"I didn't even ask for points," Alex said. "I totally thought I was in trouble when he asked me to his office. I was floored when he offered me lessons..."
He listened, a smile spreading on his face. "I read those! And another by... by... Someone with a colour name. Green. Black. Someone. I made notes and charmed a copy into my journal. And there was a research paper in one of my other books that went into all kinds of detail about one guy who mixed step three and six, and it was horrible, the result.
"And I've got a friend... Well, my Dad does, a friend of the family, really, kind of like an uncle? He is a werewolf. And my cousin, Dominique. I thought maybe I'd ask them about what it does, and see if that would help with the theory part, too.
"And I found a really interesting bit about cauldrons and theories about pewter versus something more noble like gold? But I'm not sure what I think about that."