Order Only: Private message to Black and Alice

[alt_severus]

Black: So that you are aware for future reference — and to prevent future disasters much like the disaster avoided this morning — the ingredient dumped into Miss Turpin's cauldron to circumvent the chain-storm before it could take hold was cascarilla bark. I learnt exceptionally quickly during my abortive foray into teaching that keeping a good quantity of diced cascarilla bark on hand and easily reachable was vital whenever the students were brewing anything with mint and mandrake leaf, as inevitably someone will mismeasure the mandrake or stir improperly.

The use of cascarilla bark to break the chaining before it proceeds to explosion is not a well known remedy, but cascarilla's low specific thaumaticity makes it suitable for deployment to avert nearly every emergency in the brewing of that genus of potions. It works significantly better than the commonly-accepted method of vanishing the cauldron, and saves the cauldron as well.

If you inform me of your planned curriculum for the next several months I shall provide you with a list of the most likely disasters each will entail, and what measures a responsible teacher ought to be prepared to take to avert each disaster. It is incumbent upon the teacher of potions to be ready to prevent such significant mistakes at a moment's notice lest they spiral out of control; had Miss Turpin's cauldron been allowed to proceed in its reaction we would have lost the building at minimum, and likely the majority of its occupants.

Alice: As I spent the early morning going through the last of Stephen's papers, I will take this opportunity to write you as well: Do not let me forget to discuss the state of the Sleeper research with you. If I am to spend the summer engaged in attempting to move it forward — which I believe I may be prepared to do — we ought to discuss the question of human trials now, to allow time to address the logistics.

Comments

[alt_sirius]

You're assuming I have a curric It so happens I do think through the possible failure modes, Snape. I had it under control.

Vanishing the cauldron would have worked just fine, even if it's not as elegant a solution, and I was perfectly prepared to have to do it at least once today. You were a bit too busy shoving Miss Turpin aside to notice I had my wand out. How lucky for us all I have the reflexes not to have vanished you when you got in the way.

Never thought you went in for heroics. Isn't that what you're always reminding us, how you're not in this for any sort of glory? Guess you didn't consider that when an opportunity came up to save the day and undercut me in front of a dozen-odd impressionable students.

Don't imagine I couldn't hear the muttering in the back long before Miss Turpin's potion came to ruin. What happened to telling Alice you didn't want to be anywhere near teens or pre-teens this holiday?

[alt_severus]

Any 'muttering' you may have perceived was, I assure you, nothing more than my habit of thinking aloud as I work; you may verify with Miss Granger that I am often not aware I am doing so.

I am aware you were prepared to vanish Miss Turpin's cauldron — had you not been, we would be having a considerably different conversation at the moment, albeit posthumously. I was not attempting to cast aspersions on your ability to convey the material, simply offering to impart some experience in laboratory management. I will grudgingly admit you are an adequate brewer and less of a disaster as less incompetent a barely tolerable instructor; however, the ability to conceptualise the potion being taught, identify all possible failure modes a student is likely to hit upon, and prepare in advance the means for averting each disaster is something Slughorn did not teach and those who have not studied for their Mastery do not have experience in doing. As you have no doubt discovered, students are endlessly inventive in their capacity for disaster.

As you are clearly not interested in my assistance, however, I shall cease to bother you.

[alt_sirius]

Inventive is not the euphemism I'd use.

Not saying I need 'assistance' but if you happen to have a list of common failures for Sections 3 and 5 of Jigger, that's what we're working on for the most part. Don't strain yourself over it. But having one would save time I can use on other things, like coordinating with Bedford or working on the radio addresses for Aldrich.

[alt_alice]

Looks like you both have things well in hand, then.

[alt_severus]

I will endeavour to provide a list. I would not wish to distract you from your many and varied important tasks.

[alt_alice]

Thank you, Severus. If you have time tonight, we might sit down and thoroughly hash it out?

[alt_severus]

That will do, or any time this week. I simply wished to ensure I would not forget again.