Professor Zabini stalked between desks, sniffing here, listening in there. Sweat poured down Equity's face, and she wiped it off with a bit of dragon-skin cloth. Her potion was turning the proper bluish green color. She leaned to sniff it. It smelled like toffee. She checked the blackboard. Now, she was supposed to add lacewing fly powder. This potion was made to cure hiccups, and was supposed to be thin and gossamer-shimmery. Some of the other potions were thick, sludgy, and dark-colored. She grasped her mortar and pestle, and ground the shimmery wings of the fly. As she added them, a purple steam rose from her potion. She checked the board.

When she turned, Professor Zabini was standing at her shoulder. She jumped, squeaked, and then hiccuped. Indira, who was seated next to her, laughed and then hiccuped. Professor Zabini handed Equity a spoon. She dipped up some of her potion, and sipped it. It was thin but uncomfortably cloying, sweet-tasting but dry. It went down fast, leaving a cabbage-y aftertaste. She ground three Alibarne leaves in her mortar, then added them to the potion and tasted it again. It was a little thicker and much less rich, just sweet enough and perfectly moist. It took its time going down, and the aftertaste was like caramel. Her hiccups stopped, replaced by an odd calm feeling. Professor Zabini gave her a grudging smile, and then handed her the version of the recipe that she had tweaked. Across the top, a large scarlet 'O' and the words, 'Excellent adaptations' made her heart flutter happily.