6 Oct 2019, 19:47
A Lesson in Potion Labels
October 3rd, 2019
Heather Ruby peeked into the classroom, looking for any sign of movement. Everything was all blurry shapes and colors, and shadows and light unless she was standing right in front of it, but even then, that was no guarantee with reading--especially with hand-written things. "Professor? Are you in there?" She tapped her white and red guide cane against the stone floor nervously. Something about the dungeons made her uneasy, but she still couldn't figure it out. It was colder down here than in the main castle, but she knew that wasn't the only reason. Maybe not being able to see much in the flickering torchlight was what made it worse. In her other hand was what looked like a small, bright blue typewriter with nine buttons, her Perkins Brailler, with a bundle of sticky braille paper in her backpack.
She hoped he was down here somewhere. Climbing down any of Hogwart's stairs was hard enough on an average day, but she had nearly fallen down them twice this time, her braille writer banging against the walls in the narrow stairwell. She hoped she hadn't dented the thing, even sturdy as it was.
Heather called again, "Professor? Do you have a moment? I can come back later if this is a bad time." It was a free day for her, and she still had other professors to visit today. Even so, she knew teachers needed their time off as well, and she didn't want to interrupt his.
@Elliot Price
Heather Ruby peeked into the classroom, looking for any sign of movement. Everything was all blurry shapes and colors, and shadows and light unless she was standing right in front of it, but even then, that was no guarantee with reading--especially with hand-written things. "Professor? Are you in there?" She tapped her white and red guide cane against the stone floor nervously. Something about the dungeons made her uneasy, but she still couldn't figure it out. It was colder down here than in the main castle, but she knew that wasn't the only reason. Maybe not being able to see much in the flickering torchlight was what made it worse. In her other hand was what looked like a small, bright blue typewriter with nine buttons, her Perkins Brailler, with a bundle of sticky braille paper in her backpack.
She hoped he was down here somewhere. Climbing down any of Hogwart's stairs was hard enough on an average day, but she had nearly fallen down them twice this time, her braille writer banging against the walls in the narrow stairwell. She hoped she hadn't dented the thing, even sturdy as it was.
Heather called again, "Professor? Do you have a moment? I can come back later if this is a bad time." It was a free day for her, and she still had other professors to visit today. Even so, she knew teachers needed their time off as well, and she didn't want to interrupt his.
Reducio
@Elliot Price
Last edited by Heather Ruby on 24 Oct 2019, 23:31, edited 1 time in total.
Failed 1st Year at Hogwarts at age 11. Is repeating 1st Year classes.
11 Oct 2019, 03:43
A Lesson in Potion Labels
Elliot stood with clipboard in hand. His eyes peered over his round spectacles, scanning the wooden shelves with all sorts of different ingredients, counting them as he went and checking them off of his list. It was a weekly routine for the middle aged wizard, taking inventory of the Potions storeroom. A mundane task, but one that was highly important for safety and security measures. Any number of various plants, liquids and preserved animal parts could be highly dangerous if handled incorrectly. Not to mention that he would make monthly resupplies to make sure his students had the necessary components for his classes.
“Three bundles of Aconite...two vials of Acromantula Venom...” he whispered to himself as he counted. With a deep sigh he marked his list. Such a lengthy process.
“Professor? Are you in there?” A voice called out from somewhere in the classroom. Following it was a tapping against the stone. Elliot turned and peeked his head out of the storeroom door. “Professor? Do you have a moment? I can come back later if this is a bad time.” It was one of his students. He immediately recognized the brunette as her thick glasses and cane identified her.
“No bother Miss Ruby, please come in.” Elliot called out to her as he exited the storeroom and turned to lock it. A jangle of keys and the turning of a lock would reach her ears. She would also hear the third of his boots against the stone floor as he approached her slowly. “What is it I can do for you today?”
“Three bundles of Aconite...two vials of Acromantula Venom...” he whispered to himself as he counted. With a deep sigh he marked his list. Such a lengthy process.
“Professor? Are you in there?” A voice called out from somewhere in the classroom. Following it was a tapping against the stone. Elliot turned and peeked his head out of the storeroom door. “Professor? Do you have a moment? I can come back later if this is a bad time.” It was one of his students. He immediately recognized the brunette as her thick glasses and cane identified her.
“No bother Miss Ruby, please come in.” Elliot called out to her as he exited the storeroom and turned to lock it. A jangle of keys and the turning of a lock would reach her ears. She would also hear the third of his boots against the stone floor as he approached her slowly. “What is it I can do for you today?”
14 Oct 2019, 20:02
A Lesson in Potion Labels
"I... um... I..." Now that she had found him, she was having second thoughts, memories flooding back of last year's potion classes, and over the past month of the new year.
"First off, I know I should have come to you at the start of classes, what with it being October now... But everything got so busy that I never found the right time and, well... There's a reason I never did anything but stir the potions this time in class..." She fidgeted with her cane hand, tapped a random beat on the floor. It was a bad habit, and she knew it, but she was too nervous right now to care.
"I'm sorry I nearly blew up your classroom!" she blurted, "...every lesson last year..." she continued meekly, "and for burning holes in my caldron... and the floor... and the ceiling... I swear I still don't know how it kept getting on the ceiling... And--and for almost poisoning the class with toxic fumes. Twice. Why did you keep letting me back in here?! I'm a walking disaster with potions! Uh... How much money do I own you for mending my caldron? And for damages to school property?"
She paused, gasping for breath and not realizing just how much potions class had been bothering her until that moment. Her face beet red in a blush, she pointed out the door with her hand holding the braille typewriter, banging it against the wall with a wince. "You know what, maybe I should just go..." She turned and walked into a shelf she had forgotten there. "Ow!"
@Elliot Price
"First off, I know I should have come to you at the start of classes, what with it being October now... But everything got so busy that I never found the right time and, well... There's a reason I never did anything but stir the potions this time in class..." She fidgeted with her cane hand, tapped a random beat on the floor. It was a bad habit, and she knew it, but she was too nervous right now to care.
"I'm sorry I nearly blew up your classroom!" she blurted, "...every lesson last year..." she continued meekly, "and for burning holes in my caldron... and the floor... and the ceiling... I swear I still don't know how it kept getting on the ceiling... And--and for almost poisoning the class with toxic fumes. Twice. Why did you keep letting me back in here?! I'm a walking disaster with potions! Uh... How much money do I own you for mending my caldron? And for damages to school property?"
She paused, gasping for breath and not realizing just how much potions class had been bothering her until that moment. Her face beet red in a blush, she pointed out the door with her hand holding the braille typewriter, banging it against the wall with a wince. "You know what, maybe I should just go..." She turned and walked into a shelf she had forgotten there. "Ow!"
@Elliot Price
Failed 1st Year at Hogwarts at age 11. Is repeating 1st Year classes.
21 Oct 2019, 03:21
A Lesson in Potion Labels
Elliot’s graying eyebrows rose high over his round spectacles as the young girl began to speak. It was obvious that she was feeling overwhelmed as the words came quickly. A small pang of guilt crept through his chest as he listened. It was his responsibility, no, it was his duty as an educator to make sure all of his students had what they needed to succeed in their studies. Whatever came from this, he made a silent vow that he would see her through it.
“Well now...” he began, but her words did not cease. He rose a hand to interject, quickly shaking his head and lowering it. That surely wouldn’t work.
“Miss Ruby...” Again the girl continued on, going as far to attempt to excuse herself before they could even begin an actual conversation. She turned abruptly, her body and the device she carried both smacking into the shelf behind her. He winced along with her and took a long stride in her direction.
“Miss Ruby! Please.” He would stand next to her but did not reach out in case it startled her. His voice was stern, but carried a softness to it as well. “Please take a moment to calm down. Now, challenges aside, you are hardly the first of my students to struggle with the art of Potions. Can we please just sit for a moment?” He took a step back and pulled out a chair from the nearby desk. “There is a seat here before you if you just reach out for it. Now, as far as the equipment goes, students will never be financially responsible for mistakes. You’re hardly the first to melt a cauldron. Mistakes are what help us learn.” With that Elliot took a seat of his own, next to the one he presented her if she chose to take it. “Let’s talk this out. How about you tell me what you have brought with you today.”
“Well now...” he began, but her words did not cease. He rose a hand to interject, quickly shaking his head and lowering it. That surely wouldn’t work.
“Miss Ruby...” Again the girl continued on, going as far to attempt to excuse herself before they could even begin an actual conversation. She turned abruptly, her body and the device she carried both smacking into the shelf behind her. He winced along with her and took a long stride in her direction.
“Miss Ruby! Please.” He would stand next to her but did not reach out in case it startled her. His voice was stern, but carried a softness to it as well. “Please take a moment to calm down. Now, challenges aside, you are hardly the first of my students to struggle with the art of Potions. Can we please just sit for a moment?” He took a step back and pulled out a chair from the nearby desk. “There is a seat here before you if you just reach out for it. Now, as far as the equipment goes, students will never be financially responsible for mistakes. You’re hardly the first to melt a cauldron. Mistakes are what help us learn.” With that Elliot took a seat of his own, next to the one he presented her if she chose to take it. “Let’s talk this out. How about you tell me what you have brought with you today.”