(Herbology) Class II

[spaghetti231]

Zerrubabel pulled out his wand, pointing it at the green mass. "Wingardium leviosa" he said, lofting the dark green knot into the air. He guided it across the classroom and set it on a desk next to the Slytherin. "Take a grab at it," he said, "and tell me if it's rat-like or has a sea anemone on it's back. If there is a back to it, of course."

[Veata Bane]

Having had really enough of this boy's "I'm almighty" attitude, Veata snarled, stepping in on Erys' behalf. No filthy, sickening Gryffindor with a pathetic crush on the Herbology Professor could talk to her best friend that way. So, intent on vengeance, V pulled her wand from her robes, pointing it at the mass of slime that looked like green tube worms. "Wingardium Leviosa," she whispered to the glob, flicking her wrist, aiming the disgusting pile at the Gryffindor's face.

"That's what you get for messing with a Slytherin," she hissed, watching him with an eagles eyes, waiting for the return of the plant-animal. "I'd watch your back, cretin, or the next time you might find your robes aflame."[/font]

[spaghetti231]

Zerrubabel had been watching the Slytherins, waiting for their reply. 'Apparently it would not be a verbal one' he thought to himself, stepping to the side and watching the slimy mass fly past him, a few inches from his nose. He watched it continue its path until it splattered against the window on the other side of the greenhouse. It caked the glass with its slime, slowly running down the window and making a dull thud as it hit the ground. Somehow these disgusting streaks and the pile of, well whatever it was on the ground, reminded him of Slytherin as a whole. Putrid, slimy, and nothing a good scrubbing couldn't get rid of. He smiled to himself.

[Erys Grace]

Curling her lip in utter disgust, Erys raised her wand higher, this time ready to burn the blackheads right off his face. "I dont see you waving your arm in the air with suggestions." She hissed, her voice low. At least she was making an effort to raise Slytherin higher up towards the House Cup, unlike the poser pirate who was busy making googly eyes at the professor rather than caring about Gryffindor. Making a mental note to meet him outside, rather than duel him right here, Erys continued to glare, her eyes cold. She had made it a priority to be civil at first meeting, but, seeing as their first encounter wasn't the greatest, there was no point in expressing kindness towards a lame dork who didn't deserve it anyway.

She didn't see Gryffindor being any better in the first place. Like hufflepuff, it was a house jam-packed full of people who pretended to be something they were not. Like most houses, besides Slytherin, they held grudges that they liked to pretend that they didn't. Hypocritical sons of... Well, at least Slytherins would admit to their prejudiced opinions, if all the other houses wanted to act innocent and lie about their true selves, they could do that.

Snickering, obviously impressed with Veata's hardcore attitude, Erys nearly teared up- that was pure genius, not even a Ravenclaw could conspire it. So simple, yet brilliant. Why, the angry witch thought she had thought of it first! "Quit fooling around and pay attention, Gryffindork."

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[understanding]

Oscar looked up from his reading and, glancing at Zerrubabel's pleased expression, absently patted the empty seat beside him, signaling that he should sit. Impressed that he had, in the end, handled himself so well without resorting to magic, Oscar returned his gaze to the open book. "Well, I'm very glad that none of it hit you. The house elves in the laundry would've had a fit."

[spaghetti231]

"Thanks Oscar," said Zerrubabel, taking a seat beside the Ravenclaw he had met in the last herbology class. "Got to love house rivalries, eh?" he said, the smile still on his face after witnessing the mess on the window. "Any leads on this thing? I know Ravenclaws usually have a head for all this stuff," he continued, pointing to the book "I've got no idea. "
It had taken a lot more self control then he could usually muster for Zerrubabel to let it the Slytherin's toss pass him by. Normally he would have blasted it right back, or at least splattered it on a window near them, but he had a feeling the professor probably wouldn't enjoy seeing her specimen splatter against the greenhouse window, and he didn't need any more bad marks in herbology for destroying classes.

[Prof. Eithne l'Keitha]

The professor sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes. "Well that's just fantastic. Ms. Bane, you've destroyed the last of my stock of MerDung!" Showing the first signs of true agitation during the class, the professor marched over to the glass pane and stared at the sad clod of ruined MerDung as it sputtered and withered.

"You're going to have to get me another specimen of that or risk house points!" Professor l'Keitha disliked deducting house points - she preferred negative enforcement rather than any sort of punishment when it came to teaching. "Now that the cat's out of the proverbial bag, I guess a little background would do you good."

Tucking a stray lock of hair back into her bun, the professor cleared her throat and tried not to look too disappointed in the Slytherin's behavior. One couldn't help what one feels, but could certainly control his or her actions. Only impulsive toddlers threw physical tantrums and performed ostentatious displays to prove themselves and hide their insecurities. But she was here to teach them herbology, not how to grow up and sack up.

"MerDung, properly known as Merpeople waste, is a rich and potent substance that is extremely packed with magical properties as well as physical nutrients. From soothing burns from fiend fire to vital food source for various underwater magical beasts! As you have learned about the Merfolk in History of Magic or maybe Magical Creatures, there have been tensions among these beings and wizardkind throughout history, thus it is exceedingly difficult to acquire such a specimen. Now that Ms. Bane has impetuously flung the dung, we have lost the last of it at Hogwarts."

Turning to the Slytherin, Professor l'Keitha instructed crisply, "So what will it be? Retrieve another MerDung or accept the point deduction?"

[understanding]

Oscar had barely opened his mouth to speak before the Professor cut in, at a loss for her ruined merdung and turning on the fuming Veata. Truthfully, Oscar felt some sympathy for her. Surely her actions were some form of compensation for feelings of inadequecy and now to have the professor lay down such an ultimatum... well, it couldn't do much for someone. Even if she had been cruel.

Turning back to Zerrubabel, "Well, I suppose she's said it all." And the thick text closed itself decisively. "It'll be a rough time, though. Some mermaids are said to have a shocking propensity for drowning sailors." Then with a little laugh, "But I'm sure you of all people would know that about them." Oscar ducked down to retrieve a bottle of water from his satchel.

[spaghetti231]

"Too true, I've heard my fair share stories, but no direct encounters, at least with drowning. I have seen some merpeople, once when we were sailing around the Galapagos, but that was ages ago."
Zerrubabel smiled, the teacher's response to the Slytherin's tantrum had been everything he was hoping for and more. He assumed that the Slytherin hadn't expected a tactful response from himself, it had always been the same way at Durmstrang too. He remembered his door/mirror trick he would pull back at his old school. He would set up a door, and lock it magically. Behind the door, a few paces back, would be a mirror. The Durmstrang students would try to open it a few times, then step back and try to blast the door open. Zerrubabel would swing the door open as they cast the spell, allowing it to rebound off the mirror and return to the wizard who had just cast it. Worked too good even, seeing as he once got a week's worth of detention when it worked on a teacher.

[Emily Leets]

Although Emily slowly moved her eyes up to the Professor's when she called her name, the Ravenclaw had showed no signs indicating she knew what the plant was. Although she felt a bit ashamed that she couldn't come up with an answer as to what the plant substance was, she kept trying to remind herself that she was rubbish at Herbology, even if she had been sorted into Ravenclaw.

Things seemed to pick up a little when one of the Slytherin's got angry and sent the specimen flying at the Gryffindor's head, which missed by mere centimeters. She felt a bit sorry for the Professor, but rested her head on the desk in front of her. Emily heard them talking but paid no attention.

[Elijah Ellerby]

As Elijah approached the greenhouse he was rather put out to see – instead of the usual shivering vines and umbrella sized flowers visible through the glass walls – a great greenish mass, slimy and thick and slowly smearing down the window pane from the inside. Whatever substance was oozing from it had been splattered up the other windows, and grimacing – wondering what was so wrong with attending to happy little puffapods once in a while – Elijah poked his head through the greenhouse door.

‘What’s that on the window? Is there anymore?’ He asked Professor l’Keitha forebodingly, eying the other students in the classroom with suspicious eyes as he closed the door behind him. He then remembered he was at least ten minutes late. ‘Sorry I’m late, by the way – Professor Vance gave my last class a five minute detention for being “complete imbeciles”.’ Elijah explained, although it was a white lie. He had also been down in the basement slipping a note under the kitchen doors, requesting banana milkshake to be added to breakfast. ‘Although, I am actually rather glad I missed the start,’ He whispered this last part to Oscar as he slipped into the row behind him. He was sat next to Emily and Zerrubabel, who had, for some reason, grouped in the corner away from the only two Slytherins in the room. ‘Did it put itself there, or did one of you upset them?’ He grinned appraisingly as he inspected the two girls, both of them looking daggers at Zerrubabel. ‘I think they like you, Jones.’

‘What’s this about MurDung then?’ Elijah spoke up, ready to get interested. His eyes flashed to the window again, realising. ‘Wait, that’s not…’ His nose wrinkled and he leaned back, his enthusiasm diminishing somewhat. ‘That’s horrible.’

[Sarie Thimble]

Sarie ran in. How could she be always late. "Sorry I'm late." She looked around to not that many people in the room. She saw only one Gryffindore that she didnt really know or get along with. So she sat near a Ravenclaw that was new to the class.

[Veata Bane]

Yes, Veata was prone to overreactive outbursts, like a toddler. Mhm. Well, she was a teenager, and that's close enough to being the same thing. And no, she wasn't insecure, and she didn't react that way because she thought she was fat.. or was depressed or something that was oh-so-common in today's socitety. No, she reacted because Gryffindors were petty and.. well plain retarded, and had a knack of getting on her nerves.

A small smile came to her lips at the thought of retrieving the substance that came out of a Merperson's behind. What was she supposed to do, swim down there and ask them real nice to poop in a jar for her? Not likely, she'd probably get stabbed by them in the process.

"Since I came into this class with the intention of helping my house, I will get you more of the supply." Meeting the professor's eye with equal viciousness, she slathered her voice in sweetness as words exitted her mouth. "And, Professor, if you don't mind me asking, how do you suggest I attain the substance?" Livid, V had to keep herself from snapping at the professor, who, to be honest, didn't deserve to have her teaching supplies tossed around the room, and also didn't deserve to be yelled at. It was that slimy Gryffindor who derserved it.[/font]

[Erys Grace]

Erys, dangerously close to losing control and aware of it by now, forced her expression to smooth, satisfied as it relaxed into its usually calm demeanor. What was it about Gryffindork's that just pissed her off? Well, not all of them were ugly. Ian Gray was at least attractive and nice. Completely unlike the pirate poser up front, by far. Why they needed to learn about crap was beyond her, they had enough of it from the smelly guy.

"Dont worry about it, professor." She replied evenly, her tone matching the sickly sweetness of Veata's. Tapping her friend on the shoulder, Erys leaned closer, her lips hovering at the redhead's ear, "I know where we can get some." There was a quaint little shop in Nocturne Alley that carried a nice stock, and as a plus, she knew the owner of the place. Drawing away while dismissing her displeasure over the fact of not getting any points for her house, the sixth year deposited her wand in her robes before crossing her arms over her chest. They didn't need to get themselves dirty inside the lake, which seemed to be what the professor was suggesting they do. The civilized folk didn't do things that way, there was no point. "We'll get you a whole bucket full." So you can go crazy with the stuff, and not bother them any longer. It was true though, the Herbology teacher was a nice lady, undeserving of back-talk. But to compare them to sycophants was unacceptable, clearly.

If the Gryffindork couldn't act his age, then so be it. But dont go calling Slytherin toddlers in their manner of discipline, because if the professor hadn't reprimanded him for flicking it at them in the first place, this might not have happened so severely. "If you'd like, we can go right now." To get the supply, of course.
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[Elijah Ellerby]

'What, to Nocturne Alley?' Elijah smirked, having heard the girl whisper in her friend's ear. Elijah was probably going to be labeled a grasser now, but he didn't like the idea of the two girls getting to sneak off to Nocturne Alley while he was sat here, trying not to lean to close to the Fanged Geranium behind him. Professor l'Keitha wasn't an idiot of course - she had excellent hearing and would never have allowed anyone to bunk off her lesson, anyway. So he wasn't really a swot... he hoped. 'I'd rather see you swim.' He grinned daringly.

Elijah was unsure of what had gone on in the lesson before he'd arrived to create such tension, but he already disliked the two of them enough to know he wasn't going to put up with them. He hated people arrogant enough to think they could actually get away with anything - he enjoyed bringing them back down to earth.