His thumb had been idly tracing over the surface of the stone in his palm when the Hogwarts Head Boy arrived - and Mathys carefully considered him. This student, above most others, was who was meant to embody what Hogwarts represented and from what he had observed so far...he was still sorting through what that was.

"Monsieur Katharos," he nodded politely.
Yes. Everything did reflect on the Hogwarts headmaster and this should be a lesson that all of the Hogwarts students took a moment to reflect upon. At least this professor would be pleased to know that at least one was looking beyond their own individual microcosm.

"Monsieur Kaiser," he greeted with a cool smile.
Her cheerfulness was something Mathys appreciated, though he did find himself a little disappointed that it had not carried over into their class space. He did suppose that was for the best as frolicking could land one dangerously close to a rose bush and they did not take too lightly to that.

"Mademoiselle Kim." His greeting this time was a bit warmer.

The truth was, Monsieur Dakest, that in his particular line of work it was a requirement to know when eyes were fixated on him, and so the man was acutely aware of how often you stared. Though he also had the heart wide enough not to embarrass you about it. He was quite aware that it was a common occurrence for students to become a bit enchanted by his presence.

"Monsieur Dakest," he smiled, providing just a small peek at his pearly white teeth as he did.

This one.

Of any Hogwarts student, this was the one he was the least impressed with at this time and it was not just because of what had happened with his kite.

"Mademoiselle Blaze," he greeted rather tight lipped.

He could always tell that this one was making a very genuine attempt, one that never went unnoticed by the man. So while his mood had soured a bit at the faux intensity of Mademoiselle Blaze, his expression softened for the likes of Mademoiselle James.

"Mademoiselle James," he smiled with a more formal version of that head nod and bowed a little at the waist.

Mathys would always find it peculiar how Hogwarts students reacted to the French immersion while acting as guests to their school. Were the roles reversed, would it not be expected that his students spoke and conformed to British standards? Curious how the human mind worked....

"Mademoiselle Jenovick."

This was another student he could tell was putting in a fair bit of effort, as had the butterfly pin adorned to her robes. Though he had not brought any attention to either, not just yet.

"Je vais bien, merci," he smiled warmly at the young witch.

Do not fret, mademoiselle. Professor de Nostredame was more concerned with the effort being put out than the perfection of a French accent. Even for a school with their standards, it would be inhumane to expect each Hogwarts student to have mastered one over the short summer months.

"Mademoiselle Grantham," he greeted with a small grin.

And stop considering his buns, mademoiselle

The enthusiasm from this one was always felt and appreciated even more so, which set the professor's chest in a more optimistic mood in light of the task to be had.

"Mademoiselle Summers," he smiled warmly at the first year before casting a glance at the horizon and then to his watch.

While Mathys had been in a pleasant mood just moments earlier thanks in part to the enthusiasm displayed by Mademoiselle Summers...until the first hand was honored and he heard the words coming from Mademoiselle Grantham's deceptively innocent lips. While certain that no malicious intent was meant behind her words, it was important to make a lasting first impression.

"A deduction of 5 points will be taken from your house for ze dehumahneezation of zose affleected by Lycanthropy," he declared with a swift wave of his hand. "Ze world haz cruelly estahbleeshed a prejudice against zese indiveeduals for far too long. Zey are people and shall be regarded as people een my lessons. Not as creatures nor as beasts. Remembair, it is because of ze oppression and deescreemination zat some elected to join forces with one of ze most powerful Dark weezards of ze last century. And zat oppression and deescreeminahtion begis with ze words we choose to use when speaking of zem." He was not particularly keen on her tone either, but that was an entirely other matter. "Come speak with me aftair class if you wish to earn zose 5 points back."

He could easily find a task for her to accomplish that would do the trick.

His mood only soured a bit further, though this time he remained a bit more collected and reminded himself that first years tended not to know any better. Though Mademoiselle Anderson soon chimed in with her own response and the correct term - even if her response was a bit of a muddied one and Mathys found himself taking a small breath collect himself as well as remind himself that not all were brought up with the pureblood upbringing such as himself, thus melding Non–magique lore with wizarding fact.

"As Mademoiselle Anderson offered, Mademoiselle Blaze, ze you are zinking of is ze Matagot," he correctly with just a slight twitch of a smirk to his lips. "But to clarify a bit. It is true zat ze Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France uses zese creatures as security and zey resemble more speceefically a black Sphynx cat. While ze oral trahdeetion in France among ze Non–magique is zat othair forms such as a rat, fox, dog or cow exeest...ziss is untrue in our reality. Zere is only ze feline form and zey do not shape shift but rathair have ze ability to duplicate zemselves when struck by offensive magic."

On the positive, however, he was pleased that both had selected a creature native to France to mention. That had been the focus of his lessons thus far in order to assist Hogwarts in taking advantage of its abroad educational experience.

Thus far, Hogwarts was zero for two when it came to answers and Mathys had honestly expected better from them. So it was with suppressed reluctance that he called upon Monsieur Kaiser.

"Oui, a fine example of a creature who can change its shape at will," he commended as he pulled his wand from his basilisk hide trousers and cast a nonverbal Flagrate to make the word 'Kelpie' appear in the air.

And where there had been home, now returned the darkness.

"Zat will be 5 points from your house as well, Mademoiselle Jenovick and Mademoiselle Gladin," he sighed while straightening his posture. "Even by Ministry classeefications, Veela are not regarded as creatures nor beasts and would be insulted for you to call zem zus. And since zey are a very irascible race, I would suggest you let your comments now be ze last zat you do so."

Or else he hoped that the Hogwarts Healer was immaculately efficient in treating third degree burns. Their rash and menacing tempers surely came from their barbaric Bulgarian origins.

"You two may see me aftair class with Mademoiselle Grantham."

"Oui, ze Fijian National Quidditch Team mascot," Mathys nodded with some degree of relief as he performed another Flagrate to list the creature below Kelpie on their hovering list. "Now, before any of you begin spewing complaints about fairness, like ze merpeople decided among zemselves, so too hahve ze Dukuwaqa zat zey wish to be classeefied as beasts rathair zan beings due to zeir preferred state being zat of a shark over zeir human form."

Really, this was not up for debate and doing so would only take away from the true purpose of this evening's lesson. A purpose that would be doing a great service to Beauxbatons and help these Hogwarts students gain some favor with his headmistress.

"Oui, but zey are a bit of a grey area for us in zat zey are spirits. Specifically non-beings," he nodded with another flick of his wand as 'Boggart' appeared as the third creature on their humble list though with a small star considering there was a bit of a tangible exception to boggarts. "Spirit studies is a bit of a complex branch of magizoology with zose falling undair ziss category more often zan not covered more in your Defense Against ze Dark Arts lessons. But an understandeeng of zeir nature goes hand in hand with ze study of ze Care of Magical Creatures." After all, their appearance was often a call for Creature Control and not the Bureau des Aurors. "Another fine example of somezing zat can change its form at will and very complex in nature. We do not have ze time to go into detail today, however."

And if the rumors he was hearing from his connections was true, a far too triggering a topic for the fragile hearts of these Hogwarts youths.

"Oui, ze hidebehind is anothair fine example," he nodded with a wave of his wand. "A trageec beast zat serves as a remindair to wizarding kind ze dangers of disrespecting creatures. Because of ze arrogance of Phineas Fletchair, zere exeests in ziss world a beast born of wizahrding folly zat will destroy ze life of a witch or wizard without remorse and s a formidable foe in zat it can shape shift as well as turn invisible."

Ah, a very unique answer and one that had Mathys' nodding his head approvingly as it too joined the growing list of approved shape shifting creatures. "Native to Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, we here in France have our own subspecies colloquially referred to as ze le croque-mitaine or ze Croquemitaine. Zey all fall under ze genus Bogey. Anothair zat you may encounter in your Defense Against ze Dark Arts training."

It would have served Monsieur Dakest well to have spoken his thoughts aloud, perhaps helped to rectify some of the confusion and animosity that the professor had brewed in his lashing out against students and their innocent wording. But Professor de Nostredame was firm in such matters, punishing Beauxbatons students in the same manner without a second thought. Particularly after a rather nasty incident in which one student had called another of Veela decent a beast and...how did the Hogwarts motto go again? Tickle the sleeping dragon? Mathys had nearly sent the student to the hospital wing in a matchbox by the time he had been able to both stun and pry the fully transformed Veela student off the other.

Never again. Never.

For now, he simply bowed his head to the young man in appreciation for his attentive listening.