Welcome to the first meeting of the Modern Potions, Ancient Arts seminar.  All years and schools are welcome to attend every Friday, 5pm to 6pm in the evening.[1]

It was a simple class, wide rectangular tables set about the open room.  Plentiful torches, ample light, and some reasonably comfortable chairs.  What was best about it, though, was that it was on the Fourth floor of the castle.  Though she hadn't seen him yet, Daz was anticipating future visits with librarian Landis Morgan, who was an old friend from these halls not many years ago.   

For now she'd been round the main haunts of the castle getting herself situated, trying to also mentally prepare herself for joining the world of the living once again after a long vanishing spell following her husband's incarceration for burglary of an ancient relic.

Dazmond stood outside the door to the class, ushering her students in. 

"Best seminar's here!" she advertised to the hall at large.  "Or your galleons'll be returned to you, but not really, cause it won't cost you a hair on your head.  Come one, come all...!  In you go lads, get in there!  Don't wanna miss this."

1.	Click for more information about the seminar!

After having a three hour study break she got each Friday, Zoe had left her common room for a seminar. Her dragon-skin bag slung over her shoulder, containing any books she thought would be useful for the seminar, she hurried down to the fourth floor.

As she walked through the hall, the young witch could hear someone calling together a seminar. That must be her seminar. Zoe increased her pace, going around another corner and finding the source of the voice. She slowed her pace back to a walking speed.

The Ravenclaw nodded in greeting to the woman and she walked into the classroom, going towards the front and taking a seat at an empty table. She hoped others from her year would attend, and that the seminar would be enjoyable.

Corey had heard about the potions seminar in passing because one of the Hogwart's students had told him that the guest lecturer was phenomenal and that he really should go. The Beauxbatons lad had managed to keep a low profile following the first task fallout but he enjoyed the attention from the girls from the other schools.

Following a small group of them to the fourth floor, Corey tugged at his ascot, but tucked his notebook under his arm as they approached the designated classroom. He gave a half smile to the woman standing to greet them and murmured, "Bonjour Madame." Then he instinctively ducked his head as he passed through the door and found a seat at a table towards the front.

After finishing ancient runes Naomi walked to the seminar with a batch of foreigners and Hogwarts students. The woman at the door seemed welcoming enough but it didn't quell Naomi's want to be near someone or something familiar--so when she saw Zoe at the front of the room she decided to take her seat with the Ravenclaw--despite her dislike of most Slytherins.

Naomi planted herself in a seat next to Torret--not one of the people she was terribly well-acquainted with but if there was going to be an activity involved with the seminar she'd prefer Zoe over someone else, "I can never tell if you like answering questions or if you genuinely like a subject, Torret," Naomi dropped her bag between her legs as her eyes lingered on the Beauxbatons boy--then she tilted her head and squinted her eyes and stared at him for a minute before she finally recognized him--Corey Gaubert.

 Older Slytherin students she could name off the top of her head, even Ravenclaw, but with the influx of foreigners Naomi still was becoming accustomed to spotting some (though one Salem class President she could spot--and start running from--a mile away.) Naomi straightened her head again and calmly loosened her features, "And are you brewing some new body paint?" Her eyebrows rose on her head as the corner of her lip rose into a faint smirk.

Having just left Ancient Runes, Addison headed up two floors to attend the seminar that was being provided. When she had heard of the potions seminar that was going to be held, she decided that it would be worth her while to attend it. She liked potions, and figured that it would result in some useful information. It probably wouldn't be too useful for class, but it would certainly help her, especially for whatever career she was suited for upon graduation. She normally had an hour break before dinner, but she was willing to give that up in order to attend this seminar. After all, she was sure that she would complete her work,even without the use of that hour.

After arriving on the fourth floor, she headed to the designated empty classroom for the seminar. Entering the room, she smelled at it's occupants. "Ma'am," she greeted the guest that would be the lecturer for the seminar. She noticed a Beauxbaton boy already sitting in the room, when she turned to see who was in the room. She spotted Zoe sitting with Naomi near the front of the room. She smiled to her two fellow fourth years. "Hey," she greeted both of them as she sat down with them at the table.

Dazmond happily ushered in the students who were naturally on their way in, and when the hall seemed more or less clear of stragglers she bewitched a sign in mid air that read:

Modern Potions Making and the Ancient Arts Seminar

Come One, Come All

We Have Cookies

Join Us

She ducked inside the classroom, leaving the door open for stragglers, and moved to the front of the room where all her brilliant participants had gathered of their own accord.  She hoped it was obvious enough that she wasn't the type of Witch to bother with hard and fast rules.  If folks were late she didn't care and, frankly, if next week it was a whole different crowd she wouldn't have minded.

"Welcome to Modern Potions, Ancient Arts!" she said, joining them and clapping her hands together as she dug right into it.  She looked at all of the students so far gathered with an excited grin on her face.  She loved teaching at Hogwarts.  She'd taught as a guest lecturer for the Herbology professor last year, when her good friend Graham Bombay had the job.

"Help yourselves to these amazing cookies from Hogsmeade's Magicakery," she announced, moving the tray of cookies to sit before the young fourth years.  "And we can just start," she said, shrugging and smiling slightly as she paced the front of the room.

"I'm your leading Witch, Dazmond Wiedman.  Potions Maker and Herbologist.  I'm very happy to be here with you at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  I'm part of the family that makes up this school's rich history, an alumnus of the House of Slytherin!  And married to Ravenclaw.  And, all Houses, One and the same, aren't they."  She nodded succinctly and turned to the one nearest her.

"What most interests you all about the world of Potions?" she asked.  "And no being shy," she added.  "This is a Seminar!"

Ligeia's afternoons were getting busy enough, with tending to her own potion experiments or the young Fumos Bats in the time before Herbology. There was some cross correlation of the two subjects. The young bats she was caring for were getting all kinds of infections that she couldn't place. Either there was something about Hogwarts, her, or these bat babies themselves which was looking to be a strong possibility given the nature of injured or abandoned creatures that worked through preserve they visited on Care of Magical Creatures field trips.

So Ligeia had quite the mixed gear and notes heading into the Potions Seminar, one triple highlighted in red on her schedule when she heard it announced. As she sat her dark glasses were placed in the compartment of her parasol before she closed it.

"What do you do when administering potions, experimental or clinical, to magical creatures?"

As soon as Naomi sat down next to her Zoe opened her mouth to greet the Slytherin, feeling she might as well be friendly. However, what came from Naomi's mouth was not a greeting. "Oh please. Of course I like Potions. And while we're here, you might as well call me by my first name Naomi."

She was much more pleased by the arrival of her dormmate. "Addison, hi!" Zoe patted a chair next to her for the fellow Ravenclaw to sit down in. It was obvious that the young witch seemed to warm once Addison sat down at the table. "Is anyone else from are year doing this seminar?" This was asked more to the Ravenclaw than the Slytherin, but Zoe acted as if she was speaking to both.

Zoe happily took a cookie once the tray was brought to their table. "Thank you Ma'am," she said to the woman before taking a bite. They certainly did taste good, and the girl munched it as Miss Wiedman introduced herself.

Addison had chosen the seat indicated by Zoe to sit down in at the table. She shrugged at Zoe's question. "Aside from Naomi and I, I didn't see any other fourth year from Ancient Runes headed this way. But, I guess that they could always come at any time," she responded with a nod. After all, the witch that was teaching this seminar was obviously not a teacher at the school. So, perhaps the students thought that they could arrive late with no repercussions? At any rate, there were bound to be a few late stragglers into the room.

Mrs. Wiedman, after stating the optional seminar's name, placed a tray of cookies down in front of the fourth years. These appeared to be intended for all of the participants. After Zoe took a cookie, she took one as well, and began munching on it. Then, the woman proceeded to ask the participants what interested them about Potions. Ligeria first answered with a question of her own. But, she had to think about what interested her about Potions.

"I guess that the different uses of different potions interests me."

Dazmond accioed a chair and pulled it up to sit in front of and sort of center to the tables where most of the students were gathered.  She perched on the chair's edge, engaged and eager to get down to business as the students started fingering the cookies and asking their questions.  They were large, over-broad questions, but they gave something for their seminar to start with.

"Administering potions to magical creatures," she echoed, inclining a brow at the apparently older student with an exceptionally (almost unnaturally) fair complexion.  She nodded fairly.  "It does of course depend entirely on what type of creature you're administering them to," she provided.  "Method of delivery, allergic reactions, friendly additions to your recipes that will make the brew more enticing to your given species... all kinds of fun things."  Daz grinned subtly, looking to another student who spoke of their own interest... of the variation of utility in modern potions making.

"For care of creatures, one," offered Daz, counting off on her fingers.  "Curing ailments, two.  Enhancing life experiences, three.  Causing all manner of romantic... embellishments, four."  She looked among the faces, scandalously drawing their attention forward.  "Increasing cognitive, athletic, or other performance, five.  Concealing or revealing facts and memories, six."  Daz didn't flinch despite the recent personal correlation to this particular type of utility. 

"Inducing altered states of mind, or altering the perceptions, seven," she continued.  "Poisoning, confusing, inebriating, and otherwise incapacitating victims or enemies, eight."  Her tone with this grew more ominous.  "Preventing death, nine.  Causing distortions of the body, even in the likeness of another, ten.  And ad infinitum," she surrendered.  "There is no end to the possibilities of modern potions making.  There is no end to the list of what can next be created, that didn't ever exist previously.  Such subtle and crafty creatures we are.  And yet... it is all tied to a very basic set of principles established at the dawn of time by the very first Witches and Wizards who walked this earth.  From the five elements:  Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Aether, to the seven planets:  the Moon, Mercury, the Sun, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn."

Clearly enthused, Daz looked among them with a bit of an incredulous glitter in her eye.

"Given that," she said, opening the floor once again.  "Where shall we go next in our inquiry into modern potions making and the ancient arts?  Whoever's next to speak makes the path.  This is an opportunity to be brave, and make mistakes.  What are your thoughts?  What are you wondering?" 

She appeared absolutely curious as she looked among the participants.

Naomi gave a sly smile and looked towards the door as Zoe immediately started getting testy--the Slytherin always thought it was funny how differently people responded to her ways of garnering attention. As if she'd want to know how a fellow classmate's day was going, she'd probably been in class with them all day so asking was just as silly and redundant as asking herself how her day went.

Though neither Addison or Zoe seemed to notice the Beauxbatons champion, or that she had pointed him out at in a not-so-subtle way. Which was fine with Naomi, she didn't mind being the only one to pick on him during the seminar. Of course, then Dazmond Weidman began and gave them all some cookies, which Naomi refrained from touching or showing any interest in out of habit--if her mother were there she'd have chided the young Slytherin for eating one before dealing with potions on any level and if her Aunt Ire handed out the cookie she was likely to have poisoned the cookies for kicks. So Naomi just patiently listened to the questions and the speaker.

But at Addison's question Naomi arched a brow, it seemed like a vague question, but the older witch seemed to have an answer to it. And then another answer, and another, and another--until Naomi was quite positive she was prattling off a never-ending list, but she finally came to its conclusion--(by, of course proclaiming it was a neverending list.)

"On sentient beings who go t'rough a rollercoaster of emotions and physical changes as we age," the young witch began with her lilting voice, "What are 'di limits of altered states of mind and perceptions--like towards..." Naomi looked at the floor and twisted her lips as she tried to find an example to work with, but the only one that came to mind was one that she'd love Blake to stop bothering with but also one which might be useful to ask about from a potioneering perspective, "romantic tendencies." She did seem to hint towards it after all, might as well ask about it.

"Ha," said Dazmond, letting the room stew with the question a moment.  She should have known romance would have the most sticking power in a room full of fourteen year olds.  The room was shyly quiet, so she spoke again.

"Infatuation, obsession, heartache, lust... these are things we can reproduce.  There is a lively debate on this, in intellectual circles... whether true love can come to one in a bottle.  But no one has ever successfully created the type of bond that sustains marriages and families."  Pondering it a moment, she doubted that was the type of potion this young Witch was interested in.

"However," said Dazmond with some intrigue, "Romance and beguiling and aphrodisiacs are another camp altogether.  And of course, quite of interest to the modern Witch.  We call on powers of Venus for beauty, or Mars for truly uninhibited lust.  Jupiter for expansiveness - with which we can even simulate the feeling of falling in love... mind you it is nothing but a simulation, though it can illuminate one's true feelings toward a person if they do exist.  And if they ever forgive you for slipping them something suggestive." 

She smirked despite herself.  Dazmond couldn't count the number of times she'd done so herself. 

"All type and manner of love potions can be made - save that very special one, of course - and all based on simple, ancient systems.  The limits we work within are built by the alchemical, astrological, mineral, animal, herbal, and ethereal kingdoms."