Harry and Hermione were both relieved and worried as they watched Ginny leave the table. They were relieved that they had caught Ginny's actions as planned, but concerned they had missed the attempt on Hermione. Their fears were shortly waylaid when Ron came up to her as they left the Great Hall.
"Uh..." Ron stammered. "I'm suppose…I mean I want you to have these to say I'm sorry," He held out a small box of chocolates from Honeydukes.
"When's the last time we went to Hogsmeade in the fifth year," Harry asked. He couldn't imagine Ron holding onto anything edible that long. He remembered Ron eating the chocolate Cauldrons Romilda Vane had given him next year or the previous year just because he presumed a box of chocolates lying in the middle of the floor MUST be his. "We really have got to come up with a way to define what year is what and when it happened. I am going to confuse myself."
"It's simple Harry, if you mention sixth or seventh year or the hunt, I'll know you're talking about the next two years and you should too. Now when next year comes along, I'm hoping we are really starting to not even think about the previous time line, but we can then refer to it as the previous sixth year."
"Makes it sound like we failed and had to repeat it," They both noticed Ron was still standing there with the box of chocolates still outstretched in his hand and was still talking. "…and I know I was a prat and should have congratulated you," He finished.
"Well I've got to make this look good," Hermione thought as she took the box of chocolate. "It's a start Ron, but you still insulted our friends. Think about what a real friend is like and we'll talk next school year."
"But Gin…uh yeah. I'll do that," Ron said. "Well I've got to go meet Lavender. She's my girlfriend now," Ron emphasized the word girlfriend as he looked at Hermione.
Hermione had to turn the laugh that she was fighting into a coughing fit. Finally she recovered. "That's great Ron," She said as she cleared her throat. "I wish you two the best."
"Yeah well…well...ok…thanks," Ron looked confused as if he didn't know what to do. Finally he turned and walked away.
"Let's find somewhere to examine these," Hermione said as she held the box of chocolates as gingerly as she could. After making sure no one was following them, they ducked into an empty classroom. Harry pulled out his wand and sent a locking spell at the door, while Hermione took care of the privacy charms. When they had secured the room, they called Dobby.
When Dobby appeared they immediately asked the question. "Were you able to see who ate the tart?"
"Dobby saw who took it."
"Who was it? Goyle?"
"No sir, it was Bulstrode sir."
"Millicent Bulstrode?" Hermione asked incredulously. "But didn't you put it on a plate near Goyle?" They had presumed he would eat it since he eats everything in front of him.
"Dobby did Missus. But Bulstrode beat him to it."
"Oh my," Hermione said. "I've got to know what type of potion Ginny was trying to give Harry. Did you save a small amount of the tart?"
Dobby handed over the piece he had broken off.
"Thanks Dobby," Hermione said as she sat the piece of tart on a desk. She waved her wand and cast the Scarpin's Revelaspell detection spell they had learned the next year in Slughorn's class on the small piece. "Ashwinder eggs are one of the ingredients," She said as she interpreted the result. "So we know it's not Amortentia. But we knew that anyway since it would have taken much longer to make," After several more minutes of diagnosing the correct potion, she concluded. "It's a lower end love potion that will wear off in two days or so."
"Do love potions work on the same sex?" Harry asked as he thought about who took the love potion.
"I...I don't know?" Hermione replied as she tried to remember if the book had mentioned the possibility. "I guess we'll find out."
"So it's possible for the next two days Bulstrode…?"
"If Ginny is hiding from Millicent, at least she won't be bothering us during the testing."
"But Millicent has OWLs too."
Hermione looked at Harry and shrugged, "Anyone who is a member of the Inquisitorial Squad will get no pity from me. Plenty of students are going to have their grades affected because of their actions, so it's only fair. Besides I owe Bulstrode a thing or two. If she gets one or two fewer OWLs, too bad, I will not cry at night over it."
"Fair enough," Harry said. "What about the sweets?" He pointed at the box in Hermione's hand. "Still have the same plan?"
"Well now that we are thinking about the same sex I might have a better idea," Hermione replied with a mischievous look in her eyes. "But first let me see what's in them," She opened the box and removed the six pieces of candy and did the same detection spell. She cast the spell again and a third time. "Wow, she has two doses of the same love potion as well as a dose of jealousy potion in each of these."
"I think she really hates you being my girlfriend," Harry said. "And my wife."
"Yes, it seems so," Hermione replied. "If I wasn't protected and bit into one of these chocolates I would probably have been as desperate to get Ron as Ginny is to get you. At least there's no lust potion," She mentally gagged at the thought that brought up of her and Ron and she quickly substituted the memory of her and Harry in bed the other morning. She still had a shudder run through her as she saw the evidence of Ginny and Ron's betrayal laid out in front of her.
"So go with the plan?"
I'm a little concerned about this strong of a potion in the chocolate...but," Hermione replied but then turned to Dobby. "Dobby, can you go down to the potions ingredient room and get some Billywig sting slime? Oh and can you get a Bezoar as well?"
"Yes Her mine e," Dobby nodded and was gone only a minute before returning with the asked for ingredient. He also handed Harry the Bezoar.
"As I'm sure you remember, since we just covered it yesterday in our review, Billywig sting slime is a curative. If we mix a very small amount into the chocolates, it should reduce the effects of the other potions to a much more tolerable level."
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