Ana wasn't all that excited for Potions class. She had a headache behind her eyes and all she wanted to do was cuddle up in bed with a cup of Sbiten and a good book. Instead she had to drag herself to class. Her lack of caring was shown through her lack of make-up and messy up do. Although luckily it looked stylish rather than like bedhead.

"Good morning Professor Cosgrach," Ana said as she walked into the room and dropped into a seat near to the door and got out her materials, grateful for the chair conforming to her. Much as the chair was comfortable though she wouldn't be staying in class a moment longer than she had too.

Dragging his school bag over the floor until he reached the Potions classroom, Kevin's legs and back hurt from the walk down the stairs and as he stood in the doorway, he had to lean against the door , hand pressed against his back and breathed heavily. Bloody stupid staircases, this was a magical school! Why couldn't they fly up and down the stairs? Even Muggles had those stair elevators! Realising he was holding up the line, the Gryffindor entered the room after taking a quick note of the washbasin.

He dragged his feet to the front and saw the Professor sitting at his desk. His eyes went to him and he wanted to grin and say something that he would surely dislike but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a groan as his back hurt again. He shook his head as if it would stop it and took a seat on the nearest chair. The blue walls calmed him down though as he sat down carefully. It was still early so the first year with gray hair and even a stubble beard placed his head on the desk and closed his eyes.

A little nap before class started hurted no one.

Tessa walked into the classroom with a sigh. She was feeling even more achy over these past few days, and nothing seemed to help. Today she had even resorted to wearing super comfy shoes, which she shuffled into the classroom with.

Noticing the washbasin, she shuffled over and washed her hands- remembering the Professor's preference for cleanliness. Finished, she inspected her hands and gave a satisfied nod, before continuing to shuffle into the class.

"Hello Professor," she said, offering the man a smile. She remembered how fun the last class had been and despite her achyness, she wanted to at least try to be her normal cheerful self.

She moved on to find a seat, sitting close to Ana as she offered the girl a smile and wave. She, of course, had also saved seats for Sander, Lux, Bay, Adi, and anyone else from their group that wanted to join them.

Knees still aching, Adi dragged himself into the Potions classroom. He was getting tired of these aches. He had given up any hope of his hair staying black and now he was walking around with a full head of gray hair. All this made him grumpy. "Hello, Professor,'' he mumbled to the man not even bothering to notice even he seemed different from the first class.

There were a few a Slytherin and two Gryffindors there. One of them happened to be Tessa. "Tessa! Hi.'' Without waiting for an invitation, Adi dropped right into the seat next to her. Ah. These comfortable chairs made dragging himself here so worthwhile. He now turned to the sixth year. "Oops. Sorry forgot to ask if you mind me joining you.'' But all he had wanted to do was get his weight off of his knees as quickly as possible.

"Hey Tessa," Ana said, returning her friends smile and wave. Ana was about to ask how she was when she noticed her shoes. o_O What was she wearing?? They looked comfy. For some reason Ana kind of wanted a pair. Normally she wouldn't dream of wearing something like that, she tended to be all about fashion.

"Where did you buy your shoes and do they have them in other colours?" Ana asked as she leaned closer to the girl. If they had other colours she wondered if they had them in lilac. Because she loved lilac.

Also, hi boy she didn't know. Ana smiled at him briefly anyway since he knew Tessa.

Tessa smiled as Adi joined her. "Hey Adi," she said, reaching out and ruffling the young boy's grey hair. Her head was similar- there was a little bit of blonde left- and the coloring had stayed in. But, the colors stood out much more against her mostly grey hair. Not that she minded.

"I don't mind at all- I was saving these seats for any of my friends," she told the boy with a grin.



Tessa returned the wave, but tilted her head to one side in question as Ana looked down at her Gryffindor red slipper/shoes. It was not something she would wear normally at all... but they definitely helped with the ache in her feet, knees, and hips.

"I ordered them out of a catalogue," she said, looking to see if she had brought it in her bag. She hadn't, and she wasn't really sure where she had left it. "I'll see if I can find it for you," she assured her friend. Because these were the most comfortable things. "I believe so- I figured these would match things better- but you can always change the color," she pointed out. She took out her wand and gave her shoes a tap- now they were black, and less obnoxious for the class to come.

Potions.

Ella had really enjoyed the last lesson so it shouldn't be a surprise that she'd shown. Moving a bit slower than usual and with wrinkles around her eyes, unfortunately but she was here. The eighteen year old stopped just shy of the door and smoothed her uniform, taking a deep breath because walking was getting increasingly tiring, especially when her knees insisted on doing that cracking thing with each step. When she'd caught her breath, she stepped inside.

Washbin? ...Okay. Thoughtful, really. Considering some of the younger students had been unfamiliar with Aguamenti but wasn't that encouraging them not to learn the spell? Ella had questions but she held her tongue. Professor Culloden knew what he was doing. Speaking of, the man looked less cheery this time around. The Head Girl wondered if he was still trying that no sleeping thing but didn't ask about that either. Instead she wore a tired smile as she greeted him. "Hello Professor!"

Then she picked a seat towards the front and got comfortable. And parchment and quill were out and ready for use. And she was good to go.

Sophie had already been all over the place that day. She wasn't hanging out with many student for a long period of time because some reason they were all getting quite slow and old-looking. That was very odd and nothing similiar was happening to Sophie, who still had tons of energy.

So she went down to the dungeons and entered the calm-blue classrom right after a stroll on the grounds. The seventh year didn't feel the need to wash her hands, though, because there were spells that could clean her hands perfectly and she had already done that. "Hello, professor!" The Hufflepuff greeted the man with a smile and made her way to sit next to her ooolldd looking best friend. That was odd. "Hi there!" The brunette sat down next to Ella and eyed her best friend. "You okay?" Because she didn't look quite... herself? Were those actual wrinkles????

Sophie, oh good. Ella had been somewhat nervous that Fern would join her and ask about the wrinkles again. Loudly, too. It was a relief that her best friend had slipped into the seat next to her instead. No judgement from Soph, that was how it worked. Maybe questions, though. She'd probably need to talk to her later not that she had any answers to offer up.

"Hey, ...um ...Soph." Small smiles for you, best friend. "M'fine. Just feeling tired. No worries." Really, please don't worry. Alec did that enough so she was taken care of in that department, Ella was. And so that her best friend didn't get the chance to ask anything else, the Head Girl busied herself with writing her name and such down on her parchment all fancy-like.

ANOTHER class.

Delilah felt like she was hardly having time to breathe this term.. There was just so much studying to do. Plus, homework and assignments. And thanks to the old age disease that was spreading around, she was feeling so exhausted all the time. She kind of just wanted a break.

"Hello, professor." The girl said with a small smile before slowly trudging towards one of the seats near the front. Yawn. Oh, she was so ready for this class..

... Not.

Honestly why did he have to feel ill today of all days. Sneezing into his handkerchief, he wiped his nose and stuck it back in his pocket. Deciding to leave his pajama bottoms and a white shirt under his robes on for the day. He scooted into the classroom with his slippers. Shuffling his feet across the floor, because it was much easier then actually picking up the feet.

Squinting as he looked around he noticed the professor and smiled. "Hello Professor" He nodded his bearded face and rubbed his balding head. "Anything cool like last time planned for us today?" Though he was sure if he was feeling up to flame breathing. That stuff seemed a bit childish to him now.

Moving slowly he made his way to his seat and pulled out his materials ready to learn.

Fern didn't want to say hi to Professor Culloden, but she knew what her mother would say if she didn't. So, very reluctantly and refusing to make eye contact, the 12-year-old said, "Hello, Professor."

After placing her cauldron, filled with supplies, on a table in the very back, she shuffled over to the washbasin to clean her hands before returning back to her seat. Fern did not squeal this time when the chair adjusted to her, and she was feeling very proud of herself until she began to examine her nails and found the polish on her right thumb nail chipped. Merlin's BEARD!

Caleb had NOT wanted to come to class today. Mainly, he was concerned about the weird looks he'd get from people. Almost overnight, his hair had turned GRAY. Not a little gray, not half gray - totally gray. Just a few pieces of dark hair lingered and he was sure those would go too. He was so embarrassed. His only bit of comfort was knowing that there were a few other people having the same problems - that was it. Other than that, he just wanted to lay in bed and sleep. He'd been sooooooo tired lately.

"Hey Professor," he said softly, waving slightly to the man as he walked in. OUCH. That hurt. It hurt to move. To breathe. UUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH.

Grunt.

Grunt, grunt, grunt.

“9 am classes should be banned.” Since it was going to be his first Potions class for the term, he got up extra early that day to attend Cosgrach’s class. Andrew sleepily made his way towards the Potions classroom, which was just a few strides away from their common room, and was welcomed by a trash bin on his left and a wash bin on his right. The seventh year staaaaaaaared at the wash bin for a few seconds and scrunched up his nose. Well, there’s really no need to wash his hands since he just showered and all that.

He looked up and saw the tired looking professor. “Good morning, professor.” Andrew said and gave the Potions Master a nod.

Oooh. Anastasia’s here…and…

Squints. Eager Beaver Badger.

Andrew coolly made his way towards where Anastasia was seated, but kept his eyes on Sophie. The seventh year Slytherin gaver her his cutedimpled grin and walked past her and got a seat beside his fellow snake. “Good morning, Anastasia.” Andrew pulled a chair, sat on it and it adjusted to his body. “Nice…hair.” Grin!

Sarah wasn;t sure if she was meant to do potions, like she messed up the last one already. And she breathed fire in the wrong way. However she was not going to give up after a failing.
"Hi professor" she said, "I am back again and ready to make mistakes, try and perhaps eventually succeed." she said.
"Oh and by the way, do you have a potion to combat premature aging?" She said motioning to the students around. "Its starting to look like Hogwarts Nursing home for witchcraft and wizardry" she said with a smile, nothing like huour to lighten up the seriousness of what was happening around her

The only early-morning class Sophie didn't absolutely abhor was potions. How could it be anything else? There was a new comfort level to being in the potions classroom - and it probably mostly had to do with the professor himself. And the pretty-colored walls and nicely cushioned chairs. But another day and another opportunity to learn from Culloden was always something to look forward to. It was a nice distraction from all the other worries of the day.

Even though more sleep would have been nice.

Her cauldron in her wobbly arms with all of her supplies loaded into it, Sophie ignored all the other students present and shuffled to the front of the classroom, snatching up the seat directly in front of Culloden's desk. Right there. Riiiiight there. Wiggling her bottom into the cushioned seat and setting her stuff down on the tabletop, the second year was... a little surprised to note that the man didn't look too happy. Still, she couldn't fight the smile that threatened to spread across her entire face as she greeted a slightly cautious and concerned but still sweet, "Hi." Griiiiiin. If there weren't already students there, she probably would've gone on to ask if he was okay, but... she figured even if he WOULD tell her what was wrong, he didn't want the whole world to know. He seemed like a private guy.

So, instead, Sophie gave him a head nod that probably just looked like a regular nod of acknowledgement but to Sophie meant, it's all going to be okay don't worry class will be fun, and set to work on unloading her potions materials on her desk. Then she used her wand to clean the tabletop, the cauldron, her hands, and all of her supplies while she had the time before class began. Wasting no time. There was FUN AND LEARNING TO BE HAD.

Benjy limped into the classroom, very relieved that the distance from breakfast in the Great Hall to his first lesson of the day was relatively short. His knee was still cracking and swollen, and today his hip had decided to act up funny too. Just his luck, with the match coming up. And that was without mentioning the dry grey hair that was hidden furtively under his slouchy beanie.

Wincing, Benjy headed to one of the desks nearest the door, wishing he'd thought to take a potion for his knee before heading downstairs. Ruddy thing. "Good morning, Professor," he said, as he started to put his supplies on to the desk more noisily than he realised.

Adeline was so happy to be to class early, in her other classes lately she was just making it a minute before class. The seventh year was finally happy to be rid of her cold, she hated being sick and she was barely sick at all, she was always healthy and everything but these last couple of weeks have been kicking her in the butt. She had gotten grey hair and wrinkles and she could have sworn that her hearing and her eyesight was going too. Adeline just wanted to know what was going on with her lately, there had to be something going on around this castle because she knew that she wasn't the only one.

Adeline found a seat, it was fairly close to the front of the classroom, she could see everything that she needed to see, so that was good. She looked around and there was an empty seat next to her, she hoped that Asher or someone she knew would sit next to her. Adeline looked over at the professor and smiled. "Good Morning, Professor."

When Toby arrived at the classroom, he was significantly LESS happy than usual. Because of his back. His poor BACK was in a world of pain and Toby couldn't stand it. He'd walked the, thankfully short, distance to the Potions classroom, lugging his cauldron along. It was so difficult that he didn't acknowledge anything or anyone on the way there (except Culloden, who got a miserably mumbled, "Mornin' sir"), and when he arrived he was glad to finally have a rest. Tobias sat on his stool and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd prepare his workstation soon.

And then he heard it. Sure, Tobias' hearing was apparently failing him these days, but he heard THAT. The nursing home comment. (Sure, he didn't see who said it because his eyesight was failing him just as badly but not the point.) Toby's already bad mood was added to and he turned towards the source of the voice (slowly) and scowled.

"I'm glad you're finding it funny," he shot at the girl, clearly in no mood for JOKES about all this pain and confusion.

It said a lot that Tobias was willing to be even the last bit confrontational, but he was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and didn't think there was anything funny about it. He wanted to go home but he didn't want his grandmother to see him all stooped and aging and in pain and grouchy. Hadn't he stayed at school over Christmas for that very reason, even though he had been desperate to be with his grandmother this Christmas, for reasons? Yeah, no laughing matter.

Tobias huffed and turned back to his workstation and started prepping for brewing.

Caelen walked into the classroom, rebraiding her red hair and tying the signature blue ribbon around the ponytail that held it together. Because it was becoming kind of her THING. Some kids had quidditch, some kids had Gobstones, she had a blue ribbon in her hair.

And as she took out her journal and her sparkle pen -which was constantly running out of ink and gaining ink back as if some invisible entity was granting her the gift of ink- she looked at the Professor. He looked... stressed. More tense, if you could call it that. And she was calling it that. Because he did.

"Is everything okay, sir?" The firstie wanted to know. Because weren't the students supposed to be the ones stressed with learning and education, not the teachers? She was pretty sure that was the way school worked, right?

Either way, the child thought that this was probably going to like potions. It was a trait she gained from her brother. Thanking the nights where he let her watch him make potions and let her help put in the non-dangerous ingredients were to thank for that. But don't let him know. He wasn't supposed to know that he contributed something nice to her life. Because he was her brother, and that's how it went.

Potions time. Hannah drug herself into the classroom very slowly. She was pretty sure that she was moving even slower than usual. but she was still just going to pretend like everything was still alright. Yup, that was what was going to happen. Hannah wasn't even going to go there about her hearing. She was sure that the other professor had just been whispering. There was a logical explanation for everything if you just thought about it for a moment.

Hobbling to the first seat that she came to Hannah kind of flopped/fell into her chair. At least the chair was comfy because it seemed like everything on her was hurting. As she was positioning herself the unthinkable happened to her once again.


"POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!"

"Hello Professor." Oh yeah. She wasn't going to claim that fart. She would go on about her business like nothing had happened. The first time this had happened to her she was mortified, but now it happened so often that it wasn't a big deal to her anymore.

Bay walked into the classroom noticing the professor he said his hello "Good Morning Professor… how are you today?" he asked as he went to go find a seat

finding the closest open one he sat down the chair hugged his shape. "i need one of these for home" he said to no one in particular.

Potions!

Yes. The last lesson was pretty awesome. Breathing fire? What on earth could top that lesson? He was sure Professor Culloden could make this lesson even better than the last. Or he hoped so.

It was always a good thing that Potions were in the dungeons close to the seventh years common room. Espeically lately, he felt like a snail walking these halls. He lunged his potions items over to the classroom. He noticed a washpan and washbasin. Okay. He didn't think much about it.

He went on into the room. He smiled to the professor "Good morning, Professor Culloden." He smiled once again and slowly turned around to find a seat. He squinted his eyes the desk way in the back were blurry. He rubbed his eyes. What was that? He blinked a few times.

There that was better. The Slytherin seen Ella and Sophie, they got a smile and a wave. He was going to sit beside them until he seen ADELINE! just a few seats over from the other hufflepuff ladies. He grin widely. Walked over to her. She got a wink before he sat down beside her. "Hey!" He whispered.

It had taken so much effort for Terry to get to the Potions classroom for the lesson, despite his common room being on the same floor. He shuffled into the room and flopped himself down on a seat, not even bothering to see whether there was anyone he knew in there already. Not that he'd be able to see whether there was, everyone's faces had just turned into a messed up blur.

"Hello Professor" he grunted at the man who seemed to look a little stressed. At least that was what he could make out through squinted eyes. He got a small smile, purely out of politeness.

The seventeen year old contemplated whether he'd be able to stay awake for the entirety of this lesson. Just recently he had felt like he was going to fall asleep at every random occasion. And he wasn't even going to mention the gray highlights he had running throughout his hair. If he forgot about them, they weren't there. That was his new mantra.

Now could this lesson start before his eyes closed?