"All do respect to your teaching, but I don't do costumes. In fact... I'm not sure I even have one..." Damian said in a low voice with a light bow to the Professor, stalking out of the class area. "I'll see what I can f find... oh, and that's my blood - my owl is quite enthusiastic about meeting me."

It seemed his partner had not done this before.

"It's two people tied together, resulting in a Three Legged Race. Two of our legs, will be bound together which means we have one common leg, and two seperate legs!" Patroclus grinned hopping he was explaining it correctly. "Why don't I tie my left leg, to your right leg and we take it for a spin?" he laughed, the sentence just sounding so obsurd. Grabbing a piece of rope, the Lion walk to Cedric's side, "now we have to stand hip to hip."

It was OK for them to be that close, they were both manly men!

Taking the rope, the Slytherin girl bent down next to Arya, moving her leg just a tag closer to the girl's so she could tie them together. This was ridiculous. Couldn't the Professor just give them a maze to go through or something? Something that didn't require to be so close to someone?

Glancing up when a question was asked, Evelyn pondered on it for only a second before shaking her head. "Off. Definitely...off." Yes, keep it off. It made her look more human.

Now, with that taken care of and she wasn't so twitchy about Arya's costume, Evelyn continued to wrap the rope around their legs, adding in a few knots in between before one final knot at the end. There. It'll stay. Not too tight, yet not too lose where they will be tripping over the rope. Juuuust right. "How does that feel?" she asked while standing up- Meep!

How in the world did she manage to forget she couldn't use one leg already!?

Savannah sighed, everyone got a partner, but her and that Gryffindor girl whoever she is. She walked over...half a run and said "I'll be your partner." she looked over at the Professor hoping she's not in trouble yet by having a partner so late. Then she looked back at the Gryffindor girl with a grin.

Lucy was sitting quietly before she saw a girl coming towards her. She didn't know her well, but it was always good to know some good people she thought. She heard her ready to be paired with her and said "Oh, good. I was waiting for one." she said and smiled and introduced herself "I'm Lucy, you?" she asked wondering if in case she knew her, she seemed familiar.

Out of politeness, Sierra sort of half-waved and nodded in the Hufflepuff boy's direction. "Thanks," she commented. "Same to you." If the last few minutes was any indication of how the rest of the activity would go, Sierra and Ella would need all the well wishes they could get.

Sierra diverted her attention back to Ella and nodded in agreement when the girl said she wasn't sure about the activity. "Neither am I. Have you figured out what this has to do with crups yet?" she questioned. A second later she added, "Maybe the professor is trying to give us a feel of what it's like to suddenly lose a part of your body. It does take some getting used to."

Feeling Ella pull weight on their tied feet, Sierra did the same, all the while trying to keep herself up and on her feet as much as possible. One big fall to the ground was enough for one day. Or for forever, really. "So..., we just stroll around like this for a while?"

Dallin smiled and nodded to the boy. "Hey, Michael." he replied. "I'll be right back." he added before walking off.

When he came back to his two partners, he was holding rope. He walked around Michael and Emmaleigh so that he was on the opposite side of the girl. He kneeled on the floor, putting his leg by her's. He tied the rope around their legs, then looked up. "Does that feel fine?"

Belle saw Charley. "Oh hi Charley!" she said and gave her a hug.


Belle heard the professor. She was excited to do this! She couldn't believe she was having this much fun in classes, then she asked charley. "Hey Charley! Do you want to be partners for the three legged race?" she asked her excitdely.

"I have no idea. Which is why this is so annoying." For someone who loved this subject as much as Ella did, it was a bit of a blow that they weren't actually learning about magical creatures. Although she did admire the professor's creativity for the lesson. Then Sierra made a suggestion and it did make a lot of sense. The poor crup had lost it's tail. "Probably. But I think we are finding this much harder than the crup." She didn't even know that crups needed tails. And humans definitely needed both legs. Lost in thought, Ella stumbled suddenly, but didn't fall. Phew, she was getting used to this.

"I guess so." She shrugged, then glanced at the professor. It was a stupid idea to do that because it made her stumble again. "Merlin's Beard." She muttered in frustration. "Are your ankles killing? 'Cause mine are." But she soldiered on, like a good old team player.

Ella took a moment to look at the other students and she was quite surprised. "Looks like we're in the lead." Everyone else was still tying themselves together. But then again, Ella wasn't sure if this actually was a race.

She hoped so. Because she they were winning!

"Your words are contradictory... Ignoring the instructions for this lesson is disrespecting 'my teaching'." Maya answered back. "If you don't have one, you can borrow one from the box there." She gestured to said box next to the now empty crate.

Her owl? Merlin.



"Allright, everyone seems to have partnered up and ready to go." How was she going to do this with two hands occupied by a cat and crup? Nevermind. "I want you to walk around inside the cirlce, like you'd normally would," exept they had another leg tied to one of theirs, "And that is all you have to do." Simple enough? Yes.

Putting the crup down on the ground to sniff around her feet, Maya drew her wand and pointed it at her cottage, where suddenly music could be heard coming from it. Loud and clear.

Ready?
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, BEGIN!


OOC: Anyone without a partner still has time to find one, and those of you who have only just started to participate, is more than welcome to jump into the lesson. Just act as if you've been there the whole time.

"I'll be your partner, Effy," Rowan grinned at her new friend.

Three-Legged Race! Not Three-Man Race. Alrighty, then.

"Common leg, separate legs," Cedric muttered under his breath, merely repeating what his partner was saying. It seemed harder than he thought; having been tied together, that is. "Sure, a spin will do the trick." He found himself laughing, too. Heh. Wouldn't they look somewhat silly, though? You know, to all the people who'd see them and all, tied together and spinning. Spinning Prefects. Hehe.

Cedric wondered if they would be starting soon. Professor Saylen's further instruction, and the play of children's music definitely indicated the start of this game. He turned to Patroclus, "Hey, you hear that? We're gonna walk round the circle."

Fee stood there kinda lost.She still had no partner and the blonde couldnt find any of her friends.Where thex skipping this lesson? Oh please no, she wasnt ready to do this all on her own.That cottage just looked creepy and going in their alone scared here loaaaads. Not that she would be alone but without partner.Uuuuugh. Another reason why the Slytherin hated being alone. Hellllooo?!There was nooo way she would lose just because of having no partner.This was just unfair and noooooot cool.

Lexie watched the announcement with her mouth slightly open! They're starting without me! She looked around fast and saw a girl standing on her own, looking as panicky as she was.

"Hi there, I'm Lexie. Do you want to be my partner?"

Emily wanted to point out they were taking care of a crup and that they should take care of all of it, but just shrugged and turned back to Nika. She was very confused about this whole thing.
They had gone from talking about keeping creatures from muggles, to cutting off a crups tail, to having a three-legged race. Who could blame her?

Ok, they were off. "How should we do this?" Emily asked Nika, putting her arm around her shoulder to help keep balance. She thought mabye putting their seprate legs forward first, then there tied leg but she didn't know. This was so strange! Minus the fact she was dressed as a droagon as well.

"I somtimes sleep on the ship, but Its always docked... poor thing." it needed to be sailed, it needed excesise or it would grow old and fat... "Well, I don't really think that a 15 year old wizard and an old retired sea Captain could sail an entire Galleon on their own." Just saying... it was almost impossible, he was sure that no one has been stupid enough to even try.

"What about your family?" he asked trying to get the topic off of his Pirating family... it had been uncomfortable to tell Patroclus, and Ellie, let alone Mia who he didn't know so well.

Why stop? Oh she wanted to rest... fine. He was about to fall back and lay on the ground, but realized that Mia was still tied to him. He took his arm off of her ready to back up to the bench...


And now the Professor was talking. Great... heaving a sigh "Nevermind then." he said and again started walking. and there was music. Why? it made him feel like he was in a zoo... "Do you think theres actually a point to this, or is she just making us look like fools?" Just the fools part seemed more logical, cause Jacob had no idea where she could possibly go with this. "What does this have to do with the crup anyways?" It really made no sense.

Em stood still while Michael tied himself to her left side. She Grabbed hold of him, and made him practice a bit as Dallin went to get some more rope. When the older boy returned, she stopped so he could attach himself to her right. She looked between the two of them. "Er, right, so how do we do this with three people?" she asked. "Like, how do we count of?"

Salander turned his head to see which gorilla Jake was referring to. "Oh him?.... " he started to chuckle but then lost it quickly when he saw who he was partnered with. Absentmindedly he shook his head and turned his attention back to Jake "Ok looks like we're gonna have to tie our legs together... " he started as he fumbled with the rope between their legs. Greeeatt this is the reason why he doesnt do knots...

When he straightened up it bounded him to Jake rather loosely. Eh, so long as the Professor can see theres a rope between them right?? He shifted his head when the Professor started giving out instructions "Walk in the circle? Sounds simple enough right? " he shrugged at Jake and started to swing his arm across the other lad's shoulder.....

... then the music started....

WHAAA????

So much for trying not to out-gorilla the gorilla.

"I wonder if we could just cross that circle and keep walking outta here? "

"Yeah, I'd love to!" Charley responded. "Which of our legs should we tie up?"

Kita looked down at her right foot and frowned. It was now that she realised just how big her costume actually was. This was just great. How were they going to do this without falling over a lot? As Vashti stood up, Kita wobbled slightly. "Woah! This feels weird," she said. Whoever said short people had better balance was wrong.

That's when she heard the music. "I think that's our cue to start," she said as she put an arm around Vashti's shoulders, "Ready?"

"Oh. I guess not." Mia had absolutely no idea what it took to sail a ship but yeah now that she thought about it some more it would probably take about ten or more people to sail one. Those things were huge.

Before she could ask him any more questions, Jacob was now asking about her. "Um...let's see wizard father and muggle mother. We live in a commune with about fifty other people which are all muggles. Some people call us hippies." She shrugged her right shoulder since her left was occupied at the moment. "I don't know about that but we do sleep in tents, have no electricity and live off the land." And that had been okay with her when she hadn't known any better. Now that was at Hogwarts, Mia sometimes wished for something more.

And just when Mia thought they were going to get a rest, music started up and the Professor told them to get started. Merlin! She and Jacob had already been walking around.

At his question, Mia chuckled. "I think it might be the latter. We could have done this in our uniforms. But I suppose it would look amusing seeing a gorilla and fairy joined together and walking in circles." The things their Professors made them do, they would want to get some points out of this. "Something about balance, maybe?"

"You."

Jake was irked.

"Have."

Jake was embarassed.

"Got."

Jake was furious.

"To be kidding me."

As the music played, Jake's eye twitched. This song had haunted his childhood. HAUNTED I SAY. But thank MERLIN Salander hadn't tied the rope very tight. For that, he would be spared ._.

"Better idea," Jake pointed out, looking suddenly keen to talk. "We walk backwards. Towards the cottage. And hide."

Or KILL the music that was playing. Yes, Jake liked that.

Simon nodded in agreement with K-Lee's idea. "How about Step...Together...Step.... with the steps being our free legs and together well is obvious," he offered himself before following her gaze to the cloth in his hands and then at his legs.

"Um...I think left," he replied shifting said leg closer to her own right leg "If thats alright with you?" the captain added looking back up at his companion and handing her the tie to give her the final choice and the honors of tying them up.

Parke was frozen in panic. They had to what?! It was bad enough they'd had to wear a costume. A costume!!! He could barely see out of his dragon costume. Worse, everyone had found a partner. And even if he found one, they'd be tied together! Touching!! Oh Merlin, he suddenly felt faint.

Spike wriggled in his spider outfit, his extra legs jiggling around as he did so. He was very proud of the costume he'd made, and had even taken to walking in it bent over (using his hands as well as his feet) to get the full spider effect.

Now though, he had a dilemma. He had nothing against three legged races, and would usually quite enjoy it. Perhaps apart from the finding a partner bit. Running around outside in the fresh air with a bunch of creatures? Pure win, in Spike's mind. But today, well today he was a spider. And he was taking it very seriously, as one should do, if you're going to impersonate your favourite creature. He was making Matilda proud.

The problem of course, then, was that Spike already had eight legs. And in his head, being a spider, those were all real. So to get only three would mean a whole lot of mutilation. Did he need the same spell as the crup had on its tail? He wrinkled his nose, a look of distain on his face.

Should he mention it to the Professor? Ignore his legs and just find a partner? Or do some kind of hands and one foot hopping motion on his own?

He knew which one would be most fun... Hehe.