"Mr. Slughorn, that's Polyjuice Potion. Its most notable characteristic is…"
Malfoy paused briefly before continuing.
"Because it contains some fluxweed, its properties, combined with the fluidity of water, make it particularly suitable for transformation."
He elaborated slightly on the properties of the herb.
Hermione raised her head slightly before immediately beginning to scribble notes and diagrams into her Potions textbook.
"Excellent!"
Slughorn clapped his hands.
Pansy suddenly caught the mixed scents of parchment, shattered crystal, dried leaves, and old books.
"And what's in this cauldron? Can anyone answer that?"
Slughorn pointed towards the cauldron beside the Slytherin table.
Inside was a clear potion with a mother-of-pearl-like sheen that seemed almost dazzling.
Spiral-shaped vapour slowly rose from its surface, and its fragrance made anyone who breathed it feel strangely happy.
The smell Pansy had just noticed had come from this cauldron.
"It's a Love Potion!"
Pansy answered first and immediately stood up.
"Oh? Could you tell me more?"
Slughorn asked with amusement.
"This is the most effective Love Potion in the world."
"Interesting. The students in this class are even more impressive than I expected."
Slughorn smiled.
Many students stared at the potion in astonishment.
The slowly rising vapour seemed to possess some kind of magical power.
"Of course, it only creates false infatuation. You can't obtain genuine love from it."
Pansy added quietly, tilting her head to sneak a glance at Malfoy.
He looked drowsy and sleepy, his eyes half-closed as though he had not properly woken up yet.
His left hand supported his chin, and he was doing his best not to collapse onto the desk.
Pansy decided that she would ask him about it properly after class.
"Yes. I'm glad you understand that."
Slughorn spread his hands.
"Potions cannot solve every problem. Emotions are an area we cannot easily enter or control."
"A Love Potion cannot truly create love."
"Love cannot be manufactured or imitated."
"No. This potion merely causes intense obsession or infatuation. It is probably the most dangerous and potent potion in this classroom."
"Yes, that's right."
"You seem to know quite a lot about this potion, Miss Parkinson."
Slughorn looked at his student with interest.
"Of course, I brewed…"
Pansy began speaking before suddenly realising that she had almost revealed too much.
She quickly turned her head away.
"I read about it in a book!"
"Hmm…"
Slughorn nodded in agreement.
"Please, sit down."
He gestured towards her seat.
Pansy sat down again.
She lowered her head shyly, a blush creeping up towards her temples.
It was obvious that she had remembered some rather embarrassing memories.
"You remember that quite well."
Malfoy suddenly opened his eyes and teased her.
When it came to understanding Love Potions, he might not even know as much as Pansy did.
"Of course."
Pansy subconsciously admitted it.
Then she suddenly realised what she had said.
Several blushes quickly spread across her face, and soon she was almost hiding beneath the table.
The potion inside the small cauldron bubbled cheerfully.
Its colour resembled molten gold, with large drops of liquid dancing across the surface like goldfish. Not a single drop spilled over the edge.
Everyone showed great interest in this potion because of its pleasant fragrance.
"It seems Miss Granger will have to answer this one."
"This is Felix Felicis."
"I had a feeling it would be you."
"Oh? What's your name? Say it again. I may be getting a little forgetful."
Slughorn deliberately drew out the final syllable.
"Hermione Granger, sir."
Hermione answered politely.
"Granger? Granger?"
Slughorn looked at her with interest.
"Are you related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, the founder of the Society of Potioneers?"
"No, I don't believe so, sir. I come from a Muggle family. My parents are ordinary dentists."
Hermione answered politely.
"That makes it even more impressive."
"To become so outstanding without the subtle influence of a magical family from childhood…"
"Family background can change a person's destiny, but it is not everything."
Slughorn made no further comment about Hermione's background.
"And you remind me of someone."
He gave Harry Potter a barely perceptible glance.
A hint of nostalgia appeared on his face before he quickly concealed it.
"Maybe if I drink this, my confession will succeed."
Pansy's eyes sparkled as she stared unblinkingly at the golden potion.
She had somehow managed to mistake a luck potion for a love potion in her own mind.
"This is a peculiar little potion—Felix Felicis."
Slughorn explained.
"It is extremely complicated to prepare, and if you make a mistake, the consequences can be disastrous."
"However, if you brew it correctly, like the potion in this cauldron, you will find that whatever you do will succeed…"
"At least until the effects wear off."
"Then why don't people drink it all day, sir?"
A student asked curiously.
"The world is fair."
Slughorn smiled.
"If you take too much, it will cause dizziness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence."
"However, it is pleasant to occasionally enjoy some of life's gifts. I certainly won't deny that."
"Occasionally taking a small amount, carefully and in moderation…"
"Have you ever tried it?"
Another student asked with great interest.
"I've taken it twice in my life."
Slughorn smiled nostalgically.
"Once when I was twenty-four, and once when I was fifty-seven."
"I took two spoonfuls with breakfast on both occasions."
"Those two days were absolutely perfect."
He stared blankly into the distance.
Whether he was exaggerating or not, every student could feel how alluring the idea sounded.
"Well…"
Slughorn seemed to return to reality.
"I'll keep it as the prize for today's lesson."
The classroom became completely silent.
The bubbling and boiling sounds of the surrounding potions seemed to become ten times louder.
"A small bottle of Felix Felicis."
Slughorn pulled a small glass bottle sealed with a cork from his pocket and held it up for the entire class to see.
"It can bring you twelve hours of good luck."
"From dawn until dusk, everything you do will be blessed with good fortune."
"However, I must remind you that Felix Felicis is prohibited in organised competitions…"
"Sports competitions, examinations, elections, and so on."
"Therefore, the winner can only use it on an ordinary day."
"And then you can see just how extraordinary an ordinary day can become!"
"Well then…"
Slughorn suddenly became much more animated.
"How can you win this wonderful prize?"
"Turn to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making."
"We have a little over an hour, so use that time to brew a Draught of Living Death."
"I know it is more complicated than anything you have brewed before, and I don't expect anyone to produce a perfect potion."
"But the best potion will win this little bottle of Felix Felicis."
"All right, let's begin!"
The classroom filled with the screeching sound of students dragging their cauldrons closer.
Weights clanged as they were placed on scales.
But no one spoke.
The students were so intensely focused that their concentration seemed almost tangible.
"Draco, don't you want to try?"
Pansy hurriedly gathered the ingredients, added them to her cauldron, and began brewing the potion Slughorn had assigned.
"I'm not interested."
Malfoy shrugged.
He still had plenty of Felix Felicis stored away, simply waiting for the perfect moment to use it.
As he tossed the ingredients into the cauldron, his hand trembled almost imperceptibly.
The pale blue-green potion inside instantly turned a rich purple.
Malfoy quickly adjusted his movements and deliberately maintained an ordinary level of skill.
"Time's up!"
After a short wait, Slughorn stepped down from the podium and began making his rounds.
Without the help of the "Half-Blood Prince," it seemed Harry had not inherited his mother's talent for Potions.
The cauldron in front of him was emitting black smoke and looked absolutely dreadful.
Slughorn gave him an awkward smile as he passed.
Ron's cauldron contained something resembling boiling mud.
However, when Slughorn reached Hermione, he glanced at the pale, tranquil potion in her cauldron, which was as still as a lake.
He nodded approvingly.
"The winner this time is Miss Granger."
"We wish you a wonderful day using your prize properly."
"This world still lacks true geniuses…"
Slughorn muttered to himself.
"However, following the steps correctly is also a skill, and she is undoubtedly a winner."
After all, compared with everyone else's work, Hermione's potion was clearly the best in the class.