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Potions Lesson #1 The potions classroom looked completely different than it had ever looked before. The walls had been magicked back to make the room longer, and there wasn't a desk nor cauldron in sight. Instead, a huge table stretched the length of the room. It was completely bare, but there were chairs seated all the way around it. Professor Branxton, looking particularly cranky and tired, stood behind the chair at the end of the table and was pristine as ever and looking quite spiffy (if it hadn't been for the sour expression on his face) in dress robes. He was scowling at the table and paying the students no mind as they filed into the classroom, unsure as to where to sit. |
Hitching his rucksack more securely onto his shoulder, and attempting to tuck in his scruffy shirt, Clifford quietly entered the Potions classroom. It didn't look like much of a Potions classroom though. Where were all the cauldrons? And desks! You douldn't have a classroom with no desks! Were they meant to sit around that huge table that took up all the room? He presumed so.. Hmmm. |
Ray entered the classroom and said to Headmaster Branxton. "Hello Professor... How have you been?" Ray asked as he sat down as much close to the professor as possible. |
Jason entered the classroom and greeted the professor before taking a seat. |
Remy entered the Potion dungeon. He stopped dead in his tracks when saw the layout before him. His mind asked, "How can we learn to make potions without caldrons and all the other tools that used to sit around the room?" He immediately knew something was decidely wrong. Boys and Girls separated, wierd classes, but what was wrong? He remembered the stories his great uncle Ron told about his fifth year at Hogswarts, in fact most of his older family members had horror stories to tell about Hogwarts. He exhaled and began to walk again. He tried to calm and settle his mind as he did so. "Excuse me, Professor Branxton, but do you want us to take a seat or we will we have assigned seats?" he asked as he stopped beside the professor. |
Will entered the potions class-- wait, was this potions class? It looked more like a board room. He looked at the professor, who looked like he'd swallowed a mouthful of supah-sour every flavour beans. "Hello, Professor Branxton, sir." he said, smiling a little. He took a seat next to Cliff, who looked as bewildered as he felt. "Hey, Cliff." he whispered. |
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Will stood back up and lined up as instructed. "I'm sorry to hear you're not well, sir... Is there anything we can do to help?" |
"Oh hey, Will." Clifford smiled at the Prefect before pulling a face. "This is weird, huh?" He said, glancing around the room, his eyes finally landing on Professor Branxton, who didn't look happy in the slightest. Dumb new school. "Stand against the wall?" With a shrug, he did what he was told. "Is this like a test or something?" He wasn't good at tests! EEK! |
Ray got up from his place and moved towards the wall that professor. Branxton pointed at and waited eager to listen to the headmaster's answer to a Slytherin boy. |
"Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything you can do, no," he sighed and put his glasses back on. "And no, this isn't a test, though if it had been those of you who took seats would have failed, he added, cryptically. |
Ray looked at his professor with curiosity. Ray failing I mean please he never failed in anything he did... No Ray was now sure that something was wrong with this class. |
Okay, this wasn't normal. This had to be a record though. He'd barely been in class five minutes and he was already more confused than ever. Shoving his hands deep in his pockets, Clifford continued to stare blankly at the Professor. |
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Antwone walked into the classroom after breakfast, wondering why it was everyone was lined up on the walls in the near-empty room. Without a question, he settle himself next to a Gryfinndor and waited for instruction but was a little put off by the lack of cauldrons. |
Trey glided into the room, taken aback by the lack of bubbling cauldrons in view. In fact there weren't any cauldrons at all. Surely this was not Potions. He viewed the long table and all the students along the wall. Trey noticed Will and Clifford and took a spot next to them. "No potions in potions today ay?" He asked them quietly. |
Will shook his head silently and shrugged slightly at Trey. This was really bizarro. |
Professor Branxton heard the comment and sighed. "No potions today. The Ministry feels that the young wizards of this generation are lacking in proper manners so, as Headmaster, I am required to teach you proper etiquette and you will be required to follow it whilst you are in this school," he responded loud enough for the entire class to hear. "Since I, the highest ranking person in the room was not seated, no one else should have taken a seat." He grasped the back of his chair with long fingers and counted to ten. Breathe in. Breathe out. He was not going to go on a rant about Cooper. He was not going to go on a rant about Cooper. |
Will raised his hand. "Professor?" If this was to be an etiquette lesson, he would run with that. "Is that always true? I'm not contradicting you, of course, I'm just confused. In an academic setting often the professor or lecturer is at the podium or lectern and is standing, but the students are expected to take a seat... So that was my instinct. How do you know when it's appropriate to be seated and when you should stand until the highest ranking person sits?" |
Etiquette? Clifford's eyes widened at Professor Branxton's words. ETIQUETTE? What in the name of Merlin..? That was the thing you learned to act all posh and weird! He didn't want to act all posh and weird! He just wanted to be Clifford. Clifford who liked wearing his shirt untucked and ate with his mouth full, spraying crumbs at unsuspecting. Bleh. This sucked. |
As much as Trey didn't like the fact that no Potions would be taught, Trey was still fine with learning etiquette. It was something he already knew from all the parties and such his mother and father hosted at his manor. "Will, you should always wait until instructed to be seated, if I recall correctly. It's only proper and respectful." He said hoping he was not leading Will down the wrong path. |
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"I knew that," Iggy said. He had wiggled his way in beside Will. |
What the-? Shel listened, half in awe, half in mortification, as they were told to line against the wall - apparently to learn etiquette. The Ministry approved professors were bad enough, but he had not expected this from their good, old professors, too. He could tell Professor Branxton was not pleased about the whole prospect, however and this, at least, made the class more bearable. Etiquette lesson, here I come. |
Will nodded, sighing. Cleanliness classes, now etiquette? Lawdie, what was he gonna do when OWLS arrived-- pull out the examiner's chair and say, 'That's all I learned this year?' "That's real good to know, sir-- thank you very much. But... Professor? I have nothing but the utmost of respect for you, Professor Branxton, and this lesson really is a hoot 'n' all, but doesn't the ministry put any emphasis on young wizards learning actual magic? Potions and all the good wizardy stuff we don't know? Please forgive me, but I know my parents aren't gonna too chuffed at the idea that they are sendin' me to wizarding school and I'm not learning much in the way of magic because we're focusin' on being a finishing school. My mama raised me to be a gentleman, and sure- there's stuff I still need to learn, but she'd be really offended if she knew that the ministry thinks none of our parents have enough sense to teach us our basic manners before they sent us off to school." He rubbed the back of his neck, nervous. He didn't want to make the professor mad, he just wanted to know if this was going to be what it was like all year. He looked to his classmates-- Come on, we're all thinkin' it, somebody has to have the guts to ask the question... He took a breath and continued. "Again, I'm not tryin' to be disrespectful to anyone at all, sir... I'm just really, really worried-- this is my O.W.L. year and I'm never going to be able to pass it if I'm learning manners instead of learnin' magic... Are we going to study potions this term at all? I mean no disrespect, of course sir... and if I'm out of line for askin' the question I'd appreciate it if you'd just ignore me and presume I've taken a babbling beverage by mistake. I did learn how to make one of those last year. At Hogwarts. In Potions class. And I'm just hopin' that we're going to get back to learning magic again this year, is all. In time for O.W.L.S." |
You always seat the lady before you seat yourself? But.. But what if there was loads of delicious looking food on the table?!? That was a difficult one. Hopefully the other etiquette things they were gonna learn would be easier than that one. He turned to look at Will when the Prefect started this gigantic speech and gave a small nod at his words. The guy was speaking sense. |
Jason quickly stands up. |
Barry listened carefully he was sitting next to Will but no one had noticed he was there he smilled in Jason`s direction before looking back at Professer Braxton |
Jose looked at the professor and waited to here what would happen. |
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Professor Branxton closed his eyes and shook his head as he waved his wand. Female dummies dressed for a ball appeared behind half the chairs at the tables. "There are your ladies," he said and moved around to the foot of the table where a likeness of Headmistress Rae-Branxton stood. "We are going to practice pulling out the chair and pushing it back in for them. You must be very careful. First, do not push the chair in so hard that it bruises them or pushes them into the table. Second, you must anticipate when they sit or she'll miss and you will have made you both look foolish. She will not be looking to see when you push the chair and neither will you communicate by voice. She is trusting that when she sits there will be a chair there. Let me demonstrate and then you may all practice with the charmed dummies." Professor Branxton grasped the back of the chair at the foot of the table beside which stood the dummy. As soon as he pulled back the chair the dummy moved to stand with its stomach to the table and then began to sit. As soon s the dummy moved just the slightest bit, Professor Branxton tucked the chair in behind it so that the dummy sat primly in the chair. "You may begin," he said and gestured to the rest of the table as he walked back up the length of it to take his own seat. |
This certainly was important to know. It did assure Antwone that chivalry still existed, but again, it was not why his parents and uncle sent him to this school. With great resentment, he moved closer to the a female dummy and began pulling out a chair. The dummy nulled its way over to the front of the chair and as it began to make as though it were to sit, the young wizard scooted the chair underneath its knees. He had successfully made her sit but he had trouble with pushing the chair forward. Expecting the dummies to be light, he pushed with not much effort and the result was the chair angling down. The female dummy nearly fell forward into the table but Antwone stopped its downfall, blushing at his near failure. Again, this time with more caution, he pushed the chair forward and stood with his hands behind his back, ready for more instruction. Just go along with it ... |
Jose saw the dummy at the seat and he genterly pushed it in for her as soon as she was sat down and confuble. He was sure the the professor would be happy with his effort as he had done it loads of time for his girlfriend when he had been to balls before. |
Clifford groaned inwardly when a bazillion fake lady things were suddenly conjured up. They were scarily lifelike, and very very freaky. The way they looked at you ... Ack! Giving his head a small shake, Clifford stepped forward to imitate what the professor had just shown them. It looked pretty simple to him. Pull the chair out, and then tuck it back in for the fake lady. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. It seemed Professor Branxton was quite a pro at his though. Even the pulling out of the chair was a difficult task, and pulling it out too fast and too far, the scary fake lady missed the chair and ended up plonking herself down on the floor. Oops? |
Barry was careful not to be too fast or slow he pulled out the chair just faster then slow waited till the dummy had sat down. That was easy but pushing it in was harder the dummy`s were extremly heavy but he pushed it in al the same narrowly missing a leg. |
Jason has always been a gentleman. He pulls the chair out slowly, then the lady would sit down and Jason then pulls the chair in as if the lady was sitting in a chair at a restaurant. |
After watching Professor Branxton's display, Trey immediately traveled through his mind remembering all the parties he had attended and hosted with his mother and father. They always made him pull escort the older witches to their seats, and he'd had plenty of practice. Their wrinkly hands always reaching out to grab his cheeks and pinch pinch pinch away. He had come quite accustomed to being able to seat a lady with plenty of distractions so this would be no different. Trey approached the dummy by the long table, imaging it was Kaytee, not an old wrinkly witch. This was a much better thought. He took a hold of the top of the chair, looked towards the dummy and said "Your seat my lady." He pulled the chair out and perfectly placed it underneath the dummy as it began to sit, pushing towards the table. Wow why was he so nervous in doing that? He'd had done it hundreds of times before. Maybe the thought of Kaytee entering his mind during this lesson had gotten to him? |
Shel was quite sure Professor Branxton meant well - and that was the only, only, only reason he went along with it all. - The female dummy made him want to wince, for some reason. Slow, carefully, he manoeuvred his way towards the dummy, grasping the back of a chair as the Professor had done. He was well-versed - if that term could be used in this context - with this kind of thing but, all the same, the class made him a nervous. Just a little, not much, but nervous all the same. He had to cut back on the nervousness - that could not be allowed in a class, certainly! Shel tried to imagine Sarah in place of the dummy, only to fail spectacularly. All the same, he decided to derive as much fun from this whole exercise as he could. "My lady," he said, sweeping the dummy a bow of sorts. Not too gently - yes, it was the nervousness - he pulled back the chair, as instructed. The dummy stood, and he shrugged inwardly. So much for dummies and chairs and potions. This was quite silly, really. He watched the dummy begin to sit, tucking the chair in behind it. Now she - wait, wasn't she an it? Wow, this was confusing - sat there, prim and proper. "Is this alright, Professor?" Shel asked politely. |
Another bloody lesson about manners? If Borr's lesson hadn't already been enough. At least Flynn could place a bet on the fact Headmaster Branxton would not be instructing them to sit in bowls of water. He wanted to do nothing more than complain about this sham, this con, this crap! They came to a school to become wizards and witches, not ladies and gentlemen. Considering Flynn was only eleven years old and hardly through puberty, this kind of thing was the last worry on his bloomin' mind. He pulled back the chair, waited for his dummy to begin sitting and pushed it forward elegantly. He over emphasised his actions in mockery, simply to illustrate how ridiculous this lesson and this school was. |
Remy listen and watched as Professor Branxton explained then demostrated the proper way to help a lady take her seat at a table. After Branxton signaled them, Remy stepped to his right. The moment he began to move the lady dummy began to move. He pulled the seat back and dummy moved between the chair and the table. Once she was pararell to the table the dummy began to sit and matching her speed Remy pushed the chair in under her. He then remained standing behind her chair, because Professor was not yet seated, himself. Remy turned his head to watch Branxton. At home he was required to use two hands to seat the lady then using his left hand to pull our his own chair. Continuing to remain behind the lady chair was what his father taught him, so the boy held his spot waiting for the "host" to be seated. Plus he knew to take his seat from the right side. He hoped all this was right and he hoped his father really knew what he was talking about. |
Will groaned inwardly. This was just silly! His pop was a Southern gentleman and his mum was a British lady. Of course he knew how to hold a chair for a lady. He stood up and pulled the chair back gently, taking care not to scraaaaape it too much on the floor, and waited. As the lady dummy started to sit, he scooted it back in. Only this charmed lady, she didn't move like real ladies did-- she had no actual thinkin' goin on in that brain of hers. What a... well, dummy. She sat too soon and even though Will scooted the chair back in she slid down a bit. He pinned her between the table and the chair quickly and she could sink no lower. If only the same could be said of their education system. |
Miles stood and stared at the professor. What was he rambling on about. Etiquette? Surely potions was more important than this? Miles barely knew the word. Anyway, he did as he was told and walked up to the chair. He pulled it out for the .... fake girl, and she sat on it, thankgoodness she didn't fall over. Miles pushed it back in again, maybe a bit too much, but she wouldn't complain, she was a dummy. Mwahahaha. |
Ray looked at the professor. He was a Hufflepuff, a real Hufflepuff and Hufflepuff were classy and elegant people. He got to a chair and pulled it gently it was the best work he had ever did. He waited for the dummy to approch and as soon as she started to sit Ray pushed the chair forward. And there it was, the dummy sat nice and easy on the chair he had offered. |
"You'll have plenty of chances to correct your error if you didn't get it right on the first try. Now we'll practice pulling the chair out for them when they wish to stand. A gentleman never remains seated whilst a lady is still standing so, you should be aware of when your lady wishes to stand so that she will not have to push her chair out. You see her about to rise, then you rise and come to her assistance as soon as she takes her weight off the chair," Professor Branxton explained and then demonstrated as his dummy began to rise. He took his weight off his chair and pushed it back without and scraping, then moved behind the dummy's chair and pulled it out for her. He repeated the seating process and sat down, gesturing for the class to begin. |
Jose did what the Proffesor told and though that it was a good thing his dad has taught him how to do it. He did it perfectly the first time. |
Will waited for the dummy to try to stand and then pulled out the chair for her as his pop had taught him through example. Years of example seemed to have little effect, however, and the dummy as dropped directly on her derrière! Thank goodness it wasn't a really lady, he thought as his ears turned pink with embarrassment. She'd probably start crying. The minute he thought that, the dummy did, indeed, start to wail. Oh, no! No! Make her stop! Anything but that! I can't stand to see a woman -- even a dummy-- cry!!! He thought, panicking. He drew his wand and cast -- first silencio, then orchideous. The sounds stopped and the dummy was showered with a boquet of flowers as though she'd just won a beauty pageant or something. There. Better. He hoped Professor Branxton hadn't seen that little display. He waited for the dummy to get up. She sat there, wailing silently. After a moment, he realized himself and offered her a hand. She stood. Whew. He helped her sit again, this time more successfully. Being a gentleman was something of a pain. Why couldn't ladies pull out their own chairs? Chairs weren't that heavy! |
Barry saw this was pointless he took the back of the chair and pulled and she got up then she sat down and Barry pushed her back in and got seated. |
"Yes, sir," Shel said, listening intently to the Professor. He had already known most of this, but to act it out in classroom was quite an experience. He paid attention to his dummy, who had now begun to rise. His lady. Grinning slightly at the thought, Shel gently pushed back his chair, making sure it did not scrape against the ground in the process. He moved towards the dummy, lightly pulling out her chair. Wait. Her? Her chair? Personally, Shel was quite inclined to think of the dummy as an it. Yes, that was better. It made the whole thing feel less... creepy. He repeated this twice, just to get the hang of it. He was beginning to feel less awkward, attending to a dummy, now. He knew he would never feel like it was a potions class, but the lesson was beginning to feel more fun. |
Jason pulled the chair out carefully, just as if a real lady had been in the chiar. He had very good manners. |
The young wizard rolled his eyes and pulled the chair out for his dummy as it began to rise. This was a lot more simple than before but he couldn't help but think, this is my year before OWLs and I'm learning chivalry. |
Listening, from the seat he had just taken, Remy watched as the professor again demonstrated the proper maneuver. The dummy began to shift her weight the moment Branxton signaled the boys. Remy quietly exited his seat and assisted the dummy to stand. Since the dummy continued to stand so did Remy. He waited for futher instructions from the professor. |
He'd finally managed to get his creepy fake lady into her chair - had she been real she surely would've been covered in bumps, bruises and scratches - and now Branxton wanted him to get her back up again? Oh dear Lord. Snickering in amusement at the little display from Will, Clifford pulled the chair out for Mrs. Fake Lady, and surprisingly, she actually made it up in one piece! Eh, it was probably just a fluke. |
Ray repeated what the professor did with every detail. It is still easy till now. |
Cale looked at his dummy, who was seated on the chair at an angle, with gravity slowly pulling her to the floor. He quickly straightened the doll and then pulled the chair out for her. There. That wasn't so difficult. Although he really wished that they were actually brewing potions. After that horror show in Borr's class, he really wanted a lesson that wasn't over grooming, or manners, or whatever else they would be teaching them in this school. |
Garret watched his dummy with distaste evident on his face. Fake girls were almost as bad as real girls, and his was even taller than him! Well, at least she would be sitting down for most of this "potions" lesson. He waited for the THING to make it's way to the front of the chair and as it prepared to sit, he pushed the chair in. However, his attention was wandering as he was watching some of his classmates mess up. This resulted in the chair knocking the dummy's knees out from under it and "she" ended up sprawled on the floor. "Oh..." damn. He almost swore, stopped and glanced around once to check the area, saw it was clear and amended, "Blast." He held a hand up to catch the Professor's attention, "Professor, if my lady falls, would it be rude to call attention to it by making a fuss? Or should I just wait til she... composes herself?" Garret just didn't want to touch the scary thing. |
Trey now pulled the chair out slightly for his dummy, Kaytee in his mind, to get up out of the chair. This was quite easy. The thought of the old witches pinching his cheeks now clear from his mind. He sat his dummy down and stood it up a few different times showing a real sense of manners. |
Nico had taken one look at the set up and realised immediately what was in store for them. He stood quietly as the Professor confirmed that they would be taking part in an etiquette class. Confident from having taking such classes before, he followed the instructions to the letter. He even so far as to having a little conversation with his dummy under his breath; remembering when he had had to help out with Celandine's etiquette class at home, being her gentleman and beiing sorely tempted to let her fall in front of their sponsor. He quirked an eyebrow surreptiously at Trey; figuring he would be pretty comfortable with the situation as well. |
Will started again. He bowed with a flourish. "Mam'zelle..." He held out his hand. "Charmed, I'm sure. Well-- I'm sure YOU are anyway." He grinned as she rose from her seat and he pulled the chair out smoothly. Then, he led her back to the chair and slid it in -- fast -- before she could fall. It still wasn't terribly graceful, but he hoped in a real situation the lady would have more of a sense of when to sit. At least his dummy wasn't crying this time. |
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"And now, we will review table manners. Do not slouch. Do not lean back in your chair. Do not put your elbows on the table. Do not shout down the table. Do not loosen your tie," he listed off the top five "do not"s an then paused. "I know that is quite a few do nots. Can anyone tell me what you are supposed to do?" |
Shel raised his hand. That, at least, he could answer, even though it felt nothing like Potions - not even remotely. "It is generally acceptable to rest your fore-arms on the table after you have been seated, sir," he said politely. "Though, of course, we must take care not to place our elbows there. It is also necessary to chew with one's mouth closed, after the food has been brought. When needing to leave, we must ask the host or hostess, and excuse ourselves." He half lowered his hand, before raising it again. "We should hold our spoon in our right hand and tip the bowl away from ourselves, scooping the soup in movements away from ourselves, when eating soup, sir. The serviette should be folded in half and left on the chair when we leave the table, because it shows our intention of returning, and we ought to sit straight in our chair. We must swallow all our food before moving on to a drink, and offer to pour a drink for our neighbour, before pouring one for yourself." He paused, wondering whether to go on. Enough for now, he decided. |
Antwone raised his hand, "Oh professor, I believe you forgot one more. One is supposed to unbutton his suit jacket or cloak when sitting down and after one sits back up you button it up again." |
Miles hesitantly raised his hand. "Do you wait until she eats? and then, try and eat ... quietly?" Miles had never been in this situation, he had no idea. He also didn't know to rvise on this, as it was POTIONS. Grr. |
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Godfrey was in agony. His mum always said that his etiquette was horrid every time he visited her. Not that anyone else complained, but her standards were severe. He always thought that his dad's manners were impeccable, and he tried to emulate him...but this was POTIONS CLASS. The one class he was looking forward to the most. Godfrey raised his hand timidly, "Sir, forgive me, but are you saying that the sooner we get through this lesson on manners the sooner we can start brewing potions?" Godfrey thought for a second that although etiquette had been important to him before, that it was soon reaching a desperate level of importance if it were a means to an end. |
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"You should also note that it is not necessary nor prudent to expound upon why you need to be excused. Just ask to be excused and do so once you have received permission or acknowledgment. "Now, everyone take your serviette and place it on your lap," Professor Branxton continued. "Who can explain the utensils?" |
Jose put his hand up "once the girl is seated and doesn't need you anymore you go and sit on your seat, you sit upright not sloppy if you are saying prayers then you say it and say ahmen at the end of it If you remember: liquids on the right, solids on the left, you’ll never eat someone else’s bread again! That’s your coffee cup to the right of the plate, and your bread plate on the left! Your napkin is always placed somewhere within your dining territorial borders. 2. As soon as you are seated, unfold your napkin and place it on your lap. The napkin remains on your lap (except for use) until the end of the meal. That’s when the diners are leaving the table, not just when you finish! If you need to leave the table temporarily, you may leave the napkin in your chair as a signal to the waiter that you will be returning. This is also a consideration for the other diners who won't have to look at your soiled napkin on the table! Use your napkin before drinking from a glass or cup. At the conclusion of the meal, place your napkin partly folded, never crumpled, at the left of your plate. Even a paper napkin should never be crushed and tossed into your plate. No Oars! Once silverware is picked up from the table it NEVER touches the table again. Place it on the outer rim of the plate between bites, but never rest silver gangplank fashion, half on the table and half on the plate. When to Start – in gatherings of six or less people, begin eating only after everyone is served. For larger groups, such as banquets, it is customary to start eating after four or five people have been served, or permission is granted from those not yet served. Bread and rolls are broken off into bite-size pieces (why do you think they call meals, breaking bread!!!) and butter is spread on each bite as you eat it. Never use a knife to cut the bread, nor butter a whole slice at once! Butter should be taken when passed, and placed onto your bread plate, never directly onto your bread. 7. Dishes are passed from left to right. When a waiter serves you, food will be presented on your left, and the dish will be removed from your right side when you’ve finished. Salt and pepper are always passed together, even if someone asks you only for the salt. They are considered “married” in proper dining circles. Hold a stemmed glass by the stem! This is to prevent chilled drinks, such as white wine from becoming warmed by your hand, but it holds for non-chilled drinks as well. The finish – when you are finished with each course your knife (blade turned inward) and fork should be placed beside each other on the plate diagonally from upper left to lower right (11 to 5 if you imagine your plate as a clock face). This is a signal to the waiter that you are finished. And don’t push your plate away or otherwise rearrange your dishes from their position when you are finished. |
Barry placed it in his lap and waited he could not answer with the embaresment he may be wrong. |
Patrick felt ready to sleep but obediently put the nakin on his lap. This wasn't Potions and as such he was having great difficulty resisting the urge to get up and walk out of the room. Without asking to be excused, just to show some contempt for this institution. |
Miles got it right? He felt really happy, and praised. He sat down and put his serviette on his lap. He still wasn't used to this, but if he carried on .. then potions would arrive faster. |
With a small sigh, Clifford set the serviette in his lap. He'd never knew eating a meal was supposed to be quite so ... strict! Eating was meant to be fun! Something he loved doing! But no, even this new cruddy school was taking that away from him. This sucked. Now they had to explain utensils? Bleh. |
Cale raised his hand. He knew a thing or two about utensils...but only a thing or two. "Don't you use the utensils on the outside and work towards the inside? For example, the outside fork is for your salad, right?" he asked. "But, on your right hand side, the knife on the inside is used for the first course." |
Gentlemen, choosing the correct silverware from the variety in front of you is not as difficult as it may first appear. Starting with the knife, fork, or spoon that is farthest from your plate, work your way in, using one utensil for each course. The salad fork is on your outermost left, followed by your dinner fork. Your soupspoon is on your outermost right, followed by your beverage spoon, salad knife and dinner knife. Your dessert spoon and fork are above your plate or brought out with dessert. There is also a chance you will encounter a fish fork and fish knife from time to time depending on the menu. Normally the set up will contain no more the 3 forks, 3 knives and 3 spoons, excluding the dessert silverware. If you remember the rule to work from the outside in, you'll be fine. There are two ways to use a knife and fork to cut and eat your food. They are the American style and the European or Continental style. Either style is considered appropriate. In the American style, one cuts the food by holding the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left hand with the fork tines piercing the food to secure it on the plate. Cut a few bite-size pieces of food, then lay your knife across the top edge of your plate with the sharp edge of the blade facing in. Change your fork from your left to your right hand to eat, fork tines facing up. (If you are left-handed, keep your fork in your left hand, tines facing up.) The European or Continental style is the same as the American style in that you cut your meat by holding your knife in your right hand while securing your food with your fork in your left hand. The difference is your fork remains in your left hand, tines facing down, and the knife in your right hand. Simply eat the cut pieces of food by picking them up with your fork still in your left hand. Do not push your plate away from you when you have finished eating. Leave your plate where it is in the place setting. The common way to show that you have finished your meal is to lay your fork and knife diagonally across your plate. Place your knife and fork side by side, with the sharp side of the knife blade facing inward and the fork, tines down, to the left of the knife. The knife and fork should be placed as if they are pointing to the numbers 10 and 4 on a clock face. Make sure they are placed in such a way that they do not slide off the plate as it is being removed. Once you have used a piece of silverware, never place it back on the table. Do not leave a used spoon in a cup, either; place it on the saucer. You can leave a soupspoon in a soup plate. Any unused silverware is simply left on the table. |
Antwone raised his hand, but realized he didn't know much about the current subject. |
Nicholai had sat down and placed his serviette in his lap. An expression of bored disdain flickering on his face. He looked down the table as another student began to lecture. Quote:
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Will placed his serviette in his lap and raised his hand. "There are several utensils... There should be a set of utensils for each course. Utensils should be placed in the order of use, with those for the first course farthest from the plate and those for the last course closest to the plate. Utensils for liquids should go to the right of the plate, while those for solids go to the left, with the exception of the knife. The butter knife rests across the bread plate, dessert utensils go above the plate, spoon on top (handle to the right) and fork below (handle to the left). Other utensils (including steak and fish knives) are added to the setting in the order they will be needed, from the outside in." he said, trying to remember mum's lessons." |
"There are three forks, a salad fork, a dinner fork and a dessert fork. These are all on the right hand side, the salad fork being on the outside since that is the first one eaten with, and the dessert fork being on the far inside since that is the last utensil used. On the left side is a soup spoon, then a tea spoon and the knife on the far inside. The napkin is folded and placed on the right side, under the forks. The salad plate is usually placed on top of the regular dinner plate and then is taken away or placed to the side after this course is finished with. The bread plate is a small plate which is to the right side of the main dinner plate. Your napkin should always be placed in your lap immediately, and all utensils are to be placed across the plate after you are finished with them, never laid back onto the table." Jason thinks all this is right and hopes it is right. |
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What in bloody hell? This was officially the freakiest school EVER! Freaky lessons, freaky students and freaky professors. Why had be volunteered to come home to this shambles? Durmstrang would have been teaching them how to brew a good antidote right now. But here they were being taught etiquette. Manners!? - in a potions class. Liam had been brought up proper like. He HAD manners. He placed his serviette in his lap and slouched in his chair, resting his elbow on the table and watched the other students discussing the do's and don'ts of cutlery. CUTLERY! For Merlin's sake! |
Curt merely stared blankly at his dummy. Honestly, if he were to take an etiquette exam today; he would fail horribly. Coming from a huge family, he had five older brothers and a single older sister. One time, long ago Curt’s mother was very strict on teaching her boys table manners. But being the last child, his poor mother has finally given up and just neglected to even worry about such rules. Obviously, this was why the Ministry was interfering these days. Curt sighed slightly, and shook his head as Professor Branxton asked the class to name the silverware. Curt hadn’t the slightest idea what the proper names were for them, so he remained silent. Really, all he wanted to do was learn some potions. OWLS were this year, and potions was one of the few subjects Curt thought he could actually make an ’O’ in, as potions was probably his second best subject next to Transfiguration. So far, it didn’t look like he was going to get the nessacary study time it. Curt sighed, and looked back up to the Professor with imploring eyes, hinting that he really wanted to move along badly. |
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"This is all very good. I'm glad I don't actually have to go through all of this as most of you seem to know what you're doing. I hope you don't mind but, I'm not going to force you to sit through a meal here but, I do expect you to follow these guidelines in the great hall. Now, before I dismiss you as your host are there any other questions pertaining to table manners or etiquette in general? I assume you all know to open doors for ladies and the like..." |
Remy looked down the table's length at the professor and hoped nobody would ask a question. It was almost time for the class to end and Remy did not want to be late to his next class...which was ill mannered too. |
Cale shook his head. Nope, no questions. He wanted to get out of this class and go to the next one, hoping they would actually learn the subject rather than etiquette. It really wasn't his thing. But if they were going to do this in the Great Hall, well...better take a few mental notes. |
There were no question and he hopped no one had any so they could leave. |
They weren't going to be forced to sit through a meal here? Ugh! That wasn't fair! Clifford was starving hungry. And some practice probably would've been good too, he was bound to forget everything the second he stepped out of the classroom. Oh well. |
Finn was just ready to be done with this class. What did manners have to do with proper potion preparation? |
Jason thinks to himself, please no questions. |
Professor Branxton more than just relieved to be through with this nonsense. "Good. You are dismissed. Those who wish to get a head start on our first actual potions lesson can write an essay on the uses of Billywigs as ingredients for potions," he said and then leaned back in the chair, his eyes closed as he removed his glass with his right hand and began to rub his left temple with the other. ooc: I know there may not be much information on Billywigs but, use what information you can find to be creative in your essays (should you wish to turn one in). I award 1-10 points for homeworks based on the effort and creativity put into it. That doesn't necessarily mean someone who writes a book will get any more credit than someone who writes a well thought out, concisely written paragraph. So, please keep that in mind if you're concerned about earning points. :) |
Curt had to blink a few times, half make himself realize the lesson was over before he stood up. Essay on Billywigs eh? Curt liked the idea of actual potion's related stuff... OWLS were definitely looming. "I'll be looking forward to it Sir." Curt said with a crooked grin as he scooped up his stuff and departed. |
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