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Ancient Runes & Potions
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Gillyweed Beery, Slytherin Gillyweed slipped into the classroom with purpose, her satchel bumping awkwardly against her hip as she claimed one of the middle workstations. The hush of the room pressed close around her ears, broken only by the crackle of the brazier and the occasional popping. She narrowed her eyes first at the professor and then at the blackboard, lips pursed, tracing the all-too-familiar rune with her gaze. Her quill scribbled it and a few notes quickly on a scrap of parchment pulled from her satchel, though she gave Cox a side-eye as she did so, wondering if he would pounce at the very sound of scratching or act as if the noise didn't exist. She then lightly tapped the tip of her quill against the empty phial, wondering what might be expected to fill it by the end of the hour. Settling back on the stool, Gilly busied herself by straightening the silver knife and mortar so that they lined up neatly with the edge of the cauldron before forcing herself to wait. |
Naturally Marina was here. Hoping to make no eye contact with the professor whatsoever though, she glided into the dingy classroom and made her way alllllllll the way to the back of the room. Right. So far so good. Putting her bag away, most diligently so - the young gryffindor tried super hard to not break anything in the process, which was .. lets be honest super hard. ESPECIALLY in his presence - not because he made her nervous or anything, he just had the energy to make her do things to disturb it. yeah, yeah, yeah - it was weird. She was weird. It all had been said before. |
Jansher Grunt, Slytherin Jan didn't have to travel far for Potions in general, it was the perks of being a Slytherin. What was interesting was knowing they wouldn't just be learning about Potions but Ancient Runes as well. So he waited on his little brother today, since the time for them being in lessons together was growing shorter by the year. Once inside the classroom, he offered a "Good day, Professor." Before heading towards the station in a corner. Everything was decorated per usual, and he was careful not to bump into anything that would mess it up. So Jan began to get himself situated, offering Gilly a small smile in acknowledgement, before checking on how his brother was doing. |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor Idris was quite eager to see what this combination of lessons would entail. He had always been decent at both Ancient Runes and Potions, hence his confidence that he'd be able to put his best foot forward this time around too was sky high. For this reason, the fifth year was positively skipping his way down the corridor to the Potions classroom with his big brother by his side. Of course, Jan wasn't skipping but was doing well enough to keep up with Id’s pace. Upon arriving at the classroom, the first thing that hit him was the scents; an almighty sniff led him to positively detect something herby. Next up, the Gryffindor spotted Cox. “Hi, Professor!” came the bubbly greeting, Idris literally bouncing on his feet now. That's when he turned to see which of his friends were there already. He acknowledged those before making his way, walking fast {because they, energy!} to a workstation, selecting one beside Jan. “Any idea what we could be learning about today?” Maybe the symbol on the board would generate a couple. Id always valued the Slytherin’s thoughts and opinions, moreso since Jan would be graduating soon. The thought of that always made him want to cry. |
Ancient Runes was a subject that Elias tolerated. Perhaps it was because it lived up to his intellectual standards, it was complex and interesting and it didn’t feel like a chore to listen to the Professor drone on about matters that quite frankly didn’t resonate with him. It helped that today’s lesson was being held in the potions classroom and so the distance traversed from the Common Room was as minimal as possible. Not that Elias was ever late. Lack of punctuality was one of the With a trademark frown on his features, fringe swooping down over his eyes and a lack of acknowledgement to any other humans despite his dormmate being present, the seventh year took his seat somewhere near the front of the classroom where he would not be disturbed by the familiar mutterings of his classmates. |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff Aurora was quite curious about this lesson, and more excited for it than she would have been last term. While Potions was one of her strongest classes, Ancient Runes was her weakest. But now she felt a lot more confident in that class due to Iris’ help, and she thought that she had a good chance with whatever the lesson would entail. Entering the classroom, she smiled at Professor Cox. ”Hello Professor!” Waving to her classmates, she made her way over to her workstation. Glancing at the blackboard, she noticed the Rune that had been drawn and immediately recognized that it was Kenaz. She recalled that the Rune related to things like creativity, wisdom, inspiration, and insight. |
Cathryn Webb - Ravenclaw Cat was looking forward to this lesson. Just like every potions lesson, really. With the caveat that Professor Cox still terrified her So, she had a teeny tiny smile on her face as she entered the classroom. This time, she even tried to meet the professor's eyes as she greeted him. "Good morning, Professor," she said, without a thought to whether it was indeed before noon or not. Did it really matter this deep in the castle, anyway? She found her seat (somewhere near Marina, hi, she got a small wave) and settled in, carefully setting down her bag and definitively not touching anything. That incident with the ancient runes stuff had taught her a lesson, and she had learned it early. Don't touch things that you don't know. And that was fine, because Cat was a watcher at heart anyway. |
Gabriella Rustokova - Ravenclaw Gabriella was having mixed feelings about this lesson before she even stepped foot in the classroom. While potions was a class that she was fairly decent at, runes was an entirely different matter all together. Not to mention how the two were going to mesh together and become useful to her... She really didn't know. But this didn't mean that she wasn't going to be open minded about it all and try her best. "Hello professor," Gabs greeted the man warmly. Her attention shifting to taking a seat at one of the workstations and quietly observing everything that was already set up there. |
Emma Montmorency, Hufflepuff See now Potions she was okay with. That was just following instructions and for the most part, the seventeen, uh newly eighteen year old, was pretty decent at following instructions. What Emma was not good at was interpreting symbols. They were a legitimate foreign language and Emma didn't do well with linguistics. Also Professor Cox? He was way too serious, particularly after her professors the previous six years. Perhaps that was what Hogwarts needed, but also like couldn't it have waited until after she graduated? Three months into term and she still wasn't quite sure how to read him. "Hi Professor Cox," she greeted, a usual warm smile. Even if she wasn't sure what to make of him, her cheerful personality never faded. Even if she was knee-deep in NEWT studies and planning her post-Hogwarts career and wondering if she'd be scouted for a professional league. Taking a seat beside Aurora, she squinted over at the board and whispered to her younger friend, "Why's the caret mark sideways?" See, she knew linguistics. At least when it came to editing. What she didn't know was the rune symbols. |
Text Cut: individual replies With a sharp and sudden flick of his hand, the heavy classroom door swung shut with a loud thump, and the runes along his fingers kindled fintly as the magic responded. He did not address the, naturally, and simply moved to a more central location in front of his own station adjacent to the blackboard. "By this point, I expect those of you in OWL and NEWT level Study of Ancient Runes to be quite familiar with the Elder Futhark and should have had no trouble naming the symbol on the board. For those of you who are not, or who have neglected to keep up with your studies, that," he began, rapping his knuckles firmly on the black slate, "is Kenaz."He let the silence linger for a beat, his eyes moving deliberately across the rows of students, as if cataloguing who recognized it and who did not. "Kenaz as a rune speaks of knowledge, illumination, and transformation...also fire as both a the spark and the torch. It is the flame that lights the hearth and the forge and the lantern carried into a dark corridor. Historically, the rune was inscribed on traveling charms to ensure a steady guiding light and some early manuscripts suggest Norse witches carved it into the handles of their cauldrons to keep their brews from spoiling in the cold." His hand absently brushed along his forearm as he spoke, his thumb pressing against the bindrunes there until the last edge of their burn subsided before he folded his arms neatly behind his back. "Its presence has lingered everywhere from protective warding scripts to wandlore. It is even said that a 14th century wizarding guild in Vaduz attempted to build an 'ever-burning library torch' using Kenaz bindrunes... an admirable experiment, truly, though one that resulted in half the guildhall catching fire." The faintest dry note tugged at his tone, accompanied by the briefest flash of teeth in an almost-smile, one quickly smoothed away as he took a couple strides forward. "So, bearing all that in mind," he continued, his gaze sweeping the room again, "in what ways has fire been wielded as both a destructive force and a tool of progress within wizarding society?" OOC: thank you all for coming! Class will move on in approximately 24 hours from the time of this post. |
Marina was very aware of the ~eyes~, it was also why she trying very hard to stay invisible and not make a fool of herself . She had to really reel herself in and not wave like a maniac when Cat showed up as well. She simply grinned at the girl, her partner in crime - or well ... partner-in-crime by association? Or somethign of that sort. ANYWAAAAAY. When the professor started speaking, Marina’s quill moved quickly - noting down the rune - Kenaz - though she might’ve added a little doodle of a torch in the margin just to help herself remember it better. And then her hand shot up before she thought too hard about it. “Well - fire’s been both, hasn’t it? Destructive and useful. I mean.....” she tilted her head, voice bright but steady, “back when witches and wizards were getting burned at the stake, loads of them just used flame-freezing charms, right? So for Muggles, fire was destruction, but for us, it turned into… well, kind of a disguise, even a bit of fun. I read about one witch who said she just sat there roasting marshmallows on the flames while the Muggles thought she was shrieking.” Her lips twitched like she knew she should stop there but didn’t. “And then, on the other side of things… there’s fire in wandwork, in forging goblin metal, in potion-brewing. We wouldn’t have half of what we’ve got without it. I suppose it just depends on whether you’re holding the torch or standing too close to it.” Was she talking too much again? Nah. |
Her sleeves were mostly spotless, yes, thank you Professor. Cat glanced down at said sleeves, brushing (imaginary or real?) dust from them as she carefully extracted note-taking supplies from her bag and set them very deliberately on a safe part of her desk. Marina's presence near her, and the big smile, was both a comfort and somewhat anxiety-inducing, since Cat wasn't entirely sure something wasn't going to break. Or catch fire. Or something. It was fine. Then Professor Cox was saying a lot of words. And most of them, honestly, were going over Cat's head. In one ear and out the other. Whichever metaphor made more sense. She knew the bare minimum about runes (she'd started researching after that one day, but it was slow-going), and he was saying a lot of new things in general. She tried to take as many notes as she could, her handwriting becoming messy quite quickly in her haste. Thankfully, though, she caught the question. And understood, mostly, how it tied in to the rune and potions. Probably. Cat inclined her head to listen to the other first year's answer to the question. She sure talked a lot. Cat scribbled down a few things that caught her attention before raising her own hand. "I mean, there's progress in the sense that we use it when making potions and stuff. We can't really do that without fire. But, like... I think it's destructive in the sense that, like, it kind of holds us back." Electricity, anyone? "Like wizards figured out fire and decided that it was good enough, we don't have to change anything, and we're still lighting the castle with it." She was frowning by the time she stopped speaking. It really was an odd experience these past few months to get used to. |
Gillyweed raised her hand, her posture a touch straighter. "Fire has been both indispensable and perilous. On the constructive side, it underpins disciplines like alchemy and metallurgy, where controlled heat is a significant factor that determines success or failure. Fire also has long been regarded as a necessity for defence and survival: it has been relied upon for warding away predators, for warmth, and for signalling when lost." Her gaze flicked back to the rune on the board before she continued. "Yet history shows how swiftly that same element turns destructive when misused or left unchecked. The Great Fire of London, for instance, is said to have been sparked by a young Common Welsh Green, devastating both Muggle and magical communities alike. And Fiendfyre raged through the Room of Requirement during the Battle of Hogwarts, devouring its caster along with priceless magical artefacts." She paused a beat before concluding, "So fire, like Kenaz itself, reflects transformation: it can forge progress or consume it entirely, depending on the discipline and intent of the person who wields it." |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor Woops! Apologies, Professor! Id could not help but be wildly and loudly affectionate about all the things in life. Or most of them. The time he and Paul had briefly been apart certainly failed to be categorised in the former. “That’s me,’’ he confirmed brightly. Cox being unimpressed and by his extension, the tone of his voice were not anything that bothered Id. He understood all too well that everyone were who they were. “I sure did! I think I brought double the amount of enthusiasm.'' The Gryffindor paused thoughtfully. “You know, to ensure there’s enough to go around for both subjects.” He was not sassing the man, by the way; simply expressing the truth. Stupor? Nope, he wouldn’t want that! “I’ll try not to, Professor!” Id now had his books and writing apparatus ready for the lesson, and was watching his classmates file in. Rory got a huge grin; how could she not? Then the classroom’s door was shutting which meant the lesson was beginning. Indeed the fifth year was very familiar with the Elder Futhark; learning about it had been one of his best Hogwarts memories. All the same, he diligently scribbled notes as Cox spoke. Jan would be proud of him on this matter. The Gryffindor carefully considered the question before lifting a hand. “The Fire Making Spell, Incendio. We can use it to light our burners but evil witches and wizards have used the spell in the past to set structures on fire, and probably even to harm or threaten others to do their bidding.” The thought about the latter upset and saddened Id, and his face reflected it. |
At this point Aurora was used to Professor Cox’s demeanour, so she didn’t even question anything and sent him a smile instead. She honestly still wasn’t too sure about him. Nyle and Iris obviously thought he was great, and she figured he was. But she was still a little wary. Everything should be okay as long as she didn’t seriously mess up. Turning her attention to Idris, he got his own smile plus a friendly wave. ”Hey, Emma!” It was nice to see her friend sit by her, especially since this was her last year. There was only so much longer that they could work by each other. Caret mark? Huh? Aurora was confused as to why a proofreading mark was being mentioned until she realized that Emma was talking about what was on the board. ”That’s not a caret mark. It’s a Rune.” Had she forgotten that this was also an Ancient Runes lesson? Did she need help with the subject? She’d have explained things further, but she knew that Professor Cox would do just that himself shortly. As the lesson started, Aurora listened carefully and took notes as needed. Even though she had been studying a lot of Ancient Runes, it was still a good idea. It was no surprise when the conversation turned to fire, given that they were discussing Kenaz. She listened as her classmates spoke, then raised her hand. ”Fiendfire is very destructive Dark Magic and also very hard to control. But it was also very beneficial in being able to destroy Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem.” Much like the Basilisk’s fang which was also deadly but able to destroy Horcruxes. ”The Floo Network also uses fire.” So that was another benefit. Aurora had more thoughts, but she left it at that so that others could have the chance to speak. |
Jansher Grunt, Slytherin That was definitely his little brother, just as chirper as ever, even as he was approaching his height. Jan was fairly decent with Potions and he considered himself on par with Ancient Runes, but put together, "I do wonder... I bet it'll be a thrill." He suggested to Idris before the lesson began. Two magical developments with fire, destructive, and a tool of progress in wizarding society... Aurora already mentioned Fiendfyre, which was definitely on the destructive pattern, and of course, Incendio. When it was his turn to answer, he responded, "Well, it's debatable on which side of the spectrum this would fall under, but the Goblet of Fire is meant to be an impartial judge for selecting students to represent their school in the Triwizard Tournament. The Tournament was meant to unite the schools together in the event, although students had died in pursuit of winning the cup, so it could fall under both serving as progress and destructive in nature with the risk." At least, that was his thought process. |
Text Cut: individual replies Cox let the murmur of quills and parchment scratchings settle before he spoke again. His hand shifted once across his forearm, more habit than necessity now, and he surveyed the room with his usual level calm. “Good," he nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. “Dare I say…excellent? You’ve all demonstrated that fire is, and always has been, both a servant and a saboteur. From… alleged marshmallows on the pyre to Fiendfyre consuming its caster, it is the same truth again and again. Fire builds and it consumes." His gaze flicked toward the rune on the board, the faintest tightening around his shoulders betraying the ache of the transmutaton circle inked there. “Which leads us to the first part of today’s work- the Fire Protection Potion. Its use is as literal as it sounds. Dragonologists, curse-breakers, and the less stubborn sort of Gringotts goblin will often soak protective gear in the potion for prolonged resilience against dragonflame, cursed fire, and similar hazards. In other cases, you’ll see it combined with rune work such alongside Kenaz and other runes, embroidered into dragonhide tunics or engraved into protective gears and wands. The potion and the runes complement one another, each reinforcing what the other lacks." He paused, gaze sharp as he continued. "However, limitations must be understood. One sip will protect the drinker’s skin for no more than for approximately 20–35 minutes and should be sipped sparingly. Chugging too much too without chasing it with water, risks nausea, disorientation, and in extreme cases, setting your internal temperature so low you’ll struggle to thaw properly. This is why dragonologists and cursebreakers tend to prefer layering their protections rather than relying on a flask." The faintest flicker of a smile tugged, unnerving as it was handsome. "So! Before anyone thinks it quaint to stroll through a bonfire with bravado or have yourself a cup of cocoa while sitting in the middle of the fireplace in your common room just because you can… keep that in mind." Lifting his palm toward the board, the runes etched along his knuckles flared, magic threading visibly through his veins. As Cox paced casually to the far side as chalk scratched and shifted of its own accord in his wake. Kenaz faded and replaced by a neatly rendered list of ingredients and brewing steps. He paused to allow everyone to take it all in. Quote:
He began pacing slowly along the front row, his gaze seeking out each relevant student as he continued. "OWL and NEWT candidates, you’ll see an advanced step noted. It involves a phoenix feather. You are only attempt it if you have the confidence to manage it, but consider this your push to do so." He turned on his heel, navy cloak flaring as he gestured back to the board. "Questions about ingredients or the process, ask them. Better you speak now than waste perfectly good components." He paused just long enough to scan the room on last time before offering a twitch of the lips that could actually be considered a smile. "Begin your brewing. When finished, ladle your potion into the phial provided, label with your name, house, and year, and wait for further instruction." At the threshold of the second row of workbenches, he raised his brows and shared an eerily casual warning. "And mind yourselves at every stage, no shortcuts and be thorough as well as diligent...unless you've always fancied going about without eyebrows." OOC: Tada! Brewing time! Thank you again so much for coming and sharing your RPG energy with me ^_^ You’re welcome to have your student complete the brewing process in however many posts feel comfortable—whether that’s all at once or broken into smaller sections. Both are totally fine! Failure is also fair game. Professor Cox may be a prickly dude, but he won't be cruel. He knows mistakes are part of the learning process at your characters' ages. :lol: You will have at least 2 days (48 hours) to get through all or most of your character's brewing process before the next activity is introduced. Catch up is also always welcome :pea: |
Idris Grunt :: Gryffindor {+ questions for Professor} Id was indeed sitting in his unease, a feeling that stemmed from the fact that so many witches and wizards throughout history had chosen whatever form of magic to hurt others. The thought was a depressing one. He fought not to sink into his feelings but instead focus on making meticulous notes. This was his OWL year and it meant he’d need all his notes to help him through strenuous studies. The Fire Protection Potion! It sounded interesting enough to make the guy perk up once more. His hand seemed to fly across his book as he made relevant notes on the use of the potion, how it could be paired with runes such as Kenaz and all the other details. When he looked over the steps on the board, his interest couldn’t help but be piqued by the special instruction. So… naturally, he had to raise his hand to ask, especially since Cox had ‘encouraged’ them to ask their questions. “How much stronger does the barbs from the phoenix feather make the potion, Professor?" Double the strenght? Triple? "Is there an ingredient that would also increase the length of time of twenty to thirty-five minutes when used?” Brass cauldron properly set up, Idris cast a cleaning charm on it. You know… just in case there was a smidge of dirt or some sort of impurity lying within. Just before he went off to collect the rarer ingredients, he looked at Jan with eyes resembling the dilated sort of cats and kneazles. “Can we work as a team, Jan?" :butshy2: The bonus was that they were OWL and NEWT students respectively so they even got to use the barbs. |
Cat smiled juuuust a little at Professor Cox's response to her answer. The good feelings, however, were short lived due to the transition to more note-taking, then instruction-giving, and then... then Cat had to do the actual brewing of the potion. And that wasn't the problem. Truly, it wasn't. The problem was in the getting started, as always. She took meticulous care in retrieving her ingredients when there was no line, then in getting them set up and prepared for preparation. She didn't trust her wandwork yet (especially in this class), so she added the distilled water in lieu of aguamenti. While the water was heating, she moved on to preparing the next few ingredients, dicing and crushing as instructed (she knows, because she checked the instructions no less than six times to make sure she was doing the right action to the correct ingredient. And everything was all well and good until she got to the part where she added the mushroom tops. The... unusual color of the potion caught her eye and she leaned over her cauldron a bit, eyes widening. The instructions said yellow or white... Sitting back, she raised her hand. "Professor," her gaze flickered to her potion then back at the adult. "How, um, yellow should the vapors be?" Because it wasn't exactly sunflower or anything. If she squinted, she could maybe label it moldy lemon. |
Text Cut: the enthusiastic but sensitive bean "Valid questions, Mr. Grunt," he nodded as his gaze flicked toward the boy’s raised hand, weighing his enthusiasm with something just shy of patience. "The barbs lend the potion more resilience against magical flame in particular, not simply an increase in raw strength. Meaning a potion laced with phoenix feather barbs will grant the drinker greater resistance to high-temperature flames and infernos. There are even claims it affords one the chance to withstand Fiendfyre itself for a short time. In theory, enough that with quick thinking and no shortage of good fortune, escape might be possible. Personally, I remain unconvinced." His tone shifted into almost dry amusement before shaking some thoughts free from his frontal lobe. "Phoenix barbs will act as an extending agent when brewed correctly, though not by a significant amount of time. Should one wish to double their time, a thin slice of dragon liver could do the trick, in theory, though the volatility makes it more likely, even for the most advanced potioneers, that a cauldron will explode. If your concern is stamina, I suggest you take great care while handling your barbs and do not over simmer your brew. Too much nervous sweating from your fingers could weaken your brew." Then came another brief pause, his eyes narrowing slightly in a manner that wasn’t entirely unkind but was certainly not doing very well in hiding his disapproval. "Work with your brother if you must, but bear in mind that OWL candidates will be judged on their own performance with their own cauldrons. Better to test your limits now, when the risk is low, than discover them too late." Text Cut: mmmmm, moldy lemons. better than rotten yolks at least His eyes then slid to the hand in the air but soon shifted to the haze above her cauldron. ................... A breath in.......and out.........and in.......and out..... This was fine. It was fine. Miss Webb was doing precisely what she should be doing in this situation. "I'd say you are just a couple shade away from the contents of your cauldron exploding," he replied as evenly as he could manage without allowing his jaw to set, his next exhale coming out a bit too sharply from his nose. "Something closer to a fresh banana, the inside of a pineapple, or butter would be more encouraging. Your color...suggests an imbalance." He took several steps forward so he could peer into her cauldron properly for further evaluation. "I suspect the cut of your mushroom caps was too thick, causing the infusion to lag...though cut them too find and you risk them burning up. About as thin as two knuts stacked on top of one another is what you want to aim for. You can start over, if you wish, should do so with that in mind and save yourself the headache." His hand flicked once and fingers flexed, the sharp crack of his knuckles punctuating his next suggestion. "Or... if you prefer to try and salvage it... add a single sprig of dittany to temper the acidity and 3 grams of ground moonstone to stabilize the base. That should draw it back from the edge, though it will not be as potent as a properly brewed Fire Protection Potion." The choice was hers - each carrying its own merit and its own lesson, depending on which she chose to walk. |
Aurora Bay - Hufflepuff Aurora smiled and nodded in agreement at what Professor Cox said in response to her. She continued to take notes as he spoke to the class, wondering what potion they would be brewing today. Obviously it would relate to fire and could be used alongside Kenaz. Oooh the Fire Protection Potion. That piqued Aurora's interest. This was one of the potions that he mother brewed quite often, but she had never made it herself before. It was always nice when she got to brew a potion for the first time. As Professor Cox talked about the potion she continued to take her meticulous notes. Idris asked some good questions, and Professor Cox's response to him was also written down. Since she was an OWL student she was happy to be able to do the extra step. Ready to begin, Aurora started by using Scorgify on her cauldron. Just to make sure that there wasn't any dirt or dust in her cauldron. She had a brass cauldron, and was glad to know that it would offer the best stability to the potion. Once she was sure that her cauldron was clean she set about gathering all the ingredients that she would need, laying them out in front of her. The 500mL of distilled water was added to her cauldron, and she set it to a low flame. Once the water had reached a gentle boil, she slowly added the ten drops of salamander blood. Then she used her silver stirring rod to give it three clockwise stirs. Aurora was happy to see that her potion turned to a glowing orange colour. Using the mortar and pestle she set about crushing the three fire seeds. Once she felt that they were crushed enough, she added one silver spoonful to the potion, waiting for it to fully dissolve before she added another spoonful. After repeating that process with the rest of the crushed fire seeds, she gave the potion two clockwise stirs. With her knife, Aurora next set about dicing the two bursting mushroom tops into small pieces. After they were added, she watched the small bubbles that formed, relieved when she saw that the vapors they released when popped resembled butter. According to what Professor Cox told Cat that meant she was on the right track. Hopefully the younger girl would be able to either salvage her potion or have better luck if she decided to start over again. Aurora would be happy to help her if needed. The 5g of dragon scale shavings were sprinkled in and Aurora saw it spark. It was green, so she knew that she was still doing things correctly. Next came three slow clockwise stirs. She made sure that each stir lasted as long as five 'hippocampus'es muttered under her breath. The 3g of wartcap powder was slowly added to the potion. It immediately started to thicken, and she watched as it turned the shade of dark forest green that it was supposed to. The four drops of essence of murltap were then added, the potion being stirred after each drop. The potion turned to a vivid purple with gold flecks in it. Now it was time for her extra step as an OWL student. Aurora added a pinch of the phoenix feather barbs in. The potion got four counterclockwise stirs after that. The heat was then reduced, and Aurora let the potion simmer for five minutes. After the five minutes, the potion was removed from the heat and she waited patiently for it to cool down. Once her potion had turned a rich cerulean colour and the flecks had turned to a copper colour, Aurora knew that her potion was ready. She carefully added some to her phial and worked on labeling it. Quote:
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Exploding. That was… quite scary. A frown slowly lined the space between her eyebrows as she listened, trying to resist the urge to write things down as he spoke. She knew, though, that she would forget, so she hurriedly took a few notes. Two knuts thick. Fresh banana. Dittany, fresh moonstone. ”Okay. Thank you, Professor.” She sighed softly, considering her options. The thought of starting completely over was not appealing. However, she didn’t know what they were going to do with their potions (she’d come to learn already that classes were weird) and she didn’t enjoy the thought of having less potent fire protection for any reason. So, she would begin again. Don’t worry, Professor Cox, she was quite experienced at the cleaning bit by now. She took her time doing that, sleeves rolled up as much as she could get them to stay. Then she began to re-do all the previous preparation, taking special care this time to cut the mushrooms the right thickness. Throughout the process she was intent on the instructions - deep forest green, vivid purple and gold (although some disappointment was given that she wasn’t old enough for the phoenix feather - mostly due to curiosity about what difference it made). After it all, she sat back in her chair with a big smile on her face. That was objectively (probably) tropical ocean. She ladled some into a phial and, in her absolutely neatest handwriting, labeled it with the requested identifying information. Then she promptly returned to writing notes. |
Jansher Grunt, Slytherin Jan would love to work with Idris, though they were given permission it seemed reluctant. "Don't worry, we'll do excellent." He gave his brother's shoulder a light squeeze before getting to work. He listened to their questions being answered, he was in the zone with getting everything all ready with the ingredients set aside. He wordlessly cleaned the cauldron before he poured in the 500ml distilled water. After adjusting the flame low for a gentle boil, Jan added just a drip of the salamander blood slowly... Drip Giving it a stir three times the potion turned a glowing orange. He glanced over at Idris to see if they were doing okay before he got back to the brewing. "Looks almost good enough to drink, but we're not chancing this." The fire seeds thankfully were already cool to the touch, so Jan just needed to crush it with the moral and pestle, swirling it around just before it could resemble some powder. He scooped with the silver spoon dumping it one at a time. When he poured the first scoop it, he could hear a soft sizzle and one it dissolved, he repeated the step until there was nothing left to pour in. Now he could stir it.. one time... one more time.. Jan then diced the 2 bursting mushrooms tops into small pieces before dropping them into the cauldron. Small bubbles appeared, that reminded him of soup beginning to boil. Each bubble released white and pale yellow vapors.. Now let's see the next step. Sprinkle... Okay, he can do that. Jan took the Dragon Scale shavings and pretend it was like confetti, sprinkling it into the cauldron with one arm. SPARK, SPARK, SPARK Jan ducked momentarily at the green sparkle effects, but it didn't last long when he stood up again. "Heh, that was pretty cool." He then began to stir it as slowly as possible 3 turns spaced just long enough to last 5 hippocampuses. Then he slowly added 3g of Wartcap powder. The potion already started to thicken, changing from lime yellow to light green to a deep green resembling the trees in the forest. Okay, now the Essence of Murtlap, he would stir it once after each drop. After the fourth drop, the potion was now purple like grape juice with golden flecks. Now the extra ingredient, since he was a NEWT student and Idris was in his OWL year, he took a pinch of the phoenix feather's barbs, "Cheers." Giving Idris a sort of fist bump while they held the barb before he added it into his cauldron. Now he stirred it in 5 times counterclockwise. With that done, Jan reduced the heat to let the potion simmer five minutes. "That wasn't too bad.." Giving him time to sort of double check the steps and make sure he didn't miss anything. After the five minutes, he set the heat to off and awaited for the potion to cool off into the right colour... a rich cerulean, just like the waters in the Carribean from his summer trip. The flakes soon followed changing to a copper colour. Without missing a beat, Jan used the ladle to carefully scoop the results into the vial before labeling it. Quote:
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Ty Prince, Slytherin It wasn't unusual for Ty to simply sit quietly in lessons, even when he knew the answers (or, more likely, thought he could give a very good guess, which often turned out to be more or less on the money) to the questions posed. Not all the time, of course; he made sure to give his input often enough to show he was engaged and not one of the sullen silent types (common in his house, he'd noticed), and there were times it was necessary to voice something if he thought it important to do so, but he was usually content with listening and note-taking. Such was the situation today so far. Once Cox had reached the end of his spiel and revealed the potion recipe on the board, Ty scribbled down as much as he could remember on the subject of fire and then briskly underlined his notes, in order to jot down the instructions. Much easier to keep track of his own brewing progress that way, even if it meant he took a little longer to get started. Plus it meant avoiding the initial rush for supplies. After a few minutes, Ty dropped the quill on top of his parchment and went to go and collect what he did not already have. He dithered for a moment or five over the phoenix feather, but ultimately chose to grab one. He'd decide how the potion was looking when he got to that stage, and if he was not confident in that step, would simply... return it, he supposed. It was not exactly that he lacked confidence in his ability, more that his potions did not always share that confidence with him. Back to his workstation, and then it was down to business. Ty was nothing if not diligent when it came to his schoolwork, and did not find himself hampered by starting a few minutes behind schedule. At least potions was relatively simple in essence, even though that didn't necessarily translate to being easy. Just follow the instructions as closely as possible. Do what was expected and try not to mess up. He was good at that. To a fault, sometimes. In fact... well, no, he would simply not mess this up, that was all. As Ty went, he ticked off the steps on his parchment. Water boiling gently over a low boil, tick. Ten drops of salamander blood followed by three stirs, tick. Glowing orange... or... was that maybe closer to red? Blood orange? Well... tick, all the same. By the time Ty was crushing the fire seeds, though, he could feel a familiar, uncomfortable ticking in his chest too, and found himself sending a wary glance or two in Cox's direction. But still, he forged ahead, spooning the crushed fire seeds into the potion with his silver spoon, staring intently at the liquid throughout the interminable wait while they dissolved. Then two stirs. But it was after adding the mushroom pieces that Ty suddenly stalled. The potion was bubbling alright, but... the vapours. The instructions said white or yellow. Ty's were closer to white than yellow, but Ty had been listening to the talk in the classroom, and Cox had only elaborated on the ideal yellow shades. After a moment of considering his potion, Ty wasn't even sure these vapours were white at all; it suddenly seemed not just probable but likely that he had convinced himself of it. Surely these were grey. Beige. Brown, perhaps. Taupe. (Narrator: The vapour was, in fact, white-ish yellow.) For a moment, Ty froze. He hated the way this happened, how the anxiety swooped in out of nowhere, entirely missing the memo that he was not an anxious person. He chanced another glance at the professor again and then at his closest neighbours. Doing nothing was not an option, obviously, not with a potion bubbling right in front of him, probably going through all kinds of different processes the longer he stood there. He could not call the professor over either, but Cox was the person best placed to advise; Ty wasn't sure how much he'd trust the input of another student, especially now that he had so completely discredited his own senses. But he wasn't about to just barrel ahead either, and risk turning a failing potion (Narrator: The potion was perfectly acceptable.) into a catastrophe. So Ty mustered his courage, and cleared his throat. "What colour would you say these vapours are?" he asked out loud in his most confidently curious, would-be casual tone, addressing no one in particular, but hoping intently that it would not be the professor who came over to check. But also hoping that it would be. But also not. But. |
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