"So I am, so I am," Risu confirmed lightly, leaning back in his chair even further. It was very comfortable, and he could imagine that, come wintertime, he would spend more time in here, reading in front of the giant fireplace. It was still unlit now, making the room smell slightly of old ash.

As he listened to his colleague talk, he suddenly found himself thinking of how other people sometimes appeared to be bored (if one could imagine such a thing!) when Risu told them about his work. But now he thought he could understand - if not accept - their reaction, at least on an intellectual level. Risu was interested in a lot of things, but he realised that he had always imagined potioneering to be a little more... well, interesting. Professor Lafay made it sound as if she just randomly threw dead plants (dry twig) into a cauldron full of bubbling water.

But Risu himself essentially spent his time staring at rows and rows of numbers, obtained from what was essentially a giant magnifying glass that was observing nothing. So maybe now was the time to apply some curiosity and expel ignorance. "I admit I don't know much about the, er, art of potion-making," he said apologetically, "so how does this all work? How do you discover new potions? Or ingredients?"