Lesson 3 (Third Years)

A tiny fist struck out at her, and Nyx laughed and danced out of its reach. "Ferdinand, behave." She told the small plant faux sternly. What she had today would hopefully interest her third year class. It hadn't been easy to get her hands on a young whomping willow, but here the plant stood in a earthenware pot, small and surly.

The plant was only as tall as her forearm, barely a year old. Nyx had seen the old one out in the lawns, and had become enamored. It was the oldest she had seen thus far. People tended to think that, after about ten years, a Whomping Willow was too much of a pest, and cut them down. The one here was at least fifty, if not older!

Nyx smiled fondly, and hoped the young teenagers would be interested in helping her raise young Ferdinand. Turning away from the springling, she smiled hopefully at the door.

Ondrea felt a wave of anxiety as she noticed that she was the first student to arrive at the greenhouses. Granted, she probably would have felt a similar wave of anxiety had she been the second or third or last. She jumped as the door banged a bit as it closed behind her.

"P-professor," she greeted quietly. She found a seat and focused her gaze downwards. Oh, she hoped this wasn't a big class...

Nyx smiled hapily at the shy girl. "Hello! I don't remember you from my last class. What's your name young lady?" She asked. A sugar quill floated from the bowl to land gently in front of the girl. "A treat for being on time, and the first person here." She explained.

"O-Ondrea Montg-gomery, ma'am," Ondrea stammered. "I... wasn't h-here last lesson. Just tr-transferred from B-Beauxbatons." She bit her lip nervously, giving a jerky nod and a hesitant smile as the sugar quill landed on her desk.

"Th-thank you." Tentatively, as though fearful the candy would attack her, she wrapped it up and placed it in her bag for later.

Nyx kept her voice low and soothing. "Ondrea, what a lovely name. It fits you. Beauxbatons, you say? My old alma matter! So how are you liking old Hogwarts, Ondrea?"

Cole walked into the green house. "Hello professor" he said. He was pleased to find that he was not the first to arrive and promptly took a seat behind the Ravenclaw girl. He didn't recognize her though.

"Hi I'm Cole nice to meet you. I'm a Gryffindor" he said as he sat down.

Ondrea felt her face flush, and she was grateful for her dark complexion. "Th-thanks," she told the professor. "I-it's my m-mum's alma m-mater, too." And Ondrea would have been perfectly - well, much more - content remaining there.

"H-Hogwarts is..." the girl considered her response for a moment, "di-different." She gave a nervous laugh.

Ondrea tensed automatically as somebody else entered. "O-Ondrea," she returned. "Ravenc-claw." The girl gave a tight smile, but didn't quite meet the boy's gaze. "N-n-nice to m-meet you."

She turned back towards the front, again. She was going to turn into a gibbering mess by the end of this day. Too many people. Too, too many people...

Lola ran to the Herbology lesson, luckily, she did not fall on her way this time, so she would probably not be as messed up when she entered the green houses as she was last time. But being Lola Peppermint she tripped over the threshold once again and almost landed flat on her face, but this time she could save herself and put her hands out so it looked like she was doing push-ups.

She stood up and was happy that she had made it in time, so she just brushed some dust of her robes and sat down.

"Professor, boy, girl." She said and gave each of them a little nod.

"So what brought you to Hogwarts, dear. A fine school it is, I admit, but certainly... different, from Beauxbatons." She said, smiling as she used the delicate term the girl herself had used.

Nyx smiled happily at the boy. "Welcome back, Cole. We're just waiting for a few more students before we begin." She told him.

She almost made her way worriedly to the girl who practically fell into her room, but barely managed to stop herself. The child already had one mother, and didn't need another to come mother hen her. "Hello, young lady! Last I recall seeing you, you were covered in blood and muck. I'm so glad to see you in better condition this time." She said.

Ethan arrived humming to himself. Oh Cepheus I so want you by my side right now he thought.

He saw there were a few students and said an overall "Hiya" to everyone before taking a seat.

"My m-mum and dad th-thought m-maybe transf-fering would be g-g-good for me," Ondrea grimaced. "They th-think I-I've been a-acting strange."

Which maybe she had, but it had nothing to do with Beauxbatons or attending school there. Ondrea was feeling every bit as conflicted - moreso! - here at Hogwarts. Worst of all, the girl had no idea how to become less conflicted. Ironically, the kind professor was succeeding only in adding to it.

Ondrea stared intently at her desk. Why couldn't the professor have been male? or perhaps, some plump grandmotherly figure? Why did she have to be so -

The girl shook her head in an attempt to dispel all such thoughts. This class would start, soon, surely. Then, it would end, as would this day. It was no worse than her first day at Beauxbatons... Except that it was much worse than first-year had ever been.

Lola blushed when the professor spoke to her.

"Yeah, I'm very clumsy, like very very clumsy." She said to the professor.

Nyx smiled at the happily humming young man. Someone was in a good mood. "Hello Ethan. Welcome back."

"Oh, really. Well I hope whatever it is clears soon, Ondrea. And welcome to Hogwarts." She told the girl kindly.

Nyx gave a sympathetic wince to Lola's confession. "I bet that's no fun at all. I hope it's just a phase. Has it been all your life, or just a recent thing?"

Realizing that the trickle had ceased, Nyx sighed. "Well, it doesn't seem that anyone else is in a rush to join us. I was lead to believe that classes here were bigger. Oh well. What do you guys say we get started, huh?"

Ondrea felt her face flush and was, as ever, grateful for her dark skin. She certainly hoped it would pass, too - she didn't like feeling so confused and... and abnormal.

She simply nodded when the professor asked if they were ready to start.

Seeing general (sorta) consensus, Nyx clapped her hands. She stepped out from in front of the small plant. "Alrighty then. Everyone, I would like you to meet Ferdinand! Now can anyone tell me what kind of plant he is?" She asked, dodging a tiny fist with expertise.

Raising her head to peer at the plant in question, Ondrea recognized it, at once. When no one else moved to answer, she ventured to do so herself.

"It's a wh-whomping willow, ma'am," she answered.

Nyx grinned. "Very good, Ondrea! You are exactly right! Ferdinand is indeed a young whomping willow! Take ten points for Ravenclaw and a sugar quill!" She said.

"Now who here is up to helping me raise Ferdinand, huh?" She looked over the faces that peered at her.

(OOC: Come on, people, Ondrea and I can't do this by ourselves! We need some class participation! Right, Ondrea?)

"I am sure it is not a phase, professor" Lola said and almost smiled, "I have been like this since I started walking, my mother tells me that I'm just like my father was." She said, she had never gotten to know her father, because he died while her mum was still pregnant.

When the professor asked who would like to help her raise the whomping willow Lola's hand shot into the air almost immediately.

"I want to Professor!" she all but screamed out, she liked herbology, and she was told by her previous teacher that she was rather good at it, and helping the professor raise Ferdinand seemed like a perfect chance to show of her skills, and try something new.

(OOC: I was waiting for at least more than one person to respond... :\...)

Nyx smiled at the enthusiastic girl. "That's great, Lola, anyone else?" She offered.