Lesson #2: Understanding Plants - An inside look at Beautiful and safe plants
 

Following the professor outside, Nadia found a seat to the left area of the classroom and waited. She had fogotten to take her gloves off so she did now, pocketing back inside her bag. For some reason, something flare inside her to be in the place and felt as if back to first year. In this case it could come in handy. This was not known territory any more, and it didn't feel like it. Sighing, Nadia stood there waiting for class to start and observing the plants. Entering the classroom next to her were Mithos and Annie.

Llewellyn stepped into the classroom and waited there patiently for class to begin. He looked over at the other students already in the classroom and let out a soft sigh.

Sarah walked into the greenhouse and sat in the seat she had sat in in the last lesson. She looked around the room and her eyes fell on the tray of plants in the corner of the room, then she looked at the other students in the classroom and turned and stared at the front of the room, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk.

Nadia gave a small nod at the professor's entrance, having a small hesistation about if she should raise her hand before responding, "Good afternoon professor," at unison and echoing everyone else.

Llewellyn kept his mouth closed, and closed his eyes tightly hoping that for the first time, Hufflepuff would make it through a class without one of their own getting into trouble. He cautiously opened one of his eyes and looked at Lee, just to make sure everythign was under control.

Sarah raised her hand, "To be respectful to the Ministry, the Professors and other students?" Sarah asked, feeling unsure about her answer.

Llewellyn raised his hand, and answered attentively, "Professors and school staff are to be shown the respect of their station, whatever individuals may think of them." This last part he seemed to direct towards his rather willfull fellow Hufflepuffs in the room.

Nadia raised her hand, "We must raise our hands before we can speak, otherwise we would be speaking out of turn."

Professor Virohsa nodded. "Good girl! Yes, that is correct. You must raise your hands before speaking. 3 pts for Slytherin", she grinned slightly. "And, the last one?", she said with a small grin.

"We must not arrive late," Nadia said, raising her hand again. "I'm guesing that's the third rule."

Arkee raised her hand. "First rule of Herbology Class, is we don't talk about - no wait, that was the movie Fight Club... Sorry professor, I was confused."

Frowning at the clue given, Nadia raised her hand again hesistantly, "Follow the school given rules and code of conduct?"

"Is the third rule to follow the school rules?" Sarah asked trying not to laugh at Arkee's answer.

Jamie raised her hand and said, "You MUST get 8 hours of sleep!"

"To have eight hours sleep?" Sarah guessed, frowning slightly.

Llewellyn quickly looked down and bit his lips, doing his best not to laugh as the students began wildly calling out answers. Becoming bored with the introduciton, he began doodling detailed drawings of various plants.

Nadia titled her head, slightly confused about where the class was heading. She wrote down the rules as given and waited for further instructions. Her eyes rested on the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff boys who were mentioned. She wondered, well, she wasn't quite sure what to think to be quite honest. The Ravenclaw boy Mithos looked dreadful.

"Professor," said Arkee, raising her hand slowly, "Do you mean that we have to send you and owl regarding these positions, or that we will be chosen when we hand in our homework?"

Llewellyn gave a sigh, and added the finishing touches to his drawing. He wondered why these students had such a difficult time following directions. At least the Ravenclaw boy was just sleepy... He thought to himself.

ooc: Pss - Arkee is a girl :)
 

Nadia heard to yet another rule of sorts - because, yes, it was a rule, and fought the ever-pounding need to sigh out loud. She needed to focus on work, on the real thing. Basic of herbology, basics... she just needed to concentrate and not let her nerves take her. Dear, not even after the attacks, the deaths and the lost of the professors Nadia had felt this stressed.

She met eyes with the depressed-looking boy raising her eyebrows slightly, couldn't even smile or something when the professor called on him - and that was a way to put it. Nadia was half way to raise her hand, but suddenly her mind was blank and she dropped it back to the table.

Walking back to the center of the room, Professor Virohsa smiled. "Very well. Now that we are all wide awake, we can continue". As she finished her sentence, the two usual blackboards that were floating in the air appeared. This time, they had a very bright picture of the plant that was located in the tray at the left side of the classroom.

"Does anyone know what this type of plant is called?", she asked the class.

Llewellyn raised his hand, and decided to hazard a guess. There weren't that many blue colored flowers, so at least he had a chance of probability. "Professor, is it a type of Hyacinth hybrid?" He asked, raising his hand.

Laurasia raised her hand in the back of the room.

"It seems to be a type of snapdragon, professor. I've never seen any blue ones before though, so I could be mistaken."

Nadia stared at the blackboard pensively and narrowing her eyes on concentration. She didn't thought she had ever seen those type of flowers before. Daisy, no... Lily, no... Lovage, no... Privet?

Raising her hand, "Violet, professor?"

Professor Virohsa shook her head. "Not a violet, child. I'm afriad I have already given you three hints. Think about them, it will come to you", she nodded.

Selena just watched....this was definitely not her subject.

Laurasia raised her hand once again.

"Professor could it be an Eichhornia crassipes, or water hyacinth?"

Laurasia looked at the Hufflepuff student & giggled slightly, as it seems that the reached them same conclusion at once.

"Not the Hyacinth Hybrid Blue Ice, then," raising her hand again, "Could it be the Bluebell? Or Orchids?"

She crossed out the Forget-Me-Not's since there was no yellow core in the picture. Nadia lowered her hand only to take notes, trying to cross down those which shouldn't be it.

Professor Virohsa shook her head. "Allright, I will give you more hints.. and make one of the previous hints more specific", she nodded.

Llewellyn looked at the board and groaned, dropping his head on the desk before him. She must be a very bitter individual... He thought to himself, realizing the number of possible plants that fit her description.

Jamie raised her hand and asked, "A Blue Hybrid?"

Selena stared blankly. She didn't have a clue.

Laurasia once again raised her hand, beginning to run out of options in her head.

"Could it be wood hyacinth, professor?" She asked, knowing the wood hyacinth was usual a darker shade of blue. What the heck, is what worth a guess she thought.

Professor Virohsa tapped her fingers on her desk. This was completely unforgivable! These children had no idea what this plant was. She sighed and waited once more, before giving another hint. She waved her wand with exasperation at the students' inability to figure it out, and the blackboard changed once more.

Jamie raised her hand and said, "A Petunia, or later named the Grandiflora Pentunia!"

Llewellyn stared in disbelief at Professor Virohsa. What does she want from us? 'Hold on a second Professor, let me go memorize the entire taxonomic list of all possible plants, be back in a jiff.' He thought to himself with a silent laugh.

Professor Virohsa shook her head. "No, not a Petunia", she said in the nicest way she could manage.

Selena tried to hide the smile that was coming over her face. "Clearly we don't know." Selena said to herself as she watched the teacher spaz.

Laurasia raised her hand yet again.

"Professor is it Amsonia hubrichtii, or Bluestar?"

"Blu?"

Laurasia slowly raised her hand.

"Sky?" she asked unsure of herself.

Professor Virohsa shook her head. The blackboard now also showed the following,

Jamie raised her hand and asked, "Skye?"

"Sky Blue Pond?" Nadia said raising her hand.

Laurasia raised her hand.

"Sky Blue Lagoon Lobelia."

Jamie raised her hand and said, "Sky Blue Lagoon Lobelia."

Professor Virohsa smiled at the Slytherin student, who spoke first. "Well, you have the third word right, so I will award you 10 pts", she nodded. "But it is not a Lobelia, dear".

Jamie raised her hand and said, "Sky Blue Lagoon Nemesia"

Laurasia raised her hand again.

"Sky blue lagoon nemesia?"

Oh, of course. Lagoon. Nadia had no luck with guessing games, that was that. Much less with guessing games in different languages than her own. Blame it to most her education in plants being muggle and in Spanish. Nevermind that now, the name have been already said. Nadia took note of the name, the different elements, already glad it was over, that part of the lesson, as well. Meanwhile, most of the characteristics of this plant seemed to have been named on the guessing.

Martha thought about all the clues and the discussion and an idea popped in her head. She remembered reading about a flower that matched the clues the professor had given them. Hesitantly raising her hand she says, "I believe its the Nemesia Sky Blue Lagoon, 'Nemesia hybrids', exhibits beautiful sky blue flowers. These sweet scented blooms fill the air with their fragrant aroma when the sun hits the flowers. Proven Selections introduces Sky Blue Lagoon, with it's blue flowers, to join the Nemesia line of old favorites. The Sky Blue Lagoon keeps blooming from early spring to late fall. They perform best in cool gardens or in partial shade in hot areas. The compact plants produce and abundance of showy flowers all summer long. For zones 8-11, this plant can also be a perennial."

Professor Virohsa smiled satisfied. The two students had raised their hands and spoken at the same time (look at your times lol). "Very well! Good job! It was about time, too! I will grant 25 pts to Hufflepuff for getting the answer... and 10 pts to Ravenclaw for being so close and answering at the same time", she smiled. "However, you did not raise your hand, and I will take away 5 of those 25 pts, dear".

Looking back at the class, she smiled. "Yes, it is a Sky Blue Lagoon Nemesia. Good, I want you to open your books and read its short description. Be prepared, I will ask you questions abou tthe Nemesia plant"

Ooc- I'm still going to take the pts away, because I had already started writing when you edited. Please refrain from editing. If you choose to edit, then perhaps the time that would have taken you to write the answer, another student would have spoken before you.
And, this is a good time to stop. I will continue the next part tomorrow afternoon at about 5pm CT.

Llewellyn frustratingly flipped through his herbology book. Where the heck are they getting this from?!!! He shouted in his head. He narrowed his eyes at Virohsa, and decided that indeed he did not like her. With a resigned sigh he went about drawing more pictures of plants, wondering what any of this had to do with magical plants.

If you weren't looking for this exact name, your chances of getting it right were very slim. Sky Blue Lagoon Nemesia... Nadia didn't think she had ever heard of that one, and didn't get to read in her book about it especifically. Nadia took the chance to review some from her book as the class settled down and continued.

Diana just mentally kicked herself for not knowing the answer to the flower. No matter, she would pounce on the next opportunity to answer the next time a question is asked to the students. She noted down the name and its description.