Antidotes, anyone?

Deirdre felt horrible! She hadn't meant for this to happen. She had been trying to get back at Kolby for angering her during their last Potions lesson by getting the potion wrong. But it wound up harming him physically and emotionally. She would have to apologize in person later. If the older students didn't hex her for losing so many points.

I hope they don't kill me for this. It was not supposed to play out this way.

She laid her head on her arms in shame. She had only recently managed to make friends. Would they all think she was no better than the Slytherins now? A few tears soaked into her sleeve.

I'll apologize to him later, in person. Written words can seem forced or cold. I don't want him to think I'm lying to him.

She didn't look at anyone for fear of seeing hatred or disappointment in their gaze.

Adele watched in horror as Kolby drank the potion. She knew there had to have been something wrong, it wasn't the same color as the others. But...would the professor really do that? She knew Aitken was sly, but would the woman really put a student in danger?

She shook the idea from her head. The fiasco continued as Kolby left the class and Aitken sent Nadia after him. 20 points from Hufflepuff, 25 from Slytherin. It was all ridiculous. Couldn't they have just started their lesson like they were supposed to? Adelaine couldn't help but blame the professor for this.

"Don't worry about it," she whispered discreetly to Deirdre as she opened her book. "He won't be hurt, and no one will be upset with you for losing points."

She wasn't so sure about that last part, though. Hufflepuff had finally made it to second place in the running, just 18 points behind Ravenclaw. Now Slytherin had taken their spot.

Arry sat in stunned silence as the class resumed. She wished she could say something to reassure Deirdre, but there was no way she could do it without Aitken noticing. It would have to wait till after class. She also wanted to find Kolby and see if he was okay. They had an alliance now, so she supposed it was the polite thing to do.

"Why are we going so far in the book?" she muttered to Marigold, flipping pages. "What are we learning?"

The room seemed especially rancid today. Perhaps Aitken unloaded some new crates of dead things for their potions. Arya dipped her quill in dark blue ink and doodled on a spare bit of parchment, once again waiting for the lesson to begin.

Turning to page 394, Miriam couldn't help but wonder what this potion was. The professor hadn't said and Miriam couldn't tell if it had a name in the book or not. She muttered the list of ingredients under her breath as she scanned the page. It was a welcome distraction from the way class had started.

The fact that the professor had sent another student off after Kolby was comforting. It seemed that what she'd heard about Slytherin's wasn't true, they could have compassion.

I hope he's okay, she thought as she stopped reading. The fact that her house lost points bothered her less than what her housemate had done. It was probably a joke that had gone bad, but she didn't know. Miriam hoped it had just been an accident, no matter what the professor said.

"I apologize for that incident class, today we will be brewing the Antidote for Common Potions. The recipe can be found on page 394, for those who have bothered to open their textbooks as instructed. This potion is rather simple, and majority of you seem to have at least an understanding of brewing, unless purposefully sabotaging a potion." Almira said with a purposeful glance to Deirdre. 

Almira didn't have the patience to deal with simpletons any longer after the dramatic exit by Kolby. She felt she had overstepped her boundaries as a teacher, and needed to right her wrong. However, she would not be forgetting Deirdre's actions in the previous lesson. Hufflepuff might not be the girl's intended house after all. Even though she couldn't have predicted today's events, the girl was not as sweet as she seemed.

"Follow the instructions to the t, and we should have no problems. When you are finished brewing, or the class has ended, bottle the potions and put them on my desk." Almira said tiredly, trying to calm her frazzled nerves.

Arya set out the big book between her and Marigold. She was itching to ask the professor why she had such a huge stick up her bum, but she decided it'd be best not too. Whatever the teacher's deal was, it did not concern her. 

"Same deal as last time? she asked Marigold once she had gathered the ingredients. 

She determinedly crushed the bezoar (which she didn't fancy touching) and added four measures to the cauldron. Arry then added the standard ingredient and heated the cauldron. With a wave of her wand, she let it brew, then let Marigold take over. 

Later...

Their potion was completed, as close to perfect as it was going to get. Arry helped Marigold bottle it, then gathered her things and left the smell room.

Deirdre cringed at the obvious jibe toward her. She couldn't help that her anger had gotten the best of her. She didn't mean to actually hurt anyone. If she had known they would be testing the potion, she would have tried harder and contained herself.

She's treating me like I'm a horrid creature. Maybe I am, though. Deirdre thought as she gathered the ingredients. She could feel eyes on her as she walked back to the desk.

She made sure to follow the instructions in her book with the bezoar and Standard Ingredient. Waving her wand, she let Adele take over.

About a half hour or more later...

The potion was brewed and this time it was an appropriate color. Deirdre smiled at Adele. She helped pour the potion into a vial before grabbing her things.

"See you later." She said as she left.

Miriam turned to Mitri. "I'll get the ingredients then?" she said and headed off to do so, making for the supply cabinet.

When she got back she began distributing and measuring out the ingredients, but waited until Mitri was ready to begin adding them.

Later...

Once they potion was finished Miriam bottled her sample, made sure it had her name on it, and bid a nice goodbye to Mitri before heading out.

Adelaine tapped her fingers on the desk and watched as Deirdre added ingredients, brewed, and completed Step One of the Antidote potion. 

"Great, I'll take it from here," she said, struggling not to yawn. It was still far too early.

She added the Unicorn Horn, stirred two times, then tossed in the Mistletoe Berries and stirred again. She peered into the cauldron and made certain it looked like the drawing in the book. Adele waved her wand and helped Deirdre bottle the potion when it was complete. 

"Here you are, Professor," she set the bottle on the desk. Adelaine picked up her things and left for Flying.

Mitri waited as Miriam prepared the ingredients and then begun to slowly add them to the cauldron as per instruction. The potion seemed to look as it was meant to, but they'd have to wait until next class to see their grades. Mitri doubted anyone would be testing these potions next class though, everyone had already seen how well that panned out. Sarcasm intended.

Mitri bottled her own portion of the teal colored potion, attached her name and set it on the Professor's desk. Bidding ado to Miriam, Mitri hurried to her next class. Flying!