Potions: Lesson Three - The Practicality of Potions (All Years)

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Holidays were meant to make you feel closer to the person you were with, of that much James was quite sure. But since getting back from his holiday with Circe, all James had been doing was thinking. Thinking about the small hints she'd dropped continuously about children whilst they were away. The small hints of development in their relationship that Circe wanted.

Things that James was neither certain or uncertain he wanted.

Circe had made him question, for the first time in his life, what he wanted to achieve as a person. Did he want a family - really want one, not not want one because it was 'cool' to be so vague. Did he want to settle down with one person, with Circe? Could he imagine a forever with her? The answer that kept building inside of the Potions master made him anxious, because the more he thought about it, the more unclear his future seemed.

How did you do those things?

What if he didn't work in those situations? What if... long term, they simply didn't work? What if he'd misread?

James' attention was, quite clearly, a million miles away from the class that day, but it meant he wasn't quite so grumpy as usual, because he was vacant.

The class was set up with the desks turned around a desk in the middle. On top was a body covered with a sheet - though not a real body, the children would likely not know the difference. No explanation was hinted in the room, simply James sat at his desk, eyes unfocused. Waiting.

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Elleon entered the potions classroom, Jelena at his side, and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight. The desks were rearranged but that wasn't what had caught his attention. It was the thing in the middle. A thing that looked like a dead body. His eyes slid to Jelena.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked, his eyes wide as he pointed to the body.

Jelena merely winked at him. "Only one way to find out."

Elleon frowned and hesitantly moved his feet forward, eyes darting around to room in case there were other...things around. He greeted the professor - whom he'd dubbed Mr. Grumpy - and took a seat where he could both see the professor and the thing in the middle of the room. He desperately wanted to ask if the thing was really a dead body but Professor Balan wasn't the friendliest person and Elleon sincerely thought that his question might put him in a blacker mood than usual.

He'd just have to wait until the class started to find out what was underneath the sheet.

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The final lesson of the year, when it came to Potions, was never normally an enjoyable experience. Despite nearly being free of the school, Professor Balan always seemed to be in a fouler mood than any other time of the year. The man was quite remarkable in that way, Finley had found over the years. However, Finley kept going back, because he was going to show everyone that he had a spine, and he could summon the courage enough to face Professor Balan.

Today, however, when Finley walked in to the classroom, he was faced by a site he really wished he didn't need to see. There was no mistaking the outline of the thing in the middle of the room. The Ravenclaw moved to the desk furthest away from both the body and the Professor, eyeing it uncertainly as he waited for an explanation to the thing in front of him.

Like many in the room, Finley knew better than to question the Professor.

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Potions. Lux smirked wondering if her moody professor was feeling any better. Probably not. He was worse than a PMS-ing woman with cramps who'd just gotten her heart broken and had two screaming, crying, pooping babies. In other words, really really bad. How he managed to survive in such a mood, Lux did not know. It would be interesting though, to see if he could score a girl with such an attitude. Anyone unlucky enough to fall in love with him was unfortunate indeed.

Lux entered the classroom and paused for a moment, her eyes raking over the object in the middle of the room. It was obviously a dead body. Whether it was real or not had yet to be seen. Her smirk widened to a full blown grin and she let out an evil chuckle. This day was getting better and better.

She plopped herself right down beside Finley and turned her gaze to him. Time for some fun. "I just looooooove dead bodies," she began. "Don't you?"

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Caramarienne was a thorough reader; she knew that Potions was an essential to excel in. Forgoing the fact that it was something Slytherins were supposed to succeed in, she knew that as a Clement Ward she had access to her own Herbology garden and the finest resources for brewing. So she knew if she didn't hone the skill in, all of her birthright materials would go to waste and she wasn't in the position to do so. She just wished she could distribute these potions to the orphans: whenever they got sick, she knew that instead of having to take muggle treatments she could just as easily heal them naturally without the use of risky chemicals that went through pharmacy after pharmacy. She gave a heavy sigh, but made her way to her Potions classroom determined to learn.

At the sight of the dead body, though her face remained impassive as she took her seat and unpacked in her head she heard a voice snidely comment: Guess our teachers a murderer. It was highly illogical that it was a body he killed, she reasoned, but it was entertaining to think otherwise. She scribbled as many notes as she could about the situation on the empty parchment just trying to think about what she had next.

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Etienne rounded the corner to Potions with a slight grin. He adored Herbology and Potions because they were the closest he got to pretending he was cooking. He didn't like to admit it, but sometimes he felt most at home in the kitchens with the old Head Chef, Ingor. The other servants treated him as they were supposed to: called him Young Master. Gave him the power trip he always needed. Ingor on the other hand was always quick to correct him whenever he messed up in the kitchen. Etienne was a growing boy, but he felt guilty asking for more from his parents with the knowledge that they'd already given so much to him. They'd given so much up for him.

They taught him that he needed to give back to them, and he would. When he had the right resources.

Ingor on the other hand, taught him that working hard made the pay off worth it more.

"Whoa, Professor Balan," he started staring at the body-shaped form under the sheet, "didn't peg you to be the murdering type; people say you've got a killer body, and I guess they weren't being hyperbolic." He jests grinning.

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Phil let out a happy sigh as he headed towards Potions. He just had a nice fulfilling lunch, and he was ready to sleep, but he doubted he'd get away with it under Professor Balan's eyes. He longed for a class that required more sitting and talking again. However, he couldn't deny he was the slightest bit excited to get started on whatever project they were working on today. Yes he had a few incidents here and there and granted regardless of his mother's Potioneering abilities and his siblings proficient ones too, he wasn't the greatest at it. He tried though, and that should be enough to get him to pass. He took more after his father in more ways than just looks. His siblings and him were an anomaly; only him and Caelan looked very similar, but it seemed that instead of being blonde and green-eyed like him and Cay, Ellie received all of their mothers genes. The doctors said they were rare, but not impossible. Not to mention, triplets were a rarity in their own right.

Then there was Taela, a metamorphmagus, which should have been impossible but apparently, just apparently by a twist of fate and probably magic too, it seemed that Darrel Brennham was also one same as Julie Rose (née Fraya), their great-great grandparents on either side. It was a freaking wonder what Katherina might be able to do someday. He gave a wave to Professor Balan before finding himself a spot near the back. He barely glanced at the table in the front until the Gryffindor near the front said something, he gave a laugh along with some other students at the comment, wondering just as much what the lesson they had in store was.

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It was all Sumire could think about.

She felt doomed.

Her whole life was changing. Felix and her were no longer engaged when they had been for basically her whole life she felt like she loved him. They didn't even exchange letters anymore. She felt completely out of control, and she felt angry. She hated it, she hated the uncomfortable shift out of her previously perfect life. She couldn't wait for the summer to come so she could get all of the crappy stuff out of the way. She hated that she wasn't in control of her life anymore. It broke her heart to know that Felix must be feeling denied and put-off. She hated that she must be making him feel he was unwanted.

Sumire still hadn't come to terms with her affliction. But she figured, the school year had a month left. She would be leaving soon, and she had no qualms against leaving early if her Veela swings kicked in. She hated to think she could hurt someone whether it was incidental or accidental. She walked into Potions completely unaware of anything other than the torment in her head: her mind against her body.

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James couldn't help but feel amused as his classroom filled and the faces of the majority of the room became somewhat horrified of what they saw before them. Idiots, James knew many of them would be jumping to the conclusion that it was real, and they really did need to get out in the world a little more.

Waiting for the sound of the bell to pull him from his thoughts, James leaned back and let out a soft sigh when the sound had finally finished. Getting from his seat, the professor moved across the room to the sheet that covered the body and pulled it away, letting it flutter towards the ground with little and less care for where it went. Beneath the sheet was a body that imitated that of a male - it's modesty covered with a pair of boxers to save an uproar in his class.

The body, however, was clearly not in a good shape. Boils, cuts, bruises, scars, beauty defects, a broken leg, and Merlin knew what else on the inside were wrong with it. The question, however, was how to deal with each of them.

"Now, seeing as many of you like to take the mickey out of today's situation, this lesson is here to save your life. Or, a friend, if you're that way inclined." James explained, his tone very serious as always because he was not the kind of professor who enjoyed banter with his students. "Now, then, who can tell me the most simple of remedies on this body, for, say, the bruising that is evident?" James asked, motioning to the Potions box on his desk.

"One of you go and retrieve your solution, bring it here, explain why you think it is the right solution, and then use it on the body to show everyone the effect." James' instructions were clear, and he waited for the first person to move.

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Keona woke up that morning feeling refreshed. She'd had a quaint bath the other night, practicing her Transfiguration spells and using a popular American product Marius sent her called a "bath bomb". Apparently, his girlfriend Gita loved them and Keona adored Gita. Gita was this gorgeous girl born in Mumbai, moved to the States, and a traveler to say the least. She ran an article in a French newspaper under MUGGLE SIGHTS, Gita was a half-blood which meant she wouldn't be in the family for long so Keona was sure to take advantage of her presence while she was there. She braided her hair quickly to make her way to breakfast and then potions.

At the sight of the body on the table she gasped in shock, and gave Professor Balan a wary glance, but didn't bother to comment on it as the person behind her did that for her. She giggled at the Gryffindor's comment as she made her way towards her friends. Josephine was openly staring at Alexander, who was definitely dating that Gryffindor, and it made Keona roll her eyes in exasperation. She tired so quickly and easily of these useless games that the Ravenclaws liked to play so much. It truly did nothing for her health, worrying about all of them as she did. She gave her a sympathetic pat before focusing on Professor Balan. He was by far the most attractive Professor on campus (maybe next to Professor Newbury ... both of them), and so she always readily was happy to watch him at work.

Keona moved up, glad for the respite of Josephine's yearning, as she reached for the Bruisewort Balm inside the box, she held it up cautiously for Professor Balan's inspection. "I believe the Bruisewort Balm, at face value, should do the trick. It may not do the ultimate healing of the cause of the bruises but it should at least erase the vision of them on the body," she proceeded to use it on the modestly bruised body, waiting and hoping for the result she wanted.

» Potions Lesson 2: Years 1-4
» Potions - Lesson Two (First to Fifth Years)
» Potions Lesson Three (All Years)
» Potions Lesson 2: Years 5-7
» Potions: Lesson One (All Years)