Professor Sophie O'Malley
April 07, 2017 9:17 PM
Fly fishing! [Potions, Years III-V] by Professor Sophie O'Malley
The intermediates had been informed at the previous class that they would not need their textbooks next time they convened. They had also been told that the lesson would take place in the first MARS room, but just in case they had forgotten, Sophie had posted a notice in the door when she locked it up after the beginners were gone. Then she was on her way down for a fun afternoon lesson.Sophie made sure to be the first to enter the room so that it would shape to her idea of what it should be: namely, a large pond, perhaps a hundred feet in diameter. The small professor then produced a metal jar from her personal belongings, lifted the lid, and dumped the contents - which, being that the jar was charmed with expansion, ran much longer than one might have expected - into her lake.
She looked up to find some early arrivals and smiled at their good memory. However, she waited a few minutes to get the ball rolling, not a terrible stickler for timeliness, especially when the routine was changed. “Welcome!” she grinned when it seemed everyone was present. “Let me start off today’s exercise with a question from your readings. Who can tell me one ingredient of the Girding Potion? I’m looking for a specific answer, so raise hands.” She called on the first hand she saw in the air and went through them until given the specific ingredient she sought: the flying seahorse. Everyone who volunteered received five House points, but the one to give that specific response was awarded ten.
“Good job, everyone. We’re talking about flying seahorses today. Or, well,” the blonde amended, “we’re working with them. This isn’t a lecture. This is restocking! See, this pond here is full of flying seahorses, and we’re going to catch them. As many as you catch, you can use to restock your supplies. And you’ll need them, because next week we’re brewing that Girding Potion we’ve been reading about. I’ve noticed some of your supplies are getting dangerously low already, and I’m not providing any this time.”
Sophie produced her wand from her pocket and aimed at the pond. She wordlessly sent a harmless spark into the water, just to stir up the seahorses. Immediately, they began emerging from the water, flying in the air for a moment before returning to the water, their spaces instantly replaced by another. “I’ve heard that at Hogwarts, this was something of a game, or at least it was when my parents were students,” she grinned. “You’ll use the seize and pull charm to catch them as they fly. Like this - Carpe Retractum!” A golden rope shot out of the tip of her wand, but she missed her target. She smiled sheepishly at her students and repeated, “Like this!” before trying again. This time, she successfully caught the seahorse, the rope retracting back to her. Sophie released the seahorse and slipped the panicked creature back into the water.
“You’ll want to keep yours, of course, but that’s the jist of it. That incantation is Carpe Retractum,” she added for clarity. It was a third year spell, but she wasn’t sure if they’d gotten up to it in Charms yet this year. “As you can see, they’re dodgy little buggers, so good luck. Let me know if you need any help!” In her excitement for the fishing lesson, Sophie neglected to ask for the homework assignment that was due for the day, and would only remember later that evening over the dinner table with her family unless one of the students foolishly brought it up before class ended. If not, fortune would favor the procrastinators who had yet to do the reading questions, giving them an extra weekend after this Friday lesson.
OOC: Information about the seahorses and spell can be found by following the appropriate links. Have fun, guys!
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Professor Sophie O'Malley
Fly fishing! [Potions, Years III-V]
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Ben Pierce, Pecari
May 08, 2017 5:59 PM
Best Potions Class EVER! by Ben Pierce, Pecari
Ben Pierce was not a bad student. He did his homework assignments (most of the time). He didn't disrupt class. He was polite to his peers. He listened to the teachers and was able to regurgitate back most of the information they tried their best to pour into his brain.He was not, however, a great student. He didn't do any more work than was required. He didn't put extra effort into really understanding the things he could pick up well enough to pass his tests. He was smart but not brilliant. He was scraping by on natural talent without really trying. He just didn't have any passion for learning.
So when Professor O'Malley instructed them to meet in the water room today, Ben was intrigued but not overly excited about what she had up her sleeve. It was still class, but it was the MARS room, so he was giving it the benefit of doubt.
As she explained their purpose, a grin first began to form, and then it continued to grow across his face. Fishing! They were going fishing! Or seahorsing, as the case may be, but basically fishing. With magic. And they were going to get a grade for this? Well, she hadn't said anything about a grade, but they were definitely spending a lecture period on it at any rate, so it was just as good.
Best. Class. Ever.
Ben headed to the edge of the large pond, and held out his wand. His eyes darted over the water surface, picking and choosing his first target. There. He flung the wand forward in an almost casting motion and called out, "Carpe Retractum!"
The golden rope spooled out just narrowly missing his seahorse, but it was close enough to be encouraging rather than frustrating. He bit his lip in concentration and tried again. "Carpe Retractum!" And caught! "Yes!" He pulled back, but in so doing, the seahorse slipped free of its loop. "Dangit," Ben muttered, and looked to his side to see how his nearest classmate was doing.
"How do you tighten the loop in the rope so they don't get away after you catch them?" he asked, hoping they remembered from Charms because it was slipping his mind as completely as the seahorse had slipped his rope.
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Ben Pierce, Pecari
Best Potions Class EVER!
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Ben Pierce, Pecari
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