Um...Professor, some of the ingredients of the Shrinking Solution include daisy roots, shrivelfig, sliced caterpillars, 1 rat spleen, and a dash of leech juice.

Tina listens and quickly jottes down some notes.

Serena raised her hand, "I'm only guessing, but the spleen produces what are called antibodies, to fight infections or unfamiliar 'invaders' once they are detected. It also will swallow and digest debris in the blood such as worn out red blood cells and platelets and will also trap white blood cells. Maybe the rat spleen is used to fight the damaging effects that shrinking something could cause. It could help the body protect itself from the unfamiliar 'invader': the shrinking solution."

"First of all, tardiness is unacceptable in my class. It truly amazes me that I have had about one late attendee per term up until this term, when I have at least one per class. 5 points from Slytherin, Miss Emmy," Professor Airlia says, extremely dissappointed.

"Now, yes, lways, daisies are believed to stunt growth. However, this property is not exclusive to the roots. One point to Gryffindor. Is there anything else anyone can tell me about the daisy roots?

"Excellent point, Jaren. The shrivelfig is, indeed, a very important ingredient for just that reason. One point to Slytherin.

"Actually, Kali, there is no swelling involved here. I believe you are getting a bit mixed up with the deflating draft from last term. However, you are absolutely correct about the addition of too much leech juice so, take a point for Ravenclaw."

Serena raised her hand, "Daisies and their roots have been used for treating inflammations internally as well as to help with the healing of wounds and gout externally.The roots have a penetrating pungency, that contains tannic acid, and there was once a popular superstition (to which Bacon refers) that if they be boiled in milk and the liquid given to puppies, the animals will grow no bigger."

Terry watches her cousin doodle and scans the class. What a shame Reign isn't here. I'd hoped she could join in the festivities. Oh well, I guess she was too tired after catching the snitch to make class. "Pofessor, I assume a dash of leech juice is used because leeches have the ability to suck the blood out of their victims. A useful trait for a shrinking solution which sucks the volume out of its victims. Caterpillar is probably used because they have the unique ability to transform into a butterfly. The shrinking solution transforms a full size object into a miniture version of itself." Mrs. Weasley smiles in the direction of Nadia and thinks what fun Jenn and she are going to have once the potion has been brewed.

"Yes Serena, I have heard that myth and daisies have been associated with stunting growth. Five points to Hufflepuff, Mrs. Weasley; those were very astute observations. I suggest the class write that down," Professor Ailria said. "Is there anything else anyone would like to contribute before we begin brewing our potion?"

Nadia titles her head at Terry and then turns back to the professors.

"Mmh, my head is out of order, I can't think of why we would be using rats. I can only guess it has something to do with what the rat is: small and difficult to catch. However we are using the spleen, the interior of it. So I don't know really... I also heard rats principally are used for experimentation, especially to shrink -" *she paused* "No- never mind... No, I'm clueless. Could you tell us professor what's the use of rat spleen in the potion?"

:: Ganymede tries to prepare the disgusting ingredients for the potion. "people drink this?" she gaggs under her breath. She looks over at Jaren and rolls her eyes which turn a green. Her hair shrinks up to her shoulders, turns curly and brown. ::

Professor Airlia's lips curl up in an evil-looking smile. Actually, Nadia, I think I'll make it an extra credit part of the homework assignment. It will give you all a chance to dig into the library a bit."

"Now, I think we're ready to brew up our potion. The ingredients and instructions are on the board. Please follow them carefully.

Patricia walked up ot the front and looked cautiously at the rat spleen before picking it up with a grimace. Bundling all the other ingredients she walked slowly back to her desk, spleen held out far infront of her, staring intrestedly at the caterpillar.

:: Ganymede sighs and begins to work. She fills her cauldron with water and walks to the Professors desk, "May I have the Rat Spleens and such?" I ask with a scowl. "This better come in handy someday" I grumble as I wait for the other ingredients. ::

Serena got her potions ingredients and cauldron ready, then stepped up to get her rat spleen and leech juice. She was noticing everyone's squinched up faces as she waited her turn, then carefully carried her own back to her desk and proceeded first to chop her daisy roots.

Stephanie chews the end of her quill as she thinks of something else to jot down.

:: Ganymede rolls her eyes at Stephanie. She collects her things and goes back to her seat... which was next to Stephanie. "Stephanie, Can you help me with these?" I ask showing her the Rat spleen. ::

Stephanie eyes the spleen and shrugs her shoulders, "Sure, rat spleen isn't all that difficult as long as you keep your mind of its smell." she says as she assists Ganymede.

Ivy got up from her seat and walked towards the the Professor's table to get her spleen and leech juice.. She waited behind the line and she looked at the rest with the ingredients in their hands and the look on their faces.. "It really does look disgusting" she thought.. When it was her turn.. She took the ingredients she needed and headed back her table..

She placed the Rat spleen and leech juice aside first since it wasnt needed for a while.. Then she looked at the baord for instructions.. She do not want to make any mistakes.. Then, she started to chop the daisy roots.. she really concentrated as it was instructed to chop it evenly..

:: Seeing that the Professor wasn't looking, Ganymede takes her wand out and quickly levitates a spleen onto the Hufflepuffs head. "Woops! Sorry about that!", I whisper with a chuckle. "Professor, rat spleens have prostaglandin in them. Maybe this has something?" I quickly say with a smile. ::

Shannon gathers the ingredients she needs from the front, and brings them back to her seat. She begins heating her water while she carefully slices her daisy roots and caterpillar, and it comes to a boil just as she finishes skinning her shrivelfig.

She begins preparing her potion, adding the ingredients as the instructions direct. "Professor, just how much is a dash?" she asks, as cooking has never been a skill of hers.

"Hey!! eeww.. nvm.. " she said.. "haha.. i cant bElieve its on my head.. yuck!" she removed the spleen frm her head and continued, "I think this belongs to you.." then she placed the spleen on Ganymede's table..

*Now i have to scrub my hair harder cox of the stench..* she thought.. *stinky stinky*

She looked at the board again for the next instruction and realised that after all of the ingredients have been chopped or peeled or wad so ever, it had to be boiled in 500 mL of water soo she walked to sink and get the water and poured it into the cauldren.. she still cant help thinking of the feeling with the spleen and her head.. digusting would be the word the describe..

As she waited for the water to boil, she carefully skinned the shrivelfig and ensure that all of the peel has been removed.. She placed the already skinned shrivelfig nxt to the chopped daisy roots and looked at the nxt instruction.. and that was wad she was afraid to come to.. slicing the caterpillar..

She picks up the caterpillar frm the other side of the table and placed it infront of her. *gross!!* she thought.. Den she slowly sliced it into small and even pieces and put it aside with the other ready ingredients.. She looked at the water and realise that it isnt boiled yet soo she decided to wait for a while and for bubbles to rise up in the water.. while waiting.. she took out her notes and read through again..

:: Ganymede finishes up her brewing. Suddenly her eyes turn a bright blue. Her smile turns into a smirk as she stirs her potion. ::

Professor Airlia had turned her back to speak with Hubert when she heard a bit of a commotion behind her. When she turned back around, she saw a spleen on starrillicious' head. Turning back to Hubert to find out if he had seen the incident, she nodded and floated over to the Hufflepuff girl and Ganymede. "And what exactly is going on here?" she asked. "Perhaps some time in detention will straighten you out, Miss Ganymede."

Jaren chopped up the daisy roots and caterpillar meticulously before peeling the shrivelfig and obtaining the rest of the ingredients from the desk in front. Then he started boiling the water in his cauldron. While waiting, he noticed with quiet disdain that Ganymede had managed to land herself in detention. Why does she always seem to get into trouble? He wondered rhetorically to himself before turning back to the task on hand.

This potion was easier to brew than the previous one, and in half an hour, his potion was ready. Jaren carefully poured the potion into two vials and labelled them, and brought one up back to the front for grading.

"A question, Professor. If the rat's spleen was chopped up instead of being placed into the potion whole, would that affect the strength of the potion or would it simply imbalance the ingredients?"

ooc) heh heh. yeah. I guess I did get confused between the two.

Kali writes down a couple of notes then starts to do the first steps of the potion.

Mrs. Weasley prepares her daisy root, shrivelfig, and catapillar for her potion. She then pours 500ml of water into her cauldorn and allows it to come to a boil. While the water boils, she goes to Professor Airlia's desk and gets a rats spleen and leech juice. She then adds the chopped daisy root, shrivelfig and catapillar to her water and stirs the mixture for two minutes. After the time has elapsed she adds the whole rat's speen and a dash of leech juice. She lets everything stew for one half and hour. When the mixture has cooled, she fills two vials, labels them, and brings them to Professor Airlia's desk.