#7 - Potions Practice

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow when Arthur put on gloves as a show of precaution and common sense. More experienced hands wouldn't usually need to, but as a student who was still learning - perhaps he had misjudged the Hufflepuff boy? No, using magic to clean a cauldron was still foolish.

He peered at the ingredients. If Snape was impressed or not, it didn't show. Satisfied with the boy's efforts, he nodded. He summoned an empty, glass jar and vial, hovering them for Arthur to accept.

'Follow me.' He left the office without checking if he'd follow. If anyone else wanted to talk to him in his office, they were out of luck.

Snape led Arthur to the Potions classroom, and indicated to a bench of mucky pewter cauldrons. 'You'll require a spare cauldron to work with,' he said. 'If you're willing to clean it, I suppose you may take ownership of one of these. This is to be done without magic, Mr Hocking.' He was especially stern with those words, as the boy had a history with such a phrase being ignored.

Though it was unsaid, it was clear that this too was a test to ensure Arthur was serious about his request. Snape provided absolute supervision though, a clear sign that he did not yet trust the boy with his cauldron-cleaning abilities. 

Professor Snape watched Arthur's every move, though his glare lessened as the boy worked hard on his task. Once he was finished, following a few extra scrubs, Snape couldn't deny the boy his achievement. He peered at the cauldron, looking for any sign of fault, and was actually pleased to see none. The lesson on cleaning cauldrons had finally sunk in, it appeared.

'You are permitted to use the Student Laboratory at will,' he said, his tone unusually neutral. 'Do so responsibility, and clean up after yourself, or else such privileges shall be revoked. If I ever catch there at curfew...' Snape let Arthur form his own conclusions.

With nothing more to be said or done, Snape headed back to his office. He sat at his desk, reluctantly leaving his office door unlocked. It was inevitable disappointment to expect to be left alone in peace.

Kaspian loped down the nearest stairwell, plunging deeper into the darkness of the dungeons. He felt a chill in the air when he hit the last step, but was way too anxious to notice the sudden temperature drop from the ground level. He hurried down the corridor, slowing his pace when he noticed older students or those he thought to be a Prefect. He wanted to look good in their eyes, as he too wanted to become a student of authority. He wondered if Professor Rivera was looking for one? If she was, he'd have to present himself as a contender for the responsibility.

He approached the office he knew belonged to Professor Snape and knocked on the door. The door appeared to be unlocked already, but Kash didn't want to enter unless the man invited him to. Kaspian had a great respect for Professor Snape, finding his lessons to be his most favorite -- even if he was borderline intimidating. That was part of Snape's charm though, at least in the eyes of Kaspian. Did he enjoy being frightening to others? Kash wondered how people like him, Amara Seabrook and even Nyx Nordstrom managed to instill that fear.

"Good Afternoon, Professor Snape." Kaspian greeted the man through the door, believing him to be on the other side. It was open, so he could probably hear him. "I have the five ingredients you requested of me." Kash peered into his pockets when he said it, verifying that they were there. He had also forgotten he was wet and noticed his ripped trousers near the knee. Kash groaned at the recollection, fastening his robe shut in order to better conceal it.

"I spent the afternoon getting these ingredients." Kaspian stirred conversation when he entered the office, beginning to retrieve them from his pockets. "Some were harder than others, but I managed with determination." He doubted Professor Snape would care or show an interest in his methods of getting the five ingredients -- even if a giant fish had tried to make a meal out of him over one. Kaspian still couldn't believe that almost happened.

"I acquired them all down near the Black Lake. I went to the Boathouse and the Savannah." Kaspian spread out the ingredients for inspection, lining them up for Professor Snape to view. "I saw some advanced ingredients near the shoreline too. I wanted to collect them, but didn't want to get ahead of myself." It bothered Kettles that he wasn't ready to acquire such things, but it only strengthened his desire to gain access to the lab.

"Oh, I also have another set of red spider eggs as well. Those sacs require delicate handling, don't they?" He smiled to himself, pleased with his efforts. He had a productive afternoon and hoped Professor Snape would be impressed enough to allow him access to the Student Laboratory -- but Kaspian didn't expect anything more than a commendable nod.

"Thank you." Kaspian took the empty, glass jar and vial into his hands. He looked them over, happy that he was given such containers. These would help with his ingredient hunting, and maybe one day, his collection of more advanced components. He didn't put the items away just yet, instead taking time to acknowledge Professor Snape's affirmative nod. Kash expected it, but was just as surprised to get it. He knew that reactions like those from Snape were few.

Kettles followed Snape out of the office, now grinning from ear to ear over his new jar and vial. They were common enough items, but to Kaspian, being given them by Professor Snape was a sign of trust that the Potions Master believed him capable enough. Kash had no plans of letting the professor down, instead planning to exceed his expectations. He wanted to become one of Snape's best students and what better way then to start by utilizing the Student Laboratory?

"Not a problem." Kash tucked away his items when he entered the classroom, his eyes on the bench of mucky pewter cauldrons. He didn't waste time with further questions, walking over to the pile and grabbing the first one he came into contact with. Kash gave it a solid look as he grabbed some cleaning supplies and took a quick seat. He scrubbed and scrubbed, and scrubbed some more. More soap. More water. He didn't stop until it shined like never before.

"How is this, Professor Snape?" He stood from the bench, cauldron in hand, and carried it over to the Potions Master. He evaluated his own work while he presented it to Snape for inspection. Kash thought it was a solid attempt and saw it beneficial he was already a bit disheveled himself. It allowed him to really clean it without fear of ruining his uniform. If anything, he should have given himself a wash too -- especially after his day of searching.