SPOILER!!: *catches up*
Quote:
Originally Posted by
StarShine 
"Okay, everyone. Please stir counter clock-wise for 7 times with your wooden stirrers and turn off the heater. Let it cool until no vapour is seen. It should take about five minutes to cool. If it takes more than six minutes, vanish the potion and start again." So that was their first check-point.
"Those who got it correct, get your fire crab shell but do not add it. Hold it with a metal spoon, lower it nicely into the potion just inside the surface—make sure it doesn’t splash water AT ALL—then start stirring 1 time clockwise, 1 time counter clockwise for 12 times in total. Each stir should take about ten seconds for it to spread thoroughly. Once done with stirring, get it out and put it away on some tissues for it not to get the half-done potion on your table." Not that it would hurt at this point, but he didn't want to clean sticky shells off the desks afterwards either.
They KNEW it was pricey, right?
Merlin's beard, everything was going so quickly that Theo worried he had forgotten a step. He needed SLOW, okay? At least the next part was only focused on stirring. Stirring was relatively easy. The Slytherin grabbed his wooden spoon and began stirring anticlockwise, and he counted in his head up to seven. There, just five minutes to wait now. He could chillax, but actually, he was counting it out EXACTLY in his head, because apparently six minutes meant something was wrong.
.....
He accidentally yawned which almost messed up his counting, but Theo was
good at counting, so he saved it.
After five minutes had passed, Theo's eyes squinted at his potion to check if the vapour had vanished. And it DID. Wow, he was getting good at potions after all these years, it seemed. Uh oh, the next step of the potion looked like it would be a tricky one. Theo went to the front to get his fire crab shell, then returned to his workplace.
He placed it gently onto his metal spoon, then with a steady hand lowered into his cauldron. His eyes were squinting the whole time, since this kind of concentration often gave him a headache. He stirred it slowly, making sure at all times that it didn't touch the water, until he had counted a full 10 seconds out into his head. Ugh, right, now it was time to do the same but anticlockwise.
After about 5 stirs, Theo's arm was getting extremely tired and there was definitely a few near miss water splashes. He'd managed to save them all, though.
A whole twelve SLOW stirs later, Theo sighed heavily and carefully pulled the fire crab shell out and placed it on a pile of tissues, as they were instructed to.
Could he have a break now, please?
SPOILER!!: next step
Quote:
Originally Posted by
StarShine Well, at least they learnt to clean. That was promising.
He walked to the in front again and clapped his hands two times, because this step was the most important.
"This is the most important step," he announced to make sure he got everyone's attention, "So listen carefully. You should wait for another minute and just cut the slug vertically in the meantime in two." So it should be two thin and long pieces instead of two short and fat ones. Then add the pieces but stay away from the cauldron as far as you can. If you’ve done everything correctly, the surface should explode harmlessly and start burning. Put it out with your breath ONLY, so you’d better hurry before the fire spreads to the whole surface." Got it? Breath and staying as far as possible and everything?
THIS was the most important step?
It had better not be hard like the last one. Noooope, it was just disgusting. This was the main reason why Theo didn't like potions, because he had to handle disgusting ingredients that made his stomach churn. SLUGS. Bleuuuuuuughch... He pulled up his gloves and then went to get a slug. It made him shudder to look at it, but he figured that the quicker he did it, the better. He chopped it vertically, then made a noise of disgust.
He dropped them into the cauldron and pounced backwards because OH MY GOSH, no way was anything exploding in THIS beautiful face.
He waited for a few seconds and KABOOOOOOOOM.
YES. Theo was most pleased with himself and couldn't stop beaming, but oh, it was burning! He rushed forwards and blew really hard against the cauldron to put it out.
SPOILER!!: final step
Quote:
Originally Posted by
StarShine Cosgrach walked to the centre in front again and clapped his hand for the last time that day, hopefully.
"Last two steps, everyone. Please add 8 drops of salamander blood. Alternate between two stirs counter-clock wise, two stirs clock-wise. Repeat that for four times, so in the end, you should have stirred for 16 times in total. Once done with stirring, the potion should be dark blue like a night sky. If it is so, you potion is ready." He grinned at them excitedly. They had made it!
"Now, Alice and Bart have already volunteered to demonstrate and share the feeling," he said as he looked at them, "and I want one more volunteer. Someone not from Gryffindor, please." Who was that courageous?
"Those who don't want to volunteer may add flobberworm’s mucus to keep it in their mouths better--it will solidify the potion. It's up to you how much or if, really, but don't add more than a tablespoon of it, and it's not my responsibility if you don't add and swallow some while breathing." So he was warning them. The rest was their responsibility.
"Please wait for the volunteers to share the feeling before trying the potion."
So, the third volunteer?
Okay, he was almost finished. This was exciting. He couldn't wait to volunteer to try this thing out.
Theo got his salamander blood and gently dropped 8 drops into his cauldron. More stirring, really?! He was sick of doing that, but grabbed his wooden spoon nonetheless. He stirred it twice counter-clockwise, then twice clockwise and repeated it four times as they were instructed. It wasn't actually so bad in the end. At least it wasn't stupid stirring, like 12 flipping times and slug speed.
He peeked over the top of his cauldron and grinned at his dark blue potion.
SUCCESS.
The Slytherin lifted his hand high into the air to volunteer, but some kid got there first. Just because he was a KID, huh? Totally not fair. Theo pouted a little, but was still thinking about trying it out anyway, because he didn't fancy touching flobberworm mucus. For now, he just waited and watched the volunteers.