Kyle walked into the classroom and looked around in wonder. It was like bringing nature indoors! He made his way to a cushion, his eyes locked on the box. Taking a seat near the front, he waved and smiled to the professor. "Hello, Professor Hirsch!" He wanted to ask what was in the box, but if they were meant to know, it probably wouldn't be in the box in the first place. Oh well. He leaned forward on his cushion, looking between the professor and the mysteriously wriggling box.

Kimi entered the defense against the dark arts classroom and smiled and said "Good morning Professor Hirsch" Kimi took a seat near the front he was curious to know what was inside the wriggling box in the front of the classroom

Of course Noelle was going to be early for Professor Hirsch's class.

Of course.

Heading in, she stopped short when she saw grass on the ground inside the classroom. She should not have been surprised with Hirsch. But yet, she was. She examined the classroom more and noticed the rocks from last year were back. And there was a box that twitched. Hmm... interesting.

Oh and there was Hirsch.

Noelle grinned widely at the man. "Hey professor!" She said and waved at him before going to sit on one of the cushions. She missed the man. But they kept in touch due to some exercises that he'd sent for her to do. He'd be seeing her in the training room of course.

Now, back to that box. What were they going to be doing today?

Professor Hirsch was such a good man and an even better BEST FRIEND. It was probably why Zoryn always looked forward to his classes albeit the fact that she could never master any of the spells they were learning. It was only a minor detail in the grand scheme of her life. So alas, she was SO PUMPED FOR DADA TODAY!!!!!!!!!

Skipping her way into the classroom, Zoryn first made her way towards Professor H. Wait a minute.... GRASS???? This could mean one thing and one thing only, "ARE WE LEARNING ABOUT DRAGONS TODAY, PROFESSOR?" Her question was always the same and usually the answer was too, but she had a good feeling about this one. If they were sorta kinda somewhat outside ish to an extent, didn't that mean that the lesson would be about dragons? It only made sense. Plus, if Zoryn asked every single day, he was bound to say yes at some point. It was pure science. Zoryn knew how statistics worked.

The Gryffindor WAS SO READY FOR DRAGONS!!!!!!!!!!!

Never mind the fact that the box was way too small to hold enough dragons for the entire class. Maybe they were just really small dragons. Mhm.

sounds legit.

And now she was gonna go sit next to Noelle!!

Curious but weary, Julie slipped into the classroom with the full intention of leaving should things get too hairy for her taste. It was no offense meant to Hirsch who was about as capable as capable could be, he did have her trust but if those rocks meant trolls were on the curriculum then he could count out this Bellaire.

"Morning Professor... " She paused, knelling to run her fingers through the green moss. "Did you charm or Transfigure the classroom?" or perhaps the castle had created the changes as it seemed wont to do from time to time, ether way, Julie was curious enough to partially forget her worry.

Luci walked into the classroom, thinking of a couple of extra things while taking off her gloves and scarf. She had been needing those lately.

As she had walked in distracted, she hadn't felt the grass til she almost slipped. Safe, though. And just then, she saw the box wobbling. Gulp.

"Uh, good...morning Professor Hirsch" She said, clearing her throat and finally giving him a smile.

She checked her uniform, making sure her mother would be proud. Maisie still missed home, she still missed her mother, and studying in a school was still a huge shock to the system, but the careful structure of a Hogwarts education felt a bit like home. Her education hadn't suffered for being home-based, though Maisie knew she could do with some social skills.

The Professor was standing next to a wooden box. Maisie's keen mind couldn't help wondering what he had planned for the lesson. The box was definitely moving. Maisie smiled politely at the teacher and stepped carefully past it.

There were a lot of rocks in the room, lined up against one wall. Maisie kept her eyes on those instead. The box was making her nervous.

Just seconds after Zoryn had entered, Beau was THERE for DADA. THE FUN CLASS. EYYYYYYYYYYY. But he was close enough to HEAR what she had asked, and he GASSSSSSPED. "DRAGONS?!!!!!???!!?!?" Was he really going to get to look at dragons in his first year at Hogwarts? Was this even the class for dragons?! THIS WAS JUST SO FUN ALREADY.

Who said Hogwarts was boring?! NOT BEAU. Definitely not BEAU-EY.

"HELLLLLLLLLO SIRRRRRRRRR"

The Gryffindor Ace strolled into his next class as he normally would but paused as he felt the softness beneath his feet. Grass. The classroom floor is now grass.

You know what that means. The hills are aliiiive with the sound of--

-- ok so maybe he wont sing. But he sure will twirl and roll around on it. But wait greetings first.

"Hey Professor Hirsch!" the Curly Top called out gleefully as he passed the Defense Instructor, making a minor mental note on the wriggling box. Curious little thing, but it doesnt have quite a strong of a draw as the green green grass of home. For now anyway. So down he goes... rollin' rollin.

An extra half hour in bed. That's all she wanted. Some time under the covers, to catch up on sleep. Because while she'd not had bad nights since being at Hogwarts, she also hadn't always gone off straight away. Learning and reading and practicing had taken her further into the nights than she wanted. Meaning every morning lesson was greeted with Dahlia dragging her feet over the threshold of the classrooms.

And today she was beginning to think her lack of sleep the night before was messing with her mind. Because she swore there wasn't grass last time. Stopping upon entry, Dahlia looked down at her feet and shuffled them across the grass. Huh. Looking up again she spotted the rocks and the cushions and the......moving box. There was a moving box. In a DADA class that wasn't going to end well, was it?

"Morning, Professor Hirsch." She didn't once take her eyes off the box as she wandered over towards the already assembled students. Please don't kill me. My hexes aren't up to par yet.

Rhea felt the familiar sense of dread that she always felt when she was on her way to a lesson that required her to use magic. Defence Against the Dark Arts would probably be her favourite subject if it wasn't for the fact that she lacked the level of magical ability needed to be good in it. Nevertheless, she found it useful and interesting. One day - hopefully sooner rather than later, considering OWLs were this year - she'd get the hang of the whole magic thing.

When she entered the classroom, she immediately noticed the grassy floor and stopped in her tracks. She then noticed the box at the front of the classroom, which appeared to be.... shaking? O....kay then. Shrugging her confusion off, she made a beeline for Luci and nabbed the cushion next to hers, actively ignoring the obnoxiously loud first, second and third years. Gosh, did they ever shut up? Rhea glanced across at her dormmate and gave her a look. "It's gonna be one of those lessons, isn't it?" Even though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, she made sure to say it quietly enough so Professor Hirsch wouldn't hear. Then, louder and with a half-smile, she greeted the Professor. "Good morning, Professor."

She loved Defense Against the Dark Arts. More specifically she loved the way Professor Hirsch taught and his lessons were usually ones she wanted to be in.

The fact she'd walked in just as Zoryn yelled the word dragons wasn't enough to bait her as it did the Beau kid. No, Jessa had to see wings or fire or something related to dra--oh stone boxes.

"Hello Professor." Jessa greeted, curious beyond belief about the rattling and rumbling on the inside. Was the box magically extended on the inside? Maybe there were dragons in there after all. The Ravenclaw tugged lightly at a few locks of Julie's hair as she moved passed her and her grass inspection to come to a stop by one of the stones. What was in here?

Without giving it much thought, the young girl was on her knees, ears to the rock. Could whatever was inside talk? Could it communicate some other way?

Defense Against the Dark Arts was one of the subjects Cassie hadn’t thought twice about continuing even without it being her head of house’s own lessons or it being on his recommendation that she pursue the subject for her future and had not only sat but passed her DADA OWL with flying colors. So the fifth year had been going to all the lessons and continuing to put her best foot forward and as she made her way to the latest class, she was just as prepared. And the grass the classroom didn’t surprise her much if at all. Constant vigilance. Not to mention her very OWL had had nature where cold stone had been. Expect the unexpected was the name of the game at Hogwarts and the wizarding world as a whole.

“Good morning, Professor,” she greeted with a smile as she crossed the grass and took in the rest of the classroom’s features. The rocks looked familiar for sure. And then there was the large wooden…wiggling box that resided at the front of the room. Experience taught that it was wise not to move closer and try to find out just what it was about. Cass wasn’t a cat or a Gryffindor lion, she’d wait the curiosity out as she settled into a spot on the ground to await the start of the lesson.

Junia slipped into the room quietly, eyes scanning the grassy ground before coming to a stop on Professor Hirsch. "Morning Professor." The fifteen year old curtsied politely, more focused on the box than the man she was speaking to. What was in there? What would they be doing with it? How dangerous was it? She had questions, Junia did. She also had her wand out.

Moving towards her classmates, the brunette set down her bag and stretched a little. Hopefully they'd be starting soon, her curiosity was killing her.

"HELLO! Matt exclaimed as soon as he stepped into the classroom that-didn't-look-like-a-classroom. DADA lessons were always so refreshing, Matt LOVED them. Never really knew what to expect, which was his favourite thing.

CHALLENGES! SURPRISES! THE UNEXPECTED!!

Matt was in. YAS!

He strolled with some rhythm towards wherever and did a full 360º circle for no apparent reason before settling on a specific spot. There looked about alright. He could see everything from where he was standing, so coolio. No sitting down for him, thanks.

Matt was ready to START whatever it was they were doing that day! YAS!

If there was one class that regardless of the time, the subject or the homework that would put a spring into Remy’s step - it was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Obviously, the class was great. So was the man teaching it, obviously. Remy just… loved the class in general. And it showed in the way he walked through the classroom door, taking the grass in stride as he shot his favourite non-Uncle an easy smile and wave from the back of the classroom.

Looking over the room, Remy noted the grass and the rocks and of course the wiggling box that was resting by Roderick Professor Hirsch’s feet. Hmmm/ Taking a step to the side, he looked the box over once more, trying to figure out what could fit inside it. It couldn’t be a water creature since cardboard - although, there could have been a tank inside the box… But there didn’t seem to be any sloshing, so that didn’t seem likely.

Apparently, a few of his classmates were hoping for dragons - but that didn’t seem too likely either as the cardboard box was likely to have gone up in flames from fire by now. Hmmmm. Perhaps a Vampire Bat? That would be fun.

With another grin in Hirsch’s direction, Remy moved over to lounge near the front but off to the side so that the shorter students could see once the class started. With one hand resting backwards on the grass, he waited for the class to start. Though he kept looking at the wiggling box. What. Was. In. There??

It was a little bit chilly inside the castle on this October morning. Fortunately, Olivia had a sweater but as soon as she stepped outside of her common room she knew that wasn't going to be enough. As she walked briskly towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, she quickly cast a non-verbal heating charm. Ahh.. That was better, she'd have to reapply it or stand near someone who was just always warm.

Everything was going as planned until Vi took one step forward towards the classroom door and found her foot landing on something softer than stone. Squishy too. She glanced down at her feet and saw there were tuffs of grass there. She stepped further into the room to find herself not in the usual classroom but instead in a grassy area- a plain or something? There were familiar rocks in the center but the object that stood out the most was a wooden box. The first time it wriggled nearly caused Vi to jump. Oh for Merlin's sake! She hadn't been expecting it to move like that.

Catching her breath, she took a step into the grassy classroom and walked over to Professor Hirsch who always seemed unfazed by everything. She'd guessed that was what you would have to do when you were the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. "Hello Professor! How are you?" she asked, always making sure to ask about how he was faring. Professors were people to, y'know. With a quick side glance to the box, she pursed her lips for a second and then smirked, remembering one of the lessons from last year where they dealt with inferi, mummies, and zombies. "No inferi today, right?" she asked, pretending to frown a little bit. Oh man. How she had been looking forward to that. She shivered a little and remembered that it was still slightly chilly. She'd have to cast another heating charm.

Making her way over to the group of students, she spotted Ace and started walking in his direction. "Sup Solo!" she called out to the boy that had just done a 360 degree turn or something. Huh. How interesting. Soon enough she was by Ace. "Hey! What do you think is in that box?"

Wondering if his lazy brother was already there, Hunter walked into the DADA classroom. The first thing he was going to do was to find his brother if he was earlier than him however, the surprise of stepping onto grass totally made him forget it.

"Wooooow!"

This was amazing. The entire class being on grass while the whole castle was stone. If there had to be stone, there already were some anyway. The young Gryffindor started at the rocks curiously, wondering why they were there before his dark brown eyes moved on the professor "Good morning, sir" and then...to the box.

IT WAS MOVING!!!!

Mouth open, Hunter started with amazement and curiosity. What was it in the box? Oooh since there was a lot of grass, it could be a hungry cow that wanted to get out of the box so she could eat.

But why would the DADA teacher would put a cow in a box?

And where was Ryder? Lazy Ryder wasn't in the class yet.

Then he heard someone say DRAGONS....

Unable to hold his excitement, the Gryffindor boy spoke loudly with excitement hoping the person who mentioned dragons would hear him.

"WHERE ARE THE DRAGONS????!!!!!"

Cause dragons were awesome.

Okay. So. Awkward.

Dora gave the man a small, tight smile as she passed, no other greeting. She had given him way too much honesty the last time they had spoken. So yeah. Just... yeah. Glancing at the box that moved, Dora did quirk a brow in interest, but not like the others. Hirsch always had a box or curtain or something that moved and twitched. It was old hat by now, really. Or something like that.

Whatever. Don't make eye contact with the man.

All of the DIFFERENT stuff about the room was not immediately seen or noticed as she moved blindly toward a cushion. It was like she had tunnel vision for that, ya know. Sitting down, the blonde kept her eyes away down and her hands in her lap. Could this lesson be DONE yet?

And of course, this Slytherin wasn't going to be late for this lesson. Honestly, when was she ever late for Defense Against the Dark Arts?

Vivian, in her usually happy mood for this class (except perhaps for her obvious tired features all thanks to being a fifth year), skipped into the classroom. "Good morning, Professor Hirsch!" The blond greeted him with her signature Fairfield grin. But then immediately, her eyes fell on that... box. That was wriggling. "What's in that box, Professor? Why is it moving?" Oh no, that didn't look good. Not that she didn't trust Hirsch for this, but anything inanimate that happened to be moving wasn't usually a good sign.

But first, her DADA song! "But I keep cruising, can't stop, won't stop moving..." Vivian swayed her head side to side as she sang, and went to go sit beside Junia. She got finger wiggles from the blond. "It's like I got this music in my mind, saying it's gonna be alright!" Honestly, she didn't know why that song fell into her head, but it was probably because the creatures, possibly, inside the box were shaking it off. Get it?

Hmmm, grass. That seemed promising. Hopefully they'd be fighting something interesting, which was the only thing she could think of to explain why they were in this environment. Scarlett's suspicions were only heightened as she saw the box wiggling around like something was DESPERATELY trying to get out.

Oh yeah. She was SOOOO down for this.

"Hello Professor!" she greeted happily, taking a seat and eyeing the box. Hopefully it wasn't anything TOO dangerous, though.

Daisy liked when lessons were a tad different. However, the wriggling box was making her feel slightly nervous as she greeted the DADA teacher with a small smile and a "Good morning, Professor Hirsch." She quickly found a seat, her eyes transfixed on the box.

Why did they even have lessons in the MORNINGs? Why couldn't they just start all lessons at, say... never 11am. Or never. Or noon. Or never. Or 1pm. Or never. And then have school through the evening? Or not at all. It would make getting up and being AWAKE for classes or for NO classes soooooooOOOOooooo much more easier. Abey felt like a zombie at LEAST until lunch time on every single school day. He was just too tired.

And, shut up, actually, because staying up until midnight or 1am or 2am oR NOT SLEEPING AT ALL, WOO! had nooooothing to do with it.

It was said tiredness that had Abey sleepily stumbling to Defence Against the Dark Arts (which he'd only realised was the right class purely because he had tagged along with another group of familiar students), bouncing off every wall and doorframe he could find - or it least he felt that way - and settling down beside Junebug having located her in the classroom through bleary, sleep-misted eyes. He barely even noticed the change in the classroom, and what he did notice... well... it was Hogwarts. Classrooms changed literally 467364% of the time actually literally actually.

Sleepy Abey was sleepy. Once he was sat beside someone who was hopefully Junia, he promptly leaned right up against her and used her arm as a pillow, fully intending to get at least a few more minutes of snooze in before class started.

The Defense professor was good at coming up with unique lesson plans without putting them into real danger, and Katy was sort of looking forward to class today. Activity, learning, and an opportunity not to spend too much time being thoughtful and introspective. She was tired of her own company.

"Good day, Professor. Very nice box you have there," Katy saluted at the professor, who was trying SO hard to be a cool guy at the moment. And succeeding, but Hirsch was always cool.