Maddie moved in closer and Kyroh had no problem with it at all. COME! SHARE HIS YOGA BLANKET! More body heat was a good thing. But even if it wasn't he didn't want his friends to freeze! They would hopefully warm up together! And if they didn't....well they would all freeze together!

Romanos though?

"They are really cold." Like him. RIGHT NOW. Did that make him a Cold one or a Skygge? " And they are the undead." Nah. He didn't factor into that part of the equation.

Ahem, well, she couldn't deny Alexa's opinion to be true. However, she resisted a full smile and instead nodded her head towards the Gryffindor in acknowledgement. They didn't particularly need to get into morals and life choices at the moment.

Yet, she was pleasantly surprised to hear so many people voice a fact. The cold hadn't squished out their long term memory as of yet!

Or ability to participate.

Ooooh? "Vonderful question, Miss Cooper." And one she'd normally let the students try to answer, but they did have a late start to the lesson. "That vould depend on a variety of factors actually. Distance, eye sight, weather conditions, lighting... generally, if you can see vell enough, you could make out that the person is quite...normal. Even from a distance.

And this is because.....vhy?"

Did anyone have a guess?

Emmylou listened to the girl. She made a good point and Emmy was thinking about that too but she didn't think of asking it out loud because some professors would have thought of that as a dumb questions and Emmylou knew that there was no such thing as a dumb question. It's better to ask than not to ask at all, right? Emmylou shrugged at her thoughts. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. No. Not the coldness in the classroom. The possible answer to the questions.

This was probably a dumb questions though. "Are they just really good at using camouflage of some sort?" Her father had done the muggle hunting and stuff with his muggle friends so he had to wear camouflage. Then it popped into Emmylou's brain. "Over time these cold ones might have watched humans and evolution could have taken over and they just learned to look like us so they could get more people into their grasp." That sounded like a good enough answer for her.

Kace heard the little first year ask the question. Hmmm she seemed like a smart and observant one. She might be a ravenclaw if Kace had to guess. But the professor asked an interesting question. He heard Emmy's answer and agreed with it but he wanted to add something else. "Professor I think the Skygge learned to adapt by observation. They saw what the other Skygge was doing and learned to capture their prey from the techniques they saw. Or could it possibly be instinct? Maybe they just have like a natural way to capture people." He shrugged and that was the best he could do. He wasn't an expert at Defense Against the Dark Arts but he tried at least.

I mean hey he could be totally off but maybe someone would correct him or the professor. But this is what he thought.

Hmmm...very good question. Cris listened as Kace and Emmylou shared their answers before he raised his hand to share his own thoughts.

"Professor maybe it's hard to tell the difference, since the Cold Ones were actual human beings before they died and were infected by that virus. Could it be that being buried in the ice and all, their physical outlook was preserved? So there's no obvious sign of decay," Cris paused to think.

"Maybe through some instinctual need for survival, they learned to blend in with other living human beings. Like that saying, the best way of hiding, is to be out in the open. No one would suspect that they were one of the Cold Ones until it was too late," Cris shuddered just at the thought of that possibly happening.

Was someone in here actually a Cold One?

He got awfully distracted during classes, and so Dima didn't realize Maddie had even asked a question until the professor was halfway through the answers. Er.. why did the Cold Ones look like actual humans? The answer to that seemed TOO obvious, so obviously it was a trick question. Maybe.

"Whenever you freeze stuff, it doesn't change how it looks, right?"

Which was essentially what that Cris guy had said, but in NORMAL PEOPLE speak. Mhm. Strong advocate of oversimplification here.

Yeah, Lux was not a huge fan of this lesson so far. The missing Zombie arm was a plus, but The Cold Ones still freaked her out. Not really knowing an answer to the next question, she stayed silent so that she could listen to what everyone else had to say on the matter.

This whole conversation was creeping Jasmine out. It was one thing to talk about zombies and Cold Ones when they were just topics for discussion......but to think that they could actually be nearby and undetectable was downright disturbing. Jasmine tried to a imagine a Cold One being among them and was totally distracted from the classroom conversation.

Trying to refocus her attention, Jasmine tuned back in to what her classmates were saying. She just stayed silent and listened, taking notes as the conversation progressed.

…

That simply spells, trouble. They, actually look normal? But there must be something different to differentiate them from a normal person. Ethan looked at the Gryffindor student who said camouflage. It could also mean that they have adapted themselves to their environment thus making them look like they live there.

The Slytherin sat back on his hands, and waited for the other answers. This is interesting stuff, and…wait. If those dark creatures can look normal, does that mean that they have one inside their fortress?

Bad news. Bad news for everyone if that’s the case. Now that they knew they looked normal, can they now learn how to defeat it? It can come in handy, just in case a Skygge jumps out of nowhere.

Adi was finding this lesson very much fascinating. And that first year Ravenclaw's question was a good one. He had a good idea however, as to why they would appear normal. It was quite similar to Cris's answer so he just gave a quick answer.

Hand in that air, Adi said ''I think it's because they were once human beings, Professor. They somehow managed to keep that physical look.''

wow!!! Emmylou.. look at her goo. she sounded like she knew a lot about these things.. Raising his hand he thought that he would give it a go "Professor.. maybe theres something that happens to the cold ones once they change.. where they don't smell or decay or anything?" worth a shot right.

Lex took a moment to eye the little Ravenclaw. They were not about to play 20 million questions like they did last class. No. This article was on Cold Ones and so was the discussion and she would REALLY APPRECIATE a cold one invasion right about now even if the little ones couldn't proper defend themselves. Ahem.

The best way to learn was by doing, yes? She'd never learned a hex by reading the words on a page but by trying herself. What if one day reeeally soon they were confronted by said Cold Ones? Did no one else notice the weather outside?? WHAT IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE SNOW?? It couldn't have been normal snow with this extra ridiculous cold they were having. It was perfect breeding ground for such things and she was all for full on defending the castle, everyone getting into position, shooting arrows, BATTLE CRIES FOR MERLIN'S SAKE--

But maybe she was getting carried away and should just attempt answering the question asked. That seemed like a good enough start, yeah?

"I'm with the others Professor. Them being once human then frozen, they wouldn't be so decomposed that they'd be unrecognizable so to most they'd look normal for a while...until they get close enough that is."

Did the professor know that it was going to be insanely cold this year ahead of time, thus making them learn about the said cold ones? AJ found it rather ironic how some things seemed to be falling into place. There sure were a lot of things going on for them to just be coincidences

Thinking that the others brought up good points, the first year agreed with them. "Since they are human, they already look the part and I seriously doubt that people are going to get all close and personal to a potential heart freezer." Just saying. Wha was the question again? She felt like she had gone off subject there for a bit.

Okay here comes the part of the lesson where there are a lot of questions that Zander can't answer. So he decided to keep low for a little while and scribble some notes. Because when in doubt... Look like you're not in doubt?

Eugh. They look normal? Well... That's confusing. And dangerous. He nodded at everyone's answers. Ooh, he liked the ones about how they were all frozen and decaying wouldn't really happen. Yeah those are good. But again... not saying anything... Just jotting down some ideas. Yup. This class was lost on him. As always. Could they just blow stuff up again? That was fun.

Pulling the sleeves of the cloak over her hands to warm them up, she considered the question. If those creatures managed to keep a well kept appearance it could either be due to their own sort of magic or simply the cold.

Raising her hand, she said, "Could it be that they have a special magic helping conserve their appearance?" Pause. "Or it's simply the cold that keeps them from rotting."

So the cold ones looked normal? "I think they would look normal because the cold would preserve the body when they died. Because the body was preserved, they would look normal."

The cold ones looked normal..."Professor", Lucy said", could they have the metamorphic abilities?

WHY did they look like their normal selves? Or, well, human?

He did NOT know.

It was an interesting question which, thankfully, that tiny Ravenclaw over there was NOT going to know about. Some people had some interesting theories behind this. The Slytherin sat there and listened to each of the answers, agreeing with some more than others. Smart how the idea of being frozen over would keep you preserved. And interesting how most people had focused on the cold part immediately. Very interesting.

Sooooooooo he needed to offer something. "See, I agree with the cold preserving you and keeping you looking like your human self," He did. Really. "But Professor? Could it have anything to do with magic as well? Could it help to preserve you normal looks for a while longer?" Maybe, if it DID work with Muggles, they might end up looking slightly more frozen over and zombie-like.

Maybe.

This was fascinating. Really.

It WAS a good question, wasn't it? Maddie SMILED at Professor Romanos but that faltered when the woman confirmed that yes, the Cold Ones would look quite normal. This was really quite alarming, did she KNOW? Because what if there was a cold one wandering the corridors trying to freeze people's hearts RIGHT now and they were just beeing quite discreet about it? Merlin.

The first year sat quietly as her classmates discussed WHY they would look normal, agreeing that the freezing cold would keep the actual body well preserved. Grayson did bring up another interesting point, though. NOT that she'd ever SAY so, duh. Magic. Maybe magic COULD preserve people for longer and THAT'S another reason why they looked so normal.

"If the magic part is true, maybe that's another reason for the shield? It'll keep them from being harmed but maybe it's like a camouflage of sorts TOO cause once you bring down their magic, they might actually start to LOOK more like zombies!" And that was IF the magic part was true, only IF.

"Yeah! What she said." He said pointing to the little firstie Maddie, the one and same who'd winked at him in Herbology. Crazy, looney Ravenclaw girls. But they had a point every now and again. "It's probably their magical shield, maybe it does more for them than simply acting as a defense by deflecting spells fired at them. Maybe it's a general source for their stealth."

If all other factors weighed they looked just like a normal person, although with the appearance of being cold, did they move that way as well? It seemed like Zombies, and most sub-categoried things in this family could still very well function even without a limb. Where the Skygge especially vulnerable, then?

Professor Romanos' question repeated in his head over and over again. This was because vhy? He wracked his brains, trying to find another possible solution, but the ones that the other students had mentioned already made sense. Simon nodded in agreement with Cutty as he pointed out that perhaps they weren't able to be seen because of their magical shield. Mhmm. That sounded right to him. He stayed silent.

Angel was still trying to figure out what to say about the question that the Professor had asked. "Maybe they have the shield because they just like magic and they want to have something cool." Angel wasn't sure but it was worth a guess.

She waited until a couple of students voiced their opinions before speaking up. Coincidentally, they all seemed to be on the same track.

Slowly nodding, a small smile played on her lips. She did so enjoy the out of box thinking. "The thing about evolution though, is that it happens over generations. Meaning, they must be reborn again and again and again until the desired results come into play through DNA. In our previous lesson, ve discussed how the Skygge vere created, vhich doesn't come naturally. Of course, there is alvays the possibility they could force their change, but no record has been made as of yet. I vould bet more on camouflage rather than evolution, though...perhaps evolution could be geared more tovards their survival skills? As Mister Strand spoke of."

"Or instinct as Mister Lecium put it." They could squeeze evolution into there somewhere maybe.



And then evolution transitioned into the cold effects.

"Good! Yes, the cold vos vot I vos looking for. Partly."



The rest of the answer arrived straight after.

"Magic is indeed a key factor here as vell. The combination of both the cold and the magic is vot keeps the Skygge in their previous stage of appearance. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they look exactly human, so to speak. Vhile magic and cold can preserve a body from aging or decaying, the effects of staying in icy cold conditions can show upon a body. Much like the Cold Ones, the Skygge will normally haff an...icy look to them. Most of the time they'll haff turned a pale vhite as vell, due to chilled flesh and lack of circulation. Vhich you'd normally think they'd turn a blue or purple because of frostbite, but...magic." She paused momentarily, to let the information settle in.

"Unfortunately, it's not metamorphic magic at play here. Nor has it been recorded that the ability has been transferred from the vitch or vizard's previous life into their new life. Vhether that is due to the ability being extinguished during the transformation or they just don't realize they have the ability anymore...it is unclear." So many unclear things. "Besides the change to a more pale vay of life, the only other difference in their physical appearance is their eyes. Once a Skygge, they'll turn an icy blue. Very easy to notice and one of the key differences that is looked for to tell the difference between a Skygge and a lost vonderer in Antarctica." Pulling out a pair of gloves from her back pocket, she slowly put them on, letting the students take a moment to write down anything they needed to.

"Although, I'm getting the feeling that some of you are mixing up the Cold Ones and the Skygge. From vot ve know now, can anyone tell me the differences between the two? Two points to anyone who can."

Kyroh a was listening, it was just that raising his hand was an option here. He wanted to stay warm. And speaking out of turn wasn't polite so he kept quiet.

The differences between them? Kyroh shifted the yoga mat-turned blanket so it was mostly on his friends so he was able to raise his hand. "A Cold One can turn a human into a Skygge but a Skygge can't turn a human into a Skygge." They just killed them right? Right? Or.......maybe he HADN'T been listening closely enough between this class and the last.

Everything was being jotted down. Well, not everything, mostly the things Beverly considered worthy of noting. Setting her quill down, she shivered a bit. Talking about the cold was making her feel even colder.

She raised a sleeve covered hand. "The Cold Ones are a result of a body laid to rest in contaminated ice," she said, "while the Skygge is the result of having their hearts frozen by a Cold One." Creepy. Plain creepy.