Gryffindor		Hufflepuff		Ravenclaw		Slytherin
Sophie Flickwick Regina Grayson Raine Almasy Murphy Urquhart		Figaro Sellaphix Razzy Chancelier Mystique Ketteridge		Beatrix Dark Percival Dervish Charles Luteta Lucas Norwood Sasha Schlagenweit Peyton Wentworth		Callum Knight Erin Harper Kitty Li Evie Pascal Vincent Pennyapple Demitria Strelnikov Xavier Tawse Georgiana Trishna§ Neely Woolfolk Ferguson Amherst

It had been two days since Didymus first came to Hogwarts. It had been two days since he had first taught the 5th years, and the more memorable 1st years, and now he found himself preparing for another lesson. This lesson was not Transfiguration in it's true form, infact some of the spells he would be showing the students were straight out charms, but they did fall under a branch of Transfiguration- that of Conjuration. Conjuration was his speciality within his speciality. The things he conjured out of thin air lasted much longer than those of most Wizards and he was particularly  proud of his abilities in that branch of magic.

This lesson would be rather dangerous. The class room had been cleared of desks, including his own, all books and anything else flammable because today's lesson was all about fire. So the Professor was standing in the centre of a virtually empty class room with a black board behind him. In neat enough hand writing the Professor had wrote:

Conjuration - A branch of Transfiguration. It differs from the other branches of Transfiguration as it concerns the summoning of objects, elements and creatures out of thin air. Generally Conjured items do not last exceedingly long. Due to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration certain things can't be conjured.

As he saw the students file in he welcomed them with a wave. "Good morning students. Please come in. I would say take a seat but...welll...as you can see there are none." Today his clothes were as bright as ever. He had chosen to cloak his diminutive stance in a shade of yellow that was virtually harmful to the eyes. Few people liked his sense of fashion; but he didn't care. Today he had chosen not to wear a typically pointed wizard hat. Instead his newly bought Fez adorned his head. He had acquired the hat while buying a new wand in diagon alley.

"Some of you will have read the board and will realise that today, our lesson will be on conjuration. This is can be a difficult part of transfiguration but it is vital that you are able to use it both for your O.W.L and N.E.W.T exams but also for daily life in the Wizarding World. I would also like to use this lesson to show that magic over laps. As today we shall be using charms to conjure flames out of thin air."

To demonstrate the little wizard pulled out his new wand, 6 and 3/4 long and extremely thin, and spoke "Incendio." The spell created a spark of fire that flew around the class, over the heads of his students and back to him where he extinguished the flame. We shall be using four spells today. All conjure fire, but differnt types of fire that have different uses."

"Before we get on with the lesson; does anyone have any questions."

It really was just Sasha's luck - and the pattern of the year - that new professors would arrive during Sasha's ... break from school.  He didn't know what to expect from this one; the man's last name was enough to spark a flurry of speculations amongst the students, though.  Though, the man's dress was more reminiscent of their former potions master Professor Gunnar than a hardened criminal.  Time would tell who the man's personality was more reminiscent of. 

Like most of the others in his class, Sasha entered the classroom empty handed and found a spot to stand towards the back.  It was a bit unfair, having notes written on the board but no flammable parchment on which to transcribe the notes.  He stared, quietly, at the board for several minutes as he committed the information to memory before turning his attention to the task of the day: conjuring fire. 

Conjuring fire?  Sasha's eyes widened and he glanced around the room at his fellow fifth years.  Was that really the best idea?  Hadn't he heard the rumors about them?  That one of their own had been expelled for destroying the old hospital wing with fiendfyre? 

The professor asked if they had any questions and Sasha couldn't resist.  His gaze traveled over the Slytherins to Figaro and back to the professor just before he lifted his hand into the air and, when acknowledged, tried to ask in as even toned a voice as possible.  "We're all going to be practicing conjuring fire?  In here?  Together?" 

Sophie, still on a sugar and treasuring hunting high from the night before was more animated than usual as she literally skipped into class. When one was a normal ball of energy it was, perhaps, not the wisest idea to have left over cake at every meal opportunity. There was so much sugar coursing through her little body she could hardly focus... also she was starting to have a bit of a stomach ache - but the Queen of Cake would not be denied. It seemed that hilarious fashion disasters would not be denied either (at least that was what she was sure Neely and Fergie would think when they got an eyeful of Professor Tawse's robes). The Fez, Sophie had to admit, was a nice touch. Eccentric Professors were the most interesting and therefore their classes usually the most enjoyable.

Only today they were literally playing with fire. Narrowing her eyes at the board she found herself fidgeting (more so than usual) with the ring on her middle finger. Sophie was the first to admit she fared well enough in Charms but was dreadful at DADA. Anything that required fast logical thinking rather than the simple argument it's magic, Sophie struggled with. With all of this in mind she acutely understood the slight underlying note of panic in Sasha's voice over the idea of all of them in one room trying to create fire out of thin air. Still, when her mind jumped to other possible locations she felt an even deeper sense of panic, muttering under her breath, "Better all in than letting Fig start a wildfire in the Forbidden Forrest that never ends".

Raine Almasy arrived at her first class of the morning, out of breath but punctual. Not a good start- the alarm clock hadn't gone off, pushing her jog into the breakfast period. She couldn't find the shoes that typically matched with her blouse and had to settle for her favourite pair, a decision that would have incited a discerning glare from Governess McGregor (bless her fussy Scottish soul). Then, of course, she had to rush to Transfiguration. A group of third years on the third floor had only barely been spared the pleasure of crashing into the full force of an Almasy sprint.

She waited outside long enough to catch her breath before going to join the other fifth years in the classroom. There was an apparent lack of accommodating furniture, as well as a very interesting message on the blackboard. It incited a grimace: they were going to be playing with fire. There were people here you shouldn't trust with a box of matches, much less this but perhaps one should simply accept that today was not going to be run-of-the-mill. Not that lessons ever were.  A murmur ran through the group as Professor Tawse elaborated and Raine (ignoring the distracting fez) watched his following demonstration intently. Nevermind burns or scorches, this made her fingers itch. She wanted to try it out.

One of the Ravenclaws had a question, which turned out to be more of a concern, and Raine smirked as she imagined someone being set aflame by accident. Probably a Hufflepuff, she thought, and immediately regretted the thought. It wouldn't do to keep thinking such remarks.

Having confirmed himself that Professor Tawse would not murder them all in their beds, Figaro was pleased to see him again.  He was a wierd little man with a toothpick for a wand but at least they got to play with fire today!  It was nice to have sometime tactile and wicked awesome to do when there was so much grim discussion about revision for OWLs. 

Figaro settled not far from Sasha, his best mate now that he was back.  He'd greeted Sophie one the way in with a dead awkward stare.  That's how things had been since they'd broken up, Figaro making no show at all that he was 'cool' and 'normal'.  He'd even been on a 'date' with Reggie over spring holiday, but it hadn't turned into anything.  Reggie was, apparently, 'cool' and 'normal', turned out.

Even at the nervous looks around him and chuckles from a comment from Sophie he didn't hear, Figaro clapped his hands and rubbed them together.  "This is gonna be mental," he said approvingly. 

He knelt down to his back and pulled out the dragonhide gloves they used in Herbology and Creatures sometimes - all's fair, yes? Can't hurt to be safe when one was about to be stupid, right?

"Let's do this.  Partner?" he stuck a gloved hand in the air, and looked around at his fellows.

Erin had not expected much out of today's lesson, nor out of the now-canary-colored four foot professor. Cheery little men like that hardly went around forcing other people to flamebroil themselves, so admittedly when he mosied on in, read the directions on the board, and saw the spurt of fire Tawse used as demonstration, Erin's eyebrows rose. There was a moment of considering silence, and then -

"We're all going to be practicing conjuring fire?  In here?  Together?"

Erin let out an aptly-timed snicker, the sound carrying throughout the group of students and over each's expression of skepticism or eagerness or dismay. He himself fell into the middle category - Erin liked fire, very much - but the track record of his fellow fifth-years was hardly reassuring. Judging from the looks being exchanged by some of the students, the only one who didn't know this was the professor.

Well, he'd learn soon enough. Stay away from Sellaphix and Erin was quite certain he could get through this lesson without developing a case of the mysterious third-degree burns. Sophie was looking a bit worrying, too, bouncing up and down like that; best stick to Razzy, and maybe Schlagenweit, who at least had already displayed the proper amount of cynicismcaution.

Didymus enjoyed seeing the students enter. Some seemed happier than others and one, a Gryffindor girl, was basically hoping along. He hoped that was due to her anxiousness to learn; but he knew that most students preferred other lessons to Transfiguration. He was sure part of that stemmed from the very nature of his branch of magic. Unlike, for example, Charms there was very little leeway in Transfiguration. It was not an art - it was a science.

Didymus was happy to sea a student asking a question straight away. He recongised the boy as there had been a lot of stories floating around about him. However Didymus would make his mind up on the boy from what he saw of him personally; not what others thought of him. "Yes, you are. Fire is, perhaps, the element that we Wizards," he stopped in mid sentence and lowered his head towards the female students, "and Witches most rely on in out day to day existence. We use to to cook food, to keep warm and most importantly to brew tea. However you do raise a valid point. Fire is also the most dangerous element." His chirpy and upbeat voice changed suddenly his voice went deeper and it was obvious he was very serious as he turned to a very important matter. "Due to this any one messing about will lose serious House Points and will be asked to leave the room. Luckily I am particularly skilled with element of water and I am confident I will be able to extinguish any wayward flames. And there is always the Fire-Freezing Charm. "

His voice turned back to it's usual chirpy tone as quickly as it had changed. "Lets see, we'll have the girls on the right and the boys on the left." The Professor felt that a little competition often helped inspire students to go the extra mile. And there were few rivalries like the battle of the sexes. "Now one girl and one boy shall step forward while the rest of you stand at the back of the room. The First spell you shall attempt is the most common spell used to conjure fire. The incantation is Incendio." The Professor paused and spoke the incantation again, this time clearly. "in-SEN-dee-oh"

"Now, will the first boy and girl please step fowards and give the spell a go." As he finished the sentence his face beamed and he he brought his hands together and clapped. "Ooooh. To make sure everyone gets ago you may try the spell five times before letting another take your place." The Professor, anticipating some mishap, drew his wand before walking to the right hand side of the room so the students wouldn't set him alight while they attempted their spells.

OOC: To 5th years who haven't posted, feel free to jump in at any time.

The professor's reassurances did little to calm the nerves of some. But he was chipper and Raine assumed that such a temperament was the wizard's special form of confidence in his own ability to prevent the fifth years from scarring each other for life. As the students separated into their gender groups, wands were equipped and the Gryffindor held hers restlessly in her left hand. This was what she imagined elementary school must be like for muggles at the private schools outside of Oxford. "Boys on the left, girls on the right, eyes straight ahead and feet together," Raine murmured in a sardonic tone and stared, with interest, across the classroom at the other half of her year.

Professor Tawse carefully repeated the required incantation before asking for a volunteer from each side of the room. Finally! Raine looked over her shoulder briefly at the rest of the girls and then stepped forward into the open space between groups, conscious of the click beneath her heels. Raine was running on determination but she felt a little woozy in the stomach, and wished that she had skipped the morning jog to take breakfast instead. Nothing could be done about that now. She breathed in and raised her wand arm, waiting for the boys to send forth a volunteer: "Ready whenever you fellows are."

When it wasn't partnering the Professor asked of them, and rather dividing into teams, Figaro swaggered into line with the rest of the wizards.  Looking up and down the line he saw tall Razzy, and the five Ravenclaw boys - Sasha, Peyton, Charles, Luke, and Percy.  Callum, Xav, Erin - all thugs -, Fergie - dressed impeccably -, Pennyapple.   It looked like a winning team in Figaro's book.  He grinned smugly and pulled a face at Sophie.

But it was Raine who stepped up first.  And not a lad who did very well at waiting, Figaro immediately leapt forward.  "Nice shoes."  In her high heels, Raine was taller than Figaro. 

He lifted his wand up the way they'd been taught and waited for the word from the Professor.

When he nodded for them to proceed, Figaro hesitated a moment, having forgotten to actually bring the spell to mind before casting.  So his spell went off a moment or two after Raine's.  But he cast the spell well enough and fire vomited from his wand into a pile on the floor between them.  The wave of heat washed over Figaro and he stepped back with a, "shit!"

(OOC: You forgot me :3)

For a change, Vulpes was actually paying attention to the teacher as he skipped into class. Mostly because he hadn't been last class, and just now realized how short the new Transfiguration teacher was. It was partially because there were no desks for him to sleep at. So with great difficulty (as he normally was in outer space by now), he listened as Professor Tawse told them they would be conjuring fire today, starting with 'Incendio'.

Upon this, he immediately became rather pensive. Hadn't they learned Incendio before? Or did he know the spell because his Uncles had taught it to him? He could have sworn they learned it in Herbology though, during their first year, or something. Well regardless, Vulpes was ready to step forward when Professor Tawse asked for volunteers...

... Except Figaro stepped up before he did. Okay, so Vulpes would go second.

He watched as Figaro lifted his wand and cast the spell. Or at least, as he attempted to cast the spell, as the fire sort of just poured out of his wand onto the floor. "Shit!" said Figaro, stepping back onto Vulpes who flinched at the thought of being touched.

Vulpes placed his hands on Figaro's shoulders and kept him from stepping further back. "Hey, Sellaphix," he said calmly "Wonderful job and all, but please try not to stand on top of me." Vulpes smiled and leaned around Figaro. Feeling heat wash over him, he reconsidered."Actually, never mind... step back all you want..."

"Nice shoes," Sellaphix said in a manner that made Raine unfortunately conscious of her choice in footwear today. She ignored the comment with typical tact and waited patiently for Professor Tawse to start them off, all the time observing the Hufflepuff's dragonhide gloves with a kind of curiousity. Would they be difficult to cast in? At least she would not have to worry about burning his fingers off.

Tawse allowed them to begin and the incantation flashed quickly through her mind, "Incendio!" Raine announced with vehement enunciation and waved her wand to the far left of her classmate, who had an undecided look about him. She stepped to her right almost immediately, surprised by the sheer volume of flame erupting from the end of her wand, a flag of scarlet heat that extended a little further than expected. The boy's group were required to step back and Raine, cheeks blushing pink from the sudden rise of temperature, ended her charm at once: "Finite," she whispered. The fire flickered and then went out quite suddenly, although the warmth in their classroom room was still building up for some reason. Odd, Raine thought and then saw why when Connor's voice alerted her to Figaro's predicament.

"....nevermind... step back all you want.." The Slytherin was saying and Raine, breathing a little hard, had turned to see an accumulation of flames not far from where she had been standing before casting her own incantation. Jesus, that spell is a menace. She swore under her breath and then, on instinct, flicked her wand in Figaro's general direction: "Aguamenti!" A jet of water sprayed out from her wand, smothering the fire with a loud mix of hisses and smoke.

Raine stared across at Figaro with eyebrows drawn together in a rueful expression, realizing belatedly that she had soaked him silly in her alarm. "Oh... ah, I'm sorry," she apologized awkwardly: "Really. I'll just... leave the extinguishing to the professor." Her wand still felt warm from the first incantation.

Didymus watched as two students stepped forward. He held his breath as they drew their wands. He had heard the old proverb not to play with fire and he wondered if this would all go sour. He saw Figaro Sellaphix's wand erupt with fire. But instead of being thrown out in a majestic stream it kind of fell to the ground. Realising that the fire could easily harm the young Hufflepuff the Professor raised his arm and cast the Flame-Freezing Charm at the fire. If it came into contact with anyone it would feel like a gentle breeze and would cause no harm. As he cast the spell a gentle tickling sensation ran up his spine.

Seconds after he cast the spell Miss Almasy cast one of her own. Although less subtle than the Professors it would of protected her class mate. The fire was extinguished by the jet of water from the Gryffindor's wand. "Are you ok Mr. Sellaphix?" He saw that the young wizard was wet and he let out a small laugh. "I'm very sorry; would you like me to dry you off?" As he offered he raised his wand towards the 5th year. The Professor then turned to the Gryffindor girl. "Well, done Miss. Quick thinking like that can save lives. Five points to Gyrffindor."

"Almasy. You cast the spell very well. Please allow another female student to attempt it. Sellaphix, you may try again."


OOC: I won't post again until all other characters have used the spell; unless an incident occurs that requires the Professor's attention.

It was Transfiguration time.  Mysti always enjoyed Transfiguration, but it was nicer now with Professor Tawse, who she’d known for quite a while through her parents.  He was a good teacher, and had a lot of knowledge in the field.  Mysti was a little surprised that there was no furniture in the classroom when she walked in.  Of course, it made sense when he explained they’d be working on fire.  She laughed unintentionally at that, considering how much damage had been done by her classmates with fire this year.

When the correct pronunciation of the spell was said, she repeated it in her head.  The Hufflepuff wanted to avoid catching anything on fire, though she knew Professor Tawse would be able to correct anything quickly.  Or Raine would be able to, as she watched Figaro nearly set everything on fire, and the Gryffindor girl soaked him and put out the fire.   Raine also was able to do the spell correctly, and so it was another girl’s turn.  Mysti decided to step forward and give it ago.

“Incendio!” She pronounced, but to little avail.  The second time, she produced a small spark at least. A little frustrated, she tried again, with a little bigger spark. Mysti then took a breath and cleared her mind, envisioning the flames.  Concentrating, she said the spell again, this time creating the small flames.  The spiraled down towards the ground and then disappeared.  She smiled and then moved towards the back of the classroom so another could have a go.  The flames may not have been as good as Didymus’ but she was still proud of herself.

Raine seemed to kind of panic and despite casting a pretty awesome fire spell herself, felt inclined to erase Figaro's work about the same time as the Professor froze his flames.  A moment after bumping into Vulpes, they were both soaked by Raine's 'quick thinking'. 

Figaro had been holding his breath at the cold and only exhaled it a moment later when he was offered the chance for a dry off and a second change.

He exhaled with a shudder and shook his head.  "No.  I'm good.  Someone else can go."

And then he turned to stand behind the line of lads as Mysti went up for her turn.  Behind the other boys, Figaro squeegied his face off with his hands and peeled off his robe.  It dropped to the floor with a splat. 

With a blink of surprise, Vulpes parted his wet hair out of his face. "I see why they call you Raine," he said with a smile, still dripping wet. "Should give it another go, Sellaphix. Practice makes perfect, yea?" But Figaro shook his head

"No.  I'm good.  Someone else can go."

Vulpes watched as Figaro headed to the back of the line. With a shrug, he stepped up next to Mysti and watched her cast the spell. It took her a few times, but Vulpes thought she did a rather good job when she conjured them. "Nice job Mysti," he complimented. Now it was his turn. He raised his wand like a fencing foil and pointed it in the direction everyone else had been. "Incendio!" he said confidently.

Nothing happened.

He held his wand up to his face and examined it. That was odd. He usually could at least make something happen the first time. He pointed his wand, and again said the incantation. Still nothing. With a great sigh he tapped his wand against his chin, thinking. He had pronounced it properly, after all, so something should happen. "Oh... maybe..." he said more to himself than anyone else. For a third time he raised his wand. "Incendio!" he spat rather angrily.

It worked this time. A ball of fire rocketed from the tip of his wand and slammed into the wall behind Professor Tawse. Vulpes smiled and canceled his spell. But as he turned around and motioned for someone else to go he frowned, considering what had just happened. It hadn't worked the two times he said it happily, but when he sounded enraged if worked perfectly, if not lacking some finesse. That seemed rather odd...

When he reached the back of the line he gave a wave and a smile to Figaro, who like him was still wet. "Nice job, Figaro," Vulpes said happily, hoping to encourage his classmate. "You did really well!" Though he meant his words, Vulpes noticed they sounded oddly hollow coming from him.