(no subject)
Neville Longbottom, may he live a long and productive life, should never even think of a career that has anything remotely to do with potions. Of course, this includes anything in the medical field. Merlin help the poor sod who gets to ingest one of Longbottom's pepper-up potions. When the class should have been brewing potions designed to provide nutrients to patients under severe comatose conditions, Longbottom managed to brew something that had properties much like ipecac syrup. That boy will be the death of us all. What do I have to do to get that boy to follow instructions?
The textbooks for this class are written in the most concise and unadorned language. There are no passages in the books that are beyond the comprehension of a 16 year-old boy. I wrote the list of ingredients on the board. I wrote them in the order that they are to be added. Before every practical, I even lecture about the importance of the order of these ingredients. I always have a sample of the finished product so that the students can compare. I really don't know what else I can do. I know that I've complained to poor Minerva often enough, and the Gods know that she has her own troubles with the boy, but I am at a real loss.
I decided that perhaps Longbottom needed a different partner. Maybe one not so intimidating as Miss Granger, who, I have noted, has a slightly impatient streak about her. Instead of the Heroic Trio, I partnered Longbottom up with Lavender Brown. My reasoning, perhaps someone a bit more...well, friendly I suppose, would encourage Longbottom to at least attempt to carry his own weight in class.
I hate when I am wrong. It was a disaster of spectacular proportions. Longbottom added the mosquito wings before he added the sea salt. The result? A huge cauldron explosion. The rather quick-witted Miss Brown ducked immediately. The unfortunate Miss Patil was not quite as lucky. The mangled potion erupted and drenched her from head to foot. We now have a very...erm...purple Miss Patil. Everyone in class, save for Miss Brown and, ironically, Longbottom, got splashed in some manner or other.
Class resumed after I cleaned the area, but some students will just have to wait until the purple spots fade on their own. I myself am not particularly thrilled that I have a huge purple splotch on my left wrist, but there is no reason for Miss Patil to descend into hysterics. Although, I have to somewhat admire the array of creative and colorful insults she threw Longbottom's way. No, this time, Longbottom's detention was earned on his own.
All is suspiciously quiet on the Gryffindor front. Potter hasn't stepped one foot out of line. Which was the entire point. His potions marks are noticeably improving, his potion was nearly flawless, and his notes were rather extensive and orderly. More so, I think that he understood the theory of today's assignment and applied that to his practical. Minerva also reports that his Transfiguration marks are rising as well. Of course, Sibyll says that Potter is destined for doom. It's all I can do not to roll my eyes yet again. If you wanted to take it a step further, then we're all marked for doom sooner or later. Potter might have gotten a "raw deal" by birthright, but that doesn't mean that we don't need to try our best to prepare him for any future encounters with the Dark Lord. Free rides and preferential treatment won't help him in the long run. I'll gladly trade popularity as opposed to doing the right thing.
Anger Management therapy is going along well. Black and I have taken on a rather sullen attitude toward our therapist, but I really don't think it can be helped. I don't suppose that my issues with him will ever be resolved to my satisfaction. It really is amazing how events can traumatize a child, and perhaps even shape the way that a child matures. I think we all make decisions that we regret, but I think what separates the men from the mice is the actions we take to atone for those wrong decisions. I've been in a constant state of penitence for most of my adult life for my decisions when I was young.
No, this doesn't mean that I'm going to be "nicer." I was never "nice." The truth is that I've confronted who I was a long time ago. I know who I am, I can't say as much for other people. But really, the only responsibility I have to anyone else is that I don't present myself as anything other than what I am.