Leave the tube alone

I shouldn't open something that says not to on it. I tear my gaze away from the tempting tube.

"Huh? Oh, that? That concoction is pretty strong. The lid shouldn't be opened under any circumstances." Victoria raises her head to tell me this. "If you open this, something terrible will happen."

"Something terrible?!" I ask. Oh, no. I'm so curious now. "Pleeeeease?"

"No! Let's use this instead." Victoria says.

"What's that?"

"It's a chemical flare. The chemicals inside create an intense light when mixed. Watch." Victoria throws the tube, and a burst of white light takes my vision away. My eyes slowly adjust back to normal. "I lowered the intensity so it won't cause permanent damage, but can use it to blind opponents. I gave some to Lupin."

"Wow, that's so much fun!"

"Huh? Well, it's not a toy, you know." Hours pass as Victoria explains what the different chemicals do and how to handle them safely. "So, the lesson here is that one must be very careful when handling chemicals such as these." Victoria says. It's now dusk. Victoria continues to lecture me. "Since the sun is setting, let's wrap up today's lesson."

"All right. You're a very good teacher." I've learned a lot of things, and feel very satisfied about the day's events.

Victoria seems embarrassed, and waves her hand as if to dismiss my praise. "No, no. You only feel that way because you're on outstanding student."

"You made it very easy to understand things. Even I could understand which **** have what effects."

"Hmm... Well, I was a top student at Oxford. I'm glad you found my teaching helpful."

"I look forward to our future lessons, Mistress Victoria."

"Mistress Victoria? Oh, hahaha. That's funny. We should get going. We don't want to be late for dinner."

I nod in agreement, and follow her back to the mansion.

The lessons she gave me not only helped me learn how to protect myself, but also stimulated my curiosity.

I really want her to teach me again.