Cordis Appentia

24th, July 2007 - beta'd version.

12/23/06 - just changed ending and am preparing a chapter two for after the hollidays.

1/7/07 HAHA guess who just figured out html, so expect updating on everything. Does a jig!
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33. Erroneous judgement
a Mistaken One; a Victim of the Mistake; a Cause or Author of the Mistake; the Guilty One

Something was a miss. Harry sat on his bed, knees drawn up, reflecting on the odd events of the day. The day started normal enough, he and his mates entered the Great Hall, just like every other morning. But this morning it became very apparent that something was different...

As they approached the Great Hall, they could hear the buzz of student’s morning greetings and gossip. A normal morning at Hogwarts; all was right with the world. As they entered the large room, all heads looked toward the door, and complete silence fell over the student body with every eye on Harry. Only the teacher’s murmured conversation was buzzing softly from the other side of the room. Even that, however, stopped abruptly when the faculty noticed the curious scene before them.

“What’s everyone staring at?” Ron whispered from the corner of his mouth. “What’d you do now, Harry?”

“Dunno,” Harry answered, shrugging his shoulders and looking concerned. “I hope there isn’t some utter crap in the Profit this morning.”

They approached the Gryffindor table, sitting in their normal places, all eyes still glued to Harry. Ron and Hermione sat on either side of Harry while Seamus, Dean and Neville across. All six Gryffindors looked at each other nervously. Finally, after several very uncomfortable minutes, the rest of the school returned to their breakfast. Though Harry was sure he could hear his name being whispered and the knowing glances from the other house tables did nothing to ease his discomfort.

Hermione grabbed a copy of the Profit and glanced through it quickly. “There’s nothing in the morning paper.” She reached out and pet Harry’s arm gently. “I’m sure it’s nothing Harry.”

Harry nodded, taking a piece of toast, attempting a normal routine. He took comfort in the notion that he could at least pretend everything was perfectly normal. Alas, this was short lived. The doors swung open again and the entire scene played over, except that all eyes, with the exception of the six Gryffindors, were focused on Draco Malfoy and his crew of friends.

“What the fuck!” Harry exclaimed as the six friends noticed what was happening around them.

Draco glared around him, whispering with his friends as they took their usual seats at the Slytherin table. Harry saw a look of triumph pass briefly over Malfoy’s face as the five Slytherins put their head together to discuss the unusual welcome they had received.

“Okay,” Harry said nervously, “I don’t like this at all. I don’t like this at all.”

“Me neither, Harry,” Ron said quietly.

Once again the noise level resumed. Harry’s attempt to finish his breakfast was an abysmal failure. He cast side long glances at Malfoy. Catching his eye once or twice, Malfoy would smile a knowing smile at Harry. A feeling of unease crept over the dark-haired Gryffindor. Finally, he could take it no longer, he got up from the table sighing.

“I’ll see you lot in class.”

He made his way between the tables, not really paying attention to where he was going when he heard a horrible screech. Harry looked up to see a furious Ginny Weasley heading through the doors, making a straight line right for him. He looked up at her, a confused expression on his face.

Ginny ran right up to him and slapped him hard right across the face.

“HOW COULD YOU!” She screamed, tears flowing down her face. “YOU FILTHY LIAR!” She turned on her heals and ran back the way she came. Dean Thomas immediately jumped up, with a guilty look, he ran off after the sobbing Gryffindor.

Harry stood shocked at what had just happened, nose bleeding, mouth gaping. He had no idea what he could have done to upset Ginny. He had barely spoken to the girl since he had broken up with her, hoping to protect her from Voldemort’s wrath. She had taken up again with Dean Thomas when the two of them returned to school this past fall. He and Ginny had not really spoken at all since Harry had vanquished Voldemort. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco Malfoy had only just returned to Hogwarts a month ago. This was all very perplexing.

“Harry, what happened?” Hermione called as she and Ron rushed up the aisle.

“I have no idea, Hermione. Ron, what in the Nine Hells has got into your sister, mate?” Harry snapped.

“Don’t look at me, Harry,” Ron shrugged, his face reddening with embarrassment at his sisters actions.

Hermione pushed Harry onto the bench beside them, forcing him to tilt his head back attempting to staunch the nose bleed with a napkin.

“This is all very odd,” she said curiously, glancing at the Slytherins, specifically the satisfied look on Draco Malfoy’s face.

Suddenly, she took Harry’s hand and placed it over the napkin, leaving him to hold in place. “Yes,” she said, “very odd indeed,” her brown eyes narrowing. “Hold this here till the bleeding stops, Harry. I better go see to Ginny.” Hermione rushed off after Ginny, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll see you both in class.”

Harry and Ron watched her through the doors. “Harry, mate, can’t you have a nice quiet life like normal people?” Ron laughed.

“This, Ronald Weasley,” Harry said angrily, “is not funny.”

*~*~*~*~*

The rest of Harry’s day was no better. Hermione had been unable to locate Ginny before classes, so they still had no clue what had got into the girl. Curious stares from schoolmates followed him all day. Whispers could be heard as he passed. Lunch was impossible, leading Harry to finally grab an apple and some bread, then stalking off to sit outside alone. After classes, he was met in Gryffindor common room with the same weird silent treatment. Unable to take it any longer, he tore out of the tower. Retreating, alone, to the library, he brooded in a corner, glaring menacingly at anyone who dared even look his way.

When he returned to the common room that night, the atmosphere had not improved and to his disappointment, neither Ron nor Hermione were anywhere in site. He went straight through the large, usually warming room, right up to his dorm.

Now, he was sat on his bed wondering what the hell had got into everyone. He had, of course, expected the stares and whispers when he first returned to Hogwarts. After all, you don’t defeat the Dark Lord and live without some recognition. The past week or so, however, things had started to return to normal. Harry could finally walk the halls without feeling like a display in a museum. He had finally felt that his life could be normal. That he could finally live without the constraints he had been forced to live with for so many years.

’Now this,’ he thought bitterly.

Harry was completely lost in his thoughts. So much so, that he did not at once notice the group of people entering his dorm room, until Hermione sat beside him on the bed, startling him.

“Hermione,” he jumped, noticing the odd collection of people in the room. Ron sat on his own bed looking rather uncomfortable, casting furtive glances at Harry. Dean sat with Ginny on his bed. Dean looking rather guilty and Ginny looking hurt and angry. Hermione was beside him, rubbing his arm sympathetically. While these four sitting in Harry’s dorm room were not odd in the least, the last two occupants were…

Blaise Zabini stood by Ron’s four-poster, looking oddly amused. While Draco Malfoy stood between Ron’s bed and Harry’s, a smug, playful grin on his face.

“Um,” Harry began, “what’s going on?” He glanced at Hermione, clearly confused and befuddled. “Why are Malfoy and Zabini in my dorm room?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Well,” Hermione said confidently, “We have something rather important to tell you, Harry.” She motioned to the others in the room.

Harry followed her hand taking in the faces around him. Dread suddenly filled his heart. “What’s going on?” he demanded. “Why is everyone looking at me like I’ve got six heads?”

“Now, Harry, calm down and we’ll explain everything,” Hermione said consolingly.

“First, Harry, do you know what the ‘Cordis Appentia’ potion is?” she asked casually.

“The Heart’s Desire potion? Yes,” Harry said.

“Do you know how it works?” Hermione continued.

“Um – err…” Harry started confused. “It show’s the drinker’s true love,” he said quickly. “But what’s that got to do with me, Hermione?” The hairs on Harry’s arms started to prickle.

“We’ll get to that in a minute, Harry.” Hermione waved off his question as she continued with her explanation. “You are correct that the potion show’s the drinker’s true love, however, the potion was designed as a fidelity potion. It’s sort of a way for a person who is doubtful of their partner’s devotion to determine if their spouse or potential partner is faithful or has another love,” Hermione lectured. “It fell out of favour because the drinker of the potion has no recollection of ever consumed the potion. But basically, the way it works is the person wishing to know their partner’s true feelings administers the potion to said partner, having assembled any potential threats to the relationship. Do you follow?” she paused, looking at Harry.

Harry furrowed his brow, narrowing his eyes, still completely lost. He was unsure what any of this had to do with him or the collection of people sitting in his room. “I think so,” he said questioningly. “Basically, you are saying that it’s a test of person’s true feelings.”

“Essentially that’s correct, Harry, but…”

“Oh for piss’ sakes, Granger, get to the bloody point,” interrupted Malfoy. “Look, Potter, the potion forces the drinker to show their true feelings without the drinker being aware,” he snarled.

“I got that, Malfoy,” Harry snapped. “I still don’t know what that’s got to do with me.”

“Eh-hem…” Dean coughed. “Perhaps I better explain, Harry,” he said nervously. “You see I – I – um, well…”

“Oh for pity’s sake, spit it out!” Harry shouted. “You lot are making me nervous.”

“Sorry,” Dean said, “it’s just, well alright,” he swallowed hard and took two deep breaths.

“Well, you see, Harry, since you came back, I’ve been well – um – unsure,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “about Ginny, I mean.” Dean stood up and began pacing. “I thought maybe she still had feelings for you.” He looked at Ginny who glared back furiously. “As it turns out, I was probably right,” he said darkly, looking away from her daggers.

“Anyway, I wanted a way to test her without her knowing.” He glanced up at Blaise. Blaise merely smiled wickedly back at Dean. “I’m no potions master, Harry, you know that,” Dean continued. “So, I asked Blaise if he could help.”

“Of course I said no at first,” Blaise interjected.

“But, then Blaise told me,” Draco said with an evil sneer. “I thought it was a brilliant idea and agreed to brew the potion.”

Harry looked from Blaise to Draco to Dean, “I still don’t see…”

“Well,” Hermione interrupted, “Dean wanted to see if Ginny still had feelings for you, Harry. So, he needed to give Ginny the ‘Cordis Appentia’ with you present…”

“And...” Harry said now looking at Ron, who went bright red, still unable to look at his best friend in the eye.

“Draco gave me the potion yesterday,” Dean continued. “I decided to try it on Ginny just after dinner.” He looked guiltily away from Harry. “Um – we had to wait for you, but if you remember last night, Harry…” Dean swallowed nervously, “you came into the Great Hall for dinner late…”

Harry did remember that much. He had come in for dinner late, having gone out flying after classes. Hermione and Ron had already eaten and gone back to the Common Room, so, he had sat with Dean, Ginny and Colin Creavey. There were still a number of students and faculty still finishing their own meals, but Harry still couldn’t see why everyone was acting so strange.

“Yeah, I remember…”

“Yeah – so – you came in and sat next to Ginny…” Dean went on. “When I saw you coming, I poured the potion into a glass of pumpkin juice and handed it to her. But, when you sat down you said how thirsty you were… so, before she drank her juice – well…”

Harry’s eyes went wide. He remembered Ginny handing him the glass of pumpkin juice, he then realised he did not remember much after that –

“I tried to stop you, Harry… I did… but you – you – you…”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Draco spat. “You drank the damnable potion, Potter.”

Harry felt all colour drain from his face. Ginny began weeping again as Hermione got up to comfort her. Harry had to ask. Though he had a feeling he would not like the answer…

“Um – guys, who did I kiss?” he said, his voice quivering nervously.

No answer.

“Guys, your scaring me now…”

Ron made a noise somewhere between a choke and a sob. Dean stared at the floor. Blaise beamed. Ginny continued to sob into Hermione’s shoulder and Hermione; well Hermione looked at Harry and blushed. But, it was Draco who answered Harry…

“Hello, love!” Draco exclaimed triumphantly as he stalked over to Harry and planted a kiss firmly on his lips.


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Sorry I could not help myself. :p