This was why Vivian loved Professor Paul. The Head Girl smiled a teeeeny tiny bit at the Herbology professor as she added a glug—honestly sounded like somebody choked on their pumpkin juice, to be honest—of the castor oil to her cauldron. She would miss him when she graduated.

She then picked it up and swayed the cauldron around to spread the oil onto the bottom and sides before she placed it back on her tripod. And with that, she set the burner on low heat. After adding five teaspoons of beetle eyes, Vivian took out five more whole beetles and dropped them into her mortar. With her pestle, she began grind and crush the beetles.

What was it with beetles, though?