Professor Fawcett
November 12, 2011 12:32 PM
Lesson I for Beginners (1st and 2nd Years) by Professor Fawcett
The classroom where Potions classes were held was spacious and well-ventilated for obvious reasons, and placed adjacent to the hospital wing for almost equally clear ones. Now, at the beginning of the year, it was also as close to keeping paper to a minimum – just three cases of Potions texts and periodicals at the front of the room, and the one by the door had its top occupied by a stacked set of wire baskets for the three class groups to hand in assignments and a box of tissues – as logic would dictate and a former Aladren of the classic type could help, but John didn’t expect that to last long. It never seemed to, somehow, particularly around his desk and, to a lesser extent, the smaller, lower table at its right.Happily, there was a generous space between his desk and the first of the student seats, all two-person tables taller than normal desks, with stools instead of chairs and surfaces treated with potions and then charmed against flammability. John had checked the continued effectiveness of those himself, repeatedly, before the year began, and would periodically through the rest of it. Fires were not on the list of things he wished to deal with this year, and were one of the ones he was more capable of preventing. At the back of the room, there was a door leading to the storeroom shared with the hospital wing, a set of spickets(with basins underneath; routinely drying puddles was another thing he did not wish to do and could largely prevent) for water, and a pair of large black cabinets, one holding supplies the students might not have or have enough of, one empty for the moment.
There was little else in the room besides two long rows of posters portraying famous potioneers along the walls which did not contain the blackboard and the supplies in the back. Student projects might begin to accumulate here and there as the semester progressed – certainly the empty cabinet would be used at some point to hold long-term potions from the Advanced class – but on the first day of classes, the room was as neat as it would ever be.
A few of the posters were murmuring about it, too. John chose to ignore them.
Once the class had been gathered in and the door closed with the ringing of the bell, he stood before the first and second years, feeling somewhat taller even than usual in front of those who generally included the school’s smallest students. “Good morning,” he said. “I am, for those who do not know me, Professor Fawcett, your Potions instructor.” He opened a red folder and removed a sheet of paper. “Please answer when I call your name from the roll.”
He finished that, getting through all the new first years’ names without emphasizing or, he thought, badly mispronouncing any of them, and then waved his wand, causing a packet of papers to go to each student. The second years would know what it was, but he explained for the benefit of the new students. “This is your syllabus. I suggest you keep it somewhere safe, somewhere you will be able to refer to it regularly, because you have before you what we are – unless I tell you otherwise – to study each class period until midterm, along with descriptions of your major assignments.” The projects they would work on this year paled in comparison with what lay ahead of the Advanced class, but they would be taken seriously nevertheless.
“I would also like to draw your attention to the section entitled ‘Classroom Rules and Procedures.’ You are going to be interacting with dangerous materials in this class, as has every class I have taught this subject to, and I do not intend for this to be the first class in which there is serious injury. If you are having difficulty, I am prepared to work with you to find a solution, but if you cause trouble in my classroom, I assure you, I will see to it that you are punished to the fullest extent allowable.”
He smiled then. “If you do not cause trouble, however, we can get along very well, and you may have an informative and, I hope, enjoyable experience in Potions. Now. Everyone take out your textbooks.”
He rearranged his syllabi every year, tinkering and adjusting, experimenting with different ideas and bits of educational theory in the half-conscious hope that he would eventually discover the ideal way to organize each level and perhaps come to be considered something of an authority on the subject. This year, he was taking the tact of beginning the class on a bit of a challenging note – not too much, not out of their league, but something that wouldn’t bore the second years to tears and which they could all have a use for. It would, if his recollections of being eleven were anything to go by – he was technically, he supposed, a half-blood, but had been a good bit older than these children when he finally found out his mother was a witch; sometimes, he thought that she really had convinced herself that her five years as a Muggleborn Crotalus had never happened until he and Carlene both turned out to have magic – hook the Muggleborns, and even the pureblooded children might want to send images of their new classmates and school and themselves home to Mother and Father and whatever other family they were particularly close or obliged to.
“Muggle photographs, as you may or may not know, are generally stationary – that is to say, the images in them do not move.” He said ‘generally’ because he had just enough contact with the Muggle world to know they were starting to do some interesting things with portraiture, and he would rather not be corrected by the Muggleborn version of Mr. Melcher on the first day of class. “In the magical world, however, they do, something which is accomplished through the use of a specific potion during the development of the photographs. This is what you will work on today.”
He tapped the board with his wand, and a list of instructions appeared, printed rather than in his handwriting to give the students every sliver of advantage. “This potion requires considerable attention to detail, so feel free to group yourselves between years for it if you wish. Take care with your counting and your crushing, and to add each ingredient in the proper order.” One of the good things about this potion was that it was not very volatile even if it went wrong in most ways, but he saw no need to tell them that just yet. "The ingredients are eight cups of water, seven powdered shrivelfig pits - you'll need to crush them yourselves - two boiled murtlap leaves, thirty-two crushed fairy eggs, five hippocampus scales, and one unicorn tail hair. It is a long list of ingredients, but the potion itself is not complex. Just be very sure to fully crush the shrivelfig pits, count the fairy eggs, and stir the correct number of times after putting in the unicorn tail hair. You may work together in class, but I expect your homework short answer assignments, from the syllabus, to be done individually. You may begin."
OOC: Welcome, all, to Term 15 Potions! Standard posting rules apply: 200 words minimum, no writing for other characters, decent spelling and grammar, and keep your part of the story realistic. That said, have fun!
Subthreads: Pictures of You by David Kim [Aladren] with Brianna Japos (Crotalus), David
Say Cheese! by Shiloh Romano [Crotalus] with Cepheus Princeton - Crotalus, Shiloh, Cepheus Princeton
I think I can, I think I can by Katrina (Kitty) McLevy - Aladren with Waverly Canterbury - Pecari, Kitty
... by Angel Shield - Teppenpaw with Valerie Lennox, Crotalus, Angel
Picture Perfect by Gareth Whitebriar - Crotalus with Alicia Bauer, Gareth
A resolution of contradictory reports by Theresa Carey with Arabella Brockert, Pecari, Theresa
A challenge? by Nora Dobson, Aladren with Sullivan Quincy, Pecari
Pictures!! by Jhonice Trevear - Pecari with Thaddeus Pierce II
Not a total beginner anymore. by Mellie Goodwin, Pecari with Michael Grosvenor, Teppenpaw
Beginning in Beginning Potions by Alexandra Devereux, Crotalus
Caring would help...but it would also take effort by Paul Bennett, Crotalus with Linus Macaulay
0
Professor Fawcett
Lesson I for Beginners (1st and 2nd Years)
0
Professor Fawcett
1
5
Angel Shield - Teppenpaw
November 13, 2011 5:13 PM
... by Angel Shield - Teppenpaw
Angel stared at himself in the mirror for a long time, his red gaze studying the green school robe draped over his scrawny frame. The middling shade looked unnatural on him, not black or white as he was accustomed to wearing. It is the same for all, no one will laugh Angel reassured himself as he turned his back on the image in the mirror. With slightly faltering steps Angel made his way to the potions classroom, worry eating away at him as he struggled to remain calm.The stone floor was cold against the soles of his feet but Angel didn’t feel uncomfortable with the chill. His school robes were two sizes too big, hiding his feet from curious eyes. Quickly he found a seat in the front of the class in front of the Professor’s desk. He dutifully pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill and his ink well as the Professor handed out packets of information to each of the students. He took one in his pale hand and looked it over, knowing he’d have to go back later and painstakingly read though it line by line. There wasn’t enough time now for that so he set it aside.
A few half drawn words dotted the parchment as the Professor lectured the students. Angel quickly found that his slow halting words were in no way able to keep up with the man’s speech so he stopped writing, settling on focusing his attention on the Professor instead. As he listened, pale finger tips began picking apart the edges of the quill. The lecture progressed, and Angel’s quill became more and more tattered.
When they were released to begin the potion Angel stood and moved silently with the rest of the students to gather the ingredients. Subtly Angel watched the other students and took what they did in the same proportions. Once the ingredients had been secured Angel returned to his seat and carefully set each one down as he examined them with gentle finger tips. His pale pink lips moved slowly as he counted out seven shrivelfig pits. Picking the pits up one slipped between Angel’s fingers and rolled over to the other side of the desk. Crimson eyes tracked the pit and Angel glanced up to the student sitting next to him.
0
Angel Shield - Teppenpaw
...
0
Angel Shield - Teppenpaw
0
5
Valerie Lennox, Crotalus
November 14, 2011 9:27 AM
Concern by Valerie Lennox, Crotalus
Valerie could feel a headache building as she walked into Potions the first lesson of her second year. She remembered the first lesson she'd went to last year and sincerely hoped that Professor Fawcett didn't have anything as strenuous as a scavenger hunt planned that day. Valerie had wanted desperately to have fun with that, but she just hadn't been able to. It had been too much for her.Then again, maybe it wasn't proper to like things like that anyway. That made Valerie feel better, well, mentally anyway. Young ladies were not supposed to be athletic or wild. They were supposed to prefer the stationary pursuits in life such as embroidery or knitting. Valerie was learning to do both as they were things that she could do when she was stuck in bed for long periods of time.
Besides, she doubted she would be inclined towards more active hobbies even if she were well and not a young pureblood lady but as this was her station in life, Valerie had never really given it much thought. It wasn't even an option. Why, the Crotalus hadn't even been able to take flying lessons last year! She hadn't minded not doing it, aside from worrying that other pureblood girls might resent her. Valerie tried to downplay any special treatment her illness gave her as much as possible.
Although, she doubted that even the most proper young lady would want to trade places with her, to be constantly-and sometimes rather seriously-ill, just in order to avoid hovering in the air a bit. Who would want to be in Valerie's situation where everything was a struggle? Where she barely even functioned a good portion of the time? What the second year had told Brianna at the feast was true, sometimes she just wanted to be normal, even she didn't possess any desire to fly or anything. Valerie simply hated the idea that someone might dislike her or think she was making a big deal out of nothing, that she was a hypochondriac or that she was exaggerating in order to get out of things that a lot of pureblood girls really didn't want to do.
Valerie managed to make her way to the Potions classroom, her headache increasing. The closest seat she found to the door was at one of the two person tables in front of the professor's desk. Valerie sat down. She always tried to sit as close to the door as possible, as to not wear herself out by walking too much.
She glanced anxiously at the other person at her table, a boy who was possibly paler than she was. The Crotalus hoped that he wasn't sick, both because Valerie knew how awful it was to be so and because she didn't want to catch whatever he had. Of course, the fact that she was in the same room as him period meant she was exposed already to anything he might have had.
He was also probably going to be the person that Valerie ended up working with on today's lesson. So, she hoped that he was nice. The second year remembered the cold way David had treated her last year. It still baffled her, as she honestly didn't know what she had done wrong. Valerie chose not to think about it that much, because it would just make her feel bad.
The Crotalus listened attentively to Professor Fawcett. She didn't want to miss anything, even if her headache was making it a bit difficult to concentrate. Once the professor was done speaking. Valerie put a pair of gloves on and got her ingredients out. She was working on getting them in order when she felt someone looking at her. She turned to see the pale boy looking in her direction, noticing how red his eyes were. Did he have pinkeye? "Are you okay?" Valerie asked. "Your eyes are awfully red."
She was concerned for them both. The frail second year did not want pinkeye and she really didn't wish it on this boy either. Valerie was also a bit mad at herself for that being the first thing she thought of-it seemed so selfish, she would hate if others avoided her because they were afraid she might be contagious- but that was how she'd been conditioned, to always worry about illness and getting sick before anything else.
11
Valerie Lennox, Crotalus
Concern
204
Valerie Lennox, Crotalus
0
5
Angel
November 14, 2011 9:31 PM
... by Angel
“Yes.” He said softly, the word held the gentle flavor of Georgia its low tone almost going unheard under the rise and fall of young voices breaking off into pairs and figuring out who would do what. Your eyes are awfully red. Her words caused him to drop his crimson gaze as he slowly reached out to pick up the escaped shrivelfig pit that had fallen on her side of the desk. It took him a moment to understand what she meant as he’d never had anyone question his condition before. They all simply recognized the snow white skin, ash colored hair and red eyes. “Albino.” He offered by way of explanation.The soft tink, tink, tink of the seven pits was heard as Angel dropped them into the black marble mortar. Potions wasn’t a subject he’d been tutored in so the young albino watched the other students, mimicking their behaviors when he didn’t know what to do next. Seeing everyone else working together in pairs Angel glanced sideways towards the girl sharing his desk again. Would she be upset working with him? he wondered as he carefully pushed a small container of fairy eggs towards her side, silently instructing her to do the counting if she wished to.
Angel took the pestle in pale slender fingers, his hold clearly showing that it was a tool he’d never operated before. Gently he placed the end of the pestle into the mortar on top of the pits and gave it an experimental push before lifting it and looking down at the still quite solid pits. Again he glanced subtly around the room, watching as other students pushed down hard, twisting the pestle to aid in crushing the pits. Another attempt, he had to push much harder than he expected the task to take and after only a few moments he was panting softly and the pits were only half crushed. His ghostly pale cheeks were flushed with his efforts and Angel had to set the mortar aside to catch his breath feeling slightly dizzy with his exertions.
0
Angel
...
0
Angel
0
5
Valerie
November 18, 2011 7:56 AM
That did not make me less worried. by Valerie
Valerie breathed a sigh of relief when the boy explained he was an albino. Of course! She was slightly embarrassed that she hadn't figured that out for herself, he must think her so stupid, but Valerie's first instinct was to assume someone else was ill and contagious and that she'd be infected very soon. She couldn't help it, it was a worry that consumed Valerie's every waking moment.Still, she was glad he was all right. The Crotalus would never wish how she felt on anyone. Not even someone she didn't like. Although there wasn't any such person. Valerie was at least lucky that way. Especially as feelings of anger and hatred wouldn't be good for her. She needed to stay calm and not get stressed out or upset.
At home, Valerie was protected against this. Everyone tiptoed around her as if she would break, which she actually might. Here she had to worry about how she was treated or having to do stuff that she really wasn't supposed to do, like be outside during COMC. That was the price she had to pay for doing something that normal young witches did.
The boy turned back to his equipment, dropping pits into the mortar. Valerie rubbed her head, which was beginning to hurt even worse. She coughed. Her eyes were beginning to itch and she felt a scratchy feeling in the back of her throat. Apparently, now the Crotalus was getting a cold. At least Valerie hoped it was a cold. That could be quickly cleared up with the pepper-up potion. It was a wonder that the second year hadn't developed a tolerance to it, but then again, that was the problem. Her immune system didn't work, so it was unlikely that she would-that she even could -develop an immunity to a medicinal potion.
Valerie looked over at the boy, noticing the small container of fairy eggs he'd pushed over to her for the first time. She began to count them, sneaking a look at the albino. The Crotalus had, of course, never seen one before. Valerie hadn't seen much aside from in books. She wondered if she should say something to him, introduce herself.
That's when she noticed him trying to catch his breath. "Are you sure you're okay?" Valerie asked. She was worried for both their sakes. Again, she felt bad being concerned for herself when someone else didn't feel well, instead of thinking of the other person. It was just that an infection could be very very serious for her and land her in the Hospital Wing for weeks. Valerie didn't want to end up there so early in the year. "I'm Valerie Lennox, of the St. Louis Lennoxes, by the way."
11
Valerie
That did not make me less worried.
204
Valerie
0
5
Angel
November 19, 2011 4:05 PM
... by Angel
“Yes.” The word was a bit breathy, but his panting had slowed. “Not much energy.” Angel added in way of explanation. The nearly translucent skin, ash white hair, and striking crimson eyes were the things that captured most people’s attention. The albino coloration served as a distraction for the more subtle defects in his health. Once a person became accustomed to his coloration they might notice how painfully thin he was, the way his bones seemed to press uncomfortably against his skin with not enough flesh between. That, along with his peculiar eating habits and the potions he had to take were the only outward signs of the nearly fatal internal defects. “Angel Shield.” He offered, returning the introduction.Angel glanced into the mortar and felt his spirits fall a bit. The pits were crushed, but still far from being powder. Deciding it might be best to put that to the side for the moment Angel looked up at the board, his crimson eyes slowly tracing over the words trying to figure out some easier task to accomplish before attempting the pits again.
What should I be doing? Angel wondered as he bit his lip. He glanced over to Valerie for the first time sense giving her his name. No one had reacted negatively to the Shield name yet, but each time he gave it Angel expected them to. He waited to see how she would react, and hoped she would take charge and tell him what to do.
0
Angel
...
0
Angel
0
5
Valerie
November 25, 2011 5:48 PM
It's really hard to think up a reply to that. by Valerie
"Oh," Valerie replied. She understood that so well. The second year got tired very easily. At home,she always took a nap after lunch and that was when she was comparatively well, meaning no current infection. Valerie never could really manage this at Sonora during the week because of classes but she usually did on weekends. Though she did worry that it would seem odd to her roommates. Then again, it was pretty obvious that Valerie was sick a lot and needed her rest. She just worried about putting them out at all. That they would have to be quiet or avoid the room so as not to wake her up. She would hate to have them resent her because of it.For similar reasons, Valerie did not share her own lack of energy with Angel. She didn't want him to think she was whining or digging for sympathy. It was different for him to have told her because she was the one who'd asked. Just as Valerie had told Brianna because Brianna had asked. And she'd told Michael because she'd had to explain why she could not sit on the floor in Charms.
She was glad Angel wasn't sick though. If he was, Valerie might have had to move and that would have been rude. The Crotalus would not have wanted someone to move away from her for fear of catching what she had at a given time. Of course, if Valerie were sick, she would not be in class in the first place, she'd be in the hospital wing again. It was also a lot worse for her to catch something from others than for them to catch something from her, even though Valerie wouldn't want to infect anyone else either. It was just that the other students had normal immune systems and she didn't. It was likely that she would get sicker than anyone else would. What could be a simple virus to someone else could keep Valerie in the hospital for weeks, maybe even kill her.
Shield. It was a name the Crotalus had heard only in passing. Valerie didn't know any were still around. They were often used as a tale against inbreeding, but then her own family had a genetic immune deficiency that Valerie had inherited and she wasn't any more inbred than any other pureblood. It was also possible that Angel was a muggleborn or a halfblood who was just unfortunate enough to have the same last name as the supposedly defunct family. That happened from time to time. Valerie supposed it didn't really matter. Her parents never put pressure on her to do anything because of her condition. They wanted her to associate with the right people, of course, but never said she could only talk to them. And he hadn't introduced himself the pureblood way either, so perhaps he was just someone with the same last name.
The second year coughed again, a bit harder this time. She rubbed her pounding head. She was going to have to go right from this class to get a Pepper-up Potion because Valerie was pretty certain she had a cold. At least, she hoped that was all she had. She looked over at Angel, wondering why he didn't have much energy, but she didn't want to pry.
11
Valerie
It's really hard to think up a reply to that.
204
Valerie
0
5
Angel
November 29, 2011 8:18 PM
... by Angel
What should I be doing? Angel fretted, the quill suffered his anxious fingers as he waited for her to tell him what to do. But, aside from a small ‘oh’ Valerie said nothing. This wasn’t a situation Angel had ever been placed in before. He had no notion of how to take control of a situation or be the leading force behind any sort of project. Instead Angel’s actions always revolved around the person he was dealing with at the time. The young albino spoke when spoken to, and acted when told to as he was told to.Rarely if not given any direction in a situation Angel would be moved by curiosity, as he had been in the Hall with Solomon, or in the Commons. But, not in a classroom situation where steps needed to be taken and Angel was suppose to work with someone else. So far in such situations the other person would lead and he would follow, or they would work separately. He didn’t know what to do with someone who just sat quietly, and occasionally coughed.
Biting his pale lower lip Angel shifted in his seat, and fidgeted as his crimson eyes turned again to the instructions. Cups? Of water. How big or small? Cups come in many sizes why… Angel was at a loss for how to proceed, he was unsure why a cup would be used, and hadn’t brought one from the hall in any case. The normal goblets he used were often smaller than the ones others used so he didn’t see how cups would make a good vessel for measurement.
“Eight cups?” Angel asked softly, hoping he didn’t sound as lost as he felt. With those two small words Angel relinquished his uneasy position of being the leader to her, and waited for her to direct him.
0
Angel
...
0
Angel
0
5
Valerie
December 07, 2011 7:44 PM
Coughing by Valerie
Valerie began to cough, hard, bringing heat to her face. She hated when this happened. It was super unpleasant and a bit embarrassing. She just couldn't help it. She never could help feeling sick all the time and hated it. Of course, the Crotalus couldn't imagine why anyone would want to feel this way and she doubted anyone would. Valerie could barely make it through a class period without at least feeling tired.And she was tired right now,extremely so. She wanted badly to take some Pepper Up potion and go lie down. Her headache was getting worse too and her nose was beginning to feel a bit itchy as were her eyes. Right now, though Valerie was just worried about coughing up something repulsive. Everyone would think that she was disgusting and unladylike then.
Or she might even cough up blood which would be even worse. The last time that had happened to the second year had been the winter before she'd come to Sonora when she'd had pneumonia. Valerie had been severely ill, even more so than usual, and was hospitalized for quite some time. She'd been sick enough that she'd had to be completely isolated and her parents and Melanie couldn't even visit her and she'd almost died. Coughing blood was a very bad sign indeed and Valerie was extremely paranoid, albeit perhaps rightfully so, about it.
Once her coughing fit abated, the second year peeked over at Angel, somewhat embarrassed. He'd been so quiet and Valerie couldn't tell if he was a quiet person, like herself, or that he didn't like her. She sincerely hoped it was the former. The Crotalus certainly didn't expect anyone to fuss over her like they did at home but she didn't want them to hate her or make fun of her or be revolted by her either. Ladies were supposed to be delicate, which Valerie certainly was, or at least present such an appearance, not rough or disgusting.
She was still afraid the other student would get up and move. Even though she hadn't thankfully coughed up blood or anything nasty, Valerie was still worried Angel would be afraid of her contaminating him or something, just as she'd been worried moments ago that he was the one with something contagious.
“Eight cups?”
The Crotalus looked up. Well, at least Angel was still talking to her. "I believe that's what it says." Valerie replied, smiling faintly. Was he expected her to take charge? She'd always been taught that she wasn't supposed to do so. Not only was Valerie a girl and a child but she'd also always been led to believe that she was supposed to just let others take care of her. A dependence on others and what they thought was best had led her to believe she wasn't to assert herself. Sure, she could tell house-elves what to do, but Angel wasn't a house elf, he was another wizard and male at that.
11
Valerie
Coughing
204
Valerie
0
5
Angel
December 11, 2011 1:38 PM
... by Angel
The girl next to him began coughing heavily and Angel wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. Coughing was an indication of illness that much Angel was aware of but he didn’t know what, if anything he should do about it. Once the coughing fit subsided Angel decided to ignore it. Valerie could be like him with physical defects that were what they were, so he would wait. If she asked him to do something then he would do it, if not he would continue to assume that she was able to manage on her own.An image of his mother before she died flashed though his mind. Angel had never really known what to do with sick people, and the house elf had taken care of her for that long dark month as she wasted away. He remembered closing the door to her sick room, leaving the raving woman to her death as he fled to the attic to escape her screaming. After days, or perhaps weeks, the sound dwindled and faded away. Angel hadn’t opened the door again, it had been Lady Cynthia who’d found her when she’d come for Angel’s regular checkup.
He didn’t know what was wrong with Valerie, but he didn’t think that it would be as bad as that. Either way this was a much different place, one full of adults who could take care of her should things get bad enough. ”I believe that’s what it says” Valerie said to his question. The answer left him as baffled as before. Giving up, Angel returned his attention to the grinding. While exhausting, it was still something he could do while he waited. He would grind the pits for half a minute, then rest and repeat.
0
Angel
...
0
Angel
0
5