章 2: Chapter 2 - The first lesson
The next day at breakfast, the third year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were the most excited. Their first lesson of the day was potions after all, to the envy of every other student present. At 10 minutes before 9am, once everybody was done eating, these 3rd years gathered at the doors to the great hall and were shortly joined by Ash's patronus that swooped down out of nowhere.
Sitting at the foot of the statue of the architect of Hogwarts, the crow waited until it gathered the attention of all the 3rd years and took off in a rather slow flight that would be impossible for a real bird.
Once it reached the second floor, the students were led to a classroom that most were sure they had never been to before, and they were shell-shocked once they entered. The difference between their previous potions classroom was simply too exaggerated.
The room was big for starters and very well lit and ventilated. At the center of a generous half circle stood a typical potions work station and a large black board behind. Elevated above the center were two rows of work stations equipped for two students each, elevated just enough that they would have a clear view of the teachers work station in the middle and with enough space for roughly 30 students even though they were just 20 in this class.
The walls were littered with shelves of organized ingredients and posters with varying information, from safety rules to graphically visualized potion principles. The only thing that finally tore away the eyes from this vastly different potion classroom decoration was the fight for spots in the first row.
Once they settled in, the students in second row clearly displeased, Ash entered from another door at the 9am ring of the bells next to the black board dressed in what the muggle raised students quickly identified as a classic 'science laboratory style white coat'.
"Good morning everyone. Since I know all of you, I can see you all made it here, which spares us the need for a roll call. Those of you raised in the mundane world, or non-magical world, will surely identify my weird white coat as that of a researcher in a laboratory and that is because that is what I see myself as, when I enter my potions room. Many of you may know my approach to potions and teaching potions is a little different than Professor Snape's."
That understatement earned him a few shuckles and he too paused for a grin, but he still stated in all seriousness, "Make no mistake, I highly respect him for his sheer experience and knowledge and vast talents in the field, but Professor Snape approaches teaching a little more... let's call it hands-off to what I would like to do with you. Therefore, this first lesson is just theory as a little reminder of what I expect you to keep in mind during my classes and even later still in life and I would ask of you to write down the most important parts for your notes in preparation for not only the exams but also your own safety in this class."
Ash looked to his students and waited for everybody to be ready with parchment and quill and continued.
"First of all, in my class, I require you to wear protective gear. That includes a stone shark apron, which is especially resistant to most potion ingredients and which I shall provide you with during classes. You can find them and the required safety goggles made of non-magical so-called highly durable polymer, or in no-maj terms plastic, in the cupboard under your desks. Please take them out and make yourselves familiar with the items."
Students, especially those from non-magical families, turned excited. These items felt familiar to them, and they were awed to find them in a magical school. Ash, too, took out a pair of safety goggles and wore them.
Among the students, Harry found out to his delight that these goggles were the kind that allowed him to wear his glasses underneath still, and he was grateful for Ash's, no Professor Ash's consideration.
Once the commotion died down, Ash continued explaining. "Don't look down on these glasses from the non-magical world, my fellow magicals. Hardly is any damage you may inflict upon yourself during potion brewing truly permanent, but healing eye injuries is not only very painful, in extreme cases it might even take years to fully heal and often to only a semi-healed state. These glasses reduce the chance of that significantly. I myself started wearing these glasses during my brewing a year ago when their existence were brought to my attention."
This earned an astonished murmur from those who grew up in magical families, one of them raised a hand in wonder.
"Yes, Hannah?" "Are they enchanted for higher durability or functionality then? It almost sounded like you brought us plain muggle items, Professor Ash."
"Good question, Hannah," the girl blushed, likely remembering her usually shy persona, "but no, they are not enchanted. I discovered them based on a tip from a friend who graduated with me. In conversation, he mentioned that his father, a non-magical researcher of a field called anorganic chemistry, uses them in his work and recently, at the time of said conversation, saved his eyesight thanks to wearing these glasses."
Once again, the astonished murmurs rang in the classroom, and Ash gladly let them discuss this anecdote for a moment.
"Now, of course, the decision not to enchant them was taken after some tests and plenty of considerations. First and foremost is the fact that some potion ingredients react with the magic around them, something we as potioneers will always have to take into account. Though, admittedly an enchanted eyewear will likely not affect the ingredients more than a wand worn on your body. But even then, these safety glasses are more durable than most of you will probably realize. Allow me a short demonstration."
Ash pulled out his wand and summoned seven heads made of polished wood. All seven heads wore glasses and he cast 4 spells from a low powered bombada to a steady incendio, and finished by dropping 2 magical poisons and finally a particularly acidic potion ingredient called Blue Devil's spit on the glasses.
In some of the cases, the glasses were clearly broken, one poison and the Blue Devil's spit ate through the glasses eventually. But astonishingly, the wooden parts representing the eyes were mostly safe from harm or the glasses stalled the ingredients fast and well enough to allow a reaction for further safety measures.
"The power of proper preparation and safety measures," Ash finished with a satisfied grin. It looked like his students were won over, a good result for a first lesson in the first class.
Once the students were done taking notes on safety equipment, Ash continued on with his class. He spoke about proper workplace etiquette, the difference between cauldron material, and what he called "cauldron hygiene."
Once the two hours were almost over, a few demonstrations like with the safety glasses and a particular explosive reaction to the first ingredient of a first year potion in an unwashed cauldron later, Ash noted with satisfaction that even plain theory did not bore his students in the first class he taught.
"Alright, everybody. Time's almost up. If nobody has any questions, you may pack up. No homework for today, though if you want to prepare for the next class, look up the Clear Eye potion in your books. See you Monday, everybody."
The students thanked Ash and slowly packed their things and started exiting the class. A few students, however, stayed back, with Susan Bones being the first to address the new professor.
"That was you next to us at the table... right, Professor Ash? I mean Sol, that was you, right? I knew I recognized your smile somewhere."
"Yep, that was me. It kinda hurt my feelings when you didn't recognize me immediately," Ash replied while pretending to be hurt.
"Hmph, I bet you somehow confunded us all with a spell. Why are you acting like that? How did you turn yourself younger, though? Was that a potion or a spell? And your clothes? Were they transfigured, or did you have a costume change when you slipped away?" Susan was all smiles, Ash was after all her second favorite Hufflepuff ever, right after her best friend.
"How about I'll show you how at the next Exchange? I'll give you a tip, though. Turning younger was a mix of both charms and potions. The clothes were just a simple transfiguration of my awesome coat and suit. I looked cool, right?" Ash responded with a grin.
"Yea, you really did, Professor!"
"Alright, Susan, I can see some of your classmates still have some questions for me. Why don't you go on your way to your next classes, and we'll catch up later." Ash turned to the other students still left in the classroom after Susan said her goodbyes and left with Hannah.
"Tell me then, what can I do for you, Kitty, Harry, and Ronald?" Ash asked as he turned to the golden trio that was still left in the classroom.
Hermione immediately turned red in shame. "Please don't use that nickname A- Professor Ash."
"I'll stop once it isn't funny anymore Kitty. Who would think such a law abiding little witch would try to turn into a cat with a Polyjuice potion after all? I hope you know you never once fooled me when you tried to pass off the advice you asked for as mere curiosity. Anyway, what I can help you three with?"
Hermione was about to talk, but Ron interrupted before she could start. "You gotta help us, Ash, I mean Professor Ash, sorry, sir." In a moment of quick wit, he immediately corrected himself. "Harry got a Firebolt for Christmas! A Firebolt! Can you believe it? But before we could fly a few rounds on it, Hermione reported it to McGonagall, and she confiscated it! Said it might be jinxed or whatever! Harry needs the broom back. His other one broke before christmas! He can't play the next game without his broom!"
Ash looked at all three students and noticed that even in class, Hermione sat far away from the two boys. Likely, their relationship hit a snag with this turn of events.
"So you want me to go to Professor McGonagall and have her either skip the process of looking for jinxes and curses or speed it up so the broom gets back Harry?" Both boys nodded, Ron even more enthusiastically than Harry.
"Someone breaks into Hogwarts, into the Gryffindor common room and messes up your bed room, and mere weeks later, Harry receives a broom without card for christmas, and you two think Hermione is still overreacting?"
"Huh? That's not what this is abou-" Harry was astonished and tried to deny it, but Ron cut him off. "I mean, yeah, of course. Who would send Harry such an expensive jinxed broom if he could just break into our room at night. Duh~"
"Alright, Harry, looks like you are still the more level-headed of you two. I'll talk to Professor McGonagall at lunch if possible, but only if you talk it out with Kitty here."
Ron apparently did not catch Ash's meaning, so he was pleased with the result, but both Harry and Hermione flushed a little once again, though for different reasons.
"Sorry Hermione, you were just lookin-"
"Now now, no need to do it here. Run off to your next classes, you three, before you're too late. What did you have next? History of Magic? Then you better hurry, Binns is known for taking attendance." Ash winked at the end, amused by his own joke, and ushered out the three students.
He went back to the work station at the center and thought about how his first lesson went. A satisfied smile lit up his face as he stood there.
Ash eventually turned around and went to his back office, preparing his next lesson, a double lesson for the fourth years after lunch.
Since it was pretty much the same lesson on safety while brewing for all four years in the beginning, he was quickly done. He checked and double-checked if the classroom was fully stocked to his standards and rearranged some knicknacks in his freshly moved in office.
Arranging, rearranging, and rearranging the office once again, he was eventually satisfied, but only after animating a few more posters on safety rules during potion brewing to hang up later.
As he was done packing away the materials, the bell rang, announcing the start of the lunch break.
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