Lesson 3 - N.E.W.T. Level

Jack nodded, noticing that Amelia had taken full control of the potion by now, which was okay by her in all means. Jack was finding she was steadily getting more tired between the homework she actually worked on completing (which was not nearly as much as she was supposed to be) and her duties as Quidditch captain, as well as her own practices and pranks.

Basically, her brain was not working as well as she would like it to be and though she still had lots of her pent up obnoxiousness which allowed her to sarcastically comment on random things, she still felt like she was working through a muddled brain.

She scooped up the frogs legs and moved to poise herself and her frog-laden hands above the bubbling cauldron. She carefully let them tumble into the boiling concoction, making sure they did not splash any of it out of the cauldron- the last time she had done so, the potion had burned through her robes. She looked down at the potion and realized that the color had not changed. Irritably, she grabbed the stirring rod and stirred once counter-clockwise even though the instructions did not say too, just to get the frog legs mixed in there. It immediately changed colors to the correct hue.

Amelia had the measuring cup at eye level, having poured almost exactly to the line, but still sprinkling in a few more crystals at a time, attempting to get just the right amount of moonstone. This measuring process had taken her far longer than it likely should have, but in Amelia’s case, many things took longer than they should. That’s what perfectionism does to you. And it stresses you out.

Having achieved the precise amount of moonstone, Amelia lowered the measuring cup to the table and capped the jar that she had been pouring from. After putting the jar away, Amelia picked up the measuring cup and turned to see Jack picking up the stirring rod. The Ravenclaw girl didn’t see any frogs legs on the table, and Jack’s hands were empty, which must have meant they were already in the cauldron. Immediately, Amelia pulled the textbook toward her and ran her finger down the list of instructions, looking for what she already knew wasn’t there. The instructions did not say to stir, and Jack knew that as well as she did.

“Jack, it doesn’t say to-“ Amelia began, reaching to put her hand between Jack and the cauldron, but before she could get there, or even finish her sentence, Amelia watched as the contents of the cauldron turned exactly the right color. Jack had gone off the script and yet managed to improve their potion.

How does that- Amelia began to wonder, before getting irritated enough o cut the thought short. If stirring was an essential part of the potion-making process, it ought to have been included in the procedure, not left to chance and a Gryffindor girl with a knack for rebellion.

Her rebellion has given you a better potion… Amelia’s subconscious reminded her gently, trying to calm Amelia’s panic at not following the directions to the letter.

“Just,” Amelia said, lowering her hand from where she had been reaching it, her mind ping-ponging between being shaken by going outside the directions and being pleased to be on the right track with the potion, “Can you just…. Um….”

“Can you be sneakier with your, um… improvisations?” Amelia finally managed to spit out.

“I mean, obviously it helped but it, ah, it makes me a little bit nervous,” Amelia added, though she probably needn’t have highlighted her nervousness because it was probably glaringly apparent to Jack. Blushing slightly at her own reactions, Amelia did a sort of awkward shrug and then dropped her eyes from Jack and moved around her to pour the powdered moonstone into the cauldron, stirring it three times clockwise, as the instructions said.

Jack looked up as she caught a movement in her peripherals. Amelia had jerked her hand towards her, as though to knock the stirring rd at her. Jack withdrew the rod and held it at shoulder height, a slightly amused expression on her face, knowing very well that Amelia was very by-the-book, and was probably terrified that Jack had almost screwed up the potion.

Jack listened to Amelia stammer out her nervous explanation, requesting that Jack make her additions in a more subtle fashion. Jack smiled and explained. "Sorry, I was just trying to mix the frog legs in a little more, because they were all clumped and weren't settling. Sorry, I am more of a non-conformist, I see rules and well, break them." She grinned.

"I'll make sure not to make any changes... that you see." She smirked and reconsulted the book, though the steam above the cauldron harmed her sight and she really could not decipher the small handwriting. Amelia added her own things and Jack began to move back towards the ingredients. "Shall I measure the hellebore, or do you have something else you want me to do, Captain?" She was okay with letting Amelia run this potion.

''Seeing, this I am thinking of including just two students each class. This is the first time this year that I have seen someone work so hard, and there are only two of you. Brilliant. And I must say, you are getting on quite well with that potion. As for ye, as I presume you wouldn't like to swab the deck, you could do that, without asking your colleague... team work does not consist of getting the other's approval... you should surprise her, First Mate. Now, you should be done soon, so... wrap it up'', he said.