No desks. There were mats instead which made Charlie rather happy for the change of scenery. Students got stuck behind desks way too much, in his opinion. Stepping further into the room, he waved to Carton and offered his greeting. "Hi, Professor." But forgive him, professor, if his eyes weren't fixed on you at the said time; Char's attention was otherwise occupied with the thing on the man's desk. Fascinating thing it was.

After eyeballing it a bit more, he selected a mat at random at the front of the group then sat himself down cross legged style. This was comfortable. [/i]Rather[/i] comfortable.

If her birthday had been any type of eye opener, it was that Vera needed a lot more practice with Transfiguration spells. So when a notice went up on the Gryffindor board (which... progress, she actually looked at that now!) she'd marked her handheld calendar and made sure to be there with her peers when it was time. She was even on time it appeared, as she strode through the open door and saw Charlie - Keighley's boyfriend and gave him a small smile before turning attention to Carton. "Hi Professor! Are we playing a game today?" She noticed the strange thing on his desk, which seemed game-esque, before moving further into the room and plopping herself down on one of the floor mats.

Meredith's O.W.L exams were getting closer by the day and she started to panic slightly about them. She knew that Transfiguration wasn't one of her best subjects honestly, none of them were So when a Transfiguration study group was announced, she jumped at the chance and signed up.

"Hiya, Professor Carton." She greeted the man standing at the blackboard before taking off her green beanie and stuffing it into her robe pocket. She walked over to the other side of the room and took a seat on the mat with her back to the wall. Meredith looked at her watch and learned she still had some time to kill, so she opened her bag and pulled out the latest issue of 'Witch Weekly' and began to read about the latest celebrity gossip.

Norman hadn’t been waiting long when the students began to file in, starting with Bergstrand. He returned the Hufflepuff’s wave with one of his own. “Hello, Mr. Bergstrand,” he replied with a smile.

They were soon joined by two Gryffindors, whose arrival was likewise greeted with a smile from the professor. “Hello, Miss Rowle, Miss Thanatos,” Norman replied. Thanatos’s question got a slight nod in reply. “Yes, we are.” He wasn’t going to give away what that game actually was just yet, though!


After waiting a few more moments for arrivals, Norman shut the door and faced the small group of students. “Thank you for attending today’s study group,” he said. “Today we’ll be reviewing the appearance-changing spells we covered earlier this term: Ristaris, Crinis Muto, and Tirinum. We’ll also be talking a bit about how to identify people who are disguised using transfiguration.”

Sound good so far? Okay, Moving on! He moved to the desk and picked up the strange contraption, holding it up for all to see. “As some of you may know, this object is used in a No Maj game called Guess Who. The players each draw a card with a person’s name and face on it. The object of the game is to guess the other player’s card by asking yes or no questions. Is your person a man? Does your person have blonde hair? Does your person wear glasses? The pictures on the board flip down to indicate people you’ve ruled out, like this -” He demonstrated by flipping a few random pictures on the board. “-until you’re left with one person. Correctly guess the other player’s card before they guess yours, and you win.”

He paused a few moments to allow time for that information to sink in before continuing, “Today we’ll be playing our own version of Guess Who, but we’ll be using transfiguration instead of cards and game boards. Each of you will transfigure your appearance using the spell we covered earlier this term, and your classmates will try to guess your real identity by asking yes or no questions.”

“You can also use your knowledge of your classmates’ mannerisms to help you guess. Mannerisms can be a telltale sign of a person in disguise. Let’s say for example, Headmaster Winterbottom transfigured himself to look like me.” Not that that was likely to ever happen, but a hypothetical scenario. “One of his tells might be dad jokes or calling people ‘dear’.” Neither of which were things the real Norman Carton would do, as they should know by now! “Unless he’d used a spell to change his voice, he might have a hard time imitating my accent. The height difference might make him walk differently… Well, you get the idea. Before we get into the transfiguration, I’d like you to take a minute to study your classmates’ mannerisms. Feel free to move around as you do so!”

OOC: Although we’ve officially started, you’re free to jump in any time. This is not a lesson, so there’s no IC penalty for late arrivals. We’ll move on to the next part in 24-48 HOURS.

Before he knew it, the familiar faces were arriving. Char sent Vera a wave in return to her smile. Jangling his right knee, he continued to watch the others stream in. But before he knew it, the study session was off to a start. Immediately the boy was intrigued, having wondered how to identify the tell-tale signs of one in disguise. And that game… that game was sort of like Twenty Questions in his mind, but it did sound like an easy one. But… yes, he supposed mannerisms were a strong give away of robots someone in disguise.

Charlie amused himself by picturing himself from his classmates’ point of view: his Swedish accent {which would be difficult to imitate}; the way he walked with a spring in his step; the way in which he was fully relaxed around certain persons like Keighley, William, Dennis and Alfie and how he would tease them relentlessly or crack jokes around them.

Enough of that though. There were classmates’ mannerisms to study. The Puff would remain seated here comfortably while he carried out his observations.

She'd been very excited about the prospect of playing a game and yet... the idea of having to try to spell cast on herself again after the last time had gone so horribly filled Vera with the slightest amount of anxiety. Maybe Professor Carton would be willing to help her if she chose to change her height? Or maybe that would just defeat the whole purpose of the game... But NOT changing her height also seemed like it would defeat the purpose because she was currently feeling like she was probably the shortest person in the room.

... Shoot.

Pushing all of those thoughts away in favor of instead observing her classmates, Vera chose to stay seated as she turned to STARE at Charlie and Meredith in turn. Meredith she'd seen around the commons here and there, so she was a little more confident in being able to pick her out based on attitude but... Keighley's boyfriend was to remain to be seen. So he probably got the majority of her looks.

The accent would be easy enough to notice. Would he be able to disguise that? And uh... he seemed like a goody two shoes when it came to school so maybe she could use that to her advantage as well. Maybe if she just said a random incorrect fact about Keigh he'd correct her and out himself?? That seemed like her best plan of attack for now.

Her eyes then turned to Carton as she tilted her head. "Sir, are you playing too?" Did they also need to be paying attention to HIS mannerisms? And if so... the most important question was, if they threw a ball would his animagus self HAVE to chase after it?

From his place at the front, Norman observed the students as they observed each other. He was pleased with the quiet and concentration he saw, though as his bluish-green eyes scanned the room, he briefly wondered what the students were thinking. The thought didn’t last long, as Thanatos’s question jerked him out of it.

“Not today, Miss Thanatos. Someone needs to oversee the game, make sure the rules are followed,” he replied. That among other reasons for his lack of participation. There was a chance the students’ questions could turn personal, and he’d rather not set himself up for that. More importantly, it was a huge safety concern to have a room full of people in disguise in which no one knew who the professor was!


After allowing time for the students to study each other’s mannerisms, Norman addressed the group again, “When you’re done observing, please spread out and face the wall to begin your transfiguration. Feel free to use any combination of the spells we covered this term - Ristaris, Tirinum, and Crinis Muto. If you need help with the spells, raise your hand, and I’ll come to you.”

He paused for a few minutes to give the students time to wrap up their observations and spread out. There was just one more thing before they started! “There will be NO PEEKING at your classmates’ transformations! Anyone who turns around before time is called will be disqualified! You may start your transfiguration… NOW!”

OOC: The transfiguration portion of the game is underway! For this part, your student needs to use any combination of the spells from this lesson to disguise their appearance without peeking at their classmates. This section will last AT LEAST 2 DAYS.

Carton not playing worked quite to her favor and she nearly gave a sigh in relief when he said he would be overseeing the game. She smiled in acknowledgement of his response as she gave the smallest head nod, once again going back to boring holes into the faces of her other peers. Her relief at his first response was only then outweighed by the relief she felt that he was offering assistance, and this time she DID give an out breath of all the anxiety she'd had moments ago, before bouncing up from her seat and heading over towards the wall and facing it. She then wasted no time in raising her non-dominant hand for an assist, while she used her dominant to begin to make other changes.

It did briefly flash across her mind that maybe she should also tone down her entire... Vera-ness so that no one would know who she was. It would be difficult, but maybe she could be quieter. More observant. Kind of like how Charlie seemed to be! She filed the idea away while she considered what else to do to change her appearance.

She considered giving herself a FUN colored hair, but that would be expected from her. What didn't seem like it would be expected - was blonde. A color she never really saw herself going. So with two taps to her head, she softly said "Crinis Muto!" Whilst envisioning her long brown hair to change into that of a short blonde bob. It was definitely not a style she would pick for herself, merely because she loved her ponytails, but that's what made it perfect.

Thinking then for eye color, she considered leaving it to try to throw them off - why would she leave something the same?? - but she then decided to change it into blue. Blue eyes were way too easy for her to envision lately. Another tap to the head. "Ristaris!" She had no way of telling if she'd been successful, but she felt pretty good about it. Now, it would just be height.

Meredith had reluctantly placed her magazine back in her school bag. She had been completing one of the quizzes inside the magazine and now she had to wait to see the results.

The 'guess who' game was completely new to the Gryffindors. Her parents never had time to play games with her before their divorce, and she hadn't heard or seen anyone play the game at Stemp House.

Though she was unfamiliar with the game, the professor's explanation gave her a good idea of what it was about.

Meredith observed her classmates as instructed, attempting to figure out their demeanor. She was curious as to what the others were picking up from her. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear whenever someone looked at her, or how her right leg bounced while she sat. She was aware of these manners, so she would have to be extra cautious not to let these show.

After observing the other students, the Gryffindor turned around to face the wall before drawing her wand. She was relieved when the Professor said he would help them if they needed it because she wasn't confident in any of the spells they'd learned.

Her hair would be the first thing she would work on. It appeared to be the less uncomfortable option out of the two should it go wrong. Instead of her usual red hair, she chose a brown color. She moved her wand to her head and tapped it, completely forgetting to say the incantation and smacking the top of her head with her wand for no apparent reason.

She was relieved that everyone had their backs to each other and that unless the Professor had been looking at her at that precise moment, she was safe from embarrassment. She tapped her head again, and this time she DID say the spell aloud "Crinis Muto" she said, looking down to see as her red hair turned brown but only halfway.

And there was Vera staring into his soul, or so it seemed. What did Charlie do? He did what he did best: he went into silly mode by wiggling his brows and staring right back. Her mannerisms, though not all were known to him, were fairly easy to remember. She was so peculiar and impulsive so anyone with weird behaviour under disguise could very well be the Gryfifndor.

Meredith was more of the quiet type and least likely to do weird stuff. A tuck of strands of hair behind the ear, jangling of the leg, much like him; those were not at all weird. Char did his best to memorise these traits and any other he observed. Satisfied with this, he got to his feet to face the fall.

“Crinis Muto.” With a tap on his head, his hair began to change: long, straight, shiny blond hair - much like Thor’s. “Ristaris.” The tap and incantation were designed to change his eye colour: blue - like Captain America’s. “Tirinum.” This time, there were two taps to his head. Char felt himself begin to shrink so that it seemed that he was sliding down along the wall. As he shrank, so did his arms and shoulders. Suddenly, gone were those buff arms; his shoulders no longer broad. He was even thinner overall but it was a pretty good disguise.

Norman remained leaning against the blackboard at the front, his bluish-green eyes scanning the room as the students set to work. So far, so good. He was pleased that everyone was following the rules to face the wall and even more pleased with the spellwork he saw. Bergstrand and Rowle were off to an excellent start, but he refrained from commenting so as not to give away their true identities.

Elsewhere, Thanatos’s transformation was coming along quite nicely too. He’d heard the girl’s sigh but chose not to draw attention to it. Something that did require attention, however, was the girl’s hand in the air. He sidled over to her, keeping his voice low as he spoke, “How can I help?”

While he was assisting Thanatos, he offered a quick word of encouragement to the other students. “You’re all doing great! Keep at it, and we’ll move on in a few more minutes.”

OOC: Sorry for the delay… dealing with a family emergency irl but we’re definitely continuing this rp! We’ll move on to the guessing game in another day or two.

Once Professor Carton had sidled up next to her, Vera shot him a smile before launching into a whispered story of what she was hoping for. "Could you help me with Tirinum, sir? I tried it on myself, as practice, and I kind of managed to only make one leg longer and it was kind of painful and I'm not really ready to do that again." Her cast might have been more successful but... it also might not. Besides, he HAD offered help. "Can you make me a little taller? And maybe wider?" Just to REALLY throw them off.

And if that was an a-okay, then she should probably also spend a few minutes trying to figure out how to not ramble every time she opened her mouth. That certainly seemed like a neon light that stated VERA.

With her hair half red and half brown, the Gryffindor undid the spell before tapping her head again, this time focusing intently and imagining her hair changing color. Her second attempt had failed even more spectacularly than her first. Instead of changing color, her hair changed shape, and her normally straight hair began to appear curly and wavy. Actually, now that she thought about it, wouldn't this work in her favor?

She tapped her head once more, and the third time was the charm. Her red straight hair had been transformed into brown wavy hair. The Gryffindor was about to tell everyone that she had done it, But then she remembered she was supposed to be disguised, so she silently clapped her hands for herself.

Even though she was facing the wall, she could see the professor walk past her to help another student in her peripheral vision, and she wished she could look to see who it was. Perhaps the true test wasn't the transfigurations, but not turning around.

Having blue eyes, Meredith had always wished for them to be green. But the thought of casting a spell on her eyes terrified her far more than she had anticipated. What if she made a mistake and went blind?!

Perhaps she should ask the professor for assistance, but he was still busy with someone else (who, she didn't know by now) and she decided to work on the Tirinum spell instead. She tapped her head twice and considered shortening her height she whispered "Tirinum". Um...did it work? She didn't think she was any shorter...

Norman returned Thanatos’s smile with a slight one of his own, He nodded, listening to her explanation. While he wanted his students to figure things out on their own as much as possible, he understood that everyone needed a little help sometimes, especially when one wasn’t used to the effects of human transfiguration. “Okay, hold still,” he said, already envisioning something along the lines of what she described. He aimed his wand, visualizing Thanatos about three inches taller and with a thicker build, and cast, “Tirinum.”

As he waited to see her reaction to the transfiguration, he momentarily glanced around the room. It looked like Rowle and Bergstrand had successfully transfigured themselves. In fact, had he not seen the transformations with his own eyes, he would’ve had no idea who they were! “If you’re satisfied with your transfiguration, you may turn around,” he addressed the group. “The guessing portion of the game begins now. Remember, ask yes or no questions only. You may nod or shake your head in response if you like, but you must answer honestly. First person to correctly guess someone’s true identity wins!”

OOC: Sorry this was so short! The guessing game starts here. Have your students interact with each other and try to guess each other’s true identity. The rules are: yes or no questions only and don’t lie. First to a correct guess wins. You’ll have 3-4 days for this or until a winner is determined.

She was glad he hadn't said no to assisting with this particular spell. She did know she needed practice, but for perhaps the first time ever she'd listen to Logan and save that for dummies for a little bit longer first. Feeling the weirdness of the transformation, she nearly giggled before stifling it so as not to give away which spot of the room she was from. Being taller certainly felt strange, but not that different from her usual height. But the added girth was certainly new, though she did not kind it. "Thank you, sir!" She replied before it was time for the game.

Once they were released, she moved a bit from her spot in case anyone had seen her stand there prior. She tried reaaaaally hard to walk differently than usual. Less bounce in her step, and more sulking. She was envisioning the Grinch from the old movie and how he moved about. She stopped once she was somewhere more comfortable and surveyed the others.

Who wanted to ask questions first? Because she was far safer if she didn't speak for as long as possible.

Plus .. how uncharacteristic was that?

Charlie was done with his transformation but he kept his face to the wall. It wouldn’t be fair to turn around just yet when he heard that there were students asking for assistance. Being patient, he instead focused on complimenting himself for mastering the spells since the last time he had attempted them, he had been met with issues. It was nice to accomplish everything smoothly this time around.

Then came the confirmation for them to turn from the wall by Carton. His eyes darted to his peers, quite impressed with what he saw. So… who wanted to start off with the guessing? He stuck his hands on his hips {in a very un-Charlie gesture}. It seemed like no one wanted to go just yet? He first then!

“Do you like silence?” Charlie asked the disguised Vera in a very high pitched squeak in an attempt to disguise his voice.

Despite her staring and trying to ABSORB her peers energies so she could guess easily, Vera had no idea who was who when they turned around. In fact, when the other person spoke first and placed their hands on their hips the way they did... well if she wasn't her, she might have assumed that person was. It took SO much to keep herself from giggling when she tried to imagine Charlie especially standing there looking at her. Was it maybe Meredith?

It took her a moment to realize the question posed was directed to HER. Which... rats. That was a good question. And while she tried to think if she could spin it to where she could say no (she could sometimes appreciate silence, right??) she knew the only rule was really to be truthful and when it came down to it... silence was not her favorite thing. She fought off a sigh before straightening her shoulders ever so slightly and looking back at ... whoever it was. "No." Maybe her saving grace could be she did not word vomit more after that? One could dream.

She supposed it was a good time to ask her question too before the other person could do a follow up. Looking between the two, she posed a question to the room - either could answer. "Do you like sports?" Asking for Quidditch specifically seemed TOO easy.

Oh, yes.

Vera gave herself away almost immediately. Well, the moment Charlie realised his question didn’t even need to be answered. Because this disguised person before him was staring, which was exactly what Vera had been doing prior to them working on their disguises. Professor Carton was right: habits were a giveaway in identifying a person.

There was his confirmation. Meredith always seemed content in silence to him so that meant… “Vera!’’ Cue Charlie-in-diguise grinning in triumph after his high pitched outburst. As for her question, he grunted out a simple “Uh huh.” Quidditch, to be exact but since he enjoyed watching other sports, the question was a valid one.