| Abraxan
Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Perth, AU (GMT +8)
Posts: 25,068
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Jasper Hart
Graduated
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|  For the sake of a fast response I didn't quote everyones guess. ½ EagleBrain ♥ Creeperdoodle ♥ Raven Dor ♥ Berry ♥ ½ Team House Elf
SPOILER!!: Some Responces Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommehbell  Harlow grinned, "Yes ma'am I've been up since six this morning." she told her. She sat down and finally got a look at the toadstools lined up along the wall. Her eyes got big and round. Her mother never let her work with toadstools before.
She raised her hand to answer the question, "They're really bad mushrooms that you shouldn't eat, but they can be used in some potions for healing." she said. Seren nodded, smiling brightly a little Harlow. Poor girl was tired. "They're not all bad... try to keep up dear. Perhaps get a bit more sleep next time." Quote:
Originally Posted by kaseyus "What are toadstools?"
Alyssa knew what toadstools were? She had some in her backyard...or at least a variation of it.
She put up her hand and when Professor Bentley nodded for her to speak, she stood up and replied,"My name is Alyssa Potter, Professor, and the answer to your question is a toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, that has a classic umbrella-like cap-and-stem form. It is a popular but undefined term for a mushroom, and unlike some mushrooms that can be eaten, toadstoods are believed to be unedible and poisonous."
Alyssa hoped that her answer was correct. "Keep up dear," she added, before carrying on. Quote:
Originally Posted by RachieRu This teacher didn't know what a Smurf is. Oh my day. "You don't know what a smurf is?" Indiana was in a bit of a shock. Smurfs were totally cool. She had one at home, a toy of course, but she had left him at home. "They are these little blue people, who are three apples tall. They live in this little village, in toadstools, which is really cool. And they eat these berries, which they call smurfberries. They are really cool. They are in a book I've got....I can show you it if you want." Indiana smiled as she opened up her text book, so she could look up toadstools. She figured that this lesson wasn't going to just be about smurfs, and why they live in toadstools. Woah. Maybe she could go find a smurf later.
But back to the quesiton. Indiana looked up at the toadstool. She had no idea what it was, but hmm. She looked back at the textbook. It would be in here right. Sticking her nose into the book, she tried to find a image, or some text that described the toadstool that the teacher had showed them. "Is it a leaping toadstool?" Seren was a little concerned now. Smurfs? blue people, three apples tall? ... She gave Spike a quick look, he should spend some time with her catching her up... because this was... beyond weird.
Turning back to Indy, Seren smiled warmly. Poor girl. "Sure... bring it by my office and I'll take a look."
Did these smurf things really exist? Or was it a figment of her imagination? Quote:
Originally Posted by Siriusly Moony Danae smiled when she was one of the people who successfully identified what a toadstool was. It was quite exciting to be right, and she liked to be all the time. Taking out her favourite peacock quill, the Ravenclaw began to take notes as Professor Bentley spoke about the specimens before them.
'How interesting that they are in sweets we enjoy.' she thought, dipping her quill into the ink pot.
Listening to the other students, they were talking about whether it was a leaping toadstool or not. It certainly could be, but there was one that she hadn't hear anyone say yet.
"Professor? Is it a Talking Toadstool?" she asked, her hand raised high so that the professor would be able to see her. "No... not a talking toadstool." She said shaking her head. Interesting guess though. Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimalia Kimalia stared.. and stared... and started some more. She was completely baffled. It looked like an ordinary toadstool, it didn't seem to have any white spots.. But was it poisonous? Kimalia rose her hand, "It looks like from Galerina, the ones that are found anytime outside winter season." Kimalia was not exactly sure if it was edible or not. "It looks safe to eat, but it's not..?" She said that last part in such a way where it could be taken as an unsure statement. Hopefully she was correct, normally the common rule for most plants are, if it looks safe it probably isn't. "Nope it's not that either...." but yet another interesting guess. Quote:
Originally Posted by serpensortia Lana jotted down the notes about toadstools as they appeared on the blackboard. Healing potions? That made her think and she raised her hand, "Excuse me professor. If many toadstools are considered poisonous, why are they used in healing potions?
As the professor pointed out some other toadstools, Lana peered over some other students to get a better look. From what the others were saying, she didn't want to know what kind they were. Or not first hand at least. Quote:
Originally Posted by Tazenhani They were going to get to play with DIRT!!
Charner really wished school wasn't such a formal place. There would be a lot more jumping about and excited noises coming from her. As it was she sat eagerly in her stool, staring at the plants across from them as the Professor talked, shifting this way and that.
Until puzzlement had her. And she froze. Blinking, her eyes turned up to the Professor with confusion, and her hand raised. "Professor, if they are poisonous, how can they be used as an ingredient in healing potions? Isn't that a bit of a... contradiction?" Unless of course healing had a completely different definition depending on the person it was aimed at.
It didn't so much matter to her as to what kind of Toadstool it was. It was a Toadstool. And they were going to get to play, right? "Poisons in small amounts, when balanced with other chemicals and toxins result in positive, harmless reactions. Many poisons are used in potions, but they are used sparingly and are usually teamed with ingredients which negate the effects of the poison without spoiling the positive effects of the ... toadstool for example." Yep, poison wasn't always bad, it didn't mean you would always die. "Peppermint, for example is a fine stabilizer often used in potions for this reason." Quote:
Originally Posted by EastonionNW Well, I can tell that it's indeed a toadstool... Nate thought, perplexed. First day and she wanted them identifying toadstools? He nonetheless raised his hand, "Erm, is that a reddish brown one?" he asked, about a hundred percent sure he was blatantly wrong and about eighty percent sure he would be reprimanded for an answer such as his. Seren laughed lightly. "Yes... it is...." Quote:
Originally Posted by HaRoHeGiNeLu
Pfft. "Well obviously by the...the..." Wait. Let her try again. "Weeds are like...like..." Blink. "Gosh, Bentley, I don't know." She didn't travel the world looking for flesh eating trees, after all. "How do you tell the difference?" Yes, she turned the question back on the teacher.
Her head turned at the sound of 'Hutchinson' coming from a little girl. Curious. Ellie shot Spike a glance and saw him shrinking down in his seat...
Oh My Merlin! Spike's ickle sister was a firstie!! Awwwww!!
Then Bentley went on about toadstools. Or, Ellie guessed that was what it was about, but she'd tuned most of it out. For all she knew, the Professor could have changed the subject to Venomous Tentacula or something. Whatever it was, it was nothing that caught the interest of the Fifth year.
She also didn't hear the question asked. But was aroused when the students around her began answering. And, judging by their responses, she wouldn't have known the answer had she been listening, anyway.
Merlin this girl cracked her up. Seren grinned broadly. Giving into the Captain's wishes she answered her question... best ut the girl out of her misery. "We identify toadstools by their shape, with their iconic umbrella-shaped cap, their stems are also usually thicker than mushrooms."
Didn't the girl attend her lesson on identification and cautions last term? Quote:
Originally Posted by MissFeenella Fee sat there and silently cursed Hogwarts for having to teach herbology.It had nooo need and was plain boring.But well not everything in life could be all peachy,right?!
Sighing to herself a little the blonde listened to the professor and looked at the toadstools,she had just revleaed.Okaaay and now?!"Well professor these are poisend ones",the girl said raising her hand,"they are highly poisonous to be exact.Coming into contact with them wont cause any problems but if you eat them it could be your death."For once the Slytherin knew something.Wow. "Nope, they're actually not poisonous at all." Quote:
Originally Posted by Lily<33
Orchid raised her hand already knowing the answer. Always knowing the information was part of the reason why she loved Herbology so much, and she knows the information because she studies everything Herbology related because she loves it so much; it was an on-going cycle really. "Well, Professor, I believe their name in the magical world is the Leaping Toadstool, but in the non-wizarding world they are called Amantia Muscaria, more comingly known as the Fly Agaric or Fly Amantia. Although they are generally considered poisonous, deaths are extremely rare, and it's consumed as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America after partially boiling them of course." She said smiling as she lowered her hand.
"Interesting guess, but no it's not." Quote:
Originally Posted by AuroraQuinn Aurora was a little mesmerised by the toad stools, they were beautiful specimens... and... could be very useful. Lovely omnivorous plants... "They're biting toadstools... if they were leaping ones then their stems would be bigger. And they look magnificent." she said, her eyes glittering.
Come on, Quinn. You sound like such a suck-up.
She really wasn't; she just loved plants that liked to bite stuff... and they were lovely lovely little things... Oh this one was onto her. Of course Aurora would know what this feisty toadstool was. They seemed to share a love of these types of plants. She simply gave Aurora a wink and a nod. Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Potter Weasley William eaised his hand to answer." I think I read about this toadstool in the book" William told the professor." Ithink the answer is the " Hated Anemia" William said to the profssor. William hopes this is right. "Interesting guess, but no." Good effort though. Quote:
Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl
What was a toadstool? They were a sort of mushroom, which made them a fungus and therefore gross. And evil probably. But that wasn't a very intellectual answer so Vashti had kept her mouth shut. She doubted Professor Bentley would appreciate her calling the plants evil and gross, even if they actually were.
Instead she quietly pulled out her Herbology notebook and quickly jotted down the stuff written on the board. As she did, she briefly glanced up when the professor asked whether anyone could identify those toadstools over there, and Vashti paused in her writing as she heard some of the answers the other students were giving.
Biting toadstools? BITING toadstools?!
Oh dear Merlin, please no.
But some others were suggestion leaping toadstools. Those sounded much better than mushrooms that were capable of biting her fingers off.
Vashti hastily scribbled down the rest of the notes before raising her hand. "Those are leaping toadstools, right?" Please say yes?
Seren couldn't help but notice the concern on the girls face. They really didn't seem to like anythign with teeth did they? "No... they're not."
She gave the girl an appologetic look. Quote:
Originally Posted by Mickey Darley "It looks like an elephant toadstool." Mickey thought out loud, making several pairs of eyes look at her. "What? It's a real thing look it up." She said back to the other students before trying of thinking up their own answers. Mickey raised her hand, "Proffesor, may I make a hypothesis? I can't tell you the name of it, but I suspect based off the color of it that these are specifically used for not so powerful salves." Mickey announced once she had the teachers acknowledgement. "The shade of red is dark so doesn't that mean that it has a lower fatality rate if you eat than most others? Also I would guess that since it's less poisoness that it would boost the immune system a lot less than a more poisoness one." Her face turned bright red. Yup she was wrong. "Or not." She added going back to taking notes.
"Nope... interesting guess though," she said offering the girl a smile. Huh? a hypothesis? Well this would be interesting. She allowed the girl to talk. "An interesting theory, I would love to indulge on it later perhaps?" Quote:
Originally Posted by Mickey Darley "When you use just a tiny little bit of something poisoness your white blood cells notice it and go after it along with what ever else is causing the same symptoms as the plant." Mickey stated with out looking away from her notes. "That's what Meme told me anyway." looking at the girl across from her. "It's the same technique muggles use in homiopathic meds." She said her Boston accent coming through from the embrassment of just blurting that out. 'don't take house points don't take house points' Mickey started chanting in her head. What was this?
Seren frowned. "Five points from Hufflepuff... now unless you have a qualification stating you are an expert on herbology I suggest you leave the answering to me." Quote:
Originally Posted by ToxicWings333 Sage, who wasn't one to be excited for Herbology, was getting quiet bored. She was slumped down over her desk, leaning her cheek against her hand. Plants were quiet boring to her, they didn't do much of anything. Why on earth would she need to know these things.
Sage looked at the toadstool for several minutes before coming to a conclusion.
She had no idea.
Shrugging her shoulders, Sage took a wild guess, "Is it a Cleopatra Cap?"
Interesting guess.. " No, it's not, good try though."
Seren listened intently as the students made their suggestions, guessing at what the curious 'stools were. "Talking toadstools, no... Fly Agaric, no ........... Amantia Muscaria, no.......Poisonous, no.... Leaping, no."
And finally....
"Biting toadstools! Correct!"
Seren turned to give the 'stools an appreciative look. They really were magnificent.
"Now don't be alarmed, these toadstools - while they do feed on flesh, they don't have near enough of an appetite to take a chunk out of you. The worst injury you get is a little uncture or a scratch.... But that's why you have you dragon hide gloves with you." She eyed them all. They did remember to bring them, did they not? "Now as your aware, toadstools are often used in potions, though we generally use caps, stems and spores, Biting toadstools offer us a different ingredient." "Fangs!"
She waited for the reality of what was about to happen to sink in. "Today, we will be harvesting biting toadstool fangs. But only the fangs."
After a brief pause, taking the time to make eye contact with each student, she continued, "The biting toadstool is blessed with the presense of many teeth, which you will see around the underneath rim of its cap. There are, two fangs which protrude a little further than the rest of the teeth. These are the ones we will be harvesting."
"But before we do that, you need to familiarise yourselves with a numbing charm. This will ensure the toadstools aren't in any pain when we.... so nicely yank them out."
Sort of like dentistry.
"You are to repeat the incantation after me." She paused, then flicked her wand at the board. Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackboard
Numbing Charm: Viro Torpeo [Vee- row Tor- pay - oh]
"Viro Torpeo", she said in a loud clear voice. "Incantation only." "Viro Torpeo." OOC: Practice the incantation only. We will practice the wand movement shortly before continuing with the activity.
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