| Puffskein
Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pearl of the Orient
Posts: 994
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Sapphire Wulfweardsweorth
Third Year |  ♥ Gryffindor ♥ ★ Ravenclaw ★
SPOILER!!: Professor Lachlan MacFusty Quote:
Originally Posted by Oesed  Though it had taken a while for him to decide, Professor MacFusty had, at last, come to the conclusion to hold his lesson in the paddock located outside the Magical Creatures Nursery. Knowing that perhaps some students would be confused, he left an announcement pinned to the door of his hut, indicating where to go and what exactly they should not do upon reaching their destination and taking a look at MacFusty's current companion.
For instance, they should not yell or gasp or point fingers or just plain run away.
Well, they could run away, but that would be a bit silly, not to mention a pity as well. Not that this sentiment was shared by the creature pacing restlessly near him. From the small stool he was sitting on, Lachlan was busy using his elm wand to write on the blackboard located almost right next to him, the following message:
"Can you not yell? I know I said this already, but please don't do it. Rosie won't like it anymore than she likes having me call her 'Rosie.' Also, take out a piece of parchment, some ink and write your name and year on it. Then just place it on your lap when you are done. Thanks!"
Lachlan smiled to himself at a job well done (mostly--there was not much he could do about his only half-decent handwriting), and pocketed his wand. The Creature he'd seemed to refer to as 'Rosie,' however, grunted at him and sat down upon her hind legs, looking both supremely offended and nearly obnoxiously bored.
"You need to relax, Ros--Milady," Adviced MacFusty, employing a kind, soothing tone.
The young Sphinx used her cool aquamarine almond-shaped stare to glare daggers at him, but said nothing else. Normally, Lachlan would have been slightly alarmed of being in the presence of a seemingly irritated Sphinx, but in better spirits he could not be. And in any case, even if Rosie did decide to pounce and have him for lunch, her efforts would be stopped by the series of charms placed around her. Also? She was wagging her tail, so she couldn't be that upset.
Quietly, Lachlan chuckled and waited for the students to arrive. Quote:
Originally Posted by Oesed Each and everyone of the students who arrived received nods and small smiles from Professor MacFusty as he pinned the parchments with their names to their robes, while Rosamund spent her time ignoring the newly arrived students. It was better that way for now, MacFusty thought; Rosamund was very close to throwing a fit just like the one she'd thrown earlier when he announced the reason why she'd come from so far away, and it had taken him almost two hours to calm her down.
It had almost cost him a finger, too, but that was neither here nor there. "For those who asked, I am perfectly well, thank you." And he could seen that most of them were, too, if not a tad shaken by Rosie's presence. "Now, I'd like to---" But the rest of his sentence was lost by a loud yell that quickly reminded him of France, and as a result, Beauxbatons.
"Knox Macnair." Lachlan said, his tone very nearly flat. He did manage to sound somewhat polite, though, as he regarded his old student with a stern look.
Never following instructions. Always the excitable one.
How had he gotten sorted into Slytherin? "Control yourself, Mister MacNair, please." That wasn't really a suggestion. MacFusty opened his mouth to continue, but was, once again, interrupted. This time by Rosie.
Rosamund, who'd quit ignoring the humans and gone back to cooly regarded each and every one of them, raised one of her eyebrows at the little red-head. "I do, but I can see that you do not." She wagged her tail, and her mouth twitched at the corners at the boy MacFurry had referred to... as.... what was it again?
Unimportant. "Should we agree to disagree, perhaps? Or shall we continue to talk until we find a point in which we agree, at last?"
Lady Rosie tried to hide her own pleasure of having made that comment rhyme. She tried. She really did.
She failed at it, too.
"No, you will not," Lachlan said firmly, but with a small smile for both Rosie and Ellie. He had, after all, a class to continue and did not need for Rosamund to go on tangents, in which everything rhymed, but nothing made much sense.
It'd already happened, before the students arrived. "As I was saying." He cleared his throat. "I'm Lachlan MacFusty, your new Care of Magical Creatures Professor." Obviously. "And I want you all to tell me what you expect from this subject this year, and what are your thoughts about the word Respect." Quote:
Originally Posted by Oesed Animals. Lachlan smiled, though he didn't have to look at Rosie to know that she found nothing funny about the word 'animals.' "Thank you, Alex."
"Precisely, Hannah." Hannah. That WAS her name, right? Lachlan was positive it was something with H but what if it was Heather or Heidi?
He'd just call her Miss Malfoy from now on.
Hippogriffs. Maybe. Lachlan would keep that in mind for now, but it all depended on how they handled and dealt with Rosamund. Though, now that he thought about it, he should have held a lesson about a creature like Hippogriffs before bringing Rosie over.
Oops. He flicked his wand towards the parchment on Helena's lap, and pinned it to her robes. "Indeed. Magical Creatures deserve the same amount of respect as anyone else."
Lachlan raised his eyebrows at the student who arrived late. "Glad that you could join us, Miss..." Pinning the parchment slash name tag to her robes, he added, "...Rimsworth. Unfortunately, I will have to deduct two points from Ravenclaw for your tardiness." Pity, really. Lachlan wasn't the sort who took points easily, but if he let this one slide, next thing he knew some students would not even bother to show up.
"What?" The world had slipped from his mouth before he could help himself, and Lachlan stared at Knox MacNair before clearing his throat and cough in order to avoid a snort to come out of him.
A song. A muggle song.
Some things would never change. "Are you familiar with the song, Mister MacNair? Would you say you're familiar enough with it to serenade us for a moment?"
"And to show respect for Magical Creatures as well," Added MacFusty, with a small nod towards the young Gryffindor.
"That is correct..." MacFusty leaned forward, squinting his eyes and trying to read the Hufflepuff's name. "Miss Rawley. Yes, that is correct. Can't expect them to respect us if we don't respect them."
Lachlan was not unaware of the slight curious look on the girl's face, when he said his name. But he pretended otherwise, and instead nodded along to her own definition of respect. "That is correct, Ellie. Respect isn't a gift. It is a reward."
The amount of what looked like first years was big enough to plant a very tiny seed of doubt about the entire topic they'd be discussing. But then, the younger students seemed to be very familiar with the word RESPECT so far, so perhaps they were ready for it.
After all, if they didn't respect Rosie, there was no way she'd play along. "You are not wrong, Ariella. Thank you."
What was her name again? Something about flowers... "Yes, correct." She still looked completely unimpressed, and even bordered the line of looking openly bored, but at least he was participating. "It would not only be rude, but also rather unwise." Especially when it came to Rosie. "Thank you for sharing, Evelyn."
Lachlan gave the Hufflepuff and the girl he was talking to a pointed look.
"Yes, yes. Being rude is bad." And unnecessary.
Unless you had Jarvey who happened to be called Stanley and just rejected anything you said.
....?
Lachlan MacFusty stared at the Slytherin girl. There was some... odd expression on her face, and she was going on about love...?
What....?
"It sure is, Lola."
Strange kid. Should he send her to Lily? Maybe Jones was sick...? "Thank for participating."
Because he was already familiar with the Hufflepuff prefect, Lachlan didn't bother to pin his name to his robes. One of his eyebrows raised a fraction at the boy's stare and comment, but didn't think too much of it. "Indeed, Treyen." Was all he said, before moving on to the next student.
The girl didn't seem to have much to say, though she did look a bit frightened. Lachlan nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring way, before pinning the parchment to the front of her robes.
The girl's completely honest comment made him grin enough for his dimples to show. "Thank you for your honesty, Miss Marchbanks. Though you should know not all Magical Creatures are dangerous." He also hoped she could overcome her... fear? Yes, that exactly.
There was no better way to learn about creatures than by interacting with them. It was that simple.
Lachlan didn't say anything to the girl other than to nodding in agreement, but that was mostly because it seemed that Rosie had finally realized that there was another Rose-something who was part of the class.
Honestly, she could be so rude sometimes. "Lady Rosamund," Lachlan muttered, "Remember that respect goes both ways."
In response, the Sphinx merely grunted and nodded stiffly at the Gryffindor girl.
Those were some big words coming out of such a young student, but seeing that the girl was a member of the Ravenclaw house, Lachlan supposed he should have expected no less. "You are correct, Miss Basthowe." And incredibly eloquent, too, but Lachlan didn't mention that. From his school years, he'd learned that most Ravenclaws were perfectly aware of their smarts and pointing them out would only earn you a look that clearly said, 'Thank you, Captain Obvious.'
Not only did the young girl supplied a very good answer, but also efficiently pinned her name to her robes. And, naturally, Kimalia was a member of the house of Salazar Slytherin.
Not that he was biased. "Thank you, Miss Fanster. And I can assure you that Rosie is not as dangerous as she looks." No, she was actually worse, but they were all perfectly safe right now.
Rosamund, who had been mostly quiet for the past ten minutes, lazily rested her eyes on the Slytherin girl and drawled out in her musical voice, "I like her."
Rosamund stared at the finger directed at her. Then processed the boys' words.
Almost angelically, she smiled. "I suppose we can all see now why a member of the Ravenclaw house you are not.
That didn't even rhymed.
Bloody kids.
Lachlan's mouth pursed. "Rosamund, apologize at once."
Lady Rosamund the Seventh gave the Care of Magical Creatures Professor a very long look. Then slowly turned settled her cool almond-shaped eyes on the Slytherin boy. "My apologies, young snake. I should not have spoken to you in such a way.
And that had almost rhymed. Her mother would be so proud.
Lachlan momentarily pinched the bridge of his nose, and stood up. The grass rippled under his feet as he marched around the students, and began to talk. "It pleases me that most of you seem to be aware of what a great part Respect plays when it comes to dealing with Magical Creatures." He paused, to watch Rosamund wag her tail again, and then continued. "As many of you have pointed out, respect goes both ways. You cannot expect respect from anyone, or anything, without giving it first." He shot a small smile to the Hufflepuff girl who'd last spoken, and continued. "I want you to keep that in mind not only for this particular class, but for the rest of the term as well. Creatures will not respect you or cooperate with you, or even befriend you, if you do not respect them." It worked the same way with humans, really.
When MacFusty reached the area where Knox MacNair was sitting, he placed a hand gently on the boy's shoulder. "Before we immerse ourselves in the topic of Sphinxes, I believe Mister MacNair owes us a performance? A song, I believe?" He smiled at the Slytherin, and then continued, "In the meantime, though, while we wait for him to get ready, I want you all to write down in your parchment one thing you know for certain about Sphinxes." Quote:
Originally Posted by Oesed Lachlan felt his teeth sink into his bottom lip, which was followed by him clearing his throat. It was all he could do in order to stop himself from laughing heartily. "Perhaps at the end of the class, then?" He inquired, atempting and failing to sound perfectly serious. "When you've gotten used to the idea of performing in front of your classmates?"
No? No? Most likely not. He smiled at the boy all the same, patted his shoulder a couple of times and then moved back towards the stool he'd previously been sitting on. "Is everyone ready to share their thoughts about Sphinxes? If you are, please raise your had and do it." Lachlan flicked his wand toward the blackboard and erased what had previously been written on it.
Rosamund wagged her tail and stared levelly at the young girl. "The first thing you should learn, young one," And she was being quite the hypocrite, seeing that Rosamund was quite young herself, too. "Is that my kind does not accept nicknames from most. They are unwelcome and frowned upon by us." Quote:
Originally Posted by Oesed Rosamund would prefer if the young lion did not address to her at all--she'd prefer that no one there would, really-- but her enthusiasm was refreshing and almost what her dearest mother would refer to as endearing. "If talk to me is what you want, then Rosamund is the name you should memorize."
"She is talking of to me, that much is clear," Rosamund nearly snapped at the student. Honestly. She did not like to be ignored!
Rosamund was being as social as Rosamund could ever be, and Lachlan, not what to break the spell--for lack of a better word--pretended to be oblivious to it all. "You've all made some very good points," MacFusty enthused, after checking that all the facts the students had supplied to him appeared on the blackboard after a lazy flick of his wand.
He'd also noticed that some of them seemed to have included some traits that muggles believed Sphinxes had. Though they'd gotten all of the mostly right, muggles had definitely let their imaginations run free when thinking sphinxes had wings. "You should know, however--"
"That I do not have wings!" Were they not using their eyes? She was right in front of them, for Cleopatra's sake! She had no wings. "I am not an Abraxan or some Hippogriff," Rosamund concluded, sounding both irritated and deeply offended.
"And the only thing human about me, is my voice and the face I sport," For the most part. She did have a face that could have easily fit on any thirteen year old, freckled girl. Though Rosamund liked to thing that her exquisite face, all cheekbones and dimples, would only fit in the body of someone with Veela blood.
Almost restlessly, she began to pace around the care of magical creatures professor, her tail gracefully waging behind her.
"Lady Rosamund is of course right, though employing that tone was not." He gave her a look. "Now that we are discussing the physical appearance of Sphinxes, however, I want you to look at Rosamund, at Rosamund's face, to be more precise, and try to imagine her as a human." Lachlan paused again, and sent Rosie what he hoped was an apologetic look. "After you do that, after you successfully picture her as a human, give me an estimate of how old exactly you'd think she is." Almost wryly, he smiled. "You should probably take her behaviour into consideration, too."
Suddenly, he remembered the blackboard and all the notes he'd appointed there. "Make sure you scribble down those characteristics if you don't have them already." They would be in the final. Maybe. Possibly.
Probably not.
Tayla raised her hand straight away. "Hello there Professor MacFusty and...Rosamund. I'm Tayla Barnhill. First year, Gryffindor," she said politely, trying hard not to be nervous. "I know that sphinxes are h-highly intelligent. They have a lion's body and a human head." Tayla bit her lip and continued unsurely, "Rosamund looks around...15?"
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Last edited by affy7ann; 05-15-2011 at 04:01 AM.
Reason: added answer to latest question I hadn't seen
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