Path to Power: Book I: Training

Chapter 8: First Day of Classes: Part Two

01:00 P.M.
Potions Lab, Udagamandalam Academy of Magic (உதகமண்டலம் அகாடமி ஆஃப் மேஜிக்), Tamil Nadu, India
25th May, 1985.

Hadrian walked to the Potions Lab, refreshed and energised after the lunch and break. He opened the door and went in, when he felt a ward of some kind was present. Gurvi Bharadwaj was standing near her desk, wearing a white lab coat, dragonhide gloves and lab goggles. Ahead of him, were rows of potion equipments kept for each student along with their nameplate. Hadrian walked up to his spot and waited for Gurvi Bharadwaj to start. When all had settled in their designated places, Gurvi Bharadwaj started:

"Welcome to the Potions Lab. Potions are magical mixture of ingredients added in a specific procedure which when consumed or used produce an effect on the user. There are certain important rules you need to follow while you are here in the Potions Lab. You will notice that each student has been provided with these materials: one Standard Size 2 Brass Cauldron, one burner, a pair of dragonhide gloves, lab goggles and lab coats, a set of brass scales, chisels with three ranges of thickness, a silver cutting knife, mortar and pestle, pair of tweazers with three range of sizes, five sizes of spoons, a set of twenty glass phials and twenty measuring beakers, a juicing board, five droppers and a stirrer. The basins are at the end of the lab. You will find potion ingredients in the shelves beside the rows and stickers and markers in the drawers to label your potion."

"In each of your place, there are space cubicles made with Dimensional Magic and variable extension charms. This means each of you gets their own required for potion making. Please refrain from using your wand as much as possible, since too much active magic will destabilize the space cubicle and this might result in an implosion. I do not want pushing and shoving at the shelves when you are going for your ingredients. Five minutes before the end of the class, you are required to clean your place and equipments and throw away unnecessary ingredients in the wastebins provided."

"Now all that being said, lets move on to talk about today's class. We shall not be doing potions today. We are going to discuss potion ingredients and their uses in ordinary potions. Potions need several factors to work. These include: base ingredient, reactor, catalyser, indicator, stabiliser, thickener, diluter, poisoner, anti-poisoner, spin of stirring, timely addition of ingredients, flavourer and septic reactions on skin. Many potions would need some or all of the factors to work. Lets talk about the first factor: Base Ingredient."

With this, she walked off to be shelves and brought several ingredients and placed it beside her own cauldron.

"Base Ingredient is the mixture which usually defines the intended effect of a potion. Lets say for example, Wiggenweld Potion. Since it is a healing, sterilising and rejuvenation potion, the base ingredient will contain something that helps in healing, energising or sterilising. Hence the base ingredient contains either Dittany or Bezoar or Horklump Juice. You will see that Wiggenweld Potion, as the name suggests, uses the bark of a Wiggen tree, Dittany and a pint of Horklump juice as base ingredient."

"Next this potion has reactors which include flobberworm mucus, Chizpurfle fangs, Boom berry juice and lionfish spines. The work of a reactor is to produce a desired change in the base ingredient while keeping its key function same. It makes the potion edible and the takes the procedure of potion making to completion."

"This potion uses six other factors. Three catalysers: Billywig sting slime, sloth brain mucus and stewed mandrake, two flavourers: a sprig of mint and moondrew drops, an indicator: salamander blood, a diluter: drops of honeywater, a stabiliser: Unicorn horn and one poisoner: Wolfsbane. There is also stirring and heating of cauldrons at regular intervals to produce a desired effect. Now there are methods of imrprovisation in potion brewing. Let's say for example Exstimulo Potion. A single spell enhancing potion. Ingredients used are Re'em blood, Bitter Root, Granian Hair and Snowdrop. Upon following normal procedures, it takes two hours to brew the potion. But two up swipes followed by a clockwise spin reduces the brewing time by 15%. Now I shall give you a demonstration of the Wiggenweld Potion."