"It says to mix them in a pinch at a time as we stir the mixture counterclockwise," Tamblin said.
"I know but look the texture isn't right yet. It's supposed to be thin but with a skin on top and this is still just thick throughout. Let it simmer it a bit longer."
They were mixing up the reagents in the Alchemirand, the half column half bowl structure in the back of the studio. Looking down into the bowl he had to admit the potion didn't look right. The bowl however was so much larger than their normal cauldrons that the potion barely covered the bottom of it. Perhaps it was all skin?
"Okay, I think you are right."
Cascata waved her wand over the bowl, a small jet of blue flame coming from the tip. After a few more passes the top of the potion did seem to thicken up. She smiled.
"Good job. Do you want to stir or add the pinches," he asked.
"Pinches. You know we're going to have to make a ton of this stuff to make Phausto happy. I doubt this one batch will even cover a single canvas."
Tamblin thought about it.
"Yes, but at least the ingredients were easy to get, unlike Snape's Finis-dram."
Phausto started watching them from the canvas.
"Ah that almost looks right. Just wait, you'll see a thing now," he called.
Tamblin and Cascata looked at each other and shrugged. She added the last pinch of reagent. Tamblin stirred twice more counterclockwise and the potion began to bubble madly changing from the yellowish green into a totally clear mixture.
"Well that looks goo-"
Tamblin stopped in mid sentence. As soon as the potion had settled down into it's final clear consistency the Alchemirand began to shake slightly. Tamblin and Cascata each took a step back. As they watched the meager portion of Animuserum in the bottom of the large bowl expanded and expanded until the entire bowl was full of it. Phausto hooted from his painting.
"Ah yes! Plenty to make my canvases live!"
Tamblin turned to Phausto. "That's what an Alchemirand does? It makes more of a potion brewed in it?"
"It doesn't have to be brewed in it. You can pour in a finished potion too. But it only works on true potions. I don't want to catch you trying to brew butterbeer in my Alchemirand!"
"Where did you ever get it," Cascata asked.
"Hurmph. It's not a very interesting story and I never take time to tell dull anecdotes."
The Alchemirand held more than enough Animuserum for the canvases and Tamblin and Cascata spent the next couple of hours painting it onto them with wide thick bristled brushes. The most difficult part had been catching the brushes. It seemed that decades of use applying Animuserum to canvases had led to the brushes themselves becoming animate. The skittered around on their bristles like insects. Once caught firmly by the handle, though, they were easily managed, so long as they weren't set down again. Phausto meanwhile moved from one canvas to another checking that the whole surface had received a thorough coating.
By the time they had finished all the available canvases to his satisfaction they were very tired and hungry and their backs were quite sore. The Alchemirand was still almost half full despite how generous they had been with the potion.
"Phausto, can we store the rest for use later," Cascata asked sensibly.
"Nope, goes bad pretty fast, and if there is one thing you do not want on the loose it is bad Animuserum. No good can come of it."
"I guess we'll have to dispose of the rest. We'll need buckets."
Phausto snorted.
"What," Tamblin asked.
"Just press the stud on the side of the Alchemirand."
Tamblin did so and the bowl emptied until it was completely dry. There were no holes in the bottom though; instead the potion seemed to have just evaporated.
Cascata looked at it for a while.
"Where does it go," she asked.
Phausto shrugged and didn't answer.
They left the studio in the alcove and made their way together to the Great Hall and what they considered a very well deserved dinner. At the entrance of the hall Tamblin stopped Cascata.
"I've got an idea."
"What kind of idea," she asked.
"What if we made a lot of people very happy, excluding Snape?"
"I think it's a capital idea, Mr. Demosthene."
"Thank you, Ms. Vega."
And then they went to their respective tables to eat.