Well of course the sanitary condition was questionable! The undead was...dead! And rotting probably. Tora, however unsqueamish she may be, was not at all interested in smelling a dead thing. Zombie. Undead. Etc. She was certainly glad she was sitting closest to the window where she got the most fresh air. Was this the reason why the windows were open in the first place?

She shrugged and tried to focus more on class and less on dead things... or well maybe focus less on class and more on what was going on outside the window or Flamsteed's antics or something other than dead. Yeah.

Smell it? No thank you. That was so grody. Caleb was all about staying here in his seat, admiring it from afar, thank you very much.

He could smell it from here, actually. Not super strong but - a faint aroma. Ugh. Nasty.

But was it enough to mask HIS smell? This was the kind of thing that people talked about when they talked about zombie apocalypses, right? He thought it over a bit, and then raised his hand. "I don't think so. Zombies are meant to smell out flesh, right? So no matter what you do, you're still wearing a big ol' fresh meat suit, even if you covered yourself in zombie stink. It'd be like trying to trick a dog with raw meat but trying to mask it with the scent of spinach or something," he said.

Terrible analogy, but he felt it got the point across, yeah?

She wanted people to SMELL the arm??

The zombie arm??

What kind of a lesson was this?

Bryant scratched his head a bit, thinking rather than answering the professor's question. First there was a field trip, that he wasn't invited on, that apparently turned bad, not something he wanted to hear in his first DADA class... and they somehow got a zombie arm from all of this? For a first real impression of the school, Bryant wasn't really sure he liked it just yet.

She KNEW it. Of course Ethan would notice the word and repeat it. Merlin. Agatha managed a quiet and short 'SSHHH' so he would stop being weird.

W h a t? Smell the hand if they wanted? SMELL it? Go up to the front and... smell. It. If they wanted.

No. What even. Who on EARTH would want to smell it?? Gross!!

The little Ravenclaw brought up loads of questions and Agatha turned her attention to professor Romanos as the woman herself re-asked one of them. To be honest, Agatha never watched any of those Muggle films about zombies and had never bothered to read much about them, so she was surprised to know they had sense of smell. She also had no idea whether the arm smell would mask their smell and keep zombies from... attacking or getting closer or eating them alive or whatever zombies did.

IT WAS A ZOMBIE HAND!

Grayson could only stare in AWE at the hand that Flamsteed had brought along. He still didn't understand what he was doing here but whatever. There was a ZOMBIE HAND present. None of the minor details mattered. The Slytherin sat up a little to get a better view of the hand. Brilliant. Just brilliant. He was going to make sure to have a look at it later. Maybe at the end of the class.

Does the smell of a zombie mask your smell from other zombies? This was easy. The hand went up in the air as the fourth year reluctantly shifted his gaze from the arm to the Professor. "No," he started bluntly, "Okay, here's my theory. It's like what some of the others have said: you're still flesh and brains and the zombies will come after that. But maybe the zombie smell could, you know, mask it for a bit. Maybe the smell of your flesh wouldn't be as strong because there'd be the smell of a rotten corpse on you as well."

Was that right? Eh.

"Maaaaaaaaybe," Looks like he wasn't done. "It's just something that could buy you some time to go and hide. Delay your capture." Uh huh. Right ray of sunshine he was today.

Bree was getting a bit creeped out as she realized this class was about the undead and now seeing some sort of possessed skeleton she had a funny feeling they would be experiencing her nightmares shortly, eeeek. She quivered as she raised her hand, "Uh, I think that's a possessed skeleton arm, like a zombie arm. I hope that's all we shall be seeing of him in person today.".

That was like saying if you were walking your dog, other dogs wouldn't be able to smell you. It was completely illogical. Gwen shook her head in answer to the question, but it looked like the other students already had it covered. Why were they so grossed out by the arm? It was cool! Stuff like that, it must have taken a great adventure to get it. If Gwen had gone to all the trouble to fight a Zombie and cut off its arm, she would so not be sharing her treasure with a group of students who might throw up on it. Okay, maybe she would wrap it in plastic so she wouldn't have to smell it, because truth be told, it did smell horrible. Still, she would keep it someplace she could see it and remember the adventure of it. Like in a shadow box.

Zahra scooted back to sit with Mikey, ignoring that whole revealer-to-Nigel's-head-followed-by-an-apology thing.

She was still trying to pay attention though, hard as it was to stay focused with all these people talking at once and dead hands waving around. Zahra scratched her nose, looked at HER Toussaint, scratched her nose again.

"She wants us to sniff a hand. Should I tell her we'll lick it for house points? Or volunteer to find out if a zombie hand works as repellent?"

Wait...that was a REAL zombie arm Professor Flamsteed just pulled out of his pocket?!

She could literally feel her stomach turn at the very sight of it. Was that in his pocket the WHOLE time? It was making the second year feel very ill at the moment. Wait, what was that about someone saying to smell it? Really? She couldn't help but cover her mouth, was she going to be sick? Oh, she really REALLY hoped not. But one thing was for sure, she was slightly regretting sitting towards the front of the classroom.

Angel looked at the professor and raised her hand. "Nar miss, that's how they meet up, they know they are zombies by the fact that they are smelly and well that means they aren't alive, so it's safe to come out." Angel beamed, seriously it was one alarm system wasn't it, surely the professor knew they wouldn't want to come out when a human was about it would be hard for them to explain what was going on.

Would a zombie be able to distinguish between their fellow zombie and a live human being by smell? Now that was a good question, but judging from all those old Zombie movies he had seen especially the one called Warm Bodies and World War Z, there definitely was something that somehow helped Zombies tell the difference.

Raising his hand, Cris shared his thoughts.

"I think that zombies can somehow sniff out who is dead and alive. That dead, rotting flesh thing is a dead giveaway...no pun intended. But I don't think that carrying a dead zombie arm with you will help mask your own smell," Cris paused to think of another possible reason why it wouldn't work.

"Professor, I just don't think it's our smell that draws zombies to us. It's something else. It's like zombies are able to sense a living presence. It's like they are drawn to our very life essence. If that makes any sense at all," Cris concluded.

ewww smells…. he didn't even want to know if a zombie masked his smell. he honestly started to feel sick to his stomach.. He could barely deal with this during the summer now he had to deal with this again.. for real where was a bucket around here… he spotted one and quickly stood up and ran to it, throwing up in it.

once he was done he wished he had some water to wash out his mouth, the taste was horrible. he moved slowly over to his mat and sat down.. already full of sweat.

o________O

SMELLING a zombie arm? Had the Professor lost it?

So disgusting, and Lux could see that she was not the only person who felt that way. Hearing someone throwing up in a bucket, she looked and saw that it was Bay. Awwww no. He really didn't look well at all. Concerned, she moved over closer to him. "You okay? Do you want some water?"

Toby raised his hand.

"Maybe. It probably depends on what you smell like to start with."

Simple as that. Maybe? Toby hoped so. He was a little too distracted to try and think of a better answer, what with trying to get comfortable on his mat and basically fidgeting about like usual. He'd settled on jiggling one of his knees up and down (which was the easiest kind of bouncing when sitting down) and fiddling with his quill when he wasn't writing anything down.

As much as he'd have welcomed getting up and moving about, he preferred to, uhh... not sniff the dead undead arm.

On seeing Bay run and throw up in a bucket, Cris immediately empathized with him. The smell of putrid rotting flesh did have a way of creeping up one's nose. As he watched Bay return to sit on the mat, Cris got up from his and walked over to the bucket. Taking out his wand, he pointed it inside the bucket and magically cleaned it.

Yes he could have left it for later but somehow he didn't think the smell of both the zombie's arm AND vomit, would be appreciated by the rest of the class. Returning to his mat, Cris glanced over at Bay. He reached over and patted him on his back. Slipping a hand into his pocket, he pulled out a roll of mint and handed it over to his friend. Hopefully, that would help take away the bad taste in his mouth.

Kyroh held up his right arm, and sniffed it a few times. Then opening his mouth he even bit it. Gently enough that it didn't hurt, but when he stopped he could see a few indented teeth marks. Eyebrows coming together in confusion the first year once again inhaled deeply, his arm to his nose.

He had to make sure.

The same hand went up.

"But Professor- I don't smell like anything!" It was TRUE. "You can stiff and everything if you want." So how was a zombie smell suppose to mask his smell when he smelled like nothing.

Inner conflict alert.

Like, Marigold LOVED Airey and LOVED Romanos and LOVED this class annnnnd all so her brain was all 'be happy' but then her BODY was like 'ew undead go away let's not be happy.' Confusing stuff, yeah? So she settled on 'mildly enthused' and took notes. She set her quill down when the next question was asked, as it was something she felt she could actually answer.

"I think it masks it? At least for a while? But then the smell will dissipate and the zombie will smell you and eat you or whatever magical zombies do." All she knew was from muggle horror films. Moo was a fan of scary movies.

Maddie DIDN'T want to smell the arm cause YES, unsanitary. She also DIDN'T offer a theory cause she didn't know. That's why she'd asked about it, right? RIGHT? What she DID do was listen carefully to her classmates. She even gave the arrogant boy from the wall special consideration cause he seemed into zombies and THAT was interesting.

She ALSO leaned over and gave Kyroh a good sniff just to see if he was telling the truth. "He's right, professor. He really DOESN'T smell like anything."

Where zombies even smart enough to notice a difference if there was one? That was Nigel's only question. Or where they like pure animal and could smell a difference. The Prefect never really cared about zombies. Nundu's and Lethiflod's were much more interesting to him.

Or any serious dark creature. He just to not see the appeal/fascination muggles had with the things.

Maybe he will learn something interesting this lesson or will just be content watching Flammy dance. It was entertaining.

Michael was rather unfazed by the zombie looking hand and he had no problems with sniffing it either. He watched his girlfriend out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but grin when she looked at him.

His grin turned into a laugh. Trust Zahra to come up with something like that. Michael gave the Professor's a quick glance before looking back at Z and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. Do you reckon she'll let us do that?" He didn't know the Professor that well and he wasn't sure how much of a sense of humour she had.

"Tell her we'll lick it." Probably the only way they were going to get house points.

Sanitation issues? Sweet solstice this was Defense Against the Dark Arts class, wasn't it? Airey simply chuckled under his breath as he imagined the Ravenclaw first year going up to a zombie in the heat of the moment and curtly telling it that it could not touch her because of sanitation issues. Which was entirely the astronomer's imagination getting the best of him, but still a midly amusing thought.

And alarming.

As for the smell, well, they should just come up and take a wif for themselves. Heh. His pocket, on the other hand, had some handy enchantments placed on it to keep the stench down. At least to a manageable level where his muggle dry cleaners wouldn't ask any suspicious questions.


And oops, sorry there Mr. Bay about...that. The arm was meant as an education device, not a means to lose one's lunch over. Some people just couldn't stomach scientific inquiry at this level - and Mr. Bay wasn't along judging from the various looks of his classmates. He sent the Gryffindor an apologetic look. At least Mr. Sander was over there helping him?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roselyn

Blown to smithereens. A nice bit of imagery there. "After class perhaps." she nodded in agreement towards Hayden. The light was bright enough in the arena to see some of the students going green, or ghostly white. Not entirely comforting colors upon one's face in the presence of a dismembered limb. Perhaps due to it being waved around none stop.

Despite not wanting to touch it, she could...handle it, somehow. Couldn't be a defense teacher without having the stomach for certain things, right? With a hovering charm! Flicking her wand, the arm float up above them momentarily before settling parallel in perfect view. Certainly won't be shorthanded during the lesson now.

"Thank you." she turned her attention to Airey for the moment, lowering her voice. "We have an activity later on you might be interested in if you want to stay." If nothing better to doooo.

Disappointed, mildly so, at the fact that Medea wasn't holding hands with it but levitating it instead. Oh well.

Oh? An activity? Don't mind if he do!

"Leave and miss out on some real hands on experience?" he chuckled in reply. "Wouldn't dream of it."

He would just be sitting over there on that open yoga mat.

Well even if it did mask YOUR smell. Why would it matter? It's not like it was sanitary to walk around with old zombie bits anyways. Who in their right mind would do that? Well... Apparently Professor 'Flail'steed did that. Which only clarifies the point because clearly that man is not in a right state of mind. Anyways back to the question.... "Yeah maybe. Zombies are pretty dumb."

Har har har hands on experience.

"We'll seeee." she spoke softly, gaze flickering over to the Gryffindor standing up.

Oh my.

With a flick of her wand towards the zombie arm, a light blue bubble surrounded it, masking the odor inside. She took a split second to make sure her...handiwork, was working like it was supposed to before moving over to the ill sixth year, kneeling next to him. There weren't any cause and effect students in here, were there? One sick student was more than enough.

"Are you okay now?" Hmmm? "You may head to the bathroom if you so wish."



From her position next to the ill Gryffindor, she refocused somewhat back to the students. "You are thinking more along the lines of inferi and charmed skeletons and the like, Mister Mordaunt. Zombies are in the group of undead who aren't controlled by an outside source. They are indeed, naturally created."

Not that there was anything natural about a zombie.

"Most of you are right. A zombie's smell will only mask your scent temporarily, but it will mask it. Long enough to devise a quick plan or to escape. Ammonia won't work as well, or at all if you're up against a particularly large group, though that was quite a good suggestion Mister Lecium." With smile to the Hufflepuff and a short glance to the zombie arm, she stood up in place. "A single limb of a zombie won't work either, you're right Mister Strand. You'd need to...smell like one. Thoroughly. Even better to look like one."

They could figure out how to do that quietly. If stomachs were already turning, there was no need to go into detail.

With a short chuckle, she shook her head. "Most of the time, you aren't even aware you have a scent, Mister Scabior. We, as humans, are used to what could be called the natural human odor. You may not even be aware of the person's sitting next to you. It's quite the same with zombies. We may find their odor putrid and unforgettable, but it is a natural scent for them. They are, for lack of better words...used to it. Making it quite easy for them to sniff out the living."

Oh! Another very good question.


"Can anyone answer Miss Malone's question before we move on?"

How were they expected to know so much about Zombie smells anyways? Does it really even matter? If Zander ever even saw a glimpse of a zombie, he'd definitely be making a run for it. Or fighting it. Yeah probably hexing it. But definitely not smelling it. "I suppose the older ones probably have a stronger smell. Because first off, old people always smell worse and also, because they're probably more rotten-y 'n stuff?" But all he had was a guess. But hey! At least he was participating? Besides, that was a pretty good attempt for someone who had no clue what he was even talking about.

Beverly raised her hand again. Was this really necessary? Not that her arm hurt or anything, but she had a feeling she'd forget and then get scolded for it. Oddly enough, this subject intrigued her at heights she didn't ever expect, and her arm voluntarily shot up into the air before she even registered it. "I think the smell varies on the levels of the decomposing body. The smell most likely gets worse as it rots."