COMC Basic Level Lesson #2 (Imps)

The morning air had a sharp bite to it, flurries of snow on the horizon. The windows in the Care of Magical Creatures classroom were frosted over, icicles forming just outside the warmth of the room. The fire roared happily in the corner, heating the room to a comfortable temperature. Eleonora was once again leaning against the front table where a large covered cage was placed. It was beginning to be become a common sight. Her formula for her classes was starting to emerge and she was finding it was working well.

She was excited about her lesson today, a smile playing on her lips. Today was going to involve some hands on experience as well as wand work. Eleonora was fairly certain most students wanted to practice their magic more than they were allowed and she wanted to let them see some practical applications of things they already knew. The creatures she had chosen today were easy to handle, a simple spell they all should already know would suffice to subdue them. They were also something that were common to run into outside of Hogwarts.

It was nearly time for class to start and Eleonora looked toward the door. Rustling and cackling laughter could be heard from the cage on the table but she ignored it for now, soon enough her subjects of the lesson would have all the attention they could ever want.

"Hullo, professor." Jackson walked in, finding a seat in the front of the room. "We're giving the puffskeins back today, right?" He took Puff out of his pocket, along with a roll of parchment. he tipped his head as he heard another noise, a movement noise, and high-pitched laughter.

Eleonora watched with a smile as Jackson took a seat in the front row. She had taken a liking to him in her previous class and now, having been made head of his house, she wanted to take the time to learn more about him. Headmistress Naer's words from the staff meeting ran through her head, reminding her to get to knew the students they looked after.

"Good morning Mr. Smith. Yes, you are returning the little guys today along with your journal entries." She took a step closer to his desk, leaning against its neighbor. She bit her lip briefly, knowing he wouldn't see her struggling to find her words. "I am not sure if you're aware, but I was just appointed to Head Of Hufflepuff, so again, if there is any thing you ever need my door is always open. Plus I tend to have chocolate there." She wanted to add something friendly and casual, to let him know she was trying to be one of the more approachable professors.

"Oh, ace, nice to know where to turn to for advice and sweets." Jackson grinned, half-joking about the sweets part. "I'll just take the jinglebell off, then, and I hope you can read the journal, there's probably typos. I forgot to write it everyday." He picked at the little knot in the puffskein's fur until the tiny jinglebell came untied, holding up the small creature and roll of parchment.

((I'll pm you the journal in a few hours, on my phone @tM))

(is it alright if I join? ^.^)

(It'll be fun!)

Alex rushed into the class, late. She was ashamed of herself - she wasn't one for tardiness. She had headed to the library to borrow a book just before class, but she had gotten lost in one of the books she had picked up as she walked, and before she knew it, the staircases had moved and she had ended up at the wrong end of the castle.

"Sorry, Professor - I... the stairs," she said, helplessly.

Someone ran into the classroom, a girl about his age by the sound of her voice. So he wasn't going to be the only kid in class. Her only excuse was 'the stairs', but the stairs always led from one floor to another, they just changed direction. They must have switched to a section of the school the girl didn't know very well and she'd gotten lost. He smiled in the direction of her voice.

Either everyone was a few minutes late today or class was going to be dreadfully small. Eleonora tried to go over the roster of students in her head but was unable to name them all. She had a list...somewhere. No doubt stuck among the towering piles of parchment on her office desk. Teaching seemed to be more paperwork than anything else.

No matter, it might be better to have a small class today, anyway. Less room for mayhem.

As she was about to start talking the door burst open and in shot Alexandra. Eleonora smiled at her and nodded as she spoke. "It's ok, Ms. Brazell. I think we'll be a little informal today anyway."

She waited until Alexandra was seated and then pulled the cover off the cage. Inside were half a dozen small creatures, all making taunting faces between the bars. They stood about six inches with a human like frame. Small wings were found protruding from their back in pairs, useless except for decoration. Their mottled gray skin had a sickly sheen to it and their feet and hands ended in long claws. Their body was completely hairless, their ears ending in sharp points. Cackling laughter and grunts filled the air.

"Can either of you tell me what these are?" Eleonora immediately felt bad after her question. Of course Jackson wouldn't be able to answer, he couldn't see the creatures to identify them. "Oh, they have distinctive noises, too, so that's an identifying feature." She hoped her quick remark would make up for her first insensitive one.

Alexandra frowned and looked from the creatures to the professor. Why had she added the comment about the distinctive noises? It was clear enough from looking at the creatures what they were... She noticed the professor glancing at the only other boy in the class, so Alex turned to look at him. He had smiled when she had arrived, but she hadn't paid much attention to him. And now she noticed... oh.

She immediately felt bad about what she had been thinking, and was thankful that she hadn't said anything aloud. Alex decided to turn her attention back to the creatures.
She wasn't sure if she was right, but she thought she could guess what they were. As a rule, she hated giving answers when she wasn't sure - she didn't like making mistakes - but seeing as there was only one other boy in the class, and that the professor seemed nice, Alex decided to take a risk. "Is it an Imp, Professor?"

The girl's last name was Brazell... Jackson frowned as he listened to the things, tipping his head different ways to try and hear better, but he had no idea what they were. Their laughter sounded mean and teasing, though. Imps? He'd never heard of those.

Eleonora smiled at Alexandra as she answered. The moment she had met her Eleonora knew she would become a favorite. It was wonderful to have a student so enthused and knowledgeable in her class. It made her job much easier.

"Yes, they are Imps. Five points to Ravenclaw for being prepared."

She paused to think for a minute while the two kids sat expectantly. Since there were so few students today she didn't want to bore than with book reading and lecturing. She would just give a short summary and instruct them to read the chapter on Imps in their book for homework and then get on with the practical part of the lesson.

"Today's class is going to be a little different. I want you to read what your book says about Imps for next class and practice subduing them today. First, a couple things you should know. Imps are generally harmless. They are more into creating chaos and humor than causing any lasting injuries. Still, they can be quite a nuisance if they happen to trip you or throw things at you while you're wandering about. The way to deal with them if you should run across them is to use the knockback jinx. If you are accurate with your spell and hit them right in the middle you can push them back and deter them from bothering you. Today we will be using this spell to push them back into their cage."

Eleonora put her hand on the cage door, ready to pick two of the creatures out. "Please take out and wands and let me know when you are ready."

(The knockback jinx is Flipendo, by the way!)

Jackson took out his wand, frowning. This would be tough, but he figured he could do it if the imps kept making noise. He'd just have to flipendo the imp noise and hope there was nothing fragile behind it.

Alex took out her wand, grinning. Like most young witches her age, she loved actually using magic. She nodded at Professor Valenta, saying "Yes Professor. I'm ready."

Flipendo, she muttered under her breath, hoping she'd get it right. She looked over and smiled at Jackson, then remembered that he wouldn't know if she was smiling or if she was making rude gestures at him. She cleared her throat, and said aloud to Jackson: "good luck!"

When both students had retrieved their wands and stood up, Eleonora opened the cage just far enough to stick her hand in. Immediately the creatures inside tried to whack at it with their small arms but she waves them away easily. Her fingers grasped around one, and then another, before removing them from the cage and shutting the latch.

With them still grasped in her hands she walked to an open corner of the classroom and asked for Alexandra and Jackson to follow her. She hoped Jackon could follow the sound of her voice and figured he could if he had made it this far in his life of being blind. In the corner two empty cages stood, doors wide open.

When Eleonora was about ten feet from the cages she turned to her students. "I am going to let these two go now, and they will no doubt make for you or something else in the room. Please do your best to knock them back into their cages. The first one of you to manage it will get some house points. I'll be here watching and making sure nothing gets out of hand."

Eleonora then bent down and opened her hands. The two imps quickly shot off in opposite directions.

Alex was excited, and made to follow the professor, just like she had been instructed to. But remembering Jackson, and being unsure of how much his hearing would enable him to follow the professor, she turned to him and asked if she would need help, reaching her hand out to clasp his wrist, should he need help. She immediately regretted this, realising she should've waited for him to reply, just in case he could make it on his own and she was just insulting him. "That is, if you need help," she added, letting go of his wrist.

"I'm fine." He tried not to sound frustrated. He pulled out his cane and made his way to the professor. He couldn't knock the imp back into the cage, but he could probably knock it back. The professor apparently let the imps go because he heard books falling to the floor to his left.

((Sorry for late reply))