Later that night, after much impatient waiting, 3
Ravenclaws and a Slytherin snuck down the corridor and into the Potions
classroom. Wasting no time, Apolline started talking immediately. "Okay, I
brought the honey, the billywig stings and the fairy wings, but I could not
find a white cat hair..."

      Rae answered back quickly, "There have to be
some in one of these cabinets." With no hesitation whatsoever, she opened
one of the cabinets and began to dig around, almost knocking over a couple of
phials.

      Apolline rushed over with her wand. "Shhhh,
careful! Lumos!" Apolline cast the spell rather emphatically, making her
wand glow a bright yellow.

      "Too bright, Apolline! Turn it down!"
Aranya complained, shading her eyes.

      "Oops, sorry, nox."

      Rae blinked several times.  "Wow... seeing spots. But, oh! Here! Found some."
The other girls took the cat hair from Rae and layed out all the ingredients on
one of the tables.

      "All
right," Rae declared, "lets get to work. We need to get this made
before anyone comes this way."

      Apolline nodded in agreement, "Oui!"

      While Addie and Aranya checked the instructions and
measured out the ingredients, Apolline set up the cauldron and put the heat on
100°C. After adding 500ml of water to boil, Rae took the first watch at the classroom
door, while Addie crushed the 4 Billywig stings using the mortar and pestle.

      "Oh, look... they are so blue, even after you
crush them!" she remarked.

      "Don't get any of that powder anywhere, Addie,"
Aranya cautioned, "We don't know if it stains..."

      Addie rolled her eyes, and sprinkled three
tablespoons of the Billywig powder over the surface of the boiling water in the
cauldron. The potion turned a lovely light blue color. Since she was the best
at reading Celcius, Apolline took charge of guaging the temperature, and
reduced the heat to 75 C. Addie picked up one of the phials, turning it this
way and that in the light of the cauldron fire.

      "What's this? Honey? Yummy!"

      Apolline snatched the phial from her immediately.
"Addie! Do not eat the honey, we need it!"

      Addie stomped over to the door, mumbling something
about snakes, and took her turn at guard duty. Rae quickly rejoined the group
as Aranya added 1 tablespoon of honey to the cauldron, then stirred the potion
clockwise. "One, two. Ok, now what?"

      Apolline checked the directions again. "Now we
add the cat hair to the potion. Rae, where did you put them?"

      "Right
here." Rae picked up the hairs and added them to the potion. The girls
gasped as a shower of bright sparks emitted from the potion. But their glee was
short-lived as the potion took on a murky brown color.

      "RAE! You ruined it!"

      "I did not! I did exactly what I was supposed
to! Apolline, tell her!"

      Apolline studied the directions closely. "Hmmm,
Oui, the potion is supposed to turn that color, Ara. Now, you stir just once,
anti-clockwise."

      "Which way?"

      "Counterclockwise, Ara!"

       Aranya stirred the potion carefully, just once.
"Now what?"

      "Ooo..." Apolline made a face, "Now we
have to add the fairy wings. I cannot... you do it."

      Rae shuddered. "I feel bad for the fairies, you
know... using their wings..."

      "Oh, I'll do it," Addie volunteered.
"Someone take my place at the door." Addie took the pair of fairy
wings and placed them onto the cutting board. "I asked Prof. Wolfe, and
she said it doesnt hurt them." She began to slice the fairy wings into
thin strips using a silver knife

      "Really?" Apolline asked, watching her. "That's good, I always thought it might be done as a punishment for bad
fairies!"

     Aranya shrugged, taking her place at the door.
"Yeah, but they're like little devils anyway, so I'm not worried."

      Rae made a face as Addie brushed the sliced fairy
wings into the potion. "Well, they do grow back..." The potion
immediately turned a light yellow color.

      "Oh, the shimmering is so pretty," breathed
Apolline.

      "This looks a lot better than our
"Cure" for Boils," Rae remarked, looking into the cauldron.
"Lets hope it works better, too. Here, someone else stir this... I never
seem to stir in the right direction...."

      Apolline rolled her eyes as she took the spoon.
"I'll do it! It's a wonder you still manage to get such good grades in
potion!"

      "Touche."

      After adding the remaining tablespoon of the honey
and striring the final time, the girls held their breath as Addie waved her
wand in a swirling outward spiral over the cauldron.

      "What should we do while it's brewing?"
Apolline turned to the other girls, 
"we have to wait 32 minutes."

      "Gossip about Nivestorm?" Rae suggested.

      Aranya giggled, "There is always time to talk about
Nivestorm!"

      Apolline giggled and nodded emphatically.

      "We should make something pretty for them,"
Rae suggested, "or write a song."

      "Can they get married already?" Addie
sighed impatiently.