Originally Posted by CherryBlossomRose

The kid seemed suprised she hardly knew any magic. Seri had thought there were loads of half-bloods and muggleborns, but of course a Slytherin would be so naïve as to think that all of their own must surely be purebloods to the highest degree? Apparently Shiny Bdage Child was one of those pureblood maniacs she had heard about... But she did have a shiny badge.

Ooooh, Seri kinda understood. "Its like when I got my ears pierced! And you have to put funny stuff on them to keep them clean and nice so you don't get infections!" Seri couldn't believe she hadn't made the comparison before, though she had had trouble putting that stuff on her ears for a couple weeks, so the idea of remembering to say this everytime she made a potion.. whatever. The ScaryLady would never notice if she 'forgot' to clean it out, and how would she prove anything?!

Explode? That sounded like something she and Lex could use. And also as a last resort for when they finally got round to breaking into Hadley'a office. Otherwise she'd use some kind of muggle trick with a hairpin. How James Bond. To satisfy the girl, Seri pointed her wand at the cauldron, and remembered the incantation; "Scourgify!" Seri said firmly. "Scourgify! Scourgify! Scourgify! See? DOESN'T WORK!" Seri huffed. What was it supposed to do anyway? Like, how would she know it worked? Would the cauldron suddenly turn a gleaming porcelain?

Apparently this kid was a goody-two shoes or very concerned about the Professors teaching skills.

Originally Posted by Droo

"Alright, once the water is at a good boil, you should add the valerian root, and the Kava Kava... I store them both in liquid form, so it will just mix itself real easily. Who knows what these two ingredients are and what they do to their drinkers?" She asked the class

Originally Posted by Bazinga

Minerva put up her hand, "Professor Kava Kava is a pepper that is used to sedate or relax the drinker without interfering in mental clarity." Minerva then turned to her ingredients and looked at how much Kava kava and valerian root she needed.

Cleaning her cup with her wand she poured in one cup of Valerian root and then dumped it into her cauldron. Next she recleaned her measuring cup and measured half a cup of the Kava Kava. Pouring that into the cauldron and watched it mix with the Valerian Root. She cleaned her measuring cup and set it back down. Now to wait for the next instruction Minerva thought.

Originally Posted by Macavity

Originally Posted by lazykitty

Was it just her, or did it seem that the professor was getting worse the angrier she got? Either way, Emmanuelle was determined not to anger the woman further, just in case. Let the other students (and the elf) have that on their heads. She went to the cupboard and retrevied the required ingredients, struggling a little on her way back to her station to keep them all from falling out her arms. She placed them all on the station carefully, then waited for her water to boil.

Once it was boiling, she waited another minute before adding the valerian root, closely followed by the Kava Kava. She really had no idea what the two plants did, but judging by what the potion they were making was for, she guessed it had something to do with sleep. But, really even knowing that, she couldn't come up with a good enough guess.

Originally Posted by Meizzner

Nigel looked up from his textbook to hear Professor Lafay's next set of instructions. It seemed that they would have to use your wand with this potion from Laura's question.

Nigel guessed they would find out eventually. There was no point in bugging Lafay. That would probably only make her madder. Once the potion was boiling. Nigel added the valerian root, and the Kava Kava. Of course Lafay was right and it mixed itself easily. Now onto the question.

"Professor, does valerian help with sleep and anxiety?"

Nigel thought it was better to answer than remain quiet.

Originally Posted by TakemetotheBurrow

Scribble. Scribble. Scribble.

The third year copied down the instructions and then pulled the Valerian root and Kava Kava towards her, knowing she'd need it for this step. She looked down into her cauldron, watching as the water slowly but surely started to boil. She then added each ingredient, making sure that they mixed in properly before considering Lafay's question. "Professor, I think that Valerian and Kava Kave were used...or are used to sedate people."

Originally Posted by hpfan18

Originally Posted by Cassirin

Originally Posted by hpluvr037

Pao shrunk a bit to look as small as possible. That poor elf..! The last thing he wanted was for this Professor to be angry with him, that was certain. She even appeared to be spitting grayish globs of gross goo. Disgusting! As the house elf left, he couldn't help but feel that the lesson hadn't started off in a way that would help Lafay stay calm with young students who messed up...

Hearing the professor's answer to another student's inquiry, he lugged his cauldron over and added some more water. Right up to the lip. Got it. Mental note made. He waddled back, this time not sloshing anything down his robes. Pao happened to notice other students already had fires lit under their cauldrons. When did she say to do that? How did I miss it!? Panicking, he poked his wand underneath his giant kettle and said, "Incendio?" To his relief, that was indeed the fire creation spell. Orange and yellow flames began to crackle merrily and heat his water.

Reaching for his notes and quill, he dutifully copied down each ingredient from the board as soon as the professor put them up. This is going to take several trips, he realized, a bit disappointed. He didn't know what half of that stuff even looked like. Milling in the line at the store cupboard, he grabbed what all the older students were grabbing. When in doubt, do as they do!

A good boil? What defined a 'good' boil? He stood on tiptoe, peering into his cauldron. "Er.. sure!" He checked his notes for the correct measurements of the two ingredients she had mentioned. "One cup.." he muttered, measuring out the correct amount and dumping it into the brew. "And... a half cup." In went the Kava Kava.

But as for her question... There was no way he would know that. Perhaps after several years of Potions classes he would, but now? Not a chance. So he contented himself with re-inking his quill and scribbling down the answers he heard. Calming, sedative.. Got it.

Originally Posted by Steelsheen

After collecting the supplies and lining them up on his table he took his wand and ignited the burner under the cauldron. As the water heated up the Ravenclaw watched the exchange between Vivi and the Professor. Huh yeah, Vivi Branxton is the daughter of former Potions Master Doyle Branxton. Interesting to hear how practices differ between Potioneers, if Vivi follows the former Professor's practices of course.

Vickers took the valerian root and kava-kava solutions and poured them into pot, watching the thin film of liquids dissolve into the boiling water. Now what are these two ingredients for? Up goes the hand "Professor, these have been used as sedatives over the centuries, with Kava-kava also been used as an anesthetic. It is said that the Valerian has direct effects on the cerebro-spinal system while the Kava-kava at certain doses will paralyze the respiratory system." Research for Herbology applied to Potions. Win.

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

Jory added the cup of valerian roots to the boilng water followed by the half cup of Kava Kava. And as he wrote down the procedure, he pondered on the question.

He raised his hand. "Both are used to help people relax?'' he asked. He wasn't sure what either did.

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

Originally Posted by FireboltSword

Befelda paid close attention to Professor Lafay's instruction. Finally, the water in her cauldron was in a good boil. She quickly poured 1 cup Valerian root into her cauldron. Smoke emitted. Then she poured the half cup Kava Kava.

She suddenly remembered the essentials of the 2 ingredients which she have read in one of her books at home. She raised her hand. "Professor, based on what I remember, Valerian root and Kava kava are herbs which can be used in treating sleep disorder and anxiety.", she said.

Originally Posted by sarahlooo

Milton continued to write down his notes as he heard Lafay continue to get mad at people. One would think that people would realize how she insane she was and TRY to act normal so she didn't blow up every ten seconds. But apparently, he was surrounded by idiots.

At Lafay's command, Milton carefully dumped in the cup of valerian root and then the half of a cup of Kava Kava. Hmmm... "Isn't valerian root a remedy for insomnia?" Milton asked the professor. He was pretty sure he had read that somewhere in his mother's thousands of potion books.

Originally Posted by the fastest seeker

Cassia waved at the house-elf smiling slightly when Beezley said she was leaving. Poor little thing. She must have gotten frightened. Cassia had! Though to think about it, those interruptions in lessons just to look for a brooch weren't really accepted. But it's not the house-elves who should be blamed or snapped at. It's who sent them. *whistles*

And the rest of the instructions.

Cassia looked for the two ingredients. Liquids, so they should be put in a bottle or something. Hmmmm....Found them! Cassia reached for the two vials and checked to see if the water started to boil which it did.

Glancing at the parchment she had written the ingredients on. One cup of valerian. The Snake added as instructed carefully not spill any of it as her hands were clumsy ones. Then half cup of Kava. And done.

And second-year had no idea what those two were so she kept staring at the parchment making sure not to make any awkward eye contact with the Professor.

Originally Posted by hjhm

Originally Posted by xXxPandora

Beezus watched the disappearance of the house elf for a while, along with the exchange of words between the Potions Mistress and the Slytherin female Prefect, by the sound of it, something was really up. They weren't their usual mean selves. It kinda appeared serious.

Her attention was brought back to the task when she noticed her fellow Ravenclaw giving her a look that clearly said she shouldn't break anything. Well, she won't.....hopefully. Hearing the next set of instructions, the brunette then got around to adding the Valerian root and Kava kava into the boiling water inside her cauldron. ACK. Slooooooooooooooooooooooowly but surely.

Settling the now empty bottles where the said ingredients were housed earlier on the table, Beezus wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Phewwe. SAFE. See Elliot? No spills and broken apparatus!

....for now...

Originally Posted by PotterHeadforLife

Once the cauldron's water was boiling a little but good enough, Kat took the valerian root liquid and dropped them onto the cauldron. Then she dropped the Kava Kava. Funny name, honestly. Now that Lafay had asked the people around, now's time for Kat to do some lucky guesses. "All I know is that the valerian is used in the Forgetfulness Potion, and that it is somehow sedative. It's used as a sleep and nerve remedy."

Originally Posted by DeathEater1

Good.

The house elf had left, so they didn't have to see Lafay boiling mad anymore!

Next, they were to mix in the Valerian root and the Kava Kava? Right. Cardigan touched her cauldron lightly, just to make sure it was hot enough. Ouch! Her natural instincts told her to pull it off quick as possible, but she pulled it off at a normal speed, yet carefully. She didn't want the professor to think she was dumb enough to put her finger on a burning hot cauldron, which could lose her points! Yet, Lafay WAS the Slytherin head of house, so she was pretty sure she wouldn't take points away just for anything, but the was no excuse.

She poured the Valerian root in, and then poured the Kava Kava in. There! She had safely gotten through the process without knocking over her cauldron, or burning a limb off! She wasn't too handy with potions... Now, what did she know about these two plants? "Well, I know that the Valerian root is used in the Draught of Living Death and the Draught of Peace. Right?

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Waving briefly to Beezley before the house elf vanished, Kurumi turned her attention back to her cauldron and all the ingredients...that would normally kill a person if ingested. Um... Kurumi ventured a quick glance up to Professor Lafay and then back at the list. She had NO idea what Kava Kava and the first thing that popped into her mind was that it was used as an ingredient in treacle fudge.

Yeah, because saying THAT was going to earn her any good looks from the woman. Instead, Kurumi turned her attention back to her parchment and jotted down the next steps since her water hadn't boiled just yet.

Once she had everything written down, she took another peek into her cauldron and saw that the water was finally boiling, so in went the two ingredients.

Originally Posted by Magical Soul

Louisa waited for an extra moment to make sure her water boiled well, then she dragged the valerian root container closer and carefully poured it into the cauldron jerking her face away from it in case the smell was scratchy or dizzying. She needed to stay conscious through this very important potion making. Next came the Kava Kava half cup, the Ravenclaw added it after that and watched the liquid bubbling together.

What the ingredients are? Louisa raised her hand, "The valerian root is used as a sleep and nerve remedy thanks to its sedative properties. The roots of Kava Kava are used to produce a drink with sedative and anesthetic properties, too." The reason to using these in this particular potion was pretty clear now, right?

Originally Posted by DecemberMoon

Eliza was beginning to feel really tense in this classroom. She had been looking forward to trying out some potion brewing, but now the negativity was really bringing her down. She squirmed in her seat as Lafay talked sternly to some of the other students. Once she was done, Eliza copied down the ingredient list and went to the cupboards.

It was an awful lot to carry to the table, but she'd managed somehow - putting some in her pockets and balancing others on her book. She arranged them all on her desk and inspected them - from a safe distance. Nightshade? Poison Hemlock? These didn't sound safe to Eliza at all. Devil's weed didn't sound so friendly either. Is she really just trying to poison all of her students? The first year saw Professor Lafay wipe away a grey residue from her mouth. Sheesh...she's either really sick or...or, what if it's not even her? What if someone used polyjuice and it's going wrong?

She also wrote down the Five C's of Potion Making, since she hadn't known them already.


Her mind was racing as she sat and awaited further instruction.

She watched her water get warmer and warmer until it began to boil. She dumped her cup of valerian root and half cup of Kava Kava into the cauldron, careful not to splash the hot water on herself. The professor hadn't said to stir anything yet so she would wait, with her hands in her lap, trying her best not to ruin anything. She didn't really know what these ingredients were used for so she listened to the other students' answers and prepared to copy down whatever the professor said about them.

Originally Posted by nups21

Ira was feeling uneasy as usual in potions classroom, but she tried to not let that distract her from the potion she was making. And especially since, Lafay looked really sick.

With a slight frown on her face, Ira just quickly wrote down the ingredients and the steps mentioned onto her parchment. The least she could do right now, was at least maintain proper notes. Yep.

After she had updated the procedure for her Dreamer's Elixir, she did the actually step. Seeing as her water was already boiling, she added 1 cup of valerian root and half a cup of kava kava. Did they have to stir it? Professor hadn't asked them to, had she? Looking at those besides her, who didn't seem like they were stirring, Ira lets mix itself n its own.

As for uses of valerian root and kava kava? Many others had already answered the question, so Ira just kept quiet and waited for the class to proceed. Her potion mixture was really boiling now.

Originally Posted by kayquilz

She watched her water, which was clearly fascinating. Oh yeah. Waiting for water to boil. But she WAS listening...not that lafay was really saying anything worth writing down...for now. She just wanted to know what that kava kava thing was...and what Valerian root was.

Hmph. She eyed Beezus carefully, raising her hand. "Professor, they're both used as sedatives. And also to relieve pain." Which was obvious. Maybe Elliot needed some of that, which her emotions being so...BLAAAHHH lately. Hmph.

The water boiled (finally, *grumbles*) and Elliot poured in the Valerian roots and the Kava kava...did Lafay say to stir it? She didn't remember...she peered at Beezus..what was she doing...?

Originally Posted by Fira

Originally Posted by PhoenixStar

It seemed like the lesson so far was going ok. Well as ok as you really could expect in Potions. Hannah watched her water and waited for it to boil. Hannah was not a patient person at all but she didn't have much of a choice. While she waited her mind couldn't help but to wander to Elliot and Maxwell. She didn't even know who he was. They had been so busy that they have not even had a chance to catch up. How was it that Hannah hasn't even met Maxwell yet?...

The boiling of the water brought her attention back to the task at hand. She poured in the Valerian roots and the Kava kava. Hannah thought about whether or not to answer the questions becuase it seemed like everybody already had it covered, but with her luck she would chewed out for not participating and the last thing she wanted was for Lafay to spew her rot. With a raised hand she said. "Professor they are both sedatives and will relax you."

Originally Posted by CherryBlossomRose

Seri clapped her hands. Oh goodie! Mrs Thingy didn't want her to brew it! Seri hoped she would never make her brew it! She'd just sit at the back of class an doodle in her notebook in rainbow-colour ink. So y'know, important stuff! "Yessum Miss." Seri shrugged and smiled sweetly. Wasn't this just DANDY?

Seri took a stool and placed it begind the Prefect 'Miss Greingoth's cauldron. Heh. She wondered how happy shiny badge girl would be now? At least she knew what the badge was for. Prefect huh? "So you're a Prefect huh? I thought it might be Head Girl for a little bit but it doesn't look like Kennedy's badge at all..." Seri mused. "And he's Head Boy." Seri clarified knowingly. She liked badges. And she needed one. Somehow. Somewhere. She would get one.

Miss Whatever-Her-Name-Was asked a question and the hands of children desperate for her approval shot up. Seri swung her legs on her chair and got out a little notebook, followed by a fake-snidget feather quill and colour-change ink and started doodling. Afterall, potions was such a boring lesson.

Originally Posted by Anna Banana

"Uhhh, yeah," Sierra said. She wouldn't really know, though. She didn't have pierced ears. Nor did she want them. Whatever helped the girl remember, though. If she knew her stuff, she'd earn points; and if she earned points, Slytherin would prevail. It was a win-win situation.

Then the girl started casting Scourgify like crazy, though. no wonder it wasn't working. General flailing about didn't equal a proper wand movement. She gave a slight eye roll and was just about to helo the girl when Lafay spoke up again.

Did her mother think she was serious? Sierra blinked. No, she would not be helping the blasted house elf. She's just done that to get the creature out before her mother's condition worsened. "Gladly," she said with a smirk.

Okay, she should really move on now...

Sierra peered into her cauldron and noticed the boiling water. She reached for the valerian root with a gloved hand then added it into the cauldron. Now for the Kava Kava. She added it in, too, then watched both liquids mix into the brew.

She looked at it a second longer then raised her hand. "They both help a person sleep, and they'll also keep them still, so that the movement doesn't interrupt their sleep," she said.

...and just when she thought she was rid of her shadow, the girl starts talking again. Couldn't she see Sierra was trying to brew? If all the girl was going to do was take notes, then she could at least be quiet about it.

"I'm a prefect, yeah," she answered, "...but I'm not old enough to be Head Girl. I'm only a sixth year, and you have be in your seventh year." Then she smiled. "Kennedy's my boyfriend, though." ...and yes, she was proud of it.

Originally Posted by SilverDragon

After taking down a few notes, Silvia headed towards the cupboard and retrieved the necessary ingredients. Returning to her table, she neatly laid them out and waiting for instructions.

First step seemed easy enough. The third year added it to her notes and then waited for the water to boil. When it was finally bubbling, she added in the valerian root and the Kava Kava. As for the question, well, a few students had already answered it, so she would remain quiet. Instead she picked up her quill and prepared to write down the next step and the answer to the question once the professor confirmed it.

Originally Posted by iceblossom22

Elise simply observed the weirdness between Lafay and Sierra and Beezley the house elf. Not wanting to lost any points from Ravenclaw and to throw away their current position in the lead, she decided to keep quiet.

They had to wait for the water to boil, and although it only took 2 minutes it felt like an eternity to Elise. When the bubbles finally started forming, Elise casually dropped in the Valerian Root and Kava Kava.

Their purpose, she didn't know. But honestly, if you asked her she'd say that it was probably some kind of poison. She was definitely not testing that potion on herself.

Originally Posted by Luna_Midnight

Nerida looked over as Beezley, the mess-making house elf vanished. She returned her attention back to her cauldron and all the ingredients that were in front of her. Venturing a glance up to Professor Lafay as she asked the question... Nerida had no clue what either of the two ingredients were used for and what they were.

But she knew saying that she didn't know would not be a good thing and Professor Lafay was steaming today. Nerida turned her attention back to her cauldron and parchment and wrote down the next steps the Professor had just mentioned sense her water was not boiling just yet.

How long did it take water to boil exactly? Once she had everything written down, she took another peek into her cauldron still thinking that it wouldn't be boiling, but she saw that the water was finally boiling. "Finally," she muttered under her breath. She added the cup of the Valerian root and after she did that she poured in the half cup of Kava Kava.

Originally Posted by Princesspower

The water was bubbling now, making a sound akin to a pot of pasta on the stove. Sarah heard the next instructions and wrote them down:

Sarah had heard of both of them before, her mother used them as remedies to help her go to sleep. "Do they not calm one down? Occasionally i take a remedy made of valerian roots before I want to go to sleep, otherwise I cannot fall asleep" which was mainly because she was an anxious person and also because she could never stop thinking her mind wandering from one place to the next. "Kava Kava does not make one as sleepy as Valerian root does, yet it has a calming effect on the system"

Sarah then measured out a cup of valerian root, careful not to waste any liquid by allowing it to spill and added it to the water. She then measurd out half of a cup of kava kava and added it to the mixture

Originally Posted by Droo

Right they needed to get back to the potion. She retrieved a black colored berry and showed it to the class. "This is highly highly toxic. It is called deadly nightshade, or Belladonna. Now watch carefully as I'm doing this only once." She took the gold needle out of her potions kit, cleaned it and pierced the berry, leaving a drop of it's juice on the gold needle part. She then set the berry on fire, burning off any juice that had trickled on her skin. She held the gold pin over her cauldron and waited until the drop fell into it. She burned off the excess from the pin, re-cleaned it and put it back into her kit.

"Only 18 carat gold is used. And the drop of juice should not have touched anything but the gold. This is important. And you do not want to have any of the juice or berry on or around you. Use the burner to burn the berry and juice, as that fire is magical and won't burn anything else." She said. "Go on now... Get your berry."

Originally Posted by Droo

"Yes, what we need is something that will calm the senses, while allowing sleep. This helps the subject not have bad dreams, or nightmares." She said to the students.

She rolled her eyes and said "And yes, valerian root is used in the Draught of Living Death and the Draught of Peace. Sprigs of valerian are used in the Forgetfulness Potion. Valerian root is also used to make Treacle fudge. But we aren't speaking about that."

Right they needed to get back to the potion. She retrieved a black colored berry and showed it to the class. "This is highly highly toxic. It is called deadly nightshade, or Belladonna. Now watch carefully as I'm doing this only once." She took the gold needle out of her potions kit, cleaned it and pierced the berry, leaving a drop of it's juice on the gold needle part. She then set the berry on fire, burning off any juice that had trickled on her skin. She held the gold pin over her cauldron and waited until the drop fell into it. She burned off the excess from the pin, re-cleaned it and put it back into her kit.

"Only 18 carat gold is used. And the drop of juice should not have touched anything but the gold. This is important. And you do not want to have any of the juice or berry on or around you. Use the burner to burn the berry and juice, as that fire is magical and won't burn anything else." She said. "Go on now... Get your berry."

Originally Posted by Droo

"If you don't have a wand, you can't be here." she said looking to the girl. Her wand pointed at the door (which opened) and she said "Out."

She looked at the rest of the class. "Without a wand, you won't be able to perform the magic required to finish brewing this potion, and it'll just be something toxic that will kill you."


"Yes, what we need is something that will calm the senses, while allowing sleep. This helps the subject not have bad dreams, or nightmares." She said to the students.

She rolled her eyes and said "And yes, valerian root is used in the Draught of Living Death and the Draught of Peace. Sprigs of valerian are used in the Forgetfulness Potion. Valerian root is also used to make Treacle fudge. But we aren't speaking about that."

Right they needed to get back to the potion. She retrieved a black colored berry and showed it to the class. "This is highly highly toxic. It is called deadly nightshade, or Belladonna. Now watch carefully as I'm doing this only once." She took the gold needle out of her potions kit, cleaned it and pierced the berry, leaving a drop of it's juice on the gold needle part. She then set the berry on fire, burning off any juice that had trickled on her skin. She held the gold pin over her cauldron and waited until the drop fell into it. She burned off the excess from the pin, re-cleaned it and put it back into her kit.

"Only 18 carat gold is used. And the drop of juice should not have touched anything but the gold. This is important. And you do not want to have any of the juice or berry on or around you. Use the burner to burn the berry and juice, as that fire is magical and won't burn anything else." She said. "Go on now... Get your berry."