*Takes down notes. And wiats for the Professor to continue.*

I have two questions, Professor. When you say it lives off of nutrients in the ocean water, do you mean things like plankton (please forgive my spelling)? I agree with the other students, it does look harmless, but looks can be deceiving, Could It use the antea or stingers at the top and bottom of it's body to attack?

(To Nadia)

No, it's not in my copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" either. Perhaps it was recently discovered, or too difficult to obtain, or Newt Scamander did not encounter them in his lifetime.

(Wonders to himself what they would be doing this class.)

OOC:: Hey!^^ *waves dramatically & happily* nice to have you back! =P


"Yes, I guessed so, I suppose is like dementors and boggarts which doesn't happen to figure just because... or maybe because they are dark or something -- though I don't think these lil ones are dark..."

Hears questions by Mrs Weasley.

"That's a very good question, Mrs Weasley. Pretty interesting, I never thought of that," Nadia says and next awaits for the professor, feeling curious herself about it, to tell if the antenas (sp?) did sting attackers.

Raises a hand.

"Those are all really good points. Because, If it has no means to attack is it also true that it has no way to protect itself?"

Maybe it has some special defense tactic. For example, skunks have an odor that they spray. *to the professor* Does the quandary have a special defense thing it uses to protect itself from predators?

*Thinks* I hope I can have defensive powers. Most of the boys at school are so annoying!

*Raises hand.* "Professor, is there a way you can turn yourself into a magical creature?"

Being near volcanic vents, do they mostly use minerals and gases for nutrients? It's really rather large for this type of feeding mechanism... are they very slow? Do they have any natural predators?

*raises hand*

"I thought that quandarys didn't harm any1, because they r rarely seen already. How will they harm a witch, wizard, or muggle if they r barely in contact with them? Also, not many creatures can survive in those condtions right professor?

^thats what I was thinking professor their really rearly seen

Professor, if the quandary is rarely seen are there still a lot of things scientists don't know about it?

"You are correct LilEuropeanHermione, the Quandury is rarely if ever seen, by witch, wizard or Muggle. Living conditions are extreme in their natural habitat and they have no natural predators. Mr. Antoms just happened to come across a community of them by chance. If you recall I mentioned that he had a hard time concentrating on what he was doing when he was in the presence of such a large number. He speculated that is why Muggles have never encountered them. They have a sort of 'natural' repelling characteristic, much like a Muggle Repelling Charm. As you all know, we are not effected in the same manner as Muggles, thus, Mr. Antoms was able to "find", if you will, these creatures. It is not known if this characteristic repells other creatures as well. Mr. Antoms never spent long amounts of time in their presence."
"Yes they do feed on naturally occuring minerals in the seawater. Water escaping from the volcanic vents is rich in primary minerals like carbon. They are also able to synthsize natural gasses, such as methane, and convert it to oxygen.

To answer the question of defence and if the appendages at both it's top and botton are a type of stinger, the answer is no and no defence other than possibly confusion. The appendages at it's apices are thought to be a type of feeler for locating substrate on which to sit."
"Nadia, the Quandury is not in FB. If you would read the "Important Class Information" I mentioned...'What Lurks Beneath by P.H. Athoms will be useful this term, as I will be covering several underwater and deep-sea creatures. Check with Madame Rowena in the Library for their availability.' And the Quandury is in deed a magical creature and not an apparition of some other creature, interesting theory though."
"Yes, I'm sure virginiap that is why Mr. Athoms named it what he did!"
"Possibly, but the work that Mr. Athoms has done with this creature has been extensive."

*nods head and smiles, jotting down a couple notes*

So, are we going to do anything with it, study it, or just look at it?

"That's a very good question, I was planning on harvesting some of it's fluid and giving it to Professor Airlia. I thought she might enjoy having it in her personal Apothecary. Now who here would care to guess how I might extract some of the Quandury's fluid?"

Um... (I have no idea if this is right but...) "Squeeze it?"

Would u put a needle in it, and take the liquid out? U know, like how Muggle Doctors extract blood?

"Perhaps you use a special charm?" Thyra said uncertainly.

*blush* I did, I just forgot (ooc: my question in real was if you had invented it or if it was somewhere in the HP books =P)

*raise hand* I'll risk that they give the substance out from their stings -- maybe you could make it think you are about to harm them and they will try using the fluid on you, and then you can extract it. However, seeing that live under water we have the following problems:
a ) That you would need an object alike a bag preassured within to tie around the stings; that's the only way I find for extracting the fluid without it mixing with the water.
b ) You could take the Quandury out of the tank but there's the possibility that it will die, for it needs to be under the preassure of the tank/sea and water to breath, isn't that right?
c ) Following both last posibilities, it happens that, to reach the Quandury in the tank -- to tie the enchanted bag or just bring the Quandury outside --, you would need to put your hand in the preassured tank, which would probably cause some harm on you... Mh, maybe using a very resistent net or another object to catch it?

"These are all really good answers but quidditch_chick is exactally right. One would squeeze it; however Nadia is also correct. The extraction of fluid has to be done underwater with a constriction/extraction spell (Thank you, Dracnyzz). The seawater surrounding the Quandury is then collected and it's fluid is seperated from the seawater. Quandury fluid is more viscous than seawater. What I mean is that it's heavier than the surrounding seawater. Once the Quandury fluid and seawater have been collected, the Quandury fluid will settle to the bottom of the container. The seawater is then poured off of the top and put into a seperate flask. You will want to distill this seawater because part of the fluid will mix with the seawater and not seperate out. To distill you simply gradually boil the mixture allowing the seawater to vaporize and escape in the form of steam. You will want to have a distillation tube connected to the flask of seawater so that what little parts of Quandury fluid that are in solution have time to condence and precipitate out of solution.

The resulting solution in the flask will be highly concentrated Quandury fluid. This can be mixed back in with the original fluid or used independently in potions."

(Scribbles down the steps quickly on some parchment.)

Would we have to maintain the pressure of the water while doing this?

"Not necessarily, Backslash. If you gradually decrease the pressure in the tank, allowing the Quandury to adjust to the change, it should be fine. You will have to keep it under water at all times though. They can not survive in the open air for even a minute. Now, are there any other questions?"

*Mike raises his hand and asks.*

"Professor one question, on distillation of the mixture of sea water and Quandury fluid, won't the fluid be contaminated with the salt left behind from the sea water?"

"That's a very good observation HPcrazy_in_jamaica. One would tend to think so but Quandury fluid is quite saltish so what salt that is left behind has no effect at all. Are there any other questions before I assign homework?"

"That's it for me Professor, no questions here." he says while scribing the notes so far.

"Wow, they're a bit like amphibians, like as if they asorb oxygen (or their enviroment) through their skin, and other marine animals simpler than that, 'cept that amphibians just get their food from their mouth."

<!--QuoteBegin-Hendrik@Mar 25 2004, 09:46 AM

"These are all really good answers but quidditch_chick is exactally right. One would squeeze it; however Nadia is also correct. The extraction of fluid has to be done underwater with a constriction/extraction spell (Thank you, Dracnyzz). The seawater surrounding the Quandury is then collected and it's fluid is seperated from the seawater. Quandury fluid is more viscous than seawater. What I mean is that it's heavier than the surrounding seawater. Once the Quandury fluid and seawater have been collected, the Quandury fluid will settle to the bottom of the container. The seawater is then poured off of the top and put into a seperate flask. You will want to distill this seawater because part of the fluid will mix with the seawater and not seperate out. To distill you simply gradually boil the mixture allowing the seawater to vaporize and escape in the form of steam. You will want to have a distillation tube connected to the flask of seawater so that what little parts of Quandury fluid that are in solution have time to condence and precipitate out of solution.

The resulting solution in the flask will be highly concentrated Quandury fluid. This can be mixed back in with the original fluid or used independently in potions."
[/quote]

"You know, with preparing something that complicated, I don't think I'll be able to capture a creature like that for studying."