Althea reminded herself, repeatedly, that in order to get better at Potions she had to actually
practice brewing them. It was
such a bother, though. There were so many moving parts and she was never good at measuring things out properly or even timing things right. This was probably a terrible idea, but as long as she took her time things would go accordingly. She hoped so, anyway. As she walked into the lab, she noted the others who were also working on their own potions - even admired them for how concentrated they were - and set off to nab an empty workstation.
She coincidentally chose one next to Olivia, and she glanced over and smiled at the Gryffindor - while also trying to look at what she was working on - before she looked around for her own notes. "
Psst," because she couldn't help herself, "
Livvvv," she whispered loudly. "
What are you working on?" Althea decided that if she was going to talk, then she should also gather ingredients as well. The fifth year bounced over to gather the ingredients for her potion (which, if she did things correctly, the base would also serve as the antidote.)
When she returned to her workstation - she had a relatively light load to carry back - Althea placed her ingredients down and began sorting them neatly before turning to her notes. The Hufflepuff double-checked to ensure that she'd picked the right amount of each ingredient and then began to look over the procedure to brewing it.
SPOILER!!: Emotional Change Potion (+ base/antidote)
Emotional Change Potion
Effect: A half-dark potion that makes the drinker feel one of these emotions: Happiness, sadness, excitement, fear, tenderness, anger.
Ingredients
Two sprigs of lovage
4 mistletoe berries
4 measures of fluxweed
2 measures of boomslang skin
Ten newt larvae
Happiness: 3 Alihotsy leaves
Sadness: A teaspoon of glumbumble treacle
Excitement: Half a handful of ferret fur
Fear: A scoop of black flies
Tenderness: 2 teaspoons of dog saliva
Anger: 7 hippogrif feathers
Instructions
Fill halfway with pure water
Slowly lower your wand as if you're drawing a straight, vertical line with your wand and say Apto pressura (wand movement: straight, vertical line onto the cauldron)
Heat to 100 degree celcius and keep the heat at 100 and ONLY 100 AT ALL TIMES
Chop the lovage well and add it
Wait for 5 seconds
Add the berries right after 5 seconds
Cut the fluxweed leaves in three pieces and add
With a wooden stick, stir once clockwise, once counter clockwise and alternate like that for 7 times: so the total number of stirs is 14
CHECKPOINT: It should be muddy, but not smelly.
Add boomslang skin and wait for 5 minutes
Add the larvae
CHECKPOINT: It should be completely clear like clean water
Happiness: Add 3 Alihotsy leaves and laugh as loudly as you can at a happy memory
Sadness: Think of the saddest moment in your life while adding a teaspoon of glumbumble treacle
Excitement: Sprinkle half a handful of ferret fur and stir it as quickly as you can in the clockwise direction until the fur completely dissipates (usually takes 30-45 seconds)
Fear: Squish a scoop of flies well in the mortar and add it
Tenderness: Gently add 2 teaspoons of dog saliva without any splashes
Anger: Throw 7 hippogrif feathers in as if you're angry at something and they are your relief
Frowning a little, Althea mulled over which version of the potion to pick before deciding on attempting one for Happiness. Ironic, really, considering how depressed she'd been all term. Although - according to her notes, anyway - the potion wouldn't take long to brew, Althea double-checked the instructions to
make sure she'd read it right. Once finished, she set out to thoroughly scourgifying the cauldron. When she felt it was clean enough, Althea tilted her wand at the cauldron. "
Aguamenti!" She filled the cauldron with water until it reached half-way.