Care of Magical Creatures: Year 5

[eleven]

[harryjamespotter]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=style, border-left: #000000 4px solid; border-right: #000000 2px dashed; background: #161616; padding-top: 16px; padding-right: 16px; padding-left: 16px; padding-bottom: 12px; -moz-border-radius: 10px; width: 368px;] ----- COMC ----- ----- It's cause they're different ----- Harry had found himself in the very peculiar situation of not knowing precisely how he felt about a substitute Care of Magical Creatures professor. On one hand, he knew there was a pretty high chance that this one would be less likely to set a bunch of Blast-Ended Skrewts upon them, but on the other hand he felt it might be a little disloyal to Hagrid to find this new professor's methods preferable. He didn't feel that way at all about McGonagall's replacement. He knew his Head of House was beyond busy with her increased workload as Deputy Headmistress - aka, Order business - and he knew she was level headed enough not to take offense if Harry enjoyed some other professor more than her. Not to say he didn't consider Hagrid level headed, it was just he knew his half-giant friend could be a bit emotional from time to time. Rather like another friend of his whose temper matched his hair. Making his way down to class on his own, Harry had let Hermione and Ron go on ahead, knowing Ron was still in bad spirits about Astoria and that Hermione didn't want to get caught in the middle. Surprisingly, Harry was taking this all with aplomb, aside from the occasional frustrated owl to Sirius and Professor Avery, the latter of whom Harry had been owling since before school started simply out of random chance and had become rather fond of. Harry knew things would blow over eventually, and he also knew that Ron was doing what he thought was best for Harry. Ron didn't want to see his friend hurt, and Harry understood that - which was why he didn't allow his temper to take over around his redheaded comrade, and also why he consistently pushed Hermione at Ron, who needed her more during this fight. Harry was able to take his lumps on this one, and he knew there would be many - after all, he was being a defiant arse by dating Astoria after that blow up at the ball. All defiance aside though, Harry did like her. She was great to hang around with, and a relief from the tension in the Gryffindor common room to say the very least. Perhaps dating her had been going a step too far at first, but Harry was comfortable with it now. Reaching the rest of the class a few minutes before Professor Arden began the lesson, Harry was more than a little alarmed when they instantly set foot into the forest. If this turned into a lesson on Acromantula, he was out thank you very much. One conversation with Aragog was enough to last a life time, even for a kid without a fear of spiders. Harry was therefore incredibly grateful to find himself facing the animals that had pulled the carriages. Both because they were most certainly not Acromantula, and also because it meant he would be dealing with something he understood at least a little bit. "Thestrals," Harry murmured, eying the nightmarish horses as the professor introduced them by name. He grinned slightly as Melaena - or Leilah, Harry wasn't sure which was which - rose up and flapped its small wings, pawing the air as Nerezza snorted in the little ones general direction. Clearly there was some sort of conversation happening there. Turning back to the Professor, Harry recalled what Luna had told him. Glancing around to see if anyone else knew the answer, Harry lifted his hand a bit, and stated simply, "Because they can only be seen by people who've seen death, Professor." Although he knew the answer could earn Gryffindor points, Harry realized the mistake of admitting - even indirectly - his ability to see them only after he had spoken. Foresight was still something he really needed to work on. Tilting his chin defiantly, Harry lowered his hand and mentally dared anyone to challenge him on why he could see them. No matter what codswollop the Prophet printed, Cedric had still died right before his eyes. So go ahead, Harry thought viciously. Someone make a comment, and I swear I will tear you a new face, Professor present or not. tag: Professor Arden / Open ;; Notes: None template by eliza @ shadowplay

[lavender]

Lavender drew her cloak tighter around herself in an attempt to ward off the feelings of dread that washed over her. She shivered, partially from the cold, partially because this insane professor was taking the class to the Forbidden Forest. Didn’t he know it was forbidden?

Though she never thought she could miss Hagrid, with his tendency to introduce them to terrible creatures, miss him she did. She’d take one of those blast-ended skrewts over this. And she still bore the burn scars from the last time they had a class with them! At least they didn’t live in the forest. At least she wouldn’t have to trek through mud and grime and the Forbidden freaking Forest to get to them.

It was a rather miserable Lavender who stood near the back of the class, staring at seemingly nothing. ‘Great,’ she thought, in a sour mood, ‘I’ve ruined my favourite boots for nothing at all. There isn’t a thing there!’ The coddled Lavender had never seen death. The only person she’d ever known to have died was Cedric Diggory, and she hadn’t even witnessed that. The poor thing couldn’t see a thing, and it was only making this class all the more awful in her mind.

“Because there’s nothing there,” Lavender muttered quietly and crossly to her neighbour in answer of Professor Arden’s question. At first, she had been extremely excited to see a cute new professor. They hadn’t had a decent looking professor since Lockhart, and surely they deserved another fit one after Moody! But Lavender’s enthusiasm had waned sometime around the sixth mud puddle, right after the first scary howl of some unknown creature who inhabited the Forbidden Forest.

If they all got eaten alive before Lavender had properly experienced life... As in, had a boyfriend that lasted longer than a Hogsmeade weekend, she was going to haunt Professor Arden for the rest of time!

[gisellescott]