A/N: This one was hard to write, I had to come up with the whole thing so I guess I'm proud of it. Tell me what you think.
I own nothing :D
Chapter Thirty-Six – Namae Suiyaku
"So, kiddos, this is it. You are in the presence of one of the most talented Aurors in our time, so as such you should really be marveled at my sight. I, Sirius Black, are-"
"An ass."
The whole chamber laughed mutely at that.
"As I was saying before junior Auror Nymphadora rudely interrupted me," Sirius glared at the green haired woman besides him. "This class is going to be a relaxed one. There would be no titles such as Sir or Professor," at this he gagged. "But I really need you to listen to me. We can joke all what you want, and most of the stuff we'll be learning is not dangerous, but I better have you all intact at the end of the week so the Headmistress don't send my sexy ass back to Azkaban."
This time the joke did not received as many laughs as it was a remainder of the dark ages they had just left behind.
Tonks step up, just a pace in front the male Auror, and started for real the lecture. "As we all know, there are several ways to deceive people and to post as another person at any time and any place. Almost. We are wizards and witches and it is possible for is to do many things to conceal ourselves, but we are also able to do many more to reveal us. In this week long seminar we are going to learn five defend ways in which we can unmask the most proficient concealing and image altering charms."
Siruis took the little speech from where his co-teacher had left it, letting his eyes roam around the packed room. All the students from fifth year upwards were sitting in the big circular room, all of the, strangely quiet and with his eyes fixed in the two Aurors on the front. He lingered just a second too long on Harry and then Hermione, who was sitting in between his godson and nephew. He still could not understand how Draco was friend with a witch considered mudblood. "Each day we'll learn a new spell to help us with that. We currently have twenty-seven fifth years, thirty six years and twenty-four seven years, so in order to work with each of you we'll be stealing away some of your Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes." He smirked. "We would have stolen your potion classes, but many of you don't have any as you didn't get your 'necessary' O's in your OWL's, you lot of dunderheads!" The last part he said it with his best Snape's imitation, prompting another loud roar from most the students.
"Okay, kids," Tonks said gleefully. "Today is an especial occasion, seeing as it's the first day we see each other. We'll learn to do the Namae Suiyaku, the Name Potion. It is easy to do and as you are all gathered here it's easier to teach it now rather than later." She waved her wand and chanted a little under her breath. "You now have before each of you a cauldron, a pack of ingredients and a parchment with the instructions to make the potion. Please take a couple of minutes to read through it and then we'll start, step by step, all of us, doing the potion at the same time. Don't open your pack of ingredients yet, please."
That last sentence made all of them look up from their parchments in surprise and amazement. They had never done a potion guide, step by step. It made them uneasy as they were all used to do the potions in their own time and a little happy that they would certainly have no chance to screw up the potion.
Sirius, with Tonks' help, had managed to put a wide desk in front of them with a charm that would allow all the seated students see what was happening with the potion the Aurors would be doing with them. "Are there any questions with how the potion is made?" He asked the room.
Herrmion looked at the small parchment, wondering again why her Mama wanted them to know this kind of material. It was not even important enough to be learnt unless one wanted to be an Auror and even then, the spells and the potion were taught in the earlier steps of the training program. She scoffed, the potion was easy enough to make and she was sure even a first year, or Neville, could do it without a hitch. Most of the ingredients she had never used, but were not really foreign to her, only exotic. She knew her Mama, or whoever wanted them to learn this, had gone through a lot of trouble for acquiring them. Not only most of them were from the other end of the planet, but certain things, like the silver cauldron, were simply expensive.
"Yes, Mister Longbottom?" Tonks asked to Neville's raised hand. The only hand that had risen so far.
"Y-Yes," He stuttered shyly. "It is t-truly necessary for u-us to do it?"
Tonks and Siruis exchanged a look, Minerva had already told them that Frank and Alice's son was helpless in potion and almost always managed to light his cauldron, and sometimes his robes, on fire. "Come here, Mister Longbottom, you'll be helping Tonks and I explain how to do the potion."
Nevile rose shakily, gathering his school bag, and went to stand next their two professors for the next couple of hours.
"Okay, everybody, please take out the ingredients as I list them and do as I say with each one of them." Tonks said once Neville was next to Sirius, opening the package that was waiting there for them. "First, take out the Tengu feather. It's the long, brownish one with little freckles of black and white. You should notice that the feather has already been sharpened as any of our eagle and swan ones are. Take this one and put it apart for the moment, do not lose them, do not use it and do not let the point bent, it is really expensive and would only work once for the spell, after that you are allowed to use it as any other writing feather."
Draco and Hermione exchanged their own amazed look. The feathers they had taken out the package were beautiful and looked highly fragile. The shaft was longer and thicker than any feather they had ever seen. The barbs, however, were really thin and almost see-through, of a light brown with just the smallest spots of bright with and almost endless black… and they also smelled of apples and grass. Putting them apart, they decided to keep them together, along with Harry's, so they would not be damaged.
"Second," Siruis continued when he managed to avoid Neville's clumsy fingers from crushing the Tengu feather. "Take out the large vial of Kappa Mizu. This is water from a spring were a Kappa lives, purified by the chants of the Tibetian monks. It's holy water, capable of curing many diseases, but it is also really toxic- Fred! George! Do not drink it!" Everybody turned to look at the seventh year twins, who looked pale at being caught with the vial halfway through their mouths. With a sigh, he continued. "As I was saying, it's highly toxic and should never be drunk unsupervised by a Healer or a capable Kappa handler. Now, let's start the potion. Do not turn on the cauldron in front of you yet and pour the whole vial of water in it. Notice how the murkiness is gone and is replaced with almost crystalline water. This is due the silver it had just come in contact with. Many of you know that silver is one of the purest metals in the world and so have the properties to magically purify almost all liquids, just like the-"
Hermione tuned out the rather profound explanation of silver in magic, knowing it by heart, and wondered why Snape did not teach the way Sirius and Tonks were doing. They were not only going to do the potion with them step by step, but they were also teaching what each of the ingredients were and how they interacted with the materials they were using. Sure Hermione knew that, as many of the NEWT potion students did, but she was certain the whole lot of fifth years and those who no longer took potions were amazed by the revelations they were having.
Looking back it made sense that every student learnt that kind of information since first year. Using the wrong cauldron, rod, or even spell to light the flame under the cauldron could possibly change the outcome of the final product. Sometimes the changes were minor and only lowered the potion's potency and other times it made for the potion to be completely dangerous. 'Bloody Snape and his need to see us work harder than necessary…' She mussed angrily.
"Third, take out the sheets of Kombu." Sirius finally continued after his short explanation. "There should be three of them, they are the dark green ones, really fragile, so take them out really carefully. As you can see in the instructions the sheets are to be added in the cold water, and they had to be hydrated with it whole. Now, one by one pick your Kombu and submerge them with the tongs provided until they are all sluggish and completely wet, take upmost care and do not break them. Once they are done, put them apart in the small dish that should be found in your packages."
They started doing as they were told. The sheets were really thin and it make for a challenge to put them in the water without cracking them, however, all of them had done similar things with Snape and were able to do it, slowly, but with success. Hermione wrinkled her nose. The Kombu smelled of seaweed and rotten fish once it was completely wet. This step was pretty much like preparing the lasagna for cooking and so she was the very first one to finish, so she restored to watch amused how Harry was taking his time with his Konbu and how Draco was having real trouble with his.
"Spoiled pureblood." She teased him gently, knowing Harry's and her aptitude with the tongs was directly related to their cooking experience.
Draco sniffled annoyed, stupid fragile sheets! "Shut up, Hermy." He growled as he managed to prepare the last of his Kombu.
Hermione simply snickered behind her hand and stopped just in time to hear what Tonks was saying, who was now somewhere in the rows behind her.
"Next, boys and girls… and in between," This had half the students giggling. "Take out the Gembu shell. This one is just a black powder that should be lying somewhere around your packages. This is black turtle powdered shell. On its own it has no magical properties, but when mixed with the Kombu it creates a grey liquid that is acid to the human skin. Carefully, sprinkle the powder all over your wet Kombu in the plate and do not touch it until we say so." She waited a moment so all were doing as they were told. "Notice that the Kombu is now burning slightly, but with no real flame. Also notice how at the bottom of the plate the grey liquid I mentioned is appearing. It will take between fifteen to twenty minutes to the process to end, so with the most care, put the dish apart and turn back to your cauldron."
Harry almost knocked over Hermione with his dish, but he was able to put it away far from his glaring big sister.
"And here is where you need to pay the most attention." Sirius said as he watched how Neville almost bath himself with the black acid. "From here on those who had been helping each other should stop. From this point onwards each of you would handle your own potion as it would be keyed with your own magical signature. While it can be used by any witch or wizard after its done, the process needs to maintain the same level of magic and the same source of power for the potion to work perfectly. We will guide you, but we will be unable to touch anything you'll be using as to not hurt the final product."
It was then when Hermione noticed that Sirius was helping both Neville and the kids in the front rows and that Tonks was in the back of the room doing pretty much the same. This was so totally different to what they were used with Snape.
"Light the flame of your cauldron with the candle that's provided in your package. It does not matter how you lit the candle, but you need to use it to light the flamer you'll be using. This candle is made from the wax cultivated by the bees the Yōsei take care of. In this case it ensures the continued purity of the silver, but in other potions and rituals they could be used to bind souls and to create dangerous poisons. This candle would be returned at the end of the class. To leave the classroom you'll be asked to hand it in, so please, do not try to steal it. Take out the Shisa's hairs, there should be five of them in the package and add them to the cauldron now, before it starts boiling."
The students did as they were told; still amazed at the way they were making their potions, all together. Most of them lightened their candles with a quick Incendio. Draco gained perplexed looks when he reached inside his robes to take out a rather common looking Muggle firelighter. He, Hermione and Harry used it to light their candles, the two Gryffindors knowing by now that Draco liked to smoke sometimes when he was stressed. The lighter had been Hermione's Christmas gift and it had gained her a pair of oven mittens.
"Good, now the water should be starting to boil. The Kappa mizu boils quicker than normal water, so that why we didn't light the flame until now. Reach in your packages, there should be a piece of Oni horn. You need to mince it in little squares, yes, mince it. Oni horns are really soft once they are thorn from the death Oni as it instantly loses the strengthening charm they are casted with since the Oni was born- yes Miss Brown?"
Lavender gulped. "Sorry, Proffes-"
"Sirius." The male Auror corrected her mid word.
The Gryffindor blushed slightly. "Sorry, Sirius," She coughed slightly. "I was just wondering what an Oni is…"
Nobody laughed, not even the Slytherins as it was their habit when someone did not know something. Hermione was sure it was not because nobody knew what an Oni was, mainly because seventh years should know, but they kept silent to see how the Aurors were going to handle the situation. Snape would take points because somebody had dared to ask a question and he surely would hand out detentions because Lavender did not know something.
Sirius smiled as Tonks quickly started talking about Onis, Tengus, Kappas, Yōsei and Shisas, telling all of them the main legends behind the creatures' discoveries and where to find them in the Rising Sun Country. She was gently interrupted every so often by Sirius who continued telling the instructions to finish the potion. All of the students were stunned for a second before taking in the information they were been given while at the same time they kept tending to their potions. The aura around the room was placid and a little cheerful; you would think potions were so fun?
Just as Tonks was finishing her last tale it was time to add the last ingredient to the cauldron.
"Ok, kiddos, congratulations, there's only two things left to do before you all are free to go and cause chaos. Remember the Kombu and Gembu we prepared at the beginning of the class? Yes? Great. Now, carefully as to no touch it with your bare hands, pour the grey liquid in the potion. Do it slowly and carefully before stirring the liquid three times counterclockwise and two clockwise. Once you are done you'll notice that the potion turns from light blue to dark brown, its consistency should be liquid and not all that different from any ink you've used. Yes? Anybody with a different color or consistency?" Nobody raised their hands or made any comment. "Great! Now the last thing in your package is a trapezoidal vial where you should pour your potion. For it to work it needs to rest for at least three days, so we'll know if it works on Friday when we use the Tengu feather to write down you name and see if you know your real names." He smirked. "So if you guys have an embarrassing name none of your friends know about, we'll find soon enough."
Tonks shook her head at the silliness of her Uncle. "Please label your vials and put them inside your empty packages, along with your Tengu feathers, clean cauldrons and candles. Label the outside of the packages, too, please. Once you are done come here to the front of the class so we can make sure everything is packaged away and then you are free to go make any mayhem you'd like."
Hermione and her friends were one of the first to be ready. They approached Siruis and showed him that the materials were indeed were they were supposed to be. The male Auror ruffled both the boys' hairs getting indignant growls from the now bed haired boys as Tonks took the vials of potion and put them apart in a small shelf that would be untouched until Friday evening. "Get loose, you three, and try not to kill anybody." He said softly just before the three kids left. He could not help but stare at Hermione's back, wondering if Minerva's fears were true.
A/N: So lovely the response I got for last chapter. So far the great mayority of you want my next story, shich is called 'Toast to Tomorrow', to be only HG/LL... so I shall obligue. But, and that's a big but, I really want to make a Lunar Harmony, so that means only one thing: I'll be writting two stories then! 'Toast to Tomorrow' was meant to be a HG/LL story only, but I saw the potential for some Lunar Harmony, that's why asked and that's also why I'm not too sad of not writing that Lunar Harmony.
I have no frigging idea what I'll do for my second story though. :/
I was asked not to abandon this story, don't worry, I've already kinda have :P 'Stay Forever True' is already finished as I have the policy to have at least fifteen chapters between what I'm posting and what I'm writing. I reached 50 chapters with a small Epilogue, total word count 136,330, so far my greastest and longest story. I'm just drop feeding it to you to build up tension and to give me time to write my next story.