Linda raised her hand and said.'Even I think so,professor.As the early man became more civilised,I guess they started hunting for aurochs for food and their skin.I think they became extinct in britain,during the bronze age.They were independently domesticated in North America and India.I think,as they began to disappear,they believed that they were extinct

Copernicus shook his head at his classmates. Obviously the Muggles did not hunt them into extinction if there was an auroch right here in class. He raised his hand. "Professor, can we assume that the sheer mass of an Auroch makes them impossible to miss aside from magical means, so that once the captive population the Muggles knew of dwindled, they believed all of them had died off? Plus, Muggles have a habit of destroying native habitats, and they would have recognized they'd done that in this situation."

This was weird. Care of Magical Creatures AND Ancient Runes? HJeez he got confused enough trying to learn them seperately. This was going to be tough. Eh. Clifford would've pouted unhappily if that creature Professor Morgan pulled in hadn't been so FREAKIN' AWESOME!

Plymouth Morgan was about to wet himself. That... was a beast. That could eat his head as an appetizer!!!


HORROR.


But Plymouth knew the answer to this question so he threw a hand up, "B-because - Muggles are sometimes smarter than us. They just do the smart thing and BLOCK out the big scary stuff. Muggles have awesome oblivious capabilities. It's too... much... for muggles to see. So they don't see it. Bless them." And Plymouth was currently wishing he was one of them. He scooted his pillow over next to Clifford Head Boy Carden. You know, for manly moral support.

Abby raises her hand. "Muggle records show as the Auroch population declined, restriction were place who could kill them. By the 13th century, hunting them was restricted to the nobility and the royal households. In 1564 the records show only 38 known Aurochs. By 1627 the last know auroch a female died in the Jaktorow Forest in Poland. Wizards must have seen the decline in the Auroch population and decided to save them. By the 13th century muggles had restricted the Aurochs to Poland, Luthuania, Moldavia, Transylvania, and Eastern Prussia. I would imagine wizards set up Auroch reserves like they have done with dragons, and used the disillusionment charm to hide then from the muggle population. At the same time wizards must have restricted the amount of Auroch available to the muggles. The muggles continued to poach the Aurochs. The wizards saw the muggles were not going to allow the Auroch to live in peace, so they continued to make it appear the Auroch population was declining until the last Auroch in muggle possession died."

Varius had raised his hand to answer that second letter question but retreated it when the Professor made it clear it wasn't L. He really needed to speak to her about her screwed up alphabet - what was her mother feeding her when she grew up stupid-alphabet-soup? HMMMM!?

Then the COMC professor brought out some beast thing. Very scary indeed, but it looked like the sort of thing Varius would enjoy to be on his table for christmas dinner. NOMNOMNOMNOM. "Eh," he said raising his hand, "Because Muggles are stupid like that?"

"Master Tipps!" She said glaring at the boy. "That is not the case! and Miss Wright, really, I am glad you have read books on them, but if the last auroch died in the 1600... then what is Thor..." Had Iliana introduced the Auroch? "This auroch, doing here centuries later? Anyone else care to venture more guesses?"

Well, really. Was his answer totally wrong? Huh.

Cope raised his hand again. "Maybe the Muggles believe they are extinct because we want them to."

What was that thingy doing there? Evangeline frowned. That was a good question. It was there to feed on them, most likely. Honestly, that thing was just scary and Evangeline felt herself unconsciously pushing her pillow further away from it. "Hmmm. Maybe Muggles got it wrong? And they weren't hunted until they got extinct?" Evangeline attempted raising her hand. Yeah, and maybe there was some kind of Auroch's Resort in the Caribbean ... or whatever.

Poor Plymouth. He looked scared. Clifford glanced at the Ravenclaw and just about managed to refrain from giving him a reassuring pat on the back. Bless 'im.

"Is it cos all the auroch's hide from the muggle people?" He guessed, raising his hand in the air. He had no idea really. "Maybe they're scared of the muggles. Did muggles eat them?" Hmmm. The Head Boy eyed the beast hungrily. He looked ... meaty. Yum.

Raising her hand, Anna guessed, "Maybe this auroch is here centuries after the supposed 'last auroch death', because while aurochs are extinct from the non-wizarding world, they continue to exist in our magical world. Since our world is blind to the muggle-eye, they can no longer see the auroch." Meh. That was probably wrong, as it was just a wild guess, but it was the best wild guess she had.

Helios huffed near the back of the class. He hated this seperatist talk. If he had his way, the magic folk wouldn't have to hide themselves or their beasts. In his kingdom, wizards were practically worshipped by the muggle population. In this boys mind, it was the muggles who should have to integrate.

The Auroch though reminded him of home. Odysseus men paid a terrible price for touching the sacred cattle.

Such delicate things, those muggles.

"I would assume Thor is a Auroch that was born and raised on a Auroch reserve that the wizarding community created to protect these beautiful animals. My reference to the last Auroch dying in the 1600's refers the the last know Auroch within the muggle community. It is quite obvious that the species still exists, but as far as the muggles are concerned the Auroch died out in the 1600's." Please feel free to find fault with this answer too Professor Lupa. Abby thinks to herself. Obviously the woman has not forgiven me for my outburst during our unfortunate detention.

William frowned before putting his hand up again, "Erm perhaps this Auroch is special? That is perhaps this one hid in an underground cavern where magic protected it from dying out completely? It hid until it was found and here we are now." he replied not really having a clue but figuring he'd may as well try.

Naomi raised her hand, "Could Thor really be an Auroch. The muggles could believe that they are extincted because they have just never seen one or the believed that they had domesticated all of them. It could be the same example of the Tasmanian Tiger, which muggles believe to be extinct but isn't. Also couldn't the Auroch have magical powers that protect it from muggles so they can't see them?"

Celandine nommed on her peppermint toad, giving Professor Lupa a small, appreciative smile.

ZOMG SHE WANTED TO TOUCH/RIDE/HUG THE AUROCH!

Cel just stared.

STARED.

Raising his hand once more, "Well if it isn't because Muggles are stupid I would like to say that it is because wizards are hiding the aurochs from them... that is generally the reason behind muggles not knowing animals."

Plymouth snuggled up to Clifford. Then, he raised his hand again, "Well maybe ... Professor M you know what a sea monkey IS?" Sea monkeys were really something Plymouth could get behind. They didn't have mammoth teeth, no claws, no beaks. "Maybe these here beasties... have just been.... dormant for a while. Like, sea monkey eggs. And you hatched one! Congrats!"

How horrifying, why would you DO THAT??!!? were his real thoughts.


"Or maybe theyve been sitting in an glacier or something. You take a trip up north recently, Professor?"

Professor Morgan nodded in turn to each students' response. "That is exactly right Copernicus." She beamed at him. "Because of the many medicinal qualities of the powdered Auroch horns, including a cure for male pattern baldness, Muggle hunters were relentless in their capture and subsequent untimely death; often killing the creatures merely to harvest said horns. This caused the Auroch population to diminish at an astonishingly fast rate." She reached over, patting the enormous creature. That sad look she so often got when discussing such subjects met her face again, but only for a moment. "Thankfully the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures intervened. The Auroch population was hidden, causing the Muggles to believe them extinct." She explained. "I'm sure you can appreciate what a huge tasks it must have been to facilitate their relocation. Each of these creatures average in size of about 2,200 lbs."

Looking over at Alessia, Iliana asked, "So... does anyone want to take a guess as to why we'd introduce an Auroch in your Ancient Runes lesson."

Chris raised his hand "Professors, is it because the astrological sign for Uruz is Taurus and a Auroch is somewhat like a bull? Or because the animals represented by Uruz are Ox, bison, bulls, and cows?"

Naomi raised her hand, "Because we are studying Uruz and uruz is the ruin of strength which is depicted as a bull or Auroch which is just a wild bull. Also, the auroch is associated with the letter Uruz."

Cela raised her hand, still staring at the Auroch. "Uruz means Auroch. Uruz is the symbol of strength, determination and endurance. Like being as stubborn as a bull and all that."

Copernicus raised his hand again. Runes was one of his favorite subjects, and one he expected that he ought to excel at, which pushed him to work harder. "Professor, I think the shape of the Uruz reflects the auroch, especially because the auroch has long been held as a specific example of extraordinary strength."

"OOh... like..." Celandine put her fingers up like bull horns and tipped her head down, so her fingers formed Uruz in an upside down, sort of a 'U'. "Like a charging bull?"

"Yes," he responded with a serious nod. "The high part looks like those forward broad shoulders and it slopes down to the rear haunches. I can see it."