"Illusion charms, mostly. Stacked to get just the right amount of depth we need for a forest like this." Malachi replied, admittedly quite pleased with himself after the Slytherin's reaction. "Expansion charms too, just to ensure we don't have anyone end up running into a wall during their esc--the lesson."

Very eventful lesson in the making. Mhm.



"Morning, Potter. I suspect you'll be looking more awake in a little." While the boy wasn't falling over on his feet, the Headmaster could tell he wasn't exactly ready and rearing to go either.

The content of the lesson would take care of that on its own...



"Good morning...." Er.... The man squinted in the dim light of the forest, taking an extra minute to realise he didn't actually know this one. A First Year, yes. He remembered. She was one of many during what had turned into a long feast.

He'd learn her name soon enough. For now, there was no need to stress about it.



It may have been hard to see by moonlight but the smallest of amused smirks appeared when the boy almost greeted him with the wrong time of day. Not missing a beat, Malachi nodded. "Good morning, Nam." He suspected the sudden change would catch more than a few of them off guard and he was honestly here for it--may as well enjoy what he could of the lesson before it inevitably went south.



"Morning, Abbott-Daniau. Looking alert, I like it." An easy observation when you compared the Hufflepuff to nearly everyone else who'd entered the class turned forest. It was good. This being her final year, the Headmaster expected much--as he always did of his seventh years. They were in the final phase, the last push before the real world and he needed to know they were ready.



A nod.

It was a nod.

Malachi nodded back, intentionally sparing no more than a glance at the Ravenclaw before looking to the student arriving behind her. If she wouldn't extend him the courtesy of a proper greeting, he wouldn't waste further time there.



"Good morning, Nichols." The Headmaster returned. She was another he could see taken aback by the sudden change in setting. Always good to keep the students on their toes. They needed to be able to expect the unexpected. It would serve them well not only in this class but in life.



Malachi took one look at the Slytherin then down at his watch to check what time was left before looking back to the Slytherin. "Get out." His words were simple, not rushed but quite certain in their tone. "You don't show up to my class looking the way you do. It's unacceptable. You will get properly attired then you will return." But he would leave. Upstead was on a steady trend, a worsening trend. The reins needed tightening.



"Good morning, Yoon." The Headmaster returned, sparing a glance up at the moon. He could see where the idea might come from and was glad the boy was already thinking on his feet, but the man shook his head all the same. "Not today, no. We'll be covering werewolves later on in the term." He already knew the essay he would be giving on it. Careful planning, that's what it was.



"Nothing of the sort, Flamsteed. " Malachi replied, almost amused by the idea. Mostly. "This has nothing to do with crushing but rather educating on a topic found in your syllabus." If he wanted to go crushing creativity, there were likely more interesting ways to get it done.



"Again, this lesson has nothing to do with squashing anyone's anything." Well, not in those terms, not like that. That his students thought he would waste an entire lesson on trying to get children to obey him was...it was...he could facepalm but he wouldn't.

"I won't make any promises for this term. Your professors and myself have already gotten our lessons organised and noted the topics we'll cover. What I will say is, it can be a possibility at some point."



"Morning, Connolly." The Headmaster returned, unaware of any apprehension currently running through the girl. More and more students were showing up, pulling his attention this way and that but he was glad to see her not falling asleep on her feet. It was a good look.



"Good morning, Nam." One of the students he didn't typically have to worry about falling asleep this early in the morning. Not everyone was an early riser. Given his penchant for having his classes on the earlier side of any day, that sort was always easier to spot...as were their counterparts who couldn't stay awake through an explosion.



....

.....

Malachi stared, and stared then stared some more at the blatant disregard for school rules so early into the term. "You, too. Get out." Honestly, what was with the Slytherins this term? June had her work cut out for her. "Return to your common room and get changed into proper school uniform then return. Don't take too long." Why the boy thought it appropriate to show up in whatever he liked was beyond him but this was school and it was time to get back into it.



"Good morning, Culloden." At least the boy wasn't falling over or slumping. In a while more, he suspected that all who'd had a problem with the morning would find themselves more awake and alert. For now, he would leave them to it and wait to begin.



"Hmmmm...I'd have to say no, but it's a softer no that could tentatively be a yes. Just, not a yes." If that made any sort of sense. "Scratch that, it'll have nothing to do with the care of any magical creature."

The lesson's focus would be on the defense against the dark arts and nothing more. They would need to defend.



"Good morning, Gaeltheos. Perhaps you could give some of your classmates lessons on how to attend the first class of the term." If everyone walked in looking so ready and rearing to go, he suspected they could all have a better time of it. One less student to get pumped at the very least.



Malachi watched the Slytherin come to a stop by him, uncertain at first what might have caused the hesitation. The lesson hadn't begun yet, there wasn't anything to worry her....yet.

"Morning, Burke." The man replied when the young girl seemed to finally be over whatever had kept her there a moment ago. Certainly was a mixture of reactions to the morning's setup.



Malachi had almost missed the muttered words of the Slytherin. He found he had to concentrate a little more when the audible "professor" turned somewhat less so as she went on. When he did hear, however, he was taken aback. Quite suddenly the Headmaster could remember that fateful day he'd been doing a good job of forgetting.

Given the topic of the day's lesson, it grew all the more real.

"The important thing is that you've learned from it." He returned, not unkindly. The Slytherin had done a fair bit of growing in that time. He didn't expect the same silly stunts she would have carried out back in her second year and it was honestly a relief.



"Good morning, O'Neill. Quite well, actually." For now, right this second, while he waited for the lesson to begin. Very well, indeed. "I hope you are, too. We're in for a rather active lesson. You'll need all your wits about you."

Along with quick reflexes and the like but that probably went without saying by this point.



"Good morning, Donovan." Another that he had no difficulty with when it came to early morning lessons. There were some students who rose before the sun--some went jogging and came to his class ready to greet the day. Others....were likely excelling at Astronomy and anything else that didn't require their brain to function before noon...



"Good morning, Blackthorne." Malachi watched only long enough to see her stand by one Ashley Fox before turning his attention back to the door. The Ravenclaw was constantly angry for whatever reason. That anyone still chose to stand by her was a small wonder in and of itself.



Ah, another first year. "Good morning." The Headmaster supplied, trying to gauge how the boy was feeling about his first lesson and his first real taste into the world of magic that wasn't accidental. He could only hope the older students would keep an eye on this one and the others.



"Good morning to you, too, Turov." The Headmaster greeted, a pointed expression in place. The Hufflepuff girl was not typically one to forget her manners. He was willing to believe it had something to do with the sudden change in scenery. The reprimand could've been worse but the girl had a largely clean record making it somewhat less a necessity.



Malachi didn't most of the Gryffindor's muttered words, having been preoccupied with another student that entered. All he heard was the greeting and that was perhaps for the best. "Good morning, Rivers." Was it just him, or did she look like she would rather be anywhere else?



Uh....

"Sure...." The lesson on the kelpies? He taught kelpies just about every term, with mixed results. Though if someone told her to ask about it, there could really only be ONE lesson the girl was referring to and it still make him quite....miffed when he thought about. A dark time, truly. Never to be repeated.

"Why don't you stop by my office sometime this week and we'll talk about it then?"



"Good morning, Jones." One of his more promising students. This being his final year, Malachi was expecting many impressive things from this one, or at the very least the level of competence that would not leave him worrying like some of the boy's year mates did. Either worked.



"Good....evening," Sure. "James." Morning, evening, he supposed it made no difference when you had magic on your side. "I assure you, you've got nothing to worry about from werewolves this lesson, magicked moon or not." That worry, at least, she could put to rest.

It was the other kind of nightmare, today.



And then there was this one.

Always a stab of guilt when Kinsay James entered his class--usually dissolving into unadulterated appall at the shear lack of brains she and a certain other Gryffindor shared--but always guilt at the start. Hard to miss, as incessant as she'd been accused of being. If he'd known the one word would follow him all the way into yet another year, he'd have opted against speaking when he'd first met her.

Malachi caught the look and chose to leave her be for now.