Potion Troubles [Hestia]

[IGNATIUS CASSOWARY]

[making a potion together and it explodes, making comical effects: talk backwards for an hour!]

Ever since he had left the Ministry, he had found himself more at peace with himself. This was baffling to him as being an Auror had been all he had wanted growing up and throughout school, and yet he was now teaching Potions to students. And loving it. It also gave him new contact with adults in Hogsmeade, which is how he found himself in the village the day before students would be returning from their holiday.

The Orphanage was a place he had always been peripherally aware of since his own school days, but he had never had cause to be inside until today. Because of his position as Potions Professor he had been asked to assist in brewing potions for them. A request he was happy to fulfil; everything from the Wolfsbane potion to burn paste was easy enough for him to prepare. Today, however, he was making common poison antidote to replenish the establishment's stock. Something he did without asking for payment as his way of giving to their work.

"Good afternoon. I hope I am not too early?" He had not wanted to interrupt lunch or intrude too early in the morning, so he had come to knock on Hestia's office door shortly after one in the afternoon. In one arm he held a bag with all the ingredients and tools he would need to brew with as he was rather hoping to hear of other needs the Orphanage had while they worked together on this. "If I am, I can return later on?"

HESTIA BURKE

[HESTIA BURKE]

Finishing the last of her reports, Hestia raised her arms over her head and stretched. From ministry reports to orphanage reports, her back and her butt were starting to ache. She couldn’t be sure if it was a sign of her age or her need for a vacation. Unwilling to be away from the orphanage for more than a day was enough for her to blame her age. Getting old didn’t bother her. Not being able to help the kids in her care did. It was why, every so often, she let herself take a moment to herself with a bottle of wine and a romance book. Book men were far more trustworthy than the ones she knew in real life. Less disappointing too.

Before she could go too far down that rabbit hole, a knock at the door reminded her that she had plans today. The sight of the current Hogwarts potions professor was a welcome one. She was grateful for the help. While she could probably brew the potions on her own, she was not very good at it. Average at best, she’d never really done well in potions class. She always told the kids in her care that they didn’t have to be perfect. Taking her advice seemed like the right thing to do - and much safer.

“Not at all. I just finished. Would you like some tea or coffee before we head to the potions room?” The room was less of a potions lab and more of a small classroom. It had its own storage closet for both ingredients and finished potions, but only three brewing stations. She allowed her Hogwarts-aged students to practice during vacation. Any wand work that needed to be done was done by the supervising staff member. That way, none of her charges could get into trouble for using underage magic. As small as it was, she was quite proud of its addition to the orphanage.

IGNATIUS CASSOWARY

[IGNATIUS CASSOWARY]

"Some tea would be wonderful if you have the time for it." Ignatius was not going to assume she did, as it must take a lot of time and effort to run the orphanage. Even with the students at school right now, there were all sorts of things one had to attend to. It was something he himself had realized when becoming a Professor, there were layers of responsibility even if the classroom was empty. It had to be quite a bit more involved for Hestia.

"I have brought the ingredients we needed as well. I was not sure if they would be necessary." Always better to be safe than sorry, as some of the potions were highly difficult and needed special ingredients. Not the pepper-up or burn past, sure, but the Wolfsbane did for the few afflicted that may reside here. It would take a good deal of doing to get that particular one brewing, so he had plans to leave it to last. If they did not get to it, there was always his ability to brew it at the school and deliver it later.

As they got to the potion room, he was surprised that it seemed like a small classroom. Perhaps a way for the students who lived here to do any summer homework in an environment that would help with concentration. Either way, it was a nice space and would give them room to get the potions started with plenty of room to move. "This is an excellent space to brew in. Are there any particular potions you are in need of that would be especially beneficial?"

HESTIA BURKE

[HESTIA BURKE]

Clipboard in one hand and kettle in the other, Hestia led Ignatius to the potions room. Once inside she moved to the closet potions station. Using her wand to create a small fire, she filled the kettle and set it on the flames.

“We try to have classes here during the year, for the ones too young to go to Hogwarts. Not just magic, but muggle classes. It never hurts to have skills to adapt to both worlds.” She’d seen firsthand how out of place some of her magical peers had been. As a first-year, she’d thought it was cute, until it wasn’t. Not knowing about the muggle world was dangerous.

“I have a list somewhere.” She went through the files on her clipboard until she found the orphanage’s potions inventory.

“We need some calming draught, but other than that, nothing too complicated. We go through a lot of bruise removal paste, wound-cleaning potions, and of course pepperup.” Cold season was a race to see how fast she could brew it. She liked to think that had he been alive, Professor Snape would have given her an Acceptable.

“But please don’t think we need to brew all of them today.” She was more than capable of brewing the easier ones. It was the calming draught she was worried about. A young boy had come to the orphanage after his parents died. Some days, the calming draught was the only thing that worked.

A drawn-out whistle told her the kettle had boiled. Turning off the fire, she summoned a small container of tea from her office and milk and sugar. Not used to using her wand for such simple tasks, she felt a little awkward at the silliness of it. 

“How do you take your tea?” Hestia poured the boiling water over the tea leaves.

IGNATIUS CASSOWARY