Lesson #4: Medicamentum Contraho
 

Jaren entered the classroom briskly and sat down, ready as always, though looking if possible more serious and stressed than usual. His hair is particularly unkempt, as if he'd been running around a lot.

Kirstie Entered the classroom and took a seat next to Jenn, smiling at the Ravenclaw girl, who looked like she was trying to burn a hole in Jaren's head. She got out her quills and parchment.

Nadia entered the classroom and sat down, mildly wondering if she had got the date and hour alright seeing there was no Professor Airlia to be seen. Taking her supplies out, she noticed a couple of people in there, her eyes darkened while she took some of her mail and read though the corner of her eyes while the professor arrived.

Sangeetha enters the dungeon nervously. This was her first Potions lesson and she might mess up things. She then spotted Nadia and sighed in relief at the sight of her friend. She walks over to her and takes a seat next to her.

'Hey Nadia!' Sangeetha said, slapping her lightly on the back. 'What's up? First lesson and I'm totally a wreck. Wish I came here before, then at least I would know the basics.'

She sets down her bag and pulls out her cauldron and waits for the Professor.

Greek_snitch tries hard to recall the answer. "Has anything to do with the way they are used?"

"Ah, Kali beat me right there. I believe this is the one which is refered to as a potion which shrink things in size, to a "miniature version of itself" and should literally "shrink" somebody. Therefore it might also be used in items, by bathing the object, or just be used in living being, again, but with the same methodology. I doubt you need drinking to make it work... unless you want to shrink something inside your body, which is not such a good idea."

"There's a second possibility and that is: it only work on non-living beings, in which case, if splashed by this you would get your clothes shrink in size but you stay the same, though somewhat suffocatted^^"

*raise hand*

"Professor, what does 'Medicamentum Contraho' means? I'm pretty sure the first it 'Medication' so that makes me wonder it this isn't an antidote for another potion and/or spell. The second seem to say 'Contraction', which in a way is 'shrink in size'. I am curious to what it could be."

Serena listened carefully and took notes.

Sangeetha raised her hand and said:

'Professor, maybe the Shrinking Solution is used externally, like Kali said, but since she didnt say which potions are used where, I thought I might answer. So if the Shrinking Solution is used externally then the Shrinking Potion must be used internally. I hope what I said is right...' Sangeetha adds, though acually to herself.

Raven entered the classroom for once on time. She sat in the front row and opened her book looking at the Professor for certain directions. Shye was hearing people talk about the Shrinking Solution and Shrink Contraction. She wasn't to sure about the difference but sat and listened whil trying to learn. She wrote down peoples comments and looked at the Professor to tell which one is correct.

Nadia listened Sangeetha and added, "I think I know what you meant but you switched the potions. We are now doing the Shinking Potion, and as we already know the Shrinking Solution acts only internally, by drinking, we might think this new one is the one used externally and only pouring it over the, err, victim would be enough.

"For this matter it could be used internally too... but not with pretty results. Just imagine ingesting some of the potion and get your thoat shirking until you can no longer breath? 0.0 *shudders* I would be careful how you use this potion if this theory is correct *looks sideways, smirks* Yet, if my other theory, the one about not affecting the living, is true then we shouldn't be worried, because it could only act in, say, what you ate, but not a a part of yourself as a living being.

"Interesting," she added, to no one in particular, and turning to where Terry was, catching her eye, Nadia smiled a big, wide smile
^____^

Raven was so confused she had words to say it simplier. She raised her hand and smiled. " Shrinking Contraction you are making one and causing them to shrink and Shriking Solution you are giving them a potion to stop the shrinking," she said dropping her hand looking at The Professor.

Serena continued thinking to herself then raised her hand, "Medicamentum Contraho" might be either a remedy or cure to shrinking, in other words to reverse it, or it could be a remedy or cure that causes shrinking. My only other guess would be that this potion is used on objects instead of something that is living."

"Five points to Ravenclaw, that is absolutely correct. The Shrinking Potion is used externally in order to reduce the target in size. This is not to be confused with the Shrinking Solution we brewed last class which is ingested and reduces the target in development."

"Five points to Slytherin, Nadia. The Shrinking Potion, unlike the Shrinking Solution, can be used on non-living objects," Professor Airlia sighed as she spoke. "Though, I'm afraid it will not work on ghosts who are relatively unaffected by the physical world. However, it may have a temporary effect on poltergeists who are more affected by the physical world than ghosts."

Moving on from that painful subject and chastizing herself for going off-topic, Professor Airlia continued her comments on Nadia's proposal for the class. "You are also absolutely correct that this potion should never be used internally for the effects could be disasterous, depending on the strength of the brew."

"Excellent question Nadia. It is latin and roughly translates to 'medicine to gather together.'

And thank you Nadia for clearing up Sangethlee's slight mix up. I know it can be very confusing with two potions with very similar names. Does this make sense now, Raven?

"Now that we've got a good handle on what the potion does and how to use it, can anyone suggest possible ingredients that would be including (only one ingredient suggestion per student, please and include your reasoning for suggesting it)?"

Serena raised her hand, "I found out that horse chestnut can be used to control inflammation and swelling. I was wondering if it could also be used in a shrinking potion?"

(ooc- only one? *sniff* but... I have so many ideas!)

Nadia raised her hand, thinking hard which would be the most necessary ingredients, "Seeing it is making a change in size we might think of a visual thing more than psychical so I'm thinking of one of those ocular-glasses, Magnifying Glass. Yeah, well a whole glass cannot be used as ingredient... wel, maybe smashed but still... I was thinking of sand, which is the main ingredient of all glasses, and/or something oval to make reference to this glasses intention."

Nadia made a mental note, one for elastising and another counter-shrinking. "For some reason I can only think of muggle already-manufactured things," she pondered out loud, to no one in particular.

Kyra chewed on her lip as she took notes, her black quill flying across the page. She looked up occasionally at the teacher and her classmates, wondering who all was here.

:Kelli raises her hand:

Could you use skinned shrivelfig in the potion professor?

Jaren thought hard. "Maybe some ingredients from the last potion we made would be used. The shrivelfig maybe, or the daisy roots. After all, the two potions are fairly similar in that they both cause some sort of reversal in growth, be it in age or in physical stature."

"Hn." Jaren dug furiously into the abyss of his mind for what he'd learned in the last Potions class. "Daisy roots stunt growth..."