.

Following Twycross giving Y/N some recommendations on how to correct his work, he turned back to the hall at large and said,

'Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget: Destination. Determination. Deliberation.'

With that, he waved his wand, vanishing the hoops, and walked out of the Hall accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Talk broke out at once as people began moving toward the entrance hall. Y/N stayed on the stage.

'Well done Mr L/N!' squeaked Professor Flitwick. 'I have never once seen a student master the art of Apparition that quickly.'

'I've had training on similar theories before to help with my spellcasting,' said Y/N brightly, smiling as Hermione came hurrying over to collect him. 'Wasn't too much different, just instead of casting a spell I was moving somewhere.'

'I dare say your traversal via your winged friend helped as well,' said Professor Snape softly. 'Still, it is... commendable.'

Y/N smirked. That was Snape's way of saying if he'd been in Slytherin he'd have gotten fifty house points. Y/N turned and hopped down next to Hermione who beamed at him.

'Well, you've got to teach me now!'

'How?' laughed Y/N. 'Give it five minutes and this entire place will be impossible to apparate in again.'

'Well yes, but the theory of it! I mean, you picked it up so quickly.'

'It's kind of like the lessons with Remus back in our third year, you just need to-'

But he stopped as they stepped out of the Great Hall and came face to face with Harry and Ron.

'Trust you to get it first time,' said Ron, before Harry could say anything. 'Should have known.'

'Eternus probably helped, I'm somewhat used to the feeling of moving through nothingness, and the other two I've learnt already through my training. How did you two do?'

'I think I felt something the last time I tried, a kind of tingling in my feet.'

'That means you almost splinched yourself.' Said Y/N. 'It needs to feel like it's compressing you, kind of like Flu Powder does. How about you Harry?'

'I didn't feel anything,' said Harry. 'But I don't care about that now-'

'What d'you mean, you don't care? Don't you want to learn to Apparate?' said Ron incredulously.

'Probably upset that the Prince can't help him with this one,' muttered Hermione so that only Y/N could hear.

'I'm not fussed, really, I prefer flying,' said Harry, glancing over his shoulder before leading the way towards the marble staircase, speeding up as they reached it. 'Look, hurry up, will you, there's something I want to do.'

Harry broke into a run, Ron following along behind him. Y/N waited until they turned a corner, then scooped Hermione into a nearby classroom.

'Aren't we going to-'

But she was silenced as Y/N kissed her, her arms falling loose before she threw them around him, practically pushing him over with the force she returned it with.

'What did I do to deserve that?' she asked playfully as the two broke apart.

'Aside from being beautiful?' said Y/N with a wink. 'We had some time. Eternus!'

The phoenix burst into being and hovered over Y/N's head.

'I'll give you a first-hand experience. Hold on tight.'

Hermione did so and Y/N reached up, grabbing the talon. The two vanished in a whirl of flame before appearing in another abandoned classroom, this one right alongside the entrance to the Fat Lady's portrait.

'Oh god that was weird,' said Hermione, rebalancing herself. 'And you say Apparition is like that?'

'Apparition is worse,' said Y/N. 'Eternus doesn't squeeze you like Apparition does. Trust me, they're better. Come on.'

Eternus landed on Y/N's shoulder as the two of them stepped out and stood alongside the corridor to the Fat Lady's portrait, watching up it until they heard the oncoming footsteps.

Ron and Harry came running around the corner, sliding to a stop as they saw the couple ahead of them.

'How did you-?' began Harry.

Eternus cawed in response.

'And you couldn't have brought us?' asked Ron angrily, clutching a stitch in his side.

'You two just started running, I didn't want to do that,' said Y/N. 'Besides, my legs feel weird after Apparating so many times. Now come on, what was so important?'

Harry hurried past them, giving the Fat Lady the password before gesturing for them to sit down.

The three of them did so as Harry bounded off up towards the boy's dormitory, returning a few moments later hold a wrinkled old piece of parchment.

He sat down and smoothed it out between them, before causing the sprawling map of Hogwarts to appear on it.

'Malfoy's using Crabbe and Goyle as lookouts. He was arguing with Crabbe just now. I want to know what he's doing.'

Y/N rolled his eyes at Hermione who sighed.

'Help me find Malfoy,' said Harry urgently.

He laid the map out, and the four of them leaned over it, searching.

'There!' said Ron, after a minute or so. 'He's in the Slytherin common room, look, with Parkinson and Zabini and Crabbe and Goyle.'

'Well, I'm keeping an eye on him from now on,' Harry said firmly. 'And the moment I see him lurking somewhere with Crabbe and Goyle keeping watch outside, it'll be on with the old Invisibility Cloak and off to find out what he's doing.'

And so Harry did. True to his word, over the next few days there was barely a two-hour period where Y/N did not see him without the map in his hand, either waiting for a chance to look at it, or ruthlessly combing it.

For the first few he'd tried to get them involved, but once more, simply wishing to leave Harry on his vendetta, they had refused.

Regularly he complained about being able to see Crabbe or Goyle but not Malfoy, but there were so many names and dots moving across that map at all times, it was likely he was just elsewhere, hidden within a pile of other people.

Y/N and Hermione had another quiet Valentine's together. This time, Dobby had remodelled a different section of the room of requirement, instead providing the couple with a small lake that they took an admittedly quite slow and short boat ride over, but it was the thought more than anything, and the thought alone had them both thanking Dobby many times over.

The two woke up the following morning with rather messy hair.

February rolled into March and the only change was that the Hogsmeade trip had been cancelled. Though none of them were particularly surprised. Katie had still not returned following last time, and the news of disappearances only mounted.

Ron was particularly perturbed, as it was that the visit was meant to be on his birthday. Instead, the four of them agreed to head out onto the grounds together, the three boys playing some light Quidditch whilst Hermione watched.

Y/N extracted himself from her grip on the morning of Ron's birthday, kissing her head gently before moving up to the boys dormitory.

He said morning to Neville as they passed and then threw open the curtains around Ron and Harry's bed wandlessly as he entered, throwing the wrapped package at Ron.

'Up and at 'em Weasley. Not every day you turn seventeen.'

Ron grumbled in argument but then sat bolt upright, Y/N's words seemingly sinking in.

'Wait! That's right! I'm seventeen!'

'Yep, welcome to adulthood. Not sure what changes except people suddenly think you're capable and the Ministry doesn't tail your spells like a hawk but eh. They never did that to me anyway. Morning Harry,' he added as the black-haired boy stirred.

'Morning, Happy Birthday Ron, have a present,' said Harry, throwing his over to Ron's bed as well.

'Cheers,' said Ron drowsily and, as he ripped off the paper, Harry got out of bed, opened his own trunk, and began rummaging in it for the Marauder's Map.

'You and that damn map spend too much time together,' said Y/N. 'Think we need to have an intervention.'

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,' said Harry, tapping the map with his wand and ignoring Y/N.

'Nice one, Harry!' said Ron enthusiastically, waving the new pair of Quidditch Keeper's gloves Harry had given him.

'No problem,' said Harry absentmindedly, as he searched the Slytherin dormitory closely for Malfoy. 'Hey, I don't think he's in his bed.'

'You realise how creepy that is right?' asked Y/N. 'It's essentially the closest you can get to staring at him in bed.

Ron did not answer; he was too busy unwrapping presents, every now and then letting out an exclamation of pleasure.

'Seriously good haul this year!' he announced, holding up a heavy gold watch with odd symbols around the edge and tiny moving stars instead of hands. 'See what Mum and Dad got me? Blimey, I think I'll come of age next year too.'

'Cool,' muttered Harry glancing at the watch before looking back at the map, his eyes combing it desperately. 'He's not in the Great Hall either.'

Y/N moved over, glancing down at the map.

Unfortunately, Y/N was forced to concede that Harry was somewhat correct here. He definitely wasn't in the Slytherin common room, at the Great Hall or in any of the rooms.

He leaned in to get a closer look, vaguely hearing Ron say something but Harry responded so he assumed it wasn't aimed at him.

'You see? He's not anywhere on here again, he's not just hiding somewhere either, the map would find him.'

'Are there any rooms that the map doesn't cover?'

'I don't know,' began Harry, 'I've never seen one but-'

'Come on you two, if you don't hurry up, you'll have to Apparate on an empty stomach. Might make it easier, I suppose...' said Ron, he turned and scooped up a Chocolate Cauldron, popping it into his mouth just as Harry rolled up the Marauder's map and tucked it away.

Y/N's thoughts were back on the map, but then something scratched at the back of his mind, something he didn't like.

'What...' his eyes fell once more on the box of Cauldron Cakes. 'Harry... what did you do with those Cakes Romilda Vane gave you?'

'They're in my trunk.' Said Harry. 'Why-'

But then he too froze, turning to look at the pile of them on Ron's bed. Ron was stood a few feet away, staring at the rain-soaked window with a very far-off expression on his face.

'Ron?'

'It's okay. You guys go on, I'm not hungry,' said Ron, in an airy voice that Y/N would more expect to hear coming out of Luna.

'I thought you just said-?'

'Well, all right, I'll come down with you,' sighed Ron, 'but I don't want to eat.'

'Hey Ron...' said Y/N slowly. 'Have you ever met Romilda Vane?'

Ron's eyes widened in apparent recognition.

'I can't stop thinking about her!' said Ron hoarsely. 'But I don't think she even knows I exist...'

'Is that... oh god,' said Harry.

'I think... I think I love her,' said Ron in a strangled voice.

'Okay,' said Harry, walking up in front of him. 'Okay, say that again, with a straight face.'

'I love her,' repeated Ron breathlessly. 'Have you seen her hair, it's all black and shiny and silky. and her eyes? Her big dark eyes? And her-'

'I prefer brown and bushy to be honest,' said Y/N, stepping forward too. 'Come on now Ron, you've seen her like once. You can't- Protego!'

Y/N uttered the incantation without even fully registering, moving to block Ron who'd launched himself at Y/N, his face contorted with rage.

Y/N swiped his fingers along, thinking "Levicorpus" and Ron was swept upside down, dangling by the ankle as he swung wildly trying to reach Y/N.

'What was that for?' Harry bellowed.

'He insulted her, Harry! He said I've barely seen her, as if that matters!' shouted Ron, who was slowly turning purple in the face as all the blood rushed to his head.

'How bloody strong are those potions?' asked Y/N, turning to stare at the open box of them.

'They were a birthday present!' shouted Ron, revolving slowly in midair as he struggled to get free. 'I offered you both one, didn't I?'

'Did he?' asked Y/N.

'You weren't listening, you were looking at the map,' said Harry. 'You just picked them up off the floor, didn't you?'

'They'd fallen off my bed, all right? Let me go!'

'They didn't fall off your bed, you prat, don't you understand? They were mine, I chucked them out of my trunk when I was looking for the map, they're the Chocolate Cauldrons Romilda gave me before Christmas, and they're all spiked with love potion!'

But only one word of this seemed to have registered with Ron.

'Romilda?' he repeated. 'Did you say Romilda? Harry, do you know her? Can you introduce me?'

Harry and Y/N stared at the dangling Ron, whose face now looked tremendously hopeful.

'Reckon we can do anything?' Harry whispered to Y/N.

'God no. I could probably brew an antidote, but it would take too long, and I won't lie aside from... well, that,' he gestured at Ron still suspended in the air. 'I don't think there's any way we'll get him to stay still long enough.'

'So, what do you reckon then?'

'Slughorn,' hissed Y/N. 'He'll probably have some on hand just in case. It's our best bet.'

'What are you two whispering about?' asked Ron.

'Nothing,' said Harry quickly. 'Yeah, I'll introduce you, Y/N will be coming with us. We're going to let you down now, okay?'

Y/N released the suspension charm and Ron sprang to his feet.

'She'll be in Slughorn's office,' said Harry confidently, leading the way to the door.

'Why will she be in there?' asked Ron anxiously, hurrying to keep up.

'Oh, she has extra Potions lessons with him,' said Harry, inventing wildly.

'Maybe I could ask if I can have them with her?' said Ron eagerly.

'Great idea,' said Y/N. 'This is insane,' he added to Harry.

Lavender was waiting beside the portrait hole, a complication they had not foreseen.

'You're late, Won-Won!' she pouted. 'I've got you a birthday-'

'Leave me alone,' said Ron impatiently. 'Harry's going to introduce me to Romilda Vane.'

He pushed past Lavender, and took off, Harry hurrying after him. Lavender looked very hurt as he did this and Hermione came wandering up, eyebrow raised. Y/N turned to both girls.

'He's been spiked with a love potion. It was meant for Harry. Ron saw them and thought they were a birthday present, Hermione can explain Lavender, I promise it wasn't in malice. I need to go after them, we're going to see Slughorn.'

'Oh no,' said Hermione heavily. 'Be careful, won't you?'

'I always am.'

Hermione wrapped an arm around Lavender's shoulders as Y/N hurried after the two of them, catching up to them at the end of the Fat Lady's corridor.

'You sorted it?' asked Harry.

'Briefly, Hermione knows, she'll tell Lavender.'

'Ron owes her one.'

'More than one,' muttered Y/N.

'Let's hope he's actually in his office and not at breakfast,' said Harry.

However, there was no need for concern, Slughorn answered his office door at the first knock, wearing a green velvet dressing gown and matching nightcap and looking rather bleary-eyed.

'Harry,' he mumbled. 'This is very early for a call. I generally sleep late on a Saturday.'

'Professor, I'm really sorry to disturb you,' said Harry as quietly as possible, while Y/N held Ron steady, trying to stop him from standing on tiptoe, attempting to see past Slughorn into his room, 'but my friend Ron's swallowed a love potion by mistake. You couldn't make him an antidote, could you? I'd take him to Madam Pomfrey, but we're not supposed to have anything from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and, you know, awkward questions.'

'I'd have thought one of you two could have whipped him up a remedy, a pair of expert potioneers like yourselves?' asked Slughorn.

'Well, I've never mixed an antidote for a love potion, sir, nor has Y/N, and by the time we get it right, Ron might've done something serious-'

Helpfully, Ron chose this moment to moan, 'I can't see her, is he hiding her?'

'Was this potion within date?' asked Slughorn, now eyeing Ron with professional interest. 'They can strengthen, you know, the longer they're kept.'

'Almost definitely not sir,' said Y/N, practically wrestling with Ron to stop him from charging into the room. 'Harry got them for Christmas. Ron thought they were a birthday present.'

'Oh, all right, come in, then, come in,' said Slughorn, relenting. 'I've got the necessary here in my bag, it's not a difficult antidote.'

Ron burst through the door into Slughorn's overheated, crowded study, tripped over a tasseled footstool, regained his balance by seizing Harry around the neck, and muttered, 'she didn't see that, did she?'

'She's not here yet,' said Harry, watching Slughorn opening his potion kit and adding a few pinches of this and that to a small crystal bottle.

'That's good,' said Ron fervently. 'How do I look?'

'Very handsome,' said Slughorn smoothly, handing Ron a glass of clear liquid. 'Now drink that up, it's a tonic for the nerves, keep you calm when she arrives, you know.'

'Brilliant,' said Ron eagerly, and he gulped the antidote down noisily.

The three of them watched him. For a moment, Ron beamed around at them.

Then, very slowly, his grin sagged and vanished, to be replaced by an expression of utmost horror.

'Back to normal, then?' said Harry, grinning. Slughorn chuckled.

'Thanks a lot, Professor,' said Y/N.

'Don't mention it, m'boy, don't mention it,' said Slughorn as Ron collapsed into a nearby armchair, looking devastated. 'Pick me-up, that's what he needs,' Slughorn continued, now bustling over to a table loaded with drinks.

'I've got butterbeer, I've got wine, I've got one last bottle of this oak-matured mead, hmm, meant to give that to Dumbledore for Christmas, ah, well,' he shrugged. 'He can't miss what he's never had! Why don't we open it now and celebrate Mr Weasley's birthday? Nothing like a fine spirit to chase away the pangs of disappointed love.'

He chortled again, and Y/N couldn't help but join in. This would most likely be a fun story to tell in a few short weeks, especially if Hermione had managed to smooth things over with Lavender.

'There you are then,' said Slughorn, handing each of them a glass of mead each before raising his own. 'Well, a very happy birthday, Ralph-'

'Ron-' whispered Harry.

Ron had not been listening, staring down into the depths of his own glass, with a thousand-yard stare. Y/N however, too engrossed at the idea of what this could possibly taste like, drank.

The taste was divine. He found he'd liked butterbeer for the way that it warmed him, seeming to seep into his bones and provide a heat he'd normally associate with a warm fire. But this mead was slightly different, slightly odd, it almost warmed and then chilled. And then froze.

As though someone had wrapped a hand around his throat, Y/N felt his air passages close, the glass dropped from his hand and he began to choke, feeling something forcing its way up through his body.

A distant voice yelled.

'Y/N!'

His world was going black, he could feel his entire body trying to fight whatever had been in that bottle.

The latent magical energy within him surged. He felt his arm twitch and heard the sound of something shattering, but it sounded as though it had been miles away now. Lost to the passage of time.

The pain was fading too. In fact, it felt oddly as though he was floating, being carried off to somewhere else, his entire body simply accepting what had happened. And the last thing he remembered was the feeling of something being pushed into his mouth.

Then, the feeling rushed back, the memories, the pain, the shocks, and the energy running through his body.

He gave one last heavy tense and then fell limp.

In Slughorn's office, Harry sat back, gazing down at the now limp form of his friend, hoping that the bezoar had worked. Ron stepped over, glancing down as he placed his own glass to the side, just as Professor Slughorn seemed to free himself from his shocked trance and hurried off, muttering something about Madam Pomfrey.

'Holy shit...' said Ron. 'That was... I was about to...'

'Yeah, we all were,' said Harry. 'That was really close.'