"God! Am I seeing this right? That's Felix Felicis!"
"Pinch me! I'm not dreaming, am I? Professor Lockhart is actually—"
"No way! Is the professor planning to give it away? Even a tiny bottle costs ten thousand Galleons!"
The students' chatter buzzed like a swarm of bees returning to the hive. Lockhart smiled and waved, signaling for everyone to gather around, then said with a smile, "You all know what this is, don't you? That's right, Felix Felicis! Excellent! This is a little gift I prepared for the young ladies and gentlemen in the lower years."
"It's nothing remarkable, but at least when you need a little extra confidence—say, the night before a Potions exam, or when you run into an upperclassman two years above you in the corridor who's looking to cause trouble—it might come in handy."
"First through fourth years, one vial each." He picked up one of the bottles of Felix Felicis and held it up for the students around him, making sure everyone could see it clearly. "But don't drink it like a lucky potion—that would be far too wasteful. I suggest putting one drop beneath your tongue three days before a truly important exam. Then study when you need to study, and sleep when you need to sleep." He paused, the curve of his lips deepening slightly. "As for the results... you'll know once you've tried it."
When a Hufflepuff boy in the front row reached out to take the box, his fingers trembled faintly. He carefully held it to his chest as though cradling a freshly hatched egg, and when he turned away, his steps carried an almost ceremonial gravity.
As applause surged up again, a Gryffindor girl seated in the sixth row stood. She was tall, dark-skinned, and held her chin slightly high