POTIONS CLASS

[OOC: Hello! Welcome to class! Please keep your posts between 100 and 300 words if at all possible. If that means using different accounts to post different students, feel free to do that. But remember to take turns instead of posting back and forth with one other person. We want everyone to feel included, and want it to be easy for them to catch up with what is happening. Also, remember that failure is part of the fun, so don’t be afraid to let your student take a while to understand the task that is asked of them.]



It was time for Riyan’s first potions class as the professor rather than the student, and this seemed so right to her. “Good afternoon students,” She said smiling sweetly at the faces that stared back up at her, “And welcome to Potions class. I am Professor Schultz.” The blonde introduced herself with a shaky voice. She looked over their faces once again. Turning her back she began writing on the board behind her. In nice big letters she wrote Antidote to Common Poisons “Today we will be starting with something very useful. Can anybody tell me why you would need an antidote like this?” She started the class with a smile and hoped she ended it the same way.

Calixta was early to Potions. She had been looking forward to this class, if only because when her parents were at school the famous Professor Snape had taught it. She therefore was sure she would be an absolute natural at the subject.

She was only justified in her confidence when the professor asked a question so obvious, even a first year like Calixta could answer it. Or perhaps it was just that Calixta was so talented for her age. That was probably it.

"I expect there are many people who are stupid enough to accidentally poison themselves," she said, hand raised, "so having an antidote like that already brewed would probably come in very useful for those poor cretins."

"Although, whether someone that stupid would be able to brew it correctly is probably debatable," she added. "They might just end up poisoning themselves twice."

A smirk tugged at the lips of the Nott seated in the front row.

She was leaning back leisurely in her chair, one leg curled over the other, her entire appearance incongruous when compared with the Hogwarts robes she wore so neatly.

Despite the look of a woman in her face and figure and the marriage band on her left hand, she was still a student of magic.

Potions was an art she needed less instruction in, however. It was a class that she probably could have gotten away with not attending. Her own passion for the subject would replace whatever direction the professor could provide.

Home in Hogsmeade, in her basement brewery, she could have completed her N.E.W.T now. Alas, she had a few months to go yet, though, before she was truly ready.

She was impressed by the first year, though. Who wouldn't be?

That said, she was a Montague. She would know. Isadora let a derisive eye flit over the students she knew to be Muggleborns. It took every inch of her self-control not to let her lip curl in disgust.

It was going to be a long, long year.

Belladonna was sat at the back of her class, her elbow resting on the table as a finger found a hair and began to curl it. The back of the class was where Belladonna felt at home. From here she could see everybody in the class, who was doing what, where the exciting conversations lay. More importantly, however, it allowed her to keep a close tag on her enemies.

Today's lesson was on antidotes and the Slytherin couldn't decide if she was interested or not. Being a Seventh year she'd covered the topic quite a lot and, truth be told, she didn't see the need to brew an antidote herself when she'd more likely be the one doing the poisoning. Besides, her sister-in-law at the front of the class would brew her an antidote if she needed it. At least, the Slytherin hoped that Isadora would do and if she wouldn't then Belladonna would simply have a word with Alexander.

Belladonna smirked as the younger Slytherin answered. From what Belladonna could remember from the Sorting Ceremony the girl was a first year, a Montague too. Being a prefect Belladonna found it only part of her job to know who the new students were but there seemed something special about the Calixta. The simple answer to the Professor question would be 'to counteract a poison' but the Montague girl went one step further in a somewhat, cynical yet charismatic way that maybe Belladonna's eye brow quirk with interest. Perhaps the first year students weren't all useless after all.

Apart from Astronomy, Potions was probably the class Malaika was looking forward to most.  She'd helped make many of them before she started Hogwarts, at least in the measuring and stirring stages, before a wand was required.  She was confident it would become one of her better classes.

However, she was surprised they were jumping right into the potion making itself.  Her mother had lectured her for ages about cauldron safety before she'd even been allowed near one.  Malaika felt a little sorry for any muggleborns in the class and what would happen to them if they accidentally burned themselves, or worse, got splashed by hot potions ingredients.  That could be nasty.

Unless, of course, this was just a theory lesson before the real brewing began?  The professor hadn't said anything about getting out their implements yet.

"I agree with her," Malaika raised her hand after she spoke.  She knew she ought to wait to be called upon, but it always felt like someone else was butting in before she could be noticed.

"Some people are silly enough to poison themselves.  But small children will put just about anything into their mouths, and some people simply have bad habits," she modulated the answer.

"Just imagine if you were a nail-biter who'd just brewed the Draught of Living Death or something."

Carefully, one foot in front of the other, she stepped into the classroom and looked around, observing the place curiously.
It was a neat room -- everything in its orderly place and couple of students were already seated in their chosen spots. Ophelia pouted her lips. Unfortunately for her, she had to pick the front row due to the glasses she had. She could not see well from a distance and she had to read what the professor wrote on the blackboard, and thus the desicion was made.

Avoiding everyone and everything, a small girl with her hair as red as fire, chose a seat and took out her books just in time to hear their professor ask a question.
Ophelia looked up and examined the bottle in her hand. Antidote. Just in case someone swallowed a posion which could result in something bad -- this would be quite useful to avoid anything bad from happening. Avoid possible death or anything else which was almost as bad that would send a poor soul to the St. Mungo's. But she sad nothing and instead listened to someone respond in the most sarcastic and mean way. Ophelia shuddered. People were so mean, always. Even before the teachers.

Quietly sighing, she leaned back in the chair and looked up at the professor, expecting her to respond to the other suggestions which came somewhere from behind her. At least some people knew how to act.

Emily mostly did take lessons because they were needed not because she wanted. She wasn't that much interested about learning new stuff every lesson. She more likely will do something else than sit here in class and pretend that she is listening teacher. She sighed awhile she walked towards the Potions classrooom. She just needed to attend lessons to pass her year in school. Also homeworks what girl barely did herself, mostly these were done by someone else.

Emily was actually a minute before lesson did start in classroom. Girl did take a seat in back row and looked on baord. Read the words there and sighed again. She had no clue why this potion was useful or what it exactly did. She have never really learned about potions much out of classroom.

“Now, there are no stupid people. Accidents do happen,” Riyan said to the students, “this is used more in instances where maybe you were bitten by a venomous snake, this wouldn’t cure you if you accidently ingested Draught of Living Death.” She explained herself better. Riyan took a deep breath this was going to be harder than he thought. Once again She turned her back to the students and wrote on the board preferring this method over using magic and wrote a list of ingredients on the board.
 1 Bezoar
 2 measures of Standard Ingredient
 1 pinch of unicorn horn
 2 mistletoe berries

“these are the ingredients you will be using. Can anyone tell me what else we will be using today?”

She looked up at the blackboard and curiously read what the professor had written down. The ingredients woke something familiar up in her mind and so, carefully, Ophelia raised her hand to gain the attention. What else would they possibly use in this lesson? Perhaps the alternative ingredients?
“Maybe honeywater, mint sprigs, stewed, mandrake, and essence of lavender?” she suggested quietly, eyes glued to her table and hoping that no one, except for the professor, never heard anything that she had said moments ago.

How awkward it was to even speak when people were around. Her already reddish cheeks flushed and they turned darker. Ophelia nipped on her lower lip. Oh, how sad it was that she could not turn back time and take back what she had just said! It would had made things much more easier for her.

Belladonna rolled her eyes. Honestly, did the Professor really believe what she was saying? That there were no stupid people and that accidents simply happened? If someone chose to fight a dragon and got themselves burnt then the person isn't courageous they're plain stupid. They made a stupid decision. The Slytherin was starting to think that their potions Professor was one of those people who preach political correctness and think the world is full of daffodils and daisies. Still, Belladonna wore a prefect badge and it would be unwise to openly scorn at her Professor.

Opening her book to the contents page Belladonna, ignoring the answer given by a Ravenclaw she'd never seen before, glanced down the table of contents until she found Antidotes to Common Poisons. Turning to the page the Slytherin read the remaining ingredients herself. Perhaps the Professor thought nobody would use their common sense to open their books too.