Amortentia
“Amortentia, where it is known as the potion of love, is one of the most dangerous potions to have.”
The words of Professor Sharp dulled as Enoch's mind travelled. It was the first day of classes for the semester, yet it was hard for him to focus.
White snowflakes floated down from the sky outside the windows. And despite the freezing temperatures of January, Enoch could almost feel himself sweating from the unusual warmth from inside the castle. As a matter of fact, he was unsure if it was truly the castle being warm, or if it was his nerves making him sweat.
A gentle tap landed on his shoulder as he jumped in surprise. The never-ending thoughts that raced through his head ceased and he turned, seeing Garreth being the one who got his attention. Garreth himself was leaning over the table they were sitting at, sporting a devious-looking grin. He then quietly slid over a folded piece of paper, prompting Enoch to open and read it.
‘Meet me in the kitchens at ten tonight.’
Confused, Enoch arched an eyebrow back at Garreth, who only smiled in return before he gave his attention to Professor Sharp teaching the lesson. Enoch sighed quietly and crumpled the paper. He wasn't going to get a solid answer from the Gryffindor boy, at least not while class was still in session.
Again, Enoch’s mind wandered, curiously thinking of why Garreth wanted to meet him later that night. Garreth was understandably upset when Enoch told him Sebastian drank his Fizzing Whizz-beer during the Yule Ball. And he was more upset when Enoch told him Sebastian hadn't said a word about it since.
Sebastian. That's who was on Enoch’s mind as of late. It wasn't just the Fizzing Whizz-beer Sebastian wouldn't talk about, it was also their conversation from the night of the Yule Ball. In fact, Sebastian would only say a few words to him each time they talked to each other. And Enoch had no idea what to do.
Should he bring it up? Would it upset Sebastian by bringing it up? Or is that what Sebastian wants, and he's just waiting for Enoch to talk about it first? Enoch couldn't dream of focusing on school now, as his mind was too jumbled with all these questions, and had no one to answer them.
Endlessly, Enoch stared blankly at the wall as he continued to be lost in thought. And once class ended, he realised he hadn’t listened to a single word Professor Sharp spoke.
The door opened with a slight creak, an immediate smell of sugary, baked goods wafting into Enoch’s nose. He walked in cautiously and peered around the large kitchen. The few house elves still walking around this late at night were cleaning, except one talking to Garreth at a table full of various sweets.
“Maybe adding a tad less vanilla extract to make it more digestible. Oh, and less flour. If I eat too many of these, I'll have to down a whole goblet of pumpkin juice after.”
Enoch approached the two apprehensively. Garreth hasn't seemed to notice his entrance quite yet, being too busy tasting the muffin he held in his hand. The house elf that was standing on the stool across the table seemed to listen intently.
“Are you... giving the house elves baking advice?” Enoch asked, bringing attention to the strange interaction he walked in on.
Garreth looked over before giving a large grin. “It's not just potions I love concocting over a fire. Although, I cause far less explosions when I'm baking a pie. I can't tell if that's fortunate or not. I'd like to say my potion-making is top notch.”
Enoch chuckled. “Well, you're not the worst, Garreth.”
“Oh, please, you flatter me.” Garreth gave a hearty laugh before finishing the muffin. “Talla and the other elves here are willing to listen to me ramble when I find myself in the kitchens late at night.”
Enoch’s attention turned to the mousy house elf that was now dragging her stool away, seemingly not wanting to join their conversation. He couldn't help but think Garreth was oblivious to the implications.
“What is it you wanted me to meet you for?” He asked as the house elf climbed into her chamber across the room.
“Oh! Right!” Garreth clapped his hands together suddenly, reaching underneath the table and pulling out what appeared to be the potions textbook. “So, remember the lesson Sharp was talking about today? About the love potion?”
Enoch paused. He mentally cursed at himself, remembering how lost in thought he was all day. He’d been too preoccupied thinking about Sebastian that he completely ignored all of his lessons.. What a good start to the term, he thought.
“Erm, no, not really.”
Garreth didn’t seem to mind as he flipped through the pages of the textbook quickly. “Not to worry, I was paying attention. It’s a potion called ‘Amortentia,’ which supposedly, if given to someone and they drink it they become infatuated with whomever gave it to them.” He stopped turning the pages and pointed his finger against the book. “Here, look.”
With subtle hesitation, Enoch peered over Garreth’s shoulder and looked at the book. The opened page was an illustration of a potion of presumably Amortentia, along with a lengthy description and recipe. And in big, bold letters at the top of the page read, ‘DANGEROUS!’
“Is this really what we’re learning in potions right now?”
Garreth seemed to ignore his question as he continued. “I grew inspired from Sharp’s lesson in class. You see, there’s many drawbacks to the potion, which is why it’s seen as so ‘dangerous.’ For example, the drinker only becomes infatuated with the giver. It’s an artificial and fleeting emotion, so what’s so good about it if it’s just a fake?”
Enoch glanced at Garreth warily. “I’m not sure I follow.”
“Look here.” Garreth turned to the next page that continued the recipe, and in the margins were his own handwritten notes that displayed different ingredients than the ones listed in the book. “Like I said, his lesson inspired me. I thought, what if the so-called ‘love potion’ wasn’t artificial? What if it actually worked?”
“I... still don’t follow.”
“I’m not saying it should create new feelings, but perhaps enhance genuine feelings for someone. More like giving them a nudge in the right direction rather than manipulating them into just loving anyone.
“But then, I thought, what if I somehow combine the effects of my idea of a new Amortentia and Veritaserum, the truth-telling potion? Then, in that case, a person cannot lie to the person they feel genuine feelings for. It's basically just a confession potion, which is like Amortentia, but real.”
Enoch stared down at Garreth’s scribbled notes on the page and felt his mind begin to wander.
‘A person cannot lie to the person they feel genuine feelings for.’
His heart began to race as his thoughts went to the Yule Ball just a week ago. Sebastian... confessed his feelings for him. Feelings Enoch was still trying to process, still trying to understand. He wondered, for a moment, if that confession would've been different if he took this so-called love confession potion Garreth invented. Were Sebastian's feelings really genuine, or was he just under the effects of the prototype that was the Fizzing Whizz-beer?
“Well? Thoughts?”
“It's... a risky idea, Garreth. This could potentially cause more harm than good.”
“What's harmful about love? Isn't that what people want?”
Is that what people want? Enoch thought to himself. Surely the answer was yes. It's human nature to love others, to find someone to love more than anyone else. But it just wasn't something Enoch really thought about. He was only sixteen after all, and had way more on his plate than to think about love.
But so did Sebastian, yet he confessed to Enoch. It seemed like it had been eating at him for so long he couldn't help but explode from the pent-up emotions. Enoch wondered just how long Sebastian sat with these thoughts... if they were even true at all.
Enoch couldn't help but mentally slap himself. Would Sebastian really lie about something like that? Even if it was the potion talking, wouldn't he explain himself later?
Unless he didn't remember doing it. But Enoch knew that couldn't be true, as Sebastian’s odd behaviour since then proves he truly remembers. So… that means he had to have been telling the truth, right? Enoch knew he shouldn't keep questioning it. It was just something he needed to accept.
“Come on, Enoch,” Garreth begged. “It's not like we're going to go around the castle drugging everybody. Once I gather all the ingredients I need and perfect it, we'll just find a test subject to see just how amazing it is.”
Enoch had a bad feeling in his stomach. “We will be telling the test subject... right? Before they drink it?”
Garreth stayed quiet until a big smile grew on his face. “Who'd willingly want to confess to their love?”
Enoch sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling like every person he surrounded himself with were bad influences. “Garreth, that's such a bad idea I can't even begin to explain how bad it is.”
“Don't worry! We’ll find two people who obviously like each other, but are too afraid to confess. That way the results will be good regardless! They might even thank us afterward!”
“I doubt that, Garreth.”
I can't believe he talked me into this, Enoch thought as he made his way to the Potions classroom. The sun shone brightly through the windows he walked by, illuminating the hallway. It was early morning after breakfast, and Enoch had to be at his Transfiguration class soon, but Garreth gave him a mission he promised to carry out as soon as possible.
Enoch knocked gently on the heavy door that was cracked open. A few younger students were already inside, early to their first class of the day. The same students looked up to see who was at the door, along with Professor Sharp working contently at his desk.
“Sorry, sir, I know I don't have class with you until tomorrow,” Enoch explained as he entered the room hesitantly. “But I had a question regarding a certain potion.”
Professor Sharp cleared his throat and repositioned himself on his stool. “Come on over.”
Enoch obeyed his professor’s orders as he walked across the room. “It's...” He trailed off nervously. “I had more trouble with my lessons last term than I thought I would, and I remembered a potion you taught us just a couple months ago, the memory potion?”
“Yes, I know what you're talking about.”
“I wanted to brew some for my studying sessions. I thought, maybe I'd have some improvement with my studies and get better marks before the year is over. I have most of the ingredients. The only ones I haven't been able to get are the Jobberknoll Feathers.”
Professor Sharp chuckled before Enoch could continue. “And I assume you're asking for some?”
Enoch smiled innocently. “Yes, I am.”
“You're a bright student,” Sharp said before he paused. “Alright, I'll let you have some from my stock, but I'd like for you to do something for me in return.”
“Anything, sir.”
“I need you to deliver this letter to Professor Weasley,” Sharp explained as he quickly scribbled something down on the parchment paper he was writing on. “It completely left my mind during breakfast, and my owl currently has a wing injury.” He finished his quick scribble before setting his quill down and folding the paper somewhat unneatly. He then handed it to Enoch. “Bring this to her and then you can see me later for the Jobberknoll Feathers.”
“Of course, Professor.” Enoch took the letter gently and nodded to his teacher. “Thank you so much.”
Professor Sharp nodded in return, prompting Enoch to be on his way.
He left the Potions classroom feeling the nerves finally leave his body. He knew Professor Sharp was, well, sharp, so he worried he'd see through his lie. But he was fortunate, at least for now.
He rounded a corner out of the hallway and immediately bumped into another person, almost sending himself falling backwards. After catching his footing he looked ahead to see just who he ran into.
“Sebastian?” Enoch asked incredulously. “What are you doing here?”
His friend was standing in front of him, eyes wide. Enoch swore he could see eyebags cupping Sebastian’s eyes. “Nothing. What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I,” Enoch stuttered. “I had to ask Professor Sharp about something.”
Sebastian made a ‘hm’ sound, glancing around the floor beneath them. “So did I.”
“Oh, well.” Enoch fiddled with the letter in his hands, looking away awkwardly. “I shouldn't keep you, then. Class is starting soon.”
Sebastian looked up and eyed the letter in his hands with a confused look before peeling them away. “Same to you.”
Enoch gave him one last forced smile before continuing on his way.
Ever since the Yule Ball, their relationship has been sort of... strained, in Enoch’s mind. And every conversation between them, albeit few and far between, were filled with awkward tension. But it didn’t look like Sebastian was doing too well. Helplessly, Enoch felt a twinge in his gut in thought about his friend. He wondered just what was going through Sebastian’s head, because he knew his own head was riddled with frantic thoughts.
Maybe he should talk to Ominis about it. This whole time Ominis has been in the dark about their conversation during the Yule Ball. Enoch suspected Ominis knew something was amiss between his friends, as he’d been keeping to himself since then as well.
It wasn’t like Enoch wanted to hide this from their friend, but he was wary in telling him. This was just something that felt more private between him and Sebastian. Regardless, Enoch didn’t know what to do, and maybe talking to someone close could help him understand better.