1994-09-17: Strength and Weakness

Participants:

Antigone_icon.gif Braeden_icon.gif Cullen_icon.gif Mei_icon.gif Ophelia_icon.gif Snape_icon.gif Zarina_icon.gif

Scene Title Strength and Weakness
Synopsis The 4th-7th years students return to Potions class to test out their Strengthening Solution.
Date September 17, 1994
Watch For 'Mei Smash!'
Chronology The older students test out their Strengthening Solutions.
Logger Snape

Potions Classroom, Hogwarts

The dungeon that is used for the potions classroom is quite depressing indeed. As you enter the windowless room, the sconce bearing torches offer an eerie, flickering light. There are four horizontal rows of tables for the students to work at. There are areas at each table for students to set up their cauldrons for potion brewing. Stools are placed at each table for students to use during lectures for sitting. At the front of the room the stone floor raises upwards about a foot to allow the teacher to look at the students better, or to appear more menacing. A wooden desk sits upon this raised section for the professor. Along the walls of this room are locked cabinets containing common ingredients and books of recipes for the students usage. The more exotic are kept locked within the professor's office and private stores. Towards the far end of the classroom is a stone fountain with water spewing from the mouth of a lion's head. The fountain's purpose is that of a washing and cleanup area for the students.


Pushing open the door to the potions classroom, Zarina shrugs her knapsack over her shoulder with a slow breath as she enters, her mary jane heels clicking quietly on the polished stone floor. Climbing the steps, the hem of her robes brushing against the floor as she passes into one of the rows and sets down her sack on the tabletop, next to her cauldron from the previous potions class. Opening her back, she pulls out her potions book, a couple of fresh rolls of parchment, inkpot and a quill, setting them aside before sitting her bag on the floor out of the way.

The Potions Classroom is quiet, although there is no Snape barging in to warn Zarina away since permission has been given for the older students to study there. On a shelf against the far wall a number of cauldrons bubble and smoke, the maturing Strengthening Solution almost complete by the look of them. One such cauldron glows with a magic sigil, although it appears to be fading at a slow pace.

Leaning over the table slightly, Zarina narrows her eyes slightly as she thumbs through the Potions textbook, thoughtful as she looks through lists, ingredients, and sorted potions. Her fingertips brush over the surface of the pages before they landed on one potion, her full lips murmuring to herself, "Felix Felicis… Lady Luck Potion…" she arches a brow at this, though after a moment her full lips curl with some amusement. Straightening her back, she walks over to the shelf and curls her fingers about a spare, empty cauldron, taking it with her back to the table as she sets it down at her seat. Bright blue eyes flicking back to the marked page, she frowns slightly, reading the ingredients silently to herself.


Later …


As usual, the classroom is empty – well, make that almost empty. Zarina Zanford sits at one of the tables with a cauldron and an open text. By now, the glowing sigil on one of the cauldrons in the corner has faded away to nothing – leaving the classroom looking much like it usually does. The Strengthening Solutions bubble and smoke, resting on a shelf and looking more or less complete. Some of them, anyway.

Mei drags in, having a rough day of it and showing this. Meandering back to her table she pauses and looks down. Reaching out the girl runs her finger over a rather large blood stain on the wood before shrugging. "I didn't do it" is muttered before she meanders further to drop the pack with a fwump and produce her book. At least this one isn't sticky or smell of cat sick. Book and papers with quill on table, her wand out beside them, Mei settles back to just wait for the prof to sneak in as he seems so inclined to do. Little may he know that if he (meaning Snape) wanted to scare the students, he'd do better by smiling or being nice. Just once. That'd set the little monsters like straight.

Braeden passes through the doors of the Potions classroom slowly with a weary gaze drifting about. The press of his lips would signify a bit of discomfort from the young man, though any probably would be in this particular part of the school. He shrugs his shoulders either way after that with the slow rise of his pack before heading over in taking his seat with the subsequent retrieval of his book, quills, parchment, and other materials needed for the class itself. "Wonder how this is going to go." A glance is cast with the sound of a loud *FWUMP* to see the eastern woman's pack hit one of the tables before offering her a small grin that would transfer to the Slytherin who had already been in the room.

It's a quick, unassuming entrance by the Ravenclaw Fifth-year. Ophelia looks like she jsut rolled out of bed, threw on her uniform, and tucked her hair back in a ponytail. Normally 'underdressed' (IE: little to no make up) for Potions anyway, this just goes a little past that. The stifled yawn though, just seems to show she's just having a bit of school lag, probably. She finds her seat, settles down.

Antigone hasn't been looking forward to this class, so she is cutting it a bit close as she finally drifts into the room, looking over at the bubbling, smoking cauldrons on the shelf and biting her lip with a somewhat anxious expression. But not much she can do about it now, so she draws in a breath and squares her shoulders, looking for a spot to sit, and choosing one nearer to the back and hopefully out of the Potions Master's direct line of sight. She glances about the room as she starts slowly pulling out her things.

Cullen doesn't look to happy to be in class. The boy is slouched over as he makes his was into the room, feet dragging him forward, toward one of the desks. He carries his required equipment tucked close at his chest, cauldron and books clattering down before he plops down into his head. Head immediately touches down to the surface, lips curling into expression of utter disgust. Probably not the best day.

Pouring the last of a vial into a cauldron, Zarina replaces the lid on top of it as her blue eyes glance back to the potions textbook, narrowing slightly as her fingertips brush over the paragraph as her full lips murmur silently to herself. With an exhale of a breath, she straightens her back as her slender fingers reach for the handle of the cauldron, picking it up as she carries it to the shelf and sets it seperate to their current assignment. Setting it aside, her mary jane heels click quietly on the polished stone floor as she walks back to her chair, her bright eyes flicking to the prefect in recognition as she smiles lightly, returning to her chair and lowering herself into it.

Mei sits and waits, knowing full well that any moment now, Snape will make his grand entrance, and the masses will cringe in fear, pain, and the worry of future detentions.

As inevitable as the tide, Snape arrives – although there is little banging and thumping to startle the students. This time he opts for a stealthy entrance, remaining quiet until he reaches the peripheral vision of the students and stalks towards the front of the class. One flick of his wand lights the braziers on the wall while another prompts the cauldrons from last lesson to dance through the air and land in front of their respective students.

Braeden draws his gaze away from the other two students, studying other newcomers as they come in before finding himself drawing away when the Potions Professor does. He shifts back in his seat after that and rummages through his pack again, pulling out a rolled sheet of parchment to untie its binding. "Hm." The sound is soft as he inspects his homework from the previous class before dropping it onto the table in front of him unrolled and visible. He remains quiet though, opting to sit back as he watches his cauldron drift towards him with an almost suspicious glance at the color of the liquid within.

Mei ahs and then looks in her pot before wincing. She sighs and sits back down, not really wanting to have much to do with that…well whatever it is. Maybe she can convince Snape she's a Vegetarian and can't take any potion that has animal parts or blood in it…

Antigone slinks down a little in her seat as the professor comes stalking in, more out of habit and instinct than for any one particular reason. She glances around at the others, but her attention returns to her own table as her cauldron situates itself back in front of her. Leaning over it slightly, she peers down into the brew, hoping it will have somehow gelled into something she might want to drink. That doesn't seem to be the case though, to judge from her expression and the way she so suddenly sits back up again.

Taking the quill between her slender fingers, Zarina's bright eyes look up to the Professor as he enters the classroom, narrowing slightly in focus as she positions the tip of her quill over the fresh roll of parchment layed out before her. Silent, she leans forward slightly, the light murmur of the classroom hardly a distraction.

Taking the quill between her slender fingers, Zarina's bright eyes look up to the Professor as he enters the classroom, narrowing slightly in focus as she positions the tip of her quill over the fresh roll of parchment layed out before her. Silent, she leans forward slightly, the light murmur of the classroom hardly a distraction.

Oh hello there Cauldron. Ophelia stifles another yawn, and digs around for the bottle of juiced pomegranate juice. Everything else is also settled out before her. Ugh, she can so go back to sleep.

Mei sighs and then rolls her eyes. Looking at the small mortar and pestel she sighs. Still full of the hard fought pom juice she blinks her eyes. Picking some impurities from it, the girl absentmindedly pours it into a small vial. Sure, it'll take clarifying, but she totally forgot to add it. Now she's really in trouble…she just knows it.

Cullen's head rises when cauldron nearly takes a set on his face, the boy yanking backward, lips curving into a deeper look of displeasure when faced with the thing. One finger reaches to nudge at the side of it, tilting the container just so before peeking over the edge. "Eww." One finger creeps over the edges, touches down into the liquid afterward.

"Open your copies of Moste Potente Potions to the correct page and observe the description of the colour your potion should be."

Snape stands with his arms crossed on the slightly raised dais where his desk is, looming over the whole class and casting a shadow upon them in the flickering light of the braziers.

Mei just hangs her head, slowly turning the pages to the proper potion. Tracing her finger down the page she nods before settling back to look up at the professor. The vial of now impure juice is mocking her. Sitting in front of the book, that vial stares back at her.

Braeden listens to the Professor with a hint of interest before nodding slowly and looking back down to his book with an almost hopeful look in his eyes. Who knew what would happen here. "Hm." He flips the cover of the book open and begins to pass through the pages with the flicker of his gaze along the words until the point that he'd find the very solution. He looks up afterwards, listening to see what else the Professor might do only to read the page again for the very color. A faint hint of triumph could be seen to the young man though as to whether he'd be thwarted in that, they could only find out when the testing had come.

Antigone sighs and flips open her book, trying to find the right page without looking too closely at some of the other pages before and after it. Her gaze flickers over the description and then she looks down into her cauldron again, not sure if hers is quite right - though … perhaps it's closer than she expected. Sort of disturbing that it's meant to look like this, and they still have to drink it.

The book is flipped open then Ophelia glances into the Cauldron to see if it sprouted anything unsvory. So far so good. She takes a deep breath, and then waits.

Zarina looks down at her copy of Moste Potente Potions and reaches to it with her free hand, flipping the pages to their current potion as her eyes narrow at it slightly. According to its color and smell, her potion look like it came out correctly. Looks like it, anyway. Her nose wrinkles a moment, though she doesn't say anything as she crosses her legs under the table, becoming somewhat comfortable as she settles in for class.

Cullen's fingers sketch through several pages, eventually pinning down the selected. There's a glance from book to potion, small noise of disappointment after. It's probably not exactly right. The finger that had been dipped inside is cleaned on the pages of his text, the boy taking short and questioning glances toward cauldrons nearby for verification of color.

"As I promised," Snape says once it seems all the students are done peering into their potions - ignoring a howl of dismay from a student in the back whose cauldron is suddenly belching a plume of purple smoke, "You will be testing these potions yourselves."

Are they poisonous or not? Who knows? Snape certainly isn't telling as he conjures up an glittering goblet with a long serpent engraved upon it in front of each cauldron. He pauses to look over the class, "Drink."

Mei sighs softly. Shaking her head, the girl looks to her cauldron and gulps. Visibly. Taking her time she slowly decants the potion into the goblet and putting anything left over in a crystal vial for her grade. Taking a few moments she actually admiries the goblet before closing her eyes and taking a long drink from it. Not sure if she should finish it or not, she actually drains what she decanted. The moment the thing touches her lips she visibly winces and then gags. Finishing the liquid she stands slowly and staggers a bit before falling behind her table with a loud THUD. Retching some the girl groans, saying aloud "My gods that thing is foul…" Reaching to her table, she starts to stand, pressing hard on the table. This was in retrospect, a bad idea. There's a loud CRACK and the thick heavy table cracks in two, coming apart with a loud thud and deposting everything upon it in the floor. At least the potion had been decanted…but now for the loss of points. Blinking at the table the girl ahs and then looks up at the professor. "I…I'm sorry!" she stammers quickly.

Braeden raises his goblet for a moment as he looks down, a bit iffy as to what exactly will happen here. He takes his cauldron afterwards, pouring some of it into the goblet with the sound of liquid sloshing against metal. "Well… bottoms up." He comments to himself idly, his gaze on the liquid with a bit of a worried look only to raise the thing to his lips. He downs it in that instant, seemingly deciding that it was either drink it as fast as he could and get it over with or torture himself through the arduous process of worry. As soon as the liquid passes down his throat, he gags. One hand claps to his mouth for a moment, his eyes closing as he doubles over the table with gurgle before forcing it down with a deep shudder. When it's finaly put down, he looks around with a studious look in his eyes, one in particular drifting across the few Slytherin students in the Potions Classroom as his fingertips dig into the table with superhuman strength. He pulls his hand away afterward, flexing it with a hint of approval in his gaze before letting it fall back to his side as if to see whether or not he had passed this one.

Antigone picks up the goblet, giving it a distasteful look, not just for the serpent but because she knows what's coming. The potion is given an even more distasteful look, but after pausing for a long moment, she reaches forward and scoops up some of the liquid, trying to keep from getting any on herself, and not quite looking directly at the potion. Once it's in the goblet, she looks back down at it in there, letting out a little sigh. She takes a moment to work up her will, and then takes a hesitant little sip of it - looking pleasantly surprised at the taste. "Wow, that's quite good actu-" is as far as she gets before the goblet pulls her arm down, dropping to the table with a thud and a splash of potion as it slops up over the sides. Tig stares at her hand as if she can't quite believe it just did that - and now there's potion on her lovely robes.

Zarina blinks down at the glittering goblet as it appears in front of her, the corner of her full lips tugging with a smile as her fingertip brushes fondly over the snake's head engraved into the side as it wraps around the shining surface. Glancing up to the Professor, she lowers her chin in a nod once before looking back to her potion. Pouring a portion into the goblet, she doesn't hesitate to lift it to her full lips, closing her eyes as she takes a few good swallows. Pulling it away, her eyes open again, the hint of a smile teasing at her lips as the tip of her tongue licks over them, clearly enjoying the taste. Not even a moment after does a large, satisfied smirk grows, her fingers flexing, "I feel like I can lift a statue, or the fountain in the courtyard." The Slytherin girl blinks in surprise as she looks down at Mei, seeing the table in front of her cracked apart into two pieces.

Cullen takes one last wary glance at the liquid he's brewed, nose scrunching up before he reaches to cautiously pick up the glass at his side. He dips it gingerly into the cauldron, raising pinkish material to lips. Just a tiny sip, no more, and some effort made to look like he's actually tasted it proper. Only, there's a pause after those few drops trickle down his throat. "I think I got it right." There's an excited murmur that passes from the boy's lips, hand dipping again, taking a much larger volume of the liquid. Down it goes, all at once. They he just sort of sinks. Slowly forward, arms wobbly feebly, cheek thumbing down to the surface in front of him.

The chalice is removed from the air and Ophelia takes a deep breath. Carefully, she dips it into her cauldron then she eyes it. "Well, here goes nothin'" And as if she was downing a shot of someone's wonderfully aged whisky, it's tossed back. ANd the FACE she makesit wasn't a very good batch. She barely gets her hand up to her face so there's not the undignified action of spewing the god awful concoction at anyone nearby. She chokes down the bile, the regurgitated potion. She can't help the face she makes. Her pale features scrunching up, causing her cheek bones to pull in contrast against the rest of her face. She even does a little flailing at her mouth with her hands before her arms suddenly go *THUNK* against her table. It gets her mind off of the taste for sure…

Trying to move her arm, she manages to get a hold of the chalice that she had dropped. and UGH, "So heavy…" she whimpers a bit. Taking a deep breath, she just leans her head foward onto her book. "Oi, that one didn't work at all's well as I planned…" Stephen isn't around to laugh at her, is he?

Snape glances over at the broken table, seemingly unsurprised by the reaction – it is the Strengthening Solution after all. Even as a number of students are keeling over, some emptying the contents of their stomachs onto the floor, the Potions Master lifts his wand and flicks his wrist. The mess created by Mei seems to clean itself up, the table seeming to break in reverse as it repairs itself. That done, he begins to stalk this way and that making other repairs where he can –although those students who were unable to hold their solution are left to stew in it, disgustingly enough.

“The pomegranate juice,” Snape begins, “While not an official part of the recipe is, according to Sackitt’s Nineteenth Rule of Potion-Making, a valuable addition. Pomegranate juice, in certain infusions, provides a pleasant taste when reacting with the other ingredients. Ten points to Slytherin for Miss Zanford’s recollection of this oft-forgotten rule.”

Mei tries not to break anything else. Looking quite afraid to touch anything at this point. Looking up at the professor she just listens and watches.

Braeden grimaces and shakes his head, having seemed to been about to say something in reply to that particular exclamation by Snape before looking back towards the table. He takes a seat afterward with his arms crossed in his lap, fingers twitching with the new strength that filters through him as he presses his lips together in disgust for the taste of the solution itself. Nonetheless, he says nothing, remaining utterly quiet as he gazes towards the board on the wall of the classroom.

You know what? She'll write that down! Ophelia looks /miserable/ due to her potion, her eyes watery and almost bruised due to the effort of /not/ vomitting all over the place, her face sweaty and hair matted to her forehead. There's a flop of her hand and she tries to get ahold of that quill. There's low groan as just even trying to manuever her fingers to pick up the quill seems /so hard to do/. The other arm drops down to try to get her wand, but the wand is apparently /too heavy/ to yank out of her robes! Or that her arm is too heavy to pick it up. Maybe it's both!

Then it's with Great Effort (tm) that Ophelia's arm goes into the air—only to flop down in it's heaviness against her table. See? Ravenclaws aren't perfect at all schoolwork guys.

Antigone might complain about the unfairness of it - she remembered the pomegranate juice too, even if she botched something else - and didn't actually remember it so much as toss it in while she was distracted watching Harry storm out. But right now, she's a little busier trying to keep from keeling right over. She attempts to lift her other hand so that she can brush the spilled potion off of herself, but is surprised to find that the arm takes so much effort to move. She gets it halfway across the table, crooked at the elbow, which means it serves as a nice cushion when she just lets her head fall forward to rest upon it. Her other arm, still covered in potion, just remains extended with her hand clasped loosely around the 3/4 empty goblet.

Cullen isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The boy makes small effort to lift himself with a quiver of muscles and push of arms, but eventually seems to decide he likes it better resting with temple against the desk. "Professor," He mumbles, "I'm sick. Can I go to the infirmary?" It's only a half-coherent of question, mostly muffled around the surface his face is planted to.

Zarina smirks proudly to herself for a bit, though her expression becomes serious soon enough as she sets down the goblet and takes up her quill once again, being extremely careful not to break the thing between her strength-induced fingers. Her eyes briefly glance over the class, seeing the affects of the potions on the other students before refocusing her attention on the Professor, her expression set hard and serious.

"One dose of a failed potion," Snape says, not even turning to face Cullen as he conjures an illustration of a Chinese Chomping Cabbage, "Should wear off after a few minutes given its lack of potency. No, you cannot go to the infirmary."

He continues to add information to the board, "The homework assignment will be to research hellebore and its involvement in the concoction of the Draught of Peace. One foot of parchment. Sub-standard work will result in loss of points for your House."

Mei nods solemly and then spotting the illustration she smirks. Acutally smiling at the irony that maybe only she sees, the girl SLOWLY writes down the homework. It takes a bit longer than usual when she crushes her first quill into oblivion. Holding much lighter, she takes time to write down the work. Passably even.

Well, that answers her question. She just needs to wait a few minutes. HOpefully Snape won't mind if she just sits here, closes her eyes occasionally and waits for that moment to pass. Ophelia will just try to get as much of the notes as possible. She might have to *gasp* borrow notes from a classmate! Still, Ophelia just tolerates it, trudging through the failed properties as best as she can.

Zarina narrows her blue eyes at the board as she scribbles down the assignment onto the parchment, her fingers slow, though percise as her handwriting writes across the scroll beneath her hand. Her full lips press together with determination as she finally writes the complete assignment down, releasing a breath as she relaxing her fingers around the quill.

Antigone will be amongst those just splaying out on their desks, waiting for the effects to wear off. She doesn't even think about trying to take down the homework, too busy trying to move her nose away from the unsightly stain she's just noticed it's a few inches above. "Ugh," she mutters in a tired and weary voice, under her breath, "Ruddy potions."

Zarina waits as she writes the instructions that are across the board before the Professor erases them only a few moments after, she narrows her eyes at her writing before puttign the stopper back on her inkpot and rolls up the scroll of notes. Bottling the last of her Strengthing Potion for storage, she puts it in her knapsack, her slender fingers pulling out another scroll as she pushes out her seat and stands to her feet. While other students are packing up and leaving the dungeon as quick as their feet can carry them, she makes her way to the front of the class, approaching Professor Snape with scroll in hand. She holds it up for him, "The report on Boomslang, Professor."

Cullen's eyes crane upward, attempting to catch image and text added to the board. There's a frown at denial of request, mumble of unfairness under his breath before he slowly begins to lift himself again. About the best he does is put his chin to the surface instead of cheek, eyes drooping, the boy merely settling until the effect passes and he can get out as fast as possible.

Braeden turns his head to regard her when she approaches the professor with the report with a soft hum on his lips before getting his own out from his pack. While he had had out out earlier, the Professor hadn't issued the turning in of the thing. He'd follow up not long after, though she managed to get there first, with it in hand. The scroll would become visible without another word though something of an apology would be spoken, showing that even a Gryffindor could show humility or at least a Prefect could. "I'm sorry for that visit to your office Professor." He offers, his words spoken slowly with the parchment in offering alongside her.

"I thought that was your plan," Antigone replies in an undertone to Cullen, lifting her eyebrows as he passes with that comment. At least she's managed to get most of her things away. "I'll be all right. I think. Ugh, I did something very wrong." With her potion, she means, as evidenced by the fact that she's still moving rather like lead while she pulls herself to her feet and slings the bag over her shoulder, slumping slightly under the weight of it. "Least it wears of quick. Hate to be stuck here much longer," she notes, managing a wry grin.

Finally getting to her feet, Ophelia shuffles over to grab her things. Tig gets a wane grin, and Ophelia just looks /exhausted/ now. Her limbs feel rubberbandery and all that, so … "To the common room with me, and I'm not movin' the rest o'the day." Yup.

Mei laughs at her class mate, shaking her head before turning and heading out. The chomping cabbage…heh, this could prove fun.

Snape marks off the two submitted homework assignments upon a roster, gathering them up with a wave of his wand and causing them to hover out of the classroom as he stalks along behind them. No words are spared for those who speak to him - clearly he has somewhere to be, as he leaves the class to clean up after themselves and make their way out.

"Well." Cullen's lips curl into face of minor disgust. "They cured me. I guess I didn't really do too good of a job." Helpless sort of shrug follows, one glance made down toward supplies before he mentions, "At least this'll be great to show off, right?" There's some wary grin with those words, the boy beginning to shuffle out again after. "Next time I'll use something stronger."

"Tough luck that," Antigone replies, finally managing to get her bag balanced, her movements becoming a little easier as the potion wears off a little more. Still, she nods quite emphatically, almost like she has trouble getting her head back up, at Ophelia's comment. "Yeah, I think a nap might even be in order." Homework is just going to have to wait. With that, she joins the other mis-potioned students in shuffling out of the room.

Zarina smiles lightly as Snape hovers the scroll from her hand, giving him a single nod though he already has his back to her and is walking away to other business. With a light breath, she readjusts the knapsack on her shoulders as she gives the Prefect a glance, offering him a smile before walking beside him and walking through the doorway. Sparing no time as she exits to make her way to the greenhouse.

Cullen makes a prompt sort of exit, apparently not wishing to linger any longer than necessary in the Potions classroom. He still seems a bit unsteady, though there isn't any more keeling or any sort of disaster on the way. Just cautious steps as he makes his way back up and toward the stairways above.


The 4th-7th Year Potions Class for the first week of May, 2009.


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