Another year begins at Hogwarts. It’s week one and the Wizo-Music students are either returning, or beginning late. As always, Matughi, the massive talking African warshield, is busy intimidating the students, but, since it’s a first class of the day, he seems rather sleepy. “FOOLISH CHIL… *yawn* CHILDREN! YOU WILL ALL BE CONQUERED BY THE …so tired… MIGHT OF THE … *yawn*” Darius Dwight has yet to appear yet, but the class is open and set up in ‘practical’ formation, desks to the side, chairs in the middle with instruments scattered around the classroom. Presumably, the teacher will be along shortly.

Looking quite svelte and tall, it appears that Nellie has grown quite a bit over the summer, and though the usual smirk is absent from her face, her sour expression seems otherwise fitting as she carries her trumpet lazily into the Wizo-music classroom. The red on her cheeks hints at either a bit too much sun, or perhaps a rather recent embarrassment. Between her freckles, it is difficult to tell which it is. The girl plops down into a set and pulls out a quill, twirling it in her fingers while she stifles a yawn and waits for the rest of the class to trickle in.

Afil Landiths walked into the Wizo-music classroom nerviously, as he stared at the Giant double bass he was supposed to be play in the class. He looked around, watching all the people play their instruments and the giant talking African war sheild, and looked slightly worried at the fact a piece of army wear was screaming its head off at the surrounding students. Afil walked up to the bass as confedintley as he could, Straightening up and smiling, whilst walking over quickly and prepareing it in his hands, to be played beautiflly along with Afil choice of music, Blues. Afil was looking forward to the class, or else he sound’t of signed up for it Decideding quickly to pluck the strings, Afil smiled at the surrounds and started to play happily

Yawning and rubbing at her eyes with one hand, Gertrude Baxtor makes another sleepy student to enter the room. Almost as soon as she enters the room, she seems to realise what she’s doing, even in her sleepy state, and quickly lowers her hand from her eye to her mouth as she yawns again, and draws herself up into a more formal, refined carriage than the sleepy drag she had lazily adopted on the way there. At least her robes are straight and her hair is in good condition. She never would have left the common room otherwise. Peering about the room, she seems too dazed to offer much more than a lazy smirk, though perhaps this will have the dual affect of looking like she doesn’t need to expend extra energy on being superior. Perhaps.

Coming behind a long string of students, and walking slowly, as if hesitating, David makes his way into the classroom. He stands there in the way, watching the other students as they take their seat, and finally chooses to take his own, on the second row, as usual. It is a strange feeling for David, and he hasn’t felt so awkward since his first or second year. Why did he decide to join the Wizo-Music class in his fourth year, instead of doing it at the beginning of the third like everybody else? Surely, the older students would look at him curiously, and David dislikes this. The boy puts his bag on the floor, and turns his head around. Should he take out a quill and some parchment? Apparently not. Some students are already playing, apparently, and David doesn’t know if he should begin to do just as them. Deciding against it, he finally waits for Professor Dwight to begin the class formally. Yes. That would probably be the best course to follow. Keep a low profile.

As the last students file into the room, Professor Darius Dwight, billowing red robes blowing out around his feet, enters from the Wizo-Music office and beaming his usual beaming smile. His only concession to the earliness of the class is a white drinking mug, filled with coffee and emblazoned with a Gryffindor shield on it. It’s been well known Professor Dwight was an old Gryffindor, and he hasn’t been shy about volunteering the fact. He nods to the class, and declares, “Good morning, students. Welcome back to Hogwarts,” and then walks over to Matughi, who is still half-heartedly shouting out threats between yawns and mutters. “Poor, poor Matughi. Your heart’s just not in it, is it today?” The shield mutters back, “Traitor to your own blood…” “Yes, yes,” The teacher retorts, and instructs the shield to keep quiet, which astonishingly it does.

“Now, students!” Darius returns his attention to the class, and declares, “Welcome back to Hogwarts! As always, it’s good to see you here. We have a few new students, and a few departed over the summer I see. Their loss. This year, we begin learning about Wizo-Music proper. So, and I know you’ve all waited a long time to hear this…” He grins impishly, “Draw your wands.”

Wand. Right. Pocket. It seems to take Gertrude a moment to fully realise what the Professor has said, though when she does, she pulls the wand from her pocket and twirls it through her fingers like a baton, sitting daintily in her selected seat and tiredly crossing her legs. Wait, wand? She looks up at Darius as she fully comprehends his words, silently questioning this apparent change of heart. She really isn’t with it this morning – as well as it being early, she looks almost as if she simply didn’t get enough sleep the previous night, and she seems to be working hard to resist the urge to rub at her eyes again.

Feeling quite relieved that she won’t be forced to try to make sensible noise out of her trumpet for once, Nellie reaches into her robes and draws her wand carefully, holding it out before her lazily. “Looks like morning still aren’t too kind to you, Trudy,” she whispers quietly to the nearby. Her usually twinkling eyes begin to get their usual sheen as her lips twist into a bit of a smirk. “Is it true that your sister’s put a love potion on the Minister’s son?”

Afil Landiths stopped plucking his Double bass and stopped smiling. Afil pulled his wand out, Left handedly put it in front of him, sighing slightly. Afil had no Idea of what was coming, but decided to smile anyway, he was happy to be here anyway, maybe he’d meet new people, or maybe he’d just enjoy playing the double bass. Whatever the reason he decided to come here for, he was here, and even if he could not remember why he did it in the first place, it didn’t matter. He gripped the wand and watched the other students do so themselfs. Afil eyed the other instruments around him, and decided that his one was the best, and smirked at this, for no apperent reason. Keeping the wand in front of himself, he waited for the next instructions.

Wait, no introductory speech? Oh, wow. Not wanting to disobey the orders of the teacher, David takes his wand out of his pocket and puts it down neatly on the table, before him. He then hesitates some more. The wand is obviously there to charm the instrument, right? Yet David‘s own instrument is still in his bag, and the boy does not know if he should put it out. As he debates the question, he takes the wand in his hands and fidgets with it, looking at the other students nervously and trying to listen to their conversations to get a cue on what to do. The few words he hears coming from the direction of that Gryffindor have nothing to do with music, though, and David quirks his eyes. A love potion? To the Minister’s son? Hmm… girls…

“Now, today we cross the boundary between music, and wizo-music. This is mostly charms work, and indeed, it will be a charm we practice today. Since you’ll be casting it on an instrument, and it’s awfully hard to play an instrument and cast charms at the same time, you’ll be working in pairs.” Darius grabs his chalk and strides to the blackboard to write up the words MOUSIKI ALLASSO on the board, as well as the pronunciation below, “MOO-see-kee al-AH-so”. As he is done, he swings back to the class, planting both hands down on his conductors lecturn and grins, “This is one of the most simple music altering charms, and it performed like this…” Drawing his wand, he points to a saxophone near him and swings his wand in a sharp horizontal motion, right-to-left, with a slight upward loop. “Mousiki allasso!” Once done, he picks up the saxophone, puts it to his lips and plays… a beautiful, heavenly harp solo.

“Ew. It is entirely possible. There is little I would put past her in her puppy-dog pursuit of that boy.” Gertrude replies, raising an eyebrow at Nellie in a lazily superior gesture, reclining in her chair and stretching out a little, though endeavoring to retain a certain polite, almost formal air to her actions. “In any case, I imagine that you would be well-versed in the effects of a love potion – surely, that would be the only way you could locate for yourself an escort to the Social.” It seems that she doesn’t quite care who she is being nasty to at this point, merely being derisive for the sake of doing so. Her attention flickers from the Gryffindor girl to the Professor quickly, though, and her eyes widen considerably as she follows the effects of the charm, offering a slighlty more sincere, even blissful, smile at the sound of the harp solo. Now that is appropriate music.

David Mildred‘s mouth falls open as he hears the result of the charm. Now that is nifty! David begins to relax as he listens to the music, forgetting his previous apprehension about coming to the class. If he could learn how to do that, then it is indeed worth having come here to that class. Waiting for the solo to finish, David prepares himself to rise his hand up in the air, as he already had a few question to ask about the potential use of the charm.

Pairs, is it? Nellie glances sideways as Gertrude makes this comment. “At least I haven’t got poodle hair. My date will be able to see my face just fine. And, I’ll let you know, that I’ve already been promised by none other than your brother that he’d go with me.” The smirk on the girl’s face widens and she turns her face to Darius to see his adeptness with the charm. It can’t be too hard, right? The girl half-heartedly makes her wand in the motion that Darius has done, though it comes across more as a circle than a sharp motion.

Afil had immedit intrest into the charm that had just been used. He heard the beautiful music and wanted to try it right away…But quickly relised he needed a partner, he looked around the room, searching for someone, He didn’t really know who to look at, due to the fact he only just joined the class. He looked around, not really bothered about the fact that no one seemed to want to work with him. Looking around with a smug look on his face, he stared at Darius trying to figure out more from this charm, and tried to do the sharp motion, which he thought he did quite well, and smiled to himself. Afil was happy to be here, just…Who was he going to work with?

The saxophone is taken away from Darius‘s lips, and the harp sound fades away. As he spots David’s hand go up, he asks, “Yes, David? Everyone, please begin pairing up. One of you should play your instrument, and the other practice your charm on the instrument while it’s playing, that way you’ll be able to observe the effects of your charm immediately. I’m not asking you to take notes, but be observant and don’t just mess around — Learn! If you need any help, your book ‘Music by Magic’ has pointers.” Darius then listens for David’s question while the class starts getting ready.

“We all make mistakes,” Gertrude replies, almost venemously, eying Nellie in annoyance. It is evident from her tone that the one making the mistake is most certainly her brother, in sinking so low as to accompany the Gryffindor girl. She hesitates for a moment, uncertain of what to add; oh, gosh, she needs a date, now, doesn’t she? How would it look if she didn’t have a date, but Nellie did? “Of course, I already have an escort,” she lies after a moment, turning to face the Gryffindor fully. It seems that she is taking for granted that they will be paired up, if only so they can finish their argument. “But I do consider it to be uncouth to banter such information around without the consent of the other party.”

Putting his hand down as Professor Dwight acknowledges his question, David begins clears his throat. “I… uh… well, you basically charmed your instrument using the incantation Mousiki Alasso but I wondered if it was possible to choose the sound that the instrument will produce, or if it only comes as a… well, as a complete surprise.” David says, grinning at the end of the question. “And I haven’t anybody to practice with… looks like we are in an odd number.” he adds, sheepishly.

“Ah, yes! Class!” Darius stops the class, “David has a good point here, and one I forgot to mention. Focus on the type of instrument you want to produce — Mousiki allasso can produce almost any instrumental sound, but it’s easiest to choose similar types. Easier to make a guitar sound like a violin than the drums sound like flutes. There’s no major change in the incantation or wand motion, simply in intent!” Turning back to David, he grins, “Indeed, we are. I shall play, and let you practice.” He picks up a guitar and sits down, ready to play. “Ready when you are, David.”

“Oh, right, that’s such a lie, Gertie Baxtor,” the girl scoffs and grins. “The only reason you would want to withhold that information is if you’re ashamed to have asked the person, or else if you don’t have one. It’s alright, I don’t expect everyone will have gotten asked already. I’m sure you can find someone. Perhaps that nice third year, the boy I went with last year! Although, I believe he’s dead gone on Felicity Wexler.” Nellie Caldwell pauses a moment and then turns to Gertrude with the sweetest expression she can manage. “You’ll be my partner, of course.” This is not stated as a question.

Oh, darn it, now Gertrude has to think of someone she could have possibly asked that possibly doesn’t have a date yet. “Oh, hardly.” She scoffs in turn, inspecting her fingernails as she tries to think of someone. Oh, but the only boys who would be without dates so far are so uncouth… “Matthew Cowper, if you simply must know.” She looks as though she regrets having chosen that name already, looking almost ill for a moment. Why did she have to choose his name? He has got to be one of the worst! Still, she forces a smile, almost sickly sweet and entirely insincere, and sighs that little bit too dramatically. “I almost regret having asked him, for he can be terribly, uh, exhuberant at times, but he is very good-looking and he does come from a very good family.” Does he? Well, she wouldn’t know. He’s related to a Professor or something, right? Oh, right, magic. She waves her wand vaguely, though without any obvious intent to do anything.

Nodding slightly, David rummages through his bag and takes out a penny whistle. This is the instrument he plays, perhaps not like a virtuoso, but reasonably well enough so that Professor Dwight didn’t refuse him coming to the class a year later after the other students. Trying to find some comfort in that idea, he walks forward towards the teacher, his whistle and wand in hand. “I suppose I have to warm it up a bit…” before he says, putting the head of the whistle under his armpit for it to come up to a better temperature. “I might as well start with the charm, right? How can I actually choose the sound of the instrument?” he says, as he picks up his wand and prepares himself to say the incantation out loud.

“No, no.” Darius waves his hand. “Keep your whistle in your pocket, David. Focus on your wandwork today. If you want to practice your musicianship, that is good, but come see me privately for that. This year, our focus is wandwork. Now, go on and try to affect my guitar. Surprise me with what I start playing.” He begins playing a somewhat latino style of guitar playing, although it’s really more American jazz with a slight hint of influence than true flamenco guitar.

“Handsome? Well, I suppose we’re all allowed different taste,” the girl tells her comrade. “You go first with the violin. I’m not up to the trumpet just yet.” Holding her wand out, Nellie appears ready — at least in appearance — to perform the charm at any moment. “So, are you really going with him, then? I’m sure even you could have done better.” This is said in the most chirpy voice the girl can manage, though the smirk on her face is perhaps a bit telling of her true meaning.

“Okay…” David says, putting the whistle back in a pocket of his school robe. He then raises his wand, trying to mimic the movement of Professor Dwight’s wand, a few minutes before, and he mutters the incantation. “Mousiki Alasso!” The result of the charm follows immediately, but it is not really what David would have liked to hear. Suddenly, Darius’ guitar makes strange noises, as if it were completely out of tune. “Er…” says David. “Finite Incantatum!” Fortunately, this one works. “Sorry about that…” he says. “Can I try again?”

Why, of all names to have possibly occurred to her, did Gertrude have to say ‘Matthew Cowper’? There are dozens of better boys in the school. Almost every boy in the school, in fact. Cheeks flushed slightly pink, she picks up the violin and positions it under her chin, though she does not begin playing yet. “In any case,” she hastily changes the subject, clearing her throat quietly and politely, “Have you heard anything of who anyone else is going with, on that note?” If nothing else, there is no way that Gertrude is going to allow the subject of the Social to be left at her fictional date with Matthew.

Darius Dwight trips his fingers a little bit as the guitar goes massively out of tune, but grins and continues playing as the charm is negated expertly, “Of course, David. I’m not expecting anyone to get this charm right today. Practice makes perfect.”

“Mousiki Alasso,” Nellie Caldwell states rather apathetically and shrugs. “Well, I assume your sister will monopolize the Minister’s son again, as usual. Poor boy. I do wonder at Nellie Caldwell, though. She asked Albert Bryce, you know, that Hufflepuff boy? She asked him to last year’s social, but she went with some sixth year to the ball. I don’t know who could stand her. I can’t, myself.” As if Nellie has had much interaction with the girl. “Who has your sister asked? I’m sure your brother could fix her up with one of his chums if she asked him nicely. He seems like an amiable fellow.”

“Alright.” says David, nodding at Professor Dwight. He raises his wand once again, and as he is about to cast the charm a second time, he turns his head to observe the other students, hearing some rather obvious chatter coming from that bunch of Gryffindor girls. Shaking his head, he says the incantation a second time, this time a bit louder. He then bends forward to listen to any potential change to the guitar’s sound. At least, this time, it doesn’t seem to be too out of tune, but it does still sound more or less as a guitar. “Hmm… it didn’t have any effect this time, did it? It still sounds like a guitar to me, what do you think?”

Raising his finger to pause David, Darius turns and announces, “Nellie Caldwell, minus one point to Gryffindor for gossiping! Gertrude Baxtor! Minus one point to Slytherin for gossiping! Focus on the lesson, both of you. I expect you to have perfected this charm by next week.” He turns back to David and smiles, “It’s going to take practice, but yes. It’s still sounding like a guitar. What are you trying to change it to?”

“I heard that,” Gertrude agrees quietly, playing a single note on her violin, which still sounds like a violin, if a slightly inexpertly played one, before she lowers the bow again, to turn and gape at Darius in horror. “I was not gossiping!” She protests, though only quietly – she doesn’t really want to make it worse for herself, after all. Then, turning back to Nellie, she lowers her voice still further to whisper, “On the subject of Hufflepuff boys, DeWitt and Pantall broke up, didn’t they?” She plays a few more notes on the violin, correctly played if not very elaborate, and adds, “Still a violin, dear.”

Observing Professor Dwight as he admonishes the two girls, and can’t suppress a little smirk on his lips, for the teensiest moment. He tries to concentrate again on the task at hand as the chatter dies out instantly. “Well… I tried to come up with something guitar-like…” David says to Professor Dwight, “since you mentioned it was easier to start with something not too different than the original instrument. Perhaps… yes, a banjo. I heard it once on the radio, at home… it was fun.” David says, chuckling. “I suppose I need to remember how it sounds for the charm to perform well, right?” He frowns a little. “That was a long time ago, I’m not sure I’ll have the sound right.” he says, as he readies himself to cast the charm a third time. “Could you invent new sounds with this spell?” he asks, with sudden curiosity.

“Yes,” Darius nods, “But there’s a better charm for that, called Mousiki betamorpho. We’ll be studying that in a few weeks, and you’ll be amazed at how versatile it is. But you can use allasso to create sounds that aren’t instruments, for example, you could make a violin sound like a tree creaking. It’s often used in stage shows, and the like, to produce sound effects.” Standing up, Darius asks, “So how are we all doing? Has anyone gotten the charm to work yet?” He looks out over the class.

“It isn’t gossip,” Nellie retorts crossly as she glances up momentarily to Darius and huffs a little bit. “Alright, I’ll go again.” A deep breath, and, “Mousiki Alasso,” She says firmly and points her wand sharply at the violin. “Make different music, you stupid violin.” She sighs. “I think she’s two-timing him. I haven’t heard anything about any breakup anyway.” This, however, is said much more quietly and covertly than her previous statements. “Well, try it out. It better work this time.”

“It would not surprise me at all,” Gertrude replies, a little smugly, playing a few more notes on her violin. Perhaps they sound a little off now, though this might be because of a poorly done spell, or simply because the girl isn’t very good at the violin. “And you are right, knowing her it would have been particularly loud and public, but she’s been clinging awfully close to Linwood ever since the train trip. You know what they say was going on there.” Another few notes, and the girl shakes her head, hair flying about her face. “Still nothing, dear.”

“It’s not working for me. My wand must be acting up today.” She shrugs at this. “It would be so interesting if she is double-timing him,” the girl states with a grin. “Such drama. I hear the older boy has it out for Linwood.” The girl looks slyly up at the front of the room, however, and holds her wand up. “Should we switch and see if her wand is working better, Professor?” Yes, Nellie. Make sure he knows that you’re at least trying to make it look like you’re trying.

“Oh… awesome.” David says, nodding enthusiastically at Darius. “I can’t wait for that. Anyway. I need to have that charm work at least once.” David says. The boy takes a deep breath, tries to imagine the way he would like the guitar to sound like, and casts the spell. “Mousiki Alasso!” he says. This time, it seems to have worked. The guitar was sounding differently this time, not quite banjo-like, but it was not a unpleasant sound either. And not out of tune this time. “Hmm… what do you think of this?” David asks, with a smile and an expectant look in his eyes.

“Excellent!” Darius grins to David, and announces to the class, “Listen, class!” Playing the guitar like a banjo, he plays a merry Dixieland jazz riff on his guitar, the sound similar but definitely not a guitar. “Five points to Ravenclaw for David’s excellent attempt at the charm.” Putting down the guitar, he walks into the class and says, “David, keep practicing the charm, now on your own whistle. Play it after each cast, and see if there’s any difference. I’m going to supervise the class for a while.” Stepping up to Nellie, he nods, and remarks, “Switching would be a good idea. Let’s see how you do as well.”

Shrugging her shoulders vaguely and lowering her violion, Gertrude seems to be thinking about this for a moment. “Well, could you blame him? Even if it is only Pantall, I would very much not appreciate my sweetheart pursuing someone else while we were still together.” A pause, and she appears to all at once grow tired of this conversation, pursing her lips thoughtfully and peering off towards the ceiling. “What about anyone else, do you know? It has only been a few days, but I imagine there are plenty of others who have secured dates already. What about… oh, who else?” She pauses, thoughtfully, pulling her wand and waving it vaguely, with the presumed intention of casting the charm on the other girl’s instrument eventually.

“All right, all right, let’s finish this up, all eyes to the front.” Darius moves back to the front of the class, sitting one of the chairs and mitigating his height different with the class as a result. (Although not entirely, due to his towering height anyway.) “Now, you all played very well in your group performance examination last year. I trust it wasn’t too nerve wracking for any of you?” He gets a couple of chuckles from that, and grins. “This year, your examinations get slightly tougher, in preparation for your OWLs next year. As before, there will be a theory written exam mid-year. This will be on the History of Wizo-Music, and you’ll be wanting to read ‘Swing That Wand!’ to get the answers you’ll need. I don’t want anyone unprepared for it.” Darius casts a meaningful glance around the room to confirm that everyone’s paying attention. “Now, at the end of the year, you’ll be performing, once again, in the Great Hall before the whole student body. If anyone is nervous about this, well, deal with it. This is a performance art, after all. You will this year need to do a group performance, and either a small group or individual performance as well. If you choose an individual performance, though, keep in mind we mean individual. You will need to play all instruments, sing if you choose to sing as well… it’s you alone on stage. But it’s not a bad idea, since this is how the OWLs are marked, so you’ll need to do this sooner or later.” He stresses this, since it’s important. “And we will be discussing how to make self-playing instruments later in the year, so it’s not as daunting as it sounds. Any questions?”

Though apparently intimidated by the suggestion, and perhaps inching a little closer to the Gryffindor girl as if to indicate that she doesn’t intend to perform individually for a substantial period of time, at least, Gertrude remains silent and doesn’t raise her hand to ask any questions. After a moment, she leans across and whispers, “I did hear that Morgana DeWitt is taking Seker Rathe, though. How’s that for interesting?” This is all she offers for the moment, though, sitting up a little bit straighter and turning her eyes to the front of the classroom again, offering the Professor a small smile, cheeks tinged faintly pink.

David gulps nervously as he listens to the speech made by Professor Dwight. The public performance will no doubt be something daunting, but it is still a long time away, isn’t it. “I’ll worry about that later”, David decides privately, and he shakes his head as he has nothing else to ask to the teacher. Once again, his attention switches to the two gossiping girls. That Barefoot Social is sure taking a huge proportion most conversations as of lately, especially with girls. David privately wonders if a girl is going to invite him this year, and sighs…

“I heard his sister won’t even speak to her because of it,” the girl responds and shakes her head a bit. “I think I could do an individual performance,” she pipes up quickly and grins at the professor. “Is it truly going to be all the school, though? At a feast or something?” Nellie almost seems to take back her statement as she says this and leans back in her seat, slouching a bit in her seat. It is clear that the Gryffindor is not entirely comfortable with her newfound height as yet.

“No. As with last year, it will be an open invitation, so any students who don’t wish to come will not have to be there. Any further questions? No? Alright. Class dismissed. Next week I expect you to have at least a decent hold of the allasso charm, and will be able to play a melody on the ‘wrong’ instrument. Homework is a foot-long scroll on the possible uses of the allasso charm. Class dismissed.” Darius puts his wand back into his robes, and opens the door of the class, wishing each student goodbye as they leave.

“Don’t be silly. Everyone knows that’s because of Marcus Winsley.” Gertrude whispers in response, though exactly how it relates to the boy she does not explain, rising from her seat and packing up her things slowly, offering another small smile to the Professor before slinging her bag over her shoulder and slipping out of the room without so much as a farewell to her fellow students or to Darius. Perhaps she has gone to try and locate someone in particular (perhaps the elusive Matthew Cowper), or perhaps she just doesn’t feel that a goodbye is necessary. Who knows?

“Well, that’s it then…” David nods at Professor Dwight with a little smile, happy that his class went so well. It was certainly not as terrible as what he feared. Going back to his seat, the boy takes his bag, says a little “Goodbye!” to the teacher, and walks away, not caring to listen to the girls anymore. After all, the Potions class is beginning soon, and there is no need to lose time on the way, is there?

“Ghastly,” the girl responds and shakes her head, though as the professor dismisses the class, she does not miss a beat. Nellie is close on Gertrude’s heels as she, too, darts quickly out of the classroom, her trumpet case in hand, having only briefly made an appearance outside of the brown casing. The tallish girl is out of the classroom without a single word to the teacher, nor another glance.

At the end of a long day, the Wizo-Music classroom has already had two classes in it, and is in a bit of a shambles. A few instruments have fallen from their stands, and as the students file in, Darius is busy picking them up and getting the class tidy. The students, and staff, and indeed everyone, is already feeling a little weary. This doesn’t stop Matughi, the massive talking African warshield, from doing his absolute best to terrorise the students, “WORTHLESS SCAVENGERS!” He screams at each third year as they enter. “YOU WILL ALL BE DESTROYED BY MIGHTY WARRIORS FROM THE SOUTHLANDS! FEAR AND TREMBLE!”

With an array of somewhat frizzy silver blonde ringlets (and curiously black eyebrows) framing an oval face that is just a tint too tan to evoke thoughts of porcelin, Evelynn Lawley is slightly off. She moves with practiced grace and presses her thin, rouge’d lips together in a simpering smile as she passes other people, as if thinking ‘This will make me look kind’. Her robes, rather plain, and shoes, somewhat scuffed, are coupled with a ridiculous amount of metal bangles that could be silver, if only they weren’t obviously charmed to have a glittery sheen. She enters the room with small steps, and then balks at the screaming of the warshield. “Oh!” she says in a falsely high voice, as a boy passes, pressing a hand to her right cheek. “How frightful.”

Nellie Caldwell strides into the classroom, pausing as she enters. She’s never been in a place quite like this. The girl drops her bag next to her and looks around, watching as the other students enter. The third year tries to take in the atmosphere of the room, wondering just how much she is to get out of this course. What had inspired her to take a music class, anyway? Her mum was furious when she found out she’d made this choice, and Nellie is determined to stick to it, regardless.

Gliding into the room with her head held high and her shoulders back, Gertrude walks with the prim decorum and graceful movements, trying her best to imitate those ladies of high breeding and polished style. Running a hair through her chestnut curls, she murmurs something behind Evelynn only to soon find out what is her fellow Slytherin’s distress. Meeting the sound of the bellowing warshield with an audible gasp, she raises a hand to lips and takes a step back. It takes a moment for her to realize that the object isn’t rushing to injure anyone and she gathers herself together with a disparaging sniff. “I can’t believe that something so alarming is allowed to hang where it could bother us.”

Rushing into the classroom, Elizabeth Kerr is at first frightened by the large shield screaming at her, but then decides to yell back at it, “I shall not fear and tremble you, you are just a stupid shield!” She scurries to a chair and drops her things. While trying to tie her messy red curls up with a ribbon, Elizabeth practically falls into the chair.

“Matughi!” Darius finally snaps. “Shut it.” “TRAITOR! YOU TOO–” “Shut it or your splinters will shake on the ground,” Darius smiles at it, and it finally falls silently, glaring at him impudently. With that done, Darius turns to the class and smiles. His name, “Professor Dwight” is written on the chalkboard in orange. “Good afternoon, class. I know it’s been a long day for us all, but welcome to your first class of Wizo-Music. Please ignore Matughi,” he points to the shield, “He is… an old present I was given, that would be rude to dispose of. So we shall have to endure his rudeness.” He smiles broadly. “Now, class. My first instruction is this — Put away your wands. Put away any remembralls, and indeed, anything magic. You may keep, if you wish, spellchecking quills on your desks, but as of now, in this class, you are muggles.” His tone is simultaneously stern and amused.

Evelynn Lawley opens her mouth a little and decides to agree, loudly and melodramatically, “I know, Trudy darling, it’s disgraceful!” She’ll find a seat near Gertrude if at all possible, as long as there is a relatively attractive boy nearby as well. Evelynn flashes very eerily white teeth at Darius as she takes her seat, with a ridiculous “How charming!” As she puts away her things (in a rather disgustingly flowery bag), however, the thirteen (‘fourteen in a week, thank you’) year old girl grimaces.

“Hmm, no wands, this should be interesting… and probably pretty good for me since I normally end up casting spells on myself on accident,” Elizabeth Kerr says to no one in particular as she stuff her wand back into her rather plain khaki colored sack. Suddenly thinking of a question, Elizabeth raises her hand and waves it about eagerly.

Finding a seat before the professor speaks, Gertrude sits as close as possible Eveylnn. Listening intently, she tilts her head just a small amount and smiles in what she thinks must be coy and fetching to her thirteen-year-old self. Tittering at the announcement, she too puts her magical belonging away in a bag that is an exact match of Eveylnn’s. Rearranging her things, she makes sure to have a quill, some ink and parchment out and ready to write notes.

Sitting behind Gertrude, Nellie leans forward a bit, not entirely listening to what Darius is saying, though she doesn’t have any of her things out anyway. “Pst, Hey, Gertrude–” the Gryffindor hisses from behind her. “Is that weird Hufflepuff girl actually your sister?” The thirteen-year-old tries to suppress a grin as she thinks of all the rumors that have gone around. “I mean, she’s so weird…” Nell shakes her head and leans back, quickly yanking a quill and inkwell out of her bag, putting them onto the desk in front of her before leaning forward again to see if Gertrude actually answers.

Darius Dwight coughs to Nellie, but smiles as he does so. “Now, some of you are no doubt wondering — Hang on, didn’t I sign up for Wizo-music? Yes, you did. But muggle music is the foundation of Wizo-Music — Most wizo-music makes use of muggle instruments, it nearly all employs the same notes and timing as muggle music, and indeed, many of the styles of music are the same as well. If you cannot play an instrument yet, you will be learning one this year. If you can, then you’ll be learning a second one. Come next year, we will put that knowledge to use and make accomplished wizo-musicians out of all of you. And yes, Elizabeth?”

“Will we be needing additional instruments? Becuase my father has a collection of African piccolos that we could use. Some of them are hundreds of years old,” Elizabeth Kerr says excitedly. Suddenly, she remembers that her hand is still raised, and abruptly brings it back down to her lap, smiling an awkward smile as she does so.

Evelynn Lawley clasps her hands together and smiles at Darius, looking as if she is barely suppressing a giggle. Briefly, her eyes flicker over to Gertrude, a half sneer quickly covered up by a quick look of sympathy. Either at the mention of her sister or the comment, Evelynn does her best to look supportive of Gertrude’s opinion. Turning halfway in her chair, Evelynn frowns at Nellie for existing. “Shhh!” is hissed. Then back to smiling at Darius in a creepy way, eyebrows raised. She sits up very straight and tries hard to look very interested (and more importantly, more interested than Gertrude) in this concept of learning muggle methods of music first. Elizabeth earns herself a harsh glare.

Clicking her tongue against her teeth, Gertrude murmurs over her shoulder “I have the unfortunate displeasure of being related to her, yes.” Catching Evelynn’s glance, her smile is syrupy as she speaks softly. “Lynnie here is more of a sister than Olivia.” Turning back around, she too clasps her hands together and keeps sitting up straight and attentively, fluttering her lashes at the teacher and smiles showing a hint of white teeth.

“Mmmm, I’m sure,” Nellie Caldwell whispers and leans back, scribbling some things down on her paper, though many of them aren’t exactly relevant to Wizo-Music. “I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear that.” Nellie says nothing more, but does make a note to herself to remember to let Olivia know that later. Though that’d mean she’d have to figure out who Olivia exactly was. Ah, well. She does finally turn her attention to Darius, though, and actually almost pays attention to what he’s saying.

“Bring them in!” Darius beams to Elizabeth, “The more instruments you can play, the better. An accomplished Wizo-Music teacher must be able to play as many instruments as possible. Otherwise, they can’t do this…” Darius raises his wand and suddenly the instruments all bound into life, swiftly playing the famous, frantic bars of the William Tell overture. Thirty seconds later, he drops his wand back into his sleeve and all of them retreat back into their stands. “Now, let’s begin!” he declares, and grabs a pouch of sand from his conductors stand. Dramatically, he snatches a handful of the sand and throws it out into the middle of the class in a long, straight line before calling, “Scutus silentum!” The sand suddenly hangs in midair, a glittering transparent shield bisecting the class. Darius stands, directly in the middle, “This wall is soundproofed. Students will note that there are a variety of instruments on either side of it. Those students who can play an instrument should move to the left hand side of the class,” he raises an arm to indicate, “And tune up. I will listen to you play soon. Those who can’t play any instruments yet should proceed to the right, and feel free to experiment until you find an instrument that suits you. Begin!”

Evelynn Lawley flashes her smile at Gertrude and then stands. Watching briefly to see where everyone else is going, she moves with smooth steps toward the right side. “I have had lessons of course,” she lies through her teeth, “however I’m afraid Hogwarts has taken up all my time and I couldn’t possibly remember how to play.” Glaring down a smaller girl who had been approaching a flute, Evelynn picks up the silvery instrument and with a lot of show proceeds to make no noise at all. “Oh my.” Her voice rasies, “Pro/fessor Dwight, I believe this flute is broken.” Her bottom lip juts out, “Could you be ever so kind as to come and fix it?” It is, of course, in perfect condition, but Evelynn will probably have to be relegated to something indelicate and embarassing. If she can produce noise at all.

Rising from her seat and walking with practiced stride to the right hand side of the room, Gertrude raises a hand to her lips as she tries to keep from giggling as she passes by Darius. Once there, she nods with false solemnity to Evelynn and gives a simpering smile. “I only took dance lessons but I’ve always been partial to the violin. It’s so pretty.” A shallow reason and she picks up one, not knowing how to the proper method for holding the instrument at all. Lifting the bow, she runs it over the strings and pulls it over. She does make noise, a great deal of horrible sound and she pulls it away indignantly. “Well I never! It isn’t supposed to sound like that at all!” “Mine must be broken as well.”

Bravely, Nellie stands and strides over, picking up a trumpet, looking it over rather quickly. She gives it a rather haphazard blow, creating, well, an awful noise, not even fitting to be called a dying duck sound. “Hmm. Is it supposed to sound like that, Professor?” the girl asks, holding out the offending instrument and examining it. “Maybe I should try one of those… flute things. I saw one once.” The girl is not ashamed to admit that she’s no training in this whatsoever.

Darius Dwight smiles to the three girls having difficulty, and steps to his left. He speaks a number of words to the students on the left side of the class, but his spell blocks the words from being heard to the right. The students who can play instruments nod and ask a few questions, which Darius answers dutifully, and then steps back across to the right. “Now, Ms. Lawley, the flute is a wonderful instrument, but a difficult one. Still, I’m certain we can start you off right.” He reaches around her and clasps her tiny hands in his massive paces, tenderly placing her fingers in the right spots, and says, “Now, hold your fingers there, and blow across here, not too forcefully.” Moving on, he smiles to Gertrude and declares, “The violin is not a simple instrument, Gertrude. But it can be a marvelous one. Hold it under your chin like so,” he takes another one from behind his conductors stand, a larger one, and demonstrates, “And practice moving the bow across like this.” A simple, pretty note results. “It will take practice, but if you want to play the violin, we will have you playing well before the year is out. Alternatively, try the guitar.” He points to one of the guitars out, “Which is a simpler string instrument in many ways.” Walking over to Nellie, he smiles and shakes his head, “No, it’s not meant to sound like that, but don’t back away from it. Soon you will make it sound like a victory call. You need to purse your lips…” he takes the trumpet from her and demonstrates, letting out a single trumpet blast, before wiping it with a cloth and handing it back to her. “Did you see how I did that?”

Evelynn Lawley waves the flute at Nellie and says in a strained voice, “Of course you can’t play a flute Nellie Caldwell, it’s only for ladies.” Her teeth grit together at the sound Gertrude makes with the violin, but a saccherine, “Oh, Trudy, isn’t it just our luck to get the broken ones?” A glance to the Gryffindor implies that her attrociousness is skill based. It’s just about now that Darius gets to helping her, and she blushes a little as he arranges her hands, forgetting entirely to smile and bat her eyelashes and in general be rather disturbing. Briefly, it seems as though she might learn something, nodding quietly as he explains. Trying again, she produces a low, hollow noise but not at all the proper sound of a flute. And then a soft ‘gack’, but that’s from her mouth. She pouts toward Gertrude, who got a first name, and flourishes the flute again, desperate to make a pretty noise and (from the way she’s got her shoulders pulled back and head a little titled), look pretty doing it. Neither works.

For many of her classes Gertrude can’t be bothered to really pay attention or care, but there are a few things she’ll put her heart into and for the time, when Darius demonstrates, she bothers. Seething eyes glare upon Evelynn when the Professor helps her by actually rearranging her hands. It is only when he turns to help her own self and addresses her by her first name that she’s all smiles and giggles, listening and watching before trying to correct her own method of supporting the instrument. “No thank you Professor, I’d much prefer to stay with the violin.” Lifting the bow, she tries again only to produce another sound, not half so pretty as Darius’ example.

“Ladies, my foot,” Nellie mutters, glancing to Evelyn with a bit of an eyeroll. “That’s… interesting,” the Gryffindor comments, looking at the trumpet rather leerily. “Maybe I could try that flute,” she considers, not looking back to the two snotty girls behind her. She does lean in towards Darius, though, and puts her hand to her face carefully, whispering as if in confidence, “Just, you know, so I can show them how to do it.” She grins and leans back away from him again, looking over all the various instruments that there are to choose from.

Smiling widely to Nellie, Darius confirms happily, “Go ahead. Try as many as you like. I need to go and observe the students who already have some musical knowledge, see where they’re at.” As he almost crosses the corner, he calls, “Five points to Gryffindor for Nellie’s excellent learning attitude, and knowing what a good worksman never does.”

Evelynn Lawley sucks in her breath and tries really hard to look like she’s not contemplating murder. She grips the flute so hard when she finally lets it go there are imprints on her fingers from the holes. Rather than giving it up to Nellie or anyone else who may want to try the flute(as if her’s were the only one), Evelynn practically slams it back down from where she got it and stalks over to a french horn, nostrils flaring. Holding it by sheer accident the right way, Evelynn puts her prim little lips to the mouthpiece and blows. It makes a very rude-sounding noise, and she lets up a desperate little wail, “This is impossible!” Nevermind she’s tried all of two instruments (and probably left lipstick on both, how kind).

Focused now on her own attempts at making music, Gertrude is happily oblivious to most of the other students. Her third attempt at producing something outside of a heart-wrenching scream from the strings is unmet and her frustration is growing by the second. Pulling the violin away from her chin, she takes a deep breath and tries again, biting her bottom lip very hard throughout the whole process.

“She’s probably broken it now,” Nellie scoffs and picks up one that hasn’t been yet used by her classmates. The small instrument doesn’t make much more than a low hiss and a rather ugly one at that. Shrugging, she puts it down, never really moving far away from the trumpet, which she quickly comes back to. Picking it up and getting a feel for it a bit, she gives it another blow. It doesn’t sound any better, but she seems to feel interested in the instrument nevertheless. “I think I like this one,” she comments to nobody in particular.

Darius Dwight spends more time with the other half of the class, taking them through the steps and offering pointers. A few students cross the floor and pick up new instruments, practicing as well. Finally, Darius returns to the experimenters, helping a few out with their final choices, and then waves his wand at the sand which falls to the ground. Sensing a chance, Matughi, bellows, “FOOLISH CH–” before Darius throws sand at him and he suddenly goes silent. “Much better,” Darius smiles, and says to his whole class. “Before we go, let’s talk a bit about this subject. What makes a piece a Wizo-Music piece, as opposed to a normal musical piece? Let’s say I had two groups, one a muggle band, the other a single wizard, playing a song behind a curtain. The band played with their hands, like you have today. The wizard plays all the instruments himself, using his wand. How would you ever tell them apart?”

Taking the trumpet and leaning against a desk, Nellie glances around at her peers. She slowly raises her hand, looking rather perplexed. She glances around, however, rather hoping that someone else looks more sure than her, since she is more unsure than she is sure of the answer she’s thought of. Perhaps one of the Slytherin girls would have a stroke of brilliance, and she wouldn’t have to worry about answering.

Putting her violin back in place, Gertrude looks around the room to see if anyone else is going to volunteer and raise their hand. Waiting a breath, she lifts her hand into the air just a fraction after Nellie does and then lowers it again when she sees that she’s second. Maybe someone else can answer better and she’s done enough of screwing up with the attempts at making music.

Nobody’s hand goes up. The classroom remains silent, and Darius finally asks? “Nobody? That’s a shame. I’d have loved to know what the answer is.” He grins wide, and there’s a ripple of relief as a few students get it, “I don’t either, children. I’ve spent my whole life around musicians, wizards and muggles alike. And one thing that’s always surprised me is that so many of the Wizo-Musicians treat themselves as higher artists than the muggle ones, but never actually seem to know what Wizo-Music is, other than just muggle music produced by magic.” He flips out a golden pocket watch, and declares, “And now it’s time for you lot to go get some dinner. Think about what I’ve said, and go on. See you next time.” He smiles, and waves them off.

Replacing the trumpet to where it belongs, Nellie skips back to where her things are, carefully replacing them into her bag, and slings it over her back. She doesn’t give either of the Slytherins in front of her a second look as she happily makes her way out of the classroom. “I can’t wait until the next class,” Nellie Caldwell comments to whoever happens to be exiting near her and heads to the Great Hall for supper.

Relieved at not being called on, Gertrude returns to her seat to gather her belongings. Picking up her bag and slinging the wide strap over one shoulder, she smiles to Darius “Thank you for a great class Professor Dwight!” Turning away quickly, she blushes and giggles, taking up with a few other girls as she speaks in low and hurried whispers.

Evelynn Lawley has apparently settled upon the French horn, even though it sounds as if a bag of cats is being stepped on no matter what she does. At least that’s a sound. Pouting, she plays with one of her curls while watching Darius, quite out of her fluttering glances and vaguely predatory smiles. Once they’ve been dismissed, she flounces out of her chair, if at all possible, and goes to retrieve her bag. “Thank you, Professor.” She sulks out of the room, trailing after Gertrude and the others.

Dragging himself into his mother’s class, Gabriel is admittedly a little agitated tonight. Digging his homework out from his bag, the boy hangs onto it as he stands well away from the new teacher, among a group of Gryffindor boys. “Bet your homework is perfect, huh Goden?” one remarks before Gabe punches him lightly on the shoulder. “Shut up,” he says with a grin.

Charlie Linwood hates Astronomy with every fiber of his being today. Or tonight, rather. He hasn’t bothered combing his hair and apparently forgot he was going to be up again because his pajama bottoms poke out from under his (rather crooked) school robes. How unfair is it that he has to get up after only two hours of sleep and walk to the highest place in the school? Charlie has forgotten every last thing he needs for class, and is in fact carting his Care of Magical Creatures text. “Mrrhpble.”

“Well, isn’t it Gabriel? I’m sure your mother would have nothing less.” Nellie grins as she sweeps in past the group of boys in her house. “Good evening, Professor Fallon,” she says congenially as she stops and smiles towards the teacher, placing her bag on the floor next to her. The girl looks as if she hasn’t slept a wink and is, in fact, more energetic than she had been the entire day. “I wonder what we’ll be doing tonight,” the girl wonders aloud, pulling out her text.

Judging from the way the sound of bouncing feet and humming announces itself before Kelly Pantall even enters the room, one may judge that the girl is, in fact, in a remarkably good mood. For a start, although she is all but exploding with excess energy, she is not spiralling through an extended ramble or rant as she usually is, simply humming to herself. The bag slung over her shoulder is left open, revealing some messy homework, some books on the subject of Astronomy, and a book about torturous murder. If indeed her relative quietness is evidence of some sort of change, it does not run as deeply as one might hope. Spying a particular boy, however, her face lights up even more than it presently was as she bounds over to his side. “Charlie!” She exclaims, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she stands by his side. “You told me that friends tell each other things, right, and if I’m going to be your friend, I have to stop hiding things from you, right?”

Vivian Accacia is also a non-fan of Astronomy, because it took up her night times! Where else was she going to find time to gossip about everything that’s been going on? Wishing she could be back in the common room and finding out who’s been asking out who to the social, she at least continues to look perfect, she muses, her pointy hat slung under her arm and her hair braided up perfectly. An early bloomer in her physical development, Viv had been turning heads in her year from the beginning.

Once all the students appear to be present, Avery Fallon clears her throat slightly, nodding to Nellie after having done so, and stepping up in front of them all. “Good evening,” she greets, a rather large paper bag in her hands. “I realize it’s late and a little cool… but I’ve brought you some Bertie Botts jelly beans for your troubles of coming tonight.” The woman smiles as she holds it out in front of her. “They might give you a little jolt to help you stay awake… because I’ve eaten all the good ones out,” she says with a smirk. Though, apart from the Linwood boy, they did seem quite awake for the most part. “I know you’ve all got your homework, labeling the stars in the constellation Orion and Ursa Major finished and ready to hand in,” Avery says, perhaps a little too hopefully. “Gabe will come around and collect your papers.” Signaling with one finger to her son, Avery sets Gabriel reluctantly in motion.

“Grembibble?” Charlie asks Kelly with a bleary blink, and then a sleepy, “Wha’dyo meanKateohLordI’m so…” and here he yawns… and then groans, looking at the sole book in his possession. Well, if he maybe hides a little next to Kelly, Professor Fallon won’t notice he is not handing anything in. Also if he looks at the floor and slouches his shoulders, mentally cursing growth spurts once again.

Jaw dropping, Gabriel‘s eyes widen. He was not her personal slave! With a sigh, the boy starts grabbing the papers (in varying conditions) which are being held out in his direction. “Thanks, yeah, thanks…” he says, working up a pile of parchment before long. Looking back to Nellie, he asks rather pointedly, “Where’s yours?” Waving the pile as if needing to get her attention, he sighs forlornly.

Kelly Pantall rolls her eyes at Charlie, though she beams brightly at the boy and shakes her head quickly. “Grembibble’s not even a real word. Don’t be stupid.” Two sheets of parchment are plucked from her bag and waved at Gabriel vaguely. “Here’s mine…” Glancing at the Hufflepuff boy, she nods decisively, and adds, “oh, and Charlie’s, too. ‘S underneath.” Okay, so it’s actually just entirely blank, but hopefully no one will notice that until the boy has a chance to sort it all out for himself. “And on the subject of homework, you know how you told me I should have told you about who I wanted to ask to the social?”

“It’s right here,” Nellie replies with a smirk and a flip of her hair back over her shoulder. “Here’s mine, Professor Fallon.” Nellie grins at the teacher, then at Gabriel as she gives it to him. Rumor has gotten around about why Gabriel’s mother has a different last name than he does, and though Nellie has wanted to, she resists the urge to ask. “What’s that, Kelly? Another killer thing?” Nellie appears to even be interested, though not quite as fascinated in it.

Vivian Accacia looks at her own homework and winces. God, she’s barely put any effort in on this one, she realises, a second before she smilingly offers it to Gabriel with a flutter of her eyelashes, and then returns her attention to the front of the class. She’s not talking to anybody… for the moment.

With her hands clasped in front of her (as though, almost, a little nervous,) Avery Fallon begins. “Now that you have a little experience with constellations, you’ll be able to appreciate the many legends that go along with them. The legend of Orion is one of my favourites.” Taking a deep breath, Avery looks at her students meaningfully as she starts telling the legend. “Long ago, the Earth Goddess sent the scorpion on its mission– to kill Orion, the handsome hunter. Some of the legends tell of Orion engaging the scorpion in battle but quickly realizing its armour was impervious to attacks. Orion is said to have then jumped into the sea, swimming toward Delos. Apollo, who witnessed Orion’s battle with the scorpion, would not let him escape so easily. He challenged his sister, Artemis, to hit ‘that small speck in the sea’, who he told her was a villain. Artemis hit Orion with her first shot, and upon realizing the true identity of her victim, implored to her father, Zeus, to restore him.” She pauses. “He refused. Artemis put Orion’s image into the sky eternally.” With a wry smile, Avery Fallon nods. “If you’ll notice, Orion’s constellation has long disappeared below the horizon by the time Scorpio rises. Just an interesting tidbit, that.” With another nod, Avery crosses her arms across her chest. “Alright, now who can tell me the name of one of the stars in the constellation Orion? No need to put up your hands. Just shout them out,” she says.

Having what he thinks to be all the papers he’s likely to collect, Gabriel walks up to Avery as she’s just finished asking the question, though he doesn’t offer an answer along with the sheets he hands to her (“Thank you, dear”). Shuddering, Gabriel walks back to Nellie. She can’t call him ‘dear’ in front of everyone! What was she thinking?

Vivian Accacia leans over to a boy sitting next to her and whispers something. The boy, a Hufflepuff, blushes bright red and whispers something back. A second later Vivian is calling out, “Mintaka!”

Charlie Linwood opens his eyes a little wider than half-shut and gives Kelly a look that is supposed to be meaningful but probably looks slow and stupid. Especially because he tries to smile and yawns instead. Keeping his voice down, although he hardly has to try, “Right?” But then the teacher talks and on a day where he’s let a girl lie about his homework being turned in, forgotten his class things, and worn his pajamas, he’ll at least listen to the lesson. “Uhm, there’s the uh.. belt… and… Sai.. Saiph?” He did do his homework, after all.

“Is what another killer thing? My date to the social? No.” To her credit, Kelly‘s voice is pitched somewhat lower than usual, whispering under the voice of the Professor, leaning towards Nellie before standing up straight again and nudging Charlie in the stomach. “You owe me for that.” Never mind that submitting a blank piece of paper in someone else’s name does absolutely nothing except to postpone the inevitable trouble-getting and risks her getting into trouble as well. She considers that she’s just done a good deed for a friend. “Anyway, you’re not letting me finish. You know how you said I should tell you stuff? Well, I was talking to Rafe about stuff, and then he asked me to be his girlfriend.” This is obviously such an important point that it cannot wait until after Astronomy or at least until the Professor’s not talking. It simply has to be shared right now. Risking getting herself and Charlie into even more trouble. Yay, Kelly.

Nellie Caldwell doesn’t have anything to contribute in the names of the stars, though she can recognize the constellations themselves when coaxed a bit. The girl cannot help herself while she listens to Kelly and gasps. “What, really? Rafe? I thought he didn’t even like girls!” Nellie is shocked and turns to Gabriel. “Did you just hear that? Rafe asked Kelly to be his sweetheart!” Nellie shakes her head quickly, and one has to wonder who it is spreading the rumours in Gryffindor house. “I just simply cannot believe it.”

“Excellent, miss Accacia,” Avery beams. “That’s correct too,” she says, looking at Charlie. Glaring a little in Kelly’s direction, Avery‘s only comment to her is, “Could we please further our social lives on our own time, Miss Pantall?” An eyebrow is raised to the girl as Avery continues. “Now, the familiar constellation Ursa Major also has a legend, which I encourage you to read in your textbooks. It’s also ‘suggested’ that you memorize the names of the stars in that constellation as well as the ones in Orion, as there may be a quick test on it next class.” Judging by the obvious look on Avery‘s face, there’s no question as to whether or not there will be. “Orion watches us all, presently,” Avery says, raising her voice somewhat as she turns around, pointing upwards at the bright stars. “You all have your telescopes if you’d like to take a look. Also, the large telescope is available to you, as you know,” she says, indicating the massive instrument.

Donning a very sour expression indeed, Gabriel scoffs at Rafe’s name. “I’m surprised she’d have him. I’m surprised anyone can stand the presence of that slug,” Gabe’s opinions of Rafe have always been clear, no doubt. Halfheartedly, Gabriel extracts his telescope as he glances vaguely to Nelly. “Shall we look at the stars through a chunk of glass so that they appear as larger spots of light?” he asks sarcastically, the mention of Rafe only worsening his mood.

Giving the young Hufflepuff who helped her a smile as thank you (he smiles goofily back) Vivian sets up her telescope. Sigh. How dull. She’d just fake where she was looking, but knowing the professors here, she’d be caught out.

“Of course he likes girls!” Kelly hisses in response, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at Nellie angrily. “What did you think? And not that it’s any of your business, but yes he did ask me to be his sweetheart.” Well, more or less, anyway. The situation was rather more the subject accidentally coming up with lots of umming and ahhing and blushing from both parties. But it counts. “And! He’s not a slug. He’s a brilliant human.” Yes. A brilliant human. And though her cheeks turn pink at this chiding from the Professor and she falls into silence after her obligatory defense, she does not for a moment cease her glaring at Nellie and Gabriel. Grr.

Charlie Linwood smiles briefly at Professor Fallon and then suddenly looks quite cross. He turns toward Nellie and hisses, “Be quiet, Caldwell, it’s none of your buisness.” A bit venonmous, but then a lighter, gradually more alert tone, “I told you, didn’t I?” He did, too. Or something like it. “Thanks for telling me.” Charlie doesn’t say anything for a long moment, looking up and pretending, sans telescope, to watch the sky. Then, apparently not having paid any mind to Avery’s admonishment to Kelly a moment before, “I’m glad for you, too.” Aww, he can be nice. He can also pay attention in class, seriously. Although it’s another long moment before he sort of mumbles indistinctly, “Don’t suppose anyone will let me share their telescope?” Poor Charlie, he’s not used to being grossly unprepared for class.

“Oh, you’re no help,” Nellie sighs and pulls out her telescope, glancing up at the sky. “It is my business, as your friend.” Well, sometimes, that is. Nellie’s a regular social butterfly, and considers everybody her friend, and everybody’s business her own. “Besides, I only asked.” She hmphs and just starts looking through her telescope, peeking out the corners of her eyes at the other people, to see what they’re doing, and what gossip-worthy things are going on.

Going around among the clumps of students, Avery herself feels slightly redundant, as anyone needing help to locate Orion, for heaven’s sake, clearly has much larger problems afoot. “Right then,” she calls. “Of course you are all welcome to stay and stargaze,” Avery says, a happy look on her face, “but class is now dismissed. Remember about the test,” she winks patronizingly, but catching herself in the middle of the action, shrugs afterwards. She’d been working with toddlers for too long… teaching teenagers would take some adjustment. “I’ll see you all next Wednesday.” With a nod, the professor turns to walk back down to her classroom.

It doesn’t take any more than that. Vivian hops up and gets out of there. Phew. Another stupid class done with…

Kelly Pantall is fuming, quite visibly overflowing with anger, and her hands shake as she tries to set up her telescope and peer through it at the sky. “I don’t see how it is even remotely your business – here, Charlie, use mine – if Rafe asked me to be his sweetheart or what I said in response.” Not that it’s particularly secret, from the way she has been acting, what she must have said. No one else would be defending him so fervently. “And it’s not that hard to believe anyway, is it?”

Charlie Linwood raises an eyebrow and, not counting tonight, has probably said all of ten words to Nellie ever (thus any calling of ‘friend’ is ridiculous. “Good night, Professor!” Charlie can’t help it; Sucking up is good for you when you don’t have or do anything. He takes the telescope and gives a perhaps two second glance about, and then holds it back to Kelly, “Seems we’re done with class.” He sounds rather lame, like he isn’t sure what to do if she’s angry at someone other than himself. Charlie settles for giving Nellie a really stern look.

Turning quickly on her heel and striding over to her bag, packing things away. “Fine. Be that way. So much for being your friend.” The girl tosses her hair over her shoulder again and pulls her bag up. Nellie is skipping down the stairs, humming cheerfully to herself as she quickly leaves the nighttime class, headed back to her warm bed, in the commons that she will, of course, have to share with Kelly. This does not figure into her mood, though, and she’s quickly gone.

“Yeah, we are done with class. Or at least, Gabriel is.” Look, a pun. Very nearly exploding with rage, Kelly shoves her telescope back into her bag and glares at the departing figure of the Gryffindor girl. “I – I – if he says another word to me about Rafe, I really will just slap him in the face. I really will – where does he get off saying stuff like that? And since when is it any of her business?” After a moment, she bites down on her lower lip and offers Charlie a grateful smile. “I’m sorry. Thank you.” Her arms are thrown around him for the second time in one quick, tight hug before she releases the poor lad and makes her way out of the room.

Charlie Linwood is really going to have to talk to her about this hugging business. Maybe just looking plainly uncomfortable will do. He tries it out, and adds, “Kate, I’m in my pajamas.” as though it would mean anything or make a difference. Rolling his shoulders back, he tries out some topic changing magic. “Thank you. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, bringing the wrong stuff…” He gives the stairs a very thoughtful look, now. “I really am glad you talked with DeWitt.” Partially because he believes it was His Idea.

Kelly Pantall stops at the top of the stairway, then turns to look at Charlie with a nod. “Ah, yes. Well, just don’t do something like that again, okay? Don’t bring the wrong stuff to class. I’m not in all your classes so I can’t always cover for you.” Plus, she won’t always be in the type of mood where she can bear covering for him. “If you don’t want me to hug you, I’ll stop. And yeah, I’m sort of glad I did, too. I’m just glad I don’t have to break Morgana’s fingers.” Considering this to be an excellent way of ending a conversation, she makes her departure.