| Banshee
Join Date: May 2007 Location: Gotham
Posts: 51,216
Hogwarts RPG Name:
TBD
Gryffindor
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Zara H. Bunbury-Foster
Slytherin Fifth Year |  rearranged slightly and Peeves made me post this in this way *grunts* Professor Pink | Mrs. Bruce Wayne | I'm on a Goat | Glitterpuff | Dumbledore's Defense Squad | BHB
Text Cut: Uh, most replies go here Kale’s repeating of the creature’s name didn’t go unnoticed, but Williamson wasn’t about to call more attention to it. Immature boys would be immature. Though to be honest, he was much worse than that in his Hogwarts days. He looked to the next answer instead.
“1792, yes,” Williamson nodded at Claudine. “Actually, it looks more like a skinny dragon,” he replied to Cecelia, “but it does have the head of a rooster.” So points for her there.
Merlin’s beard, Tanc was this kid’s GRANDPA?! Williamson ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “I worked with him at the Ministry,” was his short answer. And… well, no, was his initial thought to the Apollo’s answer. One would think Tanc would have taught his kids and grandkids more about creatures, huh. “Cockatrices are a bit too dangerous to bother harnessing.” For the record, he did not recommend that anyone try it.
No answer from the first year again? Well, Quinn would come to find out that not answering wouldn’t serve him well in certain classes… luckily, Care of Magical Creatures wasn’t one of those classes.
“Supposed to be,” he agreed with Violet. But what if there were no mirrors around??? What then?
He nodded to Mamie, suppressing a little smile as she illustrated the feathers on a rooster’s head. “It does, yes. This is a good clue!” SEE! Were the lurkers writing THIS down? Mundane (non-magical) knowledge had a place here too!
He took a small breath at Ashley’s answers and additional questions. “Well, we’ll get into that in a minute, but weasels, and thus jarveys, are immune to the cockatrice.” So that was a hint for her there. He looked to the next student, the strangely named Moose…? But he had no answer? Alright. Onto his classmate, Aboli.
“Something like that,” he nodded to the Slytherin seventh year. He wouldn’t even get into the basilisk thing, because the differences (in hatching, at least) were so slight. But then Ivy was bringing it up, and Delilah's answer made her sound confused, so he thought he would clarify. "As you'll see shortly, a cockatrice looks VERY different from a basilisk, though both have strange incubation periods..... It is an awkward hybrid, whereas a basilisk is a more straightforward serpent." He'd leave it at that, because to be frank, he didn't want these observers in their lesson listening in and taking notes on how, exactly, they could create new monsters besides themselves.
He had to try hard not to smile at Kinsay James. “I did know that, BUT, I don't think this is possible for a cockatrice." He shook his head. "They're too closely related to dragons to regrow their tails."
Williamson nodded to Valencia and Noah for their straightforward answers. "Yes. I have a tool for you to avoid direct eye contact." He was so proud of himself for remembering them, too.
And speaking of tools for the job... Williamson was struck by a sudden moment of panic at Tadhg's answer. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no no no no no no. "The mirrors...." he murmured, looking at one of the crates. Surely when they went through the dorms last night, they hadn't ALSO gone through the barns and pastures.... "That's... that's correct, a mirror WOULD be helpful..."
He shook himself to focus on Minjae's question. "Yes," he answered shortly, staring at the Hufflepuff as though HE were the cockatrice. "They're already here so we may as well learn." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "And Scamander's book is just an entry-level text. It hasn't been updated in ages. There are plenty of creatures still waiting to be discovered and edited into that book."
"Very good," kudos to you, Flamsteed. "Though I would say its hindquarters are more dragon-like than reptilian." And that was why he had a small affinity for them. He confirmed Valentina's answer with another nod.
Ah, Bella was repeating her classmate, didn't she know? "Yes, Claudine said that," he pointed out gently. "The cockatrice also appeared in a more recent Triwizard Tournament, but I don't think... elements will have much of an effect on a full-grown cockatrice." He paused for a moment to allow that to sink in. "However, you will not see a fully-grown one today."
His mouth fell open slightly at Gemma's answer. "Your mum can talk to rooster-dragon hybrids?" Why did she think her mum was a cockatrice whisperer? But yes, they were dangerous, which he wished these kids would consider before doing anything irrational...
"They are technically different species," WWW replied to Avalon. Surely he'd clarified that enough now, right? He flicked his wand at the board so an image of a cockatrice would appear. Once they saw one, he was sure no one would continue to mistake the two. "Good answer. Nice thinking." Finally, some people were talking about defense.
He almost chuckled at Dahlia's answer but remembered the lurkers observing him, and turned that chuckle into a grunt. "Yes, you could do that, but why would you waste such a precious egg?" He shook his head. "Instead you should contact the Ministry of Magic to allow their specialists to take care of it for you." And then they could give it to him, and he could hatch it for them. He'd be HONORED.
...well yes, Nem, but didn't that go without saying? Still, SOME Slytherins appreciated the wilder side of, uh, wildlife. Still, the trap thing was smart, if not a bit long-winded. The important information Nem had dropped was almost added as an afterthought. "The best idea, in that speech," he nodded in appreciation, "was the bit about weasels." And not just because SOME people thought part of his name involved weasels. "Weasels and jarveys are immune to the cockatrice's eyes, so one COULD be a useful guide. Rooster crows can also kill it, so taking one of these mundane creatures into the maze with you may be easier than trying to trap and cage a cockatrice."
Just saying.
He heaved a big sigh, one reserved just for Emmerson Cambridge. "Well, good thing you're going IN, and it's not coming OUT, right?" He really, genuinely was convinced that one of his crates of pre-ordered protective gear was suddenly going to be empty, or worse, containing shards of broken mirrors now.
Great. Just great. Could this school year BE any worse?
Actually, yes, it could.... Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin  Professor Jawline got a winning smile from Phoebe, in spite of the fact that he'd let the hooded goons show up for his class too. Probably didn't have a choice, did he? Rude, these gents just showing up wherever they wanted. She sidled sideways to peek over the shoulder of the dude who was taking copious notes and gave him a little tap. "You don't have to take notes. It's all in the text. This is a practical course, not theoretical. You'll catch up eventually."
Another winning smile.
As for this cockatrice (heard that giggle, Kale Trent), Phoebe had done very limited reading on this particular creature. The dangerous ones were interesting but seemed less likely to show up on the syllabus... but here was a very dangerous one right off the bat. "If they resemble a rooster, are they the size of the average chicken, or just have the feathery round body of a rooster but BIGGER? Because a chicken-sized creature doesn't sound all that dangerous." Quote:
Originally Posted by Inquisitorial Squad Did the child think they were a joke?
The quill stopped its scratching as the hooded figure's hand twitched. A long white wand (ebony and hippogriff feather, 15 inches) slid into the place of the quill. This child was guilty of three crimes.
First, the proximity. Second, the tap. Then, the smile. Pureblood or not, she was adding nothing to the learning of the other children.
An explosive series of spells burst out from the wand, forceful enough to knock the blonde Gryffindor back more than a few paces from this hooded person. The index fingers on either of her hands were now crookedly bent at abnormal angles. And as for her mouth? Her smile would henceforth contain more gaps than teeth, as her mouth was now mostly gums and bloody stumps.
This ill-bred behavior WOULD end today... or tomorrow after a referral to the Headmaster's office. Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin Phoebe felt like she'd been kicked in the chest. Her hands ached. And her mouth felt raw and bloody, like after a tough boxing match. She huddled on the ground for a few long moments, just trying to figure out what hurt and how badly. Not badly enough to stay down for long, not with her Gryffindor pride at risk. And not with Coby and Kizzy doing things that would draw negative attention to them.
Phoebe let herself lean on Yoyo as she stood up, smiling a horrifying, bloody smile as she blinked back tears. No crying. No asking to leave. Those jerks in hoods could just... well, no, she didn't want any more attention from them. Sassing professors for laughs was so very different than sassing murderous goons.
"D-do you think my teeth will grow back?" she whispered to Yoyo as she buried her broken fingers in her robes. She tried not to notice Kizzy and Emm rolling around on the ground, although she was mentally begging them to get upgetupgetupgetup. Why, Phoebe, WHYYYYYYYYY did you have to go and provoke them? William let out a groan at the same time Coby screamed, his right hand hitting his forehead while his left flicked his wand out. He was angry now, just absolutely seeing red, and before he knew it, a dragon patronus flew out of his wand and flew straight toward the hooded figure that had cast those spells on Phoebe. The patronus seemed to push the figure back into the hedges, and then the dragon took off toward the castle.
Trying to play it cool and failing miserably, William rushed forward to check on his student. Thank Merlin Yoyo was there. To his knowledge, she wouldn't be punished just for being a helper... would she? "I summoned Recard," he grunted under his breath to the two of them. He whipped a faded white hankerchief out of his back pocket and offered it to Phoebe. The sight of her broken fingers was greatly disturbing him, almost more than her mouth, but he had no idea, no clue how to begin fixing those injuries. "Listen. Don't panic. Don't do anything else," he continued talking to the Gryffindor very, very quietly, his brown eyes locked on her frightened ones. "We'll get you fixed right up, Phoebe, okay?" OKAY? He had to. He'd JUST SAID he wasn't going to let anyone get hurt on his watch, and then... THIS.... Williamson could barely contain his anger as he turned back to the class.
"Class WILL go on," he announced to the rest of them, GLARING at the hooded figure still lurking in the midst of the students. "Cambridge, get off the ground. Everyone needs to arm themselvs. We're going into the maze." He flicked his wand at the three crates and one of the sides of each fell open to reveal its contents. The first crate contained padding and helmets, similar to what a Quidditch keeper might wear. The middle crate contained a large shipment of dark sunglasses with frames in various colors... and, as feared, a bunch of broken mirrors. Mostly just pieces, to be honest.
The final crate, which Moose had tried to sit on, contained a bunch of mundane weasels on leashes. "The few school jarveys we have are already in the maze, so you'll likely encounter them when we get going," he called out. "Grab a weasel, though. They can be your guide as well. There should be enough that everyone, or every pair, if you choose, can have a weasel OR a jarvey."
He grunted and with one last look at James, made his way toward the other hooded person. "YOUR LEADER said education must go on. You SAID nothing would happen to the kids if we complied." He was so infuriated that the knuckles on his wand hand were turning white from his harsh grip. "No more of this. Please." OOC: HOKAI. So this has gotten crazy. Uh. We'll give it two days or so to have your character suit up in padding, mirrors, weasels, etc. Of course, they're welcome to use their wizarding skills to enhance their defensive outfits. Think outside the box. And we'll be going into the maze in small groups starting on/around Saturday? Feel free to RP for your own weasel. They're pretty terrified of all the noises they've been hearing all lesson, so.... 
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yeah, there's one thing about me that you should know________________________________
__________________________________________that I can't help from speaking my mind
Last edited by BanaBatGirl; 01-08-2021 at 03:17 AM.
Reason: adding weasel-y note
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