"I didn't make these, Celandine, but I've spent a good many years collecting them." Lainey tapped on another one, one closer to her hip that read "The Farrago of Fearless Felines." Obviously something Gryffindor-ish. "They're actually sort of what class is about today - sort of." Lainey shook her head slowly at Kayla's question, "No, no. I can't stomach that, though I will admit that it is a lesson they'd wish me to teach. A match to last class, if you will." She didn't hide the animated eye roll.

"Enough chit chat though, I'm sure you're all anxious to get started. Have any of you ever been part of a club? How about... a secret club?" Lainey asked with a hint of conspiracy.

Astrid raised her hand and said, "Well Professor, I was part of the French Club, the Key Club and the Cheerleading Squad back in my Muggle School, but none of those clubs were a 'secret'." Though the idea of a secret club sure did excite her.

Nikita thought hard for a minute. She couldn't remember a single club she had been in, let alone a secret one. None of the clubs at her old school were "suitable" - in her mother's eyes at least. Just thinking of the arguments about whether or not she could join a book club or the art club was torture. They were all "too Muggle" or not "refined enough for a girl of your standing."

Eva blinked. A secret club? What was Professor Lainey talking about? Eva had no idea, but it sounded good. Anything that was not a class about nails or how to be a proper lady sounded good.
"Club? Just reading club on the muggle school I was in." she answer. But that was everything less a secret club.
Eva closed her notebook; she was really paying attention to that class.

Ella shook her head, "No..I've not been in any secret club..ever.." she said, actually she wanted tobe in such a club. For her bad luck, no one offered her. She smiled back at the girl.

Sabrina raised her hand, "I've been part of dance clubs before professor, but I've never been in a secret one." She smiled, it sounded fun though; being in a secret club. "Are we going to be forming a secret club Professor?" she asked knowing that was probably a stupid question, but it would get an answer.

Kayla looked over at Celandine and grinned. Could what they be doing be classed as a club, she wasn't sure.

Cela nodded wide-eyed; what a cool thing to collect!

she paused to think at the professors question and glanced around the group of students. She raised her hands finally. "Like...an order, Professor?" she bit her lip, hopefully. "One where the members have some kind of unified purpose that has to be kept hidden from their... opressors?" She paused before shaking her head, "If I was professor I wouldn't tell anyone or it wouldn't be a secret anymore!" She smiled mischieviously.

"No." Cassandra answered simply.

Lainey's eyebrows raised to disappear underneath her bangs. She'd not missed the subtle insinuations from her very, very bright Ravenclaw student. "Maybe," Lainey started, still a little perplexed, "Maybe what I mean to say is - a club, or gang, or order I suppose, where - how to join - is the great secret. Most clubs I know," she pointed to the plethora of pins on her vest again, "aren't all that picky about you knowing about them. People like to be seen! But, they're very selective about who gets in. Certain qualifications, if you will. Any of you know of a club like that?"

Eva just had a simple word as an answer: no.
The clubs she knew were all selectives, but they were also all muggles, that couldn't be what Professor Lainey was talking about; they were in a History of Magic lesson.
She looked at the Professor, waiting for an explanation.

"Oh, how I wish I knew of a club like that." Astrid said to her professor. "Are we going to be able to join a secret club today, ma'am?" she whispered. "That would be splendid!"

"Do you mean a club like Quidditch?" Nikita asked, raising her hand. "Is that a club? You have to be able to play Quidditch to get in to the team, and there's only seven people on each team." Maybe that's not a good response, worried Nikita. But they do like to be noticed...

Sabrina thought for a moment, there was the Deatheaters but all they needed was for you to hate muggles and muggleborns. "Not really professor," she said eventually. "I can't think of any of those types of clubs." To join the clubs that she had been in you just had to be able to dance. She heard Astrid's remark and nodded, "It would be amazing."

Staring at her Head of House for a minute, Celandine's mind raced and she discreetly fingered the folded up parchment in her pocket; saying nothing but exceedingly interested in the answers of the other students.

Ella was pretty sure that she never knew of such clubs. But was curious to know about them, and join them if any. She said, "No..I dont Professor. I feel so n00b.." as she pouted.

What was this about? She didn't understand. Clubs? Secrets?

Cora stared at Professor Lainey. "Professor..." She began slowly. "Are you saying that there is such a secret society...at Belle's?" She asked, eyes widening a bit more with every word she spoke. Something clicked, somethign stirring in her memory. She'd read about it in a book. There had been a secret society before...

She frowned.

This sounds like something from back when Harry Potter was in school... Liz whispers to herself, with a smile.

The smell of freshly baked cookies wafted through the History of Magic classroom door. If you listened closely you could hear humming.

Steelsheen, who was seated next to her friend Cela, was caught up readjusting her robes when she heard the words "secret club". She looked up at the Professor carefully, her face inscrutable. She tightened the grip around her book bag unconsciously.

Her head spun around to look at her friend, her eyes widening as her grip on her book bag tightened even further. Did she get one too? she wondered as she elbowed her friend. She looked at Cela intently and mouthed the words We have to talk later.


Steelsheen raised her hand and replied "There were a few secret societies I've read about in Hogwarts: A History Professor." she began "There were The Death Eaters, a select group of individuals loyal to Lord Voldemort during his existence. Then there was the opposing group calling themselves The Order of the Phoenix."

"Oh all of you," Lainey rolled her eyes playfully, "all of you are conspiracy theorists, huh? No, no, nothing like that. I just happened across an old book of mine that detailed the more prominent clubs of our world and thought it would be fun learn about a few of them. Hogwarts used to have a professor-ran club, many many many years ago - A Slug Club. It was, apparently, lots of fun. I'm not suggesting any - " Lainey stopped mid-sentence.


"Do you all smell that?" It was the smell of a wicked beast. Lainey's eyes automatically narrowed and her jaw set.

Sabrina swore that she could hear humming and was that... "Guys I smell cookies." The smell of cookies could only come from the potions mistress and since she was a ministry teacher, it didn't sound good. "Does anyone else smell it?"

Cora lifted her head up and her eyes snapped onto the door. Cookies. She'd know that smell a million miles away. And when there were cookies...there was usually a certain potions teacher too.

Cora snapped her fingers. "THAT was it. the Order of the Phoenix." An Order. A special group. She knew she'd read about it somewhere. The lines in her forehead deepened as she noticed the girl who had mention the Order elbow her friend and give her a significant look. Something was going on. She was sure of it.

Something that Professor Lainey, and the two girls knew about.

Cora frowned. The Professor was saying something about a Professor ran club. So perhaps she was plotting...planning something. When Professor Lainey stopped mid-sentence, Cora's eyes returned to the door. Cookies.

"It's cookies." She murmered.

Astrid nodded at her friend and said, "I sure do! I could spot that smell anywhere. That's Professor Sophie's cookies."