Noel half-listened to the new professor, she was tired of introductory potions lessons. She didn't bother to give her own definition of 'potion'.

"Potions is the combining of several components into a cauldron to make a magical solution, which is then used for the same purpose that it was created," Anila said quietly.

"I'd like to learn anything about potions. Our previous teachers were less than satisfactory."

:: Ganymede sat there and pondered what she thought Potions were exactly. She brushed her purple hair from her face and said with her eyebrow arched, "In simpler terms, Potions is like making a cake with magical intentions and faith it'll do what you need..." She paused and continued a bit unsurely, "Well, Potions is the study of... magical mixtures with certain abilities.. that.. umm.." She paused again and finally said, "You mix stuff together and it makes things happen." With that she decided to open her book and take a pencil out. She was frustrated with her classes, and a bit overwhelmed because it was her NEWT year. With a few taps of her pencil against her desk, she managed to break the point. ::

"Potions are magical liquids created by mixing various ingredients in a cauldron according to very specific rules. These mixtures must usually be drunk to give their magical effects. The ingredients in potions range from the mundane to the bizarre and fantastic, and the procedures for creating some potions can be complicated and time consuming. Some of the potions we have studied include the Confusing Concoction, Love potions, Deflating Draught, and Memory Potions."

"Potions," she said slowly, "is the subject which studies the results and the procedure used when mixing two or more ingridients," Alex finished off. She did not know if she should answer the second question too. What she really wanted to learn in Potions is how to brew things like Veritaserum, but obviously, that would more than likely not be allowed.

"I hope to learn as many things as I can. I'm hoping that you will teach us things that will help us later on in life," she replied after a long pause during which she thought how to best word her answer, so it did not sound ... odd. Her hand was waving in the air the whole time, trying her best to catch the Professor's attention.

After a while it was Xavier's turn to express what potions was and what he expected from the class. Starting out he says, "Potions is a delicate topic in the wizarding world. It can be used to posion one's life, to change one's appearance, to make werewolves safer on full moons and even to make one lucky. It is a subject that can be very useful in life.

"As for what I expect from the class, I would like to learn how to brew some more advanced potions. Over the past couple of terms our skills have gone done though, so we may need to come back up to scratch."

Martha sits, listening to the rest of the class define potions. When it is finally her turn, she raises her hand and says, "A potion is a magical liquid which is made by an assortment of ingredients for a certain purpose. I'm hoping that I'll actually be able to learn how to brew potions, since last year was kind of a waste. All I really learned how to do was to sing Kumbya, which won't help me at all if I ever need to actually use a potion for a certain purpose."

Lily pulled out her quill,parchment and inkwell and was ready to take notes.
Lily struggled to consentrate as her head started to swim.'Concentrate Lily you need to pay attention and get your work done.'Lily thought to herself Listen to what the teacher is sayin.'Lily pulled her cloak tighter around herself as she tried her best to listen to the teacher.Sweat dottin her forehead.

"A potion is a conconction, usually liquid, with a magical, medicinal, or poisonous potency. The ingredients of a potion - which vary from one potion to the next - are combined in a precise and delicate manner to ensure the correct transformation and maturation. Brewing a potion could have dire results - including unintentional death of the drinker.

"The subject of Potions explores the different methods of potion brewing and the effects and uses of potions." Iphigeneia paused. "I hope that in this class, we not only learn how to brew potions but also explore what makes one method better than another and how to improve on existing potion recipes."

Raven sat quietly in potions class not knowing much information relating to Potions. She shrugged feeling slighty ignorant and exhaled out loud trying to keep up with the lessons.
'What is Potions," she thought to herself questioning her knowledge. She twirled her quill while listening to her mates chat softly about Potions. "Well this is informing," she mumbled quietly to herself knowing no one else heard her.

Potions is is a mixture of magical ingredients that when mixed properly form a particular result such as medicine, posin, etc. The ingrediants however very from potion to potion said Heshasa pulling her logn blonde hair into a ponytaila nd taking our her books quill parchmant and ink.

Professor Branxton leaned against his desk at the front of the classroom with his arms crossed, resting his clean-shaven chin between his thumb and forefinger, and critically watching the class as the students took their turns answering his questions. "Very good. All those who participated will earn five points for their respective houses," he said, standing up straight.

His wand appeared in his hand as he dropped his arms and flicked it toward the blackboard:

He started pacing as he read from the board. "You've all given very apt descriptions for what potions are. This is a simplified and to the point definition: potions are simply a magical liquid, concoction, or mixture and they have innumerous uses.

"I know you are all bored unto death of hearing these introductory lectures but, again please bear with me so we can quickly move on. I will assign homework after each class pertaining to the potion we will be brewing in the next class. I will post an answer key prior to the start of class as well as class notes which should be reviewed before you even think about taking out your cauldron. This leads us directly into the second part of our discussion: Brewing Safety. We will now go around the room once again and I would like each of you to give me one safety guideline you should follow when brewing potions."

Lauren Copied down the notes on the board and then quickly raised her hand.

"One precaution you must take is to make sure the ingredients you have can mix together safely." She said. No No, You answered to quickly! She said to herself.

Jaren noted the writing on the board before raising his hand to reply once again. "Follow all brewing instructions closely and carefully, and do not attempt to brew a potion that is too complex for your level."

ooc: Everytime we do this, I'm tempted to reply "wear safety goggles and lab coats, report all spills to the lab technician"

Kali raised her hand and answered, "Never put ingredients that don't belong into your brewing potion. Besides it ruining your potion, it can explode."

Raven blinked twice trying to retain the knowledge. 'The joy of having remedial Potions,' she thought to herself while displaying her usual smirk. She leaned back in her seat trying to remain inclined with the lesson while remembering the days of her playing quidditch. "Quaffle," she mummbled silently to herself looking in the direction of the Quidditch Stadium. Sadly it couldn't be seen from the dungeons but the image remained inside her head.

... uses limited only by the brewer's imagination and expertise

Iphigeneia set down her quill.

"Ensure your cauldron is in good condition. A cracked cauldron can be lethal."

She stared at the blackboard and copied everything down that the Professor wrote. Then, she turned her gaze on Branxton once he began talking, and listened intently. Upon hearing his question, she quickly raised her hand and stated, "Don't use an ingredient unless you know for sure what it is."

After answering the Professor's question, she lowered her hand slowly and kept staring at the him, awaiting, rather impatiently for the next question.

Krista smiled. alot of these saftey tips were like muggle safety tips for science. " dont touch ant of the potions directly unless you know what they are and are safe to touch,cause most potions will do soething to your skin,and such" she said

She snapped her attenion back towards the Professor realising he was talking. She gazed at the board reading the words over and over again. "I don't know how I passed the O.W.L.S for Potions," she muttered grabbing a sheet of parchment and some quill's out of her briefcase. 'Now what to do with them' she thought patiently tapping her quill on the desk looking back and forward at the board and her paper.

'What is that she is writting,' her mind said as she peered over her desk to the next person's paper beside her. "Ah the notes," she said outloud not meaning to. She looked at the Professor and slouched in her seat being embarassed of her random out burst. Still slouching and remained silent not trying to think hard anymore.

Laurasia wrote down her notes, then raised her hand & smiled. "Sir, one of the most important safety precautions to learn regarding potions is to have patience. Most mistakes during potion brewing are caused from the brewe not being patient enough."

She turned & looked at Raven when she made her sudden outburst, watching her slouch in her seat with embarassment.

Emily was finishing writing down all the notes and when she was finished she sat down her quill and waited for the teacher to start talking again.

Ozzy took out a piece of parchment and his green self inking quiil and joted down some notes as he payed close attention to the Professor. "I think I am going to like this class." He thought to himself and continued to write his notes.

Nadia raised her hand, "Follow the intructions with precise timing, watch out for corrossive mixes, check all your materials before you start, by that meaning: checking of rests of previous concotions in the cauldron, or the safety of the cauldron itself. Second-hand cauldrons and other tools might have structural problems and all must be checked before-hand -- spilling a half-made potion could be as dangerous as any other accident."

Thinking she had make a knot off her own words, Nadia continued, her hand still risen, "Know the properties of every ingredient to make a correct assumption of the consecuences of the misuse of said ingredient, comprehend the use of every step and tool as well as follow the guidelines accurately on weighting and messures." All said as if (and actually was) taken it from her copy of Advance Potion Brewing.

"Don't do anything that isn't stated in the directions. Don't taste, inhale or touch the potion until you're sure that you have mixed it correctly."