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Miranda and Sadde were both promising enough in Potions last year that Slughorn has consented to run a junior alchemy tutorial for them, once weekly, on top of their other course load. He informs Sadde that if Sadde's other grades are as uninspiring as they were last year, the alchemy tutorial will be the first thing to give to allow him more time to complete other work; but since Slughorn thinks this is a failure of motivation and not competence they can try with the Alchemy section anyway. (Miranda's coursework is impeccable.) One other second-year from Hufflepuff and two third years also fold into the class to make it somewhat more worth Slughorn's time. They are supposed to read four chapters of a book called Ye Alchymeste's Waye before their first class on Friday evening and the entire book is written like that, but then on Friday they are going to - without any direct wandwork - turn a whole oyster into a pearl, so.
This year also sees the two of them invited to something called the "Slug Club".
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chanuphis
always_and_forever
"Except for the part where I am less than inept at anything remotely artistic, yeah!"
chanuphis
"You know what's really interesting is he never told us which things were red herrings but I don't think he was lying that some of them were supposed to be? It makes me wonder if you can do alchemy with completely random stuff once you know what you're doing."
always_and_forever
"Yeah, and that actually explains a lot of why people haven't been able to replicate the Stone or even make the Panacea."
always_and_forever
"Yeah! I mean, we had to find the 'right metaphor,'" air quotes. "For something relatively simple like Transfiguration there are many possible metaphors but stuff that magic has trouble with like life and death finding the right metaphor that will convince it something-or-other should exist can be pretty hard and there wouldn't be a specified way to do it. Especially because to make a Panacea or a Stone we don't have an obvious target like an oyster to stimulate."
chanuphis
"Ooh, yeah, that's true. That makes me more optimistic, though, because it means that just like we all got different ways to make pearls there might be some legitimate way to make either one that nobody's stumbled on before."
always_and_forever
"Yeah, me too! ...you know, it occurs to me that maybe we should get some poetry books, especially relating to death."
always_and_forever
"Well I'm pretty sure I can't generate literally all possible life—and death-related metaphors on my own, so having a nice supply from people naturally inclined to... metaphorise... or something, should help!"
chanuphis
"Well, maybe you'll find something good in poetry books. I'll probably just look it up in other places that are actually clear about what they're doing so I don't accidentally think a metaphor for rebirth is a metaphor for death or something."
always_and_forever
"Well those sound like complementary strategies to me! In a, you know, yours-is-totally-better way."
always_and_forever
"You're welcome!" Let it never be said that Sadde didn't recognise good ideas when he saw them. Heck, he copied those shamelessly.
chanuphis
The first meeting of the Slug Club is shortly after Miranda's birthday. Slughorn gives her a birthday present at the club meeting - it's a book of alchemy metaphors. Everyone goes around the room and introduces themselves and Slughorn hints here and there about why people were invited. Not literally all of their alchemy class is missing - whether the Gryffindor wasn't invited or didn't choose to come is unclear. Some of the students present have important families, some are academically promising, one 'Puff girl has no obvious distinctions and Slughorn doesn't mention any but it might have to do with how just plain popular she is. Food is served. It's designed for a slightly more advanced palate than the average preteen has.
always_and_forever
Sadde:
networks.
(Are there any older Slytherins he hasn't converted to his side of the Force yet? He'd very much like to convert them if he could.)
networks.
(Are there any older Slytherins he hasn't converted to his side of the Force yet? He'd very much like to convert them if he could.)
chanuphis
There are Slytherins here. They're slightly overrepresented. Astoria's there but not Cole, and some he hasn't talked to as much because for whatever reason they didn't want to bother with him.
always_and_forever
Well he guesses it might be time to go bother them a bit!
In a very, you know, casually-eating-hors-d'oeuvres, commenting-on-stuff-with-interesting-and-slash-or-witty-remarks, being-generally-pleasant-company-but-not-obnoxiously-staying-if-they-really-want-him-gone way.
In a very, you know, casually-eating-hors-d'oeuvres, commenting-on-stuff-with-interesting-and-s
Some of the Slytherins are more open to being talked to under this circumstance, where Sadde has been filtered for value by a third party and there's no advantage in the here and now to be gained from exerting force of any kind on him.
always_and_forever
That is good! It is good being seen as valuable by other people so they can then be valuable to him. And it is doubly good being seen as valuable when they might have previously had concerns about his value due to his parentage. He certainly hopes he is subtly encouraging them to start thinking twice about long-held prejudices.
He kinda wishes it were better known that Miranda's father was a muggle so that he'd have a stronger case.
He kinda wishes it were better known that Miranda's father was a muggle so that he'd have a stronger case.
chanuphis
Miranda does not mention it. She brings up her mum seldom and her dad never.
always_and_forever
Oh well. Anyhow, this club will probably help him in the long run. He decides to ask Professor Slughorn at some point in the future whether Slytherins are slightly overrepresented because he likes Slytherins a lot, because Slytherins tend to have important connections, or because this is as close to a cross-interests Pureblood club one can get without being an actual Pureblood club and thus a good way to direct Slytherins' energies towards more constructive uses than infighting.
If he had been the one organising this, he knows which it'd have been.
If he had been the one organising this, he knows which it'd have been.
Unless he is choosing to ask Slughorn at this very dinner party over the raspberry lemon ices, he will not learn the answer immediately.