Hearing the indentifying of the plant in the tank as well as the scream it projected when touched that made him wince, Simon tried to think of its properties. Especially seeing as answers were given right and left though one stuck out in his mind and he raised his hand to answer only to have Kurumi beat him to it making him from.

"Aye... indestructable rope... or fine cloth for sails like what is useful on our ship," he replied with nod and a higher then normal voice,. The boy lowering his hand and folding his arms in front of him.

Selina watched in horror as the plant started to give off a blood curtailing scream. She flinched and looked away. When the screaming was done Selina looked back and the class had resumed an odd state of normalcy. She then raised her hand and said, "It's used as a painkiller for aching gums. So many babies use it when they are in teething."

After writing her notes down when the Herbology Professor said about the Gillyweed and Tingle weed. She fills in the attendance card that was given before the class started-she was too busy looking at her surrounding-she sees the professor dip her hand in the tank full of water and suddenly something formed in the tank and from it gurgles out a really LOUD scream.

Hayley was going to cover her ears when the professor close the lid and secure it with her wand.

Uhhh. She then gets her quill ready to write notes about this... plant...

Kimalia cuffed her ears with her hands after hearing the tingle weed scream until it had been bottled up. Well, their properties definitely consist of being loud, but she wouldn't dare say that. Raising her hand she responded. "Kimalia Fanster answering again," she cleared her throat. "Well, other than tingle weed giving side effects of numbing sensation and smelling like a goat, they can be woven like ropes that make it indestructible."

Sierra was trying to pay attention, she really was, but she was suddenly feeling really ill, and that just wasn't like her at all. She rarely ever got sick. As the students around her spouted out answer after answer, Sierra put her hand to her forehead to see if she had a fever. She was no healer, but that was usually what her father did to her when she complained of not feeling well. She couldn't really tell anything, though, so she just halfheartedly raised her hand into the air. "It's Tingle Weed...," she started to answer, but the professor had moved on to the next part of the lesson. She sighed and lowered her hand.

Sierra cringed as the plant--a tingle weed, she guessed--released a horrible, banshee-worthy scream. Well, maybe it wasn't that loud, but it was enough to bring on the headache that had been threatening Sierra for at least the past thirty minutes. She put her hand to her head again and then raised her other arm into the air. "Well, it apparently smells like goat," she said, wrinkling her nose a little as she said this, "because some witches tried to grow it once outside it's native area. Some Muggles ran them away from the area, though, because they complained the stuff smelled like goats."

...and just why had those witches allowed the Muggles to tell them what to do? Hmm?

Seren considered William's answer... "Mmm not really... though it is often used as a painkiller, so your sort of on the right track."

Seren nodded slightly, though hesitating in her nod...
"It... does... if you have been touched by a tingle weed, when you begin to regain feeling in your affected limb you may certainly feel a tingling sensation." Yup... she would get that later. She rubbed her index finger...

"Indeed it will.. but what can it be used for?" asked Seren trying to focus on the plants purposes, their magical properties.

"Yes that's absolutely correct, it's a great pain reliever for infants and even adults... not bad for a tooth ache either."

"Yes... thats all true, but think of what it could be used for?" she asked.

Seren's eyes followed Kurumi's to the ropes and rigging on the ship.. who knew perhaps they were made of tingle weed...
"Yes, absolutely, it's a very powerful and very reliable substance."

"Yes, it has a number of medicinal uses, and is does make a very good dye, though you'd want to be careful you don't spill it..." That could be bad...

"Yes certainly", nodded Seren as she answered the boy, "tingle weed dye has a vibrant green colour and if made correctly is permanent."


"Well you could certainly do that... but of course it is not usually advised due to its side effects. Long periods of numbness and the odour of a goat... I would certainly consider other options for pain relief." Mmmm Seren wasn't looking forward to having her finger smell like a goat... but she did it for the children.

Seren observed the girl in shock... had she not been paying attention?... had she not seen the plant?....
"Hhhmm perhaps you should pay closer attention to the lesson dear... we have already identified that it is in fact tingle weed."
Perhaps she should keep an eye on this girl.

Seren couldn't help but smile as she saw that the girl had a strange look of horror or shock on her face. "Yes, absolutely, tingle weed has many medicinal purposes and that is one of them."

"Correct!" replied Seren cheerfully.

What was the Slytherin boy on about? Was he trying to be funny? Cryptic?
"Master Salander... are you trying to say it may be used for rope?"... was that what the boy was getting at?

"Brilliant! that's absolutely correct. Tingle weed is a very good pain reliever and is a mother's saviour when it comes to teething babies."

Seren nodded, smiling brightly at the girl.
"Yes it certainly is."

"Yes, yes all very true. Though it does dye a number of artifacts not only the muggle variety." Seren would never forget the time she had accidently dyed her mothers fanged geraniums green... she had not been impressed.

Smiling Seren nodded, "Yes... it's a little loud isn't it", she said winking at Kyle. "But think more along the lines of what it could be used for."

"Yes thats absolutely right. Tingle weed is a very versatile plant.. and the rope is virtually indestructable." She knew this from experience.

Seren returned the boys smile... after all happiness was contageous.
"Yes certainly, tingle weed has a number of medicinal purposes, from simply providing pain relief from aching teeth and gums to curing Luxemsprat."

Seren gazed around the ship once more. "Yes certainly, tingle weed rope would be the best to use on a ship." Very safe... as far as rope is concerned.

"Yes, a mother's miracle worker", replied Seren smiling brightly.

"Yes, well done Kimalia, absolutely right", Seren said smiling sweetly at the girl. She looked down at her finger... she wasn't looking forward to it smelling... for months.

Noticing the Slytherin girl didn't look too well Seren looked at her sympathetically. Was the noise? Was it the boat?... Was it both?
"Yes, unfortunately tingle weed does have that horrible side effect... one I will have to live with for the next few months..."
Mmm... joy.
"Sorry dear... are you feeling alright?" she asked. Seren was about to suggest she should get some fresh air... but considering they were outside how much fresher could it get?


Seren paced around the front as she listened to the students give their answers. They were really tuned in today, she was quite impressed. Well with the exception of a few, but at least they were trying.

"Now as Miss Griengoth had mentioned, the tingle weed does not grow outside of its native habitat. No witch or wizard has yet been able to accomplish this feat..." not even her, "... but in the wild sea's of the Mediterranean tingle weed is able to grow in abundance without any human intervention. So it is possible to conclude from this, that the soil, water and climatic conditions of the Mediterannean are all it needs in order to grow." Aside from that there wasn't much else that could be said about how to care for the plant... it just wasn't done.

Looking down the at the remaining tanks in the row Seren realised they should get the class moving on again. Three tanks to go... not to mention the activity. She glanced at her watch... Oh they had plenty of time.

Uncovering the next tank in line Seren stared at the beautiful plant before her. A large pan like leaf floating on the top of the water in the tank, sprouting a large light pink lily. Perhaps she thought too highly of it, but it was one of her favourites.
"This here is known as Victoria Amazonica", she said somewhat affectionately.
"I had spent quite some time studying them when I was on a field trip in the Amazon- where they thrive in it's shallow basins and only grows in fresh water." Just a bit of general information. Though she shouldn't let herself get too carried away with the introductions... it was a lesson after all.

"So what are the uses of Victoria Amazonica and what side effects could we expect to see with regular use of this plant?" she asked the class.

OOC: Same as before... I'll be back online in approximately 7-8 hours. Don't edit your answers, behave, don't chat, have fun, and please try to keep your answers down to a maximum of two facts... one would be best. Professor Bentley is watching you. Happy RPing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by biscenleona

Bissy raised her head to face the eagle boy and said: “Hey! I’m Biscenleona. Sixth year…” She extended her hand to shake his and fell silent at the moment the Professor started to speak. She looked at that Tuney girl and then she eyed the boy for a moment. Her eyes lingered on the glittering metal piece… Ooohhhh! The boy was the Head Boy. Oh my! “He must be just PERFECT!!!” she thought admiringly.

Neptune smiled at the girl. Biscenleona? Sounded like that girls parents had strange tastes in names, too. Mm whatever.


"Professor," Neptune raised her hand, "why didn't you use something to protect yourself from smelling like a goat? Isn't there any sort of protection...??"

Just wondering. Neptune hadn't ever actually smelled a goat before.


She went on to answer the next question, "SOME people think you can use Victoria Amazonica to make yourself prettier."

Eino was very much familiar with this plant! It was one of the most beautiful he had seen, which made it very easy for him to remember its primary use. He raised his hand. "This plant can be used to make person look more appealing, I have read. Although, if used for an extended period of time it will lead to disfigurement and may also cause some nasty and ugly boils, which cannot be cured." It also helped that the plant's botanic name was the same as its popular one, so there was no confusion there.

Tingle weed...

It was horrible of her, but she couldn't help but imagine tossing Bissy into that tank. Nor could she help glaring a hole in the back of the Slytherin's head during the discussion about the loud, foul smelling, and utterly useless plant. No matter. She finally got her attention back on the right track once the next tank was uncovered.

Victoria Amazonica. A rather weird name, but pretty nonetheless. "I've read they can be used in a few potions that help with healing burns." Was it truuuuee?

Thea sat up too look at the plant. It was beautiful and she recognised it. 'Um.. the leave sof this plant are said to be strong enough to support a human!' She knew this wasn't the answer to the Professor's question, but a fact was better than no fact, right?

Alex had no idea WHAT you could use these giant plants for. He scanned the pages of his textbook, which lay open in front of him, blinking as he tried to think of a good use for them. Finally, SOMETHING popped into his head and he raised his hand.

"You could use them to attract beetles?" he suggested. "Cause they pollinate them. So if you needed beetles for whatever reason you could just...look to the plant," he explained.

WHY anyone would need beetles was beyond him but, at least it was something no one else had come up with! hehe.

Victoria Amazonica...hmm sounds exotic. He wanted to be somewhere exotic, the beach would be nice. Hmpf.

Thinking about the question for a half a minute, and listening to something another student said that sparked his attention. "Oh Professor, I too heard that they can grow to a size that could support humans weight. Perhaps you could fashion a particularly large one as a raft if you were lost in the area they grow? And a side affect would be...." he thought hard. "Um thinking that all water plants could hold your weight?"

That would be a bit of a wake up call, some dope stepping on plants and falling into the water all the time.

O________O

Riley turned around full in his chair to see who in Merlin's Beard had said that about the beetles. It was Alex, the Puff he had met last term.

Oh. ok.

'It's leaves are hudge.People can float on them...that means they can be used as boates?', Gwen said and was confused by her answer. That's wierd, she told herself, and now wished she had thought more about the answer.

Helena liked the way Victoria Amazonica sounded, even though she didn't quite know why. And this was also the first time she had ever heard about it, so she quickly flipped through her textbook, then raised her hand. "It's good for the hair," she said, and then... oh. She actually knew this plant! Yup, Helena could remember now.

But anyway. The main idea was that the plant had a pretty name AND it was used as a beauty product. She definitely liked this one.

'It's meant to be a really strong plant! People can lie on it!' Rose said. Wow! How'd I know that! Rose thought

With her elbow already propped up on her desk, Sierra rested the side of her face in the palm of her hand. No. She didn't feel well. If she could just a nap or something, she might would feel better. Or maybe food--she needed food, too. She suddenly felt like she hadn't eaten in days, even though it couldn't have been more than just a few hours. "I'm fine," she half-mumbled to the professor. She wouldn't admit how terrible she was feeling. Not unless it got way worse, that is.

She watched the next demonstration and then raised the hand she wasn't currently resting her face in. "It's supposed to make your skin look more youthful," she explained, "although, it ends up being sort of useless in the end, because if you use too much of it, you'll get boils." Ewww. There it was, though--a usage and a side effect.

Zara raised her hand and quickly answered, "It's supposed to make a person look much more beautiful. And with regular use of it, a person's body can get disfigured." But really, everything has its price to pay. Risk body for beauty? Not a chance. Nope. At least not for Zara.

Simon looked at the Professor. "Well maybe you could eat the plant if you were really hungry and running out of food." Simon said, he was guessing here, now all he had to do was think of something wrong with the plant. "Well maybe it could course dizzyness."

Kimalia raised her hand, she was familiar with the Victoria Amazonica. "Oh, ma'am they're used in some potions to heal burns." And now the bitter sweet parts, "They're also used to beauty a person's face and hair, but like a drug if used excessively can leave devastating effects on the person." Perhaps it's just one way of encouraging one's natural beauty?

Selina looked at the new masive plant that she had pulled out. She knew automatically what it was before she had even mentioned the name. When she was younger her mother used to take her to the pools of Victoria Amazonica flowers at the park near her grandmother's house. They were some of the most beautiful plants Selina had ever seen and she raised her hand, "Ma'am? They can carry weight up to 300 pounds." She knew this from experience her and a few of her cousins used to lay on the pads when they were at the park. Thank god for a Confudus charm on the guards.

"Victoria Amazonica is used to beautify, it is the main ingredient in one or two beauty potions. Mainly hair potions as it can be dangerous if used excessively elsewhere. It's also a main ingredient in a burns potion that also uses..." Aurora frowned, trying to remember what she had read. "A non-magical plant called Aloe Vera..." She said. It was a fairly simple potion, she knew that, but she had struggled with the Aloe Vera, it was difficult to slice it in the correct way for the potion.

Lucas adjusted his nameplate, which had been sitting on his desk, trying to make it straighter. He'd bumped it with his elbow, and now he couldn't really get it back where it was. Oh, well.

He hadn't said much during the class so far... Heck if he knew anything about plants. But he felt like he'd read about this or something. He frowned, trying to remember something. When he was being homeschooled, his mother hadn't put much effort into teaching him herbology because she saw how much he didn't like it, but she did teach him the basics. He could have sworn he knew something about this plant... He flipped quickly through the textbook in front of him until he found some information. Hmm... Found in the Amazon, can support lots of weight, blah, blah, blah... Oh! That's right! His mom HAD told him this... He raised his hand tentatively and said, "I think it can be put into stuff to cover up gray hair. Mums probably like it a lot." He nodded. Nailed that one. Oh yeah!

Pennys hand shot into the air again...now really glad she had spent that hour reading the Herbology text book.....
"Professor, it can be used in some potions to heal burns...uhm, long term use could give the user incurable boils....yuk!!!!"

Aside form the fact they were on a ship that was swaying - Penny was enjoying Herbology, and very glad she had attended class

Kurumi couldn't help but notice that the professor kept looking at her finger and she suddenly began hoping that no strong winds came blowing through the ship. Why was it that so many plants seemed to have horrid smells attached to them? She had been thrown into the thick of things her first year with the petrol smell pus spewing bubotuber that had happened to make their way back into Herbology last term as well. Hopefully, Professor Bentley would bypass these this term. Please and thank you?

"Victoria Amazonica are the largest of the Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies that can be used to rejuvenating your skin, making your hair more silky in texture and appearance, and cover up gray hairs. However, daily use of these water lilies in such a fashion will cause physical disfigurement and incurable boils," Kurumi said as she kept her hand raised. Too much of a good thing was always bad for you.

William raised his hand. "Professor, I believe the weight of the leaves of this plant are quite strong" said William. "They can be used to float items through water. If you were out on a boat and it crashed or something, then you could get some of your items to safety through using Victoria Amazonia to get your stuff out of there" William replied.