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The Potions classroom was much as it always was: cool stone walls lined with shelves of labelled ingredients, cauldrons sat prepared at each workstation in precise arrangement, ingredients not included in students' standard kits have been measured out with Professor Cox's usual meticulousness and laid in neat rows across his desk, awaiting later distribution.
At the front of the room, however, beside Professor Cox’s own cauldron, sat something decidedly unusual: a large Mason jar filled with rigid plastic hands in assorted colors.
Professor Cox, naturally, offers no explanation whatsoever.
So file on in and take your seats quietly. Conversation is permitted for the moment, provided you are ready to give the lesson your full attention the instant it begins.
lesson index
Q1. If you were afforded an ability beyond your current limitations — a superhero ability, if you will — what would you select?
Q2. In what scenario might controlled elasticity be useful, or even preferable, to traditional spellcasting?
OOC: Hello and welcome to the Potions lesson thread! A reminder to please check out Professor Cox's rules for for important IC tone and reminders, as well as a general guide to OOC conduct
This lesson has not yet begun, but will do so in approximately 24 hours from the time of this post. This lesson has officially begun! You are welcome to join in at any time To do so, please RP as though your character has been present all along (catch-up posts are alway welcome!). You may post your character arriving late if you wish, but only do so if you are also willing to accept IC consequences that may range from point loss to detention depending on the manner in which your character arrives.
As always, if there are any questions or things that need clarifying OOC, please feel free to reach out to me via VM or PM and I will be happy to help out!
Adrian rounded the corner of the sixth floor with one hand shoved into the pocket of his robes, expression already settling into the particular brand of resignation reserved exclusively for Professor Cox’s class. Which was saying something, considering he still wasn’t entirely sure whether his irritation stemmed from Potions itself or because of Marina or the added variable of Iris.
Upon arrival though, he slowed immediately. Marina stood several feet from the classroom door, rigid in a way that didn’t suit her. She wasn’t fidgeting. Wasn’t scrolling through conversation or leaning against the wall with her usual sharp-edged ease. She just stood there staring toward the doorway like she was arguing with herself internally and losing.
Adrian’s jaw tightened slightly. Ever since the feast, something had been off. The goblet. The way she’d vanished afterward. The increasingly deliberate evasions every time he tried to talk to her since. Marina avoiding someone took effort. Marina avoiding him took intent.
And he hated that he couldn’t tell whether she was angry, spiraling, or simply trying to disappear before anyone noticed something was wrong.
“Marina.” Her head turned at the sound of his voice. For half a second, something crossed her face. Not guilt exactly. Not fear either. Just… caught.
Then she looked away first. Adrian took a step toward her just as a cluster of younger students pushed past into the classroom, forcing him to move aside toward the doorway. By the time he looked back, Marina had apparently made whatever decision she’d been standing there trying to make.
Because she turned sharply and walked away down the corridor without entering the room.
“Marina!” Too late. She didn’t stop. Didn’t even look back.
A frustrated breath left him through his nose as he stared after her for another second longer than necessary before finally dragging himself into the classroom with visible reluctance.
The cool dungeon air hit immediately. Shelves lined the walls in severe, meticulous order. Cauldrons sat prepared with almost military precision. Ingredients were arranged so neatly across Cox’s desk that touching any of them suddenly felt like a punishable offense.
And then there was the jar. Adrian stopped mid-step, eyes narrowing faintly at the enormous mason jar filled with rigid plastic hands in violently assorted colors.
Pink. Blue. Yellow. Green.
He stared at it.
Then at Professor Cox.
Then back at the hands.
Absolutely not.
Whatever psychological warfare this class had planned already felt personal.
His gaze swept the room once before he moved toward an empty seat with the air of someone accepting a prison sentence, dropping into the chair and leaning back just slightly while one thumb tapped once against the desk.
Restless.
Distracted.
And despite himself, still watching the doorway Marina had failed to walk through.
__________________
......................let's be reckless, unaffected, running out until we're breathless ...............let's be hopeful, don't get broken, and stay caught up in the moment ♥
Cat had, as per usual, been on the lookout for Marina. So, she hadn’t missed the commotion between the two Garcia Masseys in the corridor. She did hesitate, debating running off after her friend.
In the end, she entered the classroom. She couldn’t miss class. She couldn’t miss Potions. She knew that. She knew that Marina knew that. It didn’t stop a now-familiar ache from appearing between her heart and lungs, as if a dragon was sitting on her chest.
You’re not responsible for Miss Garcia Massey’s emotions. The adult voice in her head was clear, unmistakable. And, of course, it belonged to the professor at the front of the classroom.
“Hello, Professor,” Cat greeted in a significantly less cheerful tone than she usually had when entering her favorite class. She found her seat easily - center and second row from the front. Her eyes traveled from the… hands (what??) to the older boy, then to the door again. Maybe she’d be surprised, and Marina would come back?
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ Claimed by Bits ❤️ ~ Queen of Typos ❄ Magical Mosh Pit ❄
Another day, another Potions lesson.
But it hadn’t been Levi’s first for the day. Lesson, he meant. Which was why he was tucking a couple of books from the previous one into his bag as he slowly made his way towards the Potions classroom. Slowly, because of the task he had occupied himself with. And being the neat and organised person that he was, the Hufflepuff took care to replace them in precise order. Throughout the process his lower lip was caught between his teeth. “There,’’ he thought. “All done.” And Diallo, of course, had been patient with him as usual.
“Hi, good morning, professor,’’ Levi greeted. Obviously his lip had been released so that talking could happen. “Nice hands!” Greeting out of the way, he headed further into the classroom. He smiled in acknowledgement at Adrian and Cat before selecting a seat for himself.
SSRPG Admin Gladrags Mod Quibbler Mod Minister for Magic Alley Proprietor
Sea Serpent
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Paths
Posts: 41,358
Hogwarts RPG Name: Professor Cox
Ravenclaw
Graduated
Hogwarts RPG Name: CJ Miller
Gryffindor
Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Nyle Harden
Hufflepuff
Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Iris Harden
Ravenclaw
Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Calliope Barrington
Slytherin
Fifth Year
Ministry Department Head:
Charles Hollingberry
Minister's Office
Ministry Department Head:
Airey Flamsteed
Mysteries
Diagon Alley Proprietor:
Victor García Massey
Ollivanders
x12 x12
astronomizzle ♧ gryffinDORK | & the rest is drag ♣ #badluckDerf
Text Cut: the one who has been seen entirely too much recently
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samia
Adrian rounded the corner of the sixth floor with one hand shoved into the pocket of his robes, expression already settling into the particular brand of resignation reserved exclusively for Professor Cox’s class. Which was saying something, considering he still wasn’t entirely sure whether his irritation stemmed from Potions itself or because of Marina or the added variable of Iris.
Upon arrival though, he slowed immediately. Marina stood several feet from the classroom door, rigid in a way that didn’t suit her. She wasn’t fidgeting. Wasn’t scrolling through conversation or leaning against the wall with her usual sharp-edged ease. She just stood there staring toward the doorway like she was arguing with herself internally and losing.
Adrian’s jaw tightened slightly. Ever since the feast, something had been off. The goblet. The way she’d vanished afterward. The increasingly deliberate evasions every time he tried to talk to her since. Marina avoiding someone took effort. Marina avoiding him took intent.
And he hated that he couldn’t tell whether she was angry, spiraling, or simply trying to disappear before anyone noticed something was wrong.
“Marina.” Her head turned at the sound of his voice. For half a second, something crossed her face. Not guilt exactly. Not fear either. Just… caught.
Then she looked away first. Adrian took a step toward her just as a cluster of younger students pushed past into the classroom, forcing him to move aside toward the doorway. By the time he looked back, Marina had apparently made whatever decision she’d been standing there trying to make.
Because she turned sharply and walked away down the corridor without entering the room.
“Marina!” Too late. She didn’t stop. Didn’t even look back.
A frustrated breath left him through his nose as he stared after her for another second longer than necessary before finally dragging himself into the classroom with visible reluctance.
The cool dungeon air hit immediately. Shelves lined the walls in severe, meticulous order. Cauldrons sat prepared with almost military precision. Ingredients were arranged so neatly across Cox’s desk that touching any of them suddenly felt like a punishable offense.
And then there was the jar. Adrian stopped mid-step, eyes narrowing faintly at the enormous mason jar filled with rigid plastic hands in violently assorted colors.
Pink. Blue. Yellow. Green.
He stared at it.
Then at Professor Cox.
Then back at the hands.
Absolutely not.
Whatever psychological warfare this class had planned already felt personal.
His gaze swept the room once before he moved toward an empty seat with the air of someone accepting a prison sentence, dropping into the chair and leaning back just slightly while one thumb tapped once against the desk.
Restless.
Distracted.
And despite himself, still watching the doorway Marina had failed to walk through.
Cox had, unfortunately, heard the corridor interaction long before Mr. García Massey crossed the threshold into his classroom looking like a boy one inconvenience away from volunteering to scrape doxy residue from cauldrons with a toothbrush over being here.
The feeling was, unironically, mutual.
His gaze lifted only briefly from the neat arrangement of ingredients he had been checking over as Mr. García Massey entered. Alone.
One brow arched faintly, his gaze flicking to the door again before settling, cordially, back on the Slytherin. There was a certain grim familiarity to the sight by now — Mr. García Massey appearing at locations Cox would have vastly preferred he did not find.
"They won't bite, Mr. García Massey," he offered in greeting, chin jetting out towards the jar. "They are perfectly mundane in every sense of the word."
The remark was delivered lightly enough to pass as dry observation and academic humor to anyone else in the room, though the faint narrowing of his eyes suggested an enduring source of irritation.
Text Cut: the one with the wrong impression
Quote:
Originally Posted by squidnie
Cat had, as per usual, been on the lookout for Marina. So, she hadn’t missed the commotion between the two Garcia Masseys in the corridor. She did hesitate, debating running off after her friend.
In the end, she entered the classroom. She couldn’t miss class. She couldn’t miss Potions. She knew that. She knew that Marina knew that. It didn’t stop a now-familiar ache from appearing between her heart and lungs, as if a dragon was sitting on her chest.
You’re not responsible for Miss Garcia Massey’s emotions. The adult voice in her head was clear, unmistakable. And, of course, it belonged to the professor at the front of the classroom.
“Hello, Professor,” Cat greeted in a significantly less cheerful tone than she usually had when entering her favorite class. She found her seat easily - center and second row from the front. Her eyes traveled from the… hands (what??) to the older boy, then to the door again. Maybe she’d be surprised, and Marina would come back?
His attention shifted next as Miss Webb entered, and despite her attempt at composure, the lingering heaviness from their conversation was not particularly difficult to identify.
Not that he intended to acknowledge any of that publicly.
Merlin forbid she realize even more that he possessed functioning observational skills outside the grading of essays and nitpicking brewing techniques.
"Miss Webb," he acknowledged, voice perhaps a fraction less severe than usual. His eyes flicked once toward her robes automatically, assessing for lingering pumpkin juice catastrophe before returning to the ingredients on his desk.
Text Cut: the one with the jokes
Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19
Another day, another Potions lesson.
But it hadn’t been Levi’s first for the day. Lesson, he meant. Which was why he was tucking a couple of books from the previous one into his bag as he slowly made his way towards the Potions classroom. Slowly, because of the task he had occupied himself with. And being the neat and organised person that he was, the Hufflepuff took care to replace them in precise order. Throughout the process his lower lip was caught between his teeth. “There,’’ he thought. “All done.” And Diallo, of course, had been patient with him as usual.
“Hi, good morning, professor,’’ Levi greeted. Obviously his lip had been released so that talking could happen. “Nice hands!” Greeting out of the way, he headed further into the classroom. He smiled in acknowledgement at Adrian and Cat before selecting a seat for himself.
And then came Mr. Singh-Phora, methodically organizing books with the concentration of someone performing delicate alchemical work rather than walking to class. He watched the careful precision with a subtle not-quite-smile of approval.
"Mr. Singh-Phora," he greeted with a small incline of his head before his eyes flicked toward the collection of colorful hands beside his cauldron.
"…thank you," he said after the slightest pause. "They'll become considerably more interesting once exposed to competent brewing."
Which, judging by the room presently filling with teenagers, remained an impressively ambitious target rather than a statistically reliable expectation. Still, optimism — however misplaced — was an important component of academic perseverance.
▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲
He waited until the final wave of students filtered inside, the low murmur of conversation and scraping stools settling into the usual pre-lesson disorder.
His pocket watch clicked open in one smooth motion and he glanced down at it once before offering another quick glance towards the doorway.
No late dramatic entrances? Remarkable.
With a quiet snap of metal, the watch shut again between his fingers and disappeared neatly back into his robes. With a flick of his wrist, the classroom door swung closed with a firm thud that carried enough finality to still most lingering conversations. His gaze swept the room, one hand folding behind his back while the other rested lightly against the edge of his desk beside the jar of rigid colourful hands, the runic tattoos along his knuckles and weaving up his arm glowing faintly.
"Good morning," he said at last, straightening a parchment stack by less than half an inch before resting both hands lightly against the edge of his desk and leaning against it with his hip. "As expected — and to the profound shock of absolutely no one — I have a question for you all."
His gaze moved slowly across the room, lingering here and there just long enough to suggest he was bracing himself to be either unexpectedly impressed or profoundly concerned by whatever answers were about to emerge.
"If you were afforded an ability beyond your current limitations — a superhero ability, if you will — what would you select?"
OOC: thank you all for coming! Class will move on in approximately 24 hours from the time of this post.
__________________
We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back.........................................
But now we're seeing all the beauty in the broken glass.....................................
The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony
My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like
Was Professor Cox making a joke? Cat didn’t know if it was recent events or simply her changing cognitive abilities (teenager developing her frontal lobe and all), but she was starting to realize that professors were their own people who had, like, lives and personalities and stuff. And it was happening not just with the potions professor, but with others as well.
Odd. She’d come back to that later.
For now, to answer the question he’d asked. She knew her answer immediately - she’d thought about it plenty of times. Which was… probably normal, right?
Her hand shot up. “Mind reading. But not, like, all the time. Only when I wanted to use it.” She would keep her reasons to herself, though. Unless there was a follow-up.
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ Claimed by Bits ❤️ ~ Queen of Typos ❄ Magical Mosh Pit ❄
Levi bit back an amused laugh at Cox’s reaction to his comment. He had hoped that the man would be a taaad less grumpy with the joke. Needless to say that the boy was quite curious about how the ‘hands’ would come into play later on; he also knew he had to channel all his patience while he and his classmates waited to find out.
By the time the professor was checking that familiar pocketwatch, Levi had neatly arranged his books and writing apparatus in a meticulous manner that would allow him smooth transitioning between note taking and brewing and back.
Ooh. Levi liked that question. He didn’t even need to think too long. “To be able to become invisible at will.” There were deep reasons for that answer but he wasn’t keen on dwelling too much on them. Picturing himself as Miles Morales - a version of Spiderman with the powers of camouflage and invisibility abilities - was quite entertaining, something he preferred doing at present.
Adrian looked at him flatly. There was the faintest narrowing of his eyes at the professor’s tone. Dry. Polite. Irritatingly controlled. Which somehow made it worse. Especially now that Adrian knew exactly who Iris had inherited that terrifying observational precision from.
“Comforting,” he muttered back as his gaze drifted once toward the door again.
Still no Marina. That sat badly.
Worse than the weird plastic hands. Worse than being in Cox’s class while actively involved in whatever deeply complicated thing existed between him and Iris. Worse than how much Jae would enjoy watching him be entirely too uncomfortable because of all of the above.
Then came the question. Superhero abilities. Of course.
Adrian leaned back slightly in his chair, one elbow hooked lazily over the armrest while Cat immediately volunteered mind reading like she hadn’t just casually introduced the concept of legalized psychological trespassing into the room.
Eventually, when it was his turn he added: “Teleportation.”
The answer came flatly, almost absent-mindedly, but he continued after a second as one shoulder lifted slightly, “No corridors. No awkward conversations. No being trapped in social situations you regret entering thirty seconds in.” A pause. “No staircases.”
That last one carried genuine irritation.
__________________
......................let's be reckless, unaffected, running out until we're breathless ...............let's be hopeful, don't get broken, and stay caught up in the moment ♥
Little Fox | ½ of Lauralie | Ravenclaw...?? *overthinks* | #HouseNATARINA
Ah, Potions. Her nemesis.
Try as she might - or might not as was actually the case - Meinir Ellis had yet to leave a Potions lesson with the sense that she had 'improved' in any meaningful way. Potions required a level of precision and attention to detail that completely escaped her. A pinch always became a pinch and a half, for example, and three clockwise stirs were never completed successfully. She knew it was possible for older, more skilled potioneers to improvise, though she supposed that even those improvisations were calculated and made using existing knowledge of how different ingredients interacted with each other, but Mei was far from that level of experience. She was firmly in the beginner stage.
All that being said, she did find Potions interesting and looked forward to the lessons. She was simply no good at sticking to the instructions as given, which usually had... consequences - potions that hissed when they should soothe, or exploded when they should, you know, not explode...
Mei entered the classroom, which was much the same as usual - with the exception of a jar of hands, colourful, long, and creepy - and head straight over to her workstation. "Morning, Professor," she greeted him while she walked. "I guess you won't be needing a hand with anything today, huh?" She blurted out the pun before she could stop herself, but felt no embarrassment. It was funny, in her opinion of course.
As conversations faded and the door closed with a definitive thud, she fixed her attention on Professor Cox, doing her best to give him her undivided attention. She considered his question for approximately two seconds before deciding on her answer. Her classmates' answers were, in her humble opinion, rather cliché. What? No one wanted superstrength, or to be able to fly? Mei raised her hand and gave her answer with cool confidence. "The ability to become good - no, skilled," she amended, "at whatever I put my mind to straight away." In her mind, that would be an extremely useful and time-saving ability.
Not once did it occur to her that, perhaps, there was immense value in the journey of growth.
SSRPG Admin Gladrags Mod Quibbler Mod Minister for Magic Alley Proprietor
Sea Serpent
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Paths
Posts: 41,358
Hogwarts RPG Name: Professor Cox
Ravenclaw
Graduated
Hogwarts RPG Name: CJ Miller
Gryffindor
Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Nyle Harden
Hufflepuff
Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Iris Harden
Ravenclaw
Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Calliope Barrington
Slytherin
Fifth Year
Ministry Department Head:
Charles Hollingberry
Minister's Office
Ministry Department Head:
Airey Flamsteed
Mysteries
Diagon Alley Proprietor:
Victor García Massey
Ollivanders
x12 x12
*suffers Jae losing his mind in the background of all this because X-Men = ♥*
astronomizzle ♧ gryffinDORK | & the rest is drag ♣ #badluckDerf
Text Cut: the one who considers professors as people the same way one might consider a kneazle walking on its hind legs
Quote:
Originally Posted by squidnie
Was Professor Cox making a joke? Cat didn’t know if it was recent events or simply her changing cognitive abilities (teenager developing her frontal lobe and all), but she was starting to realize that professors were their own people who had, like, lives and personalities and stuff. And it was happening not just with the potions professor, but with others as well.
Odd. She’d come back to that later.
For now, to answer the question he’d asked. She knew her answer immediately - she’d thought about it plenty of times. Which was… probably normal, right?
Her hand shot up. “Mind reading. But not, like, all the time. Only when I wanted to use it.” She would keep her reasons to herself, though. Unless there was a follow-up.
He did prefer students retained at least some healthy uncertainty regarding whether professors ceased to exist once lessons ended or they dissipated like a Vanishing Spell once they left the castle.
"Mind reading," he repeated, slow enough to suggest he was already identifying at least fourteen ethical violations attached to the concept. This was all hypothetical, so no need to go into all that at this time. One hand folded neatly behind his back while the other tapped once against the edge of a desk "An admirable demonstration of why Occlumency exists."
Text Cut: the one who is too optimistic with the man's disposition
Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19
Levi bit back an amused laugh at Cox’s reaction to his comment. He had hoped that the man would be a taaad less grumpy with the joke. Needless to say that the boy was quite curious about how the ‘hands’ would come into play later on; he also knew he had to channel all his patience while he and his classmates waited to find out.
By the time the professor was checking that familiar pocketwatch, Levi had neatly arranged his books and writing apparatus in a meticulous manner that would allow him smooth transitioning between note taking and brewing and back.
Ooh. Levi liked that question. He didn’t even need to think too long. “To be able to become invisible at will.” There were deep reasons for that answer but he wasn’t keen on dwelling too much on them. Picturing himself as Miles Morales - a version of Spiderman with the powers of camouflage and invisibility abilities - was quite entertaining, something he preferred doing at present.
"Invisibility," he said with the faintest sigh of inevitability. “A classic. Wizardkind has spent centuries attempting to accomplish precisely that through Disillusionment Charms, invisibility cloaks, potions, and an alarming variety of experimental magic."
Text Cut: this one ― just this one or the one who is /selectively/ lazy with movement
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samia
They won't bite, Mr. García Massey.
Adrian looked at him flatly. There was the faintest narrowing of his eyes at the professor’s tone. Dry. Polite. Irritatingly controlled. Which somehow made it worse. Especially now that Adrian knew exactly who Iris had inherited that terrifying observational precision from.
“Comforting,” he muttered back as his gaze drifted once toward the door again.
Still no Marina. That sat badly.
Worse than the weird plastic hands. Worse than being in Cox’s class while actively involved in whatever deeply complicated thing existed between him and Iris. Worse than how much Jae would enjoy watching him be entirely too uncomfortable because of all of the above.
Then came the question. Superhero abilities. Of course.
Adrian leaned back slightly in his chair, one elbow hooked lazily over the armrest while Cat immediately volunteered mind reading like she hadn’t just casually introduced the concept of legalized psychological trespassing into the room.
Eventually, when it was his turn he added: “Teleportation.”
The answer came flatly, almost absent-mindedly, but he continued after a second as one shoulder lifted slightly, “No corridors. No awkward conversations. No being trapped in social situations you regret entering thirty seconds in.” A pause. “No staircases.”
That last one carried genuine irritation.
The answer earned the faintest narrowing of Cox's eyes, unequivocally unconvinced that the boy required additional methods of sudden appearance.
"An understandable choice from someone not yet licensed for Apparition and therefore still condemned to corridors, staircases, and the general inconvenience of physical navigation."
Text Cut: the one who also thinks they've got jokes
Quote:
Originally Posted by natekka
Ah, Potions. Her nemesis.
Try as she might - or might not as was actually the case - Meinir Ellis had yet to leave a Potions lesson with the sense that she had 'improved' in any meaningful way. Potions required a level of precision and attention to detail that completely escaped her. A pinch always became a pinch and a half, for example, and three clockwise stirs were never completed successfully. She knew it was possible for older, more skilled potioneers to improvise, though she supposed that even those improvisations were calculated and made using existing knowledge of how different ingredients interacted with each other, but Mei was far from that level of experience. She was firmly in the beginner stage.
All that being said, she did find Potions interesting and looked forward to the lessons. She was simply no good at sticking to the instructions as given, which usually had... consequences - potions that hissed when they should soothe, or exploded when they should, you know, not explode...
Mei entered the classroom, which was much the same as usual - with the exception of a jar of hands, colourful, long, and creepy - and head straight over to her workstation. "Morning, Professor," she greeted him while she walked. "I guess you won't be needing a hand with anything today, huh?" She blurted out the pun before she could stop herself, but felt no embarrassment. It was funny, in her opinion of course.
As conversations faded and the door closed with a definitive thud, she fixed her attention on Professor Cox, doing her best to give him her undivided attention. She considered his question for approximately two seconds before deciding on her answer. Her classmates' answers were, in her humble opinion, rather cliché. What? No one wanted superstrength, or to be able to fly? Mei raised her hand and gave her answer with cool confidence. "The ability to become good - no, skilled," she amended, "at whatever I put my mind to straight away." In her mind, that would be an extremely useful and time-saving ability.
Not once did it occur to her that, perhaps, there was immense value in the journey of growth.
Miss Ellis' pun earned a long-suffering look that somehow stopped just short of genuine consternation. He barely tolerated them with the Headmaster.
He would not deduct points for bad jokes. He would not deduct points for bad jokes...
"Immediate mastery," he repeated. "Arguably adjacent to the promises made by drinking Felix Felicis and every enchanted object that creates the appearance of competency without the stability underneath it."
Because unlike invisibility, teleportation, or even diluted forms of mind reading — all things wizardkind had managed to approximate through cloaks, charms, Apparition, Legilimency, and various magical devices — true instantaneous skill remained out of reach. Magic could enhance instinct. Accelerate learning, borrow confidence, simulate capability... but it could not simply replace the lived process of mastery itself.
He paced once more as he spoke, robes whispering faintly across the dungeon floor.
"Which is perhaps fortunate," he added lightly with a small shrug. "Most people become intolerable enough after succeeding gradually."
▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲▶▼◀▲
His gaze swept slowly across the room once more and, finding no further volunteers, inclined his head once and continued.
“What most classify as 'superpowers' are, in truth, things wizardkind has already spent centuries reproducing through spellcraft, enchanted objects, and potion making."
He moved away from the front of the classroom as he spoke, one hand folding behind his back while the other gestured loosely through the air as though arranging concepts into place.
"Invisibility. Flight. Enhanced strength. Altered perception. Memory manipulation. Accelerated healing. Even limited forms of mind reading and teleportation."
A faint tilt of his head followed. The corner of his mouth twitched briefly before he continued.
"Today, you will be brewing the Elasticity Elixir... a potion originally developed for cursebreakers, healer rehabilitation, and certain athletic professions that temporarily alters the flexibility and elastic resilience of materials and the body. For the culturally informed amongst you, the effect bears passing resemblance to fictional figures such as Elastigirl, Mister Fantastic, and Monkey D. Luffy."
Cox moved away from his desk as he spoke, one hand folding behind his back while the other absently adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, dark bindrunes disappearing beneath the cuff before the fabric settled back into place. He stopped beside the nearest workstation then, leaning one hip lightly against the edge of it.
"Of course, the existence of magic raises an obvious question," he continued, eyes sweeping across the students again. "If spellwork can already manipulate movement and matter directly… why bother with something as temperamental as a potion?" One brow arched slightly as his hands unfolded before him, palms up, like an offered tray. "So consider this ― in what scenario might controlled elasticity be useful, or even preferable, to traditional spellcasting?"
OOC: This will be the last question before we begin the brewing process in approximately 24 hours. Thank you all for your participation, enthusiasm, and the creativity you’ve shared through your characters thus far
__________________
We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back.........................................
But now we're seeing all the beauty in the broken glass.....................................
The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony
My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ Claimed by Bits ❤️ ~ Queen of Typos ❄ Magical Mosh Pit ❄
Such impressive answers from his peers. It gave Levi some insight into who they were; that is, if they were really being truthful about their choices. He further liked that Cox drew comparison to those named superpowers to aspects of the wizarding world. If only Muggles knew that those powers they saw on TV or read about in books/comics were real, just not how they expected it to be.
The mention of the Elasticity Elixir had Levi’s mind flitting off immediately to Reed Richards. That superhero was extraordinary due to, not only his abilities, but his intelligence as well. He withdrew from his thoughts to consider the question. Naturally, practical ideas came to mind but so did whimsical ones. Given the choice, the Hufflepuff usually leaned towards the whimsical option. Up went a hand. “One can clean hard to reach places, whether it be some place high or someplace narrow like… um. Under a couch.”
SSRPG Admin Gladrags Mod Quibbler Mod Minister for Magic Alley Proprietor
Sea Serpent
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Paths
Posts: 41,358
Hogwarts RPG Name: Professor Cox
Ravenclaw
Graduated
Hogwarts RPG Name: CJ Miller
Gryffindor
Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Nyle Harden
Hufflepuff
Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Iris Harden
Ravenclaw
Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Calliope Barrington
Slytherin
Fifth Year
Ministry Department Head:
Charles Hollingberry
Minister's Office
Ministry Department Head:
Airey Flamsteed
Mysteries
Diagon Alley Proprietor:
Victor García Massey
Ollivanders
x12 x12
astronomizzle ♧ gryffinDORK | & the rest is drag ♣ #badluckDerf
Text Cut: the one saying what we all honestly would probably use such a potion for
Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19
Such impressive answers from his peers. It gave Levi some insight into who they were; that is, if they were really being truthful about their choices. He further liked that Cox drew comparison to those named superpowers to aspects of the wizarding world. If only Muggles knew that those powers they saw on TV or read about in books/comics were real, just not how they expected it to be.
The mention of the Elasticity Elixir had Levi’s mind flitting off immediately to Reed Richards. That superhero was extraordinary due to, not only his abilities, but his intelligence as well. He withdrew from his thoughts to consider the question. Naturally, practical ideas came to mind but so did whimsical ones. Given the choice, the Hufflepuff usually leaned towards the whimsical option. Up went a hand. “One can clean hard to reach places, whether it be some place high or someplace narrow like… um. Under a couch.”
"Entirely practical, actually," he nodded. "Most people underestimate how much magical work is hindered simply by physical access."
His fingers drummed lightly on the desk behind him.
"Elasticity Elixirs were historically favored by certain alchemists, artificers, and cursebreakers precisely because they allowed access to spaces too narrow, unstable, or dangerous for conventional movement or wandwork. There are records of Gringotts teams using early variants to navigate collapsed vault tunnels without risking excavation magic triggering further cave-ins." The faintest trace of dry amusement, and smile, touched his expression then. "Though I suspect retrieving objects from beneath furniture has likely accounted for at least several undocumented uses throughout history as well."
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Cox allowed the question to settle through the room for a few moments longer, listening to the scattered answers and theories before eventually pushing himself away from the workstation and strut back toward the front of the classroom.
"All reasonable observations," he said, folding his hands loosely behind his back once more. "Spellwork is immediate, versatile, and — when performed correctly — considerably easier to reverse if something goes catastrophically wrong." He paused then, his gaze sweeping across the classroom and falling on a select few students. "Which, statistically speaking, several of you should take as reassurance."
His gaze flicked briefly toward the jar of hands again before continuing.
"However, there are circumstances where relying upon wandwork becomes impractical, unstable, detectable, or physically impossible." He began pacing slowly again as he spoke. "The Elasticity Elixir was first developed for cursebreakers working within ancient tomb systems throughout Northern Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. Collapsed corridors. Shifting stone channels. Trap mechanisms designed specifically to punish abrupt magical interference. Situations where forcing a body through confined spaces proved safer than attempting any sort of wandwork."
His expression flattened faintly at the memory, thoughts drifting involuntarily toward suffocating heat trapped beneath sandstone, lungs full of dust, shoulders bruised raw from being forced through spaces no human body should have realistically survived navigating. He could still remember the sickening pressure of stone tightening around his ribs, the unnatural sensation of joints bending beyond their ordinary limits simply to keep him from being crushed outright, and the deeply unpleasant realization that panic became considerably effective when one physically could not inhale properly.
"Ancient civilizations were very creative when deciding how to kill intruders."
A few slow steps carried him back beside his cauldron.
"From there, the potion found secondary applications amongst healers rehabilitating joint rigidity, curse damage, and muscular trauma. Later, certain broom athletes and acrobatic performers adopted diluted variants to reduce impact injuries and improve flexibility under high strain. Though professional Quidditch regulations eventually restricted its usage after discovering that temporarily elastic ribs made bludger impacts irrelevant as well as visually upsetting."
He snapped his fingers once toward the arrangement of ingredients upon his desk before extending his hand outward toward the classroom. At once, jars, phials, and neatly labelled containers lifted into the air. They wove their way between desks in orderly formation, glass clinking softly as they moved — weaving past students' heads before settling onto each workstation in identical methodical alignment, as though measured against invisible gridlines only he could see. A second snap followed. This time, shimmering lines of script unfurled themselves across the blackboard, revealing an ingredient list.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ingredient list
1½ teaspoons Powdered Billywig Wing Purpose: Introduces lightness and magical flexibility into the brew. Billywigs naturally induce levitation and disorientation; in diluted form, they encourage looseness in bodily movement.
½ cup Flobberworm Mucus Purpose: The primary elastic suspension agent. Its viscous consistency allows the potion to “stretch” magically without separating.
2 tablespoons Gum Arabic Purpose: A real-world stabilizing resin used in inks and confectionery. Provides mundane elasticity and prevents magical coagulation during brewing.
½ tablespoon Mooncalf Tendon Shavings Purpose: Symbolically and magically linked to graceful movement and joint flexibility. Reinforces healthy rebound rather than collapse.
¾ cup Syrup of Hellebore Purpose: Carefully controlled muscular relaxation agent. Dangerous in excess. Used to soften bodily resistance.
⅛ teaspoon Jobberknoll Feather Ash Purpose: Memory-retention catalyst. Encourages the body to 'remember' its original shape after magical extension.
500 ML Honeywater infusion (prepared beforehand at a 3:1 water-to-honey ratio) Purpose: Conductive binding medium. Helps the potion move evenly through the body and prevents localized overreaction.
10 drops Essence of reed grass Purpose: Reeds bend without breaking. A symbolic sympathetic ingredient reinforcing controlled flexibility.
2 tablespoons Aloe vera gel Purpose: Smooths and prevents magical tearing
¼ teaspoon finely chopped knotgrass Purpose: Included in very small quantities to preserve structural integrity and prevent total over-softening.
"Today’s brew requires precision more than speed," he continued. "You will be balancing structural stability against magical flexibility. Too rigid, and the potion fails entirely. Too unstable, and you produce something considerably closer to temporary bonelessness. Which I assure you loses its novelty the moment one attempts stairs and could earn you an overnight in the Hospital Wing sipping on Skele-Gro."
So let us all endeavor to be meticulous with our brewing today, yes?
Then he brought his hands together in two sharp claps. At once, the blackboard shifted again. The ingredient list condensed and slid aside to the left as the first portion of the brewing instructions revealed itself line by line beside it.
"You may begin."
Quote:
Originally Posted by brewing process
Begin with a medium heat.
Add to cauldron:
500 mL honeywater infusion
2 spoonfuls Flobberworm mucus
Stir clockwise seven times until the potion develops a golden sheen.
Add powdered Billywig wing gradually while continuously stirring counterclockwise.
The potion should briefly emit pale floating sparks. If sparks turn orange, the heat is too high.
Sprinkle in gum arabic while reducing the flame to low.
Allow potion to thicken slightly. Texture should resemble warmed syrup.
Add essence of reed grass and steep for exactly three minutes without stirring.
The potion should become more reflective, like a mirror, at the surface.
Introduce aloe vera gel ¼ teaspoon at a time.
Potion color should shift faintly between blue and silver.
OOC: Hey everyone! I know the site was down quite a bit over the past 24 hours, which made it difficult (or impossible) to get replies — I definitely share your frustration
In the meantime, feel free to continue answering the previous question, and Professor Cox will respond as soon as possible. We're now entering Stage 1 of the brewing process! Your character can successfully complete, struggle through, or even fail spectacularly at these first five steps. Feel free to spread the entirety of your character's version of the brewing process across as many posts or few posts as you need/want
The next set of brewing instructions should be posted in about 36-ish hours *knocks on every wooden surface available*!
__________________
We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back.........................................
But now we're seeing all the beauty in the broken glass.....................................
The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony
My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like
Little Fox | ½ of Lauralie | Ravenclaw...?? *overthinks* | #HouseNATARINA
Mei listened idly to her classmates' answers and Professor Cox's responses, her elbow perched on the table and her chin resting in the palm of her hand. She could see where the professor was going with this, more or less. Magical answers to a variety of human problems. Or 'problems' she should say. Some just seemed to be mild inconveniences.
She tilted her head, considering his response to her answer, with a slight squint of her eyes. He wasn't wrong exactly, but the 'stability underneath' was exactly what she would want to have, and she wouldn't choose that hypothetical superpower without it. Maybe she should have been more specific in her answer. No matter. The question was hypothetical, after all. No need to point out all the ways in which he had missed the point. She doubted that he would thank her for it, and it wouldn't be very productive for him, herself, or the class in general.
Moving on.
The Elasticity Elixir. Hmm. She could guess what those weird hands were for now.
There was no chance of Mei being accused of overthinking the question. As usual, she offered up the first thing that came to mind. 'If you’re trying to reach something that’s reaaaaaaally far away?' She proposed, then elaborated. "'Cause you might miss your target with a spell and hit the wrong thing. A potion could give you more control," she finished, using the same word he had used in his question. Control. "If brewed correctly, obviously," she rushed to add. "I guess you'd have to decide which option has the best chance of success based on your own abilities." Make sense? She could go on but hopefully he got the point.
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Mei listened with mild interest to Professor Cox as he explained the history of the Elasticity Elixir. The parts about the Cursebreakers were vaguely interesting, and his comment about the use of the elixir in Quidditch and it being ‘visually upsetting’ earned an amused smile, though she wasn’t sure that was intended to be humorous.
The ingredients appeared on the blackboard and her eyes skimmed the list, barely sparing a glance at the notes about each ingredient’s purpose. She was fairly certain the instructions were the part she really needed to pay attention to - she only needed to make the potion, not understand how the ingredients worked together.
Ah. There was that word again: Precision. Not her strong suit. She grimaced. Speed (though perhaps lacking accuracy) she could do. Precision? All bets were off. Actually, to be completely honest, all bets should be on a complete lack of precision. Guess she should prepare for temporary bonelessness, judging by Professor Cox’s warning words. She had heard of that Skele-Gro stuff, though, and what she had heard was extremely unpleasant to say the least.
Heh.
How hard could it be to be precise?
Mei’s gaze slid to the instructions on the blackboard when they appeared before moving back over to the list of ingredients.
Time to get started.
__________________
Last edited by natekka; 05-17-2026 at 10:31 PM.
Reason: New post went up as I was posting so I've added a little bit of the next part in :)
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ Claimed by Bits ❤️ ~ Queen of Typos ❄ Magical Mosh Pit ❄
There were so many uses for that particular potion. Levi made his notes as he wondered if they’d be testing their respective potions at the end of the lesson, some other time, or if at all. On another note, it was quite interesting, that origin story of the Elasticity Potions. He imagined it saved the day countless times. Not to mention it paved the way for so many further uses in other professions. The Hufflepuff’s hand zoomed over his book, determined to make a note of every detail.
Before he knew it, the time had come to begin brewing. Levi felt a surge of excitement. Potions was always a class he excelled at; hopefully he would continue in that direction. First, he needed to copy all the ingredients and steps. Levi would have done that at some other point in between the brewing process however, experience had taught him that fumes rising from the cauldrons disrupted visibility.
Once he finally finished writing all that needed to be written, the third year got to work. A quick and precise Scouring charm saw to the equipment being cleaned. Not that he doubted the pristine state, it was merely a step for his own peace of mind.
The burner was lit then adjusted to medium heat beneath the cauldron. Next, the 500 ml of honeywater infusion followed by the two spoonfuls of flobberworm mucus were added. Using the stirrer, one… two… three… four… five… six… seven counterclockwise stirs were done. All the while Levi kept his gaze focused on the mixture; his patience and precision were rewarded with that golden sheen appearing.
Mentally patting himself on the back, he moved on. Dominant hand holding the stirrer still so that the counterclockwise stirring continued, the required powdered billywig wing was added bit by bit. The spark did startle him somewhat but he recovered quickly because… they were orange! Oh no. The flame needed adjustment. This was convenient as the next step did say to put the flame on low. So, while completing the step, the gum arabic joined the mix. He waited for the potion to thicken a little; any potion ingredient spilled was cleaned away at this point. Once the consistency changed, Levi poured in the essence of reed grass. His eyes then alternated between the cauldron and his watch. Three minutes was a long time in his opinion.
Eventually, he took a closer look at the mixture within. Indeed it did appear to take on a mirror-like surface! The aloe vera gel was the next ingredient up, with it being added a quarter of a teaspoon at a time. That was somewhat tedious but Levi didn’t mind. His determination to brew excellent quality potions was always his motivation. And would you look at that! There was another colour change, though he couldn’t exactly identify what it was. More silver? More blue? Cue the third year squinting in an attempt to decide.
Wesley tried not to groan aloud at the mention of Skele-gro. He could still taste the awfulness from his last stay in the Hospital Wing at Ilvermorny. And suppressed another groan now that they were starting on the actual potion-making portion. He hated potions. Well, that's not quite true. He found different types of potions fascinating, at what they could accomplish. He was just awful at accomplishing a decent potion.
"I guess there's no point delaying this disaster." He mumbled to himself and got to work.
I can do this. I just need to stay focused on what I'm doing and follow the directions. Like baking. I'm a terrible baker. Oh merlin. He thought to himself as he stirred counter-clockwise seven times and began to add the Billywig wing while still stirring.
~~~
OOC: wow! It is rusty getting back into it, but hiiii!
This was it. This was the best part of Potions - the brewing process. The clearly defined steps and instructions that Cat could hold onto and follow. It was when brewing potions that Cat could best cut out distractions and truly only pay attention to her work. Before Hogwarts, she’d done it with baking. The skill (and enjoyment) had transferred well.
So, she was actually smiling to herself as she began working on her potion. She was precise with her measurements, checking and re-checking that her tools were accurate before adding each ingredient to the cauldron. She even remembered where on the cauldron she started her seven clockwise turns so that they were, as near as she could get them, exactly seven turns.
Then previously-measured Billywig wing, poured with her right hand while her left stirred counterclockwise. Sparks that were… probably not orange. Finally, gum arabic sprinkled with her left hand as she crouched to set the flames on low.
As she did all of this, she thought about the previous question and the explanation Professor Cox gave of exploring ancient ruins. She paused then to determine if her consistency was maple syrup-esque enough, and raised her hand. “So, Professor, does that mean that the potion might be a good idea, opposed to spellwork, if one were entering a situation in which elasticity might be needed and spellwork would be too difficult? Like, in emergencies or something, for, like, law enforcement or healers?”
SSRPG Admin Gladrags Mod Quibbler Mod Minister for Magic Alley Proprietor
Sea Serpent
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Paths
Posts: 41,358
Hogwarts RPG Name: Professor Cox
Ravenclaw
Graduated
Hogwarts RPG Name: CJ Miller
Gryffindor
Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Nyle Harden
Hufflepuff
Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Iris Harden
Ravenclaw
Sixth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Calliope Barrington
Slytherin
Fifth Year
Ministry Department Head:
Charles Hollingberry
Minister's Office
Ministry Department Head:
Airey Flamsteed
Mysteries
Diagon Alley Proprietor:
Victor García Massey
Ollivanders
x12 x12
astronomizzle ♧ gryffinDORK | & the rest is drag ♣ #badluckDerf
Text Cut: the (read: another) one we apparently need to keep an eye on!
Quote:
Originally Posted by natekka
Mei listened idly to her classmates' answers and Professor Cox's responses, her elbow perched on the table and her chin resting in the palm of her hand. She could see where the professor was going with this, more or less. Magical answers to a variety of human problems. Or 'problems' she should say. Some just seemed to be mild inconveniences.
She tilted her head, considering his response to her answer, with a slight squint of her eyes. He wasn't wrong exactly, but the 'stability underneath' was exactly what she would want to have, and she wouldn't choose that hypothetical superpower without it. Maybe she should have been more specific in her answer. No matter. The question was hypothetical, after all. No need to point out all the ways in which he had missed the point. She doubted that he would thank her for it, and it wouldn't be very productive for him, herself, or the class in general.
Moving on.
The Elasticity Elixir. Hmm. She could guess what those weird hands were for now.
There was no chance of Mei being accused of overthinking the question. As usual, she offered up the first thing that came to mind. 'If you’re trying to reach something that’s reaaaaaaally far away?' She proposed, then elaborated. "'Cause you might miss your target with a spell and hit the wrong thing. A potion could give you more control," she finished, using the same word he had used in his question. Control. "If brewed correctly, obviously," she rushed to add. "I guess you'd have to decide which option has the best chance of success based on your own abilities." Make sense? She could go on but hopefully he got the point.
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Mei listened with mild interest to Professor Cox as he explained the history of the Elasticity Elixir. The parts about the Cursebreakers were vaguely interesting, and his comment about the use of the elixir in Quidditch and it being ‘visually upsetting’ earned an amused smile, though she wasn’t sure that was intended to be humorous.
The ingredients appeared on the blackboard and her eyes skimmed the list, barely sparing a glance at the notes about each ingredient’s purpose. She was fairly certain the instructions were the part she really needed to pay attention to - she only needed to make the potion, not understand how the ingredients worked together.
Ah. There was that word again: Precision. Not her strong suit. She grimaced. Speed (though perhaps lacking accuracy) she could do. Precision? All bets were off. Actually, to be completely honest, all bets should be on a complete lack of precision. Guess she should prepare for temporary bonelessness, judging by Professor Cox’s warning words. She had heard of that Skele-Gro stuff, though, and what she had heard was extremely unpleasant to say the least.
Heh.
How hard could it be to be precise?
Mei’s gaze slid to the instructions on the blackboard when they appeared before moving back over to the list of ingredients.
Time to get started.
He nodded at Miss Ellis first as she spoke, one brow lifting approvingly at her reasoning.
"A fair assessment," he acknowledged with a firm nod."Spellwork always introduces the possibility of redirection, interruption, or collateral damage. Potions, by contrast, is absorbed by subject itself rather than projecting magical force upon it externally."
His gaze flicked meaningfully toward several students whose spell accuracy he perhaps did not entirely trust under pressure. Or at all.
"And yes — as is with all forms of magic — success depends heavily upon whether the individual involved is competent enough to survive their own decisions."
Cox moved steadily between the workstations as the classroom shifted into the familiar rhythm of brewing as the orchestra glass clinking softly, burners hissing, spoons tapping against cauldron rims in uneven cadence filled the space. Best of all, so far, no sudden BOOMs.
He provided what was an attempt at an encouraging smile to the Slytherin before moving about the classroom to observe students' progress more close up.
Text Cut: the one with the sore wrist from all the note taking, probably
Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19
There were so many uses for that particular potion. Levi made his notes as he wondered if they’d be testing their respective potions at the end of the lesson, some other time, or if at all. On another note, it was quite interesting, that origin story of the Elasticity Potions. He imagined it saved the day countless times. Not to mention it paved the way for so many further uses in other professions. The Hufflepuff’s hand zoomed over his book, determined to make a note of every detail.
Before he knew it, the time had come to begin brewing. Levi felt a surge of excitement. Potions was always a class he excelled at; hopefully he would continue in that direction. First, he needed to copy all the ingredients and steps. Levi would have done that at some other point in between the brewing process however, experience had taught him that fumes rising from the cauldrons disrupted visibility.
Once he finally finished writing all that needed to be written, the third year got to work. A quick and precise Scouring charm saw to the equipment being cleaned. Not that he doubted the pristine state, it was merely a step for his own peace of mind.
The burner was lit then adjusted to medium heat beneath the cauldron. Next, the 500 ml of honeywater infusion followed by the two spoonfuls of flobberworm mucus were added. Using the stirrer, one… two… three… four… five… six… seven counterclockwise stirs were done. All the while Levi kept his gaze focused on the mixture; his patience and precision were rewarded with that golden sheen appearing.
Mentally patting himself on the back, he moved on. Dominant hand holding the stirrer still so that the counterclockwise stirring continued, the required powdered billywig wing was added bit by bit. The spark did startle him somewhat but he recovered quickly because… they were orange! Oh no. The flame needed adjustment. This was convenient as the next step did say to put the flame on low. So, while completing the step, the gum arabic joined the mix. He waited for the potion to thicken a little; any potion ingredient spilled was cleaned away at this point. Once the consistency changed, Levi poured in the essence of reed grass. His eyes then alternated between the cauldron and his watch. Three minutes was a long time in his opinion.
Eventually, he took a closer look at the mixture within. Indeed it did appear to take on a mirror-like surface! The aloe vera gel was the next ingredient up, with it being added a quarter of a teaspoon at a time. That was somewhat tedious but Levi didn’t mind. His determination to brew excellent quality potions was always his motivation. And would you look at that! There was another colour change, though he couldn’t exactly identify what it was. More silver? More blue? Cue the third year squinting in an attempt to decide.
Mr. Singh-Phora's workstation, unsurprisingly, looked magnificently organized. Cox paused beside it only briefly, eyes skimming over the mirror-like sheen forming across the potion's surface before giving a single nod of approval.
His gaze lingered briefly on the boy's notes as well. Meticulous, unsurprisingly, and a deeply reassuring trait in a Potions student.
Unlike—
Text Cut: the one breaking our heart with the potions disdain!
Quote:
Originally Posted by renmarie
Wesley tried not to groan aloud at the mention of Skele-gro. He could still taste the awfulness from his last stay in the Hospital Wing at Ilvermorny. And suppressed another groan now that they were starting on the actual potion-making portion. He hated potions. Well, that's not quite true. He found different types of potions fascinating, at what they could accomplish. He was just awful at accomplishing a decent potion.
"I guess there's no point delaying this disaster." He mumbled to himself and got to work.
I can do this. I just need to stay focused on what I'm doing and follow the directions. Like baking. I'm a terrible baker. Oh merlin. He thought to himself as he stirred counter-clockwise seven times and began to add the Billywig wing while still stirring.
~~~
OOC: wow! It is rusty getting back into it, but hiiii!
His attention shifted several stations over toward Mr. Blackwell, whose expression resembled a sphinx condemned to preside over a bin of broken glass phials.
He stopped beside the cauldron just as the Billywig powder sparked and furrowed his brow.
"Watch your heat, Mr. Blackwell," he said evenly, hands folding once more behind his back. "Those sparks are looking suspiciously orange." He nearly moved on then, but something inside him demanded a pause. "And, if you approach every step anticipating catastrophe, eventually the brew may decide to humor you."
His gaze swept over the cauldron once more before he moved again...
Text Cut: the one who should bake us something sometime - though cannot promise the grump will accept it without fuss
Quote:
Originally Posted by squidnie
This was it. This was the best part of Potions - the brewing process. The clearly defined steps and instructions that Cat could hold onto and follow. It was when brewing potions that Cat could best cut out distractions and truly only pay attention to her work. Before Hogwarts, she’d done it with baking. The skill (and enjoyment) had transferred well.
So, she was actually smiling to herself as she began working on her potion. She was precise with her measurements, checking and re-checking that her tools were accurate before adding each ingredient to the cauldron. She even remembered where on the cauldron she started her seven clockwise turns so that they were, as near as she could get them, exactly seven turns.
Then previously-measured Billywig wing, poured with her right hand while her left stirred counterclockwise. Sparks that were… probably not orange. Finally, gum arabic sprinkled with her left hand as she crouched to set the flames on low.
As she did all of this, she thought about the previous question and the explanation Professor Cox gave of exploring ancient ruins. She paused then to determine if her consistency was maple syrup-esque enough, and raised her hand. “So, Professor, does that mean that the potion might be a good idea, opposed to spellwork, if one were entering a situation in which elasticity might be needed and spellwork would be too difficult? Like, in emergencies or something, for, like, law enforcement or healers?”
... eventually slowing beside Miss Webb's workstation.
The faintest trace of approval threatened at the corner of his mouth.
"Correct," he answered, eyeing those sparks a bit more until their color faded to a very not-orange glow. "Aurors, cursebreakers, healers, dragon handlers, disaster response teams — many professions rely upon anticipatory magic rather than situational casting. If you already know entering an environment may require abnormal flexibility, consuming a stabilized potion beforehand becomes considerably safer than attempting complex transfiguration or repeated adaptive spellwork under stress. Particularly in situations where wand movement itself may be restricted."
The memory surfaced unpleasantly fast — stone pressing tight enough around his ribs that lifting a wand had become physically impossible. He swallowed once against it and continued after clearing his throat.
"There is also the matter of detectability. Potions alter magical signatures differently than active spellcasting does. In some environments, subtle biological adaptation is significantly less likely to trigger defensive enchantments than repeatedly casting spells into ancient magic systems already predisposed toward hostility."
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Cox made another slow circuit of the classroom, observing progress before checking his watch. He paused beside the front workstation, gaze sweeping briefly across the simmering cauldrons and the students behind them stirring away.
"Be sure to pay attention to resistance almost more so than appearance," he advised, resting one hand lightly against the edge of the nearest workstation. "Elasticity Elixirs are deceptive. Waiting for dramatic visual changes tends to make potioneers miss the more important indicator — tension within the potion itself. If your stirring suddenly feels heavier, stickier, or like you are stirring nothing but air, the structure is beginning to destabilize. And if your potion begins attempting to climb the spoon... reduce heat immediately."
Then, with two sharp claps, the blackboard shifted once more. The completed instructions slid upward as the next five steps revealed themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brewing process
Begin with a medium heat.
Add to cauldron:
500 mL honeywater infusion
2 spoonfuls Flobberworm mucus
Stir clockwise seven times until the potion develops a golden sheen.
Add powdered Billywig wing gradually while continuously stirring counterclockwise.
The potion should briefly emit pale floating sparks. If sparks turn orange, the heat is too high.
Sprinkle in gum arabic while reducing the flame to low.
Allow potion to thicken slightly. Texture should resemble warmed syrup.
Add essence of reed grass and steep for exactly three minutes without stirring.
The potion should become more reflective, like a mirror, at the surface.
Introduce aloe vera gel ¼ teaspoon at a time.
Potion color should shift faintly between blue and silver.
Raise heat slightly and add mooncalf tendon shavings.
Stir in a figure-eight motion for thirty seconds - Row, row, row your boat thrice will give you a fairly accurate count.
Potion should resist the spoon slightly.
Carefully incorporate syrup of hellebore drop by drop.
Pause three seconds between each drop. Excessive haste may destabilize the brew and produce uncontrolled elasticity effects.
Add a pinch of knotgrass.
Potion should briefly tighten and darken before returning to its prior consistency.
Sprinkle Jobberknoll feather ash across the surface and do not stir for one minute. (Itsy Bitsy Spider thrice gets you there)
The ash should dissolve naturally and turn the potion a pale silver blue
Remove from heat and allow the potion to settle.
Correctly brewed Elasticity Elixir will form slow-stretching, viscous threads like fermented soy beans when lifted with a ladle or wooden spoon
OOC: Thanks so much for sticking with the lesson through all the unexpected site chaos over the past day or so — hopefully the internet gremlins have finally been appeased
Because of the downtime, I’ll be giving everyone some extra room with the brewing timeline so nobody feels rushed. Keep having fun with the process — whether your character is producing a masterpiece, a smoking cauldron disaster, or something alarmingly sentient
I’ll post the next set of testing instructions within the next 36–48 hours *aggressively knocks on wood again*
__________________
We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back.........................................
But now we're seeing all the beauty in the broken glass.....................................
The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony
My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like
I don't think Wes will be brewing glory anytime soon...
Wesley was trying very hard to pay attention. Unfortunately, Potions felt specifically designed to make his brain short-circuit. He winced at the professor's words and tried to give a confident smile, but it felt more like a grimace.
His eyes bounced constantly between the blackboard, the ingredients, and the bubbling cauldron while the noise of the classroom kept dragging his attention elsewhere. By the time he added the Flobberworm mucus, he was already second-guessing which direction he was supposed to stir.
Clockwise first. No, counterclockwise.
Wait.
That was after the Billywig powder. Right?
"That is revolting," he muttered while stirring carefully.
The potion developed a faint golden sheen before Wesley began adding the Billywig powder. Pale sparks crackled across the surface. Then orange. Wesley immediately winced and lowered the heat.
"Brilliant start," he muttered under his breath.
Trying to recover, he added the gum arabic and essence of reed grass before staring directly into the cauldron. Three minutes without stirring.
Easy. Without thinking, Wesley grabbed the spoon and absentmindedly gave the potion one quick swirl.
He froze. "...You have got to be kidding me." Trying to pretend that hadn’t happened, Wesley hurried onward with the aloe vera gel and mooncalf tendon shavings before beginning the figure-eight stirring. "Row, row, row your boat..."
Halfway through, he realized the tendon shavings were still sitting untouched beside him. "Oh, come on..."
He tossed them in quickly, and the potion immediately thickened hard against the spoon. Encouraged, Wesley carefully added the syrup of hellebore drop by drop, until he lost count after another cauldron hissed nearby.
The potion suddenly lurched upward in a long silver-blue strand. Wesley recoiled instantly. "Absolutely not."
Quickly throwing in the knotgrass, he watched the potion settle again before sprinkling the Jobberknoll feather ash carefully across the surface. At least it still vaguely resembled an Elasticity Elixir. That felt close enough to success for him.
Little Fox | ½ of Lauralie | Ravenclaw...?? *overthinks* | #HouseNATARINA
Step one. Begin with a medium heat. Medium was subjective to say the least, no? Both extremes she could understand, so she got it going to something that didn't look too low or too high. Middling. Probably, possibly medium. It would do. She poured the honeywater infusion into the cauldron, after very briefly bobbing down to beaker level to do her due diligence in ensuring it was actually 500ml. Two spoonfuls of Flobberworm mucus - disgusting, by the way - were added to the honeywater infusion, one level, one slightly heaped. Then seven CLOCKWISE stirs were completed. "One, two, three, four, f-ive, six, seven, ei-" She muttered under her breathe. Seven and one-billionth stirs completed. No one would know. What difference would a fraction of a stir make anyway?
In answer, the potion coughed, which it was probably supposed to do. Meinir narrowed her eyes. Hmm. That was a golden sheen, right? Step one complete! This was a piece of cake. Or... hmm, she'd have to think of potions-related pun another time. No one wanted her honeywater-mucus mix to bubble away while she was thinking of puns. Moving onto step two!
Add powdered Billywig wing gradually while continuously stirring counterclockwise. Guess that meant all of the powdered Billywig wing? One and a half teaspoons of the powder were roughly shaken into the potion, some missing the cauldron eeeeeeeever so slightly, while she stirred and stirred and stirred. COUNTER-clockwise, she remembered! Just. When did she need to stop stirring? When it- OH, LOOK! Sparks, barely perceptible, rose from the surface of the liquid, alternating between pale and pale orange. Very pretty, she must admit. Her eyes skimmed over the instructions again, almost missing the part about the sparks turning orange. Oops. That would've been bad, huh? She turned the heat down a touch. Then a touch more, just to be safe.
Step three! Oh, she needed the heat to be low now anyway? Well, wasn't that just perfect! She happily sprinkled (read: dropped) the gum arabic into the mix, feeling pretty proud of herself. Nothing had blown up yet! This step didn't mention stirring, though, so did she need to? She hadn't been stirring at any rate, not since the pretty sparks had caught her eye and she'd needed to lower the heat. Not stirring it would thicken it, though, she reckoned. It was looking goldish and syrupish, though she had no real clue what the texture of warmed syrup was. It was probably this, she decided.
Mei then read step four, which mentioned not stirring the potion for three minutes. To steep. So did that include the time she already hadn't been stirring it for, or...? Throwing caution to the wind, she tossed in the essence of reed grass and waited. For approximately three minutes, give or take two minutes.
The surface was decidedly dull, not even slightly reflective, no matter how much she squinted at it.
Potions [Elasticity Elixir] 
To do so, please RP as though your character has been present all along (catch-up posts are alway welcome!). You may post your character arriving late if you wish, but only do so if you are also willing to accept IC consequences that may range from point loss to detention depending on the manner in which your character arrives.
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Levi Singh-Phora :: Hufflepuff 
