Potions Kit Info

A Potions Kit is what's used to store ingredients and brew potions outside of class. It's an optional activity that boosts skills and enables use of potions that otherwise can't be found or be bought from the WizShop. Once you have it, it's permanent; you're free to use it whenever your character has free time during the day at Hogwarts.Cannot be done at night or during a meal time. Complete the following:

1) Visit Professor Snape in his office. If he's not there, try the Staff Room. Explain why you'd like to improve your potion-making skills, and ask if you can use the Student Laboratory to do so.

2) If convinced, Snape will have you to prove yourself by collecting 5 X ingredients around Hogwarts. You cannot do this ahead of time; ingredients can't be collected without a Potions Kit or Professor Snape's permission. You also cannot purchase jars until completing your Kit.

3) Follow the How to Find Them specifications below. Once you've collected 5 different ingredients, bring them to Professor Snape. You keep the ingredients afterwards. You'll receive: 12 house points, a free empty vial, and a free empty jar. Additional jars and vials, as well as exclusive ingredients, can now be bought from the WizShop.

4) As a final test, Snape will insist you clean out a spare cauldron to use. It must be done without magic, to show you're serious about your request and willing to put in the hard work. Once done, you keep the Pewter Cauldron and will be granted permission to use the student laboratory.
There's 100 ingredients available to Hogwarts students -- including those powered with a Pestle & Mortar, grown with a Herbology Kit, or bought from the WizShop. The rest are found around Hogwarts, in accordance to the ingredients list, or rewarded for various tasks.

Each ingredient used with a Potions Kit has a classification. X ingredients can be used by anyone with a kit. XX ingredients require a Herbology or Creatures skill of level 1 (depending on the ingredient type), and XXX ingredients require level 2. These level requirements also apply to which ingredients you can purchase.

There are also a few secret / special ingredients which aren't limited to Hogwarts, and have different uses. These are quite mysterious and don't have a classification. Special ingredients also don't count towards any limits. They are rare, and unpredictable, but can only be discovered in solo threads.
Each student can collect up to 3 ingredients per location per time slot -- regardless of if they're different or duplicates. The Forest Venture AQ, as well as some spells or potions, may temporarily raise this limit / allow exceptions. While another student with their Kit or permission can search with you, and may share in any ingredients found, or assist with an obstacle, each ingredient you collect must be personally obtained by your character.

You can create a thread specifically for hunting ingredients -- or include searching for an ingredient while socialising / otherwise in a current thread, just try not to let the conversation get too far ahead before a mod has a chance to respond, as you might miss out for being "distracted". 

When an ingredient's located, its image and collection method are provided via modding -- it's then up to you to determine how it goes and if you're successful, unless you're disruptive or overtly reckless (which may have consequences). You can find an ingredient singular (easy) or duplicate (difficult), but it's your choice if you collect it or how many; be sure to specify. Some ingredients can only be found in duplicates, with a higher challenge / risk in collecting it. 

Be prepared. Ingredients pictured in a jar require an empty one to collect / store it. Others can only be found at a certain time, which may be against school rules or prove extra risky. Looking for ingredients won't get you out of detention. Your character may need to harm a creature to obtain its ingredient, complete tasks to gain access to a location, or combat a dangerous plant / creature. Some also require certain tools, potions, spells, or even have backup in case something goes wrong.

If injured, head to the Hospital Wing and explain to Madam Pomfrey what happened. You might get a lecture about the risks, but she won't get you in trouble.
Outside of class, using a Pewter Cauldron is for anyone with a Potions Kit. A Silver Cauldron requires a Potions skill of level 2, and Gold Cauldron is level 3. Unlike other  items, cauldrons can be purchased ahead of time by anyone with the Kit -- even if the skill requirements to use them aren't met.

You must have everything needed prior to staring a potion, including an empty vial to store it in. If a potion has multiple parts, you can do one at a time and only need the things for the part you're up to. Some Potions are dangerous and possibly illegal for a student to brew / use -- Professor Snape may make an appearance in the laboratory from time to time, but he deliberately won't pay attention to those who may be up to no good.

There's no limit to how many potions you can brew per thread, though you can only use one type cauldron at a time and can't own duplicates of the same one. A potion may need to sit for a period of time before you can proceed, thus is stored in the laboratory. You can leave it and return later; it'll remain protected and undisturbed. Or you can brew another potion in the meantime, using a different type of cauldron. This is for a step where a potion has to sit for more than "30 minutes".

1) Create a thread in the Student Laboratory -- found in the Dungeons or the Map tab in the menu.  "Brewing" or "Potion-Making" must be in the title, to signify it's purpose. The Potion-Making Guide applies to the Kit as well as classes; the same methods and icons are needed for a successful potion. Follow the recipe and choose the correct icons, in the correct order. 

2) You can do up to 2 steps per post. More complex potions have additional steps, which a buddy or mod can post in between so you can proceed. With each completed step, used ingredients are removed from your inventory -- regardless of the eventual outcome.

3) After completing the potion, a mod confirms if it was brewed successfully and added to your inventory... or if something went wrong. Then you can clean your workspace (its icon is optional here), and either exit the thread or get started on a new potion.
A successful potion is determined by correct use and order of Potion-Making icons. If any are incorrect / missing, your potion fails. The cauldron may even melt or explode. This causes harm (and potentially other effects) to your character -- some even life-threatening, depending what ingredients you used or how advanced the potion was.

An immediate trip to the Hospital Wing is advised. Your ingredients are wasted, and your cauldron destroyed. A Silver or Gold cauldron can be re-bought from the WizShop. If it was the Pewter cauldron that got ruined, you'll need to request another from Professor Snape. Be prepared for a lecture and lots of non-magical scrubbing. If it happens too often, you may be given additional tasks to complete.

If a potion needs to sit for an allocated amount of time (example: a full day), but it takes you longer to return to it, that won't impact your progress or success. When it can resume, it'll go in stasis until you're ready. However, this only applies to Potions that need to sit; you can't stop mid-step when not required to, as it counts as incorrectly following the instructions.
Potion classifications are based on the highest ranking ingredient required to brew it. If a potion has multiple parts, rewards are given per finished part not overall completion.

X Potion ~ 3 house points. 80 Potions experience.
XX Potion ~ 7 house points. 120 Potions experience.
XXX Potion ~ 11 house points. 170 Potion experience.

You receive Herbology or Creatures experience for every ingredient you find (collected only, not bought / otherwise). X ingredient = 30 exp. XX ingredient = 40 exp. XXX ingredient = 50 exp. Protective Gloves, a Knife, and a Net can help in handling certain rare or difficult ingredients. These are often used interchangeably with the Potions and Herbology kits, as they have similar tasks and benefits. Gloves in particular mean fewer trips to the Hospital Wing. 

If a recipe requires a powered ingredient, you'll need a Pestle & Mortar. It can be bought from the WizShop and has unlimited uses. Stock up on empty vials in advance, as they're necessary for each Potion you make -- some use more than one per batch.