blame it on the amortentia || t.n. · Y/n story by @anoraborealis

The dungeons were always cold, but the Potions classroom on a Tuesday afternoon felt particularly damp. The air was thick with the scent of pickled newt and dried herbs, and the low stone ceiling seemed to press down on the rows of shared workstations. At the front, Professor Slughorn’s enormous, gleaming cauldron bubbled over a low blue flame.

Professor Slughorn

Now, settle, settle! Today’s lesson is a theoretical one, but I daresay it’s the most fascinating potion we’ll cover all term. He beams, polishing his already-gleaming bald head with a silk handkerchief. Can anyone tell me the name of the most powerful love potion in the world?

Pansy Parkinson

Amortentia, Professor. She says it with a bored drawl, examining her nails.

Professor Slughorn

Precisely! Ten points to Slytherin. Now, who can tell me what makes Amortentia so unique? It isn’t a simple infatuation draught.

Daphne Greengrass

It doesn’t create attraction. It amplifies what’s already there. It’s based on scent.

Professor Slughorn

Excellent! Yes, Miss Greengrass. Amortentia smells different to each person, you see. It smells of what you find most attractive, most alluring. It’s a… a mirror of the heart, in a way. He chuckles, a rich, wheezy sound. Now, I shall brew a small sample for demonstration. I need a partner from each workstation to fetch ingredients from the store cupboard. Let’s see… Nott, you and your partner can go.