Josey raised her eyebrows. "Honey? You must be awfully sure of yourself to call me honey, girl. I'm like 6 years older than you," she said. She liked this girl. "My name? Before you start hounding on someone else's name, you need to take a look at your own name, my dear. Eva. That's so a name from the 1900s." She snorted. "Excuse me for being clever. At least I'm not a Hufflepuff. Hufflepuffs are so easily stepped on!" Josey tried her hardest and finally managed to contort her face into a sneer. She actually admired Hufflepuffs; her cousin was one, but that was not the point of the exercise. She was trying to make Eva angry.

Cassandra's smiling face looked as if a freezing charm had hit it. Not a twitch, not a movement. Her eyes were fixed on the boy's. This kid was good... she didn't much care what others thought of her, but he kept bringing up Erikson... If this weren't an assignment, Cassandra's wand would be out and the kid would have been against the back wall, hanging upside down and crying his head off.

"Talk is cheap, Black." She said, her lips barely moving. "Do you really think I care what people say behind my back? What common people think?" She rolled her eyes. "The people who matter, find me charming... the ones that dont, like that little Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor, who dumped you, like the sack of day old maggot larvae you truly are, do not affect me in the least. As for our Herbology Professor," Cassandra's eyes darted to DeLuca then back to Excelsior, "the only attention I need from him is directed towards my work and as I am one of his top students, I don't see your point."

She stared at him for a second before adding, "And I would appreciate that when you address me, you turn your head. Your breath smells like something vile crawled in your mouth to die there and then came back to live just long enough to fart. The assignment was to offend me, not my sense of smell."

"Try to have a mother and sister who are slytherin and then check if you don´t lern some things. " Eva pretended that she turned Jsey's back but then she looked to the girl. "One thing. The first woman on earth... you know what was her name." she made a short pause. "That's right, Eva. I'm very proud to be an Hefflepuff, i lern stuffs without the books, wicht is something tyhat you'll always need to seem a bit...clever."
Good one, teacher... This execise is good, but.. for what? she was wondering.

Josey rolled her eyes at Eva. This girl knew nothing. "Try having a perfect younger brother who's a slytherin and an older brother who is a slytherin at heart, and see if you can learn something. You sure need to," she said. "Yeah, the first woman. That was soo long ago. No one remembers it, that's how long ago. They probably made that name up from the first three letters that popped into their heads." She scowled. "I learn stuff both with and without books, something that you apparently don't understand," she shot back at Eva. This exercise was useful. Venting her annoyances. "For example. You can't learn flying from books, can you? And look at me, a beater." Josey laughed cruelly, feeling horrible about what she was saying. "And look at...you. An itty bitty, friendless first year."

"Is that so?", said Excelsior. "Well, perhaps you should check your own hygiene then, as I'm suddenly feeling a bit ill. It was only since I started talking to you that I've been feeling that way. What fragrance are you using, eau d'skunk oil? No wonder Erikson can't stand being around you! And as for the Gryffindor, I'm afraid you have it all wrong. It was I who made the decision, not she. Apparently, your source of information is pretty inaccurate, perhaps you should check it again." He smirked smugly.

Eva was starting to relax:
"Don´t get me wrong. I do have friends, but i know that they would never leave me. I'm not friendless, I'm just selective. oh, and how many times did you fell from your broomstick?" Being nasty wasn´t what Eva liked the msot but when a teacher tells to do something like that... strange, but interessesting. I'm staying seapchless, she tought, Josey is really good at this.



occ: I have to go... tomorrow I'll be back. it's great to do rp with you!!

That hurts, if there is one thing that Austin values most of all it is his intellegence, but he digused his emotions. After Willow said her quick retort on how he didnt understand the assignment, he knew that he getting to her, he had a good ability to read people. "I think i know exactly what im doing" he said slyly. Looking around the room he continued as if he were not even thinking about what he was saying, although he had carefully planned this insult. "I wonder if your parents know how terrible your game play has been, if I was your parents I would not want to waste any more money on Quidditch supplies for someone," he looked straight into Willow's eyes stressing the last part of his insult, "who is obviously a lost cause." Oh how terrible he felt but had to continue.

"Excuse me professor, but is it not a greater test of the measure of one's self control to be able to not insult each other or be hurtful even when under attack, not to begin an assault or counterattack despite the slings and arrows of others?" Xana said softly. " Because... I can't do this. I have people in this room whom I've had -- or have -- genuine grievances with. But... to spout hurtful things to them... " She shook her head, blinking back tears. "'Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.'"

"I can't justify hurting myself a lot, just to potentially hurt someone else a little... Everybody loses in this game. I don't understand this exercise, please." Xana looked utterly bewildered and very distraught.

"Oh, well now... That's not what she's saying... It's all over the girls bathroom," Cassandra lied smirking... This boy had hardly any faults! "The fragrance you smell, is Cleansing Potion, I believe muggles call it shampoo and body wash. The reason you are getting sick is that you are so used to your own stench that smelling cleanliness makes you ill."

She was getting rather annoyed at the Erikson comments, this boy needed shut up about that, especially in front of DeLuca. "Black, don't make me tell you the point of the assignment again... it isn't to defile the name of professors. Leave him out of this."

Cassandra scoffed, "Just because you fail at this assignment, Venefica," she said it slowly, "doesn't mean there is no point to this assignment," she looked at DeLuca and smirked, "I'm sure Professor DeLuca wouldn't have assigned it if it was a bad excersize.

Xana smiled sweetly to Cassanda. "I would never presume to say that anything a professor assigned is a bad exercise, Trelawney. I'm merely asking for help understanding the purpose of it. I don't understand the value in being hurtful to other people, especially those who have shown you only kindness." She glanced at Claudian, then back at Trelawney and gave her a little smile that never touched her eyes. "But perhaps you could explain it to me. It does seem to be your area of..." she smirked, "expertise."

Diabolica tried stifling a laugh--but failed. Terribly. 'Touche!' she thought to herself. 'Apparently Xana *does* understand this assignment...!' she grinned.

"Oh, V E N E F I C A," she enunciated, "Unlike yourself, I don't question teachers and I don't expect to teach their classes..." Cassandra smirked and turned back to Excelsior... She knew she hit a sore spot.

Xana grinned. PAPER tigress... she thought. This feeble attempt at an insult was laughable-- it was actually a compliment in Xana's eyes. "Well, it is my honour and fortune to be attending Hogwarts, to be educated by professors that accept students with critical thinking skills and encourage dialogue over simple rote memorization." She smiled and gave a polite nod of respect to the professor. She raised an eyebrow to Trelawney. "And I am overjoyed that some of the professors here... such as Professor Erikson... actually encourage and embrace students like me."

Willow, still with a evil grin in her face, was thinking that Austin had just touched a the weakest side of her. Parents. Yet, her face was still showing exactly the opposite. She was looking as though he might have just told her how awesome she was. "Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure" she said, penetrating him with her bright green eyes. "You do know what is that right?, Although I do not think it suits you Eagleson, perhaps you would be better off in Hufflepuff, because as I can see, your brain haven't process Professor's De Luca's Assignment correctly". She looked at him directly, trying to catch any emotion in his face, He's good, she thought heavily as her evil grin grew wider. "You were supposed to make me upset, angry, you were supposed to push my buttons. And I'm terribly sorry to tell you, that the only thing that you have manage to do so far, is to amuse me. Honestly I can't really understand how someone with such little intelligence was sorted into Ravenclaw". Her voice was so sweet and kind that felt almost scary. She kept looking at Austin waiting for the effects of her words on him.
I don't think I've ever been this cruel with someone, Oh God.., Willow though as her insides were having an internal battle of keep it up, or just Apologize to him right the way. I should have partner up with a hufflepuff, It would be easier , and it was true, she knew that it would be easier to insult a hufflepuff, she after all remained hurt because they have lost against them in quidditch. She decided to continue and said:
"And you so you know, Austin, don't refer to my parents in plural, because I only have my father. My mother died last September" She was still smiling, but her voice has passed from a sweet scary voice to a dangerouse hiss.

"Hm!" Cassandra kept her eyes on Excelsior, "I'm glad you enjoy herbology Xana, with the way you suck up to professors, you'd think you hated all subjects." Cassandra smiled at the second year before her. "Black, it's your turn, are you going to talk or should I consider you a mute?"

Xana just laughed. "I love them all. Education is a blessing, indeed."

Xana pitied Trelawney a little... she really did seem to be proud of her razor tongue and acerbic nature. She shook her head. Self-control and compassion. she reminded herself, turning with a slow smile to Diabolica.

"You Slytherins seem to be having the most fun with this assignment. I do love how Professor Erikson keeps popping up among you kids, though. Is there something I need to know? Oh wait that's right I already know! Miss Trelawney, I have some things to discuss with you and they shall be discussed right now. Everyone else, class dismissed. There will be no homework for this class since you'll be back in here sooner than you think." Allegra nodded to teh students and walked out of the room. It was finally time to get everything straight.

Austin sat there and took the abuse from Willow, who was strangly good at insulting him, he sat there and with the Hufflepuff comment, he retorted "My grandmother was in Hufflepuff and it would be quite alright if i were a Hufflepuff student." The first part of his comment was true, the second was a flat out lie, he enjoyed being in Ravenclaw. But as she continued he would not let her words get to her, he maintained the same composure.
He could tell by the fact that Willow's grin grew everytime that he insulted her that she covered her emotions of anger and pain, with a smile/grin. When she told him that her Mother had died his first impulse was to confort her but he couldnt let his guard down and become venerable. "So your Mother died, sucks for you, cause i still have both of my parents. But i guess its a good thing your Mother died so that she could not see what you have made of your life, a terrible student, a poor quidditch player and a disgrace to the Kovac name." Austin flicked a little sly grin, which he assumed would be met by a equally evil grin of Willow.

Wha? Ha? Uhmm... It all happened so fast. Cassandra eyed Excelsior, why did he have to bring up Erikson!!! She wished she could have jinxed Xana that moment for adding to this. "Yes, professor?" she asked not bothering to return to her table. "Is there something I could do for you?"

Claudian slumped in his seat, then leaned onto his desk folding his arms in front on him and putting his head down wearing the worlds saddest frown. He drew a ragged breath, sniffled, and shook his head in agreement with Ems about the exercise. He couldn't deny his relief to hear that the class had been dismissed.



Claudian held his breath when he heard Venefica's words to Cassandra. This would only end in tears...and not his, either. Or maybe it would???

He moved away from his seat next to Emily, took his books and headed out.

""You grandmother was a Hufflepuff eh?, like I said, you'll definitely be better off in that house, as you are a shame for Ravenclaw", She looked at him directly, her grin was still in her face, and everytime she heard another insult from him, the grin simply got wider and wider automatically. "Well, personally I feel sorry for both of your parents Austin" She said sweetly to him, "Just Imagine having a son like you..". She looked at him once more and smile as though she might just told him he was an excellent person. Her stomach got smaller when he said the comment about she being a terrible student. That hurt, yet her smile grew even wider. "Just so you know Eagleson, unlike you, I'm one of the top points gainer of the Ravenclaw house" She said to him no longer smiling and her voice was almost a whisper. "Obviously the points I and some other students get in classes are not enough. We are on last place, and that's all because of people like you, that don't do anything for their own house" She was smiling again, yet her voice was now icy. She could feel her insides burning, and then quidditch, again. "It's that all you can come up with? Quidditch?, perhaps if--" She was about to reply to his comments of she being a shame for her last name and she being a terrible quidditch player, when she heard professor De Luca saying that the class was over. She grabbed all her stuff quickly, her insides were roaring with pain and soar. Austin had touched the areas, where she was more vulnerable at. Quidditch, her perfomance as a student and her family. She put a fake smile on her face, before turning to face him and said, "It was an interesting class..See you around Austin" she waved at him before turning into her heels, and walking out of the classroom quickly.

"If your are top student then thats sad, and I am not stupid student, just lazy sometimes, and im here trying to earn house points because we are in last." Austin and Willow's insult battle was then interupted by De Luca releasing them from class. Austin could able get out a goodbye before Willow quickly grabbed her things and rushed out of the classroom. Austin grabbed his stuff, i hope Willow knew that this was just part of the lesson, he thought as he walked out of the class.

Emily watched Claudian leave without a single word to her. She sighed sadly and frowned, shaking her head a little. What kind of teacher would get students to wind each other up and then let them loose into school without calming them down first? It seemed completely irresponsible. Emily narrowed her eyes at Professor De Luca and watched her leave. She felt sick with guilt -but Claudian’s tears weren’t Emily’s fault dammit! They were De luca’s. She stood up, gathered up her belongings, and sighed again before leaving the classroom.