Lesson: CoMC Lesson One: TBA

[Kolyander]

The start of February brought even chiller weather than normal as well as several inches of snow. Including the current afternoons flurries that happened to be falling. While the trek down to the pastures may be a long one, at least Professor Paton's lesson isn't being held outdoors today.

Standing right in the center of the pasture is what appears to be a very simple but moderately sized magical tent. Outside the tent is a whiteboard with the words, 'Come inside, have a seat and warm up before we begin.' The inside of the tent is warmed by very well placed heating charms. Chairs are placed in two rows of semi circles facing what would be the 'back' of the tent. A large projector type screen on the back wall of the tent and a small project sitting on a small table facing it.

Professor Paton was standing near this table at the back of the tent, a light smile on her face ready to greet reach student as they walked in.


OOC: Hey, hey! This wouldn't be your students first lesson of the term with Hady so they should know what to expect by now. The students can come right into the tent and have a seat, chat quietly if they like and we'll be moving on in about 24-36 hours xD

[FearlessLeader19]

Ary’s favourite class of all time!

It was for this reason that he always made sure to show up early whenever a CoMC lesson was scheduled. Today was no different and he was doubly excited since he knew Aunty Hady had planned something special, though he didn’t know the exact details other than it involving a field trip.

Arriving at the tent, the Slytherin gave the woman the biggest smile and a wiggle finger wave. Hi, Professor Aunty Hady! He couldn’t wait for you to get this lesson started! Without further ado, he went to grab a seat so he could wait impatiently.

[Zoe]

Beauden trudged through the snow with his hands stuffed deep into his pockets, shoulders hunched against the biting wind. His breath came out in little clouds as he made his way down to the pasture, the sight of the magical tent standing out against the white landscape. Even so, the cold didn't bother him too much—it reminded him of the frigid mornings back at the dragon reserve in New Zealand.

His boots crunched through the snow as he pushed open the tent flap. The warmth inside hit him instantly, melting away the chill. As he shook the lingering snow from his jacket, his eyes quickly scanned the setup—the semi-circle of chairs, the projector screen, and Professor Paton at the back, offering a welcoming smile. Typical Paton, always prepared and thinking ahead.

He gave her a casual wave with his eyes locked in on one of the chairs in the front (this was one of the few classes he regularly sat up front for, the other being Defence). "Afternoon, Professor," he greeted as he passed by her before plopping down onto his seat.

As he settled in, his eyes roamed the room again, a flicker of curiosity creeping into his thoughts. Hints about the day's creature were absent—no cages, no signs, nothing that gave away what they might be working with. His mind raced through possibilities as he stretched out, enjoying the warmth from the heating charms and watching as the others trickled in.

[love-for-HP]

Greer shivered and tried to keep her emotions under control. She hated this class and it's creatures, and they could always tell. Ugh, she was no good here, she was probably better off going back into the castle and skipping, but the scholar in her would not allow such things. Much creatures were scary and add magic to them and it was ever worse. She would never be comfortable here, never.

Nodding at the professor and staying as far back as she could so as to not have to actual see anything, Greer begin to try and mentally prepare herself for today's lesson.

[Kolyander]

It never came as much of a surprise to her that her nephew was the first to arrive, her daughter right behind him as always. Her hand lifted and her fingers wiggled in returned greeting along with a light laugh directed at Aryan and his shadow (Bry). Hady's smile remained as the next student made their way into the tent, no doubt trying to figure out what was going to happen during this lesson by the looks of it. He wouldn't be confused for much longer. "Good afternoon, Mister Wild." Hm, it was silently noted how the following student remained in the far back but that was quite alright. A warm smile was sent Miss Murray's way. Nothing in today's lesson would harm her.

Paton waited a few minutes longer for any more students to arrive before she turned her attention to those sat before her, giving her hands a gentle clap to gain their attention. "Good afternoon everyone! If you all paid attention to the notice boards about this afternoons lesson then you are all aware that we will be going on a little field trip today." There was a brief pause for any quiet chatter to take place just in case anyone hadn't taken such notice. "Now, we will be on a bit of a schedule due to this so I want to move us swiftly along and get started with our lesson right away. So if you all would please turn your attention to the screen we're going to watch a short film."

Taking a seat at the small table, Professor Paton tapped the projector with her wand wordless starting the film to play on the screen. The film was only a few minutes long showing what is known as 'The Walk of the Qilin'. This was a walk for many years ago and showed how the Supreme Mugwump is chosen by the Qilin bowing to only them, in this case Babajide Akingbade.

When the film ended Hady tapped the projector to stop it and turned to the students. "What can you all tell me about what we just watched?" Why are Qilin so important? What can you tell me about Qilin?" They were welcome to answer one or all of the questions or none as long as they were paying attention.


OOC: Our lesson has begin but there's always time to jump right in and join us! Hady started the lesson with a little film on The Walk of the Qilin, followed by a few questions. We'll be moving on in around 24 hours xD

[FearlessLeader19]

Yes, indeed!

Bry was his shadow. Always had been, always will be! This was why she settled next to him while they waited for the lesson to get started. He hoped all the students would hurry and get here because an awesome field trip awaited!

After what seemed like years to him, Aunty Hady started things off. A short film? Ary was so intrigued, he momentarily forgot about the trip. The creature was instantly realised. Qilin! Cute Quilins! Well, Mooncalves were the cutest but Quilins were right up there. The Slytherin watched the film with great interest and was almost disappointed to find out it lasted for only a few minutes.

What did he know of these creatures? A fair bit! “Quilins are half dragon, half horse,’’ he volunteered after being called upon, quite itching to provide more facts. Of course, this was not done as chances needed to be given to the classmates.

[Zoe]

A field trip and a film? Beauden could hardly believe it—this was shaping up to be one of the best Care of Magical Creatures lessons yet. He briefly considered asking if popcorn would be served but thought better of it. Professor Paton had made it clear they were on a tight schedule, so he'd save that joke for another day. Still, the excitement was bubbling up in him; it wasn't every day they got a mix of adventure and cinema in class.

Beauden leaned forward in his seat as the short film flickered to life, his eyes narrowing in concentration as the image of the Qilin appeared on screen. The creature moved with a slow, almost ethereal grace as if every step it took was deliberate, purposeful. He'd heard about Qilins before, mostly old tales from his dad—stories about how they were rare and revered across different magical cultures. But actually watching it move was something else entirely.

"Well, the Qilin's supposed to be able to see into people's souls, right?" he began. "It can sense purity—like, not in a 'perfect' way, but just... if someone's intentions are good. That's why it only bows to leaders it deems worthy."

He paused, his mind running through what he'd seen. "It's kinda like a judge but way more... I don't know... mystical."

[love-for-HP]

Despite not liking creatures it was subject to study so Greer did know a thing or two about them. "They are said to be the purest of all magical creatures in the world, capable of seeing the future and seeing the purity in a person's soul" That was a very text book answer - the way she liked creatures .. from a text book. No need for real life theory here.

[Kolyander]

The way the students watched the film with such rapt attention, Hady considered that she may just use films as part of lessons occasionally to switch things up. Perhaps she would ask about it at another time and see if the class would like that. As for now, they had things to discuss.

"How right you are, Mister Atreyu-Rehman." Hady nodded with a warm smile. In a few moments time she would give a better description on them. "Yes in deed, Mister Wild and Miss Murray." This as well would be gone into in more depth in a very brief moment. Getting to her feet now, Hadleigh moved to the front of the small table where she stood facing the students. A flick of her wand was aimed at the projection screen behind her where each answer the students gave was listed him it should anyone like to take down notes.

"The Qilin is a protected magical creature that can be find in Kweilin, China. They are part dragon and part horse with brown and white fur and skin, with golden-bronze scales running down their backs and two long tendrils that are very whisker like coming from behind their nostrils." A small pause was given for a breath and the words to appear behind her before continuing on. "When the time comes for the next Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards to be chosen the Walk of the Qilin is held. This is what we just watched from many years ago but it is still used today in the same manner. Due to the Qilins precognitive abilities it will only bow to those pure of heart. Should the person bowed to not accept, the Qilin will bow to someone else. It may choose anyone in it feels worthy, not only those willing to step up." Meaning anyone at The Walk could be chosen if they were pure of heart and ready to take on such a task!

Hady grabbed a stack of parchments from the table and begin passing them out. "Now as I mentioned earlier, the Qilin are very rare and we are extremely lucky to be able to take a field trip today to go visit two of them that just so happen to be residing in our very own Scamanders Zoo." A small tugged at her lips at the mention of the zoo. "What I need you all to do now is to please read of those permission slips I just handed to you, sign them and bring them up to me so that we can get ready to leave for our field trip."


OOC: Great answers everyone! And we're moving onwards! Hady just gave a little short info dump on the Qilin and asked the kiddos to read/sign/and hand back their permission slip! It's the usual field trip Hogwarts from stating that they will follow rules, respect the Qilin and not stray from Professor Paton xD

[love-for-HP]

They were traveling? Leaving Hogwarts during school. Greer had never been on a field trip before! She was rather excited. The couple that were offered at her muggle primary school she had been unable to go because of an illness. So this time she was excited, even if it was to the zoo full of magical creatures.

Looking at the form quick and pulling out her quill Greer gave it a quick John Hancock (American reference for those who don't know) ... she giggled a little at her own inside joke ... those around her probaly thought she was crazy. And handed it in. "There you are Professor"

[Zoe]

At first, the sixth year listened with genuine interest, nodding along as Professor Paton described the Qilin's attributes—the golden-bronze scales, the rare blend of dragon and horse, its mystical ability to sense true purity. But as she continued, his thoughts started to wander. Did Qilins have any natural predators? Would a Qilin get along with a dragon? And how does the Qilin see people's souls, anyway? Could a Qilin sense if he had 'good intentions' if he was, say, bending the rules a little for a good reason?

He snapped back to attention just in time to hear about the permission slips. Beauden's eyes widened with excitement at the mention of Scamander Zoo. A real Qilin? He'd never expected to actually see one outside of stories and sketches in his textbooks.

'expected to follow all school rules… be respectful of the Qilin…' Yeah, that was a given—he might have a reputation for getting into mischief on occasion, but he respected creatures. They didn't deserve to put up with rowdy students. His eyes landed on the line about how they were expected to 'not stray from Professor Paton' and he felt a smirk forming which he quickly stifled. He made a mental note: stick close to Paton, unless something particularly intriguing presents itself. A Gryffindor couldn't ignore a good side quest, could they?

Giving up on reading through all of the points being made in the rest of the form, he dutifully scrawled his signature at the bottom and passed it up to the professor, hardly able to contain his excitement.

[FearlessLeader19]

There was so much information pertaining to the Qilins! So much that he already knew… because yes, these were one type of creatures Aryan had done extensive reading on. What had fascinated him, and continued to, was the Quilins’ ability to detect those who had no ill intentions.

Oh!

A trip to Scamander’s Zoo! That was one of Ary’s absolute favourite places! He happily collected one of the slips, read the words printed there quickly then signed his name with a flourish. Only then did he get up and heat to Hady to hand it over.

Could they leave now?

[Nordic Witch]

Rose was there, of course not sitting to far from Bauden actually. She had greeted Professor Paton upon arrival, slipping in just a few minutes before the lesson had started. She of course hadn't wanted to miss a field trip away from the school grounds. This was going to be awesome. Excited, she had did her best to hide her happy mood as they watched a short film now how a very cute qilin chose a supreme mugwump by bowing only to them.

When called upon to supply a fact Rose had said "Qilin's are magical beasts with a skinny, scaled, and furry deer like bodies. Plus they have precognitive abilities. Does that mean Professor Paton that Qilin's can sense what is going to happen before it happens?" Like knowing that they'd be coming to visit them perhaps?

Rose collected one of the permission slips and dutifully read through the rules and instructions before signing her name at bottom. They were really going to visit the Scamander Zoo, she practically bounced up front to give Prof Paton her signed permission slip. Could they go now pleaseeeeeeeeee?

[Kolyander]

Indeed they were leaving the grounds behind for a short afternoon field trip to their local magical zoo, Miss Murray. The second year need not get herself to anxious about seeing many creatures, they would only be focusing on the Qilin today, they wouldn't be exploring much of the zoo at all unfortunately. "Thank you very much." She accepted the slip with a warm smile looking it over as she did with each one that was handed to her. As for those silent questions of Mister Wild's, there would be time to ask as many questions as he liked once they got to Scamanders. "That's a good question, Miss Snakebark. I think that their abilities mostly relay in allowing them to know whom is pure of heart, who can be trusted.. however, yes, I do think that to some extent they may know something is about to happen before it does. Perhaps a drastic change in weather or something else was going to happen that doesn't normally take place around them." Being she didn't work one on one with Qilin's and how rare they were, even she didn't know exactly for sure how precise their abilities could be.

Once all the slips were handed in and everything was in order, Paton placed them into her bag which she slung over her shoulder. "Alright everyone, come gather around. We will be using a portkey to travel to Scamanders today. For any of you that may not have done that before all you have to do is place your hand on the item and not let go until we arrive and your feet touch the ground. If you are nervous you are more than welcome to stand beside me or whomever you feel most comfortable with." It was normal to be nervous or generally not enjoy traveling this way but it was easiest when traveling in a group.

Picking up a muggle hula hoop from behind the table she had been sat at earlier she held it in one hand. "Come take hold of this, we will be leaving any moment now.." She beckoned everyone over, making sure they all had a good hold onto the hula hoop, her gaze shifting to her watch for the time. "Ready everyone, in three... Two... One..."

Away they went as the portkey activated! Hady felt the all to familiar tug behind her naval as everything began to swirl and tumble taking them all to their destination, Scamanders Zoo.

As her feet lightly touched the ground, her hazel eyes immediately turned towards each student doing a very quick head count to ensure they had all made it safely. "How is everyone feeling? Does anyone need some water or anything?" Yes, she had things in her bag just in case.

Now, they had arrived in Scamanders Zoo, the Far East Temple section to be precise. So as not to waste time that they didn't have, they weren't very far at all from where the Qilin's were located, just a very short walk through a garden of winding paths. "Please remain close and follow me, this way everyone." Paton gestured for the students to follow her along the paths.


OOC:Sorry for the wait, thanks for sticking with me! We are now moving along and portkeying to Scamanders! For the sake of keeping things simple we'll remain right here in this thread xD

[FearlessLeader19]

Following Aunty Hady’s lead, Ary slung both straps of his bag over his shoulders then stepped forward eagerly to the Portkey. He made such, of course, that Bry was right there with him by holding onto one of her hands. He figured that Aunty Hady wouldn’t mind if she chose him over her this time around. Besides, this would leave the woman to tend to any student who wasn’t confident about travelling by Portkey.

With his free hand, the Slytherin lightly grabbed a hold of the hula hoop and waited… waited until that tug around his middle and they were finally off! He grasped Bry’s hand even tighter and this time, when his feet touched the ground he barely stumbled. Huh. It seemed as though he was getting the hang of Portkey travel.

“I’m good, thanks!” He was already recovering and was now bouncing on the soles of his feet, much like his dad did. Ary was already gazing around, itching to go see the Mooncalves. Obviously that would have to wait as he took off, following Hady.

[Zoe]

Beauden watched as the permission slips disappeared into Professor Paton's bag, barely able to keep himself from bouncing on his heels. A Portkey to Scamander Zoo? He'd taken Portkeys a few times before, but it still had that thrilling rush every time, especially when it led somewhere as exciting as this. Not to mention, there were two Qilins waiting for them on the other end!

As Professor Paton held up the Muggle hula hoop, Beauden stepped forward eagerly, gripping a spot on the hoop. He braced himself for that familiar tug, and just as expected, it yanked him forward, making his stomach flip as colours and sounds blurred together.

The world finally steadied, and he hit the ground like a tumbleweed. Beauden blinked, taking in their new surroundings. They were in the Far East Temple section of the zoo, surrounded by a peaceful garden of winding paths. He took a deep breath, feeling the cool, slightly humid air fill his lungs. It was a stark contrast to the snowy landscape back at Hogwarts, and he could feel his excitement building even more.

"Feeling great, Professor," he replied to Paton's check-in, not minding the slight nausea he was feeling. As they began their walk down the winding paths, he made sure to stay close to the group. Within moments, however, he did start to fall behind. He couldn't resist letting his eyes wander, already craning his neck to see if he could spot any hint of the Qilins or any other creature housed there.

[love-for-HP]

Greer had to steady herself for a second. First time travelling by portkey and she felt a bit quesy. Taking a deep breath and trying to ground herself to ground. "I think I'll be alright" She said taking a few more big deep breaths.

Greer followed their professor. She was even a little excited to see what these creatures were like in real life.

[Kolyander]

As each confirmation of their wellbeing was indeed confirmed, Paton smiled gently. "Fantastic, you're all wonderful travels, aren't you all?" Not even one of them stumbled of toppled over. And no Ary, she didn't mind at all that he was sticking with Bry and keeping an eye on her, as a matter of fact this Mama/Professor appreciated it very much as always.

The walk along the pathways wasn't much of a long thanks to their portkey travel. This however meant they didn't get to see too many other creatures along the way, sorry students. "Now we'll be at the Qilin's in just a moment but before we get to them, what do you think they might eat? How about what their housing area may look like? What type of creatures might they get along with? Or not get along with? It's alright if you don't know, that's what we're here to learn about and to see them in as natural as a habitat as can be." Since obviously these Qilin weren't living where they normally would.

A few short moments later they reached a very quiet serene area. Hady came to a stop, her eyes glancing from side to side as if she were looking for something, or perhaps someone. "Here we are. Does anyone see them?" Yes, keep them busy for a minute Hadleigh until it was time for the bigger surprise.


OOC: Everyone made it safely to Scamanders! Just a few questions for the kiddos to think about or answer if they like as they arrive at the Qilin area!

[Zoe]

Seeing no other critters running about, Beauden's attention shifted fully to Professor Paton as she led them down the winding paths, even as his fingers itched to reach out and touch the different plants and stones along the way. She asked the group to consider what Qilins might eat, how their enclosure would look, and what other creatures they might interact with. He mulled over her questions, glancing at the ground as if he'd spot a clue right there.

"Well, since they're part-horse, maybe they'd like magical plants or herbs, grains, nuts, or fruit. Maybe a little meat too, considering there is a mix of dragon in them," he said thoughtfully. He shifted from foot to foot, clearly deep in thought but also scanning their surroundings. "And their housing area... probably something with space to roam, maybe a mix of forest and open field? Dragons need room to fly, so maybe the Qilins need room to... gallop around?"

As for creatures they'd get along with, his thoughts jumped back to his earlier wondering. They might like dragons—or at least, have some respect for them. But they probably wouldn't be friendly with loud animals or ones that just barge around.

When they reached the serene area where the Qilins were said to be, Beauden's gaze darted everywhere, searching eagerly for a glimpse. He squinted, then shaded his eyes with his hand, glancing around at the enclosure with growing anticipation. There was a quiet intensity in the space, as if it were holding its breath along with him. "They're out there, right? Not taking a nap somewhere?" he asked aloud, that Gryffindor impatience starting to come through.

Shortly after the group gathered at the serene area of the Far East Temple enclosure, a tall, broad-shouldered man with an easy smile approached. His tousled hair and relaxed stance gave off an air of someone who knew his way around both creatures and crowds. Dressed in sturdy boots and a slightly wrinkled button-down rolled up at the sleeves, he gave off the unmistakable look of someone who'd spent more time in the field than in any office.

"The Qilins will be making their debut soon enough," his voice sounded with a chuckle, his voice warm. "Welcome to Scamander Zoo, everyone! I'm Jonah Scamander, director of the zoo. I hear you're here to meet some very special creatures today." He looked around at the students, letting his gaze rest briefly on each of them as if sizing up their excitement levels. "Our Qilins, Meixiu and Haoran, are a mother-son duo. Meixiu was actually taken by poachers while she was pregnant, but she was fortunately rescued and brought to us right before she gave birth to Haoran. They have been in our care for nearly a year now."

He leaned in a bit, lowering his voice just enough to make the students lean closer. "But before you get a peek at them, I want to lay down a few ground rules. Qilins, as I am sure Professor Paton has informed you, aren't your average magical creatures. They're perceptive, gentle, and—above all—very, very particular. They can sense intentions, so if you're here for a bit of mischief," his eyes twinkled, "they might just take it personally."

Straightening up, Jonah gave them a grin, clearly enjoying the dramatic build-up. "And as much as I'd love to let you all explore on your own, I ask that you stick close. Our Qilins are a rare treasure, and we want to make sure they feel comfortable." After pulling a mokeskin bag out from one of his pockets, he gestured toward the shaded area behind him. "Now, who's ready to meet them?"

[FearlessLeader19]

While Ary couldn’t speak for his classmates, he definitely could agree that he was a good traveller now, at least when it came to Portkeys. But that mode of transport went out of his mind when a set of questions were asked of the students. Naturally, his hand shot up almost immediately. “Because the Qilin detects the pure of heart, I think they would get along best with creatures that aren’t dark like… acromantulas or basilisks.” It made sense, yeah?

Even as they approached the Qilins’ area, Ary was always on the look out for the creatures. What he got instead was Star Lord the director {yes, he recognised the man because of his constant visit to the oo during the holidays}. He gave the man a quick finger wiggle-wave but lost almost all interest in him a second later. Where were those Qilins?!

The Slytherin was definitely pleased that Meixiu had been rescued, and he really hoped she wasn’t still traumatised from that particular happening in her life. And no, he certainly was not here to cause mischief! Ary did, however, eye the mokeskin bag Scamander brought out. What was that for?

Also… this guy was ready to see the Qilins!

[Kolyander]

Ah, wonderful. Her questions had done exactly what she wanted, distracted the students for a few moments. "Spectacular guesses, Mister Wild. In the wild they would eat all of those things and likely some others depending on the season and what was available to them. Here at Scamanders they are very likely to be on a strict diet." Catering to creatures dietary needs was very important.

Hady gave a soft smile at Aryan's answer. "I think you're right, Qilin wouldn't certainly say away from creatures such as those." As would she. Particularly the Acromantulas. Yes, she still wasn't thrilled with them. And did she notice how Bry hadn't left Ary's side and was bouncing around full of energy? Yes, she had. Thank Merlin for Jonah making his appearance right then and moving things right along to confirm that the Qilin were indeed inside the exhibit.

"Pleasure seeing you Jonah," Paton greeted him with a warm smile. It hadn't been all that long since she had seen or spoken to him last but it always felt much longer. The creatures professor listen to how the zoo acquired the Qilin as well, it was so nice that they had rescued Meixui and kept her and her baby! She nodded. "We did go over how they all needed to be respectful of the Qilin. There will be no mischief this afternoon." She was watching.

Glancing at the students faces she laughed softly. "I do believe their all ready to go see them. Lead the way." Everyone was to stay together unless told otherwise. "Keep your eyes peeled for those Qilin. The quieter and calmer we are, the more likely they'll be to come out and join us." Or did Jonah have something special in that bag of his to attract the Qilin to them?

OOC:Jonah Scamanader joined us to tell us how the Qilin arrived at the zoo! Now the students get to look for the Qilin! XD