Jason drank the tea, doubled over and fell flat on his face on the ground.

"Results are always highly uncertain where allergies are concerned. The concentration may actually just have a drunken effect to you, or it could result in death without the proper care. Either way, it is not something that you would want to attempt just for the knowledge of it."

As he checked the time, one of the other students snuck some of the tea and drank it down. He rolled his eyes, something dark flashing across his eyes, and lifted Jason none-too-gently. "I suppose since this student will be out for some time, I will use him as an example. The tea, as you can see, allows for manipulation without waking the individual. I'll pause a moment, as Finn will be awake soon, and should be able to continue the lesson."

Finn began to notice light through his closed eyelids. His eyes fluttered awake as he tried to adjust to the light. He felt fine, just a bit drowsy. He lifted his head and realized he was on the floor. He wondered to himself how he got there. He looked up and saw the professor holding another student like a sack of potatoes.

Jason finally wakes up and goes back to his seat.

Nicholai watched in amusement as the gryffindor boy was tossed around, with a grin echoing the professors; although possibly for different reasons. He raised his hand.

"Professor, how exact can one be with the dose? Is there a formula based on body weight and tolerance that one could use to stipulate the amount of time the drinker is left unconscious for- Like Muggle Anesthetics?"

The lack of reaction from the Gryffindor student only managed to amuse Nico more; he would have been incredibly on guard to have woken up in an unexpected place.

He smirked once more in the direction of the boy before turning to the Professor.

As Finn watched Jason being tossed about, he marvels at the lack of animation. He is still a little groggy himself, but he is able to focus on the scene before him.

"Professor, if, and it's only an if, one were to administer the tea or draught, what would be the best vehicle? Would a warm beverage, or cold? Perhaps a clear liquid vs. dark colored?"

"Due to the nature, yes, something quite concentrated would be necessary for someone of say... Lord Borr's stature." He smirked. "Though it is in correlation to fitness, rather than weight itself. For some reason, if you are underweight it will be more potent than if you are overweight."

"Dark colored tends to be best, of course. It hides much better in it. It's effect is best when the liquid is warm." He looked among the class. "And never forget when using such things that it will make stronger liquids such as coffee and heavy teas taste a little watered down. Due to this, it is best to add to a fairly light-tasting tea."

Will raised an eyebrow. Was it just wishful thinking, or was Professor Erikson actually encouraging slipping this tranquilizer into somebody's tea? Somebody specific? He wondered how Professor Erikson felt about the Ministry regime... and he wondered idly if somehow this new tool - and there was no denying that's what it was: a powerful tool - might be used to help bring Hogwarts back.

Will pondered for a moment and raised his hand. "Professor, what is the exact method of calculating the proper dosage for an individual-- say, if you were going to brew something to knock Finn out versus if you wanted to knock out a larger individual, how do you get it just right so as to make them sleep and not, you know, kill 'em?" Because killing anyone would be very bad. Will didn't fancy a future in Azkaban. "And is there any way to know if someone is allergic before you administer the beverage, like something else that might indicate a potential bad reaction?"

Finn scribbled notes, "Thank you, professor."


Finn was shocked to hear his name invoked by a Slytherin student. But, why should he feel things are different in this school vs. Hogwarts.

"It's usually a matter of brewing. Though a standard brewed cup of tea can be evaporated down to a more concentrated dose. Much of it tends to be trial and error. As for allergy, I would certainly recommend keeping an antidote about." He chuckled. "Come to think of it, you should see me after class, Will. You should always have a small supply with you just to be on the safe side."

Will nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll do that." Trial and error? he wondered. That'd be the kind of thing you wouldn't want to err on much-- one or two dead professors could really look bad on a guy's record when he's off to get a job.

Cale raised his hand, "In addition to what Clifford said, Devil's Snare hates sunlight. If caught in the plant, the best ways to stop it from attempting to strangle you would be to either stand still so it releases you, or create some kind of light spell to imitate sunlight." he said.

Jason asks the professor "Is Devil's snare anything like a Venus trap plant?

Will raised his hand. "Sir, Devil's snare has soft, springy tendrils and vines that are sentient- they are mobile and have a sense of touch. It'll grab anyone who touches it,giving them kind of a hug that can kill ya, and if you struggle it just tightens up faster. It doesn't like light or fire and prefers dark, moist places."

"Excellent. Three points to each of you." He chuckled softly. "And yes, Jason, it is a bit like a venus fly trap, but only in that it is a carnivorous plant, and captures its own prey. The digestive system is somewhat similar as well. So, just what do you suppose raw uses of the Devil's Snare would be?"

Nicholai raised his hand, "Devils snare can be used to keep Wizards, beings or beasts in or out of a particular place, it has also been used as a murder weapon as it resembles flitterbloom and can be disguised as such." He thought for a second, "I suppose as long as you knew how to escape from it you could also use it as something soft to land on."

"Really it could be used to protect something because if you fall in it the more you struggle the more likly it will be that you will die and most people don`t know that you have to be calm to pass through. And most people don`t know about its weakness light. So it would be great to use to protect something like a precous object" said Barry hand raised.

Huzzah-- a professor that gave out points! Will raised his hand. "Like they said, it is an excellent defense system. You could use a fence of it it for a natural security fence around a campsite, because it would stay away from your campfire... and it could be used as a murder weapon... The sap of devil's snare is also used in strangulation solution, which constricts the lungs until the guys who swallows it dies... but I'm not sure if that counts as a 'raw' use, because you brew that in a potion." He hoped that was right.