Verine's office resembles a small library at first, with a bookcase dominating the shorter wall and part of the other wall. The other shelves though, are filled with potions. A giant painting frame by the entrance usually displays a pleasant forest or beachside view or shows off family photos. Towards the back of the space, opposite the bottom of the steps, is a door leading to a locked herb and miscellaneous equipment storage. A large table sits before a long couch, watched over by a bowl of snacks, pad of parchment, and a small cactus with notes stuck on its spines. The pot labels it "Glob XIV".
Multiple cauldrons and Verine's desk are located on a modest mezzanine. Here the walls are covered with notes and musings on her latest projects, most related to potions but some related to history or divination. A low banister usually separates the space, but the area can also be sealed off separately to the rest of the office via a transfiguration.
Verine herself can usually be found drafting something up at the desk or brewery or reading up on other potions research on the couch. The brewery is blocked off if she really cannot take interruptions at the moment; in these cases, or in case she is out, there is a note and her usual office hours posted prominently in the picture frame area.
Away message:
Hi! Sorry I'm not available at the moment. Please leave a note and contact information with the cactus and I'll reply the next time I'm in. Feel free to help yourself to snacks or books!
Floo Address: Babbling Brewery
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 12:04 am
Ongoing Projects:
✽Dittany
2044- present, Collaboration with Tiffany Stanford, potioneer Dittany is expensive and rare but necessary in healing potions around the world. Finding a suitable substitute could help make healing potions more available?
✽Dilutions
2047 - presentCollaboration with Orion Lane, assistant potioneer Strong potions can be expensive to brew and hard to come by. While in some cases the full strength potion is necessary, some cases a weaker version can also be useful. Felix felices-- so diluted that it doesn't give the usual addiction quality. Would it still be able to influence luck? Short amounts of time? Highly-diluted amortentia that just smells like happiness and gives you a light buzz but doesn't seduce you to anyone.-- More study on love potions needed in general.
Collaborations welcome!
Available stock is divided into:
Healing and Health Potions Antidote to Common Poisons Antidote to Uncommon Poisons Burning Bitterroot Balm Caxabu Style Borborygmus Potion Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction Doxycide Essence of Dittany Murtlap Essence Pepperup Potion (Grand) Poison Antidote Revive Potion Star Grass Salve Wiggenweld Potion (Grand)
Sleep and Calming Calming Drought Dreamless Sleep Potion Drowsiness Drought Drought of Peace Forgetfulness Potion Sleeping Potion Wideye potion
Enhancement potions, available on an irregular rotation Felix Felicis Girding Potion Invigorating Potion Invisiblity Potion Memory Potion Mopsus Potion Strength Potion Wit Sharpening Potion
For Fun, available on an irregular rotation Babbling Beverage Befuddlement Drought Laugh-Inducing potion Polyjuice Potion Pompion Potion Volubilis Potion
Open to commissions, special requests, consultations, tutoring.
addaellis
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addaellis
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Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:14 pm
Prior research:
2022 - 2042: Verine’s early work was in basic research on magical properties of various herbs in potions and applied research in alternative brewing methods. She has an academic reputation of taking existing potions and recreating them with different ingredients, making either more potent versions, or easier to produce (either in method or ingredient cost). She occasionally showed up on projects relating to divination, healing and history, but publishes primarily in potions and herbology.
Her proudest paper, is Winchester, V. (2026) “Alternative Preparation of Babbling Beverage”. Potioneer Quarterly. 191: 52-65. While not her most cited or known paper, it faithfully recreates her favorite potion, the harmless Babbling Beverage, with none of the original ingredients.
2043 + : Although still very entrenched in substitution research, Verine started exploring original potion development.
Past Projects (since 2043)
✽Stars in their Eyes
2043-2047, Collaboration with Della Lane, astronomer >>Developed potion: Estallos allows the drinker to see the locations of where stars and other heavenly bodies would be, like a transparency overlay in their eyes. Usually lasts for an hour, but can be dispelled early with a simple neutralizing agent. Such a tool could be useful for studying the stars or even help students learn about star positions. Relatively simple to produce (proficient 5th year level). Some subjects in testing reported mild to medium discomfort or nausea--usually ameliorated by sitting or lying down, these effects were more common with those who were prone to dizziness or vertigo.
✽Piano in a bottle
2042-2045 >>Meta-analysis summarizing how music/sound and potion interactions have been used and developed + Development essay on how each of three versions failed to create the desired effect. Misc notes: Inspired by Sonora saying there’s only one piano at Hogwarts Would be useful for practicing music without an actual piano around. Either meant to be poured on a surface that transforms the surface into a keyboard/ music-producing surface OR a drinking potion where fingers play as though they were touching a piano. Initial calibration would be needed: first three notes played correspond to a C-major chord. Might be better as a spell? Need to find someone versed in spell creation
Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:18 pm
✽❃VERINEYSEULTWINCHESTER 45 years || Ravenclaw Alumna || halfblood Potioneer _______________
Summer for Hogwarts did not mean summer for research; it was an everyday Thursday at the office of Verine Winchester, potioneer. Both cauldrons on the mezzanine were quietly brewing and the walls were marked up with notes, charts, and diagrams; Verine herself was at her desk, poring through textbooks and journals. The newly published copy of “Alternate Extraction Processes for Essence of Dittany” in Potioneer Quarterly was sitting open on the large table usually kept clear for meetings [2]. The long and complicated concoction with a mild increase in potency detailed in that paper had its uses, but it simply wasn’t effective in making dittany more available.
In one cauldron was version 11 of Project “Estallos”: She and Della were just tidying up and working effective ways to clear the afterimages of having stars magically superimposed over the drinker’s vision. Finite, unfortunately, still didn’t work. Technically, versions 9-12 were all functional, there were just variations in preparation-- different ingredients and amounts to slightly different brightnesses and durations of superimposition. Verine was just iterating on a few things, finalizing a most efficient and cost-effective procedure to publish.
She wasn’t quite sure what Sonora and Vespera were doing with the other cauldron, but Verine’s teenage daughter and her friend were keeping an eye on both potions, taking careful notes, one as part of her “extra potions practice for Animagus Studying” effort and the other there for “extra healing training”.
With Sona and Ves’s help, Verine had thankfully not had to worry too much about keeping the store stock up since summer started. So, in an effort to find something that she and Tiffany might have been missing, Verine had gone back to searching the magical literature on dittany distillation. She and Tiffany had been invited to write a book chapter on historical methods for extracting essences of herbs, and somewhere along that path they had stumbled upon a relatively young but well-published herbologist specializing in dittany distillation methods. Verine was now voraciously reading up on one Claire Wilson’s work.
“Mummy we need you to finish this,”
“What if…” Verine muttered to herself, intensely focused on the spread of papers and notes in front of her. There was something about Wilson’s approach to distillation in this paper that reminded her of the philosophy behind an old Irish distillation of nightshade...perhaps there was something worth investigating here?
“Mummy? Please, the Wolfsbane shouldn’t brew much longer. ”
A tap on her shoulder pulled Verine out of her thinking. “What?” she snapped, a little upset at the interruption.
“Wave of wand needed to finish Wolfsbane Potion,” Sonora replied evenly, used to her mother’s snappiness when interrupted. Usually they tried not to, or at least tried to time interruptions together, but that wasn’t always possible. If only they could do magic outside of school! It took a quick moment for Ver to realize the girls were trying a Wolfsbane Potion. Getting her hands on ingredients was a month-by-month challenge, but with the help of the other potioneers, Ver had thus far been able to secure a potion every month, along with a draught of peace or other sleeping-helping concoction. Had she fallen behind this month? The girls had been making Babbling Beverage yesterday. ”Thanks.”
After seeing the Wolfsbane Potion successfully completed and checking it over for quality, Verine checked the other cauldron with a satisfied nod. “When the Estallos turns milky white, take 10 drops of it out and run this procedure after you finish up with the potion: Add a pinch of Standard Ingredient, swirl twice clockwise, and wait a few seconds. Repeat until the solution turns clear and the Standard Ingredient doesn’t just dissolve. ” Verine instructed, rattling off steps with practiced ease.
“Oh! Okay? Do I put that on ice too? ” Sonora jotted the amendment down.
“No you can wash that out, just record how many pinches were used, colors, everything.” Verine explained, handing over a few cards with different versions of the potions methods jotted on them for her daughter to review. “It’s just an alternate titration to see how strong the Estallos is,”
“Okay, thanks. And then should we get dinner?”
Verine glanced at the time. She had actually spent the entire day reading again! Thank goodness for her little assistants. ”Merlin’s cauldrons, your dad’s going to lecture me about keeping Ves late again. Right, we’ll leave once you’re done then.”
With a pat on the girls’ backs, Ver turned back to her desk. What had she been thinking about again? As much as she loved tutoring, this was why she hated interruptions. What if she had been onto something interesting? She took a few minutes, rereading. Huh. In any case, Verine decided, Claire Wilson seemed to have an interesting approach towards dittany that would likely be useful to discuss in person with. She pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment and composed a letter to the herbologist in question, inviting her to tea and discussion sometime.
With a quick ”Be right back!’ Verine jogged off to leave Tiffany a note and find a society owl to deliver her letter.
Papers the duo has previously published on the subject of dittany efficiency: [1] Winchester, V. & Stanford, T. (2046) “Dittany Supplementals in Common Healing Potions” Potioneer Quarterly 212 (1): 183--192 [2] Stanford, T. & Winchester, V. (2047) “Alternate Extraction Processes for Essence of Dittany” Potioneer Quarterly 214 (1): 95-106
[3] Winchester, V., Stanford, T., (in review) “Chapter 3: Herb Extraction Methods in Potions History” In J. Li & E. Winchester (Eds), Extracting History: A Historical Review of Magical Extraction (pp. 49- 76) London, England. Obscurus Books.
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settingAt the Office, Some Thursday in Summer 2047 || with Sonora, Vespera wearing long dress || status Projects with my assistants _______________ //OOC: Semi-prologue to a scene in Tiffany’s office. Tagging Gryffie and Summer just in case there’s something about context of project that should be edited, and tagging Steffy and Trick in case there's something they'd like edited about mentions to Vespera or Della.
Making up citations for characters is so much easier than writing papers. Also I love it and cackle so happily.
Steffy, if you’d like to continue this scene as a Ves/ Sona/ Ver thing, I’m down for that too!
[xquote=”MissGryffindorK”] [xquote=”Summer II"] [xquote=”Stefan Lee Salvatore”] [xquote=”Trickblues”] ^Edited these because I was editing this for a grammatical mistake >.<""
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Far off in the distance A fire comes to life A flicker of a flame breaks through the dark Burning soft and bright Dancing with the light Awakening the Heavens and the Earth ❃✽ "Awakening" by Celtic Woman
addaellis
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Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 12:07 am
✽❃VERINEYSEULTWINCHESTER 46 years || Ravenclaw Alumna || halfblood Potioneer _______________
With one project fully published and another working along steadily, Verine was taking a few days to re-evaluate her current thoughts and upcoming projects. All week she had her cauldrons bubbling with obscure old potions she hadn’t touched since her Hogwarts days. Her usual assistant, Rion, had been of enormous help as she figured out timelines and explored avenues of literature. Very fortunately, this process had coincided with the start of summer vacation, so she also had her daughter and Vespera around the office, and was happy to leave the shop restocking to them. She made a point to sit them down for at least an hour each week to walk them through her methods and process, engage them in potions/research discussion and mentor them on their own interests, but by now trusted them to know their way around the shop and mostly left them to do their work.
It was only 16:15, hours before Verine usually closed the office, when she stopped by the girls at their own cauldrons. She rubbed Sona’s shoulders a little and gave Vespera a friendly pat. “What’re you ladies up to?”
Sonora checked off the next step on her pad of notes and looked up. “This is just a Poison Antidote,” she replied. “I think I’ll be fine on the Potions NEWT, but I’m reviewing it to look over healing. Plus you needed a few more.”
Sonora had been getting a start on NEWTs studying with Vespera as the two of them worked on their potions -- it was a very relaxed study session, but she was just excited to be able to do magic outside of school! While Sona had mostly gotten over the do-everything-with magic phase after a week, she may have gotten used to just jumping off the balcony, shifting into a bird, and then shifting back. And, of course, no longer did she have to bother her mum at every other step of a potion!
Verine nodded encouragingly at both Sona and Ves’s potion projects. ”Oh NEWTs… I’m glad to be done with those,” she laughed. “Should I bother you another time?”
“Well...I’m okay. I’m almost done here, and I think we’ve gotten plenty of studying done for the day. Ves?”
Given permission to bother away, Verine grinned and stretched, glancing back at the stacks and piles of books she had been poring through the last week. “Let’s just chat then. What’s on your minds, both of you? NEWTs? Career things?” She nudged Sonora lightly with a grin. “A certain someone?~”
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settingAt the Office, Summer 2048 || with Sonora, Vespera wearing orange dress || status Relaxing for a bit. _______________ //OOC: I did write a thing? XD Let me know if you prefer something else.
Stefan Lee Salvatore
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Far off in the distance A fire comes to life A flicker of a flame breaks through the dark Burning soft and bright Dancing with the light Awakening the Heavens and the Earth ❃✽ "Awakening" by Celtic Woman
Vespera was spending another summer bouncing between friends. It wasn't that she couldn't go home, but she just preferred it better if she wasn't with her mom. They got along great, but the use of magic all the time bothered her mother. And Vespera needed to work on her magic during the summer if she wanted to pass her NEWTs with Exceeds Expectations. That included DADA. But, sometimes you couldn't just waste all your time on one subject. So she spent a few hours every day with potions, working with Sona's mom and Sona.
On this particular day, Vespera and Sona were making antidotes. It was a double hitter, potions and healing in one swoop. Ves grimaced at her potion, it was fine, but she had to look at her text twice, and ask Sona a question once. Not bad, but not great either. When Verine came over and started talking to them about NEWTs and careers, and boys, Ves smiled, "Even if we weren't done studying for the day, it's always a pleasure to talk with you Mrs Winchester. But for now, I think we're done and in need of a well deserved break for the day."
Ves closed her book up, and put the stopped in the potion and stretched her arms out, "Right now? I'm thinking about how challenging these NEWTs are going to be, but I think we'll be fine. I still really want to be a healer, so the six NEWTs have to be Exceeds Expectations or better." She sighed, seventh year was going to be exhausting. Thank goodness she wasn't going to be doing quidditch like Sona was. Not to mention, Sona had a relationship as well. How she could manage that, Ves had no idea. "Of course, I'm still as single as ever. I'm not sure I could handle school and a relationship though, but maybe if the right person came along it would be worth it... How is your blooming love life Sona?"
It wasn't that Ves wasn't interested in anyone, there was that one person that she very much hoped to be with, but they weren't interested in her. Her rebellious, misbehaving, younger self still loomed in the back minds of many of her classmates, how could she have been so childish then? She probably cut off a lot of ties to herself back then, and now it was too late to grow them back.
▬▬ "thatshewishesshehadinherdarkestmoments." ▬▬
╔══════════════╗ Where: Verine's Potion Place With Whom: Sona and Verine Thinking about: NEWTs are exhausting. So are relationships. Vespera Description: Short 4'9", blond hair, green eyes Wearing:Black leather jacket, yellow tank, blue jeans ╚══════════════╝
♪♫SONORAxxxMEYLINGxxxLI seventh year || Ravenclaw prefect || halfblood Music club || Quidditch reserve || Dueling Club _______________
”Ever the polite charmer, Miss Salazar,” Verine replied with a smile. She leaned against the bannister as her two young assistants wrapped up their antidotes and cleaned up. It was no secret that Verine and her husband, Elmond, were quite fond of all her daughter’s friends. Their door (or floo) was always open, and Ver only wished she could have engaged them better over the years.
Ver thought back, trying to remember when she took her own NEWTs. “You’re welcome to practice for those here, of course. You know I’m always open to questions. Actually, if you have a particular few healing potions or spells you want to go over, we can walk through theory while making them next time you're here? What else...DADA, Charms, what else do you need for Healing?”
“Transfiguration,” Sona replied. “Actually, if we could take over the house sometime, we could probably practice all three at once.”
“I’ll see if we can lift the no badgers rule for a day,” Verine laughed merrily, referencing an incident a few years ago where she had transfigured the coffee table into a badger in demonstration. Said badger had tried to eat the bird, and henceforth, El had banned transfigured badgers from the house. "That might be good actually. Invite a few friends over next week. Studying is more effective when it's fun."
Sona looked to Vespera for her thoughts -- Sona certainly loved the study parties the seven of them did, and it would be a great sleepoverwithout having to go back to the dorms at night, but smaller study sessions seemed more focused.
For the most part, Sona wasn't full on panicking over NEWTs yet. But every time she looked at Arithmancy, Sonora felt panic rushing through her blood vessels. Thank goodness she didn’t need an E or above in all her Cursebreaking classes. But even for her non-cursebreaking classes..like music...the music OWL should have been easy, but somehow she’d messed up tragically. She felt like she knew her music now, but...who knew come exam day? Her wandless magic had never been fantastic, but at least it was getting better? She was definitely getting practice.
Luckily, none of that came to mind right now, as Sona was busy clearing her cauldron, putting herbs away and listening to Vespera talk to her mum chat. She blushed when they brought up relationships and both of them egged her a little. ”It’s wonderful,” she replied straightforwardly, smiling as she thought about Jonah. Anyone else and Sonora might have been uncertain about glowing too much, but Ves was probably her closest friend besides Jonah himself. “Actually, I’m not sure how I could handle school without Jonah. We study together, but we also just have fun and talk about whatever or freak out together. Plus sometimes a kiss is all I need to be remotivated and focus.”
”I think I’m with Vespera on this one,” Verine replied with a chuckle. ”I didn’t date until after Hogwarts.”
To be fair, Verine had spent much of her seventh year studying alone and that hadn't been healthy either. She had stopped talking to a lot of good friends that year, and hadn't reconnected with some of them until many years later, if at all. “Relationships take time,” she agreed. "Sometimes that time can seem unproductive, but even a simple 'let's get tea together sometime' goes a long way to clearing your head," she said, with a pointed glance at Sona. With a more subtle glance to Vespera, she added "Or just maintaining or building a bridge."
_______________ setting Mum's "babbling brewery", Summer 2048 || with Verine, Vespera wearing dark green dress || status NEWTs and Relationships _______________ //OOC: I think I ramble too much, but hopefully that was okay.
//ships as intensely as possible without knowing how much Ver can actually ship.
Reference to the badgers copied in the spoiler:
Letter to Vespera -- A letter discussing Fallomeles, because upon seeing it, Sona was immediately absolutely convinced that Ves would want to turn things into badgers. Or like...throw something across the room and transform it into a badger mid-flight. Trick badgers!
My mum demonstrated the spell for me and it was quite interesting. Unfortunately badgers were banned from my house this month after the coffee table nearly ate Charlie Ace. I think Granda taught him to say “Badder wanna cracker”, and we have discovered that badgers indeed do not want crackers and prefer eating birds. Hopefully your future badgers are more polite.
Stefan Lee Salvatore
It's the story of my life, but you're my everything so call my name! I just wanna' play around, your head's up in the clouds, you're like a shining star! I just wanna' love your pain. The scars that never fade, they make you who you are ♫♪ "Zenzenzense"by RADWIMPS, cover by Akane Sasu Sora
Vespera burst into laughter at the mention of the no badger rule, she would have to overpopulate the Li household with badgers, if only for a laugh. They could surely keep the badgers under control... maybe they would just have to put up a shield spell first. Ves grinned, "I think it would be grand to have everyone together, one last adventure before we go into our seventh year of Hogwarts." Of course they would see each other during school, and after graduation, but it was just the matter of being carefree for the little time of summer.
When Sona mentioned that sometimes a kiss was all she needed to be remotivated and focused Ves winked at her, "You sure it's just kissing that helps remotivate you and focus. Not Riding Jonah's broom? You know trying to practice for the win this year." Ves died at the look of Sona's face, sure Ves probably shouldn't make these comments in front of Sona's mom, but they had such a great relationship. Frankly, Ves didn't actually know if Sona and Jonah were intimate, and either way, it was obvious to being a quidditch reference there, so of course Ves could play it off as just them practicing for Sona's year of being a seeker.
Sona's mom gave them a bit more wisdom, relationships take time, and tea was a good idea. Ves looked at Sona and thought about it, well, maybe she could ask the girl on a date to get some tea. They were all old enough to go to Hogsmeade together when school started. If anything, the answer could be no, and there wouldn't be any loss, it would be fine. Everyone would just stay friends. Ves nodded to herself, come September 2nd she would ask someone on a date.
▬▬ "thatshewishesshehadinherdarkestmoments." ▬▬
╔══════════════╗ Where: Verine's Potion Place With Whom: Sona and Verine Thinking about: Al the puns that could be made Vespera Description: Short 4'9", blond hair, green eyes Wearing:Black leather jacket, yellow tank, blue jeans ╚══════════════╝
✽❃VERINEYSEULTWINCHESTER 46 years || Ravenclaw Alumna || halfblood Potioneer _______________
With a study party approved and to look forward to, Sonora caught Vespera’s wink with mix of confusion and excitement -- was this a prank? She hadn’t been prepared for one! “I mean, Quidditch always helps too! But why would I need Jonah’s I have my o-ohhhh…” she flushed a bright red all the way to her ears as she realized what Vespera had implied. At least it was just in front of her mum! “No--nonono Jonah and I--we---we aren’t---that’s--we’re not--we haven’t--Ves!”
For her part, Verine just watched Vespera’s laughter and Sona’s embarrassment with gentle amusement. She certainly hadn’t heard that they were taking things quite so far--she certainly thought they were very young for such things!--but Ver took a moment to process and supposed it was never too early to be prepared for such things. With remarkable casualness, Verine simply browsed the bookshelves, looking for a particular recipe she knew she had. “Just make sure you’re being safe when you’re ‘practicing Quidditch’, yes? Make sure to wear your gear properly and don’t lose too much sleep,” she said, entirely too innocently, with a sly smile towards Vespera.
”Mummyyyy!” Sona wailed, "Not you too..."
“Speaking of, there’s a potion you both should know." Verine said, finding the book. "Imagine that you are sitting for your NEWT ....”
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settingAt the Office, Summer 2048 || with Sonora, Vespera wearing orange dress || status About "Quidditch" _______________ //OOC: A little short, but this was fun!
~End~
Stefan Lee Salvatore
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Far off in the distance A fire comes to life A flicker of a flame breaks through the dark Burning soft and bright Dancing with the light Awakening the Heavens and the Earth ❃✽ "Awakening" by Celtic Woman
