Going Against the Grain of Potter Cliches

[Jorlem]

Here's one that occured to me while driving earlier: Potions being like cooking, with following the 'recipe' being the key to a good grade. Admittedly, a good deal of what we see involves Snape writing the instructions on the board, and the students having to follow it, but the sheer amount of writing they need to do for the homework essays indicates that there is a lot more to it than just that. (I once had a chem teacher that would run labs like that, and cover theory either in class, or by assigned readings.) Even Snape's speech at the start of the first year, that shows up in almost every fic, includes some questions that point out that there is more to Potions than just the recipes.
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Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.