Kurumi furrowed her brow and looked over her notes, flipping to the glossary of her History of Magic textbook to look for 1993 and then flipped through her book some more until she found the appropriate page. Glancing up at the board again and then double checking her notes, Kurumi ended up pointing to what Professor Scabior had written. "Stopped on September first 1993 ... because Dementor interference," she said softly. "The Ministry, erm, hired the dementors to search for Sirius Black, but I think we can assume that they were the ones that stopped the train. Not the Ministry?" Again, the idea of dementors sucking the happiness out of the train to make it stop and, um, die popped into her head.

Kurumi checked her notes again, scanning the list of spells that were used on the train to see if there was some sort of connection between them and dementors. Something that implied opposites. "So, we know dementors essentially suck the light and happiness from the air, feeding off of positive memories, hope, happiness...which we know there is a lot of at the beginning of the term on the Hogwarts Express, especially with first years..." Flip flip flip flip flip. "Don't suppose casting the Patronus Charm on this toy train will get it moving again...since they were the ones that stopped it. Remove the source and get the train moving again?"

Beezus had rather been busy sniffing all of Messer's scent, and that was why the information Professor Scabior had spread on the class adamantly went past her. Hmm. What caused the train to stop Scabbs? A powerful, tricky magic was her general thought on this. Seems like her classmates had the same idea for even before the Ravenclaw could open her mouth, her peers had already shared their soup on the bowl. Oh, okay. No need to keep repeating those things, no?

Turning her attention to the Hufflepuff Captain being called up front, Beezus placed her chin on her left hand, her fingers lightly tapping her cheeks as she listened to the girl's low, stuttering voice.

Eh? What? She heard the words 'Slytherin' and 'Dylan', so of course, she quickly shot her the Slytherin Captain a furtive look. What was this? Another lie, Dylan? Pffft. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes somewhat, she decided not to turn a hair to what the note said. It wasn't her business, so yeah, carry on Captains.

What was moooooooooooore important now was Scabior's well thought speech and the task he was giving them. Since they were on the RIGHT side of the classroom, their train would be one of those that broke on 2048. The one that got into a snow bank, yes?

She and Messer have to fix it.

Yeah, right. With a small pout, she moved closer to her partner and rested her head on his shoulder. Sniff. Sniff.. Maybe he was using red pepper? Chutney figs? Oriental wood? Gosh, can she stay longer in that position?

NUUU. Ahemm. The Ravenclaw cleared her throat and turned to the Hufflepuff. There was work to do. "Sooooo Edvard," HEHE. "...what do you suggest we do to fix this train of ours?"

The quiet Ravenclaw girl who had been pretty much holding her knees and taking notes during the entire class finally looked down at the train set infront of her. She looked down at the train with a scrutinizing eye and felt immediately like pulling at her hair.

What on earth was the problem that caused the train to stop on September 1st 2078. Oh yes, the inquisitive little second year was sitting in the middle of the classroom. She had no idea what the heck had caused the spells and the mechanics to fail on the train but she knew it wasn't anything good right? Was it just old and rusty?

"So all of the spells and the mechanics failed" she said aloud questioningly. "So...would repairing the mechanics and simply re-placing the charms fix it? Or would there be a better solution?" She was asking anyone really.

Dylan listened intently to what Professor Scabior was saying....and wanted SO BAD to laugh out loud at Dixon's embarrassment. Really, the girl just needed to lay off of him. As a Slytherin, he just couldn't find it in himself to be interested in the Puff. He wasn't too sure what she was trying to get from him...but whatever it was, the answer was no.

Yep. Just a whole lot of NO.

Drawing his attention back towards the train, the Captain reached out a hand, poking at it. The mini-locomotive just sat there, lifeless and sad looking. Poor thing...

Reviewing the detailed instructions, he gathered he'd be working out the 1993 event because he was on the LEFT side. So...when the Dementors had attacked! Nice...

...but before he got to that..."Would anyone like to work together?"

Ira just blinked. And some more. How in th world did everyone other than her, and apparently her partner, know that much about trains stuff? And the class was moving too fast forward for her liking. Jotting down notes shorthand, she finally stopped as the activity was explained. Thank Merlins for the activity!

Work in pairs? Yeah.. that would be helpful. And also mean less work right? She looked at her partner, a second year Snake. Smiling at her, Ira replied, amused at Cassia, "I think Professor meant according to our direction.. meaning, we are on the left side." And what did the left ones have to do? Oh yes! Solve the 1993 train stoppage. "So.. come on! Lets rack our brains!" yeah, think of reasons that the train could have been stopped. Or the people or creatures even behind those events.

Cassia was glad that her partner was an older student. You know older ones seem to know better and more,no? Hopefully yes. So they were on the left side. Not that it meant anything to Cassia. Both the left or the right seemed to be alike. As both of the trains stopped. Right?


"Oh and I'm Cassia by the way," The twelve-years old said cheerfully. No time for a proper hand shaking and that kinda stuff but might as well know each other's names. Cassia turned to the stopped train set before them and stared at it. Hmm……So dementors attacked it back then. "Well, how do we make a train move." She said. Hopefully, the girl knows something about train's driving which Cassia doubted because come on they are students why would they know how to fix a train!

Obviously Professor Scabior has a different point of view. So they must try at least maybe it was a simple task. Cassia nudged the train toy with her forefinger, nothing. Nudge again. Still nothing. Maybe it isn't that simple after all. Cassia glanced up at the lioness, "Ehh…now we know that it doesn't need a push." She grinned . Okay now is the perfect time to get smarter and creative to fix this thing. "Maybe we could examine it to see if any parts are missing? Or try some spells?" Though which spells she had no idea…..yet.

Partners. Ok. Kat seemed to be out of place here. It was awkward. Kat just stayed in her seat for a while as she watched everyone get a partner. The fourth year wasn't friendless, she was just... heh.

"Does anyone else need a partner?"

Seriously? Louisa couldn't help but give the creepy girl a sideways glance, "Why wouldn't I?" She had all reasons to be uncomfortable by that creepy staring. She didn't move her hand from the train though, not even when she felt Aspen's dangerous wand tip tapping her skin. Which miiiiight've caused her arms to explode into goosebumps. GULP.

When Nessie was called to read something, her parchment? Her notes? Louisa focused on the wicked Odessa sitting next to her now.

Holy. Merlin's. Awkward. Turtle.

THEIR PARTNER? As in ASPEN? Louisa groaned again, removing her hand from the train and using it in rubbing her face. Could she like swap places with someone else? Because really, she didn't want to work with someone who 1) hexed her beautiful fingers. 2) set her on fire and 3) was rumored to have infectious saliva. All with a sweet curious smile on their face. The smile was the creepiest actually, reminded her of the wizard assaulting her in summer.

But no. She swaps places, she'll be titled as the coward Head Girl. And Louisa miiiiight be jumpy and not-so-brave but she wasn't a coward. She could do this. After all what could possibly happen with Scabior around? Hmm?

Finally she let out an exaggerated sigh and turned to look at Odessa, maybe for the first time this lesson. "Listen. I'd really appreciate it if we work this through. Quickly. Then we can be on our separate ways. And stop staring at me like that, it makes you look like a breakout loony from St. Mungo's." Breeeeath. Okay.

Okay.. so they were in the middle, that meant their train had stopped like it did this term. Probably just a technical error? "So." She grabbed her wand and started thinking. Out loud. "We're supposed to make it move. That doesn't mean we have to fix it, since apparently we don't know what exactly broke the train." Pause. "We can add external fire-breathing engines. Or extremely powerful air puffing machine." Pause. "Maybe do something to the wheels too..."

Pause.

"What do you want from me?" Whoops! Off-topic. But Louisa really wanted to know, she squinted her eyes. "I don't believe you're being a brat just for the heck of it. What's your real motive?"

Ok wait... where was he sitting in the room?...

He was dead smack in the center. Meaning his train model was Mishap of 2078 one. It was then that he turned his head to realize that the young girl sitting across from him was the same girl who got thrown about the train corridors as he was.

"Uhm... hi--"Merlin what was her name? "Minka?" that sounded similar to what he thought he heard minutes after they were thrown about in the train. He pondered her questions and gave a slow sort of nod "Well.... yes. The only spell thats really important in moving the train would be the Locomotor spell. But really can it be so simple? If it was just a spell then why not just cast it on the train again and not have us take the portkeys to Hogsmeade?"

"I'm Ira!" Ira replied, making her introductions. "You're a second year, yeah?" Well, she definitely looked younger than her.

Anyways, back to the task at hand. Hmm? Was Cassia actually poking and pushing the toy train, coaxing it to move? Eh? Ira nearly giggled, looking amused. How top make the train move? "Probably by reversing the spells stopping it? That is better than this.. this poking!" Ira replied with a grin back at her.

So now that they had confirmed that pushing wasn't gonna work, they needed to seriously put their brains to work. "Parts? Er.. I think that we need to focus more on spells rather than parts missing." Looking at the train on her dek, deep in thought, Ira replied, "Okay. one step at a time. The train probably stopped because of those dementors." Terrifying creature, these dementors were! "So we need to figure out what did they actually do to make this big train stop? What do you think Cassia?"

Sarah took some more notes and then listened carefully to instructions. What side was she one? She held out her arms in front. Her watch was always on her left hand, so that meant it was her left. She then realized that she was on her left hand side of the classroom. 1993, yet she needed a partner. "anyone want to be with me?" she asked

Elliot looked flatly at Professor Scabior.

They would be playing with trains. Playing. With. Trains.

SIIIIIIGH.

Elliot didn't even look at Hannah, ask her, or anything. Assumptions. "Well come on, partner. Let's get going." She didn't NEED to ask Hannah to be her partner. It was just expected. And she was quite glad, too, because she didn't want to be that loner that couldn't find someone and then had to be paired with someone awful by the professor.

Knowing Elliot's luck, she'd get stuck with Soapy in a situation like that. Yep.

"Lockwood! Let's go!" she snapped, not really meaning it as she sent a smirk to her best friend.

Frown. Well wasn't this lovely?

Obeying the Professor, Ness stayed exactly where she was. She didn't move at all, even though she really just wanted to run up to Dylan and slap him as hard as she could. She didn't like his glaring one bit, and if he wasn't going to put his eyes back where they belonged, she was sure she would loose it. She hated him SO MUCH! Words could not even describe her hatred for him. Stupid Slytherin.

The anger inside her just grew and grew, which made her forget about how embarrassing this whole thing was. She looked at the Professor for a short second and then looked straight at Dylan, giving him a death stare back. "You seem to be close to Dylan, the snake captain. I was wondering if you could maybe spy on him for me?" She had no problem saying the words this time. She spoke them out with anger and almost sounded like she was shouting. "There, happy?" she was still looking at Dylan. "Just so you know, I hate you Dylan. I hate you SO much!" The words blurted out her mouth without her even processing them.

Right...now what was Professor Scabior saying about trains? Ness focused her attention back towards him trying her best not to scowl nor glare at him. She still had to respect him even if she disliked what he had done. She listened to his instructions and then looked back at the rest of the class so she could see Oakey. She pointed at herself and then at him, which she was sure he could figure meant asking to partner up that was if she was allowed to go back to her seat anytime soon. Oakey wouldn't bother her too much about what had just happened or at least she thought not.

UGH! Hannah did not simply play with trains. What was up with the professors this term? Playing with bottle rockets and now trains. Siiiigh! It was times like this that Hannah was glad that she actually had a friend. Yes Hannah Lockwodd actually had a friend.

Hannah returned the familiar smirk right back at her bestie. "Well Morganzo since we are sitting in the middle of the room it looks like our train resembles the train from this term." Which was just FANTASTIC btw considering she knew nothing about what happened. Hmpf! Figures!

Hee.

The use of last names was FUUUUN with your best friend. Especially when they both had faaaamously ancient last names. Whooh.

No. Elliot scowled. "Fine. We have the stupid train from this year..." seriously, Hannah's laziness...Elliot would have picked a different one, probably the one from '93. She stood up, seeing as Hannah certainly wasn't going to go get one, and took a train...she plopped back down next to Hannah.

hmph.

"Now what?" she asked dully. SHE was the Ravenclaw, yes...and she was also older(therefore smarter, duh) but...she honestly had no idea where to start on the train.

Elliot was acting as if Hannah personally picked the train. She couldn't help where she was sitting. "Perhaps we should pick a better seat next time?" Because it wasn't Hannah's fault that they got the worst train ever. Scabior probably did it on purpose. All she knew was that is wasn't her fault.

Now what? Hannah was really hoping that her RAVENCLAW friend would get right down to business and get their train working again. "You're the claw...I figured you already had a plan." Not that Hannah wasn't smart she just didn't really care as much.

"Considering we don't know anything other than it stopped working..." she didn't even know how to finish that sentence. "I guess first things first...what do you think could of happened." Other than talking it out first Hannah didn't have any idea on what to do. Hopefully between the two of them they could figure something out.

Hmm...

Well, this sounded pretty cool, although Sierra didn't exactly know where to start. She peered down and studied her train, almost as if the solution would just jump right out at her.

It didn't, though.

BLAH. So now she just needed to find a partner and figure out a way to get their train up and running. She could just go swap hers out and leave the professor with the broken one, but...he'd catch her too easily.

Okay, partner time. Now who wasn't working with somebody already?

Nigel had no idea they had to have partners in this. He was just thinking about the coal trains still. He looked around and did see some older students were getting paired up.

He then saw one older student. Who Nigel thought was a prefect, without a partner. Even though she was an older student. Nigel felt why not ask her if they could be partners.

Nigel walks up her and asks. "Hi I'm Nigel. Do you want to be partners?"

Oh, hey--a Claw! Excellent. They always made good partners. They knew all the answers. Ha.

"Sure," she said, and then she glanced around the room. "...and I'm Sierra. I think we're about in the middle of the room, sooo...I guess we're trying to figure out how to fix a situation when both the spells and the mechanics go wrong." So in other words, they were going to try and figure out what happened on September first of this school year.

"Why don't we start by making a list of the spells we know that are in effect, and the way they got the train to work in the first place?" she suggested. Didn't they write that down in the beginning of class? She started flipping through her notes, looking for the list.

Messer's eyes went back and forth from Professor Scabior to Nessie. What was going on? He didn't catch much what Nessie was saying because she's shuttering. He could only manage to hear the word spying. Does Nessie like to play spy game too?

Moving on to the more important task. Scabior asked them to fix the train. So they're going to fix choo-choo? Cool. He turned around to face his partner, imagine his surprise when he saw Beezus's face was just a few inches from his face and..

Did she just sniff me? O_______o

*BLUSH*

"B-Be-Beezus..Erm..Umm..C-can we use the Mending Charm?" Okay now he's shuttering like Nessie.

Well at least now he did not have to worry about finding a partner. Nigel looked around and noticed that they were in the middle of the room. Weird Nigel thought for a second he was just on the right side. Well, Whatever time to solve this train thing with Sierra.

"Okay Sierra, So we know that even the muggle parts of the train were working when it started. Such as the coal and the Boiler. And like West said Locomotor might have been in effect to move the train with magic."

Hmm. Nigel had just remembered that he never sees adults on the train. Other than the trolley lady.

"And maybe there were anti Jinxes, curses, and hexes spells were in place because no adults are really on the train?"

Nigel was not really sure if there is a defense against Finite Incantatem, other than don't let it it you

"Nice to meet you Ira." Cassia nodded at the older girl. Good a short name that shouldn't be forgotten. Cassia was bad keeping in mind long names. "Yup I'm!" She nodded in agreement that she was indeed a second-year.

Now back to the broken train. Cassia stared at it listening to what Ira said. And well, she had to try the poking. What if it was only a trick and you could get the train to move by just giving it a push. Well, it was proven wrong but trying was a good idea. However, Cassia still insisted on making sure the train wasn't missing any parts. The second-year squinted her eyes at the toy and started comparing it to the running one on Scabior's office. Pretty much the same. So once again she still hadn't figured out what's wrong with it.

Then Ira mentioned something about revising spells.Cassia got out her wand because she felt like it. She didn't really have an idea of what to do. But she was game to try. "I guess we could try a simple spell maybe?" Cassia offered trying to think of a spell to be used.

And because she knew this spell well and had used so many times she swished and flicked with her wand uttering, "Wingardium Leviosa." The train rose a couple of centimeters off the desk. Cassia watched closely hoping for it to make a sound or producing smoke like the Professor's one but it did not. She lowered it with her wand and made the train land back on the desk. Oh well she tried.

Wait did Ira say something about dementors. Cassia glanced at the list written by Professor Scabior. Mmm...so dementors. The Snake looked at Ira, "Um...do you think we should use the patronus charm?" The second-year asked. Now that was an advanced spell and Cassia wasn't sure she could preform. Actually she was sure she could NOT.

Ethan had only been vaguely paying attention to the class at this point. He knew next to nothing about the Hogwarts Express. He hadn't even ridden on it, having transferred just this year and with a late start at that. And no, the boy had never read Hogwarts, A History being it had not been assigned. So the fifth year just listened - somewhat - to the discussion, eyes mostly on the moving train up front, and ears perking up every once in a while at something interesting. Like dementors - those were kinda cool, right? As long as he didn't run into any. And something about Voldemortist... he remembered hearing stories about him and that somewhat piqued his attention. But the boy knew nothing about this year's "incident" and that was something he was definitely interested in - something he would have to ask someone about later. Now it was time for the practical part of the lesson, it seemed.

Realizing he was on the left side of the room, Ethan realized that that meant he'd be working with the dementor train and started to look for a partner. Before he could, however, his attention was diverted to the front of the room by a very angry Puff, reading a note. Ethan chuckled to himself as he always found it funny when students were caught with note-passing and had to read them aloud. But... was she glaring at him? No, just in his general direction. The fifth year turned slightly to his left and saw just who the girl was glaring at - the Slytherin boy next to him. As he was the person closest to him and also in need of a partner, Ethan approached and said, "Sure mate, I'll work with you."

Ariana looked over to Minerva.. "Great now we actually have to do work." Boo work was no fun.. Not in Ari's mind anyway. She pushed the train along the track some more before she finally go her motivation to do something "Ok So we have a train that stopped and crashed like Express did on September 1st 2048" .. that was the case with the snow & a professor dieing or something or what not.. Now Ari was really Glad she sat next to min for this class cause when it came to things like This.. She was dumber then a muggle rock.

They had to try out spells on these little trains now to fix them? ...Great. Hopefully her partner was good with spells because otherwise these trains weren't going to be fixed any time soon.

Speaking of her partner...she needed one. And fortunately, she was just sitting a couple seats away from Sarah and heard her asking for a partner. Penelope got up from her seat and moved over to the one next to her fellow second year. "I will," she answered, "if you want me." Might as well give the other girl the option to refuse since she wasn't sure how much help she'd actually be.