Lesson 1 - N.E.W.T. Level

The professor could have been intentionally difficult with her question and given her a much broader answer that would have made her less cognizant of exactly what was in the flask. But with the amount of hinting he had given and the level of detail provided, the light finally went on in Amelia's mind and she was able to look past the end of her own nose and realize the obvious.

"It's butterbeer," Amelia stated, with no question this time. She could forgive herself the inability to recognize the drink, because she nearly never partook in it, but she was a little bit disappointed with her inability to think outside the box. Maybe it was because her parents had been drawing such clear boxes around her all her life, and the walls she built around herself were angular to boot. It didn't give much of a chance for creative thought, though the Ravenclaw girl did have her moments.

At least this will be over now... she thought to herself, not waiting for the professor's response before dropping her eyes back to the parchment on her desk, which was nearly empty because she had spent most of the lesson talking instead of writing, which was most uncommon for her. She fully intended to make it a point, though, that this did not become the norm.

''Butterbeer? Indeed it is... class dismissed'', he said, pointing to the door. ''Miss Lyons, you do stay, please. Also, 15 points for my House and an O for you'', he said.

(Godmodding slightly)

As the students left the classroom, Doyle looked at Ameila and smiled. ''I am sorry for making you inconvenient... during the class... but it was necessary. Someone needs to point out to those idiots that there is actually someone above them. Now, I presume you know that I have asked you to stay because you have earned your rightful prize. As for the prize, it is something from my field of expertise... meaning Potions. I had two prepared, but now I do think you will only require one choice'', he said. He then put his hand in his suit jacked and dug through it. He took a small bottle with a goldish substance in it. ''As you may have guessed, the substance in this small bottle is Felix Felicis. I do brew a lot when I brew, so I have a big stack of the little thing... but I have only used it three times... one of those three saved my life... Now, I would like to give this bottle to you, since I do presume you will need it, doesn't everyone at one point in his life? The second Potion I had planned on offering you was Amortentia, but I deduce you are smart enough to see that your current emotional preoccupation is probably not worth, thereby you shan't need the potion, as I could have deduced. But if you want, I can give you the flask I prepared for class... I do like to smell it from time to time... the books, they are perfect... I just like to smell it. But, here, this is your prize'', he said, giving her the Felix Felicis. ''Now, if you ever have questions or need help, with anything... please, do not hesitate to find me... and yes, when are you free for that Chess game?'', he asked. ''Is there anything you wish to add?'', he asked.

Amelia felt as though the rest of the class departing the classroom meant that the straps that had been placed around her lungs departed as well. For what seemed like the first time in the last hour, Amelia was able to breath fully, filling her lungs to capacity and letting it out slowly as she realized the ordeal was over. At moments like these, she might have panicked at the thought of the professor asking her to stay after class, but whatever the professor had to say to her could not have been worse than the anxiety she had been feeling earlier. At least now, if she failed to live up to some preconceived expectations, it would be only the headmaster around to witness it; still not the ideal situation, but at this point, she would take what she could get.

With the classroom now empty, Amelia slid her book and dismal sheet of notes into her bookbag and snapped it shut just as the professor approached her desk. She left her bag on the floor and tried not to writhe her hands together as the headmaster addressed her, reminding herself that after the performance she just gave, he could hardly be asking her to stay after for disciplinary reasons. The slightly anxiety that remained despite her own reassurance was dissipated as the headmaster began his speech with an apology, which Amelia accepted with an inclination of her head. She was not about to tell him that he needn’t apologize – on the contrary, he had done exactly what he was apologizing for, and Amelia more than felt it was a behavior that warranted an act of contrition.

When he went to reach into the pocket of his jacket, Amelia followed his hand with her eyes and watched as he removed a small bottle of gold liquid. Now that she had this one to serve as a comparison, she could not imagine how she could have thought the first flask had contained Felix Felicis; the one at the front of the room dulled in comparison with this shining token, which the headmaster offered to her after a short speech on his personal use of it. He also made offer of another potion, though in her opinion, the second was not something which interested her in the slightest. Love was going to be the last thing on her mind this semester if she had anything to say about it.

“Thank you for the liquid luck,” Amelia said, taking the small bottle from him and closing her thin, pale fingers around it, “But I think I will pass on the Amortentia. I know where to find the more genuine forms of my personal scents if I should so desire to experience them.”

“As for the chess game,” Amelia continued, though more hesitantly now. Though she had been sure of her conviction to turn down the Amortentia, she hadn’t yet figured out how she felt about playing chess with the headmaster. She was still relatively unfamiliar with him as an individual and had not, in the past, spent any time outside of class with her professors. That was a rule she did not typically like to break, but in this case, she did not see how she could writhe her way out of it. He had asked her directly and he was the headmaster, for Merlin’s sake, which were the only two reasons why Amelia found herself responding with her next sentence.

“I am free most week nights,” she conceded, “And Saturday afternoons. Whichever works better with your schedule, which I assume to be infinitely more busy than mine, will be fine with me,” she finished, itching to leave but knowing she would have to wait for a dismissal from Professor Doyle before that would be socially permissible.

''Nah, I just like to smell it'', he commented, more for himself. He then looked at Amelia, symbolically. ''A chess game it is. Saturday, 20:00, I'll be in the Headmaster's office, there is more space up there. Do not forget to bring cupcakes'', he said with a grin. ''And, do be careful with the Potion, be sure to use it only when you are one hundred percent sure you need it and do not worry, that one is brewed correctly'', he said.

He them jumped off the desk and started limping to the door. He was done for the day. ''And now you are dismissed. I am done for the day so I shall be upstairs. As said, if you ever need anything, you know where to find me'', he said.