COMC Lesson 1: Lethifolds Under The Bed

Tuesday, September 21, 1920
The Barn Classroom
2 PM

Much to the dismay of nearly everyone in attendance, the heavy torrential downpour was not reason enough for the afternoon's lesson to be cancelled. The grounds were drenched, puddles forming in the areas of depression. It was an unpleasant time to make one's way toward the old barn where classes were typically held. The overly saturated ground had become muck and mud, clinging to shoes as the students made their way over. The slosh of each step sent splashes of mud flying so that many now had ankles and lower shins splattered in the substance. Those socks, without a good scrubbing charm, would not be salvaged.

Such was the degree of rain that it lowered visibility. This wasn't at all aided by the fog that rolled across the Scottish Highlands.

Miserable weather, indeed.

Those without an umbrella or a clue when it came to the impervius charm would find themselves soaked to the bone by the time they approached the classroom, uniforms waterlogged and heavy.

Approaching the barn, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. As the students headed inside, seeking the dry comfort of the semi-dilapidated building with its creaky beams and hay bundle seats, they might have been disappointed--if not surprised--to find none of these creature comforts present.

There were no bundles of hay, wrapped tightly for student furniture. There was no blackboard, decorated with the creature of the day, and notes that the professor expected them to take. The professor himself was barely there. Nothing more than a black cat sitting on the curb of a street they were unlikely to recognise. More curious, it was no longer the afternoon, and the rain had dried up, revealing a clear night sky full of stars.

It appeared the professor had forgotten to mention the impromptu field trip, but there they were, far away from the castle and the comforts of the magical world.

The black cat watched you, tail flicking mildly from side to side as if expecting something, or simply waiting for the last of them to arrive.

Don't wander off; he'd hate to have to chase and may find writing up a missing student report more lucrative than expending that kind of energy.

---

OOC: Welcome to the first COMC lesson of the term! Things are already definitely not as they should be. Please note, while this is the first OOC lesson, IC, they would've already had essentially three school weeks of lessons with Maddox--or thereabout. For now, you can have your students react to what has been set up and arrive in this strange but innocuous place. I'll be moving the lesson on September 9! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! You can PM me or reach out on discord @danidinardo.

"Honestly, Benji. It's Scotland. Bring an umbrella next time."

The girl whipped her wand over herself and then her younger cousin, as he fussed, shaking out his robes as though he didn't understand what rain was. It was a simple impervius, but he had complained the second they stepped outside that no one had ever taught him it in his now fourth year at a magical school. As though he couldn't have done extra studying on his own time.

She linked her arm with the boy, who now stood at least three inches taller than her. It was strange to think she'd met him when he was still a little guy, and now here he was, towering over her as though he had the right. Bloody boys and their growth spurts.

As the two wandered together into the barn, the first to arrive, it was as though they had stepped through a portal. The barn and its usual smells were gone, instead replaced by a quiet street lit by starlight. She dropped her arm from Benji's as her eyes fell on a cat - one that looked curiously like the one that frequented Julia's office - staring back at them. Silent and blinking.

"Do you see the professor anywhere?" she asked softly, not moving from her cousin's side in case - something strange popped out of the shadows. Last term there'd been a Hidebehind, and she didn't put it past Professor Barlowe to have something equally terrifying this time around.

Well it wasn't his fucking fault it rained all the time.

"Listen," Benji said, waving a hand in thanks as Rosie magicked a rain-deterrent over him, "It wasn't supposed to rain today, and even if it was, who just carries around a bloody umbrella all the time? I've got enough shit to lug around." Seriously, and knowing himself, the boy would just forget the damn thing in the gardens or something and never see it again. What was the point?

"It'd be a lot easier if someone had actually taught me whatever that spell was you just did - impaleness?" Something like that. Rosie wasn't really one he liked to ask for tutoring help. As smart as she was, her patience for him had never been long, and the times he had asked her, they usually ended up in a shouting match.

She was like the annoying big sister he'd never had.

Arms linked, he wandered along with her, trudging through the now-muddy field that led down to Barlowe's barn. The Hufflepuff actually loved Care of Magical Creatures, for the simple fact that Professor Barlowe amused him. He wasn't a big creatures guy himself, but the man was as lazy as they came, and when he got irritated over something it was fun to watch the slight flicker of life shoot through his expressions.

Plus, he was pretty okay if you just followed directions. Some of the professors around here were jerks no matter what he did.

Stepping through the barn door led them right back outside to an unfamiliar street. Dark. Quiet. Just that cat that was always lounging around the barn and Julia's office.

"Do you see the professor anywhere?"

"Nope," Benji answered easily as he crouched down to re-tie his shoes. When it was this quiet, it usually meant something was about to give chase, and the boy wasn't about to become supper for a creature over a loosened shoelace.

Why the Hogwarts founders had thought that setting up home in a place that spent half the year freezing cold and the other half raining with about 3 days of sunshine a year, was anyones guess. Tulip wondered if the Hogwarts founders weren't the greatest wizards and witches of their age but four escaped village idiots. Having to walk down to the COMC classroom in weather like this really did make her sure the answer was Village idiots. With her cloak wrapped round her and her umbrella above her head she stalked towards the COMC classroom. Well if it could actually be called a classroom, drafty barn was a better description. All the magic in Hogwarts and that was the desired option. Let's allow our students to be covered in straw, not to mention straw was sharp and no matter how you sat there would always be one bit stabbing you.

Tulip didn't hate COMC. She actually enjoyed handling the various creatures, she found them less stressful and demanding than people. They actually listened to you, rather than tell you not to be stupid or that idea was probably dangerous. Of course however Tulip would never admit to actually enjoying COMC, that was the very last thing this particular trouble maker would admit to.

Of course there was a sure fire way to get to spend time with the animals and that was to fail to deliver any COMC homework on time or ever. Cleaning stalls and feeding and watering was not as much of a punishment to Tulip as it was a reward. You learnt more mucking out a stall than you did from any book. Cleaning out a Niffle cage taught her you can distract them with anything shiney, but they could easily distinguish actually valuble shiney from sweet wrappers. So far this term she'd not been assingned any detentions, she would have to definitly try harder.

As she entered the she started to take down her unmbrella, but stopped cold and pretty much did a double take. "Well this is..... different." she mused.

"Do you see the professor anywhere?

Tulip looked over at the Older Gryffindor who was with Benji another 4th year although a Badger, "May be he's finally had enough of us and quit leaving the cat in charged" she said not even joking. "Hey puss, pst pst pst" she said trying to call the cat over.

Corbin trudged toward the barn, rain drumming against his yellow raincoat. The bright fabric felt ridiculous, but it kept him dry while other students arrived soaked and waterlogged.

Ahead of him, he could see the Laurence cousins walking together, her arm linked through his as they joked about something. Probably the weather. The boy was laughing at whatever she'd said. They made it look so easy - talking, laughing, being friends.

He took a half-step toward them, then stopped and pulled his hood lower over his face. A chunk of muddy stone lay near his feet. He kicked it hard, sending it skittering into the grass.

Water rushed down the path in little rivers, forcing him to hop from one raised bit of ground to another. A cluster of sheep huddled under a lone oak tree, watching the students with what looked like pity. Apparently sheep were smarter than wizards.

Other students ahead of him slipped in the mud, their robes heavy and waterlogged. He still had that star chart to finish before tomorrow night. The constellations weren't making any sense.

The barn appeared suddenly through the fog, dark against the familiar stormy sky. Nothing new there - he'd grown up with Scottish storms battering castle walls. Corbin wiped his muddy boots on the threshold and stepped inside, already planning how he'd spend the evening by the common room fire instead of writing that stupid star chart.

But there was no barn.

He stood on a street he'd never seen before. The night air was cool and still. Nothing like the stormy afternoon he'd just left behind. Stars filled the clear sky overhead.

Wait. Stars? It had been afternoon - barely past two o'clock. How were there stars?

Corbin's wand was in his hand before he'd even finished taking in the scene. Where was Professor Barlowe? How had they gotten here? He positioned himself defensively, scanning the street in both directions. No obvious way back. No sign of the professor.

A black cat sat on the curb watching them all. Its tail switched back and forth.

Impervious was her new best friend. Forcing the girls to wear skirts should be illegal. Now, to be fair, the uniform skirts were longer than her current attire, but ankle length was ridiculous. So, like many of the girls, hers was quite a bit shorter. Showing off her scar like a badge of honor, but on days like today, pants would have been amazing. Both her cloak and shoes had been charmed with Impervious, helping the rain bounce off on her trek to the paddock. Of all the classes, this was the hardest for her to get too.

Potions being the class before this, meant a near sprint on crutches for her to get there on time. It was less than ideal.

The squishing sound her crutches made and the way her left shoe sank in the mud was disturbing. She had almost slipped numerous times, relying more on her right leg than she had in months. Just a little extra weight on the injured limb was good for it, she needed to get her strength back, but it hurt, sending sharp zings up the muscles.

As she finally got to the paddock, soaked in the areas not touched by the charm, Matilda took her hood down, breathing fast with the excursion. And then she groaned. The one thing keeping her going through the trip down was that a bale if hay would be on the other end. NBo such luck today. Making her way over to Benji and Rosie, she stopped next to her best friend and sighed.

“If I have to stand during the entire class I may die. Would be a shame to kick the bucket at this point.”

For the first time she really looked around. What the hell. The darkness that was overhead, the stars, the cat and the city street. “Well this is different.”

Elias had squelched through the mud in his waterlogged robes, looking forward to getting dry in the barn. Professor Barlowe's lessons were usually held indoors, which meant no more rain and maybe some interesting creatures to look at instead of endless reading.

He was soaking wet. His robes stuck to his skin, cold and heavy, and water kept dripping from his hair into his eyes. He was shivering so hard his teeth chattered. At this rate he was going to freeze to death right here on the castle grounds.

He'd checked the noticeboard after lunch, hoping someone had finally started a gobstones club. Still nothing. He missed playing with Eamon - the awful taste of gobstone fluid when you lost, watching Eamon get drenched when the stones spurted all over his face and hair. They'd spent hours trying to get the smell out of their clothes, but it was worth it for how funny Eamon looked with his hair all sticky and his eyes streaming.

A particularly cold gust of wind made him shiver harder, swirling the thick fog around him and snapping him back to the present. The barn door stood open ahead. Elias hurried toward it, eager to escape the storm.

But when he stepped through, his wet shoes hit something hard and flat. Not dirt. Stone? The barn had a dirt floor with hay scattered around.

He looked up. His mouth fell open.

No roof. No walls. Just open sky filled with stars. Where was the barn? Where were the hay bales and Professor Barlowe's creature cages?

This was a street. Not the comfortable, winding cobbles of Diagon Alley. Something flat and straight and empty. Foreign.

His heart hammered. Where were they? How had they gotten here? Other students appeared behind him, but everything felt wrong.

He spotted a raised edge along the street and sat down hard, pulling his knees up to his chest. The curb was cold and unfamiliar under him. He wrapped his arms around his legs and tried to make himself as small as possible.

Elias buried his face against his knees. He wanted to go home to Diagon Alley, where everything was magical and safe and made sense. Not be stuck at this school where teachers dropped books on your head and magicked you away to scary places when you were already miserable.

Cassian McCormick was a saint. At the very least, he was a great ride to care of magical creatures class. With the weather as deplorable as it was and the girl having no interest in getting mud between her toes, Rae had thought to skip the class entirely. Barlowe wouldn't mind having one less student to teach. Hell, she was sure the next time the man saw her, he'd thank her for her service, if he could be bothered saying anything at all. A cozy afternoon by the fire in the near-empty common room would have suited her well, and she'd mentioned as much when her Ravenclaw friend asked whether she'd finished up the reading ahead of the lesson.

It was a mistake. Well. Mostly a mistake. Half a victory, she supposed. While she'd been adamant that learning was overrated and should've been optional on days like these--at least when they had to go all the way across the grounds, Cassian had been of a different opinion.

The lanky theatre boy had offered her his back then, casting 'impervius' over them both, struck off across the grounds trailing only ever so slightly behind the rest of their classmates. She didn't know what his obsession was with having her actually showing up to her lessons. Truthfully, there was a part of her that understood he was only trying to be a good friend.

She would have to remember that when the lesson started and Barlowe introduced them to another creature that wanted them dead. On the brink of her own demise, the hot breath of whatever creature flush against her face as it bared its teeth, Rae would remember that Cassian really wanted her there instead of safe and warm in the Slytherin common room.

Mind you, she didn't actually dislike the class. Being a kinesthetic learner, the girl appreciated that the bulk of the lessons were practical and somewhere out in the field.

She just...wouldn't mind skipping sometimes. It was arguably better for her health.

Rae breathed a sigh of relief as the fog gave way to the barn--as if she'd been the one walking the whole time.

She looked forward to planting herself on her usual bundle of hay but found...a street? Huh. Rae patted Cassian appreciatively on the cheek before slinking off his back. "Thanks!" It made the process of being responsible just a little easier when she didn't have to put in the bulk of the work.

Now then, where were they, and when was the professor going to tell them they had a field trip? Rae looked around at the quiet, empty street. The houses on both sides had, for the most part, had their lights turned off, telling her that at least here, the hour was already late. Hearing her friends, she drifted closer, but not before linking arms with Corbin to tug him along with her. "Look alive, Donahue. There's safety in numbers, or something like that."

She came to a stop by Benji and Tilly, nodding at Rosie as she did.

"May be he's finally had enough of us and quit leaving the cat in charged".

"Well, he picked a sore time to do that," Rae replied to Tulip's words. "Wish he'd let us know he quit before we ended up in the middle of nowhere."

There truly wasn't a considerate bone in that man's body.

OOC: Permission from Corbin given to pull him along.

The weather was...something. Cass had an inkling it would rain, but not to the extent of the downpour that obscured visibility across the grounds. He sure hoped whatever creature they'd be working with didn't mind getting soaked like many of his classmates seemed to be. As much as the boy knew he could pull off the soaked curls look, he preferred not to have his clothing sticking to him and a chill running through his bones from a proper drenching.

Impervius existed for a reason.

With his little friend on his back, Cassian crossed the grounds alongside the others. Ruth had said she had no intention of going to class as if--while being a prefect--he was meant to nod and wish her a happy rest. If he had to attend his lessons, the little delinquent did, too. It didn't cost him anything, with her weighing barely anything even if she'd been dripping wet. Besides, her missing classes usually meant her finding him for explanations and recaps, depending on the subject.

There was no need for all that.

This way, she got the info the first time and he didn't have to go covering things he'd already moved on from. A little education never hurt anyone.

Surprises did, though. Sometimes. It seemed today was going to be another one of those. Rather than the barn, he and his classmates came out on a street of sorts. He had questions, but took heart in knowing many of the larger, deadly creatures weren't usually found on residential streets. It cut down the list of threats he'd actively have to be looking out for and allowed the boy more room to unleash his natural curiosity.

Safe to say it probably wasn't another basilisk.

Following Ruth's direction when she got off his back, Cass saw his friends and girlfriend. He made to join them but caught the crouched figure of his younger housemate from the corner of his eyes. Cass gestured to Rosie that he'd be right there before plopping himself down on the sidewalk next to Elias.

"You alright, mate?"

If he wasn't feeling well, Cassian was sure the professor wouldn't mind excusing him--if only for the liability it would otherwise be.

Despite how crazy the magic was around the castle, Alice thought she was adapting pretty well to the way things were. She definitely preferred this Headmistress and Deputy to the old ones, though it was still strange seeing so many new adult faces around the castle. When she was on patrols, she tended to be a bit more tense because she wanted to be ready in case any crazy magic things happened. Her wand had a few new notches where her nails would dig into the wood.

Alice hugged her rain coat to her, trying to keep her clothes dry underneath. Her rain boots squished in the rain, and even though she was protected from mud, she still walked carefully. It wouldn’t be good to spend the rest of the day muddy – of course that was nothing a quick scourgify couldn’t fix.

As she entered the barn, Alice moved slower. The rain stopped. She was outside – still? Again? She wasn’t quite sure which word was the most appropriate. The sky was clear and the stars were plenty. She looked around, spotting Benji, Rosie, and Tilly. She made her way over to them, and then frowned at her cousin.

“I tried to get to you in time to help you walk down, but… sorry,” she apologized to the girl, and then turned to look at the strange black cat. “Where is Professor Barlowe?” she asked, biting her lip.

Not only were they somewhere strange, but they were unchaperoned… or so it seemed to the Hufflepuff. [b]“Do you think this is more of the magic being… unruly?” she asked, knowing that was the kindest word for it.

The downpour didn't deter her in the slightest. Jumping from puddle to puddle was too much fun to pass up on.

By the time Maevie arrived, her clothes were soaked, splattered in mud. Her hair hung in long, dripping-wet strands around her face but the smile there beamed wide. At least she had thought of putting her wellies on instead of her normal shoes so her feet had remained dry.

Care of Magical Creatures was one of the classes she had looked forward to most. Animals were so much fun to look at although she'd never had the opportunity to take care of any. Mum didn't want pets because they were too much work, she said. One of her friends had a cat though and she had told her everything about it so technically Maevie had already known a little something before her first lesson!

It hadn't been much use to her though. Magical creatures were quite scarce indeed where she came from and required much different caretaking. But they were all fascinating, many of the ones they'd already discussed she had gotten along with quite well. Unfortunately those weren't good for pets though.

Stepping into the barn now, Maevie halted with a surprised "Oh!"

It wasn't the barn at all but a street, dark and silent with a sprinkled night sky above. Looking around, she found her peers mostly there already so it couldn't have been her fault, making a wrong turn somewhere.

The strangeness of this didn't even occur to her, no wondering thoughts on how she'd moved from one place to another simply by stepping over a threshold, as she decided to settle on Elias' other side while they waited for the Professor to arrive. He'd probably be here soon.

"Hi, Elias, Cassian!", she greeted with a smile and a voice a little too loud for the setting, plopping herself down on the kerbside. "What do you reckon we'll see today? Do you think it'll be dangerous?" She knew there to be creatures that shouldn't be approached but who knew. Professor Barlowe might want to show them anyway.

"Toffee?", she asked, pulling a handful of wrapped treats from her cloak pocket, a little wet maybe but still good. Elias looked like he needed it. Leaning in a little she murmured, "Maybe it's that cat over there?" Eyes to the glowing eyes and swishing tail. "Maybe it can transfigure into something."

Care of Magical Creatures had been one of the lessons Joshua had looked forwards to the most before coming to Hogwarts, and a bit of rain wasn't going to change that.

Well, a lot of rain, he supposed. Joshie pushed open the castle doors and peeked out, eyes on the great big droplets of water splashing in the puddles already formed on the path, creating small lakes and rivers where he'd soon need to go. It was a right downpour!

There was nothing for it, though, no way he was going to be late for Professor Barlowe's class, not even to get an umbrella from his dorm!

With hands tightly grabbing his robes and holding them close around him, the first year set off down the path towards the barn, running as if trying to zip between the heavy rain droplets falling. Needless to say, he wasn't successful, unless his aim was to nearly fall over several times and splash mud up on the bottom of his robes and trousers.

By the time Joshua entered the barn, right after another first year, who looked just as mud splattered as he did, he was quite out of breath, but also fairly pleased with himself that he had made it from the castle with such speed. If only he was able to cast one of those drying charms his grandma always used.

It was only when Joshua had fully stepped through the doors to the barn, that he looked around and discovered the change in scenery. Blue eyes widened slightly and a quiet 'oh' slipped out of his mouth. This was nothing like the barn they were usually in for lessons. It didn't even look like anywhere he'd seen at Hogwarts so far!

He supposed he shouldn't be surprised about that, though. Lots of strange things seemed to happen here.

"I hope it'll be something interesting!" Joshua replied the young Hufflepuff as he followed her over to Elias and one of their older Ravenclaw housemates, who were both sitting on the kerb. He greeted them with a smile and took a seat on the other side of the equally as mud splattered Hufflepuff. (Maevie)

Josh didn't really mind which creature they would be studying (even if he did have a few favourites). He'd read about heaps of magical creatures over the last two years when he'd been living with grandma and grandpa, but he'd hardly seen any at all.

"I'm pretty sure cats weren't on the syllabus, though." The first year looked towards the black cat sitting nearby. Were cats even magical creatures? They were in some fairy tales, he knew, but he supposed many of the ones he'd read when he was little were muggle fairy tales.

"Do you see the professor anywhere?"

"May be he's finally had enough of us and quit leaving the cat in charged."

"Wish he'd let us know he quit before we ended up in the middle of nowhere."

There they went...tempting him again. Maddox had, for the most part, already made peace with his decision to return to Hogwarts. While he mourned the lost opportunity in Peru and the new adventure it might have meant for him, the man knew better than to wallow and mope. The effort alone would be more than he could muster, and the payoff?

Only more misery. It wasn't a prize worth chasing.

"Hey puss, pst pst pst."

Bright eyes took in the Gryffindor girl with the level of detachment only a cat could conjure. If the feline was impressed by her calls, he certainly had a funny way of showing it. Rising to his feet, the black cat took himself to the other side of the gathering students, where he promptly plopped himself down again to continue his silent wait.

It astounded him. Many of his students remained unaware, a fact that didn't bode well for half the creatures he chose to introduce them to. They would need to be more alert. There was always talk of a barn cat, despite his insistence that there was none. There had even been talk of "Professor Laurence's cat", something he was staunchly against. That woman did not own a bloody cat, no matter what she liked to believe.

It was wearisome work, really, listening to his students speculate on his whereabouts. More wearisome still would be correcting them.

Instead, the cat kept up its silent vigil, his ears barely flicking at the mention of him being able to transfigure things or cats being on the syllabus in the first place.

"I'm pretty sure cats weren't on the syllabus, though."

When the last of them arrived, the unassuming cat disappeared. Many who swore they hadn't seen it walk away were now stood before the tall man with the dark hair and impassive blue eyes. "Right you are, Henley." Curiously, the man's pupils didn't dilate as they should, appearing as slits instead; a perfect mirror of those belonging to the cat from earlier. Maddox never noticed his imperfect transition. There always seemed to be something amiss even on his best days, and the man had long since stopped paying attention.

The odd feline ears here or there, teeth that remained permanently sharpened, and senses that gave him no peace. They'd all become a part of his life.

"I wouldn't take you all the way out here to study cats. That would be dreadfully irresponsible of me."

He nodded the group toward the house in which they'd appeared before. "Don't trample the grass. I believe the owners have been working on it for some time now."

Maddox led them up the footpath, his hands hanging loosely inside his pockets and his posture the slightest of slouches. There was no urgency in his steps, nor any indication that might allow them to prepare. They had a few older students on hand to take care of the younger ones--as McCormick had attempted to do with a particularly mopey first year. The rest, he supposed, would figure itself out.

Casting alohomora, he unlocked the door and gestured them all inside with the insistence that they be quiet. As each walked beneath the threshold, he cast silencing charms at their feet. It wouldn't do to give away their position.

The inside was unnervingly quiet, the surest sign that the occupants had already gone to bed. There was something else lingering in the air, however; a quiet malice. Not everything was as it seemed in this serene home located on this suburban street.

A piercing shriek rang out from the first floor, cutting through the stillness that once engulfed the house.

"Muuummmmmyyyy, it's back! It's back! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Go back to bed, Robert! There's no such thing as monsters," came another cry from the opposite end of the first-floor corridor.

"One of them's right," the man said to his students. "Can you guess who?" Was there a monster plaguing little Robert Merrywinkle, or did his parents have the right of it? Six-year-olds tended to have overly active imaginations after all.

"What ever could be trying to make a meal of our little friend?"

As if trying to answer the man's question, a loud THUD banged against the ceiling. Something heavy had fallen or perhaps it was nothing at all.

---

OOC: First update is here! Maddox has taken the students into the home of....uh...don't worry about it. It's very clear that something is not right, and there's a frightened boy seconds from danger upstairs. Before they head up there, have them react to what's happened (they kinda let themselves into someone's home, ya know, small things) so far and give an answer as to what your student might think is going bump in the night--or if they even think there is. Children can be notorious storytellers when they don't want to go to bed. All answers are welcome, even non-answers! I'll be back with the next update to move us on upstairs and into the action on September 13, thereabout.

"Nope."

Well, she didn't know what she expected from Benji besides 'nope'. It wasn't like the boy was big on long explanations when he did know what was going on. She sighed, keeping her eyes open as her cousin bent down to tie his shoes, apparently readying himself to make a sprint for it. She had a little more faith in Barlowe than to -

“If I have to stand during the entire class I may die. Would be a shame to kick the bucket at this point.”

"Wish he'd let us know he quit before we ended up in the middle of nowhere."

Rosie smiled at the arrival of Rae, Matilda and another Slytherin - Corbin, whom she knew from the library now. It was a strange rag-tag bunch that she'd found herself with this term - a far cry from the crowd she ran around with before everything with Professor Holloway came to light. She missed her friends - as wild and broody as they could all be. Maybe next term they'd come back. Before she graduated.

She doubted it, but this group was great too, even if they were younger and she didn't have the same history with them.

Her eyes drifted over to Cassian as he arrived, seating himself with Elias who looked a little worse for wear over things. Poor boy. Every time she saw that boy, he looked ready to throw up or have a nervous breakdown. These classes seemed to be doing a number on his nerves. She joined them as Maevie and Joshua sat down, figuring if Cassian was going to act as 'dad' for the class, she may as well act as 'mum'. Keeping an eye on the smallest of the group was probably their responsibility, even if it wasn't outright said.

She didn't see where the cat had gone or when Professor Barlowe had made his arrival. "Stay close to me," she said to Maevie with a sweet smile, offering her hand out to the little girl. Cute thing she was. All bouncy and bubbly and completely endearing. She would have been eaten alive last term - and not by the creatures.

As the Professor trudged along, leading them to a random house, Rosie hung back with Maevie behind Rae's group, letting the fourth years wander first into certain danger.

"Muuummmmmyyyy, it's back! It's back! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Lovely. What was it with Hogwarts professors always wanting to keep her on the edge of her seat? There was some back and forth between the child upstairs and his mother, and a thud. A very loud thud.

"What ever could be trying to make a meal of our little friend?"

Rosie thought for a moment. Something to do with imaginations and parents not believing it. She had an idea, in fact, she was rather certain of what the creature could be, but she was more of the mind to let the younger students try and figure it out before she offered up her suggestion. Let them get a crack at it. Rosie reached for her wand in her pocket, feeling a little more at ease if it was what she thought. A simple encantation and all would be well.

Right?

---

*OOC - permission to hover around / watch over Maevie given by Lena <3

"That cat doesn't want nothin' to do with you, Tulip," Benji quipped, standing and brushing his hands along his trousers. She could pst pst all she wanted. Julia's cat never came when he was called and all he did was stare at people like he was judging them. If you tried to pet him, he batted his paw at you as if to say 'no thanks'. He was a mean old thing, and as if to make Benji's point, the cat blinked at Tulip and moved further away from her.

Benji almost laughed.

“Well this is different.”

"Not really," he said lightly, offering his shoulder for Ging to lean on. "Barlowe's always got scenarios like this up his sleeve. You shoulda been there for the grand finale last term. Ren was the blue plate special at the Hidebehind Cafe." He grinned wider as his girlfriend joined them, reaching out to give a little tug at one of her curls. "We may have to double-up on this one," he nodded to Matilda. "Something tries to eat her, we'll have to save her." He glanced at Corbin, offering his new library friend a wry smile. He leaned forward a little, whispering, but not quiet enough so Matilda wouldn't hear. "Or sacrifice her, and we'll make a run for it. We don't have to be the fastest, just faster than her."

He grinned at his best friend, waiting for the likely smack that was coming.

Cass was here. Benji nodded his chin at his good friend, a silent reminder that he had stuff to give him after class. He hadn't nicked it, exactly. Well, he had. But...it didn't matter. He had it, as promised.

His eyes turned back to the cat briefly and widened to see Barlowe standing there with...slants for eyes? Wait, where...? Benji blinked again, his mouth falling open stupidly. Wait...yes, he was waiting and...

"I wouldn't take you all the way out here to study cats. That would be dreadfully irresponsible of me."

Matilda could hold herself up for a minute.

Benji bolted to the Professor's side as they walked, crooking his head slightly at the man to get a better look at him. "Professor...?" he asked, his curiosity becoming almost a nervous tick now. "Were you just...like I know there's...but...it's not you...you're not...right?" Surely the man wasn't. If he was, that meant that Julia's cat was - nope. Nope. That's not what was happening. Benji pursed his lips and shook his head. "Nevermind." He fell back into step with his friends, offering his shoulder to Matilda again.

What a strange day this already was.

"Muuummmmmyyyy, it's back! It's back! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Ah. Breaking and entering. It wasn't Benji's first time, and now they were saddled with figuring out what plagued a little kid upstairs. He glanced at Rae and Corbin, his eyes growing wide with excitement. "Maybe we'll get lucky and its a poltergeist."

Elias looked up when Cassian sat down beside him, water still dripping from his hair onto his collar. One of the older girls was tugging a Slytherin boy along by the arm.

"I'm..." His voice came out hoarse. He cleared his throat and tried again, picking at a piece of loose gravel on the curb. Sharp edges, like it had been chipped from something bigger. "I don't think I do well with teleporting. Or whatever that was. Makes me feel sick."

He took a deeper breath, and scrubbed some of the water off his face.

When Maevie bounced down on his other side, Elias startled but managed a small smile. Joshua settled next to her, and Elias tugged at his still-damp sleeves and tried to finger-comb his wet hair back from his forehead. He took the offered toffee gratefully, fumbling with the wrapper.

"Thanks." The sweet was warm and buttery on his tongue. He smoothed out the crinkled wrapper against his knee, then folded it into a tiny square. A dog barked somewhere far off, the sound echoing down the empty street.

Elias glanced at Maevie, then at Joshua. He straightened his shoulders a bit.

"Maybe it'll be something that lives in storm drains. Giant sewer rats with three heads or something."

He rubbed his thumb along the folded toffee wrapper. The curb felt cold and gritty beneath him.

He shifted toward Joshua, still shivering from cold. "What about kneazles? Those are magical cats, aren't they? Maybe we learn about those later?"

When Professor Barlowe appeared - Elias hadn't even noticed the cat disappearing - he scrambled to his feet with the others. His robes were heavy with moisture and clung uncomfortably to his legs as they walked toward the house. A small mailbox by the gate read "The Merrywinkles" in faded letters. What kind of name was Merrywinkles?

Elias found himself staring at the grass as they walked, trying to step only where others had already stepped. It looked too perfect, like someone had cut it with scissors. Why couldn't they study cats instead? Cats seemed much safer than whatever was hiding on dark, empty streets like this. The professor had been a cat just moments ago, hadn't he? But now he was saying studying cats would be irresponsible. That made no sense.

Inside, the silencing charm felt strange, like cotton in his ears. Why did they need to be quiet? Elias stayed close to Cassian but kept glancing back toward Maevie and Joshua, making sure they were still there.

The screaming from upstairs made him freeze. His wand trembled slightly as he drew it from his pocket.

"Maybe the boy's just scared of the dark?" he whispered to his fellow first years, trying to convince himself as much as them. "I used to think there were things under my bed when I was little."

His grip tightened on his wand. What had made that thud?

Elliot’s arm linked through his before Corbin could step back, tugging him toward the cluster of students. Something about safety in numbers. He let her pull him along - arguing with Elliot was pointless, and she was probably right, anyway.

The black cat across the street stood up. Stretched. And then it wasn’t a cat anymore.

Corbin’s eyes widened as Professor Barlowe appeared where the animal had been, slit pupils scanning the group. The professor’s voice carried easily as he dismissed the idea of studying cats, gesturing instead toward the dark house behind him.

The grass crunched under their feet as they approached the front door. The professor’s whispered Alohomora seemed too loud in the suburban quiet.

The hallway beyond the threshold made Corbin’s skin prickle. Flat paintings hung on the walls - ordinary things that would never speak or move. Strange glass bulbs glowed from the ceiling with a steady white light that didn’t flicker or dance. The constant hum made his teeth ache. Nothing magical anywhere.

He pressed his shoulder against the wall, feeling solid plaster through his robes.

A child’s scream pierced the silence from upstairs. High and desperate, crying for his mother about something coming back.

The parent’s response drifted down - dismissive, tired. No monsters. Go back to bed.

No monsters. Corbin’s jaw clenched. What kind of fool told their child there were no monsters? Monsters were everywhere. They lived in dark corners and smiled with too many teeth and wore the faces of people you were supposed to trust. Some had claws, and some had wands, and some just had cold voices that could make you disappear for asking the wrong questions.

His father’s research books were full of monsters. The visitors who came to the castle at night were monsters. And somewhere, whatever had taken his mother away was probably a monster too.

But this parent thought monsters weren’t real. This parent was leaving their child alone and scared while something - something real, something dangerous - stalked around upstairs.

He pressed harder against the wall. He knew that feeling. Being scared, being alone, having no one believe you.

Benji was grinning beside him, talking about poltergeists like this was exciting.

A THUD shook the ceiling. Heavy. Like something had been thrown.

Corbin pushed off the wall and lunged for the staircase, taking the steps two at a time, his wand tight in his grip.

Where was Rosie going? She just got there.

Rae watched her friend walk off after offering her a smile. Following her with her gaze, she supposed she didn't have questions after all. Cassian McCormick, playing counselor for the Ravenclaw boy who perpetually seemed to be upset about something. At first, Rae thought it might just have been a need to adjust, but nearing the end of September, he still seemed a little overwhelmed by it all.

Her attention was drawn by the hand that tugged at her curl. Dark eyes landed next on her boyfriend, her lips spreading wide in response to his boyish grin. They had to get better at organising their schedules. She'd missed him in the last class. More importantly, he'd missed out on a moment of utter hilarity that even her most dramatic spiel wouldn't be able to do justice.

"We may have to double-up on this one. Something tries to eat her, we'll have to save her."

His words brought her attention to the redhead leaning against his shoulder. Rae had chosen to be gracious for the fact that Matilda had likely been dying and apparently her own boyfriend wasn't up to the task of keeping her steady. Never mind it meant Rae had to share hers, Tilly was a good friend, and they probably had a creature to be worrying about soon.

"Or sacrifice her, and we'll make a run for it. We don't have to be the fastest, just faster than her."

"Plenty of fodder before we get to friends," Rae reminded Benji, her gaze drifting over the ready supply of first-years Cass and Rosie seemed to be collecting. "Most of them have shorter legs. We'll be fine." Even with Tilly not at full force. If it really came to it, she'd force her Slytherin friend to materialise if she had to.

Benji had already nearly died for Matilda once. It was the girl's actual boyfriend's turn.

Unlike many of her classmates--and Benji who'd run ahead to verify--Rae wasn't at all surprised by the professor's transformation. When he'd first arrived at the school, his sharp teeth had led her to believe the man was some sort of vampire. It had required extra surveillance to be sure. Imagine her disappointment to find that he was just a cat who was bad at his job. Rae didn't think it was even possible to mess up being an animagus, but Professor Barlowe was living proof and a cautionary tale should she stop paying attention.

Hanging onto Corbin, she walked with the others into the dark house. If she was meant to be concerned about them simply letting themselves in, she had missed the memo. Weren't all Barlowe's classes questionable?

Rae stepped inside, waiting to be dazzled by something with big teeth, but all there was...was a plain living room, unimpressive curtains half drawn, a low light coming from another room--

"Muuummmmmyyyy, it's back! It's back! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Ah, there it was. The reason they were here, she presumed. Rae straightened, ready for instructions on what they'd need to do. There was either a monster or there wasn't, and they had to guess.

"We've already got Peeves," Rae pointed out when Benji shared his guess. "I never feel particularly 'lucky' running into him."

The girl had limited experience with such beings and hoped the professor hadn't really dragged them all the way out there to meet that nuisance's cousin. It was unfortunately something Barlowe would do if he was in a mood or someone called in some favour of the sort as seemed to be a near constant with the man.

"What if it's another hidebehind? Don't those disappear when you look at them? Maybe that's why his mum thinks he's full of it."

In which case, they'd need to find Ren. He made the perfect bait.

In an instant, her arm was alone. Corbin, for whatever reason, took off up the stairs like a kid with nothing left to lose. Rae looked to the others, wondering if they knew what that had been about.

"If he actually dies, do we get let out early?" Asking for a friend.

Cassian McCormick was not playing dad and would wither even after he'd gone to his grave if he knew Rosie thought so.

It was too soon. MUCH too soon.

Noting the soaked appearance of the poor first-year, Cassian cast a hot air charm, attempting to get Elias dry. By this point in his education career, he knew being uncomfortable was the last thing you wanted to be when you were already likely to have to face the sorts of things that brought real discomfort.

"I don't think I do well with teleporting. Or whatever that was. Makes me feel sick."

He could tell. The boy wasn't looking so good. "Here," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a mint. "Might help a little."

Across the way, he caught the look Benji gave him. It was great news, the sort he hoped Rosie didn't notice even while he nodded his acknowledgement.

It wasn't long before they were joined by a pair of other first years (Maevie and Joshua), creating a neat line along the sidewalk while they waited for the professor. He nodded at them both, offering a small but welcoming--and hopefully reassuring--smile. When Rosie joined the motley crew, Cass reached a hand out to pull her into his lap for the wait when the cat turned into the professor. All thoughts of getting comfortable faded immediately, replaced by QUESTIONS he now had in looking back at a lot of old scenarios.

Maybe he wouldn't ask. Maybe he really didn't need to know. Yes. Yes, ignorance would have to be bliss for the Ravenclaw whose head now hurt.

Determined not to think too much about all the places he'd run into that cat, Cassian rose and followed the others inside. He noted the way Elias stuck close, not minding at all. Cassian knew how these classes could be, and if the boy was already unsettled, there was a good chance he'd need some looking after until he had some better footing. Occasionally, he tried to glance back at Joshua, too. Rosie, from what he'd heard, had Maevie. Assuming the younger ones were planning to stick together, it would certainly make things...easier...

Well then.

Cass had every intention of answering the professor's questions. A few theories already floated around his head. They all faded like dew after dawn at the sight of Corbin...taking off.

If there was one thing attending care of magical creatures with Professor Barlowe had taught him, it was to stick close to the man giving instructions--to not wander off before knowing what they were up against.

To this day, the Ravenclaw still couldn't figure out if those basilisks were real.

Also, was no one else wondering who's house this was??

Maevie smiled brightly as Elias accepted her offered toffee, unwrapping the other and plopping it into her own mouth. Joshua joined them too und suddenly she wished she would have brought more of the sweet she was now sucking on, so all of them could have some. Maybe she'd do that next time.

But she nodded at him eagerly, indicating she too hoped to see something interesting today. Although she wasn't really worried that they wouldn't. So far she had found all the creatures worth her time and travelling somewhere specifically had to mean something, right?

Even a giant sewer rat with three heads wouldn't throw her off.

She giggled a little, playfully bumping her shoulder into Elias' with a glance sideways when suddenly instead of a cat, there stood the professor in its wake. Maevie gasped silently, gaping up at him from where she sat on the kerb. Was that normal? Could every professor do that? Could she do it somehow, learn it?

In a rush, she wanted to ask him all those questions and more but before she got the chance to, he was already nodding them along towards a house, marching off.

Scrambling to her feet, Maevie found one of the older girls next to her, Rosie, holding out her hand which she took without any hesitation or mistrust. Beaming up at her, she asked, "Will it be really dangerous?" Rosie had said to stay close to her, so maybe the older students were tasked with looking after the younger ones. "I can't really do any magic yet but I can kick!"

As quietly as she could, Maevie followed the rest of class into the house Professor Barlowe held the door open to, carefully putting one foot down after the next to avoid any creaking floorboards or even bumping into a cupboard or something and smashing a vase to the ground. Then all their sneaking would be for nothing and she would die of embarrassment.

The house felt still and unmoving, almost eerily so. The silence pressing, the ticking of a clock coming from somewhere within the house like a menacing countdown. Who lived here? It sent a tingling shiver down her back, like they weren't quite alone.

The scream from upstairs startled her so bad, she almost jumped a foot high, a surprised gasp sharply pulled in and the hand around Rosie's squeezing tightly for a second. It didn't scare her per se, it rather felt like she was attending a live action horror show of sorts. Where nothing bad could actually happen to her and it was all for the fun of it.

A call from the opposite end echoed, the professor posed ominous questions and then a thud that shook the house thrummed in her ears. The rising excitement was almost painful to contain. Elias whispered into the darkness and Maevie almost imperceptibly shook her head, as though it would make a sound if she moved too quickly. "Does the darkness usually make loud thuds to the ground?", she whispered back with a wide grin. "Unless he fell out of bed," she added on an afterthought.

Just when she was about to make a suggestion to the professor, an older boy suddenly bolted towards the stairs and Maevie's eyes widened. Were they allowed to be loud now?