The air might have started to get a little cooler, but it didn't bother Henry much. He really wanted to get out of the castle and explore the grounds too. He hadn't heard if Quidditch was going to be played this year, so he was assuming that it wasn't, but he still wanted to go out and check out the pitch, especially after all Esme said about it.

Allowing his kneazle to walk ahead of him, Henry followed him down the pathways. He wasn't exactly sure where the pitch was located and he wasn't so sure that Chewbacca would know either, but he kept going keeping his eyes on the surroundings. And not too far ahead of him was a familiar looking girl. Yep, he knew her!

"Hi, Noelle!" Henry grinned as he took a few quicker steps to catch up to her and walk in step with her. "Whatcha doing out here?" Maybe she was on her way to doing something fun and he could join her.

Colt decided to take a walk around Hogwarts. He was still amazed that he explored most of the grounds and he could find something new to explore. He found this place called the pathways and it is like something out of a storybook. He saw the stone pathways and the benches. He had his sketchbook near him and he wondered if he should plop down in the grass and sketch something. Yeah that sounded like a good idea. He saw his cousins sketches and he wanted to do some of his own.

He plopped down on the grass and actually just lye in it soaking up some sunshine. This was actually kind of nice.

DON'T LAUGH AT ME! That's what Olly meant to yell, but it didn't quite work out that way considering he was buried under a pile of leaves. That made it hard for more than just a random jumble of sounds to be heard. It also made it easy for leaves to enter his mouth. It was not a good taste, and Olly would definitely not be having that for breakfast. It tasted like dirt. GROSS!

He coughed, which did not help matters considering he was still inside the pile of leaves. Olly wiggled, trying as best he could to find the edge of the pile so he could get out of there. He might have succeeded had something solid not landed on top of him. Well on top of him as in on top of the leaves that were on top of him. So he barely felt anything, but it did effectively trap him within the leaf pile for a while longer.

"AHHH!" He finally broke the surface, coughing and spitting so as to rid his mouth of any stray leaves. He even went to far as to wipe his tongue off with his hand, trying to remove all traces of dirt. "NOT funny Ellery!" He sent a glare her way but it was mostly fake. And who knew if she even saw it considering she was so preoccupied with jumping into the pile.

Adi liked hanging out on at the Pathways. Why? Because stuff just popped up just like that! Benches, plants or even a cat. Okay, well maybe the cats didn't magically appear but rather it was just someone's wandering around the grounds at random. Anyway, it was a great day to be outdoors and so the Hufflepuff seventh year was wandering the paths at random. Really... maybe he should spend sometime studying or something.

NAAAAH.

Still plenty of time for that!

Now humming to himself, Adi spotted one of his baby badgers. This sent him into extra cheeriness. "Olathe!'' Grinning, he jogged towards his new friend. "HEY! Not lost, are you?'' It was his little joke with her ever since the first evening back at Hogwarts about her not finding her way around.

Henry the ferret was so cute in his little leash thingy. Like super cute. Why couldnt all animals be as cute as this little bugger? noelle had seen some pretty.... not so pretty creatures.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice. Turning, she saw Henry the boy, running to meet up with her. "Henry!!" She exclaimed, an instant smile springing to her face. "Im taking Henry the Ferret for a walk." she said pointing to him. Then she noticed he had a pet. OMG AND THAT PET WAS CUTER THAN HENRY! What was this sorcery??

"You have a pet too! Hi there you cute little thing you!....... what are you?" It looked like a dog (ithink) but it didn't... Being raised on a muggle farm, she didn't know too many wizard animals.

Damien was not the most observant dude ever, and especially when he was wrapped up in his thoughts, as the cowardly lion very often was. It probably wasn't very Gryffindor behavior, actually, definitely unbecoming in a noble, fearless lion to be chasing thoughts around.

Currently he was wondering if you could use flowers as a wand core or if that was even possible, he'd gotten into the subject cores and their various meanings and abilities lately, and the question; "Could you use this as a wand core?" was one he was perpetually asking recently, the point was, the boy was quite somewhere else, so he was completely taken by surprise when someone smacked (?!?) his behind.

Standing upright, ears pink as could be and his face a mask of surprise, Damien turned immediately to face his harasser. "YOU!" He said, brandishing the daisy at her as it were a wand. "You've spoiled my honor." He casually added after a brief pause, taking back up his relaxed posture.

It was only Evangeline, the booty smacking queen, after all.

"HAH-HAH-HAAAAH!"

Evangeline let out a laugh as punctuated and jolly as the Robotin of Sherwood himself. Except significantly more feminine than his probably was. And then she let out a real giggle of her own at the level of pink that appeared on Damien's face as he thrust the daisy into hers. It was quite adorable how easily Damien got flustered. She thought of teasing him more, making sure he knew that he had quite a nice bum, but she decided to spare him the embarrassment.

"It's okay, I don't think anybody saw." Evie plucked the daisy from between his fingers and tucked it under his hair, onto his ear. It added a nice touch. "Do you have more of those? Where did you get them?" Evangeline looked around them and towards the edge of the path where the shrubs grew, hoping to find more. She wanted to make a flower crown for him now.

Psh, Evangeline Shacklebolt it was not even remotely that funny, it was maybe worth the giggle that followed after, but that obnoxious laugh was definitely overkill, it wasn't cute ether, no way, no how. Damien scoffed, rolled his eyes, put n every bit of a show in an effort to hide that he was not only pleased to see the dark haired young woman, but also... amused by her antics. "You're so hysterical, Evie." Damien said as sarcastically as he could.

"I don't car if people see... 'kept maybe if Benzi does, 'cause I get the feeling he'd still kick my butt even if we're... Well... Whatever we are." Because they were not bros, but they weren't exactly strangers ether, just a sort of weird, in-between. At the daisy placement, Damien beamed. "Am I pretty?" This was an important question, Damien wouldn't be able to help her until he knew the answer first,

"Answer me, and then maybe I'll give ye what ye seek." That was probably not the correct usage of that word, but Damien couldn't be bothered to think of that right then and there.

Henry easily returned Noelle's smile as he walked up next to her, his look turning curious as he looked at her pet when she mentioned him. "Your ferret's name is Henry too? Cool!" He did know another boy with his same name at his old school, but he didn't know anybody that had named their pet like him. "I'm taking my pet for a walk too." Well, sort of. Maybe a leash would be good, or he needed to learn that tracking charm that his dad had told him about, but for now his kneazle seemed to keep close to him. But he sure didn't want him to get lost.

Oh, had Noelle never seen a kneazle? He guessed they were a little different in appearance to cats, but kind of close. "Chewbacca is a kneazle. Kinda like big cats, and they're super smart." But he most of all, he was his pet even if he was the first kneazle he had been around.

Wandering along the pathways, Paulina was trying to decide where the best spot to do the Potions homework was. She had picked this picked because not only was it spacious, but it offered a lot of room to move around in animal form.

Seeing a rock off to the side of the path, she took a seat on it. Now all she needed was for her partner to arrive, and that should be soon since she had come a little early. Transforming into an animal was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Soon she would have some idea of how it felt to be an Animagi.

It was kind of embarrassing that her ferret was also the name of Henry but it was also a good thing because they were both so cute!

Blushing, she nodded, "yeah! My mum named him. Said he had to have a cute name but one that took him serious." IT was one of the reasons she loved her mother. She was so inquisitive.

Oh a cat! We knew that

"Kneazle! Thats so cool! I only have my ferret. And you named him.. or her ... Chewbacca? Heh. Thats cool!"And smart! Well... funny. It matched well.

Noelle kept walking, hoping that Henry would continue to walk with her and Henry.

Austin walked onto the pathways, looking around for his potions partner. He had helped her fix her potion in class, and afterwards, they had decided to partner up. He could have easily done this on his own, but this year was his year to branch out. A year to find friends. Even if that friend was in her last term at Hogwarts.

He found her sitting on a rock near the path. Gulping down his anxieties he walked up to her clutching his messenger bag. "Hey there Paulina." He set his bag down next to her. This fourth year was definitely ready for this. No matter how scared he was.

Beatrice tried to offer a smile, even though there was a slight twinge in her knee. "I'm okay, dear, it's okay," she said, trying to reassure him that there was no harm done. She waved it off, "No, it's my fault for stepping in your way." Merlin, if only she had two senses and stepped out of his way sooner, and smoother than she did.

"Oh dear, you're hurt," and that WAS her fault. She pulled out a small pack of tissues from her pocket and gave him a fresh one. No snot on that one, no. "Well keep at it, I say. What's your name?" she asked, wishing to add to her collection of students whose names she knew.

She shook her head and chuckled, "Not in the slightest. What about your elbow? Did you want me to take you to the healer?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

Angel looked at Hady and smiled. "I will do." Angel thought it would be cool to tell her Owl what Hady had said. "He's flying home at the minute, I forgot to pick something up in the rush here." Angel sighed, seriously that day had gone really wrong for her and she wasn't happy about it. "He should be back soon though I hope, I have another letter I want to send." Angel didn't like using a school Owl.

Angel then suddenly heard Hady ask if she wanted to come with her. "That would be cool." Angel thought it might be cool just walking around. She couldn't wait to talk to her friends about a few things she had in mind.

SPOILER!!: Angel

Angel looked at Hady and smiled. "I will do." Angel thought it would be cool to tell her Owl what Hady had said. "He's flying home at the minute, I forgot to pick something up in the rush here." Angel sighed, seriously that day had gone really wrong for her and she wasn't happy about it. "He should be back soon though I hope, I have another letter I want to send." Angel didn't like using a school Owl.

Angel then suddenly heard Hady ask if she wanted to come with her. "That would be cool." Angel thought it might be cool just walking around. She couldn't wait to talk to her friends about a few things she had in mind.

She nodded her head slightly wondering if just for the moment Angel really would tell her owl what she had said. Hady talked to her owl Riddick whenever she saw him so maybe it was the same for most owl owners. "Ah, well at least you had him with you here so you could send him home to get what it was you forgot." Good thing about bringing an owl to the castle with you. You could always send them home when you wanted or needed to.

"Great," Hady smiled a little turning on her heel again to walk along the path but not before she had set Hagan down on the ground to follow along side them. "So um besides things happening and such, what else have you been up to?" Cause you know talking was good and stuff.

Well and good, then! Imagine if the NEW professor had broken teeth after the incident? Not that magic can’t fix things, but it wouldn’t be the kind of first impression he’d want to have with the new teacher either. With a sigh of relief, Ethan simply nodded and grinned at the blonde woman.

Opening his mouth to say something, Ethan held back as he watched the professor pull out something from her pocket, and grinned at her concern. “Thanks.” He said as he accepted the white, disposable cloth and pressed it against his wound. “Oh, this? It’s nothing.” He said shrugging. How many times did he get hurt by riding his skateboard? He lost count.

Ethan however, beamed with pride. “I’m Ethan Mordaunt, professor. Seventh year Slytherin.” Remember the name, okay? “…and yes, I still got a long way in terms of my spell work.” Of course he won’t settle for any mundane results with his magic. As much as possible, he’d want to have flair while he executes it. As of that day, he was still awkward with his wand work, given that he’s already 18.

The Slytherin chuckled as he shook his head. “This scratch is nothing compared to the broken bones I had before. I’m used to this, don’t worry.” He said as he picked up his skateboard, gave it a quick inspection for loose screws, and placed it back down on the paved ground. “Besides, I don’t want to worry my own Head of House over a small scratch.” If he remembers it correctly, Healer Murdoch had told him to be careful with his skateboard before ending his third year. He was sure she’d tell him things that only an overprotective mother will if she knew he got hurt. “Also, it would be a shame to pass up this beautiful morning, don’t you think? I'd rather be outside than inside the Hospital Wing” he said as he stepped on his skateboard and balanced himself on it, sliding the board from left to right with his feet. “How do you find Hogwarts so far?” he asked.

Olathe jumped slightly as the sound of her own name broke the quiet around her. She grinned brightly as she turned and saw Adi. " Heyyy." She waved as her bag slipped from her shoulder and she made a clumsy but successful grab for it before she dropped it. " Nope, I made it all the way here with out getting confused the first time, and all without a map or a walkie talkie!" She joked back. " So.. what brings our big brother badger,out this way?" she really hoped he didn't mind the big brother thing.But that was exactly how she felt he looked after all the first year puffs like an older brother.

Hearing her name, Paulina spotted Austin as he approached her. "Hey! You ready to get started?" This could be fun even if she was kind of nervous. It was a weird feeling to be excited and apprehensive at the same time.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her bottle of potion. If she remembered correctly, it would only last for 15 minutes. Or was it 25? No matter...She would see for herself soon enough.

Beatrice was relieved to hear that his hurt elbow was nothing, though at the sight of blood she often let her thoughts get the better of her. NO, Merlin, she didn't want a student to haemorrhage right there on the pathways. "Glad to hear," she said, with a nod.

"Ethan Mordaunt," Beatrice repeated, hoping to remember it. Well, she would at least remember his first name. "I'm Beatrice York," she said, introducing herself to him. He said he still had a long way to go in terms of spell work, but Beatrice was quite impressed with what she had seen. "I've not seen any other student being able to transform a whole surface like that. It's impressive."

Broken bones? Merlin! "What on earth do you do to get yourself into those messes?" she asked, humoured at his reaction. "From skateboarding, or similar things?" she asked. She agreed with what he was saying, knowing how people tended to worry over things. Obviously SHE worried, at the sight of blood. She wouldn't get in the way of his recreational activities, not Beatrice York.

He had a point there, and Beatrice found herself nodding. "It's a very lovely day. Alright, I shan't worry about your wound," she said. If he said it was nothing, she would take his word for it. Though how he was able to do what he was doing on a board with wheels was beyond her. Ride a rock transformed as a dragon, no problem, but anything on wheels? No, thanks. She peeled her eyes from what he was doing to answer his question. "Well a lot has changed since my student days here, but it almost feels like the castle is welcoming me back. It's almost like I never left," she said, looking around the grounds. "So, it's your last year?" she asked gently, in case he didn't want to talk about it. She had been most upset during her final year, not wanting it to be over. But her own sister had been DYING to leave.

"I'm ready." He hoped his voice sounded stronger then he felt. He had made the potion according to the instructions. But he was afraid that if he messed up, he would stay an animal forever. As cool as that sounds, it would be really hard to be a potion master without any apposable thumbs.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a small vial. There was no reason behind choosing a wolf. He just thought it was the best sounding animal out of all of them. "Bottoms up... I guess." He pulled the top off the vial and drank it.

Seeing Austin give the go ahead and down his potion, Paulina gave him a thumbs up and unstoppered hers so that she could follow suit. Hopefully things would go well because otherwise she couldn't do her homework. How sucky would it be if she was the only person who couldn't transform into an animal??

Meh.

"Bottoms up," she seconded before swallowing the entire contents of her bottle in one go.

Austin had expected pain, or even to black out. But instead, he just felt hunched over. He had picked the wolf fur because he thought it would feel the most like a human, but he only felt like he was walking on his hands and feet. "I don't think it worked." Was what he tried to say. But what came out was a loud "BARK!" The sudden loud bark startled the fourth year, and he scrambled around on his hands and feet.

Why was it so difficult to stand up? There wasn't a point to walk around on his hands. That was unsanitary. He tried to push up on his hands so he could get back on his feet, but he just landed back on his hands. Unsure of what to do, he awkwardly stood there on his hands and his feet.

To anyone who was watching this exchange, they would see a wolf with fur as dark as the night. Depending on where the watcher was watching, they might even be able to see his bright blue eyes, the only way one would be able to know it was Austin. And if the blue eyes didn't give it away, it certainly was the way the wolf was acting. At the sound of its own bark, it scrambled around as if it had startled itself. It even looked like it was trying to stand on its hind legs.

"Do you see this look on my face?" Adi pointed at his extremely handsome features. "This is me being very proud of you. You'll see how fast you get used to everything else. And as I warned you before the only thing you'll have to look out for are the Moving Staircases.'' He laughed good naturedly at the walkie talkie and map mention. "Nope, you certainly don't need either.''

Awwh! Olathe called him her big brother. Adi's heart warmed more than usual. ''Well, you see, little sis, it's a great day to be outside for a stroll.'' He grinned and gestured to all the paths. "It's and awfully good place to do a bit of exploration. You never know what may pop up.'' The seventh year winked. "Choose a path and we'll go explore that one.''

Olathe felt a swell of pride when Adi said he was proud of her. She looked around when he said it was a great day to explore. It truly was an excellent day for exploring. "Hmm..." She studied the pathways branching out around them. "How about this one!?" She pointed to a curvy path to her right. What do you think we'll find out here?" She asked curiously.

Henric had asked another schoolmate to practice charms together. He was thrilled to have found someone because everyone seemed to have partners for the activity they were about to do for their charms homework.While he waited for her to come meet him at the pathways, he would do his own practicing with the foam balls he had acquired.

He threw the ball upwards and swished away with his wand,making sure he was also focusing on his intent,"Depulso!" And with that, the ball banished into thin air and came out the next on the other end from where he was standing.Cool!