The potion
When Harry and Ron entered the study room laughing and out of breath, Hermione shot them a glare.
"Can you stop making all this noise?" she asked irritably. "If someone catches us, we’ll get detention and lose points for Gryffindor."
"Relax, Hermione," Ron said with a big smile. "There’s no one around except for Snape and Filch."
"And I have this," Harry added, waving the map under her nose "it says they’re currently occupied in a classroom far away from here."
Hermione huffed and gave him a weak slap on the hand holding the map to shoo it away, then, without much ceremony, she took the vial with the hair from Ron's hand and set it on the table.
"Now?" Ron asked, awake again from the excitement of the moment before.
"Now," Hermione took a cauldron that the two hadn’t noticed yet and placed it in the center of the table, "we start the potion."
Under Hermione's watchful instructions, Harry and Ron added the ingredients to the cauldron; she listed them and explained their purposes while stirring to keep the potion moving.
They started with Sunset Hibiscus for "passion and creativity," known for its vibrant color and invigorating properties.
Next, they poured in three drops of Siren’s Tears, a rare ingredient said to evoke charm and allure, enhancing the drinker's charisma.
Then it was time for Ginger Essence to add warmth and spice, promoting boldness and encouragement in social situations.
As Ron sprinkled in a dusting of Stardust Powder, a magical ingredient that inspires imagination and sparks new ideas, adding a shimmering quality to the potion, Harry asked, "What exactly does this potion do, Herm?"
"Add the Bubotuber Juice to give the potion a bit of energy," she said, wiping her left hand across her face, then explained, "This potion is meant to enhance the abilities of the drinker, mainly their academic skills."
"You're telling me it works like steroids but for the brain?" Harry asked, holding back a laugh. "Hermione, isn't that cheating?!"
She flushed violently. "No! I mean, I don't want to drink it before taking the exam. I want to present it as a potion for the test to demonstrate my ability. But first, of course , I need to be sure I can do it."
"And while you're at it, you’ll have a sip first," Ron said, laughing. "Don’t worry, we won’t spill anything... if we can have some too."
The girl looked at him impassively, but her cheeks were still flushed. "Absolutely not. You know cheating is not an option, especially with the Umbridge on our backs."
The two boys exchanged a knowing glance and continued adding the ingredients.
They were thinking the same thing: they would take a bit without her noticing.
Moreover, Harry felt like he really needed it.
Next came the Poppy Petals, to help soothe anxiety while promoting confidence, balancing the effects of the potion; and two Licorice Roots.
"Traditionally used for its calming properties, it can enhance the drinker's focus while also sweetening the potion’s flavor," the girl pronounced without even consulting the book. "There, like that. Now, Harry, add a Valerian Root; it promotes clarity and balances the heightened emotions to avoi..."
"Bloody hell! What’s this?" Ron asked in disgust, interrupting her and lifting a gloppy reddish lump with the spell he had fought so much to control during his first year.
He held it above the cauldron and then let it drop inside with a "splat."
"That," said the girl, with her inscrutable demeanor, "is Powdered Dragon Liver: Often used in potions for strength and vitality, it could enhance the potion's overall effectiveness."
"Yuck," Ron said, wiping his hands on his robes even though he hadn't touched it.
Harry chuckled as he picked up an Ashwinder Egg and added it to the mixture, which immediately began to take on a nice ruby color.
"Good," Hermione said, satisfied. "This adds a unique spark; when ground, these eggs produce a fiery energy that can enhance enthusiasm."
"Only the Veela hair is left, right?" asked the redhead, gently shaking the vial he had retrieved with such effort.
She nodded. "Yes, that should be added when the potion has thickened. It helps to enhance fluidity in movement and grace in speech, making the user more eloquent."
She looked around wearily and added, "Start tidying up and gathering everything; once the hair is added, we’ll need to let it rest all night."
The boys obeyed, yawning.
When the potion was ready, Ron handed her the vial, and she furrowed her eyebrows slightly.
"Are you sure they’re Veela hair?" she asked, continuing to examine them.
"Of course I’m sure," he replied irritably.
"But," she asked hesitantly, "aren't they supposed to be... silvery blonde?"
With that, she reached for a book, but Ron snatched it from her hands and slammed it on the table. "Hermione, it said Veela hair. And you can't be telling me that all Veela are blonde! Now, let us go to sleep".
She looked at him thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that they can have black hair too."
She uncapped the vial and poured the five strange dark hairs into the potion, which began to sizzle the moment they touched it.
She quickly covered it since a foul stench began to waft through the air and hid the cauldron under a shelf.
"Yikes," she said, disgusted, standing up and leading them out of the room. "The book mentioned an unpleasant smell, but this really stinks."
The three returned to the Gryffindor common room, always checking with the map to ensure no professors were in sight.
"We'll try it tomorrow morning," Hermione said as a farewell and headed up to her dormitory.
--
Again!
Professor Snape gritted his teeth, straightening a vial containing Veela hair and closing the doors of his ingredient cabinet with a bit too much force.
I absolutely have to go to Trelawney and tell her to stop taking my ingredients without asking! That foolish woman thinks she can prepare her own hair-growing potion using Screechsnout hair without even asking me exactly how much to use.
He huffed and then smiled bitterly.
It's her own fault if she ends up teaching a lesson screaming instead of predicting.
He then stopped worrying about having to go get more since there were none left in his stock and went to bed.