Potions Lesson 1, Pod 4

ooc: Sorry that so much of this introductory post is the same as the other pods, but since you will all need the same information to set up the class, I've only made small edits. I don't expect other lessons to start this way.


Zada had attended the obligatory lunch at noon in the Great Hall. She didn't feel obligated to do this every day, but she was expected to make at least a showing on the first day of classes. There had been more excitement than she had expected. She didn't know why she had expected some droopy faces and dragging feet, but she hadn't seen much of that at lunch. She was expecting the first class of the afternoon to be a bit more revived after being fed and having a bit of a break for themselves.

She had excused herself from the Great Hall a few minutes early. She had put out the fires in the hearths in the potions lab before she'd gone up for lunch, but now, they needed to be lit again to warm the large room. She flicked her wand at both the hearths to -re-start the fire in the hearths.  The room hadn't gotten that cold in an hour's time, so it wouldn't take more than a moment or two to become comfortable again.

She was not unaccustomed to teaching, and she certainly was not unaccustomed to potions. She was, however, unaccustomed to the disarray that the potions lab had been in. She had meticulously reorganized it, and knowing that some students didn't know a bezoar from a billywig, she had labeled the cabinets, the jars, the drawers, and pretty much everything else they could screw up.

She was also not a fan of years of filth that had built up in the darkened corners of the dungeon, nor the heavy musty smell that the lower regions of the castle were prone to. She had set a cleaning charm in place and had increased the brightness a bit on the usually dim lights in the room. New potions students needed to see what they were chopping--where the herbs stopped and the fingers began.

She had had them simply pay the fees for the mandatory potions kit and then had seen to them herself to be certain that they had all the necessary equipment and that it was not second hand or second quality. She had one large set of floor to ceiling shelves that had the standard student sized wooden chests that were the potions kits. Their texts, of course, they were to have purchased at Flourish and Blotts before they boarded the train.

The chiming of the large wall clock alerted her that it was 1 pm. She erased the notes from the chalkboard from the last class, picked up a piece of chalk and wrote her name in her usual elegant script on the board.

Professor D'Eath

Finally, the moment he'd been waiting for quite a while.

Brice entered the room, carrying everything for the class quickly and efficiently, wanting to start quickly. He'd been waiting for the class excitedly, a bit from his obsession with potions (and poisons), and also, as he remembered, his sharp, beautiful knife he'd bought from Lorcan when he met him. Carved bone, wrought iron... indeed, beautiful blade. The dungeon looked different than he'd expected. It felt comfortable, or at least so he'd thought. Remembering the hospital wings which he'd visited not long ago, and the cares for his hypothermia, it'd be easy to say that he'd rather be learning in a cold, rat-filled dungeon than staying there. He didn't like being exposed to treatment by others. It seemed a bit weak. That didn't matter though, and he knew the people he saved from the train wreck are still grateful for him saving them. Remorse made him do it. He should stop having that. He had plans. Saving people were not in it. However, that's overthinking the topic. Putting that aside, he enters the room. Seeing a single figure there, probably the teacher, instantly put a small smile in his face. It finally came, the moment to start a class. He was about to take a seat, absorbing the looks of the classroom, when he noticed the name in the chalkboard.

D'eath?

So it is... when he met Lorcan for the first time, he thought he'd be the teacher. However, someone else from his family jumped in. He never really asked Lorcan about his family, but still, it was obvious enough. It would be pretty hard to have such an... unique... surname in common. That was none of his concern. He turned his gaze away from the professor, realizing he was staring for a little bit. Fiddling with his knife, Brice waited a while for more people to arrive, occasionally shooting a sneaky glance to the professor. Could it be a sister? Seemed more like a wife. Whatever. It would be a minor fact. Using the blade of his knife as a mirror, he took a little look at the door behind him, hoping someone'd arrive already.

"Oh, I see you found a new toy."
It was no one else than Darius who had entered the classroom few seconds ago and who had immediately noticed his good old friend, Brice Volkov whom he had not seen since the last spring. It would be a lie if he would say now that he missed the old chap for he did not, not the school would not be the same if he would not have a chance to tease the young man.

Grinning widely, he nodded to their teacher and approached Brice's table. It was more likely that he did not want Darius to join him there, but a tease that he was, he was going to do that anyway.

"You intend to pick your teeth with it, Volkov?" Dolohov questioned as he sat down and took out his book and placed it on the corner of the table.

Oh bother. Maybe he had his hopes too high. Not long after he finished looking around, Brice was (un)pleased by the visit of no one other than Darius Dolohov. Sure, he kind of missed him, but he really didn't feel excited about talking to him again. As he sat besides him, he felt a chill down his spine. He'd get him out, but he really couldn't. Just take it easy. He fiddled around with his knife a little longer, but once he mocked it, he decided that he wouldn't leave it. He was more than ready to activate "Fine You're My Friend But I Would Kill You" mode and spice things up. It'd be fun anyway.

"I was planning on using it to cut your fingers, Dolohov."

Smirking a bit, he relaxed. It'd be a fun class nonetheless.

Darius laughed heartily when Brice responded. Of course, what else did he expect from the angry blondie? Obviously not kisses and roses and chocolates that would fall from the sky and adorn him. It was amusing to watch how he was heating up, even though Brice tried not to show it. It had taken years for Darius to get to know this guy well enough to read his moods through his eyes or expressions only. Call it a good study if you will. And it amused him to no extent.
Obviously he would do something else rather than use his words, for example he would even pull a trick on Brice with magic, but as the teacher was around, he did not wish to pull attention to his own foolishness and good mood.

"Yeah, just make sure you won't harm yourself with it, Junior." Again he used his own age to his advantage, but then, like Brice he relaxed and leaned against the chair and looked towards the ceiling. it was good to be back, although he did not necessarily miss the whole studying process. Darius liked to take things easy.

It was time for go to Potions lesson, first one. Her to previous years were good years. She began to like that lesson and she was even good at making potions she learned it. She was excited about learning something new. She also was happy to go un that lesson.

After few minutes walking she walked into the classroom finally. She saw there two slytherin boys, she could tell it by their uniforms. She didn't had yet anything against them yet. She smiled and greeted everyone. After that she sat down somewhere was empty seat. She waited now lesson to began and also others.

Zada hadn't missed the banter about the potions knife. She remembered the old blade. It had been one of her own first blades, and although it had been well used, she had taken good care of it. She also knew that Lorcan didn't sell dull knives.

"This is not a healing class," Zada said to them. "Handle your knives well--meaning there will be no foolishness with them or I shall have them. I am Professor D'Eath, and I will be your potions instructor this year.

"I have looked over the contents of the previous potions kits you were issued last year, and they are not adequate. Therefore, you will be issued new ones this year. You may take them with you from the lab if you choose, but you will only have enough ingredients to complete your assignments. So I caution you to not use them foolishly. I take it you all have your texts. If not, do let me know. However, for now, each of you please go over to the shelves and choose one of the wooden cases that contain the potions kits.

"The first potion we will brew is the Cure for Boils. Can any of you tell me what's in it, and what you need to know to make it?"

Putting his knife down on the table and fixing his posture, Brice started listening to the professor. Wondering what the previous potions kits was, he pulled out his text, put it near his knife and walked over to the wooden shelf, picking up a potions kit case and quickly walked back to his seat. However, upon hearing the question of the professor, he did not hesitate to even raise his hand and, deciding to put his studies of Potions in class, started speaking.

"A dried nettle, six Snake Fangs, four horned slugs and two porcupine quills. If the potion is done correctly, there'll be pink smoke. If done incorrectly, the potion will cause boils. Oh, and before adding the Porcupine quills, you have to take the cauldron out of the fire. Otherwise, the cauldron will melt and... Well, anyway."