Welcome

[Mackenzie Monroe]

Kenzie was having one hell of a day. It had stared with the First-year Hufflepuff and Slytherins. She had taught them how to conjure up a small cloud of anti-gravity mist, assuming that it would be a safe option. She was wrong. Both needed some practice but the Slytherins got it faster that the Hufflepuffs and before she knew it, half her class was floating upside down near the ceiling. She had gotten the rather shocked students down and handed out four detentions and told them as she didn’t have the time, they would be doing detention under Professor Mildene.

She had four pale Sytherins walk out her class before the fourth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws walked in. This lesson when with out much incident if you didn’t count her poor Mika being attacked by the remnants of an Avis Charm. Someone wanted to distract her and it worked and she had to rescue the poor bird form the onslaught. She wasn’t as young as she used to be.

She was stroking her poor ruffled crow as the students shuffled out and she told the last one to shut the door for the five minutes between classes. She stroked all her feathers back into place and began to coo to her until the raven calmed down. As the door opened she moved her hand and the raven hopped onto her shoulder. It was one of the students from her next class. As the student took their seat, Kenzie couldn’t see them that well but greeted them anyway.

“Morning early bird. Eager are we?”

OCC: I know that this is the same as the hospital one. I ‘m trying for the two to join in. Sorry if this counts as double posting. Not my intention...

[Edgar Grant]

Edgar hurriedly put his Muggle Studies books away and headed into the hallway, toward the Defense against the Dark Arts (DADA) classroom. Four Slytherins who were lurking in the shadows, looking a little sheepish, bumped him nastily and made some sort of comment that he didn't have the energy or interest to determine.

The door was closed, so he opened it. Inside, Edgar saw some little feathers floating around as if some sort of pigeon had been ritually sacrificed. Creepy. His hair stood on end a little, much like static electricity, which had been the topic of his previous lesson. An hour of rubbing his feet furiously on a carpet and then "zapping" other students, and being zapped in return, had been a nice break from the more conventional and difficult subjects. Edgar always marvelled at how Professor Mildene could take any mundane, muggle thing and turn it into some sort of weapon. The professors these days were really being a lot more creative this term, and Edgar wondered if the new DADA professor would continue this streak.

He had not yet met Professor Monroe, but the other boys in his dorm had spent the previous night talking and sniggering about her, making rude comments that Edgar had tried not to listen to. He had even considered defending the poor woman's honour by stating that appearances weren't everything, and that she was probably very respectable under her modelesque blonde locks. But he'd fallen asleep before he'd had a chance.

Edgar stopped in the doorway. The class was empty, and Edgar wished he wasn't as fit as he was, and as fast. Jogging every day relaxed him, but being faster than everyone else made him have many an awkward moment upon entering the class. Professors seemed to delight in the awkwardness by making idle chit chat. Soon other students would arrive in the middle of the conversation and jump to conclusions. By dinner boys would be slapping him on the back and girls would be frowning disapprovingly. He could see it coming.

They'd probably even make "Teachers Pet Edgar" tshirts or something equally questionable.

Of course, standing in the doorway the Professor could see him, so he couldn't back out and lurk outside, waiting for the others. That would be rude. Bracing himself for some sort of cheery comment on his punctuality (this was how it always started), Edgar entered the class and headed for the third row (not near enough the front to seem to eager, not far enough back to seem apathetic).

“Morning early bird. Eager are we?”

Perhaps the fourth row would have been better.

Edgar smiled politely and replied, "Good morning, Professor. I start as I mean to carry on. This year is an important one, academically, after all."

He kept quiet and rummaged extensively through his bag, hunting for a quill, an ink bottle, a scroll and anything else that could help him seem busy and not at all awkward.

[Gillian Wood]

Gillian had a horrible sense of foreboding. All morning she had tried and failed to shake the sense that something terrible was about to happen. She had walked from class to class with a cautious step and had several moments of dread in her first two classes. Firstly, her Transfiguration Professor had transformed a rat into a goblet and back again and one of the Slytherins that was in her class had asked her if she'd like to spend her life as a goblet. She had brushed the comment aside, but had been repeatedly frightened as he'd miscast in her direction.

Secondly, Wandless Magic had been an experience to forget when the Professor had allowed a Hufflepuff of little control to attack a defenseless Gillian in order to demonstrate why one needed to know how to defend oneself... It was a stupid exercise to say the least.

Now, as she approached Defence Against the Dark Arts (DADA), she still felt as if something was going to happen. Deep in her gut she could feel it. To make matters worse, a group of Slytherins in the corridor tried to trip her up with an invisible rope. Had she not recognised the tell-tale signs of the Charm because of her caution, she would have been the laughing stock of Slytherins for the next week.

She finally reached the DADA class and entered hesitantly, noticing that Edgar and a few other students had already arrived. She hated being first, so this was good, but it also signalled the beginning of the next class which still plagued her. She noticed the Professor stilling the slightly ruffled feathers of her familiar and she wondered what had happened. She paled at the thought. The class was very quiet and the Professor seemed to have entered into a conversation with Edgar.

Edgar smiled politely and replied, "Good morning, Professor. I start as I mean to carry on. This year is an important one, academically, after all."

A diplomatic answer. Teacher's Pet. Of course, so was Gillian, so she didn't have much room to label. "Good Morning Professor Monroe," she said as she sat next to Edgar in the third row. She had met the Professor briefly before and was not entirely sure about her, but she never judged a book by its cover and she wasn't about to resort to bad cliche when it came to her appearance. As she got to know her she would get to see if she could teach well. "What happened to your familiar?" she wanted to know if she was in danger and should feign a malignant spleen.

OOC: Oh, oh! I want to be cursed, pick me, pick me! Fun fun... Sorry.

[Mackenzie Monroe]

Mackenzie didn’t recognize the student but definitely his response to her. She had done the same thing a thousand times while she was at Hogwarts and the response still hadn’t changed. A polite reply and then trying your hardest to avoid eye contact.

Edgar smiled politely and replied, "Good morning, Professor. I start as I mean to carry on. This year is an important one, academically, after all."

“Can I tell you a secret? It’s a great thought in theory, but good luck putting it into practice honey. It’s a lot harder to do than most people would think. A lot like wrestling with an erkling…” Mackenzie had tried that philosophy all the way up to sixth year and then decided oh-what-the-hell; it never worked and only stressed her more. She decided to do the best she could and if that was mediocre, that should tell her something. Her marks immediately improved. Mackenzie heard someone else enter and greet her.

"Good Morning Professor Monroe," she said as she sat next to Edgar in the third row.

“Morning, how are you?” Kenzie decided that this was going to be an interesting lesson as she walked around her desk, hopped on the front middle and crossed her legs. She didn’t even think about whether to sit on the front of your desk was Professorly or not, she just did it out of habit and besides, Mika was still highly indignant from her attack and wouldn’t stop ruffling her feathers. She looked back at the girl as she spoke again.

"What happened to your familiar?" she wanted to know if she was in danger and should feign a malignant spleen.

“Mika met the wrong end of an avis charm and she is feeling a little indignant, aren’t you?” Mackenzie took the bird on her hand as she referred to her. The bird ruffled her feathers and Mackenzie brought her close as she stroked her. “So, I’m supposed to be Professor Mackenzie Monroe, who exactly are you?"

[Edgar Grant]

Edgar smiled as Gillian sat next to him. The first day usually defined seating for the term, and with Gillian next to him he could be sure of some rather interesting conversations to come. Failing that, he didn't mind being teased, and kidding around, and knew that Gillian would gladly oblige, but also knew when to stop and which boundaries not to cross.

“Can I tell you a secret? It’s a great thought in theory, but good luck putting it into practice honey." "Honey"? Edgar winced. He didn't like strangers calling him sappy names, and found the professor's tone a bit condescending.

" It’s a lot harder to do than most people would think. A lot like wrestling with an erkling…”

Edgar's jaw hardened. Surely the woman had been briefed on what had happened to that girl? How tactless! How rude! How... Edgar could see that this would be a trying lesson. Blondes weren't his type anyway. He made an effort not to sulk like a toddler who'd been denied the last chocolate frog, and instead smiled politely as Gillian did the diplomatic thing and changed the subject.


"What happened to your familiar?" she wanted to know if she was in danger and should feign a malignant spleen.

“Mika met the wrong end of an avis charm and she is feeling a little indignant, aren’t you?” Mackenzie took the bird on her hand as she referred to her. The bird ruffled her feathers and Mackenzie brought her close as she stroked her. “So, I’m supposed to be Professor Mackenzie Monroe, who exactly are you?"


Edgar tuned out, instead dwelling on thoughts of the previous day's encounter with Favian. He wished more students would show up so the lesson could begin and the small talk could stop. Normally he liked polite conversation, but there was something about this Professor that just didn't sit right with him.

[Gillian Wood]

“Morning, how are you?”

"Very well thanks," Gillian answered, surprised when Professor Monroe hopped onto the edge of her desk and crossed her legs. It was remarkably student-like and Gillian wasn't sure if she approved, but then she gave up on the strangely critical act, stepped down from her thoroughbred high-horse and began to unpack her things.

She noticed Professor Monroe's familiar looking rather out of sorts and immediately feared that her bad day was about to continue as the DADA Professor began to explain.

“Mika met the wrong end of an avis charm and she is feeling a little indignant, aren’t you?” Mackenzie took the bird on her hand as she referred to her. The bird ruffled her feathers and Mackenzie brought her close as she stroked her.

Gillian froze slightly, if this class was that out of control, perhaps it was better to feign sudden narcolepsy and try to get sent to the hospital wing rather than face some Slytherin with a power complex and an unpredictable wand hand...

"So, I’m supposed to be Professor Mackenzie Monroe, who exactly are you?"

This snapped Gillian out of her horror and she listened. It didn't surprise her that she wasn't remembered and immediately responded politely, "Gillian Wood, we met the other day..." she didn't go into details figuring that she wouldn't really care if she was Professor Monroe. Her attention turned back towards her own health risks, "Professor, can I ask what you have planned for this lesson?"

[Mackenzie Monroe]

Mackenzie contemplated her new class as the last few filtered in, at last they could begin. She was finally teaching an interesting year. As much fun as a boggart could be at a party, there were only so many times you can see your friends fears turned funny before you needed to move on. This was the year to start curses but Mackenzie decided to start slow. As the last few Hufflepuffs took their seats, she heard a question from the third row.

"Professor, can I ask what you have planned for this lesson?"

It was the girl next to … Edgar? Her name was … Gillian, of course. Kenzie inwardly winced at her own memory; she could remember the 135 syllable curse but not her students’ names. Anyway, no use crying over spilt potion so she just continued. “Glad you asked Ms Wood. This year is the year to start advanced hexes, curses and magically deadly animals… as opposed to just plain deadly ones. These will form part of your O.W.L.S at the end of the year.” she clarified. “However, for now you are going to tell me how far you have gotten in your lessons. Your old professor left me half a note in the margin of your last exam paper and considering it wasn’t all in English; I think it’s safer to ignore it.” It was true, after Kena had kissed Corin goodbye, she was whisked of by a man that couldn’t have all his marbles because he spoke 8 separate languages in the same two sentences before shoving the paper in her hand and running down the stairs.

Mackenzie snapped back to reality as the door flew open and a late student wandered in…