Potions (4th-6th)

Teaching wasn't so bad. It really wasn't. Or at least, that's what James was trying to tell himself. It didn't help that his confidence in front of them was mostly an act. After all, despite his accomplishments, he was still pretty shy. Added to that, he was only 19, so the higher the grades got, the closer to his own age the students became, and the more difficult it would be to assert authority. He just hoped they didn't rebel.

Turning to the board, he wrote 'Professor James Reonalds' on it in his loopy cursive, and just under it, he wrote 'Choose a partner.' He planned to asses their skills and confidence level by having them choose a potion to brew, a poison anti-dote. He opened the door and waited for the students to arrive.

Spoiler:

Louise had been waiting just outside the potions door, having left breakfast early to get here, she found it odd not being late to it for once but was even more surprised when the door opened and a boy not too much older than herself was standing there. She glanced at him, she had thought that the headmaster would have been teaching still. Not saying anything other than a 'good morning sir' she entered and took a seat near the front and tot he left of the room, looking up at the board and taking out her text and cauldron. It didn't take much to figure this young man was the teacher, albeit a very young one, it didn't really matter though if he knew the craft well she thought.

Like her sister, Lucy loved potions. It was certainly her favourite class. Plus, it was close to her common room, always a bonus if she was ever late getting up. She walked happily through the dark dungeons until she got to the classroom and slipped through the door "Hi Professor-" she read the cursive on the board "Reonalds," she took her seat.

Cassidy didn't have any sort of talent for potions. She didn't even really like the subject. Though, she took it, because there was always a chance of her skills developing, and she felt potions to be an important part of the curriculum. She walked into the classroom, surprised to see not Professor Holmes, but a younger boy as the teacher. "Hi Professor," she said as she took a seat at her desk.

This was not a class she was particularly looking forward to, as she knew brewing things was not her strongest skill. Anything to do with spells or wand usage came almost naturally to her and she enjoyed that more than having to follow precise instructions.

Still, if she wanted to be an auror, she had to take the basic five, which unfortunately, included Potions. Walking into the room, she was surprised to see a boy just a couple of years older standing in front, and not their Principal. "Good morning, Professor James," she greeted.

Recognizing a fellow Gryffindor she had met last year during Herbology, she took a seat next to her. "Hey. Cas, wasn't it? How was your summer?" she asked, smiling at the girl.

Alyson had heard about another new Professor and Alyson thought she'd go and check out what she was going to be working with. As the blonde walked in, she was a little shocked at how young the Professor looked, but it was better then someone who didn't know what they were doing. Alyson just hoped he did know what he was doing. Alyson gave a kind smile and took a seat at a empty station.

Bryson wished Headmaster Holmes the best of luck with whatever he was dealing with. This was usually the class that the Headmaster taught and now there was some sort of replacement. Bryson doesn't listen to rumors but he heard that the Headmaster would not be returning, but that had to be a complete and utter lie. When Bryson got to Potions, he took an empty seat.

Stacy lijed potions class but she really wasn't good at doing them. She soon walked into classroom and saw there people who she didn't really knew. She sat down somewhere middle of classroom, what was her favorite place lately. She also did greeted the professor and students in this class. Now she waited the lesson to start.

Thana got ready for potions, it was one of her favourite classes. She loved being able to make potions to heal and help others, and now she was in sixth year she needed to start figuring out what she wanted to do. She had no idea what she wanted yet, but she was still getting as much done as she could. She was rather good at this class, so she took it. She walked in and saw Brooke first. She sat down in the middle of the class, next to a fellow Ravenclaw, she had read the board. But had no idea who she would partner up with, so she sat in the middle. When she looked around she saw the Professor wasn't much older than herself. She quietly sat down, paying attention to everyone. It was one her things...she didn't speak very often, unless she was spoken to. But she always watched, and noted things, things that others rarely, if ever picked up on. She looked at the Professor, she could sense he was a bit nervous, probably because the students he was teaching would of practically known him when he was a student. She sat watching. Waiting

The first thing that Joe noticed when he entered the classroom was an extremely young and nervous-looking professor standing at the front of the room. Knowing exactly what it felt like to feel as though you had all eyes watching your every move, Joe sent the man a soft smile and a weak "hello" before moving to find a seat. He saw the pretty Gryffindor girl who had spoken to him in their Herbology class and felt his lip tweak upwards involuntarily into a smile of sorts, before he forced the emotion from his face.

He looked around and noticed he was kind of stuck for options as regards to seats; he would be near someone wherever he chose. Exhaling deeply in a way that was very similar to one of indignation, he found himself sliding down into one where he hoped no-one would try to start a conversation. Being down in the dungeons made the Hufflepuff feel a strange impulse to isolate himself, something he really hoped wouldn't last long because damnit, all the boy wanted was a bloody friend.

This class was one of the most full James had encountered so far, so that, as he greeted students, he felt some of his usual enthusiasm for potions replacing his nervousness, though that seemed backwards. It was as if the more minds he had to expose to the subject he loved, the less he feared speaking. He stood up to begin the class with a smile.

"Hello, my name, as you've read, is Professor Reonalds. I'm covering for Professor Holmes while he is away. Today, you and a partner will be creating an antidote potion of your choice. You can choose as easy or as hard of a potion as you like, but house points will be awarded for complicated potions that are made correctly. Keep in mind that it must be a potion. For example, while a bezoar will stop most poisons, it would not get you any points on this assignment. You have the rest of the class period, so please begin. Bring your potion up to me in a vial when it's completed."

Thana heard that she would have to find a partner, it wasn't the best thing to do for her or the easiest. She didn't have many friends, let alone ones in this class. Then she spotted a boy next to her, he looked like he wanted to be alone. Thana could work with that, she tried to remember what his name was. It was Joe, Joe Astrid. She quickly and quietly leant over to him.

"Umm...Sorry to have to ask and interrupt you...but would you consider working with me?" She asked, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice. "I mean if you say no I completely understand but...You know...we need partners" Thana told him quietly. She hoped he would say yes, she didn't have many friends at all. Mainly only Brooke, and Shawn, but Shawn wasn't in this class. So she needed some help, with the whole friendship side of things. She sat back and waited for his answer.

Louise tried her best to ignore Josh but without wanting to be rude she nodded to show she'd heard him. She wanted this lesson to be over just as quickly as she'd wanted it to begin and now she had to work with Josh as a partner. She doubted he'd let her move and pick another partner so she was stuck with him. She wondered if this is what the rest of her life would be like, having no say in anything she does and always needing to be on top form like a Barbie doll.
"I'd like to attempt the Anti-Paralysis Potion, would you be fine with that Josh?" She asked him without looking up from her text book, looking over the potion's list of ingredients.

Alyson heard about the pairs and she didn't know who she'd work with, but then the Gryffindor spotted a fellow Gryffindor and it just so happened to be her friend Cassidy. Oh how she wished Darcy was still alive, they'd be partners for sure. Alyson got up and walked over to Cassidy. "Hey, do you want to be partners on this?" Alyson asked.

Bryson was a little shocked that Professor/Headmaster Mycroft actually wasn't here, usually he never really missed time out. Or that is what he was told once. When Bryson heard about the whole pairs thing, the first thing Bryson decided on was that he was going to ask Brooke. Bryson got up and went towards the girl he officially met during Summer break. "Hello Brooke, want to be partners?" He asked kindly.

Brooke was just about to get up to find a partner when someone familiar approached her. She recognized him as the boy she had met at the train station, but as much as she tried, she could not recall his name.

"Hey there," she said, smiling. "Sure, I'd love to!"

Hoping the name would come to her so she wouldn't have to ask, she continued, "I was thinking either the Wiggenweld Potion or the Elixir to Induce Euphoria. Is that okay with you?"

She had never really made either of those before, but they were the most interesting to her.

"Any potion you pick will be mediocre, Grey."

Louise had to congratulate herself for not rolling her eyes or indeed having any physical reaction at all to those words, but the gentle brushing of her hair out of her face almost undid all the work Vanessa had installed in her, almost. Her breath hitched and she was damn sure her heart just doubled it's speed, but otherwise she remained composed. She was not going to let him get to her, not with volatile ingredients next to her and a cauldron over a burner. The whisper made a shiver dance up her spine but that was the extent of the effect she let him have on her. "I'll brew if you don't mind preparing, I trust you to make everything precisely as you do with everything." She didn't look at him and started to read over the method of the potion she chose to make and taking out her set of scales and tools.

She nodded and took the band off her wrist and pulled her hair back, making sure to do a neat job of it and charmed any stray hairs off of her robes before adding the water into the cauldron and slowly turning up the heat of the flames till the water began to bubble softly in the simmer that her textbook described. She kept an eye on the time as she added the measures of ingredients Josh passed to her, keeping en eye on the measures, not that she was expecting him to mes sup on purpose but with potions double and triple checking was necessary. She stirred with her left hand, anti clockwise while adding the mandrake root slowly so as to not splash any of it on herself.

When it came to the halfway stage it needed to simmer for twenty minutes so she extracted the stirring rod and placed it on a paper towel to stop it making a mess of the counter. She pondered the book for a moment then raised her hand as a thought entered her mind and wanted to get the Professor's attention.

Stacy looked around the classroom and saw people partner up here. She noticed just one girl who didn't had yet partner, it was one girl from slytherin house, she could tell by uniform but she didn't really knew that girl name. She walked to her(Lucy). "Hey, do you wanna be my partner?" she asked then from that girl with smile. She hoped that she says yes.

James walked around the room, observing as the students partnered up and chose potions. He peeked at books, catching the names of the potions that were being attempted, impressed at the variety. He caught the raised hand of one of his students and walked over, calling up the class roster in his mind, to be prepared with her name.

"Yes, Miss Grey? Do you have a question?" He glimpsed the potions textbook, opened to Anti-Paralysis Potion. That was a rather difficult one, finicky if the ingredients weren't prepared correctly. Before the girl had a chance to ask her question, he caught sight of the bitterroot her partner had prepared and set aside. "Actually, Mr. Murray, I've found that a slightly finer grind of the bitterroot makes for a much smoother potion. Another turn or two of the pestle would improve the overall quality later." He returned his attention to Miss Grey.

Louise sighed quietly and with her free hand tugged on Josh's sleeve to pull his attention away from the professor. "Actually Professor I had a thought about this potion, I know muggles use nettles to ease the effects of arthritis and wondered if they could be used here too, if someone's been paralized for a while their joints would be stiff and probably painful for a while." She paused to think about how to phrase that as a question. "Would it react badly to any of the ingredients if I added nettle juice to it before I add the lacewing flies?"
She looked at Josh too, since he'd been in the magical world longer than she he may have an idea about adding that particular ingredient, though she wasn't sure if he'd give her his opinion if he asked, not nicely anyway.