COMC Lesson 3: Demiguise In Disguise

Monday, April 11, 1921
The field by the old barn
4:00PM

Maddox was surprisingly rested.

The Easter break had done wonders for allowing him to feel several steps above death. It was remarkable what having nearly two weeks off could do. Now, the man was as refreshed as he would ever be. He leaned against the table he'd set up out in the field near the old barn. His companion for the lesson climbed along his limbs, treating him like a jungle gym while it searched for a place to get comfortable.

Atop the table were many kinds of vegetables, dark and leafy, bright with vibrant colours, all looking freshly picked from the patch near the groundskeeper's hut he'd taken for a second--third--home. He'd gotten his son involved in the process, Evander enjoying his short-lived role of garden destroyer as he'd been allowed to pluck to his heart's content.

For students who made their way to the barn, there would've been a sign on the door, redirecting them to the field, but very little else.

The man plucked a stalk of celery from one of the bowls, and the creature finally settled in his arm. It happily crunched away at the treat. As the first of the students began to arrive, it seemed to disappear. Only the soft crunching of the celery, as it continued to get shorter and shorter, alerted anyone to the fact that the demiguise had gone nowhere.

"Last class of the day," and, mercifully, only an hour for this one, "let's make it count."

He nodded them toward the further end of the long table.

"Leave your things there. As you may have already guessed, we won't be doing our usual theory today."

It was fair to say that in a few minutes, the students would find themselves amply occupied. A demiguise could make for busy...slippery work.

---

OOC: Welcome to CoMC Lesson 3! This is the final lesson for the term, and you don't need to have been in the other two to jump in. Maddox likely forgot to tell the students they were meeting out in the field, but never fear, that's what the scribbled note on the door of the closed barn is for. Oops? Make your way over to the field, drop off your stuff, and get ready to begin. Feel free to have your character reacting to the things and happenings around them while they wait. I'll be updating on November 3

There wasn't much left to her third term at Hogwarts. When all was said and done, Rosalie's future was at the edge of her fingertips; the only thing between her and freedom was one more year. All she had to do was finish out the last month or so of her classes, and with things winding down, most of them were fairly uneventful.

The same could never be said for Professor Barlowe's class.

She was fairly sure that every class the professor planned had at least a sense of ease in mind. It wasn't always possible of course, running from basilisks and hunting hidebehinds, but if she knew him well enough now - at least on a student/teacher level - the man didn't like to be overly fussed or bothered. Perhaps it was the nature of creatures, or more likely the nature of students, that always caused everything in his classes to go sideways.

There were the quieter days of course, when they were all assigned various duties to feed or water the creatures.

Today wouldn't be one of those days it seemed.

She pursed her lips at the note on the barn, not out of frustration or irritation, but moreso that the table she'd seen in the distance as she walked down here had been where she actually needed to go and she could have saved herself the extra five minute walk.

When she finally made her way to the table, she took in the splay of veggies - and the creature that sat upon the professor's arm. As soon as she approached, the demiguise seemed to vanish, though his celery continued to be munched away at.

"Leave your things there. As you may have already guessed, we won't be doing our usual theory today."

Rosie wandered to the far end of the table, dropping her bag with little fanfare, waiting for any of her friends to show.

Today was not her day.

Of all the days to traipse down to the grounds for a lesson. Her feet hurt, she had a headache brewing, even with her tea, sleep didn't come last night, she had ripped her skirt and was too annoyed to fix it, she got a low score on a test in herbology... HERBOLOGY! SERIOUSLY!? She planned on talking with the professor, because she was 100% sure the answers on the exam were wrong. She had books to prove it.

And she missed Ren.

Sighing, Tilly left the barn, reading the notes that directed her towards the field. On the way there her brain wandered to her ex-boyfriend. She hated that term. Tilly didn't want an Ex boyfriend. She liked the boyfriend she had just fine, thank you very much. Unfortunately keeping up any relationship with someone living half way around the world was rather difficult. So, they remained friends, wrote each other often, shared fun stories and helped each other through the harder times. But dating, they were not.

Tilly saw the crowd beginning to form up ahead. Maddox and the creature using him as a jungle gym. Rosie was the first friend she saw, so her feet took her in that direction. Taking a second to find a hair tie, Tilly pulled her hair up into a long pony tale, securing it tightly.

"Leave your things there. As you may have already guessed, we won't be doing our usual theory today."

Plopping her bag on the end of the table, Tilly made her way over to Rosie. "Hey, how's it going? Did you have a good Easter?"

The Easter break was too short. There were probably plenty who would disagree with the sentiment, after all two weeks was nothing to scoff at, but for Rae...it had passed in the blink of an eye. It might have been more honest to say her feelings had nothing to do with the length of the holiday and everything to do with her desire to not return. The Slytherin had never been particularly enamoured with the stony walls and the rocky Scottish Highlands but they'd never been this bad.

Since her return in January, things had been on a decline so steep that it toppled her. A break up she was prepared to stand on as firmly as Benji was to continue following his uncle, a mad man with a wand to her neck and terrors that plagued her whether she slept or kept herself awake. Being home with Billie had been the only thing that felt right in a ...really long time and just when her body was beginning to feel safe again, the girl had been put back onto the Hogwarts Express with a kiss atop her head and the promise that the school's final term would be over before knew it.

If today was any indication of things then she already doubted it. The day's classes had all dragged on, each draining another piece of her until she felt as if she was running on fumes by the time she got to the barn.

That's when a new problem started.

They weren't having class there at all. Rae scowled at the note that notified her she'd ended up in the wrong place. Annoyingly enough, the girl did think she'd seen something set up out in the field out of the corner of her eyes when she'd walked by, but it hadn't occurred to her that it would have anything to do with her. The girl was working on auto-pilot, sparing only the most basic of thoughts toward her environment. Maybe this was her wake up call. There was no auto-pilot when it came to the creatures. All it took was one wrong move or the animal having a bad day for everyone else to start having a bad one, too.

Shaking herself a little, Rae turned and headed where she'd been instructed. The field. Out there, she found that some of her friends had already arrived and that the professor had magic vanishing celery. She waved at Tilly as she settled on the other side of Rosie.

"Neat trick, professor," she said, nodding toward the self-eating vegetable. She'd been too late to the party to see that there had once been a creature. A wider look around revealed man more vegetables.

"Uhhh..." she said, leaning into Rosie a little. "Are...the vegetables...the creatures today? Is that a thing?" Rae knew she'd fallen behind on her reading but this was...

Um...

Yeah.

Maddox wasn't overly concerned about the note he'd left on the barn's door. There would inevitably be some students who took it as a licence to skip. Those students...were not his concern. With only three months left of the school term and exams fast approaching, everyone was at liberty to decide the sort of student they wanted to be and the grade they wanted to have. He wasn't about to go wrangling anyone as if they were runaway puffskeins that had gotten out into the fields rolling and tumbling.

Those who did show up, he would educate. When the hour ended, he would take Evander to Hogsmeade as he'd promised. Not that he thought the two-year-old remembered his breakfast, let alone something that had been promised days prior, but Maddox remained a man of his word.

The professor nodded his greeting as the students began to arrive, not at all surprised by the demiguise's disappearing act. It wasn't yet comfortable with the students--not enough to remain visible--but wasn't scared enough to take off and leave his meal behind. It was that sweet spot where many things were possible, so he left him to his munching.

"Neat trick, professor."

"Flattered as I am to receive praise, I haven't done anything, Elliot." It hadn't yet dawned on him that the Slytherin girl hadn't caught a glimpse of the creature before it 'poofed', leaving him with raised brows and questions he didn't think he wanted to be bothered asking.

Her whispered question to Laurence had his brows raising higher.

The vegetables...how...?

Nevermind.

"Let's get started. We have a few things to do, but little time in which to get them done. Elliot, your bag. Over there." He nodded toward where the others had placed theirs at the far end of the table and waited for the girl to deposit hers before continuing. "For those of you who didn't manage to catch a glimpse of today's guest before he disappeared," he extended his arm and the celery ceased moving, "this is a demiguise. For those of you wondering why the name sounds familiar, you'd be correct in remembering this was your Easter reading. I'm sure you all did it." His gaze lingered a moment longer on a certain Slytherin than it did on the responsible pair of Gryffindors in whose company the girl so often found herself.

"Before we get this little guy some exercise, let's review. What do you remember about Demiguises?"

Perhaps 'remember' was an ambitious word for some, but Maddox wasn't so jaded that he would believe that none of them had done the reading. Someone would offer up the information and the others would do well to pay attention to this time around.

"Don't stop there." He could feel the creature climbing along his arm, ruffling his shirt as he settled by his shoulder. "If you were ever tasked with catching one, how would you go about it?"

Their strategy would have to depend on what they knew of the creature, circling right back to their need to..oh...read. Huh. Life really did have a funny way of going in cycles, didn't it?

---

OOC: Sorry for the late post! We're heading into the first update now. Starting things simple. Maddox wants to ensure the students did their Easter reading, so he's asked what they can remember about demiguises. In that vein, he'd also like them to dig a little deeper and think--knowing what they do--of how they would go about catching such prolific fortune tellers. Only one fact about demiguises, please (should you choose to reply). I'll be updating the lesson again, hopefully around November 9.

Her...bag?

Rae looked in the direction he gestured, only now realising that the others had deposited their things over by the top of the table.

Oh. Right.

Leaving her friend's side, she hurried to drop her book bag with the others before hurrying to rejoin them.

As the professor began speaking, she found herself confused. Demiguise...? It wasn't that she didn't know what they were. Believe it or not, the girl had actually done her Easter reading. In a twist that would surely surprise many, the girl had found solace in her schoolwork. She'd have never seen it for herself, not with how flippant she'd always been about the assignments professors handed out, but while she'd been home--and even in the weeks leading up to the break--they'd been one of the few things that kept her mind on track and provided her with any direction.

Rae knew about the creature in question. In a move so starkly different from herself, she'd even taken a few notes, but she hadn't been there before it disappeared and so had no idea they were in the midst of one currently.

She supposed that explained the celery disappearing and the professor's confusion at her comment on his trick. She squinted, as if that might help her see the creature despite knowing logically that it would take more than that.

"They're from the far east, aren't they?" Rae asked, staring at the empty spot on the man's extended arm. Was it...was it still there?

The man's ruffling collar had her thinking it was already on the move.

"And they can see the future, yeah? Like some kind of...of..." What was the word? She remembered stumbling on it and having to ask Billie what it was. While her reading had improved leaps and bounds from her first year. New words that were longer or more complicated still gave her some pause. "Pre-per...cognisant...sight? Whatever that is, they've got it."

Which made the man's next question difficult.

If those things could predict what would happen next, she imagined catching them would be no small headache. In fact, Rae remembered reading that only those with training in catching them had ever really gotten to see them. It figured the professor was one such person. For as much as he didn't like to be bothered, he was still pretty knowledgeable about the creatures he introduced them to.

Rae had found that his lackadaisical cover hid many interesting and admirable traits. It wasn't the lazy professor who'd ascended the stairs to save her and the other girls. It had been a brave man who hadn't been willing to flinch in the face of danger and possibly his own death. She knew he cared a great deal for his creatures, and he'd always joked that letting them die would be too much paperwork for him, but that night, she'd seen the truth of it. She'd seen his care.

"I guess...I'd have to do something even I don't expect? You could set traps, but if there's a definitive outcome, then I guess they wouldn't fall for it in the first place. I reckon you'd have to be crazy unpredictable to even have a chance." And how did one plan to not have a plan? The paradox was enough to chip at her brain.

Maddox waited a moment for the Slytherin to get her things squared away before continuing with the lesson.

For the most part, it sounded like the students had managed to spare a bit of their oh-so-precious time to get the reading down after all. As he moved from one raised hand to the next, the information came pouring out. The man would go as far as to say he was...mildly proud. They hadn't left the castle on good terms for the Easter holiday. Thayer and his company had seen to that. The creature professor was surprised to see that so many of them had even come back and that they'd been able to manage focusing on their studies.

The school's population had taken a hit after Nick's stunt. He supposed, though, that anyone already willing to have their children return wouldn't be deterred now.

Maddox liked to think that the professors had been able to show that, while things might get rocky, they were dedicated to ensuring the safety of the students under their care.

There would always be danger. Hogwarts was meant to help prepare them to face them.

"Good work," he said, as the last of them got through with their point. Maddox conjured a chalkboard by the table and a piece of chalk. Diligently, he began to outline the points that had been brought forward, jotting them down should any need a reminder...or the notes to begin with. While he wrote, the demiguise adjusted itself on his shoulders several times, trying to find a new comfortable spot.

"Right, so demiguises. As you've said, they hail from the far east and aren't very common in other parts of the world. Whether this stems from their ability to remain invisible and thus remain under the radar or an incompatibility with other areas is still being investigated. They're docile, herbivorous creatures with well-sought-after pelts and, as Elliot said, they have what we know to be 'precognitive sight'," he paused, offering a mild look to the girl. It was a gentle correction without tipping into being a callout. There was no need for all that.

"As the Slytherin also mentioned, this does make them difficult to capture. There's a famous case of a Muggle who tried tracking one through the jungle but lost his mind at how quickly it kept disappearing. I'm sure the Muggle eventually gave up and went home, but no one's really sure what happened to him in the end. A lesson in not blindly following creatures into unfamiliar terrain, children."

He shrugged lightly.

"A concern for another time. Today, our focus will be on trying to catch a demiguise ourselves. As you can see--well, you can't really--Jasper is rather tame. Even if you don't manage to capture him, he'll return to his pen on his own. That said," he lowered himself to the ground, allowing the creature to climb down. "I'd like you to catch and return him to me. Be gentle, he's not an aggressive creature and shouldn't be mishandled. Go."

The soft crunching sound of the grass, nearly imperceptible, alerted him to the direction the creature had taken off in, but he would leave it to them to figure it out.

"You can use anything here, including your wands, but only spells that cause no harm."

---

OOC: Time for your characters to get their limbs moving a bit. As Maddox has mentioned, they'll be playing something of a game of hide and seek or cat and mouse with the demiguise. It is currently invisible, so they cannot depend on their sight to track and capture it. As mentioned, it has precognitive vision, so simply setting a trap and waiting for it to spring, on its own, will not yield favourable results. You can try to work together, or come up with a strategy on your own, but please don't RP the outcome of the demiguise or its actions. You can assume it is moving around and that you can't see it. IC your character will know it's there somewhere rather than being able to say for sure it's this way or that way. Think unpredictable, even if just clouding the outcomes enough to make them obscure. I'll be moving on to the final update on November 14, thereabout!

Tilly kept her eyes roving over the area looking for the object of their study today. A Demiguise was an interesting beast, one that she would love to interact with. As Maddox sent the students to find Jasper, Tilly decided against running around screaming the poor beast's name while waving around veggies.

Walking over to the table with the veggies, Tilly took a couple to try and loure Jasper into hanging out with her. She took a couple carrots and a sweet potato out of the offered veggies, opting for sweeter items. In her reading for class one thing remained stuck in her brain. They liked sweets.

Deciding that the licorice whips or chocolate wands in her bag were not what Professor Maddox would like to see, she went for the sweeter veggies instead.

Walking around the area, Tilly noticed the weeds on the outskirts of the clearing. Her eyes went straight for the wild blackberries and honey suckle growing around the perimeter of the area. Perfect, even more sweet treats for Jasper.

Taking a seat a meter away from the blackberries, Tilly sat on the ground with her spread of food. Snacking on a few of the berries, she took the bundle of honeysuckle and began weaving them together in a flower crown. Humming to herself, trying to make herself a quite safe space for Jasper to come hang out with.

Spreading around the grass near her, Tilly broke off pieces of the carrot, piled up a few berries sporadically, and laid out honeysuckle blooms, hoping to entice Jasper. Taking a honeysuckle in her hands, she pulled the purple petals off the center and put the sweet plant in her mouth, sucking the sugary liquid into her mouth. Keeping her ears open, she hoped for a visit, or maybe a cuddle.

Rosalie had spaced out apparently, completely missing Professor Barlowe's question as she watched the celery slowly disappear into the air, chomp by audible chomp. A useful skill, she figured, one that kept the little creature safe from predators that would try to capture and devour it. She could relate on some level, wishing she too had the power of invisibility.

"Hey, how's it going? Did you have a good Easter?"

Hmm? Rosie glanced up, a smile reaching her eyes when she saw it was Matilda. "It was okay," she said with a little shrug. Nothing much to say about it. "Church, dinner, walk-abouts. The usual. How about you?"

"Uhhh...are...the vegetables...the creatures today? Is that a thing?"

Her grin widened as she leaned in slightly towards Rae. "No," she whispered, "It's a demiguise. They're sort of like Thestrals, I guess. Go invisible and such." She'd only seen demiguises in books, but she absolutely loved their big eyes and long fur. They were special little creatures, able to predict the future, which made them ripe targets for those who would use them for nefarious reasons. She'd read plenty about them, and if she'd been paying attention to the professor she could have offered up an answer to his question. Instead, she redirected herself, ensuring she listened to everyone else and the answers that came up.

"If you were ever tasked with catching one, how would you go about it?"

Rosie raised her hand, but Rae was quicker, offering up the same answer she had. She smiled at her younger friend, giving her a slight nudge. "Look at you doing your reading," she murmured.

Today, our focus will be on trying to catch a demiguise ourselves. As you can see--well, you can't really--Jasper is rather tame. Even if you don't manage to capture him, he'll return to his pen on his own. That said," he lowered himself to the ground, allowing the creature to climb down. "I'd like you to catch and return him to me. Be gentle, he's not an aggressive creature and shouldn't be mishandled. Go."

The girl almost squealed with excitement at finally being able to interact with one of the little creatures she was fascinated with. There weren't many that Rosie took much interest in, though she was always gentle and careful to treat them in the way Professor Barlowe expected. Demiguises, however, were something of a kindred spirit for her. Sensitive and gentle creatures who just wanted to be left alone and had a strange little ability to sense things others couldn't. What animal would be more suited to the girl who held all the same traits and often felt hunted by those who misunderstood her?

She was quiet for a moment as she listened for the soft footsteps in the grass, understanding that she'd have to be strategic in how she tried to catch him. Gentle, but unpredictable. She bit her lip while Matilda wandered off in one direction, wondering how she could trick something that knew she would do it before it had been done.

Chasing him would be expected. The demiguise would know she was coming before she could even take a few steps. She knew often times one had to fight fire with fire. If Jasper's skill was hiding and sensing the next steps, maybe she needed to use some sort of Divination.

The girl settled herself beneath a tree, deciding immediately she wouldn't be chasing and scaring the poor creature. She wouldn't lure it or try to convince it to come closer. Instead, she would just be, sit with her thoughts and feelings and see if she could sense him.

Crossing her legs, Rosalie held out a hand, palm up in her lap. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree, focusing on the image of Jasper that she had in her head. She'd...never tried something like this, often feelings and perceptions just made their way to her and flashed through her mind, but maybe she'd get some sort of idea when he was close by.

Maybe he'd realize she was similar to him in a way and wouldn't find her a threat.

Maybe she was completely off base and this was stupid.

She took a deep breath, emptying her mind of everything except the demiguise, and listening quietly to the sounds around her. Her palm remained up, unmoving, in the slight chance the little creature took a liking to her.

She had done her reading, hadn't she? Rae shrugged lightly at Rosie's comment, not wanting to make a big deal of it. It didn't suddenly make her a Ravenclaw, or someone likely to top her class, and her reasons weren't exactly academic. Rae simply needed something to take her mind off other things, and her...usual methods were proving...difficult. She couldn't explain it and knew there would be some who cared more about the fact she stopped than the reason. Maybe it was a hidden stroke of good fortune, a blessing in disguise. Maybe this was actually...for the best.

But it made her restless.

In any case, it had her sounding like she knew what she was doing in class--the 'precognitive' faux pas aside--so, she supposed...until she hit her limit again...this was the best outcome she could hope for.

Then it came time to get to work. Professor Barlowe wanted them to catch Jasper...er...wherever Jasper was.

Was the demiguise even in the field with them?

Rae watched the man's shirt ruffling, assuming it must have been the work of their little friend, who didn't know they were friends yet. They'd have to catch something that would know they were coming. If she swerved left, he'd know she was swerving left. If she set down some veggies and waited in the wing, ready to cast the moment it started disappearing, it would know its fate and avoid the offering.

Unlike many of her classmates, Rae remained still after the instruction to start. It was a proper conundrum for her. How did one outsmart a fortune teller? She'd have to be doing things without any intention of doing them and somehow...still keep it orchestrated enough for the plan to come together.

Huh.

It was no wonder that her textbook said it took special training to be able to corner them. If Rae had to guess, it was easily the sort of training that she and her classmates hadn't been given. The dichotomy of skills needed was the sort that didn't come naturally. On any given day, the Slytherin could be impulsive, but she didn't think that constituted enough strategy.

Rosie was...uh...Rosie was doing something, and Matilda was offering snacks.

Of course.

Barlowe had said that Jasper was tame. He was used to human interaction already. There were probably even some types that he enjoyed if the disappearing celery from earlier was any indication. Maybe Tilly was onto something. If you couldn't outspace the one who saw the future, might as well give him something to look forward to. Jasper could see a lovely future waiting for him and decide whether it was something he was interested in. That decided, she went and plopped down next to her Gryffindor friend, who'd surrounded herself with a fresh display.

"Let's decide to give him belly scratches, too. Maybe that'll draw him in more."

Did demiguises like belly scratches? Most creatures did, didn't they? Rae supposed they'd find out soon enough.

It took all sorts.

That fact was no less true within his class. As the activity started, there were those who raced on ahead, seeming to forget nearly everything he'd just said about demiguises. They were the enthusiastic ones, mostly a clutch of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs with the odd Slytherin thrown in the mix. Maddox observed a clutch of Ravenclaws trying so hard to strategise that it left them completely immobile.

And then there were the girls just to his left.

Laurence had settled into what looked like some sort of meditation ritual. The man couldn't be sure and knew the girl's cousin was already prone to less conventional magical manifestations. Whatever the case, he trusted her enough to know what she was doing and not trying to fleece a small nap in the middle of his lesson, so he left her to it.

His gaze fell to the younger pair, Elliot and Nordstrom. He had to admit, whatever strategy they'd thought up had been lost to the man at first, but the longer he looked, the clearer it became. It was its own sort of trap, but the kind he thought Jasper might like. The creature was rather easygoing and liked a good pampering. A calm environment where he was likely to continue enjoying his afternoon with a full stomach was sure to be a plan that worked. It subverted the expectation of outsmarting the little future seer by not trying to outsmart it at all.

Stillness in the midst of all the spell-slinging that some employed.

From the table, he did what he could to follow the general path of the demiguise, its fleeting footsteps cushioned but not imperceptible.

Too many spells, too many shouts, too many flashing lights.

Jasper weaved in and out of the students, remaining in his invisibility as his last line of defense against futures he held no interest in. He did not want to be stunned and carried around, waving about like a prize. The creature did not want to be jostled and harassed by eager hands that weren't gentle enough.

Left, right, further right, left.

He nimbly swerved between legs, doubling back as needed. In the midst of the chaos was a spot of calm. Without any warning that the girl (Rosie) could perceive, the demiguise suddenly clambered into her lap. Her serenity in the storm was the beacon that drew him to her. The creature appeared in all its silver-haired glory, making a desperate scramble to get inside her robes. It froze suddenly, eyes flashing blue.

The girl was not his solace after all.

Jasper made a desperate scramble to get away from her, seconds before the girl was shot with a wayward 'Petrificus Totalus' that rendered her frozen.

He never looked back.

Invisible again, Jasper took off. A quiet spot, a quiet spot. It weighed several futures at once before coming to a slow stop before the small pile of vegetables and the girls who offered them. It saw treats and affection, slowly returning to being visible as it crept its way into the lap of the redhead (Tilly), already reaching for her honeysuckle.

"There!" an overly eager first-year shouted, pointing to the girls and their prize. Before anyone knew what was happening, Jasper was gone. The ropes sent flying, instead, wrapped around the Gryffindor and Slytherin pair (Tilly and Rae), latching them to each other in a stiff binding. On the ground by them, the little chunks of carrot began to disappear as the small group trampled toward them.

Jasper surrendered his cache and took off again, already knowing where THAT was headed.

...There was the chaos.

Maddox pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply while he watched the students get into each other's way. There had been a few successes, but the war had ultimately been lost to overzealous underplanning. With a flick of his wand, the man unfroze Laurence.

He turned his wand toward the trapped pair next, vanishing the ropes.

"Sometimes...it helps to remove the real obstacles," he said mildly. Maddox was, by no means, suggesting they cast on each other. Certainly not. How could he? But it was food for thought. They'd never accomplish anything while they worked at such cross purposes, and a little stunning never truly hurt anyone.

---

OOC: You've won over Jasper! Unfortunately, your classmates have not and are the real villains of this arc. Your well-laid plans were trampled by the less discerning. Maddox suggests...handling that before trying again. Surely you can find a way to...hmm...help your classmates to help themselves. Aid them in becoming less...burdensome. Nothing wild or harmful if you choose to go that route. They're just a little excited, you see. Have your characters reacting to the lesson and maybe getting back on the horse to try again. The lesson will close on November 19.

After the horrible herbology class where the Professor lost their everloving mind, Tilly didn’t mind the simple task of trying to lure the invisible little creature. She could sit quietly, mind her own business and potentially interact with an adorable tame creature.

Win win

She felt Rae plop down next to her before she noticed her approach. Leaning her weight into her friend Tilly sighed. "Let's decide to give him belly scratches, too. Maybe that'll draw him in more."

With a small chuckle Tilly kept her fingers busy with the honeysuckle. Looking up, she surveyed the area. “You know, between snacks and belly rubs we might be able to catch a boyfriend as well. Boys…. Simple creatures.”

The clearing had a lot going on. Maddox was walking around, observing, She saw Rosie… was she meditating? Didn’t blame her. And then there were the others. Spells? Really? READ THE ROOM young ones, you’re going to scare the poor creature to death.

And then she saw it, “Oh shit, Rae look,” pointing to Rosie, whispering quietly. “It just crawled into Rosie’s lap. Awww. I wanna cuddle.”

The little guy went invisible again while the younger students went around freaking out. Then, out of nowhere, there was a small creature in front of her, climbing into HER lap. Her eyes went wide, frozen, not having any idea what to do. Her fingers, very lightly, skimmed Jasper’s hair. He was so soft! Ok… she wanted a Demiguise, 100%. This was a need. Just as her hands were going for some belly scratches… you know, for research, the weight was gone and so were the carrots.

"There!" Before Tilly was able to protest, strong ropes wrapped around Rae and Tilly binding them together. “UGH! DAMNIT BETSY!” Tilly yelled. The annoying 1st year had ruined her cuddle session.

Before either Rae or herself could do anything, Maddox released their bindings. "Sometimes...it helps to remove the real obstacles.”

“Gotcha, stun the young ones. I’ll remember that in the future. Very informative Professor. Side note, if you ever need help with Jasper, I would love to hang out with him." Leaning into her friend she whispered, "So Rae, we should use our new found knowledge to catch some other creatures! Of the boy variety.”

Despite the chaos and yelling around her, Rosalie was perfectly able to sit quietly and comfortably, tuning out the noise that second years seemed to be known for. It was always them. Always causing a scene or making things harder than they needed to be. Did they really think a shy little creature like a demiguise would be a willing pet after having spells cast -

Oh!

Rosie's eyes popped open in surprise when something climbed into her lap. Blue orbs softened immediately, as Jasper made a dash for her robes. "You're alright," she cooed, instantly feeling protective of the little guy, and wanting to keep him. Especially since they were coming closer. "Leave him alone! You're scaring him!" she tried to warn, but in an instant Jasper flew off her lap just as a hex hit her right in the chest.

Rosalie fell back against the tree in her upright position, eyes wide, every muscle in her body tightening to a nearly painful level. She couldn't move, frozen in place, anger filling her chest as her eyes followed the little brats that had petrified her. She heard shrieking coming from the area Rae and Matilda were, apparently their peers had managed to spoil their attempts as well.

Sweet relief. Rosie exhaled as though she'd just run a marathon when Professor Barlowe released her from the hex. She took a minute to gather her bearings, looking around the trunk of the tree to see the group heading back her way again.

Fat chance.

Rosie got to her feet, snatching her wand and flicking it quickly at the group. "Slugulus Eructo!". She flicked her wand again at each of them, repeating the spell in quick succession, hoping it was enough of a distraction to keep them busy and off Jasper's tail.

"Serves you all right, acting like trolls," Rosie scolded them, her voice taking on the edge it very rarely did. Usually her bossier, snarkier side only came out when she had a whistle in hand, but she'd make an exception for being petrified.

With a soft huff of indignation, the girl sat herself back down near the tree, listening to the disgusting sounds of retching. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, before casting, "Cave Inimicum."

There. Now if Jasper returned, no one would see either of them.

"You know, between snacks and belly rubs we might be able to catch a boyfriend as well. Boys…. Simple creatures.”

It was a good point. In her experience, boys did tend to be simpler, easier to catch. Keeping them might not have been so simple but certainly everything else before then could be managed. Take Benji. A good meal was often enough for him to acquiesce and she suspected, had she spent more time feeding him in the earlier stages instead of being so intense, the boy might have made a move much sooner and saved them some of the early heartache.

"They're only simple until they get you agreeing to be their girlfriends, then snacks and belly rubs aren't enough." She didn't want to go around rubbing boy bellies in the hopes that one of them would become her boyfriend after. Rae had neither the desire nor the tolerance for such prolonged indulgences without the right incentive. On its own, a boyfriend wasn't a prize for her. She didn't go around dreaming about just anyone sweeping her off her feet and snogging her until she was dizzy. A lot more mattered.

Would Tilly, though?

She knew that her friend and Ren were broken up--on a break, what was the difference?--and that Tilly had cared a whole lot for the boy. She'd called it love. Somehow, she didn't think the Gryffindor would be going around doing any of that eit--

“Oh shit, Rae look. It just crawled into Rosie’s lap. Awww. I wanna cuddle.”

Huh? Where???

Rae's eyes scanned the field for her older friend, frantic in their hope to not miss the demiguise for a second time. There he was. Jasper. The cutest creature in existence for at least the next ten minutes. It took every muscle in her body cooperating for her to not flying to her feet begging to hold him. It was good she hadn't, too. He was there one minute and gone the next, disappearing ahead of the rabble that chased him like savages.

Yeah...because that would work. Amateurs.

Gasp!

HE WAS IN MATILDA'S LAP! Jasper was close enough to reach for and she did, running her hand gently along his back when he helped himself to the honeysuckle Matilda had been holding. Merlin, he was soooooooo soft. The creature's fur felt like silk beneath her finger tips and she was entranced. Could they spend the rest of the lesson like--

And......he was gone. Rae wanted to huff about it but she was a little busy being tied to her friend by the overzealous idiots who still hadn't learned that Jasper wanted nothing to do with them. The Slytherin rolled her eyes so hard it made the back of her head hurt. Thankfully, the professor released them and gave them leave to make them less problematic.

Say less.

While Rosie had some of them spewing slugs, Rae turned her wand on another set and shot her own ropes at them, tripping a trio of Hufflepuffs who'd been trampling about.

There.

She didn't know where Jasper had run off to, but she'd gotten enough revenge to satisfy her.

So Rae, we should use our new found knowledge to catch some other creatures! Of the boy variety.”

Rae waved her off as she reholstered her wand. "You say that now but you'll chicken out the moment I suggest anyone." Matilda could not be trusted with such things. She'd already tried once. On her own level, she wasn't looking to replace Benji either, making it a moot point.

When could they go back to petting Jasper?

“Gotcha, stun the young ones. I’ll remember that in the future. Very informative Professor. Side note, if you ever need help with Jasper, I would love to hang out with him."

Hm?

"Those were your words, not mine, Nordstrom."

Had he told them to stun anyone? They would be hard pressed to prove that he had. That said, the man was pleased to see that some of them had managed to read between the lines and had put an end to their rampaging classmates. It was the return of peace and he was certainly not about to start complaining. Although...he could've done without the squelching sound of students heaving slugs onto the grass.

Someone was going to have to clean that.

"But I'll keep your offer in mind. Jasper will only be in the paddocks until the end of the week before heading to his new home. If you're really interested, I suggest dropping by before Saturday afternoon."

Demiguises weren't kept at Hogwarts but they'd been in luck when the reserve's last minute temporary containment fell through. Never one to turn down a brilliant opportunity, it only made sense for him to offer their humble accommodations. Tame as Jasper was, it had made things easier by the time he was ready to introduce him to the students for the lesson. As expected, the creature didn't want to be grabbed and manhandled but did enjoy the pampering some had offered.

Remembering those who'd treated him well, the creature crawled his way up the older Gryffindor's (Rosie's) robes, taking comfort in this new hiding place while the professor went about undoing several of the jinxes that had been cast from the spot he remained at the table. A glance at his watch had told him they were out of time and while he was the last lesson of the day, it was no reason to keep them beyond the slotted time.

"Gather 'round, everyone. Come get your things then you're free to go. I hope some of you take the lessons you've learned here to heart, namely, you can't go trampling your way through every challenge. Many creatures are cunning and intelligent. You underestimate them at your peril--in this case, your failure." Many thought creatures was an easy class where you came, pet some animals then left. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Handling the creatures required critical thinking and compassion in equal portions.

"There will be an announcement on each of your common rooms' noticeboard relating to the next lesson. Be sure to keep an eye out. Laurence, if you would be so kind as to hand me Jasper before you go." It's soft hums were coming from the direction he'd seen her conceal herself.

No homework.

It was only the first day back and it was hard to say whether the Easter had been enough to help many of them recover. There would be plenty of time for the return of assignments within the following week.

For now, they could go enjoy the rest of their afternoon and prepare for dinner.

---

OO: And that's a wrap for Care of Magical Creatures for the term! Thanks for sticking it out with me <3 I had a blast, as always, reading your posts. If you've been here the whole time, following along with each update, you don't need to post again. If you missed an update, you're free to make one more post to catch up. I'll leave the thread open until November 20. Enjoy the summer break when it comes!