Zekke pursed his lips in thought and raised his hand.

"Professor, I believe the progression is one of size and mass and weight. The parchment is the lightest and so we practiced with that first because the lighter in mass the object is, the easier it is to perform Evanesco and Accio on it. Then we worked upwards to the next larger object which is the deck of cards. And lastly was the book, which was the heaviest and largest item of all."

He offered the professor an apologetic look and held up his own opened, but complete deck of cards, which he packaged.

"Because we're working with an issue of size and mass, it is illogical to take out the cards from the packaging and use them for the exercises, though I apologize because for some reason, which I can't really explain, I myself automatically thought of a deck of cards as a deck of cards minus the packaging."

Nadia looked at the deck of cards, then at the professor, "Then I just mistook your words with an alternative interpretation." Upon hearing the idea of progression, Nadia looked back at the deck of cards and re-arraged them. No, in fact, she wasn't quite sure what he meant by progression.

So she sat back on her chair in silence, grunting mentally, you wouldn't have taken 10 points from Terry Weasley. Truly, she got away with it all. Poor Laurasia, Nadia couldn't be sure the second year even meant it.

Noel just sat there, thinking of how obvious the question was and trusting one of her house mates to answer. When one did she chuckled to herself. Hogwarts had been so boringly predictable lately.

Kalaya listened, but didn't decide to say anything. She too, had thought of a deck of cards without packaging. Kalaya attempted to clear her mind as to attempt another non-verbal spell. Finally clearing her mind and getting a clear picture in her mind, Kalaya quickly thought Evanesco! before it disappeared.
The parchment disappeared smoothly, and reaching in the box, Kalaya knew it had gone to the right place. Smiling widly, Kalaya was pleased.

"Correct, a progession of wieght and mass. Five point, Zekke, for Slytherin. What seperates a fully qualified witch or wizard from an extraordinary one? Try understand reason why your teacher asks you do an exercise a certain way. Clue you must have a foundation. Something to expand from. Our small repetive excercises have a purpose. We aren't trying to stiffle you or hold you back. We know that to perform great magic you must think inside the box then break out of the box. Discpline then abandon, in control then out of control. You can't run before you walk. An Auror spents three to five years training after their NEWTs. Other wizarding professions require you to appendice to a Master before you are a full member of that professon. Hogwarts is but a beginning." McAiken tried to explain.

A fully qualified witch or wizard from an extraordinary one? Would an extraordinare wizard have more power than a fully-qualified wizard without as much, er, in-the-box thinking? Talking about puns, Nadia tried to desguise the snort as a cough.

Hogwarts is but a beggining. There was no arguing of that (especially with Fox around), Nadia thought. What to think of the lecture? It wasn't like they had chosen to practice a different way on purpose, just followed another logic. Nadia was shocked much to have even earned half the lost points for Slytherin in this class at that.

"Now several of you removed the cards, Nadia and Zekke were not the only ones. Why? Really think about it for moment. You associate deck of cards as being 52 cards that were to be vanished. I saw a solid paper object that was heavier and had more mass than a single sheet of parchment. You made the exercise harder. I gave you three objects you made them 54 objects. Did you take the time to raise your hand and ask me what I meant if you didn't understand? I said it was going to be mainly a practical lesson but I never said you couldn't ask a question. I am not a monster though I think some of you feel that way." McAiken continued.

Everything has a process and everything has a reason, Zekke thought to himself with a nod.

A thoughtful look crossed his face as he digested Professor McAiken's words. "Everything, up to the smallest detail in instruction and incantation and wand movement is important in its own way. Like how we spent so long working on Apparition. Just a small little negligent mistake or mistep or misthought or lack of concentration could end in a splinch," he murmured in remembrance.

Jaren listened closely to Professor McAiken's words, though instead of following the Professor's train of thought, he had turned it on its head. The reverse could probably apply as well...if one had to Vanish several objects at once, those several objects could be consolidated into behaving as one object and making the task simpler...like sliding the 52 cards in one box, or stacking a set of books together and binding them...

Kalaya listened intently, the professor was right. So was the Slythering boy. The fact was- she didn't ask because she didn't know she had misinterpreted what a "deck of cards" was. But the idea that taking them out of the box made it 54 objects-when it could have been one- stuck Kalaya's curiousity. She was sure that could work in other ways, although she couldn't think of any.

During the pause Kalaya quickly scratched down a note of the spell on her notes- she was forever forgetting them if she didn't practice it every few days. Kalaya tucked it away in her bag and looked at the professor- waiting for anything else that was going to be said.

"To be honest sir, the error I made was the fact that I -thought- I understood what you meant. I automatically used my own association of 'a deck of cards' when we were given the exercise to do with the deck of cards. I didn't even really stop to think that it was the deck that was still in its package rather than the deck out of its package." Zekke explained.

"Now that I do really think about it, it doesn't make sense that a lesson by means of progression would require us to take the cards out and make the one object into 54 other objects," he shrugged a little.

"If I hadn't understood or realized that I hadn't understood, I would have no qualms about asking, professor. As it was, I didn't even realize that I had misunderstood your instructions until just now. Or rather... misinterpreted them," he finished with a sheepish grin.

"I'll rethink the instructions more thoroughly next time, sir." His tone of voice was sincere and his eyes were wide and clear as they locked on the professor.

McAiken's last words hit a sore spot and his eyes flickered momentarily. Did McAiken think that they thought he was a monster and hated him? Surely not? But perhaps disrupting class and the likes were disrespectful and the professor thus felt he was being disrespected...? But the distraction hadn't been on purpose...

"Then prehaps we can all learn from this. You as students and I as a professor. I jumped to a conclusion with Nadia, which I learned was wrong when I asked who started the showers and she explained it was a spell gone wrong. You, students, jump to a conclusion as to what I meant when I gave the instructions for the excercise. Because I was wrong, I'll reverse my decision and not take the 5 points for Slytherin. Perhap because you were wrong you might pause the next time and think about what a professor is telling you do. You'll stop and really think about the instructions. Okay I think we've reach an ending point for this lesson." McAiken stated.

"I think when we look at the whole situation Slytherin ended up losing only 5 points and that might be the most reasonable amount for what happened. And hopefully we all learned to communicate a little better. Your homework will be on the homework board by Friday evening. Class dismissed."

"Understood, professor," Zekke nodded and started gathering his things.

Though now that the professor mentioned it... Now he had a question. Instead of copying the homework down and exiting the room right away, he lingered behind a bit, lips pursed and eyebrows knit slightly in ponderment.

Ginny packed her things and left the classroom. She was a bit stunned by the events of the classroom.

Lee had never seen in his two and a half years of studying at Hogwarts, McAiken react in such a way. Normally he was a calm and very well controlling man but Lee came across him as agressive over this. He guessed it was natural being a teacher it was just quite queer coming from McAiken.

Deciding now was the best time to leave than later, he packed his things, swung his bag over his shoulder and then left through the doors.

Noel packed up her things, the whole conversation between McAiken and Zekke went way over her head. She doubted he had said anything important. She left the classroom quickly.

Nadia straightened her notes and organizedly put them away at her bag. As she passed by Laurasia's sides, Nadia patted her on the shoulder for comfort to the overly sweet second year. To er is human, and accidents only happened, this was far from a Greek Tragedy. Slytherin would win back those points, and that's that.

Giving Jaren and Zekke a last appologetical look, Nadia turned to the door and walked away.

Laurasia listened as McAiken & Zekke conversed with one another. "Now he's calm again. Alright, we misinterpreted your instructions. Why the tizzy then?" she thought as the professor spoke before ending the class. At least we only ended up losing 5 points.

While she was packing up her things to leave she felt a pat on her shoulder. She looked up into Nadia's sympathetic face. "Sorry," she whispered, referring to getting them into trouble. She quickly finished getting her things together & flashed an apologetic glance to Jaren & Zekke before leaving the room.

Heshasa swung her bag over her shoulder. Waving to the remaining students and the professor she trotted out the door.

Kalaya stuck her wand in the special pocket in her bag-she doubted she would need it. Swinging her bag over her shoulder and left thinking that the professor was right. She really liked this class- she was looking forward to the next one.

Violet collected all her belongings and said good-bye to the proffessor and left the room.