Daniel took out his wand and be on the ready. He looked around and watched out for something new. He looked at his classmates and wondered what was going on in their minds.

He then heard his professor said to light a fire and then he nodded.

He pointed his wand to the fire pit and muttered, Incendio.

Nice. It always works...

Woooooot!

Cela caught the marshmallow easily and eyed it. Oooh should she wait to toast it? NO.

Nomnomnom.

She took out her wand and while she was nomming the marshmallow, cast a non-verbal Incendio at the nearest fire pit, watching the flames stream from the wand with an immense sense of satisfaction.

... from the marshmallow more than the non-verbal.

Damon aiming his wand at the pit said "incendio" A fire flared up in the pit and Damon had to make sure it did not get beyond it. It settled down gradually until it was at a good rate. Damon looked around at the others just noticing what they were doing.

O-M-G. Fire. *squee* Not a good idea for Evelyn since she was practically obsessed with the stuff. Happily walking over, she pointed her wand at the fire pit that she had been most closest to, and said clearly, "Incendio."

Aw, fire. The most wonderful thing in the world in her mind. Well it was in the top three at least.

Upon hearing the instruction Fred took out his wand and said, "incendio", pointing his wand at his fire pit concentrating hard on making a fire and was happy it caught at first go.

Why all the marshmellows? Destiny was getting sick just looking at them, well not really. She pulled out her wand and pointed it to the fire pit Incendio!' That was easy..

Ken looked own at his pit and casted incendio, a small spark came from the tip o his wand. Growling he said it again flicking his wrist slightly, Ken never liked not getting things as if he didn't have enough trouble already. The fire appeared and Ken stoked it so the flames would get bigger.

Mina took her wand out carefully and looked around at the other 'claws sitting around her. Wonder if it's really that safe for us to be doing this? She shrugged and pointed her wand at the fire pit in front of her. "Incendio!"

"No need to be nervous. Mr. Masterson is here to oversee the general safety of practices while on the grounds. You're in good hands." He said outloud, observing that some of the students seemed to be a bit apprehensive.

"Once you've all got your fires started, we're going to let them burn a while to get the log inside to be more responsive." He began making a walk around the class while holding the marshmallow bag open and offering a marshmallow to all of the students who wanted one, and passing out small roasting sticks. "In the meantime, feel free to take a marshmallow and a stick while we talk a little bit about Xylomancy. For starters, Xylo is Greek for what? What does it mean?"

Marie was glad they were starting a fire, it would help warm her up as she sat outside once again for class. Pointing her wand at the fire pit she said "Incendio" and watched as the pretty blue flames danced in in the pit.

Destiny passed on the marshmallow. She couldn't even look at them. She wouldn't pass on the question though 'Xylo in Greek means wood!' she said raising her hand of course.

Taking a roasting stick and a marshmallow from the professor Marie answered him "Sir Xylo means wood in Greek."

"Good Miss Salazaar. One point for Slytherin." Kapoor gave the student a point for her answer before he went on.

"So, wood divination. Divining by way of wood. How? It's a bit like scrying, really. A lot more intuitive in the way its done." He explained.

Evelyn raised her hand to answer, but some people were just to darn fast! "Yea...wood." she mumbled, putting down her hand. But at least the fire there would cheer her up! *teehee, pokes it with the roasting stick with marshmallow...and watches it burn...*

Oooooh. Celandine sat up and watched Professor Kapoor with bright and eager eyes. This lesson was going to be awesome! Even without the marshmallows!

But please don't take the marshmallows away.

she raised her hand.

"Like divining stuff based on where branches lie? Or where tossed sticks end up in relationship to each other?"

Fyo listened to Professor Kapoor with bright eyes. This lesson was going... pretty good, you know. Better than SOME lessons. "Can we use any form of wood in Xylomancy, sir?" he asked suddenly, hand in air. "I've read about the usage of twigs and branches, but what about the other shapes wood is available in?" What, indeed?

'Yeah, another point for slytherin' Marie thought excitedly. Raising her hand Marie said "Sir, I think that divination of wood is the art and practice of divining the past, present, and future by interpreting omens from twigs, pieces of wood or even fallen tree branches by taking their shapes, formations and even patterns in to account." Marie carefully put her roasted marshmallow in her mouth being careful not to burn her tongue on the gooey center. 'Yum, I love roasted marshmallows'

"I think it where you read fallen branches, twigs, and pieces og wood. Which would be the pasted, present and the future." Kay answered.

Oh, Mina needed to start paying more attention, her house did need the points. Divination wasn't a strong subject but she did need to apply herself more. Plus her wand was supposed to be quite useful in the subject. Shaking her head slightly, she decided it was time to actually contribute to the lesson."From branch or twig formations. Using their patterns on the ground, or how on the trees they look against the sky, or in a fire as they burn. It used to interrupted by small dry pieces of wood found in people's path."

"Very like that, Miss Toussaint. Good observation. Except where tossing or casting is concerned, we look at the spatial relationships of each casted object. Xylomancy is a bit more intuitive. We'll be looking at what images we think we see. Like gazing into a crystal ball. Take a point for the old blue house." He continued to pass out the fluffy sweets.

"You mean any type of tree? That we can. Some practitioners of this method like using denser longer burning woods to give themselves more opportunity for interpreting when they're looking into the flames, and you're free to do that if you wish to should you wish to employ this method later in your lives, but it's not the only way to do it. Take a point for Gryffindor for a good question, Mr. Baloch." He said, noting the point mentally so as not to forget to issue it later once inside.

"Good. It is. A point to each of you who mentioned the various methods. And today we're going to be scrying with wood." He directed his speaking more to the class at large. "As I was explaining just now, Xylomancy is a form of Divination which uses wood, and specifically here burning logs. As you may have heard me say, it is more intuitive. You will be using the method of scrying to gaze at the burning log and trying to make out pictures from the logs themselves. This is especially easy to do when you've got a log that is still burning brightly with tides of rippling embers moving across it. So, students, at your ready, think of an inquiry then please take out a sheet of parchment and a quill, pick out a few details and do your best to create an illustration of your burning log." He explained to the class.

"Yes, sir," Fyo said, with a nod. But something was bugging him. "Professor," and now his hand was in the air again. "A textbook I own defines Xylomancy as the Divination of dry pieces of wood found in one's path. Why does the wood have to be dry, sir - is it because wet wood is harder to burn, or is there some other reason?" Maybe the definition was a simplified version of the original process?
Ummm... Fyo blinked, then nodded - more to himself than anyone else. An inquiry... must think of an inquiry. The heat from the fires made him sleepy, and the scent of the flames was thick, warm -- delicious.

He loved nature's little miracles.

Taking out a sheet of parchment, he dipped his quill in ink. This, he poised on the surface of the parchment. Mmmmm.

'Does it have to be a specific question...thing...we think of? Or is it free reign?' Evelyn thought, confused, as she sat down finally, not on one of the cold hard rocks that everyone else was sitting on, but pretty much next to one on the ground. Taking her text book and parchment out, she set the book on the rock and placed the parchment on top of the book so it would be easier to write; or draw.

Hmm...think think think. It was too hard to think though! Evelyn suddenly got lost looking into the wild flames bouncing around on the wood and she started daydreaming like she always did when looking into fire. Yup, so much for thinking of an inquiry. Or pretty much anything for that matter...

Destiny pulled out parchment and a quill and leaned on her textbook to write. Now to ask a question. But what to ask? Tapping the quill against her against the parchment, to help her think, she finally knew what to ask! She covered her parchment with her arm so no one can see, like they would ask the same thing, and wrote her question down.

Now what? They look at the log to get the answer?
'Log, don't be mean.' she said as she poked the log with a stick.

An inquiry...silly girl think of something. Oh, yes she was drawing a complete blank again. Pulling out the parchment and setting it in front of her, Mina stared into the fire thinking. What can I ask? Blinking to clear her thoughts, or lack of then, she yawned. Fires always made her a bit sleep.

Picking up the parchment and her quill, she looked back into the fire. Keeping her question in mind, she looked for anything that might resemble anything in the flames. This was going to be interesting.

Oh dear Merlin! Miranda's head turned upon hearing her name being called out. By the Professor. Wrinkling her nose, she swallowed the chocolate.
She had been quite occupied by the funny way Roma's tail swished, hitting everyone in her path. Whilst chewing on her candy she'd gotten startled by Kapoor. She was not used to Professors calling her out like that.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! he was going to make all her chocolate dissapear! Her sweet, loved- MARSHMALLOWS! Yay!

A little maniac expression was seen as they were instructed to cast incendio to make their little fires.
Grabbing her wand firmly, she pointed it at her fire pit and clearly said Incendio. It didn't catch fire at first, but the third time it did. Whoaaa...

She thanked the professor for the marshmallow and the stick, taking a bite of her candy so only half of it was left, then roasted the rest.
As everyone answered the Professor's question, she began to write the notes in her little book.

And now they were going to ask the logs a question... Miranda pouted with confusion, looking around to see what everyone else was doing. With a shrug, she took out her Quill and turned to a new page in her notebook.

So...Mr. or Miss. Burning Log...Will this be a co-operation or will I have to trample you... Getting a bit out of hand there.

Closing her eyes, she imagined the log and thought of her question, ready to open her eyes again.
Will I become an auror some day?

Squinting, her dark eyes stared at the lo, trying to see something...