Comfortably dressed? Check.

Fully ready for another CoMC lesson? Also check.

Jude paused, having entered the clearing. It wasn’t the sheds that had him still in his tracks; it was the fact that he was trying to figure out what was making that sound. He tried to sneak a peek past professor Amstern but the man sure wasn’t having any of it. The Hufflepuff chuckled as he was shooed away. “Hi, Professor! Guess I’ll wait a little longer to find out what creatures you have in there.”

With that, Jude wandered off. There would be no sitting for him at the moment.

Maxine had grown to like her Care of Magical Creatures classes - she was rather found of most of the animals. So making her way to the grounds, she smiled at the Professor. "Hello Professor." She said with a small wave of her hand, she didn't much feel like sitting, so off she went to stand... some where.

Comfortable clothing had a much different definition when it was mid-February in Scotland, but Ryan was used to it after six and a half years of dealing with it. Plus, it didn't hurt that he was also well aware of the expectations that came with handling creatures. Even if Jasper the crow was far from the usual suspects that were part of CoMC, he trusted that he could handle them. That was half the battle anyhow, since creatures could sense of someone is afraid of them. Usually.

The sounds coming from the sheds seemed to say this was going to be one of those situations, too, not that he expected the professor would shed any light on the creatures making said noise before it was time. Instead, the seventh year had inclined his head in the man's direction before choosing a spot to stand. "Hey, Professor Amstern," he added, even as he took stock of who else had arrived so far. A fellow Lion and a Badger.

It was one of the best parts of school! Darby was curious as to what she was going to learn today. She knew it would be just so much fun today! Darby made her way down to her next lesson, she had her dark green sweater on with a black turtleneck, she had it paired with dark washed skinny jeans and black knee high boots. "Good morning professor!" Darby said in a cheerful voice. She looked around and wondered what would be going on for today's lesson.

"HEY, PROFESSOR," Mercer was practically climbing out of his skin at the idea that there were CREATURES. IN THE SHEDS. AND HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THEY WERE. He wanted to meet them. It was so unfair that they had to wait, and that the professor wouldn't let him peek in the window, and that he was TOO short to peek.

"Can I get a boost, Professor? Just like... one little look? I won't tell anyone else. It'll be our secret." Hard to be a secret when Mercer was reporting this fact conversationally, in front of the entire class, but STILL.

Good shoes. Milo did wear shoes today, the only pair he had begrudgingly accepted, laces untied for a quick escape. Turned out, it generally got colder up here in the highlands in the dead of winter, and though Milo had years of experience starfishing in the snow in only his swimming trunks, the times he'd drifted out of the castle for an hour or more in bare or socked feet had not ended favourably. Mostly they had ended in the Hospital Wing, so now he relented, but only outside.

Finding clothes he was comfortable getting muddy had been an unexpected obstacle, but Milo had eventually found something. The aforementioned swimming trunks, purple. An old(?) sweater, green, which didn't actually belong to him. The sleeves just barely reached his wrists, and the hem was about an inch short of his waistband. Not very comfortable up top, but the entire ensemble was free to be muddied up whenever.

As though to prove this, as soon as Milo arrived at the lesson, he ignored the chairs and sat down right there on the ground. If his feet couldn't meet the earth, then he would meet it in another way. He failed to greet Mr Amstern, as usual, and only sat there, blinking hard every few seconds, and listening to Mercer attempting secrets.

Dirt already staining his cheeks and buried under his fingernails, Cooper made his way over from the greenhouses with his arm looped with Celyn's and an almost entirely carefree smile on his face. The first part of his seventh year had succumbed to a certain bleakness that he never had anticipated, particularly the trigger, but she was like a constant spring breeze to whatever harsh winter howl attempted to sweep him up. Today was another one of those and upon finishing his morning jog had met with Celyn in the greenhouses to continue with the efforts begun by Professor Flamsteed to restore the greenhouses. Revision had been a part of it as well, Celyn being the one with significantly more knowledge than himself when it came to Herbology, and this morning's work had solidified for him just how much of a hands on learner he was. It had been nice and all but entirely taken his mind off everything else that plagued his thoughts.

If only what to do after Hogwarts were the heaviest of them.

Spotting Mercer and a rather curious looking Milo (at this point Cooper had simply accepted the fact that his little brother kept very peculiar company), the seventh year first raised a vibrant smile to Professor Amstern and greeted the man with just as bright a voice. "Morning, professor." Cooper even included a little wave from the hand nestled against his waist while his arm remained entangled with Celyn's. Seeing as his work clothes were already a bit dirty from the greenhouse work, he decided to remain standing...though he did lead the pair of them over towards a couple of chairs in case Celyn wished to sit. Though, to be honest, it was more likely that the ground would be utilized if either of them were to sit. He offered a small glance over towards their fellow seventh years, Ryan and Darby, but otherwise his focus remained ahead while he rolled back on to his heels for a few counts and then leveled out. And back again on to his heels...and both trainers firmly to the ground again...and baaaaack...and flat...and baaaaaaack...

Could anyone tell he was antsy and eager to get started? Whatever was inside the sheds seemed to reciprocate the sentiment judging from the muffled echoes of sound coming from them. Or perhaps it was the Ravenclaw reciprocating their energy?

"Surely can't get much dirtier than that time we chased down that baby hippogriff that got loose," he whispered to his friend with a hint of laughter still to his voice.

This was it. This was the class Bonnie had been impatiently waiting for. She couldn’t wait to see what mysterious creature they would be learning about in this lesson. ’Hello Professor,’ she beamed. Too excited to sit down, Bonnie popped her bag on one of the empty chairs and went to stand by her fellow students.
She peered towards the two sheds, there were some curious sounds coming from them. Unable to tell what they were, Bonnie slowly started to edge closer to them, curious.

Care of Magical Creatures. Jordyn was looking forward to this class because………animals. They were kind of her thing. She entered the class area and couldn’t help but notice the two very visible sheds.

Eyebrows raised, she said, ”Hello Professor”. As noises came out of said sheds, Jordyn wondered what could be inside. She was curious. She couldn’t help it. Finding a good spot where she could see everything, the Hufflepuff waited for class to begin.

Daniel was running late. He didn't arrive so late that the lesson had already begun, but he did arrive later than he usually did for a class. The reason? He couldn't find any clothes that he didn't mind getting mud on them. In the end, he decided to dress in simple black pants and a black hoodie gifted to him by Minjae once.

As he entered the clearing, he turned his head to look at the two small storage huts when he heard noises from inside. He was curious to find out which creature(s) were inside, but it appeared that the Professor was shooing anyone who got too close. "Professor" he greeted with a little nod before taking a seat on one of the chairs placed around.

COMC was one of those classes that Gemma loved to hate. She loved animals don't get her wrong and she did enjoy learning about them, but since the war coming to class just seemed harder for her.

She moved quietly and gave a good morning to the professor before looking around to find the the cutest boy a friend to sit next to. Seeing an empty seat she sat down and said hello to those around her before turning her eyes curiously to where the professor was.

Curious student? Double check. Comfortable attire? Check. Love of Magical Creatures and the outdoors in general? Definitely. Really anything to get outside the castle walls, Apollo was good with and appreciated.

The fourth year Gryffindor frowned when when Amstern shooed him away from the building before he even got close enough to hear what was going on in there. "Good morning to you too," Apollo said grumpily. And here he'd been in a mostly good mood when he left the castle for their magical creatures lesson. His eyes roamed around looking for a familiar face or two. Was he early?

Scarlett was curious but noooot curious enough to try and see what was in those sheds. She wasn't even speculating or anything.

As soon as the Hufflepuff arrived, she simply looked around for nothing in particular.

Alright, maybe for the creature they'd be studying that day. She was hoping it'd be a BIG HUGE one, those were the COOLEST.

Ohai, professor. Waaave.

Desiree liked creatures - the cute cuddly ones, not so much the big scary ones. What she didn’t like was getting dirty, so when she saw the class notice, she panicked. Silly Professor! He should know by now that was no such thing as “clothes [she’s] comfortable getting muddy in”! Muddy was NOT princessy! As such, she wasn’t taking any chances with her attire.

She arrived dressed in pink coveralls and sturdy rain boots. Her dark hair was pinned up in a bun and stuffed under a rain hat. A matching pink raincoat (with the hood up, just in case the hat alone wasn’t enough to keep her hair clean) and dragonhide gloves completed the outfit. “Hello, Professor Amstern,” she greeted with a wave and a small smile - a much smaller one than usual. She wasn’t in a very smiley mood right now. She was too preoccupied with the fear of getting dirty!

Her blue eyes were immediately drawn to the two sheds, and her heart sank. Was whatever was in there going to get her dirty? She jumped at the noises coming from inside, half-expecting whatever was inside to burst out at any moment, and beelined to stand behind the nearest older student.

If Cooper was dirt-stained after a well-spent free period in the greenhouses, it would be no surprise to anyone who knew either of them that Celyn's own appearance matched as she walked arm in arm with him to class. Restoring the greenhouses was a task just as important to her as it was to him and she'd be eager to help even if she wasn't beside her best friend. But supporting Cooper was even more important, especially after recent events, and she was happy to see him seeming so carefree today.

As they made their way towards the clearing, Celyn's attention was drawn towards the noises coming from the storage sheds. Of course she was curious about what the focus of their lesson would be today, but she could not quite discern exactly what from the cacophony of noises. She, too, glanced over affectionately at the two most precious Ravenclaws to exist before giving their teacher a bright smile.

"Hello, Professor Amstern!" she greeted Luke's grandfather pleasantly, then turned to Cooper again once they found a place to stand and wait for class to begin. She really didn't need to sit either, but she watched him with a soft smile as he grew very restless. She was about to comment, when he mentioned the escaped baby hippogriff and she couldn't help but to try and suppress her giggles at the memory. Plenty escaped, but at least she was quiet about it. "What if he has baby hippogriffs in there?" she asked him quietly, hopeful. Wouldn't that be amazing? "What do you think is in there?" She craned her neck once more to look, but she didn't have much to go in the way of clues.

Another glance at his watch told him it was time. Cyril allowed a moment for all of the students to find a place to settle before Cyril moved further towards the group and stood in front, his arms crossed casually over his chest. "Again, welcome all! I believe that's the last of you, so let's get started shall we?" A smile was flashed at all before hands moved to behind his back as he walked a little in front of them. Small whines could be heard a little more clearly from one of the sheds, but not loudly enough to distract the students. Cyril waved his wand and cast a nonverbal muffliato for the time being, hoping to focus the students better for discussion.

"There are different sub-classifications for magical creatures. For today's lesson, we will be primarily focusing on 'demons'. What are some creatures you know that fit into this category? What are some facts you know about these creatures?" He paused in his movements, eyes sweeping over the lot of them to look for any hands that might be raised. "Please feel free to piggyback off of your fellow classmates." The easiest way to engage in discussion, particularly if any did not have a demon coming to mind.

OOC:

Question 1 is up and class has officially started! Any late IC arrivals will have IC consequences. If you didn't get a chance to post an arrival and you do not want your character to face consequences, just post as if they'd been there all along! Please feel free to answer either just one or both of Cyril's questions. We will move on again in about 24 hours.

Also, for anyone who noticed my slip up, it is NOT IC Feb, but IC December. Sorry for the confusion!

Jude watched as the other students arrived but he really didn’t pay them much attention. He was still trying to catch a glimpse of the creatures hidden within those sheds. At least this was the case until he sensed someone standing beside -no, behind- him. Jude turned slightly, catching sight of pink fabric first. Then he saw it was little Desiree. “Hello, Desiree. Say, those are some super cute coveralls!’’ Jude truly appreciated the colour. “I like your boots too but uh… why are you hiding behind me?” Very curious indeed.


It looked like they were getting started. And were those whines? The Hufflepuff shot another look at the sheds. Gosh, he wished he knew what creature they were studying today! His curiosity was getting the best of him. Then the whiny sounds were gone. Huh? Jude eyed Amstern, figuring the man had something to do with that.

Demons? An eyebrow arched slightly. Super interesting choice for today’s lesson. Did this mean there was a creature that fell into this category in one of both of those sheds? His left hand went up. “There’s also a subcategory of demons - water demons - and so their natural habitat is of course, water,’’ he volunteered when called upon. But Jude would say no more - he was leaving that for someone else since it was the right thing to do. Everyone should have a chance to answer, after all.

Demons? They’d be focusing on demons? Oof. She felt eyes on the back of her head as if someone was watching her. An older sibling perhaps? She quickly glanced over her shoulder to see if her brother was watching her but she couldn’t spot him. Her hand immediately shot up and she asked with a teasing smile. “Do siblings count?” she asked with the widest of grins on her face before pausing and then promptly adding. “Joking of course… Uhh…” Was she though?

“Speaking of water demons like Jude said… an example of one are Grindylows! They count as demons and they have horns,” she explained as she drew to horns around her head with her finger to demonstrate.

Jordyn was lost in her thoughts, trying to imagine what creatures they would be learning about today. When the professor began to speak, she focused her attention on him. She didn’t have to wait long to get a hint about the day’s lesson.

Demons? Say what now? Could there seriously be some demon creatures in the sheds? Jordyn loved creatures, but she did have a limit. Trying not to let her imagination run wild, she listened to the first question that was posed. She listened to her classmates’ answers while at the same time raising her hand.

When it was her turn, the fifth year gave her response. “Another water demon is the kelpie.” Given that it was a water demon, she was pretty sure that there was not a kelpie in the shed……..although at Hogwarts one could never be sure. “It’s a shapeshifter and I think that makes it even more dangerous.”

Demons had certainly not been on his radar, considering Ryan had been passing the time analyzing the sounds from the sheds while he'd been waiting for the lesson to begin. Nor had he considered the possible confusion for the professor given he was one of four, not that Rosa entirely was identical. Their brothers were, to him, essentially. But he was the aberration. The Gryffindor in a sea of Puffs and Claws. Family wise, anyway.

He chose to add on to the train of thought Jude had begun as well, along with the others. "Kappas are another water demon, and a blood drinker. Unless you happen to have a cucumber on hand." Since Jordyn had already mentioned kelpies, which were the first to come to mind.

Edric was here, physically, somewhat??? He was looking up and down, hyperfocusing for a moment on the interesting sheds? Shed?? What was in the shed? Why was it making noises? He DID hear something from there... before the professor made it stop.... was it something to be afraid of??? Should he be worried? He was a little worried. He was CoNcErNed. But the more he thought about it, the more he became CONCERNED. VERY CONCERNED. ANd and and thennn someone's answer caught his ear and pulled him out of his head.

"Siblings." Heh. Heh. Yeah, siblings could definitely be demons.

But the demons he was thinking of were all the internal ones... ones like those his mum and dad had. Did he have demons too? Were demons inherited? Could people tell how tortured he was? Did they know? Could they tell by looking at him?!!! He swallowed the sudden big lump in his throat that came with those memories. Conceal. Don't. Feel. Conceal. Don't. Feel.

Uhhhh.... the question. Right. Was he meant to answer that? He flung a long arm up in the air, exhaled dramatically, recited, "Building off what...." uhhhh he didn't know their names, "....the others have said, we have water demons like grindylows in the Hogwarts Lake. Although they are carnivorous, they're not that dangerous. They get like two X's from the Ministry. Baby stuff. You can probably scare them off with sparks."

Yeah no, but, he still didn't want to encounter one. And that answer was enough out of him. He cleared his throat and put his arm down, going back to staring worriedly at the shed(s).

Desiree blinked in reply to the professor. Of course she came prepared! Why wouldn’t she? She may be dainty and princessy, but she wasn’t a dummy. There would be no getting dirty for her today, no sirree! She wasn’t completely convinced that there was nothing to be scared of yet, but she did peer out from behind Jude long enough to venture a skeptical glance at the sheds.

Truth be told, she didn’t notice who she hid behind until he spoke to her, and her face lit up at the compliment. Jude was one of the good ones like that! “Thank you!” she replied, beaming. Her expression changed slightly at the question, her eyes darting from him to the shed and back again. “I don’t want whatever’s in there to get me dirty,” she whispered, hoping the professor wouldn’t overhear.

Blink, blink. Wait, they were covering what now?! Demons sounded pretty scary to Desiree! She listened to the professor, as well as her classmates, hoping something would jump out at her - not literally, of course! She shuddered at the mention of water demons. Whatever was in that shed, she hoped it wasn’t one of those! As she thought, something the professor said jogged her memory. He said they could piggyback off each other… Piggyback, piggy… wasn’t there a kind of demon that looked like a little piggy? What was that called?

Her hand shot up, and she said, “There’s the nogtail, Professor. It looks like a piglet with black eyes, long legs, and a stubby tail.” She hoped that was what was in the shed. A demon that looked like a piggy might not be so scary!

KELPIES! No, surely there weren't any of those water demons mentioned in those little landlocked sheds. Unless they were full of bathtubs with demony critters in them. Still not big enough for kelpies, though.

Mercer looked for Cooper, just wanting SOMEONE to know what he was thinking in the same moment he was thinking it. "LIKE THIS LOVELY LADY SAID, kelpies are demony. But like, they're not bad? I mean, yeah, they like to drown people for funsies and they are mean little boogers when they don't like you, but they're also really COOL. And they've never drowned me PERSONALLY, so I'm fine with it."

Delilah had just offered a short greeting to the professor and quickly taken a seat amongst the others, when the lesson got underway. Whew. That had been a close one. So far, she'd managed not to be late to any of the classes. This had been the closest she'd come to doing so, though. No way did she want that kind of attention on her, not to mention the death stares she'd get for losing house points.

The noises coming from the storage sheds hadn't yet phased her. After all, this was Care of Magical Creatures, so it was a no-brainer that there'd likely be actual creatures involved. Demons, though? Sounded intense. The first year racked her brain for any thought that might come to mind.

Some of the others had mentioned water demons, but...what were the odds of any of those being in the storage shed? "What about nogtails?" she asked, raising her hand. "They're like pigs, but they're waaaay creepier." It kind of made her uneasy to think about any sort of demon creature being in the storage sheds, but she tried not to think too hard about that.