Professor Connell
October 23, 2007 8:10 PM
First Years Lesson I by Professor Connell
It was always interesting, watching the first years come into her classroom for the first time, particularly when potions wasn’t their first class of the year. While Marian Connell normally didn’t like to think she found amusement in unintentional actions of her students, this was the one time of the year she couldn’t help herself. Even with those who had grown up in a magical family, the actual process of creating potions, and the ingredients that went into them often weren’t considered.However, one couldn’t avoid them in her classroom, as various jars of pickled and dried animals, jars of eyes, livers, and other somewhat unsavory looking objects (she had just as many that weren’t at all unusual, but those never attracted as much attention).
As soon as it appeared the last of the first years had found their way to the classroom and taken a seat, she stood from her seat behind her desk, moved to close the door, then returned to the front of her classroom, standing this time. “Welcome to your first potions lesson,” she began, for the first time in six years not feeling nervous in front of her students, and not feeling like a fraud. She’d apparently finally managed to get the hang of things. Imagine that.
“For those of you who have not yet met me, namely those not in my house of Pecari, my name is Professor Connell, and, as you probably guessed, I am your potions professor. For those of you who know little of this class, it will be almost exactly what it sounds like- you will be learning the art of making various potions, as well as the uses and properties of various ingredients. Eventually, you will learn more advanced skills, of course, but for this first year at least the focus is on the basics.”
Marian had been smiling throughout the introduction, but now turned sterner, gazing at the assembled students with none of the humor she’d shown earlier. “Potions making is an exact art, and precision and attention to detail are perhaps the most important thinks you will gain from this class. Safety is without a doubt my foremost concern while you are in here, so there are several rules you must follow at all times.
“First, take the utmost care when preparing your ingredients and adding them to your potion. Even an ounce too much of a substance can cause catastrophic results, as has been shown before in this classroom. Also, there is to be no horseplay of any sort. When you are working, and you will more often than not be working with partners or in groups of three, the ways you chose to spend your time is your own decision, as long as the work is done, and no one is faced with potential harm. However, if that line is crossed, I will not hesitate to make the consequences as severe as it is in my power to do so. Remember, there are potentially dangerous solutions in those cauldrons, in addition to the simple threats posed by the fire or the scalpels. While there is a direct path from this room to the infirmary, since the medic and I share so many of the same ingredients, I would prefer not to have to trouble him because someone behaved stupidly.”
Seriousness gone now that her warning and/or threats had been dispersed, Marian leaned back to look at her planner to make sure she had the right pages, then spoke for the final time. “However, you will not have to worry about that immediately, as today is intended to ease all of you into the subject. While I know some of you have grown up around potions, others of you have not, and I would like everyone to be on as equal footing as possible. Therefore, I want everyone to get into groups of two to four, and create lists of all the potions you’ve ever heard of, and categorize them in whatever way you see fit, with descriptions of the potions. If you happen to know of specific ingredients that are used for a certain kind of potion, those can be added for bonus points. This is to be done without your textbooks as much as possible; the group that has the greatest variety in their list will get five house points each. Begin.”
OOC: This lesson will run for two weeks. Writing-wise, I want posts at least two good-sized paragraphs long, though longer would be greatly appreciated; the longer and more detailed your posts, the greater the number of house points you will receive at the end of the lesson. Keep your knowledge in character as well—points actually will not be given out based on the lists, and I don’t want to see any muggleborns, for example, having an infinite knowledge of potions without an IC reason. Other than that, though, feel free to go with it. (And, yes, next lesson you’ll get a chance to explode things should you so choose, I promise.)
Subthreads: Lists are something I'm good at. by Laurie Cider with Addie Laurent
Potions.. *sigh* by Rilla White with Lucie Dupree, Lucie
I'm not a know-it-all ... I just know it all by Cecily Smythe
Oh no by Holly Greer with Liz Guthrie
Lesson Closed (nm) by Professor Connell
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Professor Connell
First Years Lesson I
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Professor Connell
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Holly Greer
November 12, 2007 2:02 PM
Oh no by Holly Greer
One look around this classroom was enough to convince Holly Greer of two things. Thing One: She was was going to hate this class. Thing Two: She was never going to look at anything but the floor, her desk, and the insides of her eyelids. Keeping her head down, she found an empty desk, sat down and squeezed her eyes closed, promising herself she wasn't going to open them again until she could leave this place with the horrible things on the shelves and cabinets.Her daddy was getting a letter about this class, too.
She listened to the teacher's voice, thinking it sounded familiar. Holly placed it when the woman mentioned 'my house, Pecari'. Splendid. It was her own head of house who taught in this horrific room. Holly had thought listening to Mr. O'Leary in DADA had been bad. At least the only nasty thing she'd had to look at there had been an evil plant.
Fortunately, Holly could listen to the introduction without being subjected to PG-13 or older things. Given her vow about not opening her eyes, she wasn't sure how much of the rules applied to her, but she wasn't going to misbehave or anything.
Even better, their first lesson was just about listing out different kinds of potions (not that, as a pureblooded muggleborn Holly knew any) instead of using any of those terrible things in jars.
With her eyes closed, she had no idea who was sitting near her, but she decided they were as good a group as any. "I've heard of love potions," she volunteered, her head still down and her eyes squeezed tightly closed. "And Alice drank potions to make her get bigger and smaller."
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Liz Guthrie
November 12, 2007 9:29 PM
Oh yes by Liz Guthrie
When she got to the potions classroom the first thing Liz thought was that this room was a little creepy. Okay, it was a lot creepy, it had eyeballs in jars for crying out loud who wouldn't be creeped out? For some reason the thought of Grandpa Jerry's room popped in her head. Because he was a veteran aurer, he tended to be a little paranoid so his room was filled with dark wizard detecting devices. She couldn't remember the names of them, though.She somehow found herself right next to a girl with her eyes squeezed shut. Liz recognized the girl as Holly something-or-other. She was never good with names but she was very good with faces so she knew it was her. The classroom must be a little too creepy for the poor girl.
For this class all they had to do was list the potions they knew. She didn't know many. Her Aunt Rose tried to explain some of the potions she always used but Liz only half-listened. Her aunt had a very dull voice that would make anyone tune her out.
When the teacher stoped talking she heard Holly rambling about love potions and Alice in Wonderland. She must be from a muggle family to be spouting that kind of nonsence so Liz decided to take pity on her. "There are love potions but I'm not sure if there are potions that make you big or small," she said "but there could be," she quickly added so Holly wouldn't feel too stupid.
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Liz Guthrie
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