Because of the dangerous associated with potion making, it is restricted to apprentices working with intermediate magic and above. Mixing things always involves unknown risks. Explosions, strange gases, and various side effects. One idiot mage once turned herself bright green for several years. Another put himself into a deep sleep for so long he passed away from starvation.
Should anything go wrong with your potion making this book will alert the arch-mage who will immediately come to your aid through highly advanced teleportation magic.
Good luck and don't muck it up!
Your first potion will be a basic healing potion. It can heal minor to moderate injuries and the ingredients consist of herbs you've been growing for your herbology assignments. This potion will only use herbs. Other potions will require different kinds of ingredients however.
This basic potion will only consist of heating, stirring and bottling. Other potions may require certain phases of the moon, or can only be done at dawn or have other such requirements.
Always note that the order and amounts of ingredients should be exact or as close to exact as possible for safety and product quality.
Light a small fire and secure your cauldron over it. Pour in some water and cast a minor energy transference spell on it to infuse the water with magic. Bring to a rolling boil.
Pre-measure your ingredients.
The book went on to list all of the ingredients and their measurements. Soon ingredients were magically flying through the air and measuring themselves, before returning to the table. Thaddeus chose to further arrange the ingredients by the orders in which they would be used and set about his task with ease. To him potion making was essentially following a recipe, something he found incredibly easy to do.
Start with dandelion leaf, ad one cup and let simmer for a few minutes. Do not stir.
Add a clove of crushed garlic and three fourths cup of finely chopped billing's root.
Stir to your left until mixed well,
Add one cup of powdered dragonweed root. Do not stir. Let boil for several breaths.
Now add a quart of rainbow arugula and still to your right until the potion turns purple.
Once the potion has turned purple add a half a cup of aged ginseng and Several drops of angels nectar pollen. Boil for sixteen breaths and stir to your right until the purple lightens to a red or pink. Let the potion cool down and then bottle.
In no time at all he had several vials of a distinct pink liquid that the boom explained signified a high quality basic healing potion. The lower the quality of healing potion the more red it would be. Once the potions were bottled, one of the bottles vanished in a flash of purple light and the book returned a grade in his work. Top marks. The rest of the potions he would split for personal use and to sell in his healing stall. He would eventually need more vials but luckily those could be bought in abundance at the general store in the town square. Before the day was out, he had several crates not only the basic healing potion but also a potion that treated acne and another that helped one sleep at night.
Before turning in for the night, he took one last look at the book and found a surprise message.
Greetings Thaddeus. This is Archmage Andeleon Vortael. Through this book I have been keeping track of your work and observing you. If you were at an academy you would be beginning your second year by now. Due to the excellence of your work and the ease with which you learn everything presented to you, we have deemed that you are a certified rare magical genius. Because of this, not only has your complete intermediate course and part of advanced charms and spells been unlocked, but it has also decided to unlock and Grant you access to beginner battle magic that you wouldn't start at the academy until your second year of five in advanced magic. Well a lot of battle magic is not necessarily advanced, it is generally not taught so early for safety reasons. Due to your diligence and excellent grades it has been deemed that you are responsible enough to begin such training. Battle magic is to be used only in self defense and in defense of others. Be warned though, misuse of battle magic will not be tolerated. And upon completion of beginner battle magic if you wish to advance to intermediate, you will be required to join an adventurer's guild and remain an active member for the length of two years while you continue your studies. At intermediate level I feel it necessary and an important part of ones growth as a mage to start gaining actual experience in battle.
At this point in time your general studies will slow down and take a back seat to battle magic studies. You will also be required to complete a number of physical exercises every day from the start of your battle magic courses.
Having said all this, I'd advice learning a few self defense spells in Beginner battle magic and focus on completing your intermediate studies first, before proceeding with your battle magic classes. However, it's up to you. Upon completion of your intermediate classes, you will be visited by none other than myself to test your class and ranking for a promotion to apprentice adept. From Apprentice adept and beyond you will have a badge that states your class and rank that you must keep on your cloak at all times as is mage law.
Keep up the good work apprentice mage.
Smiling, Thaddeus set the book aside. Maybe it was a result of losing his parents and not having many other peers his age around, but studying was his whole life and he deeply enjoyed it. He couldn't wait for the next day so he could speed up his studies, now that he no longer had to learn one spell or subject at a time.