[CoMC] T4: Lesson 1: Kneazle

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie half smiled at the Professor. She didn't think she was late, but seeing as she had been the last person in the room, it seemed like it. She could also tell that Professor O'Donnell was not to happy that she had chosen the back of the room. Honestly, even if the Professor had asked her to move forward, Ellie would have probably fought with her. She wasn't going anywhere.

The cat-thing starred Ellie down. It obviously knew that she wasn't very fond of it. Ellie wondered if the cat could read her mind, she doubted it.

And so the lesson began, and the first question asked. "Evil..." Ellie muttered under her breath, grimacing. The cat perked up hearing Ellie, and the fifth year bit her tongue. It was going to kill her, she knew it.

[Felicity Locke]

Felicity was about to bring out her pout when the Professor came over. She grinned at her and looked back over to Nikole. Well, she seemed well in hand, time for Fay to get a closer look. She waved to her friend and mouthed a 'good luck' then walked off the inspect the Kneazle.

She kept her distance, not wanting to upset the creature. But she didn't need to be very close to see it's features. Fay just wanted to pick it up and hug it, but she held back. It was that girlish attitude probably that attracted her to fuzzy cute animals. Probably why she wanted more than one cat. Or maybe that was because of Bray's influence. Ah well, that wasn't the point.

[Marcus Conway]

Marcus was already in the front of the class so didn't need to move when the class was asked. In stead he looked to the creature on the teacher's desk. It was bigger then a normal cat, Marcus's sister had a cat of her own so had some reference to judge it by, and he found the spots to be an odd thing. He remembered reading something about a cat-like creature but he wasn't sure if this was it.

When he heard the teacher speak, Marcus turned around and looked at the teacher. Pushing up his glasses, Marcus turned back to the front of the class and looked at the creature with a new idea in his busy little head. He didn't notice the others come in because he was fully focused on the cat. He was now sure that it was not a cat. He couldn't remember what it was called but he had to add something as no one else seemed keen.

'I can't remember what it's called,' Marcus said, once again turning around in his chair, 'but they are magical creatures that look like cats but isn't. I think it can read people, sense if they are good or bad or something like that...' Marcus was speaking in a very small voice as he was unsure of himself and soon trailed off as he realised it was only his voice that could be heard in the classroom.

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

The class was most unresponsive but one small little boy did reply. Bree smiled at him and nodded her head. "Indeed," she said, walking to where he was in the front row. "Mostly right. This remarkable creature can detect treacherous intent and they act harshly on it." She walked to the creature and ran a long finger down its spine. "The hairs on it's back stand on end and it hisses like a cat." The kneazle stood on all fours and let her stroke down his back. He really was acting very much like a cat.

"Now, this particular one followed me home from lunch the other day and I haven't been able to shake him. Can anyone say why that is?" The kneazle sat again and looked up at O'Donnell. "The reason I mention this is because I haven't given him a name. So, based on all we know of kneazles the lot of us are going to choose him a name."

[Alexis Heart]

So today it was kneazles, well Alexis had a kitty so she didn't mind so much. It reminded her of Snowy a bit thought she knew there had to be some major differences. Seated in the middle of the room she eyed the thing warily. Magical creatures were unpredictable at best some students seemed to share her view so she didn't feel all that bad about it. As the professor spoke Alexis looked a wee bit shocked that she took in well a stray animal. The kneazle followed her one day? Why ever would it do that? Alexis wasn't too familiar with their habits so she didn't want to even hazard a guess. Someone would know she was sure, but the fun part of what she said was that they would get to name it. That part she liked.

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

Bree walked down the centre isle and looked at all the faces. Many Ravenclaws she noted. Standing at the back of the class again, Bree looked at everyone again. She couldn't understand the silence. "Come on," she droned out, "a name. Any name for a pet that you can't get rid of. He's a male so it should be a male name." As she spoke she walked up the isle, making eye contact with every student. "A name. Any name."

Standing at the front once again, Bree took a deep breath and nodded. "Right then. The first person to give me a decent name gets 15 points for their house and no homework." She didn't like playing this card but if it was the only way to get participation, what else could you do?

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie heard points being given. Why not, she thought. By nameing the cat it didn't mean she would have to go and touch it, or step any closer to it.

Ellie racked her mind. She has seen a cat like this before. Her aunt had one, except it was a girl. Her name had been Charlotte. A rather random name for a cat, but Ellie wasn't going to complain, it might have made the cat mad.

"Charleston." Ellie said, not even raising her hand. "Don't ask why. I don't know." She said, the name had come to her. It could have been a derivative of Charlotte, but Ellie didn't really care.

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

She has scarcely spoken of points and a hand went up. Bree smiled at how well bribery worked and looked to the Hufflepuff who the hand belonged to. She listened to the girl and contemplated the name given. "Charleston," Brianna said slowly, Charleston ..." She looked to the Hufflepuff and smiled. "Miss Rook, I know you asked me not to but I'm going to, why Charleston?"

[Ellie Rook]

"Well, I guess, my aunt used to have a cat with the same markings as that one." She pointed at the cat, but as it looked at her, she decided to slowly lower her finger. "Except it was a female, named Charlotte. And then I remembered how my aunt used to dance the Charleston with my uncle, they were muggles." She added. "They would dance for hours, and sometimes it seemed as though my uncle would do anything to get away, but he couldn't. And, well, Charleston sounds like Charlotte, except a boy name, so it all fit in my head."

Ellie smiled, but not at the cat. She didn't like the cat. But she was smiling because her aunt was dancing crazily around with her husband, who, I should mention, was two feet shorter than her aunt. It was a funny picture in her head.

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

Bree listened to the Hufflepuff's story and smiled. A sentimental name was always the best route to go, if Brianna was asked for her opinion. It gave names power and the names chosen was not that bad. Bree turned to the kneazle on the table and walked towards it. It's big eyes moved from the Hufflepuff to her and stuck to her. Bree put out her hands and began to scratch it behind both ears. "How does Charleston sound?" Bree asked the creature as though it were a person. It blinked at her and she nodded.

Smiling, Brianna took the kneazle in her arms, holding it as though it were a cat and turned back to the class. With one hand she held its hind feet and with the other held it to her, a long forefinger stratching its head. She looked down at the kneazle who seemed quiet at its leisure. Looking to the class she announced, "class, meet Charleston." It began to purr in her arms and his eyes began to drooped sleepily.

"Charleston is a kneazle." This might be repetition but she didn't want any to be left behind. "Kneazles have amazing perceptive qualities and can judge a man's character by merely being in the same room as him. They are not primarily domestic animals but if it chooses you, they make immensely loyal pet. As I said before, this one followed me home and I haven't been able to shake him." As she spoke of Charleston she bounched him up and down like a baby and he dosed on. "15 points to Miss Rook," she said smiling at the Hufflepuff. "Are there any questions about it or any creature?"

[Felicity Locke]

"I have a question." Felicity looked back to the Professor, her eyes alight with curiousity. "How can you tell how it judges a character. Like, what does it do?" Fay didn't mind if the other students might've already known. She was always curious about animals, and never minded if she didn't know something that another student did.

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

Bree put the puring kneazle back on the table and turned to the Ravenclaw who had spoke. "An excelent question, Miss Locke," Bree said smiling. Charleston stood up, stretched and yawned widely showing lots of small sharp teeth then he relaxed and flopped onto his side, the point of his tail swishing lazily in the air. Bree looked at the creature on her desk with a smile on her face. "Lazy little thing," she said, tickling its tummy.

Moving away from the kneazle, Bree looked to the students. "This I hope none of you ever experience," she said slowly. "Kneazles, when they sense something off about a person, something suspicious or 'unsavoury' the kneazle will hiss loudly, showing their sharp teeth menacingly. They react very much like a cat who is being threatened but on the attack rather then the defensive. If any of you were 'unsavoury' you might have been pounced upon moments after entering the class. Their instincts about a person are rarely wrong but can be bias towards those they favour. None of you are unsavoury and so are in no danger. And Miss Locke," she looked at the Ravenclaw, "you are perhaps one of the only ones to see the finer detail on his coat."

[Felicity Locke]

Felicity was gazing back at the Kneazle, Charleston, as Professor O'Donnell answered her question. The creature was truly amazing. With it's acute sense of perception and the amazing appearence of the creature. Fay was just in awe.

"Me? What do you mean Professor?" She turned her gaze back to the Professor, now truly confused. "I must admit I don't know what you mean."

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

Bree laughed and put a hand on the Ravenclaw's desk. "Well," she began a broad smile on her face, "being in front you can see the small black speckles on his white belly and the ginger speackles under his chin. The little tufts on his ears, you can see that they are wire and looked permed. And luckily through that shaft of light coming through the top window there-" she pointed to the window high above them "-you can see what looks like gold dust in his green eyes when he looks this way." As though prompted the creature raised its head into the shaft of light and looked at them showing the gold dust in his eyes like pearls.

"Can you not?" The thought suddenly occurred to Bree that perhaps this child, though in front, could not see the details that those further back lost. She frowned, the worry about making such a crass blunder irritating her immensely. Bree looked worriedly at Miss Locke.

[Felicity Locke]

Felicity glanced back to the Kneazle. "Ah, well yes, I can see those things. But I thought you were thinking of something else." She tilted her head slightly at the Kneazle, then glanced back at the Professor.

"I was thinking about it's other details actually. Like, for example, the fact that it acts very intelligent. It knew none of us students would harm it, even though we probably had gotten closer than it would've been comfortable with. But, that goes along the lines with it's perception of danger, correct?" Fay turned her head back to the Kneazle. "And, from what I can see, it looks like it knows we're speaking about it. Some other animals would probably go about their own way. But, Charleston looks at us when we're talking, and seems to acknowledge our prescence." She started to blush slightly at the silence in the classroom. "I'm sorry, that was a little uncalled for."