Mycroft Holmes considered himself a fair man; he genuinely did not want to have to fail people for not succeeding in one instance. So that's why he found himself taking a Saturday that he would have used to relax, and used it for having a make up class. So far only two had shown interest in doing so, and he figured that he would show that he genuinely wanted them to improve by redoing a class.

One was Miss Walters; sadly she had ruined his favorite pair of shoes, and even once he bought a new pair, they weren't the same. He tried to be impartial about it and worn a pair of shoes he cared less about this time around. The second was Miss Skye, one who had shown up late, but had an excuse, and now needed to get some kind of grade to send to the Dean's office. Sitting behind his usual desk, he waited for them to arrive. Eleven in the morning seemed like a good enough time, and he figured he'd talk to them first before assigning something specific.

Seeing the two girls enter, he smiled politely and leaned back in his chair, letting them both get comfortable. It was a relief to see that they were both on time. It saved them from a harsher grading and he figured that he should see where they were before continuing. Locking the door he walked forward and hopped on the desk staring at them both before figuring that chatting would make them less tense, and less likely to make an explosion.

"Now ladies, I wish to ask, what you think about potions. Be honest, I know that...for at least Miss Walters, she doesn't feel confident in the subject. But what about you Miss Skye? Do you feel you are up to par to the other students? I wish for both of you to be completely honest, to see where we can work to build your skills so the next lesson can go smoother and....and not involve an explosion."

Mycroft wanted to genuinely see what was keeping them from succeeding. He had one read about performance anxiety when it came to education, but the fact that it was happening to his students, both who were in the same major seemed a bit interesting. But as Miss Skye began to talk, he took into consideration all that she said; it was obvious that neither of them were too fond of the subject, and that was fairly normal. The concept was an seemingly easy one to grasp, but once it took to actually taking initiative, the directions, and variable factors affected the potion easily.

He parted his mouth to respond to her comment about not liking it, but not hating it, when her murmur caught his ears. "Potions, to me, is like a terrified animal. You want the animal but you have to move just right so that the animal doesn’t jump up and claw you to death." He had never heard it been explained like that and he wondered briefly if it was just him that loved the subject.

"I...I see Miss Skye, I must say I never heard someone compare it to an animal, but I see your point. Potions is a tricky subject for it's varying factors, each that rely on your way of following direction, but let me respond with an analogy of my own. Potions talent is like a flower, you need to feed it the right amount of light, put nourishment in the soil, and water it for it to grow. So if you imagine it to let's say that terrified animal, and you want it. How do you know it will attack you? You said it was terrified, not vicious." he took a deep breath, "I know that in your major you will not find potions to be that important, at least not at first, but imagine being on the field, would you know how to brew basic potions, like the last sessions one, and help your partner survive? This is why I stress the importance."

Turning to Miss Walters, he noticed that she was already twittering her fingers. "I.. Making potions is a skill I have been tying to obtain for the past 8 years of my life. I can only promise you my best, but not my success, because I don't like making promises I am not certain that I can keep." He noticed that defeatist attitude when they first talked and he knew that it was keeping her down. Sighing he leaned back and wondered how he could encourage them. Positivity was not a strong suit of any Holmes.

"I see...then remind me how both of you got in here Miss Walters? Was the grade just handed to you or did you earn it? If I believe that you earned it, then you have some basic understanding of the subject. The both of you do. And I want the two of you to be able to be able to remake that potion of the previous lesson, without explosion, without a trip to the hospital wing and succeed. What if I made it in front of you, would that help? What can I do to help you pass?"

Cassana had never felt more stupid in her entire life.

She felt like an idiot, and as she ran from the dorms towards the dungeons. She had missed her first lessons due to her body's adjustment to the time jump and slept in. She hadn't realized how much her body needed sleep and when she woke up it was night time and she terribly embarrassed. Her owl, Yule, had been put to work that day as she sent out letters for make-up lessons. The other day she received her's from Professor Holmes and made preparations in order to be seen as a professional witch. She set her alarm early so she could also eat, slept early after visiting the Hospital Ward, and even prepared an outfit for today.

Then her dog peed on her outfit, her alarm didn't wake her up until ten minutes after it blared to life, and so she had to think fast. She cursed her dog and her heavy sleeping. She jerked on clothing and a pair of easy to slip in boots, grabbed her bag, and ran as fast as she could to the Dungeons. Once she was there she took a shuddery breath to calm her frustration with herself.

"I'm so sorry Professor, I-there was a-I-," she struggled with her words for a moment before steeling her back and standing straight, drawing a stern exterior, "I missed your first lesson, and I am here to make it up, I apologize for my tardiness."

Mycroft was glad to see a mood change for all the girls. It was visible, if only in their posture. He knew that they earned their grades, Hogwarts wasn't known to just hand out grades. So seeing that he was making some kind of progress seemed good for him. But this time around Brooke was the one to speak up with her suggestion and he nodded her way.

"If.. if you would, that definitely would be something that helps. Seeing it being made, that is. And.. if it isn't too much, coaching." She paused, then her eyes widened and she quickly added, "Not necessarily from you, I mean, but maybe a tutor or a more advanced student? It's how I passed my OWLs and NEWTs, at least; someone helped me in every lesson."

Leaning back he wondered the list of people who could be able to really be part of the tutoring. He briefly thought of Tess, after all she was at the top of the list of people that could help. Then there was a longer list with maybe more...patient students to tutor.

"Well if you're both interested in having a tutor, there are a handful of students qualified, at least in grades that can help you out. There's Miss Holmes, Mr. Watson, and-"

As he was going down the list the door slammed open and he lifted his brow. There was the person who he was just about to suggest, as messily dressed as possible. For a man, he took pride in his looks, no hair out of place and seeing her, well it was appealing to his eyes.

"Sit Miss Rose" he merely said and turned to the two girls that were originally there. "As I was saying, there is also Miss Rose, who is in the major which is your weakest subject. Perhaps you can settle this outside of my classroom."

Making it clear not to chatter in his classroom. Getting up he went behind his desk and made his cauldron appear. Snapping his fingers, the cauldrons also appeared on the desks of the three girls. Next came the ingredients which appeared behind him once more.

First Step: Taking out your copper cauldron (below you) you shall place a liter of water, and add one ladleful of coagulated green dragon blood into the cauldron at low heat.

Second Step: Mix it well, till they have thinned out the coagulated blood, and let it simmer.

Third Step: Crush a cup of fireflies in mortar and make sure that it's powdered finely, to it add a drop of honey and peppermint.

Fourth Step: Once it boils, put the crushed items/paste into the cauldron and mix it well. Put the cauldron under high heat, and cover.

Fifth Step: Carefully open the jar of ectoplasm and get a ladleful. Do NOT get it on your hands, it will affect your motor skills and will not be removed easily. A trip to the Hospital wing will be your homework.

"Now, I understand that there are some steps that confuse you, please raise your questions now before we get in the middle of the potion and the timing has to be perfect."

Cassie sat down at the first desk she saw as Professor Holmes started to speak again, she glanced around the class at the other students. When she saw Brooke she straightened up in glee, happy to see a familiar face, then sunk back down when she remembered her haphazard appearance and winced. She felt a bit shamed to be in the room and look so unprofessional. So she ran her hand through her hair, fixed her clothes silently then glanced back up at her roommate, she grinned at Brooke and mouthed the words; "we'll talk". Then realized Brooke probably couldn't read lips, she waved her face and focused on the task.

Staring at the hardest step for her, the fifth step, her eyes widened when she realized the little unexplained bit she raised her hand.

"Professor Holmes," she asked, "how long did you want us to wait before adding the ectoplasm to the mixture as well? Did you want us to add the ectoplasm to the mixture? Then after we add the ectoplasm did you wish us to mix it into the potion?" She tapped her fingers on the desk, excited to be back on familiar ground.

He felt a head ache coming on. Why? Simple. Because girls tended to be chatty. It was a general rule of women, except for a handful who were, in his opinion too quiet. But that was the world, it was complicated to figure out exactly what was the preferred option. Still, he could tell that Miss Rose was a chatterbox, from the movement and the hard time being quiet, was enough for him to already know that perhaps he should take a note for the next class. At least her question was legitimate.

"Professor Holmes," she asked, "how long did you want us to wait before adding the ectoplasm to the mixture as well? Did you want us to add the ectoplasm to the mixture? Then after we add the ectoplasm did you wish us to mix it into the potion?"

"I see that is a form of confusion. But I always say the moment that you cover the cauldron and put in high heat you should have your ectoplasm jar ready to ladle into the potion. Make sure that the ladle is as flat as possible in it's amount, nothing leaking from the sides or anything. The cleaner the ladleful the better it will be for your potion and the more potent it will become."

"How do we.. I.. avoid what happened the last time?"

He too winced at the memory of his poor shoes being destroyed. Sighing to himself, he rubbed his temples hoping to forget that moment and took a deep breath. It wasn't her fault, she was new, is that he told himself.

"Simple, follow direction, nothing extra, the more precise you are with measurements the less explosions will happen. And please, I advise you to not use the metal when slipping the honey, it will ruin the potion. If there is no other question, we will begin now."

Putting the base into the potion, he began to work on the first ingredient: Dragon blood. Dipping it in, he ignored the way the blood sucked up the ladle and instead lifted it slowly to avoid spilling. He moved his hand in a swirling motion for the extra bits to slide back into the jar and make the ladleful as perfect as possible. To him it was second nature and slowly began to ladle it in, in a circular motion: from the center out to create an equal amount of distribution. Waiting patiently he looked at them to begin their own potions as he let his simmer.

At her professor's prompt answers she nodded her head jerkily before she begun her work.

At the cauldron's appearance she compared it to the one she had safely tucked in her trunk, then mentally face palmed because why didn't she think to bring it? She shook it away and focused solely on the instructions.

1.

She glanced at the board and mentally took stock of all the ingredients on the board, then she scanned the room for any place she could possibly trip, and considered using a summoning spell to grab her ingredients rather than walk and get them. Then realized she might accidentally smash a summoned jar into Brooke's or the other student's head with a wince. Potions were something she typically liked to do without using magic to ensure complete success and precision. Magic could be finicky.

Actual needs: coagulated green dragon blood, fireflies, honey, peppermint, and ectoplasm. As she walked towards the supply closet she repeated these words and thought about the first step itself. Slowly, she grabbed the two dragon blood and ectoplasm first before moving back to her desk. She was not going to risk tripping and breaking things. So, after two more trips she had all the ingredients.

Carefully she measured out the water in the measuring cup, and placed it on the desk to make sure it was just at the line. She waited for moment as it steadied out. When she was maybe a half-inch above the line she poured it out and repeated the past process, content that it was perfectly on the line she poured it into the cauldron slowly. When not a single drop had fallen, she looked at the dragon's blood. She grasped her ladle carefully, taking a step closer so that there was no way a she could let a single drop spill without getting to her first. She poured the dragon's blood into the cauldron before turning on the burner. Checking to make sure it was low she nodded in approval before starting on the second step.

2.

In careful clockwise and evenly paced motions, Cassana stirred the blood in watching it until it became thin enough before taking the ladle out and assuring there wasn't a single drop in it she balanced it in the sink, the handle on the desk while the spoon part was in the sink.

3.

Measuring out, and carefully, a cup to the even amount of fireflies she nodded satisfactorily when she got it on the first try before pouring them into the mortar. Grasping the pestle she begun to crush the fireflies, being swift but not rushed to be thorough as she wanted to ensure not a single firefly was lost or flown out. One never knew how exact they needed to be in Potions, these steps weren't as hard as she'd dealt with, which was good because when it was harder she'd had to be more clever. Glancing down she stared at the now dust-like substance in her mortar, she bit back a sigh of satisfaction because if she let out an exhale of relief she could probably blow all the substance everywhere. Taking a dropper from the items she dipped it into the honey before dropping it into her substance, then adding peppermints she smiled content before placing the dropper near the ladle and moving on.

4.

She glanced at the cauldron, willing it to get hotter faster, her patience running. Sighing she moved her point of vision up and around the classroom. She smiled at Brooke, wanting to wave but not wanting to break her roommate's concentration so she sat back and waited for the bubbling to begin in her cauldron. After several more minutes it did so and she was back to standing then adding the paste to the bubbles. She grabbed a different string item rather than the ladle since it was now dry in the sink and begun to mix the almost-done potion. Once she was content as she sifted through the potion to see that there wasn't much to go through and it was well melded she removed her stick, grabbed the cover, placed it on the cauldron, and then turned the heat on high.

5.
She took out a note card from her bag, careful that all her contents were in an orderly fashion before opening the jar of ectoplasm, then taking the cover off her cauldron. Once it was open she took the ladle in one hand, scooped what she could and used the note card to dispel the remaining liquid back into the jar. She dropped the note card in the sink and then the ladle into the cauldron before putting the ladle in the sink and running water over it until it was clear of any residual liquids, just like the note card beneath it. As her potion bubbled she bit her lower lip anxiously, her nails drumming on the desk.