Daphne was in the potions classroom on a Saturday at the beginning of April. No one was around, and she had gone in by herself to practice the potions that she knew would be on the O.W.L.s. Then there was one last potion she wanted to work on. With a deep breath, she reached into a cabinet that Professor Mortitch hid from the rest of the class in the storage room. Daphne waved her wand and uttered an incantation. When she opened the cupboard, she pulled out a small cauldron and brought it into the empty classroom. Except, someone had wandered in silently. Daphne saw the moving figure and jumped, almost spilling the potion.

"Leon!?" Daphne gasped. "You scared me half to death."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I actually wanted to practice some potion making since I don't have the class this semester. Wanted to brush up on things before the O.W.L.s. Is that okay?" he questioned.

"Of course it is, but if I dropped this, I would've been mad at you for life!" Daphne placed the cauldron on a desk and took a deep inhale and exhale.

"Don't you think you're being a bit dramatic?" Leon eye-rolled.

"No, I don't think I'm being dramatic in the slightest. I've been in the middle of making Felix Felicis, thank you very much!"

"What do you mean? You've been in the middle of making a potion that requires 6 months of stewing?"

"Well, today marks the end of that 6th month. All this requires now is the finishing touches." Daphne grinned.

Leon's eyes widened. "Bloody hell, you've been brewing up one of the hardest potions behind everyone's backs?"

Daphne smirked and shrugged. "Professor Mortitch knew about it. It's been a secret through the year but, I'd been studying how to do it, and I finally wanted to put it to the test."

"Wow. You're something else."

"I'm impressed you knew how long it took to stew."

"Ha. ha. I'm well aware it creates a sense of luck for the consumer. I'm not a dolt, y'know."

"Believe me, I know you're one of the top Slytherins. I got my eye on all of the academic competition. But! It doesn't just create a sense of luck, it actually makes whoever drinks the potion incredibly lucky for a period of time. That's why it's so hard to make. It's wildly invaluable."

Leon yawned and meandered to a cabinet. He pulled out some potion ingredients, and set them on a table next to Daphne's. She followed his movements with her eyes.

"Don't mind me," Leon said.

"Uh, sorry, I'm just a little nervous to get started on this potion. It's been 6 damned months of waiting for this to be ready. If I screw up these last steps, I will go insane."

Leon frowned. "I think I'll just go back in the hall. You can let me know when you're done. I don't want to contribute to your psychological meltdown." Leon moped towards the exit, and Daphne ran after him.

"Wait! You don't have to leave. It might be better if you're here doing your own thing, so I don't get in my head about the Felix Felicis."

Leon tucked his chin down, gazing at Daphne incredulously.

"I mean it!” Daphne assured.

Leon sighed. "I get it. You don't want me around. Nobody does," he spun around and left, but Daphne chased after him and grabbed his shoulder.

"That's not what I said at all! Leon, What's wrong?" Daphne noticed his eyes became red and teary.

"Just having a rough go of things. I think I'll go back to my room. I don't want to bother you."

Daphne held his hand. "Don't think that, Leon. I enjoy your company."

He stared at the ground.

"Sorry, I was being moody." Leon shrugged. "You deserve all the focus in the world. That's a brutal potion you're whipping up."

"I insist. Perhaps it might even help you on your O.W.L.s during the theoretical portion."

Leon flashed a smile and nodded.

Going back into the empty potions classroom, Daphne approached her cauldron and focused. "Here's the occamy eggshell..." Daphne added some powder. "Thankfully, my parents got me that for Christmas. Now I just need some heat." She pulled out her wand and uttered an incantation, and a small fire kicked up underneath the cauldron. "A-and now I just stir!"

"You're forgetting the powdered rue," Leon mentioned.

Daphne's eyes widened. "You're totally right." She froze up.

Leon ran over to a cabinet and pulled out a burlap sack of rue.

"Thank you," Daphne whispered as she sprinkled it in and used the wooden spoon to stir vigorously. Narrowing her eyes, she whipped out her wand, waved it in a figure-eight over the cauldron, and yelled, "Felixempra!"

The potion switched colors from dark green sludge to shiny metallic silver, and a thin plume of smoke puffed out from the mixture. Daphne’s jaw dropped, and she backed away, trying to form words, but she couldn't. Leon beamed and turned to her.

"Bravo! That was incredible! Thank you for letting me witness."

Daphne sprinted up to him and nearly tackled him with a hug. "Thank you! You saved 6 months of work! It totally slipped in my mind!"

Leon felt his heart flutter as she hugged him. He rubbed her back and thought to himself, she probably would have remembered the rue if I never showed up, but maybe not?

"So, what do you plan to do with it?" Leon asked.

Daphne froze. "I don't know. To be honest, I'm just amazed I made it this far. I didn't think it would be possible."

"Congrats. You might be the youngest person to ever finish that potion.'

Daphne's lips curved up. "I think I'm going to save it. I think I'll know when the moment is right to use it."

"I have no doubt." Leon smiled.

"So, I have a question for you, do you know what you want to do after you graduate from Hogwarts? You interested in potions or something?"

Leon's smile faded. With a slow nod, he said, "I think I want to be an Auror, so I have to know some stuff about potions."

"Wow, I didn't know you wanted to be an Auror. That's so admirable."

He nodded. "Please don't tell anyone about it, though."

"I won't. As long as you don't tell anyone I made this potion." Daphne smirked.

"Your secret is safe with me. Do you plan on telling anyone?"

"Professor Mortitch, my parents, and maybe Zita."

"Understand. Well, would you be up for helping me prepare for my O.W.L? I'd be honored to work with a potion master."

Daphne grinned. "Sure."

***

The weeks passed by, and spring break came and went. I had a pleasant holiday break at my grandpa's house, and Magdalene spent time with her family. Ever since the Hufflepuff Quidditch victory over Gryffindor, Oliver changed. If I saw Oliver in the hall, we just continued on as if we were strangers. Magdalene even said he hadn't been harassing her at all, which I was relieved about, but something else was worrying me.

I hadn't received my weekly letter from my grandpa. Not that they contained anything substantial, but I found it suspicious that my grandpa didn't send anything. He never forgot. I decided to check the owlery one day to see if Benson was around. Daphne and I investigated after Quidditch practice one evening. She knew I was concerned about my grandpa.

Entering the stone tower of the owlery, it smelled like a farm. Owls fluttered back and forth, but I spotted Benson right away.

"This is odd," I uttered as I approached.

Benson 'hoo'd' at me and leaned his head in as I scratched his neck.

"Try sending a letter to your grandpa?" Daphne suggested.

"Yeah, good idea," I wrote up a brief note, telling my grandpa to get in touch with me as soon as he could. When I handed the letter to Benson, he wouldn't take it. He just stared back at me with his head tilted and 'hoo'd' again. "Why isn't he taking it?"

"Perhaps Benson is ill and hasn't been able to fly to your grandpa's house to deliver you a letter?" Daphne said.

"He appears healthy. Maybe I'll take him to see Hagrid. Or maybe I could go see my grandfather. Leave the castle for a bit and get it cleared by Zita? She'd be okay with that, wouldn't she?"

Daphne nodded. "Perhaps we could use some floo powder to get there quickly. She'll know if any of the fireplaces are connected to the floo network."

"Well, let's go to her office then after dinner."

We went to the Great Hall and dined with Bran and Edna as usual. Magdalene even started sitting next to me during our meals, which was pleasant. Everyone got along well. I told Magdalene about how I was worried about my grandpa and how Daphne and I would investigate. When we finished eating, Daphne and I went up to headmaster Zita's office.

"Hello you two, how are you this evening?" Zita asked.

"I've been better. Uh, Daphne and I wondered if we could use the fireplace to go to my grandpa's house? I want to check on him."

"Everything all right?" Zita arched her brow.

I explained how my grandpa usually wrote me a letter once a week, but he hadn't lately.

"Sure. I have some floo powder in my desk. When you come back, make sure you say ‘Headmaster Zita Wattle's office.’ I'll keep my fireplace opened briefly. Would you like a professor to come along with you?"

I was grateful for how generous she was being. "No, that's not necessary, we'll be right back."

Zita narrowed her eyes. "I think it might be good if Hagrid goes with you. Just to be on the safe side."

I didn't want to waste more time, but I knew she was looking out for our best interest, so I agreed.

She followed us out of the castle to Hagrid's hut, and Hagrid accepted the responsibility before Zita fully explained. Going back into her office, Daphne, Hagrid, and I all stepped into the fireplace and teleported to my grandpa's house with the help of floo powder.

It was later in the evening, the sun was setting on the horizon, and my grandpa's house was completely dark. Not a single light came from anywhere except for the last fading rays from the sun.

The three of us were quiet as we tiptoed in. I was the first to clear my throat and call out, "Grandpa? Are you in here?" I waited for a reply but didn't hear anything. "Grandpa?"

He usually kept a light on in the living room and read a book in the evening. Perhaps he was already in bed.

"Let's all stick together," Hagrid suggested as I already started walking towards the staircase.

"Sure thing," I said. Daphne and Hagrid followed me up the steps to the second floor, where my grandpa's bedroom door was closed. I gulped. "Grandpa!"

No response.

I knocked on his door and still didn't hear a sound. Daphne and Hagrid poked their heads in the other rooms which were close by. They didn't seem to find anything. I turned the knob and took a deep breath, my heart hammered in my throat.

It was completely dark inside his bedroom. Daphne and Hagrid followed behind.

"Logan?" Daphne called out.

"Lumos," I said with my wand held in front of me, lighting up the area with the tip. There was no sign of forced entry or anything suspicious. His bed was made and empty—no sign of an impression on the mattress.

"Damn!" I yelled. I stormed out and surveyed each room "Grandpa!" I kept hollering. The silence in return filled me with rage.

We stopped our search for a moment. There was a loud firm knock downstairs. It came from the front door.

"Rollie, yeh should lemme answer it. Yeh two stay behind me, all righ'?" Hagrid said.

Daphne and I nodded as the knocking continued. We crept downstairs, coming up to the edge of the entrance. I was relieved having Hagrid with us, Zita knew best. Hagrid opened the door to find a cloaked man.

"Can I help yeh?" Hagrid said.

The man pulled down his hood. I recognized him right away.

"Zane!" I shouted as I marched towards the doorway. "Where the hell is my grandfather!"

Daphne put her hand on my shoulder and tried to pull me back. My fists and jaw clenched. I knew it was that sketchy bastard, I knew he’d been behind this!