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Potions Lesson 1: Developing Solution It's a frosty, overcast December day at Hogwarts—and you may feel the chill in the air as you make your way to the dungeons for your afternoon lesson. Not to worry, though. The Potions classroom is warm and cheery, brightened up with enchanted candles, pine garlands, and poinsettias for the upcoming holiday. While the usual workstations remain, the perimeter of the classroom has been transformed into what appears to be a photography studio. In the front, a magically-changing photo backdrop is illuminated by several umbrella lights. In the back, black curtains enclose an unidentifiable area. Professor Varma sits on a stool in the middle of the Please come in and take a seat at a workstation! Class will begin shortly. OOC: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for coming. Please remember that although this is our first OOC lesson together, your students have had classes with Shreya for several months now. Feel free to check out the classroom rules before you post. Lesson Progression: Q1: What are some ways that we can preserve memories? Q2: What do you know about how pictures are taken or developed? Mini Activity: Brew the developing solution. Main Activity: Develop your own photo. |
Ash was in an... okay mood. She was fine. Yeah. She walked into the room. She waved at the professor. She smiled. She spoke. She even made a joke. "Hey professor! Did I miss the memo on school picture day?" See she was fine. She went through the motions. She laughed. Look at her. She was fine today. Just fine. Nothing more. She took a seat. |
Each and everyday of lessons brought her one day closer to holiday break. Which only could mean that Lia was in a great mood and the warm cheery smile on her face showed it. There wasn't a thing that could get her down right now. Stepping into the classroom, the small second year had to do a quick double-take to make sure she was in the correct room. She was. Well okay then! She could totally get behind whatever this was! "Good afternoon, Professor Varma! Are we going to be having some sort of photo shoot today?" Cause that's what it looked like to her. Which clearly meant only one thing.. FUN. Lia smiled at the only other person in the room, her fellow Claw, Ash. She then went to sit at a workstation up near the front of the room. |
Saying hi to everyone! Tadhg was counting down the days until Christmas break, he couldn't wait for it ti begin. He was in high spirits and in a good mood singing and humming Christmas songs to himself. He was in a great mood and it was clear in his eyes and smile that he was happy. Walking into the classroom he looked around and looked back at the door. Uh... he knew he was in the right room, but what happened to it? It looked like a photo studio or so, but it was pretty cool looking. Walking towards Professor Varma, he gave her a soft warm smile. " Good Afternoon Professor, I hope you're well." Seeing Lia and Ash he smiled and waved at Ash. "Hey Ash, how are ya?" Directing his attention to Lia he smiled sitting beside her. " Hey Bubbles, think we're taking some pictures today?" Looking around the the classroom and back at her he shrugged. Whatever it was, he knew that it was going to be fun for sure. |
"Falalalalaaaa lala la laOHH, COOL!!!!!!" was Scarlett's greeting when she walked into the She loOOOoOOooved the poinsettias, the garlands, and the BACKDROPS. All very COOL and NICE and she hoped with ALL HER HEART this would be a FUN lesson because she was already in HIGH SPIRITS because CHRISTMAS BREAK WAS HAPPENING SOOOOOON, WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But for now, lesson. ALRIGHTY!! The Hufflepuff almost felt the urge to take a seat by the backdrop and request a photo of herself, but it wasn't REALLY an urge, and she actually didn't FEEL like going up there just yet for some reason. Nah. Watching the backdrop change as MORE fun than being having her back to it. OH, LOOKIT, how PRETTY!!!!!!!!!!! |
Violet was in a good mood as she walked into her favorite class and nodded a greeting to Professor Varma. But as she walked over to a workstation and began to set up, she looked curiously at what appeared to be some sort of photographic equipment around the perimeter of the classroom. What in the world? Were they going to brew developing potions, or what? It just could never be a normal class at Hogwarts, could it. Well, Violet figured she'd find out what was going on soon enough. |
Well this was NOT what she was expecting to see in the Potions classroom. Instead of the classroom, they appeared to be in a studio which was certainly interesting but the workstations were still there so it was kind of normal for the potions classroom. Eyebrows raised, she entered the room with a curious glance around the room. The Professor was dressed up very festively this December day. Lisa was thoroughly impressed. She should have dressed up too! “Hi Professor. Love the dress robes!” she beamed. |
Phoebe was a bit on autopilot this afternoon. Something about having to spend so much time indoors during this season had her brain on the fritz. She wanted sunshine. She wanted blue skies. She did not want winter, and it was really only just beginning. Phoebe made it all the way to her seat before realizing how rude she'd been not to greet the professor properly. "Good afternoon, Professor," she blinked and then offered an apologetic smile. "It is afternoon? Yeah." Not that they could tell in the dungeon, but whatever. |
Evan was exhausted and out of breath. Of course he'd managed to forget his books for Potions, a rare thing for him, and had to book it allllll the way up to the Ravenclaw common room and then alllllll the way back down. He'd heard people warn about this all the time, but he was feeling off and had managed to pull the classic mistake anyways. Perhaps it was the upcoming holiday, and how much he realized he did not want to return home, as much as he wanted to see his brother and cousins. But anyway. Pausing outside the door, he straightened his robes before entering the class and ... blinking at the set up. A photoshoot? He was quite curious to find where this and the setting would tie into potions. Hopefully not love potions and 'dates' with the odd background. Other students might be into dating and people, but that bug had yet to bite this Nam. "Hello Professor Varma." He offered his greeting, before moving more into the room and finding himself a seat. |
December had arrived, and it was proving hard for Gracelyn to stay entirely focused on lessons and the normal day to day things at Hogwarts. Especially when decorations were starting to pop up and it reminded her that it was probable she’d get to actually go home to see her papas and family this year for the holidays. That and she wondered about mistletoe, but that was something else entirely. The appearance of the Potions classroom only continued the thoughts, but she had still given the professor a grin as she moved to take a seat near Phoebe. “Good afternoon, Professor Varma. Are we learning a potion related to how we get our pictures to move today?,” she added, just out of curiosity. The classroom did look like a holiday photo studio after all. With the addition of their usual potions workstations. |
The fifth year Gryffindor made quick work of the stairs from his last lecture down to the dungeons for his Potions class, bothered by just how cold it's gone since a few weeks ago. Winter in Scotland was a tad bitter and colder than in Sheepscombe, he'd have to say. That all changed when he reached the classroom and was greeted by a very homey setup. It was just like home; cheery, warm, inviting, and-- oh. OH. Today was his dad's birthday. Blinking away the sudden realization, Noah quickly schooled his face into a cheery emotion, matching the rather festive decoration as he went further inside to greet the Potions mistress. "Afternoon, professor." he said in passing with a grin on his face as he snagged a seat and workstation with Ash. A lazy salute was offered to the younger student as he got his writing implements out for note-taking. It looked like they were to develop...well, a developing solution. |
Potions was OKAY. Kinsay didn't love the class, but she didn't hate it either. It was solidly in the middle. Though she was really trying to make a bigger effort to pay more attention during lessons - if only to prove everyone who voted her as 'Most likely to burn up a cauldron in a Potions seminar' wrong. Kinsay still thought about that sometimes. It had been a hurtful thing to read. Um. Anyway. She slowly made her way into the room with less energy than usual. "Hi, Professor. You look nice in red." That was maybe the best she could do as she moved to find a place to sit. Seeing as the workstation beside Phoebe was taken, Kinsay opted to take a seat at the one next to Evan instead. "Hi." |
The holidays were coming up; close enough for Nem to have set some plans in motion, but still far away that they didn't linger on thoughts of the break. It didn't really matter, one way or another, where they were. The result was always much the same. They were back to showing up to lessons with some degree of regularity again - for the most part, testing out just where the line was to get the Headsman off their back - and so today Varma would get the benefit of their presence. She had a way of engaging them with the material a little better than others, though that was more true when they got into potions-related discussions. It had been happening less and less of late, and so they entertained their thoughts and ideas and experiments privately instead. For all the reaction Nem gave when they entered the classroom, they might have expected the set-up, or simply not noticed it. Neither was true; it was just difficult to be surprised by any kind of classroom arrangement in this school, they varied so much. At any rate, Nem was more likely to complete this lesson than most of the others, given they fairly obvious hints regarding what was likely on the agenda. Offering nothing but a vague nod that might have been a greeting for Varma, Nem silently took up a seat in the back corner of the room, and waited. |
Fiona found the classroom's set-up rather fantastic as she entered the room. "Good afternoon, Professor Varma," she greeted with a smile. Finding her way to a workstation near Violet, the Snakette sat down and gave the girl a smile in greeting. |
Heating Charms kept her warm for her trek to the Potions classroom. Luckily she wouldn’t have to worry about them wearing off as the classroom she’d just walked into was warm as well, and festive too it seemed. The entire setup was rather intriguing but Claudine kept any hunches she had about today’s topic to herself. “Hi, Professor. Love the robe.” That greeting out of the way, the Snakette went further into the room. She acknowledged her friends with a nod then selected a station next to Lisa. “Hi, Lisa. Watched any movies recently?” |
In case it had not been officially acknowledge, Professor Varma was OFFICIALLY officially cool in Atlas' book. He had already, mostly, come to this conclusion last term...but this term she was appeasing and encouraging the Gryffindor and his curiosity based antics. It was just a pity that he continued to be such a disaster in her lessons. It was odd how he, someone who worked well with precise numbers and calculations, could struggle so much with a subject that required so much precision. Measurements, chopping, slicing, stirring, heat levels...all things that SHOULD fit nicely into the second year's niche and yet...well, she ought to ask Quinn since it was the same with baking. ...or maybe she shouldn't ask Quinn. Quinn was still ignoring Atlas' existence and, as the Gryffindor was trying to accept, doing whatever the Ravenclaw could think of to avoid him. Lessons and meals were the only time this wasn't possible...but even then... ...well...anyway... Greeting the professor with a soft smile and sheepish wave, Atlas looked around for a station to sit at and felt his insides wiggle and giggle a bit as he took note of the vacancy beside one Nemesis Upstead. But seeing as this was one of his weakest subjects and needed to keep whatever wits about him he currently had, which was maybe four wit braincells shared between himself and Aries, the blonde moved a station or two away from the older Slytherin and sat on his own. The scenes the professor kept switching between were pretty cool. Especially the snowy one. It got him excited for the coming holidays. |
Morgan had a lot of restless energy today, likely exacerbated by how close it was to the winter holidays. He was eager to go home and take a little break from school, especially after not being able to go home last Christmas. "Afternoon, Professor," he politely greeted Varma as he walked in and found his usual seat. Already distracted, he turned his eyes towards the front of the room and idly watched as the scene continued to change. |
Potions was Eden's favorite. Before this particular class, she'd taken great care to do her hair (tightly secured in one long plait) and her makeup (not too much, had to look ~serious and studious~). She wanted Professor Varma to know from the second she walked into the dungeon lab that Eden Tilly meant business. That she took this brewing business "Good afternoon, Professor," keepitcoolkeepitcoolkeepitcool. "It's so festive in here!" Was that lame? Oh no. She looked around the class for somewhere to sit. She was curious about Atlas Flamsteed, but he wasn't so great at Potions and even her loyalty to Quinn wasn't enough for her to risk a bad grade in this class. Even though she wasn't completely sure they'd be brewing today at all - the room looked like a photography studio more than a Potions lab. Someone had already claimed the spot next to Ash - probably for the best, too, 'cause who knew when some random thing would trigger le war flashbacks. Nemesis Upstead never ceased to intrigue her, but they also seemed to never cease disrespecting professors, and Eden didn't want Professor Varma to think she was a troublemaker. Sooooooooo she sat by herself at an empty workstation in the middle of the room. The seconds she'd spent looking around already felt like far too long. |
SPOILER!!: Replies Once the clock turned to 2, Shreya made her way to the classroom door. It had become a bit of a tradition—peeking her head out into the dungeons to make sure there weren't any stragglers. Once she was sure the hallway was clear, she clicked the door shut, clapping her hands together to call the class to order. "Hello, hello, everyone!" She made to head toward her desk before realizing that she had moved it aside in favor of the elaborate photo backdrop. So she settled instead for the stool in the middle of the workstations. "I trust you are all getting excited for Christmas?" she asked, waving her wand at the garland to illuminate the twinkly lights interspersed throughout the greenery. "The holiday time is a nostalgic time for many of us." She wanted to word things carefully, as she knew that not everyone had happy holiday situations at home. But nostalgia seemed like a good word to describe the feeling. "Mostly because Christmas is associated with memories." Both good and bad, likely. But hopefully, the good thoughts outnumbered the not-so-good ones. "What are some ways that we can preserve memories?" The setup of the room might seem like a giveaway to answer Shreya wanted, but the truth was, there was no right answer here. She simply wanted to get her students in the right headspace for today's lesson. OOC: The lesson is now underway! If you are just now joining us, post as if you've been here all along. For the first question, Shreya wants to know any way that you can preserve a memory—either wizard or Muggle methods. Pretty much anything goes here, so feel free to be creative! We will move on in approximately 24 hours. |
He couldn't help but flush even redder at the question of if he was alright, but for an entirely different reason this go around. He nodded his head at the question and offered a sheepish smile at Professor Varma. "Yes, ma'am. I just uh.. I had forgotten my book up in my dormitory." But he was here, surprisingly still on time. Even a few minutes early! So he settled into his seat. And turned to smile at Kinsay when she slid into the seat next to him. "Hey. Any preliminary guesses on how this will all tie in?" Sometimes it was fun to guess at the beginning of class where the Professors might be going. He was almost always wrong, but that didn't really make it any less entertaining. But class was starting, so he turned his attention back to the front. He was not looking forward to Christmas and the conversation he had promised to have during it. He had half of a mind to just stay home during the break and ignore it all. And truthfully, he still might. Thankfully the decision had not had to be made quite yet, but it was getting awfully close. But for now, class meant he didn't have to think about it. So he pushed all thoughts of home away while listening to the posed question and raising his hand to offer an answer. There was the obvious answer of photographs, but frankly he wanted to try to go for something less so. He waited until he was called on to provide an answer. "Journaling is a good way to preserve memories, and capturing the exact emotions felt during the memory." After time a photo would bring nostalgia, and maybe joy, but with a journal entry one would always know exactly what they'd been feeling at that time. |
Varma peeking her head out of the classroom usually signalled the start of the lesson. Obviously today was no different. Christmas? Yes, she certainly was excited for it! Who wouldn’t be? Christmas was the best time of year. Eyes fixed on that garland and the lights, the girl couldn’t help but agree with Varma. She’d had so many good memories with the people she once called her family. The fact that she no longer wanted anything to do with them did not prevent that sharp stab of longing for a few of the members though. Claudine missed them but how could she live in that mansion among killers, even if her entire family didn’t fall into that category? But there were happier memories, like the ones she had with Heath. This December made it two years since they’d been together as a couple. Claudine glanced yet again at the setup of the room but chose to go in another direction with her answer. “Using complicated bits of magic that allows you, or others, to revisit events that happened and observe them. Even though you’ll be invisible to everyone present at the time the memory took place.” Her answer was a reference to the method a particular Dark Lord had used so many years ago. |
Ash went through the motions. She smiled at Dahlia. She spoke to Tadhg. "I'm fine. As usual." It was a bit of a joke, seeing as being fine was unusual for her. Who even knew if she was really fine? It could be that she shut down all of her emotions so that she could handle being in... this class. Specifically. Was feeling nothing really fine? Maybe not. She smiled at Noah. She smiled at Eden, who looked very pretty today. Ash wished there was someone to do her hair and makeup that nice. It was one of the few things that she was not skilled at. ... Ash wasn't sure she liked where this lesson was going. Why would you want to preserve all your memories? Ash was already struggling with not wanting her photographic memory. She wished she could wipe the memories of potions class away too. And flying, and DADA, and muggle studies, and CoMC, and HoM, and basically all of the classes she had. All of the memories she had made here. She didn't want them. Another thing Ash didn't like was that this class seemed to be a class on making photos move. Ash didn't want to make her photos move. She wanted them to stay still. And now dread was filling her mind. Tasted like... rot. Ash was not going to say 'moving photos' as an answer to the question. She wasn't going to say it, even if it was the right answer. "You could preserve your memories through art." And there was an interesting tone of voice she was using. It was almost defiance, but maybe it was more like disappointment or unsurprise. Perhaps resignation. Maybe just not-enthusiastic. Ash didn't want any moving pictures of herself. |
Seated at her workstation, Ivy was mostly trying to avoid looking at the photography studio setup around the classroom. The lights, the curtained-off section in the back, all of it was quite familiar to her, having spent lots of time around her dad's studio setup at home, but her feelings about it all were...complicated, to say the least. Once, she would have been thrilled by the clear focus of the day's lesson. Photography had been such a passion for her, something she'd shared with her dad and her friend Cooper. She'd loved capturing little moments and random details about things. She'd loved finding ways to improve and to take more interesting photos each time she pulled out her camera. Every day was different, and so there was always something new to see and to learn. But the past several months...well, they were different. Taking a bad photo had never bothered her before - she wasn't striving for perfection, only to have fun and to learn something new each time. But now everything she took just looked...horrible to her. She could find a flaw in anything. And even though she appreciated the photo scavenger hunts Cooper had setup, and they were fun in the moment...they didn't seem to bring any lasting changes to her feelings. No matter what he said, she didn't like a single photo once she reviewed them. And it was...frustrating. Something she'd once loved felt like nothing to her now, and she had no idea how to fix it. Feeling a bit lost in her head, Ivy pulled out some parchment to take notes on this first question and the answers the other students gave. She didn't feel up to giving an answer of her own, and it probably wasn't necessary to write down the answers almost word-for-word, but it helped keep her mind off all the feelings she didn't want to think about. |
Utterly oblivious that the young Hufflepuff happened to be at the same workspace where his older brother had vanished, Daniel thought that he still had to owl his parents a letter that he would be spending his Christmas inside of the castle. He had a strong feeling that they would not be thrilled about it, but he really wanted to stay. When he saw Professor Varma peeking her head outside of the classroom and he knew that it was almost time to begin. While he was listening to the question, his eyes looked around the room again. He had never had a photoshoot before and he wasn't certain if he would like to be photographed or be the photographer. He had read that there was a special potion that made images move, was that what they were going to be learning today? Cause if so then he was excited!! While the most obvious answer was a photograph, Daniel's hand shot up in the air and wiggled his fingers a little bit. "I read about a memory extraction spell" he said as he lowered his hand. "You can keep it in a potion vial and watch an old memory again" |
Potions was another FUN class, in Remy’s opinion. You could mix all sorts together, maybe even experiment and make your own potion. Let’s not talk about Remy and Ollie’s interest in a certain potion that could change one’s appearance. She’d especially not mention that in THIS classroom… Preserving memories, hmmm. Without even thinking of a magical, potiony option, Remy shot up her hand and she said, “I - writing in a diary.” Almost letting slip to the class that SHE, in fact, had a diary. Didn’t want any certain Gryffindors getting their hands on that. AHEM. |
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