Avalon carefully watched Professor Flamsteed's demonstration on collecting wolfsbane. She was slightly miffed that she wasn't able to find any in the greenhouse, but from the looks of things, the X group did much better than the Y group. And at least she had been looking in the right place.

The Ravenclaw had just started digging up her plant when she heard a commotion. She peered over her shoulder just in time to hear Violet shouting about gnomes. Great. Apparently it was time to make an already dangerous activity even more challenging! She considered going to help Fiona, but the Slytherin looked like she knew what she was doing. So Avalon picked up her pace, grabbing the plant by the stem and severing the roots quickly. But levitating her plant into the wheelbarrow would be tricky with the gnomes running amok.

Too bad she didn't have any Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans with her. That was how she helped get rid of the gnomes in her grandparents' garden.

June was feeling so happy seeing them all work. It was also official that the ones helping others were her favourite. It was all so wholesome and nice. When the elder Miss James spoke up, June nodded, “Excellent idea, why don’t you all gather up the severed roots by -- that tree” she pointed - smiling at her little, diligent, awesome workers.

Hearing Miss Turov in need, June was making her way over to her when Miss Cambridge spoke up as well, “Why don’t you two do this with me” she offered and settled down next to a plant, “Now, Miss Turov, hold the stem” she instructed and retrieved her wand. “It’s all in the flick of your wrist and how good you aim” she told the girls, and then cast the spell: “Diffindo!”

“Easy enough? Miss Cambridge - now you try — ” How can anything be so simple though? Because suddenly there were little potato heads everywhere! Watching the gnomes ATTACK, June stood there a moment completely stunned.

What in the world?

But soon she found herself sighing, because you know what June was actually worried about? What would Airey Flamsteed think of this mess of a class?

Awful, just awful - she felt like such a failure at this point.

“No, Miss Cambridge, we cannot keep one” It didn’t look like they wanted to be kept either “But yes, Miss Quartermaine, it will most definitely kill them if they grabbed one by the roots” she confirmed as she waved her wand to stun one who was running - only to be of no use as Miss Jenovick knocked one back instead.

Ouch.

“Incarcerous” she waved her wand right after, immediately binding the confused looking gnome on the ground. “Good work, Miss Jenovick”

Now where were the others?

OOC: Awesome work, you guys :3 Class will be ending soon in about 14 - 16 hours. Let's wrap things up! <3

Remember when she had been digging around the plants and helping Phoebe and Bernie with the activity? Those were good times. Admiring the gnomes though? Those were better times. Because the gnomes were of more interest to her than the dirt and her trowel, Kinsay allowed herself to be properly distracted, giggling under her breath when she noticed one throwing grass at the slytherin prefect's face. She deserved it because she yelled at Emm in History of Magic.

Oh how Kinsay wished a gnome would fall out of the sky and onto her lap so that she could give it a good home and lots of love.

And as if right on cue, the creature god's answered her silent wishes! The first year, naturally, gasped in absolute delight. "Hi, gnome!!" Kiz wasted no time in giving him a big smile and reaching to grab him so she could give him a big hug. He was hers and she loved him immensely.

To have and to hold forever. It was decided.

"Fifi, look, he's so cute!" Fiona's call went totally unheard. She had a GNOME! Until she no longer had a gnome. "HEY! That wasn't nice!" Directed at the Slytherin, of course. She picked him up and gave him a little hug even though he was all bound up. Poor little guy. He just wanted to make friends.

Excuse Aboli if she wasn't paying attention. THERE WAS A GNOME THROWING GRASS IN HER FACE.

She HUFFFFED and JABBED him with her wand tip again. "INCARCEROUS!' she squeaked, loudly, after hearing Professor June use it. "Stinky little gnome..." they had to go RUIN A PERFECTLY RELAXING LESSON LIKE THIS.

Phoebe was being very complimentary today, which was nothing new, but also KIND of new because she was also doing a weird BLINK thing with her compliments, which Bernie thought seemed almost like she was having a stroke?!?!!

"You okay the---" she started to say, staring at Big James when Lil James, y'know, caught a gnome by accident. "Awww!" Bernie agreed, TOTALLY getting distracted by the gnome in her friend's sister's lap.

Also, "HEYYYYY," she agreed again (surprise surprise) with Lil James. "That was KINSAY'S gnome to play with, not YOURS!" Stupid Fiona having to ruin all their fun. "That's not nice. How would YOU like the knockback jinx cast on YOU?"

She agreed with Kinsay. They should have just hugged the gnome. He couldn't get away if you hugged him. Also, did gnomes look like fat little Santa Clauses or was her Muggleborn showing? Bernie scooted on the dirt a little closer to one of the bound-up ones, just for a closer look...

How right was Claudine when she said to herself that Fiona could handle the gnomes by herself? Sure, the gnome that was being a nuisance to her dodged her spell at first but she handled him better the next time around. Since none of the creatures were not bothering her still, the fourth year got back to work. That was how chill she was, and the level of minding her own business she was on.

Claudine harvested another Wolfsbane by repeating the earlier steps exactly: dig, sever, levitate. But as for the latest instructions that Flamsteed added? The one that involved gathering up the Severed roots? Well, the Slytherin heard none of it due to the chaos with the gnomes and amid all the shouts of MINEEE. In addition, was Flamsteed talking to that particular group of students alone or the entire class? She wouldn’t have been able to figure it out even if she heard the instructions.

Oh well.

Mamie was relieved that the professor came to help her--and another first year, too--before she had to wave her arm around too much. She held the stem as the professor indicated, watching closely as she cast the spell. Diffindo, Mamie repeated in her head. Diffindo, diffindo, diffindo. She would try not to forget that one, as it appeared quite useful. She wondered if it could be used to slice bread or tomatoes or tomatoes. "Thank you professor!" Mamie chirped. Though she supposed Professor Flamsteed was just doing her job.

She glanced nervously around at all the little potatoheads gnomes running around. They seemed to not be coming too near her, so she decided to attempt the wolfsbane cutting herself. She grabbed the stem and pointed her wand at the top of the root. You can do it, Mamie, Mamie thought to herself. Diffindo diffindo diffindo.

After the brief mental pep talk, Mamie cleared her throat and flicked her wrist like Flamsteed had shown them. "Diffindo!" she said loudly. Then, she held the wolfsbane aloft proudly as it came away from the root. "I did it!" she shouted. True, the cut was sort of jagged and not as neat as the professors, but still! She had learned a new spell!

Now what were they supposed to do? Levitate it into a pile? She was about 80% sure she could levitate it successfully. Setting the wolfsbane on the ground, Mamie pointed her wand again. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said, swishing and flicking her wand the way the spell demanded. The wolfsbane hovered above the ground. Mamie looked around. She was a little worried about getting caught in the gnome commotion on her way to wherever she was supposed to put the wolfsbane. Mayyybe she should just stay here with her floating wolfsbane? Where was that pile anyway?

Morgan pretty much considered himself an expert at Herbology (he wasn't), but he'd never had the chance to work with wolfsbane before and he was actually a little bit intrigued by it. Or at least it was holding his attention for the time being. He found the idea of the two opposing sides - poison and protectant - to be really cool. What wasn't cool though? The fact that he missed all the excitement in Greenhouse Y that he'd heard about when leaving Greenhouse X.

Whatever. He was just going to try to forget about it and follow Professor Flamsteed to work on this wolfsbane. Even if he really liked being part of the action! He really felt like he was missing out!

The demonstration was easy enough and he had all his materials ready. Plus he knew how to sever and levitate, so this would be a piece of cake. Dragonhide gloves on, Morgan used the trowel to dig up some of the dirt from the ground when a commotion caught his attention.

"Gnomes?" He lifted his head and turned his eyes in the direction of the shouting. "Gnomes! Where's Ferret Bueller when you need him?" That jarvey was AWESOME at catching gnomes. Speaking of... he'd have to go visit him in the barns soon. Welp, he was sufficiently distracted.

Fiona heard Professor Flamsteed's voice and saw the gnome she had just knocked back being bound. "Thank you, Professor!" Fiona replied at Professor Flamsteed's compliment.

Oh, great! Now, Fiona had to deal with this. "This gnome is a garden pest. You don't make friends with it..." she said, pausing as she saw Kinsay hug the vile creature. Fiona rolled her eyes.

Fiona then heard Aboli's loudly cast the binding spell and so she gave her fellow Slytherin an impressed smile. This was how you dealt with gnomes!

Fiona heard the distinct voice of a certain Gryffindor and had to refrain from doing or say something too harsh so she ignored Bernie. A dark part of Fiona's personality briefly wished that she had cast the knockback jinx on Bernie.

Heath kept a close watch on the gnomes. They weren’t bothering him yet, but he knew that could change at any moment. He mentally formulated a plan to levitate his plant into the wheelbarrow without attracting their attention. It was a shame he hadn’t mastered the disillusionment charm yet! Then he could use that to hide the wolfsbane from the gnomes, but for now, he’d have to work with the spells he did know how to do. Suddenly an idea occurred to him!

He grabbed his wand, rising to his full height. “Wingardium Leviosa,” he cast, aiming at the wolfsbane. He guided it into the air higher and higher until it floated above his head. Hopefully the extra height would keep it out of the gnomes’ reach, but he wouldn’t waste time waiting to find out. Just in case it didn’t, he had to act fast! He quickly directed the wolfsbane through the air with his wand, watching as it gently landed in the wheelbarrow.

He was looking for another plant to dig when he overheard the exchange between the three girls (Kinsay, Fiona, & Bernie); he inwardly groaned, trying not to roll his eyes. Oh for Merlin’s sake, could they please have one lesson without people attacking each other (verbally, magically, and otherwise)?! No, no of course they couldn’t! Not with a headmaster who clearly encouraged conflict… Honestly, do they even hear themselves? He thought angrily. First off, two against one is not fair, even in a war of words! Second, gnomes’ nature is to cause havoc in gardens, not befriend wizardkind. Third and most important, how is it okay to cast spells at a first year in muggle studies but not to use a knockback jinx on a gnome?! What a hypocrite…

It was only his determination not to stoop to the Gryffindor girls’ level that kept Heath from pointing out the many problems with their logic - well, that and he expected they would turn on him too if he did. Instead he chose to offer encouragement. He gave Fiona a small nod as he passed her on his way to find another plant to dig. “For what it’s worth, I think you handled that well,” he whispered. “You weren’t being mean at all.”

Fiona was ready to find another wolfsbane plant when Heath passed her and whispered to her. "Thank you so much. I'm glad there are some that see common sense," she whispered back with a tired smile.

Soon Fiona spotted another wolfsbane plant and began to dig with her trowel until the root was exposed and then she aimed her wand and said, "Diffindo," which resulted in the plant being severed from its root. She then used the levitation charm to place the plant in one of the wheelbarrows and then she levitated the severed roots over to the tree that Professor Flamsteed had pointed to. This time, Fiona was prepared for any gnomes.

........

Okay, this gnome was kinda cute, honestly. Cecelia offered him a half smile, accepting the dirt and setting it to the side. It seemed rude to refuse a gift. It wasn't a TRADE, though. "Sorry, I really can't. You don't want this, anyway." She side-eyed the gnome while quickly casting a "Diffindo!"

As she lifted the plant up super carefully, she trained her wand on the gnome, just as a precaution, y'see. "Why don't you find yourself another plant to call your own." She was slowly getting to her feet. She'd just be backing away now. Good little gnome. Stay.

With Professor Flamsteed's confirmation that the wolfsbane root would, in fact, kill gnomes, thoughts were now perculating through Whitney's head. Namely, how to make such a run in of gnomes and wolfsbane roots look like an accident. Ya know, in case killing gnomes was an expellable offense. Or, Merlin forbid, even an arrestable offense. Look, the things were pretty much like cockroaches, okay. Useless, annoying and gross. Would probably survive the apocalypse just like 'em too. Just roaches and gnomes.

While these thoughts ran through her head, the Ravenclaw did do her fair share of wolsbane picking. Exposing the roots with gloved hands (Though she still didn't get why. The exposing the root part, that is; she very much understood the glove part, thanks.), levitating the plant part to its proper place and the roots to theirs. Hmmm.....

Ideas were forming.

Two down, one to go.

Thankfully the third one was too busy bribing Miss Summers to notice when June waved her wand to bind the little thing. He looked disappointed, much like young Miss James over there - but this was necessary, and for their own good - lest they grabbed those wolfsbane plants by the roots or worse ate them. The digging after that would be of a different kind.

"Good work, everyone" she announced, noticing how full the wheelbarrows were now "I think this is a good place to stop for the day. I expect an essay on wolfsbane and it's properties, good and bad, by the next lesson"

And they were done.

"Alright, dismissed."

OOC: thank you for making my first lesson so awesome, everyone