Alex thought about it before raising her hand again, "If you didn't have a pillow, on a farm or near one where you were camping out you could Transfigure the chicken into a feather pillow.." Alex suggested feeling odd not seeing many uses for it.

Morally suspect? Nah, all in good fun!

"Uhm.. if you want to." It's not like she had anywhere to be, after class, after all.

Chicken to a feather pillow? Well... now that had MANY uses. "Oh, if you want to have a pillow fight when you're on a farm... Or something's falling and there are all chickens around, you can turn one into a pillow and that 'something' would have a soft landing. Or if you're just really tired... Or to use as body armour, in a way. Like when we used kitchen stuff in History of magic. Orrr, like people said before, if we were transporting chickens..Or to prevent them from flying.." And the list goes on and on and on. And on.

ZOMG! Chicken = feather pillow!

"In case of a chicken invasion," Gold said, raising a hand. "Feather pillows will be easier to collect, and put in a safe place." For, you know, when they reverted back to chicken-ness. "Or if you're stuck in an enemy territory, where there are lots of evil!chickens trying to peck at you. You could turn them all into pillows, and use the pillows as awesome shields or projectile. That would be both defence and offence."

"Or perhaps if you're going to feed a couple of chickens, and they decide to give you a spot of trouble you find yourself unable to handle. You could turn them into pillows, for momentary relief."

Carter thought for a moment and then raised his hand. "Maybe you are a chicken farmer... and you want to smuggle chickens... you could transfigure them and ship them off." he said.

Yup. Another very non-practical crazy answer you brought to you by the mind of Carter.

Zane thought about the question and slowly raised his hand. "You could use this particular spell in reverse if you were in a camping situation and maybe the chicken could lay some eggs or as a distraction in a dangerous situation. You could use the chicken to pillow spell when you are falling from a barn in a farm?"

Vashti considered the question for a moment before raising her hand. "Well if you were a farmer and you had a bunch of chickens to take care of, and there was a danger of a fox getting in and attacking the chickens, or if one already got in, you could change the chickens into pillows and the fox might not be interested in eating them anymore since it isn't a tasty chicken." Chickens were very tasty - when cooked, of course. Pillows, not so much.

Oh, the Professor liked his answer? That was good. He smiled brightly and was excited as they were presented with another situation. The Head Boy liked this game!!

"Professor if you for some reason were lost out in the wilderness and came across a farm and were to afraid to speak to the farmer," he wasn't exactly sure why you wouldn't talk to the farmer. "Oh because the farmer is evil!" he added with an excited tone. "And you sneak in and sleep in their chicken coop you can tranfigure one into a pillow so you can sleep on it and then change it back when you leave." he chuckled. The gryffindor then suddenly thought of how the chicken would like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmbiguouslyMe

Preston stood and made his way back over to the board. "Good examples, all of you. Some others would include protecting the original animal from a predator. A mouse from a kneazle, for example. Or, perhaps protecting something or someone from that original animal - a baby, perhaps. There are many situations where having a seemingly impractical spell at your disposal is actually quite useful."

He wiped the board clean.

"One more. Chicken to feather pillow. Uses?"

Patroclus grinned at some of the other student's answer's, some were hilarious and others quite clever!

Listening to the Professor, the Lion's mind began to tick over, 'Chicken to Pillow' Hmmmmmm.

"Sir, say if you were had a chicken and a friend came along and you felt like having a pillow fight, POP! your chicken could become your weapon of choice!" Patroclus had images in his head, of the pillow chlucking as it hit its target.... haha funny

"What if you went camping and thoight you packed everything you needed but quickly realized you either lost you're pillow or did not pack it. You're tired and would rather not go to sleep without a pillow. Theres a chicken coop nearby so you could go there and transfigure one of the chickens into a pillow", Herminny responded with her hand raised high.

Rae loved this question... "Uh.. If there randomly is a chicken around and you feel like pillow sliding." Hahahahah! Rae laughed at the thought... Pillow sliding... But why would a chicken be in one of the school hallways? Unless it was Destiny transfigured again... HAHAHAHA!

Preston nodded as students chimed in with their suggestions.

"Good, good." He clasped his hands behind his back as he made his way over to the curtain and ducked behind it.

"I think some are more practical than others, but I hope you see that even spells that seem silly might have application." He emerged from behind the curtain carrying a single chicken.

"There's the added part of changing an item being easier than conjuring one, so it's something good to practice if for no other reason than building your skill." Preston smiled as he petted the bird in his arms before setting it on the desk.

It gave a small flutter of its wings and a cluck, as Preston extracted his wand. "Pulvinus," he said simply, giving his wand a swish and a flick. With a small pop, the chicken turned into a small feather pillow.

Turning to the class, Preston flicked his wand at the board. "Pulvinus, from the latin for cushion, will transfigure your target into a pillow. It works best with already soft items and feathered birds." Preston flicked his wand at the curtain, allowing it to drop. Behind it was a pen full of chickens.

Reaching behind his desk, Preston pulled up a pail of chicken feed and a box of stuffed chicken toys.

"I'd like you to practice the incantation and wand movement, a swish and flick, at your desks before you come up to get a chicken. You should also grab some feed to help keep it calm and get it to trust you." He paused. "If you cannot, or will not, practice on a live animal, you may come get a stuffed animal. First and second years may take a stuffed animal without being questioned; older than that will need to explain to me why."

"Questions?"


ooc: remember, no homework this lesson, so get really in depth with your practicing - break it up into multiple posts

Alex rose her hand, "What if we want to practice on a stuff animal before practicing on a live one?" Alex asked the Professor after writting everything down, she after all wanted to make sure she did this right.. she didn't want to hurt the chicken.. or transform it to a mix of a pillow and chicken.

Preston nodded. "Absolutely alright for the younger students. Older students will still need to tell me why they are choosing a stuffed animal first."

Part of learning was the challenge and the pressure, as far as he was concerned. If everyone got to practice on a stuffed animal first, where was the challenge?

Alex nodded in understanding, although the Professor should know that transforming live animals until something that wasn't live was different then transforming a stuffed animal into a pillow. Alex started to mutter the incantation under her breath, "Pulvinus." she had no idea what would happen if she should say it wrong after all. Alex was finding this class truly interesting, She kept practicing the incantation, after which she was planning on doing the wand movement.. but only after she could say the incantation without saying it wrong.

They really were doing it?!?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! "Professor.... What do we get to do with the pillows ones we've transfigured them?" Pillow sliding? Just then Rae thought of the giant pillows used that night on the second floor.... A GIANT CHICKEN!!!! "Could I make a... Large pillow?" Muahahahahaha!

Preston smiled. "Excellent question. For now, use reverto to change them back and then try again. At the end of class, ALL chickens will be returned to me."

Professor Kingsley swept the room with his eyes. "And I will know if one of you tries to take one as a pet."

Turning back to the girl, he smiled. "Well, no larger than your desk top, for now. Otherwise there'll be no room left for the rest of us!"

Oh jeez. They were transforming chickens into pillows? LIVE chickens into pillows? Didn't the professor know that she wasn't very good with LIVE things? Didn't he realize that she couldn't even conjure a sheep without it being mutated and having TWO heads?!

Pffft. Course he knew that. He just wanted to make her life miserable because she transfigured a pocket watch with his face on it. Meh.

Hearing Rae's question however, Evelyn smirked before taking out her wand and writing down the spell in her notebook at the same time. They should totally go GIANT pillow sliding again before the end of term. It just...needed to be done.

"Pulvinus." she muttered, continuing to write down what it did and the wand movement. Alright! The spell and movement was easy enough, it was just the actually transfiguring that she was worried about. "Pulvinus." she said again in a louder tone, however this time with the swish and flick. Right. Easy enough.

"Professor, what if I don't want to touch the chicken?" Because, she really didn't want it to peck her, orrrr drop it and have to chase it around the room. "Can i like, levitate it over or something?" Or make a GIANT trail of seeds to her desk!

Preston walked over to where Miss Flores sat. "Its really best that you handle it with your own hands. Otherwise, it'll get scared and when you stop levitating it, it might run away." Preston looked down at her.

"If you have concerns about holding it, I can come with you and show you how best to do so."

Rae wasn't scared of any chicken! She walked over to where the chickens were and just picked one up, put it under her arm and used the other hand to grab a little big of chicken feed. Muahahahahahah. GIANT CHICKEN TIME! Professor said no larger than her desktop... Well, if she wanted a large pillow she needed a large chicken.. Rae set her chicken on the desk and put some feed on the desk as well. As the chicken pecked at the feed Rae did a nonverbal ENGORGIO to make the chicken as big as the desktop... BIG CHICKEN! "Ahahahahaha YESSS!" Yeah, good mood.. Still. Rae didn't turn the chicken into a pillow just yet. She was having fun with a giant chicken on her desk!

Hmmm, perhaps noooooot.

"No, no. I can...get it." she said, slowly standing up and bringing her wand just in case. Alright. Chickens, definitely were not her favorite animal in the world, but it's not like she could die if she was pecked.

Right?

Staring at all the chickens, she decided to just go with her tail of seeds idea, and what she needed, was a really stupid chicken. So, carefully examining each one, by the time she went through ten chickens, she pretty much decided that they all were pretty stupid looking. Except that one right there. The one staring a hole in her head. That one was smart...

Moving to the other side so she didn't have to deal with the smart chicken, along the way, she quickly glanced around to see where the professor was before grabbing a handful of chicken feed and making a small tiny trail of it behind her. ALRIGHT! Now time to find the dumbest chicken here.

....

And we have a winner! Putting her wand up her sleeve, she opened the pen and quickly grabbed the chicken she had her eyes on before...dropping it on the floor near the seed. Take the bate. TAKE IT! TAKE I- Oh, it was taking it. Perhaps chickens really weren't that smart after all.

Except that one that was still staring a crater in her head. Eesh. What was it's problem!? It's not like she was calling IT dumb or anything. Just the other ones. Following the one slightly tan chicken that was eating up her trail of feed that she placed for it, passing by the huge bag of chicken feed, she grabbed another handful before extending the line trail all the way to her desk.

Mwahahahahahaha! YES! Follow the trail to your pillow DOOOOM!

Watching quietly as the professor turned the chicken into a pillow, Raiden took notes, flicking concerned glances at those who presented more... well... unconventional ideas for usage of this spell.

Odd classmates. Really.

Flicking his wrist gently to release his wand, he idly followed the movement that the professor had shown them, repeating the spell in his head as he did so.

This was sorta like the reverse of what he'd done in the Professor's office, wasn't it? He'd reverted a duck back into a pillow. Sorta the same concept, different spell and starting point. The duck had been a pillow to start, while this was a chicken to start. Hmmmm.

This sounded fun! But the chickens probably wouldn't think so. "Professor, will this hurt the chickens in any way?" Because if it did, he was definitely taking a stuffed animal, even if he was a third year.

Rae was loving this giant chicken thing, She looked around to see if anyone else thought her idea was pretty cool... No reactions yet... Except... Wasn't that a slytherin prefect looking at her? Oddly by the way.. Rae was still in her abnormally good mood to just ignore it. She smiled at him then spoke "Are you admiring my GIANT CHICKEN? I think he's pretty sweet!" Ew wait.. Not professor Lainey's kind of sweet. Like the time she licked her hat because Rae told her 'sweet hat.' In this case it wouldn't nessescarily taste sweet. It would taste... Just like chicken... HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Chickens were creepy. Kellen would never admit this out loud, but he thought it just the same. On the one hand, the spaced-out look on a chicken's face was hilarious, but on the other... that same look masked whatever evil chicken-y thoughts were going on in the bird's head. And there were evil thoughts, oh yes. He knew, because Sabel had been a goose and really, they were pretty much the same thing.

He got out his wand and practiced the movement, glancing over the available chickens as he did so. There were some conniving-looking birds up there. He wanted to pick a daft one.

Yay! It was practical time!

And they transforming Chickens into pillows......so cool!
Listening to the instructions from the Professor, Patroclus took out his wand. So they were to practise the 'swish and flick' first, as well as the incantation.

Patroclus held his wand, firm but gently, and giving a swish he rounded his movement and finished off with a lovely, and strong flick. He repeated the movement again, and again till it felt natural. It was the same as the leviating spell, but it required a different intention, He didn't want the chicken to float, rather he wanted it to be a pillow.

"Pulvinus" spoke the third year, the word at first feeling quite odd in his mouth, "Pulvinus" again he said it outloud, but this time over exaggerated his mouth, to get a better feel for it.

It was time to partner the wand and the word together.
The boy began his swish, moving right, then left, and as he come around and completed the flick, he spoke the incantation, "Pulvinus". The boy smiled, he knew he was ready.

Yep, ready for a chicken.