If Toby felt like he stood out at all in this class, what with his clothes and all, he didn't show it. The fifth year simply sat there on the fence, one foot hooked over a lower beam to keep him balanced, while the other dangled below. Sitting up here made him a little taller, and so Toby used his vantage point to look over the heads of other students and just watch Henry, trying to work out what the hippogriff might be thinking.

When Thompson spoke in that tone that usually signalled they were about to get started, Toby blinked and moved his gaze from Henry to him. Grooming and riding hippogriffs? He could definitely get behind that. And talking to them too, yeah? Yeah.

Once the other hippogriffs became visible and Thompson had given them instructions on what to do, Toby gave a nod of understanding and hopped back down from the fence. Ignoring the small shocks that went through his feet on impact, he navigated his way through the class, heading for a chestnut coloured one that had caught his eye as soon as becoming visible.

Toby stopped a good distance away, made sure he wasn't too close to any other creatures (in case they took his back being turned on them as some form of disrespect or something) and looked back at his chosen hippogriff. The Hufflepuff stood and waited until he had its attention; he didn't bounce or fidget or flail, but was very calm and still and actually quite impassive, very much under control. He waited, stood there in his pyjamas and facing this majestic creature, when it looked around and Tobias found himself staring into those remarkable orange eyes.