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Post by Prof. Eithne l'Keitha on Jul 31, 2007 18:56:15 GMT
Despite the lazy heat outside, the greenhouse was frigid. The glass walls fogged up with frost creeping along the panes. The room was divided by four wooden tables with a large pot of soil that had been frosted over.
The professor, snug in purring puffskein earmuffs and an Aran sweater, put on dragon hide gloves and waited for students to file in.
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Post by spaghetti231 on Jul 31, 2007 19:06:26 GMT
Zerrubabel walked into the greenhouse, immediately wishing he had brought a coat with him. It was as if he were back in Norway, even the panes of glass were fogged from the cold. The professor was bundled up, and was just putting on dragon hide gloves. Zerrubabel took his place at a table near the professor. "Not going to throw a charm at me today, professor?" he asked with a smile. "I was planning on practicing my shield charm just in case," he continued, twirling his wand between his fingers before dropping it awkwardly. Bending over to pick it up, he bumped his forehead on the table in front of him. He looked up to the professor to see if she had seen.
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Post by Maria Turolia on Jul 31, 2007 19:14:33 GMT
Maria had walked into the classroom just in time to see Zerrubabel hit his head on the table. She giggled slighty, but stopped as she suddenly realized how cold it was. She would have dressed for the occasion if she had known it was going to be this cold. She went and found a seat before asking, "Professor, exactly why is it so cold in here?" She was shivering a bit after saying this.
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Post by spaghetti231 on Jul 31, 2007 19:38:12 GMT
Zerrubabel noticed the girl he had spoken to at the lake. Maria, was it? He thought as much. She had giggled when she entered the greenhouse, and had most likely seen his little klutzy ordeal. 'Maybe I should memory charm her, for the sake of saving face' he thought to himself. It seemed like a really bad idea, and probably not the nicest of things to do. 'Oh well, just let it pass', he thought. He pulled out his textbook and began flipping through pages absentmindedly. He was usually a middle of the road herbology student, but he liked the professor and thought he would try to be a good student. No more 'mudman' incidents like last year...for now.
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Post by Sarie Thimble on Jul 31, 2007 20:52:23 GMT
Sarie skipped in to the greenhouse and shrived abit. She looked around for a friendly face.There wasnt any so she look at the professor. "What are we coving today?"
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Post by spaghetti231 on Aug 1, 2007 5:45:31 GMT
Zerrubabel listened as his fellow Gryffindor spoke. She used the word 'coving'. He knew from experience that a coving was a concave surface often used in architecture between a wall and ceiling to create a rounded slant. He reflected for a moment on this knowledge, considering what this meant. Either this new face was implying that they were to study architecture, or she was incapable of rudimentary motor skills involving the movement of her mouth for the purpose of correct pronunciation. Considering her general appearance and rather disappointing social awareness, he assumed the latter. Zerrubabel turned to the girl, deciding that he didn't mind being a bit rude, "I believe you meant covering. And you may be in the wrong classroom, chances are you should be looking for 'elementary grammar', which is, alas, not taught at Hogwarts. But I'm sure you could get tutoring from a troll somewhere in the forbidden forest if you gave it a shot." Zerrubabel smiled to himself, he was suprised he hadn't been sorted into Slytherin with that little mean streak. Oh well.
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Post by Sarie Thimble on Aug 1, 2007 6:35:23 GMT
Sarie giggled. "I know i have poor english." She shook her head. "Alllow me to correct myself, what are we learning about today Professor?"
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Post by Prof. Eithne l'Keitha on Aug 1, 2007 14:40:19 GMT
The professor surveyed the room with her hands on her hips.
"Well I suppose we should get started - latecomers can come in whenever... but at least you each have your own table for now!" With that, she readjusted her dragon hide gloves and motioned to the students to follow suit.
"I know it's a bit nippy in here, but I think you'll survive. And make sure to be careful - otherwise you'll end up with frostbitten noses and lost fingers..."
She tapped the pot with her wand, which she clutched in her gloves like a lobster claw. "Excito!" A thin, white wire shot up from the frosted soil, followed by several other wires. White leaves burst forth while hard buds hung down from the wirey stems like drooping heads. The greenhouse became noticeably colder than before.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Wake yours up!"
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Post by Maria Turolia on Aug 1, 2007 15:16:56 GMT
Maria heard the comment that Zerrubabel had said to the first year. She rememered the girl from having met her in the corridors one night, and smiled at what he said. She did have to admit that most of the time she wouldn't be amused by a mean comment, but that girl had been really annoying.
Maria watched the professor, and shivered as the greenhouse became even colder. She got her wand out, and tapped her pot saying, "Excito!" For a moment she thought it hadn't worked because nothing happened, but then as she was about to try again she saw something coming out of the soil. It did the same as the professors plant, except that it moved slower.
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Post by spaghetti231 on Aug 1, 2007 15:57:37 GMT
Zerrubabel felt slightly bad for his rude comments earlier, but decided to say nothing about it. The lesson had already started. He tapped his pot and muttered the word "Excito", and plant slowly rose from the frosty dirt. Remembering his last lesson with the good professor, he decided to keep his hands free from the plant's reach. Zerrubabel leaned over towards the girl who had entered most recently. "Hello, the name is Zerrubabel. Sorry about what I said earlier." He smiled, hoping he hadn't insulted her too much. Zerrubabel looked up at the professor, awaiting her instruction.
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Post by Prof. Eithne l'Keitha on Aug 1, 2007 16:39:36 GMT
"Very nice, very nice," Professor l'Keitha nodded. "Now today's lesson is going to be how to harvest these bulbs," she prodded one of the hanging heads gently with her fingertip and it's bobbed precariously, "Without shattering them. As you may or may not know, you have just awoken Gelidus Verre. Can anyone tell me about this plant and the consequences of shattering the buds?"
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Post by Elijah Ellerby on Aug 1, 2007 16:50:14 GMT
'Wouldn't turn you into a living icecube, would it?' Elijah joked as he entered the greenhouse, immediately gasping as he passed from warm blazing sunshine to white breath streaming out of his mouth. 'Merlin...' He cursed, rubbing his hands together as he walked over to an empty table, grimacing. 'Sorry I'm late, by the way.' He apologised, wondering if this cold was punishment for the late comers.
Looking at the Gelidus Verre before him, Elijah spotted a pair of grubby, miss-matched pair of gloves hanging off a hook and tugged them on. He then pulled out his wand and muttered 'Excito,' under his breath, having heard it chanted several times as he approached the greenhouse. 'Very nice.' He grinned as the silvery wires and beautiful, frosty leaves uncoiled before him. The pods looked far too innocent for what they could potentially do, and prodding one gently, realised how fragile they were.
'But seriously... rather severe frostbite?' Elijah smirked, wishing he had a coat.
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Post by spaghetti231 on Aug 1, 2007 17:41:02 GMT
Zerrubabel stared at his Gelidus Verre for a moment. It looked very small and fragile, especially for something so dangerous. "How do you open it? And once it's open, do I get to kill it?" asked Zerrubabel. He was hoping for a bit of action, maybe he would get to impress the good professor.
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Post by Prof. Eithne l'Keitha on Aug 1, 2007 17:55:53 GMT
"You're on the right track, Mr. Ellerby," the professor said, her breath curling in white vapors, "It would certainly get much, much colder than this if you were to shatter a bud. Moreover, a bursting bud could send shards of its skin and insides all over the place - think shrapnel from a bomb that can freeze objects with the force of nitrogen. So, Mr. Jones, killing the Gelidus Verre is not advisable..."
"In fact, any impact or jolt could incite the bud to bloom into its flowered form. The petals, however, would be terribly sharp - sharp enough to cut through some of the older dragonhide gloves - and the impact would freeze everything in the near vicinity."
Placing a gloved hand beneath a cluster of buds, she pointed her clumsily grasped wand and muttered, "Sectum!"
The cluster dropped into her palm. "That's all there is too it - but the challenge lies in applying the right amount of force without bursting them. Needless to say, the buggers are very fond of hanging onto their stem. It's up to you to decide the balance between strength and tenderness..." The professor smirked and mentally congratulated herself on finding some sort of morality in the lesson.
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Post by Sarie Thimble on Aug 1, 2007 18:34:11 GMT
"Excito" Sarie said looking rather worried remeber the Hufflepuff from one night. She hadnt like her very much. Sarie wasnt good at magic when she didnt know let alone that they didnt like her. But to her surpries the show it self. "Sectum!" then a cluster fell into her palm, like the Professor. She bit her lip wishing she had some one friendly to talk to.
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