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Conrad at the Cauldron Clash
Author: Ellis
Date: 03-09-17 18:04
Conrad stifled a big yawn. Even though the time difference between Hogwarts and La Escuela de Hechiceria was only three hours, the incredible distance between both schools somehow made it seem as if the time difference was greater. It certainly didn't help that Conrad hadn't slept well last night, which was probably a result of feeling excited at being at another school across the world.
He probably also felt a little nervous about the Cauldron Clash. After the previous SAT events in which Hogwarts fared very poorly, all eyes were on this weekend's participating students. Conrad felt some pressure to perform well. Hogwarts needed to redeem itself.
The Cauldron Clash had already started. The first group, which included Hogwarts students Douglas Dippet and Louis Kegg, worked on the third of their three potions. The first had been simple, the second more intermediate, and this third one advanced but within the group's skill level.
Conrad paid close attention, despite feeling tired. He noticed that one of the boys from Durmstrang appeared to be sweating over his cauldron. Either something was going terribly wrong or his potion was giving off a lot of heat. Since the other students didn't appear to be having the same problem, Conrad wagered Iosif Ivanov was doing something incorrectly and it was probably too late to remedy the situation.
Judge Pollyanna Pocket called time a few minutes later and walked to each station to inspect each student's work. She made quick work of judging and then went back to her own station to compile the scores. Shortly thereafter, she announced the winners: Aleksandar Masur from Durmstrang, Candy Iwamoto from Watling's and Leandro Echevarría from La Escuela, who drew a lot of cheering from his classmates.
Conrad's heart sank. Hogwarts had lost out on points already, and now it was his turn to compete. He got up with Edwina Trainor and the other students comprising the second group and took his place at one of the now clean stations.
"Your first potion will be a Swelling Solution," announced Judge Pocket. "Begin."
The students immediately reached for the ingredients at their stations, some of which were the right ones, and some of which were wrong and not to be used. Conrad reached his head out and settled on the dried nettles, which was the first ingredient he needed to make the Swelling Solution.
Figuring Out The Mistakes
Author: Furnella Hodfuffer
Date: 03-09-17 19:43
Watching the first Cauldron Clash group Margaret quietly cheered on her brother. Louis has worked hard preparing for the event, especially after he had the Transfiguration Tournament, and a second place finish, behind him. When the standings were announced, she's disappointed for him. He places 9th out of ten participants. She's sure it's little consolation that he didn't finish last.
After a bathroom break and getting a beverage, Louis finds a seat as those in the second group take their positions as work stations. Until the ranking for his group was given, he'd thought he'd done well with each of the three potions.
It's when group 2 is starting its second potion that Louis is able to pinpoint some of what went wrong, or so he thinks he has without looking up each of the step-by-step instructions for each of the three potions he brewed.
When making the first potion Louis is fairly certain he diced a root ingredient that should have been grated. With the third potion, he thinks he stirred clockwise ten times rather than only nine before stirring counterclockwise four times.
Why grating rather than chopping an ingredient and why one extra stir a certain direction matters is something Louis has yet to understand. He does know it has something to do with magic and that if a Muggle were to follow a potion recipe, the result wouldn't be at all the same for most, if not all, of them.
As he continues watching the second group, which isn't as interesting as something like watching others transfigure items, Louis tries to work through what else he did wrong to have earned such a low placement. Unlike going into the Transfiguration Tournament, Louis had a relatively decent night's sleep. He hadn't felt as nervous or anxious. How is it he did well in transfiguration and badly at potions?
Getting up to refill his drink Louis supposes he'll have to sit down later with the recipes of each of those three potions and go through step by step to determine all his errors.
(Titus) Flesh-Eater
Author: Tiberius Nott
Date: 03-10-17 15:02
Titus was at one of the greenhouses, working on his plant for the SAT Best in Show in the plants' category. It was a quiet Saturday morning, and he was alone with his thoughts.
Lately he had been somewhat careless with this project, as he had other things occupying his mind. He had received a mysterious invitation for a meeting in Hogsmeade. At first Titus thought it was some sort of prank. Maybe someone wanted to ambush and tease him. But curiosity won and he arrived at the Brews and Stews, just in time for the meeting's start.
He recognized some of the students present there, including Malden, Asher and Bruno. And he decided he did not want to be there because of that. But he was not able to leave because Sam's questions interested him. The wizarding superiority, for example. After spending the entire summer in a Muggle boot camp without a wand, Titus would not mind to live in a world where he could use his magic against Muggles. The idea of Adriana Fairchild taking over the wizarding world also sounded like a good idea because it would mean people like Judith Foxcastle would not be in control of his life anymore. And his father would be released from Azkaban and the Notts in general would rise again. He would be respected and everyone would want to be his friend.
Titus had left the meeting quite excited and for the next few days he couldn't stop thinking about it. His first impulse was to tell Tiberius all about it, but then he realized it would be for the best if he did not do so. Tiberius was a teacher. He would probably report the meeting to Malden's great-aunt. For some reason his brother seemed to have a lot of consideration of McGonagall. It must be related with Transfiguration for sure.
He heard steps behind him and draw his wand, ready to cast a hex.
"Susan, you scared me," he said, putting his wand back on his pocket.
"I'm sorry," Susan Fricks replied coming closer, looking at his plant. "It's so beautiful…" she started reaching her hand to touch it.
"Don't!" he said with a harsh voice, pushing her hand back.
She looked at him confused. He didn't use to be rude to her.
"It's a flesh-eater," he explained. "I'm feeding it with chicken, but it prefers human flesh."
He picked up a pin and used it to pinch his finger. A drop of blood formed and Titus made it fall over the plant. It eagerly drank it. Its white petals turned red for a moment. Titus explained to Susan that the petals become fully red after feeding. He had his sleeves up because he had been working and his fingernails were full of soil. He noticed Susan gazing at his arm.
"What?"
"You have a tattoo?"
"It's just temporary," he said, pulling his sleeves up. He had received some reusable temporary tattoos from Duncan Dippet, and he started using them.
"I like it," Susan said, surprising Titus. She was so goody goody, it did not make sense at all she would like or approve Titus. He wondered what she would think if she learned he smoked.
(Eirene) Busily Brewing
Author: Finley
Date: 03-10-17 17:25
The fact that Edwina Trainor placed second in Group 12-13 made Eirene feel a bit energized. Now Hogwarts didn't seem like the losingest school in the Scholastic Aptitude Tournament. The only school to not yet earn points in the Cauldron Clash was Sydney's School of Wizardry.
Phoebe Wandoo of Okapi had earned first in Edwina's group, and Juliette Petit of Beauxbatons had earned third. Edwina's fellow Hogwarts competitor Conrad had come out in sixth place. The ranking wasn't bad, but it wasn't enough to earn Hogwarts any points.
Now Eirene was competing with Margaret Kegg and the other participants in Group 13-14. The first wave had involving brewing a Shrinking Solution, which Eirene believed she had completed to perfection. Hers had been the most vivid acid green.
Eirene brewed a perfectly golden Girding Potion in wave two, though some of the steps to make it had not gone quite as as expected. For example, the first color change had meant to come out turquoise but had really been teal. The pink shade that came next was more lavender, and then blue more turquoise, but the rest of the shifts in color had been accurate as far as Eirene's eye could tell.
Now she was in the middle of making the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons. It was going well, but Eirene realized she was quickly running out of time. She had do get it done, or she might not place in the top three.
Eirene cast a quick glance around and noticed that others seemed to be faring better than she was. Maybe that was because they were actually concentrating on their potions and not wondering how the competition was doing. Eirene swiftly swept her gaze back to her station and resumed working on her potion.
A Massive Blunder (Bran)
Author: Saffron
Date: 03-11-17 19:02
Bran suppresses a groan. As he's adding ground horned slug to the cauldron he realizes he's made what could be a massive error. A minute or two ago instead of rose hip he added rose petals to the second of the potions his Cauldron Clash group was tasked to brew.
Stirring the thick liquid the required five times counter clockwise then reducing the heat to allow the concoction to simmer for five minutes, Bran tries to think of what he could do to fix the mistake. By the time those five minutes are up, he's not been unable to come up with a solution. He'll just have to soldier on, doing his best not to screw again with this potion, and hope his blunder wasn't enough to turn this potion entirely into something else.
Later, after his group has brewed its third potion and the overall rankings have been announced, Bran takes a seat alongside Pelinore Turner, congratulating the other boy on placing fourth.
"Thanks, though a third would have been nicer since that would have earned us points."
Bran had only managed a twelfth out of fourteen. That mistake was bigger than he'd hoped. He also must have made some other errors, small enough that he'll have to go over each potion step by step to know. Or perhaps that one misstep was so huge that alone ensure his low finish. As a Ravenclaw the ranking chafes.
Bran tries not to dwell overly much as Savannah, Malden McGonagall, and the others in their group go to their assigned cauldrons. Their first potion judge Zelda Tellman names is a Pepperup Potion. Bran thinks he could make that one and to see if he's right, he goes through the recipe step-by-step, paying close attention to the competitors to see if he's right.
The second potion Savannah works on isn't one that Bran knows how to make though he's familiar with it. As with the Pepperup Potion, it's of a more medicinal nature. The potion is for a reoccuring skin condition. The person can drink it or the potion can be thickened until it's a cream and rubbed on. That's how one of Bran's great aunts uses it.
The third potion is also one Bran has heard of but has no idea how to make. The Draught Of Peace is a difficult, particularly finicky potion to brew. He's heard Savannah and the others complaining about having to make it for Professor Snape. Bran is NOT looking forward to having that man for Potions next school year. It's almost enough to make him want to fail fourth year enough to be held back. He'd never actually do that. The Ravenclaw in him wouldn't stand for it. The Quidditch player in him wouldn't allow it either as that would most likely mean not even being able to try out for the team next Autumn. That thought is too horrid to even contemplate!
Malden and Minerva in Chile
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 03-12-17 09:58
Malden returned to his seat after his turn competing in the Cauldron Clash came to a close. He'd performed about average, landing in 8th place out of fourteen. His final ranking wasn't great, but at least he didn't come out dead last or close to it. Too bad Savannah couldn't edge past fourth place to earn Hogwarts some points.
At least Hogwarts had 8 points so far in the competition. Durmstrang and the home school, La Escuela de Hechiceria, were at the top with 9 points apiece. Okapi was tied with Hogwarts at 8 points. Beauxbatons had 6 points, Watling's had 4, and Sydney's School of Wizardry had one measly point.
There were still two rounds left in the Cauldron Clash, and the rankings could most certainly change between now and the conclusion. Callie Blackwell and Melpomene Graham were currently preparing their first potions, while judge Habib Bhatti and the spectators looked on.
Malden's mind quickly wandered from what the competitors were doing to the secret meetings he was supposed to be holding at Hogwarts on his grandfather's––AKA Sam's––behalf. Malden had yet to hold one, but he was thinking about hosting the first one on Friday evening. His grandfather had told him about a secret place in the castle he could use, but it was up to Malden to figure out how to notify the other students about the meeting time and place. Malden felt a lot of pressure to do it right. He didn't want to let down his grandfather or get him into trouble.
He glanced casually over at his great aunt, who was watching the Cauldron Clash with her full concentration. Professor McGonagall was incredibly competitive, and she wanted Hogwarts to win. She was quite glad that Hogwarts had already earned a respectable amount of points today, but there was always room for improvement.
The Hogwarts contingent had arrived in the magical RV yesterday evening, though it had felt later for the Hogwarts crew, due to the slight time change. Instead of attending a welcome feast, the various guests to the Chilean school of magic ate prepared dinners in their lodgings. In contrast, a big celebratory feast was scheduled for tomorrow after the Dueling event. The magical RV planned to depart directly afterwards and would travel overnight back to Hogwarts.
(Anthony) Stressed
Author: Beck
Date: 03-12-17 18:10
Anthony was at the office, reviewing evidence against Reed Wycombe for the umpteenth time. It was absolutely inconceivable that Alanna was still behind bars. Anthony had thought for sure that he would be able to prove that Reed had set Alanna up, and that Reed had also been behind Anthony's own imprisonment, Karina's kidnapping, Katherine's drama at The Daily Prophet, the accusation against Gillian, and Toby's temporary ban from playing Quidditch.
The stress was an incredible burden, and Anthony might say he felt it the most outside Alanna herself, because he had made it (unofficially) his job to sort things out. He had long suspected that Alanna had married Reed in a selfless act, and Anthony felt like such a failure for being continually unable to prove it.
What was worse was that the Beck matriarch had died. Anthony blamed himself a little bit, even though he knew that his grandmother's death wasn't really his fault.
Ariella had gotten their grandmother to St. Mungo's quickly, but Josefine Beck never regained consciousness and died the next day. It was Anthony himself who had gone to Azkaban and broken the news to Alanna. He would never forget the hollow look in Alanna's eyes, or how her hair hadn't appeared clean and how thin she looked. The image haunted him every time he thought about her, which was constantly.
Josefine Beck's funeral had been on Saturday, February 12 at the site of her grave in a small wizarding cemetery in Manchester. A reception followed at the Beck family home, where now only the elder Tobias Beck lived with Ariella, Karina, and Adam. The house was still full of Josefine's personal effects, which would someday need to be sorted through, but there was no hurry in that. Plum, Bronwyn, and some of the others had already offered to help.
Anthony had visited Alanna again in Azkaban after the funeral. He described the ceremony to her and showed her a picture of the headstone and from the gathering that followed at the house in Manchester. Alanna had said very little, only commenting on how fast Evan, Karina and Adam were growing.
Back in the present, Anthony pushed away from his desk and let out a deep sigh. Perhaps it was time to call it a day and see what Plum and Alex wanted to do for supper. Just when he got out of his chair to grab his coat and head out of the office, a pair of his colleagues came in with a wanted wizard escorted between them. It was Yardley, the wizard Alanna had turned to for help in exposing Reed.
Anthony dropped his coat, his heart pounding with excitement. If there was anyone who could prove Reed wasn't an innocent wizard, then it was the man being hauled in for questioning after having been on the lam since the start of the year. With any luck, Yardley's testimony would get Alanna out of prison too.
Displeased
Author: S Snape
Date: 03-12-17 20:32
Severus's lips are tightly pursed. The Hogwarts competitors have had mixed results in the Cauldron Clash, some doing rather well, others placing in the lower half of the rankings for their respective groups.
Severus is not pleased. The first and second places for each group should be filled by Hogwarts students, particularly those students who are his. Majandra is a good professor but she's too soft on the lower years. Her standards aren't quite as exacting as Severus's.
One good thing that has come from this SAT and the previous one is discussing with other Potions masters and mistresses their respective curriculums. Severus finds it interesting to know what potions a given year is taught at other schools of magic and in what order those potions are introduced and the methods others use. Of course, Severus's methods and curriculum are the best of the lot.
The current round ends without a first, second, or third for either of the two Hogwarts students. Severus's frown deepens.
Between an only somewhat decent showing so far today and the annoyance that is Veronica Dumbledore, and the Knight of Walpurgis, Severus is not in his most pleasant of moods though he must put on a "nice" face so as not to cause embarrassment for Hogwarts even if part of his disgruntlement has nothing to do with the Cauldron Clash and Hogwarts's overall showing.
As yet Severus has not had the slightest inkling that Veronica and the new incarnation of the Knights have nefarious deeds in mind. He would have thought that by this point he'd be trusted enough to be read in on whatever the group is planning; but, so far, there have been charity events, membership drives, community outreaches, and nothing out of the ordinary group meetings.
Either Veronica is being truthful about the reasons for the reemergence of the Knights or the reason is so dark that she and others are being extremely cautious in revealing information and with whom that information is revealed. Severus is frustrated enough he's on the verge of telling Kingsley he's quitting.
Severus's thoughts go back to the staging area as the members of the next group are assigned workstations and cauldrons. Perhaps this next week he needs to spring a few surprises on his classes, the better to keep them on their toes. He's also reached the decision that if Hogwarts participates in another Scholastic Aptitude Tournament, he will push harder that students selected for the Potions event be chosen based on aptitude and not simply for putting their names in a chalice or bowl to be picked at random.
(Ash) Shopping Trip
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 03-13-17 18:43
Ash stepped out of Olde Art & Supplies with a sack containing a sketch pad, a few canvases, colored pencils, and tubes of acrylic paint. He had recently gotten into drawing and painting. He'd always had a talent for art, but it had been a while since he'd drawn or painted anything and he'd never done it very seriously. Ash had taken up the hobby as a source of relaxation.
Work kept him busy, and then there was the mysterious business surrounding the Jones twins and their parents. If Ash were perfectly honest with himself, then seeing Beatrix with Pablo every so often was also a source of stress. Ash didn't have a problem with Pablo personally, but he really didn't think the guy made a suitable boyfriend for Beatrix.
As if conjuring the couple by merely thinking about them, Ash spotted Beatrix and Pablo through the brightly lit window at The Hopping Pot. At first he wondered what they were doing in Diagon Alley, but then he remembered that they were both adults who could go wherever they liked, whenever they liked. Just because they lived in dorms at St. Emrys didn't mean they couldn't turn up where Ash happened to be shopping.
Ash debated half a second popping in to say hello and maybe buy them a round of drinks, since he was the gainfully employed one and all, but he didn't want to intrude on what was obviously a date night. Instead, Ash turned away from the pub and continued down the street. Most of the shops were closed, since it was evening, but a few still had their lights on.
Ash thought back to Beatrix and wondered what she thought about the flowers he'd sent her for her birthday. He also wondered what Pablo thought about him sending his girlfriend a bouquet of flowers as a gift.
He didn't linger on the thought for very long, because his mind turned to how he had yet to look into Bowman and Otilie Jones. He'd had their names for well over a month now. Ash had thought to inquire at the Records Division again, but he would have to do so when Maverick wasn't working in order to avoid suspicion. Every time Ash went to Records for a legitimate, work-related reason, Maverick was there. Ash almost felt as if the wizard never took a day off.
Ash passed by the library and realized he might be able to find something on the couple there. Unfortunately, the library was already closed, so he would have to conduct his research another time.
He passed through the bricks and made his way into The Leaky Cauldron, thinking to perhaps pick up a meal for himself and his father, but before he could go to the bar counter to request a menu, a wizard materialized by his side, flashed a Ministry of Magic ID badge, and requested he come upstairs.
Ash followed the man to a small room in a narrow corridor and once the door had closed behind them asked, "What's the meaning of this?"
"My name is Connor MacRoth. I'm an auror, and I need your help."
Annoyed (Marlow)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 03-13-17 19:13
There's a tiny break between rounds one and two for cauldrons to be cleaned. Marlow wonders if supplies, equipment, and ingredients are being checked and inventoried as well to ensure that each contestant has everything needed for the second potion. It would be nice if only the ingredients for that potion would be available but as with the first potion there will be extras that have nothing to do with the assigned potion.
It's not enough that everyone competing today has had no idea which three potions each group would be required to brew until each group's turn in the competition. It's not enough that has meant committing to memory a number of potion recipes, some of the rather complicated. No, none of that is enough. The Cauldron Clash designers just has to give everyone the extra challenge of have more than the necessary ingredients and equipment, increasing the risk of participants performing under stress reaching for the wrong item or getting confused between similar ingredients.
Marlow doesn't know why that annoys her, not when she has Severus Snape as her Potions professor. This is his modus operandus.
As she steps back to her workplace, catching sight of Professor Snape's frowning countenance, Marlow admits to herself she does know what she's annoyed. She knows she made an error on that first potion, a potion she should have been able to do in her sleep. Having Professor Snape looking on, possibly noticing the screw up, makes her mistake all the worse.
Marlow is also annoyed with herself. What possessed her to do what many others had done and put her name in for every SAT event when each was opened for putting one's name in? When putting her name in for both Cauldron Clash and Dueling she thought it unlikely being picked for both yet that's exactly what happened. What's more, rather than back out of one and let someone else be selected, Marlow competes tomorrow as well. She'd say that when another SAT comes around she'd be more careful but for Marlow there won't be another. Not unless she repeatedly fails seventh year until the next one.
With the second potion now named and the time begun to successfully complete the potion, Marlow shoves all other thoughts aside to concentrate on getting the potion brewed without error, not easy to do with Severus Snape scowling from the sidelines.