Lesson 1 introduction: Potions: Ageing potion

Professor Nikkita Carter walked into the room. She waved her wand and 20 desks and chairs appeared. She set up her books and placed a bottle, leaf, snake and banana on each desk. As she waited for her students she heard whispering and and chatting from outside. 2 of her students had arrived. As they came in she wrote on the board in big letters : AGEING POTION. The 2 students came in and sat at the front desks. Slowly they took out their potions book and turned to page 1.

After lunch James made his way to the dungeons. He was eager to have a new Potions lesson, as they only had one since the beginning of the term, after which Professor Geo had mysteriously disappeared. He slowly pushed the door leading to the classroom and entered. The new professor, a young woman, was the only one in the room. "Good afternoon" he said to her while taking a seat in the front row. A set of ingredients were laid-out on the table: a bottle, a leaf, a snake and a banana. Intrigued to find out what potion they will be making, he glanced around for clues. He found the answer written on the blackboard: Ageing Potion. Curious about it, he took out his potions schoolbook from his bag and started searching for it while waiting for the other students to arrive.

Eliza ran to the dungeons scared that she was late but realized there was only one person there so far. "Hi James. What's the ageing potion?" she sat next to James slowly taking her books out while watching the items on her desk

"As you may have noticed we are learning about the ageing potion. the ingredients are a banana, a snake and a leaf." Prof. Nikkita walked towards the 2 students. She moved the ingredients and the bottles closer to her students. " Turn to page 32 in your potion books and follow the instructions. If you succesfully make the potion you should be holding a light blue potion. Please have a go class."

Richard rapidly walked through the dungeons, his robe fluttering behind him. He had just seen the message posted by their new Potions professor in the Great Hall, indicating that the first lesson would take place after lunch. Since he had arrived after the other students at Hogwarts, Richard had missed the first class with professor Geo, and was impatient to finally discover the art of potion making. He knocked on the door, and waited to be granted the permission to enter. When he came in, Professor Carter was explaining the task to... only two students. Surely the others haven't seen the note yet, he thought, taking a seat in the third row. The Ageing Potion, he read on the blackboard, and opened his book at page 32, as he had heard the teacher indicating just before he entered. He started eagerly reading the instructions, excited at the thought that he was about to make his first potion.

"Now you will each make the potion and it should end in a light blue colour. As you may have noticed there are ingredients on your desk," exclaimed Prof. Carter. " you must follow the instructions in your book and you may start when you are ready," said prof. Carter. "Do any of you know where the rest of the class have gotten to?" Slowly she walked back to her desk and started writing on the blackboard:

Ingredients: a banana, a leaf and a snake

equipment: cauldron and potion bottle

Objective: Make a light blue potion called the ageing potion correctly without any mistakes.

Reward for properly made potions: 15 points for your house.

Adair was reading in the library when she remembered that she had a potions lesson with a new professor. She looked down at her watch. 'Shoot! I better run!' she thought, grabbing her things and stuffing them into her book bag. She ran down the corridor managed to get down the staircase to the dungeons before it shifted. But when she arrived in the potions classroom, she saw only a small handful of students. She got out her belongings, and read the board, hoping the Professor wouldn't notice.

She didn't seem to, because she had begun giving instructions. She explained what the class would be doing and then paused. "Do any of you know where the rest of the class have gotten to?" She asked. Adair blushed, feeling self-conscious in her tardiness, but didn't respond. Instead, she set about brewing her potion.

"you all seem to be doing well but i just have no idea where the rest of the class have gotten to," said prof. carter, "Are you sure none of you know because it would really be useful. Perhaps no one else will turn up. If anyone turns up late then they'll miss all the fun" exclaimed prof. Carter. She moved to the board.
House points earn't: Richard-5 points
Eliza-5 points
James- 5 points
Adair-5 points
"Well done for arriving on time class."

Richard was reading his schoolbook when the professor asked about the other students. "I think they still haven't seen the note you posted in the Great Hall about today's lesson" he replied, wondering where Kim was by now, thinking that he should have probably told her about the lesson in case she hadn't noticed the message. "We haven't had any potions lesson for weeks now, since professor Geo left, so I think that they aren't aware that the classes have started again. By the way, do you know what happened to professor Geo?" he asked her, curious.

Professor Carter continued interrogating the class as to the whereabouts of the other students. Despite her understandable frustration with the apparently small class, she seemed kind and easy-going.

Then Adair saw a Slytherin boy raise his hand in response to her question. It was the boy she'd raced last week! He explained to Professor Carter that most of the students weren't sure what was going on. Adair made a mental note to talk to him after class and ask him why he had disappeared so quickly the other day.

Leaving her thoughts, Adair returned her potion-brewing. It wasn't going too well. The concoction currently festering in her cauldron looked nothing like the light blue color Professor Carter described. It was more closely resembled resembled troll dung. She continued stirring, but it seemed helpless. She raised her hand to ask for Professor Carter's assistance.

"Professor Carter?" Adair asked, looking down at her potion with disgust. "Is this what it's supposed to look like before it turns light blue? Or have I already done something wrong?"

"it shouldn't look like that. perhaps something went wrong. would you like to start again. i'll help you"

Kim hurriedly entered the class. She didn't know that they changed the potions professor. She immediately took everything from her bag: books, ingredients, quill and parchment and tried to cope up with the rest.
"I am very sorry professor for being late," she said without looking at Professor Carter's eyes.

She, then looked around for what is happening. She turned her book and followed the instructions very well. I should do this one properly she muttered to herself.

Kim set her cauldron and begun brewing the potion. She followed the instructions very carefully, afraid the she was already late and she will still mess this one up. Afterwards, Kim did manage to turn the potion into a blackish solution. Frustrated, she added the next ingredient without any assurance but surprisingly, her potion rapidly turned into a light-blue solution. This should be correct. Please be correct, she thought making a big sigh in front of her book.

Bill was just passing from his common room when he noticed that they have new potions teacher, he thought it was great he looked closely to find out when their next class is and he realized that it has already started, "Wow that was fast" Bill thought for himself hurrying to the dungeons. He ran as fast as he could he did not want t miss a lot from this new and interesting class. He came in front of the classroom and stayed there for a moment to catch his breath before he knocked and opened the door.

"Sorry for being late professor, my name is William Macgonagall, but everyone calls me Bill." Bill said and walked to the Adair and said while going to sit "I hope you do not mind me sitting here". He looked in front of him and found some ingredients, than he looked on the board and there said Aging potion, he opened his book and looked at it how to prepare one. It was not a tricky potion and Will tried to make it but when he added banana it turned yellow instead of Blue, "Oh no first I am late and then this" Bill thought for himself, he looked around and saw that Kim was successful in preparing it and that professor is near Adair speaking to her. He raised his hand and said " Professor can you please come after you are finish there and help me?"

"Hi James. What's the ageing potion?" he heard the Hufflepuff girl who had arrived just after him ask. "Hi. I don't know exactly." he replied sincerely, a bit confused by the fact that she knew his name. "But I guess we're about to find out."

Cut the banana into narrow slices and then put half of the pieces into the boiling waterter, James read in the textbook at the beginning of the instructions to make the Ageing Potion. He peeled the fruit and meticulously divided it, then dropped half of the parts in his cauldron. Stir the potion 3 times in a clockwise direction. He complied, looking the brew go from a dark yellow to orange. "Thoroughly crush the leaf with a mortar and then add it to the potion."

He continued accurately following the instructions, stopping from time to time to check what the other's students' potions were looking like and to verify if the colour of the one he was brewing corresponded to what was described in the book. He was anxious about his performance and was sweating because of the steamy atmosphere created by a dozen boiling cauldrons in a small dungeon. He read the last instruction: Stir for thirty seconds in a clockwise direction, then five seconds in the other way. The potion is over, and it should turn light blue. He followed it, and, holding his breath, he watched his violet brew progressively get lighter. When he finished, the potion was more turquoise, but he was satisfied nevertheless. He sighed, slumping into his chair, then waited for the professor to come and check if he completed his task well.

James Riddle a scris:

Cut the banana into narrow slices and then put half of the pieces into the boiling waterter, James read in the textbook at the beginning of the instructions to make the Ageing Potion. He peeled the fruit and meticulously divided it, then dropped half of the parts in his cauldron. Stir the potion 3 times in a clockwise direction. He complied, looking the brew go from a dark yellow to orange. "Thoroughly crush the leaf with a mortar and then add it to the potion."

He continued accurately following the instructions, stopping from time to time to check what the other's students' potions were looking like and to verify if the colour of the one he was brewing corresponded to what was described in the book. He was anxious about his performance and was sweating because of the steamy atmosphere created by a dozen boiling cauldrons in a small dungeon. He read the last instruction: Stir for thirty seconds in a clockwise direction, then five seconds in the other way. The potion is over, and it should turn light blue. He followed it, and, holding his breath, he watched his violet brew progressively get lighter. When he finished, the potion was more turquoise, but he was satisfied nevertheless. He sighed, slumping into his chair, then waited for the professor to come and check if he completed his task well.

Well Done. 10 points for Ravenclaw

Kim Frey a scris:

Kim hurriedly entered the class. She didn't know that they changed the potions professor. She immediately took everything from her bag: books, ingredients, quill and parchment and tried to cope up with the rest.
"I am very sorry professor for being late," she said without looking at Professor Carter's eyes.

She, then looked around for what is happening. She turned her book and followed the instructions very well. I should do this one properly she muttered to herself.

Kim set her cauldron and begun brewing the potion. She followed the instructions very carefully, afraid the she was already late and she will still mess this one up. Afterwards, Kim did manage to turn the potion into a blackish solution. Frustrated, she added the next ingredient without any assurance but surprisingly, her potion rapidly turned into a light-blue solution. This should be correct. Please be correct, she thought making a big sigh in front of her book.

Well Done. 10 points for Slytherin

"Sorry im late professor", said Storm while walking in the classroom. The nurse who had followed him to the room, was now walking towards the Professor to explain Storms sudden illness and how they couldn't figure it out. The strange feeling of being an idiot came back to his mind while he was taking a seat nervously.

"Don't worry storm.It's alright. You're not the latest." exclaimed prof. Carter. "We're on page 32 making the ageing potion."

Storm was surprised, but rather happy, that the professor he did not what name was had used his first name. But that feeling didn't last very long as Storm was about to do something he had never done before: making potions. He turned to page 32 and carefully mixed the ingredients together. At the end the potion suddenly turned light blueish. Storm's self-esteem fell a little bit. How had he managed to fail? He had added the ingredients correctly, it seemed, but it had suddenly changed color.
"Uhm.. Professor? I think there's something wrong. My mixture suddenly turned blue. Is this supposed to happen?".

"Yes It is, Well done." Professor Carter said. Slowly she walked to the blackboard and added Storm's name to the list of points. "10 points for your amazing efforts. Now then, Adair, Could you come to my office later so that we can have a private lesson for ageing potion?"

"it shouldn't look like that. Perhaps something went wrong. Would you like to start again? I'll help you," Professor Carter said.

Adair was panicking. Her first potions lesson was not going as she had hoped. Though Adair had a steep learning curve and managed to excel in school without much effort, it was clear that that method was not going to be particularly effective in this class.

She grimaced and cleaned the repulsive goop from her failed potion and set about starting over. She looked over at James, who was successfully maneuvering his way through the instructions and seemed to be achieving the desired light blue color.

"Grr... Why do you have to be so good at this?" She asked James, smiling.

She looked down at the instructions and looked them over more thoroughly this time, rather than rushing through. She took more care in slicing the banana and crushing the leaf and paid more attention to stirring her potion. By the time she was through, though still far from a perfect light blue, she managed to achieve a nice purply color - much closer to the desired effect than the grayish goop she'd had before.

Adair sighed. Perhaps she'd have to put a little more effort into this class than she was used to.

After having read all the instructions, Richard got ready to start brewing the potion. He took his knife, excited, and started cutting the banana as indicated in the book.

Some ten minutes later, he had already realized that potions class was not really his cup of tea. He watched horrified as his brew, which was supposed to be light violet at this stage of preparation, actually looked like mud with huge bubbles bursting at the surface, and smelled like there was a dead animal in it. He glanced at the book, searching for anything that could help him understand what happened. Something in the introduction caught his look. Potion making requires the utmost accuracy, as any distancing from the preparation indications may have serious consequences on the final result. Yeah, that might be the problem, he thought, knowing that he was never very meticulous.

Not knowing what he could do with his potion now, he raised his hand and waited for the professor to spot him. "Could you come to see this please?" he asked.

"Sure Richard," She walked over to Richard, "Ahh, i know what you've done. You haven't Stirred it enough. You've got to stir it right several times, Left several times and the right several times now." Slowly Professor Carter walked to the board and started writing instructions in simpler words.

Richard followed the professor's advice, and watched as the potion's colour was progressively changing. When he finished stirring, it was violet, which was not exactly the required tone but at least it was better than the horror he got at his first try. Sure that there was nothing left he could do to improve it, as he had probably made a few inaccuracies when handling the ingredients, he raised his hand again.

"yes Richard.Whats wrong?"