Peony religiously did everything she was supposed to do. Her potion gradually turned green as it was supposed to do, an unfurling, leafy green. The Evening primrose petals she slowly scattered in swirled about. Peony - reader of much manga - was reminded of the sakura petals scattered interminably across the vista when someone was looking particularly lovely with sparkles in their eyes. It was a special effect - a lazy one, since sakura petals were almost ridiculously easy to draw.

Leave it now, cautioned the Voice as Peony looked slightly uneasy as to what to do.

So she perched up on her desk, uncomfortably near the fire and waited for it to turn blue, which it did, slowly but surely, a delicate tint of blue, deepening slowly to cobalt - a lovely sight, but Peony was seized by panic. Was that the right colour?!

Of course she couldn't look into someone else's cauldron - with shaking hands, Peony ladled out the necessary portions. In handwriting that was uncharacteristically neat, she wroter her name down.

Peony Tan, Ravenclaw, Sixth Year.

She placed that vial in front, then was about to raised her own potion to her lips when Nadia dropped like a stone before her. Peony stared at her limp form, her hand freezing in mid-air, eyes wide.

Then she slowly put her own potion down.

Right...