Ilvermorny

Being the transfer student is rarely fun. Being the transfer student when the first class of the day requires you to work with other people is less fun. Being the transfer student when the first class of the day requires you to work with other people and the two other people you know have already found partners?

For the shy transfer student, that was the worst.

Got to pick someone and hope they're ok with it I guess...

Layla took a moment to look around the room, and spotted one person who didn't seem to be partnering with anyone. Taking a calming breath, she approached the boy with a smile.

"Hi...um, sorry if you're waiting on someone but...um, would you like to partner up?"

Sylvain woke up from his trance with jolt and blinked twice before turning to the new horned serpent

''Yes I would as I was not really waiting for anyone specific'' he said with a relaxed smile

''You are the new transfert student from England, correct? I am Sylvain Leloup from Thunderbird''

Layla blinked, surprised at something close to...French?

"Oh, um, yes. I'm Layla. Layla Smith. In the Horned Serpent house, although I guess everyone knows that. Are you from France? Your accent sounds kind of French."

An awkward pause again, before she continued with "do you want to...find what we need? I don't really know the ordering system here or where things are kept."

"I am Québécois, actually" he said with a light chuckle "Not quite France but a good guess."

Once the other question came up he considered the question with a heavy breath.

"I am no herborist...but I am often in the woods so I might be able to spot a few things in the cupboards." He nodded "Yes, you made the right guess. I'll go look for what we need. I look forward work with you"

With that he left for he cupboards and stared at them for a good ten straight seconds before sniffing around the edges

"Ah, that looks quite fresh"
Looking for ingredients, 2 setbacks: 3eA+1eP+2eD+2eS 2 successes


With ingredients in hand he returns to his brewmate for the next step

Oh right, Canada Layla was left feeling very silly while the nice Quebecois boy went to collect ingredients. She spent quite a lot of time studying the potion, which meant she jumped when he came back.

"Oh! Um, thank you" she smiled at him, accepting the ingredients "let me make it then...I think I have it right."

She did her best to follow the recipe in front of her, but didn't leave enough time between adding the ingredients for a good potion. Likely due to nerves, or perhaps lack of skill. Or in this case, both.

"Oh...that doesn't smell right?" she commented with a small frown. She wasn't sure, but it wasn't as good as the ingredients, and she felt bad for letting the boy down now.

Potions class - making the potion! No ranks in skill. Hard difficulty: 3eA+3eD 1 failure, 1 threat

Missed bonus dice for potions roll: 1eB 1 success, 1 advantage


End result: True neutral

Sylvain leaned nearer to the potions but not enough to get strong whiffs of smell from it.

He remembered his SIMDUT training from a part time job a few years back

''I am not sure I smell anything...'' he said with great curiosity

His cat still over with the Russian student, Professor Higglebottom makes his way over to the two of you and gives a sniff.

"Did...you forget to add the ingredients? I don't smell anything."

He lifts up the concoction and takes a small sip. "Nothing...it's...less bland that water, and I didn't know you could make something less bland! How...how did you make this?"

There is a look of stunned surprise on his face.

"Well...there is a old No-Maj saying I once heard of, 'If you're going to fail, fail spectacularly,' and this...is not a example of that. Write me notes on what you did, so I can see if I can replicate it."

He paused and turned to them. "Even if I am impressed by this, unfortunately I cannot pass you today, since the assignment was for you to make it. I can, however, give you both 5 House points for making something I did not think possible. Keep at it, Laylie, Syl. That sort of accidental creative spark is what can change things."

Laylie?

"Um, sure" Layla nodded, moving to quickly write down exactly what she did, going into detail on exactly how long she waited on each part and when she added it. To the teacher, the only things wrong with it was the length of time the potion were left to brew at different points.

" I'm sorry for not getting the pass Sylvain" she looked away a little embarrassed at her mistake after handing the notes over to the teacher.

''Heh, that happens'' he replies, actually a bit cheerful ''We still did something amazing and got points for our houses so that's neat''

Not sure making a potion of true neutralness is amazing..

"Maybe" Layla commented thoughtfully, looking at the potion with a slight frown "I don't see it as a good thing though, even if the teacher was amazed. It's not a pass either."

''Then you might be seeing wrong?'' Sylvain ventured

''As for the grade...well...there will be other classes.''

It's a bummer for sure but it could have been worst

"You're a positive one huh" Layla said with a small smile, looking back at the Canadian boy "maybe. Thanks though, I'll try to be...less negative."

He grinned ''I think that perception is everything''

Layla nodded at that.

Must be nice to have an easy life.

"Is that one potion all we have to make?"

''For now yes I guess'' he looked at the clock ''But we might need to retake the class at some point''

He scratched his chin pondering something

''Maybe we could try again in our spare time and get a passing grade?''

"I'd like that. I really don't know what went wrong other than than the amount of time, so I want to do it correctly" Layla nodded "let me know when you want to try again. I'll have to study hard for it."

''Whenever you want acutally, I am flexible.'' he replied ''But I suppose we could ask Professor Higglebottom or Professor Teiwes for tips in herbalism, potion making and just plainly ask for permission to use the labs.'

"Ah yeah...that makes sense. We could flag him down now while he's wandering around. It might look good to show we want to learn more" Layla nodded a few times, getting up off her seat and trying to get the teachers attention.

Higglebottom is not hard to flag down, though it does take a minute for him to notice you, being so close to the ground that he is.

"Hmm, yes?" He seems interested in the two of you, looking over the notes you took on your attempt. "Did you discover something else?"

"Only a deep and vested interest in Alchemy" Layla offered with a smile "we'd like a chance to come back into the labs to learn and practice more, so we don't create potions of...true neutralness in the future. Is that something we can do?"

He belts out a laugh. "Of course! I'm always happy to help my students learn the alchemical arts."

Giving a small pause. "Feel free to take some of the ingredients with you at the end of the class and try it out on your own. Just be careful not to blow up our House, please. We don't want that happening again."

"We can?" Layla was surprised "well...thank you, but I think I'd be more comfortable coming here to learn rather than trying it back in the dorm rooms. It's easier to focus here I think" she looked at Sylv to see what he thought.

To that Sylvain gave a slow nod of approval

The professor gives a shrug. "Far be it from me to tell you where you can't do it." He shrugs his shoulders. "Let's plan on your off classes, then."

"Perfect. Thank you" Layla smiled brightly at that "we'll make sure to clean up after ourselves, it'll be like we're not really there! Except for the ingredients we use of course."