DADA 3.1

[Tamis Raynor]

The floor was not bare, but nor were the desks there. There were no pillows, cushions, or chairs. Not only did it sound like a cheesy take-off from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", be it looked like he had raided the classroom too. As a matter of fact, the only form of decoration resided in the portraits calmly talking to each other on the walls and the giant,fluffy, purple mat that had seemingly replaced the usual marble floors. While it was common knowledge that this was a class of Self-Defense, it seemed Raynor had taken those words a bit literal and turned the room into a gymnasium.

The Professor herself was seated on one of the Windowsills in the room, looking out over the Quidditch Pitch. It was about Mid-day and her stomach was a mass of knots. This first lesson, the first real start of the school year would determine Hogwarts' fate. And there were so many things barred against it. For one, a vampire professor would be teaching Astronomy tonight, and half the students in her classroom had already mentioned that parents were nervous of letting them come back. Not a fan of Vampires herself, it had only been Fiona and the creature's credentials that swayed her. And this time tomorrow, they would find out that the students made of him. Which would dictate what kind of letters were sent back to nail-bitting mothers. On top of that, the letter she had received right before the Start of term was pressing hard against her thoughts.

Horrible time to let one's mind wander, now wasn't it? After all, she had her own class to worry about in a few minutes.

And with that gentle reminder, the Deputy was zapped back to the present. Turning her head away from the window, she glanced at the door to see if any of the third years had arrived yet. It was a very good thing she was apt at hiding emotions. Her current anxiety and rising nausea as the day progressed did not reach her face.

[Lianna Maylorn]

First again...this was something she was really becoming most annoyed and tired of. Though, this was one of perhaps three classes she didn't entirely mind being first into. This class was, dare she say it, fun? Well, fun in it's own oddly interpretal way of course...

Entering the room without hesitation the third year found herself, to be looking at a fairly empty room. Spare herself, the always jabbering portraits, a mat and of course, Professor Raynor, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. This meant a practical lesson, which was a wonderful way to start the year. Now, provided she could get the day's incantation right, the lesson might go...perfectly. Ha. Perfect, there was an illusion.

"Afternoon Professor!" Lianna greeted cheerfully, providing the woman with a warm smile as she claimed her ceremonial spot of wall. The same spot that for now three years running had been located coincidentally right next to the door. As much as she loved the class...she was always afraid something would go...well, wrong...again.

[calister]

Ty entered the classroom a little after Lianna in a better then normal mood. He to noticed the room was empty but the mat laying on the floor. Well that certainly looked inviting, well inviting enough. He made up his mind to sit on the mat rather then the ground. He didn't really need much incentive, after all the mat looked more comfortable then the cold hard wall Lianna was sitting up against. Running over to where the mat was Ty jumped up and flipped over onto the mat landing flat on his back thud, before sitting up smiling.

[kennedy]

A short while after Ty and Lianna had entered, Will came. He was happy to be starting lessons again, so was up earlier than allot of other people. He had packed all of his books into his backpack the night before, so other than having a shower he didn't have much preparation. He walked into the classroom, to find three other people already there. Will said hi to Professor Raynor and sat down on the big mat. He looked at Ty. He had never really been friends with him. Will hadn't ever really had friends here, and didn't communicate much. But this year, Will wanted to change all of that.

[jacquelynchaput]

Jack walked into the class with a beat in her step. For some odd known reason, she was estaticed about being back at Hogwarts and taking the classes oncemore. After three years, she firgured she'd never get tired of classes, not to mention her professor for defence agaist the dark arts was her Head of House, so she always liked having a class with her and getting to know her better in a teacher-student kind of way. Thinking about this, her mind went in the gutter and she almost lost her footing laughing at herself so hard. She smiled brightly at the professor and notice that only two boys and a girl were in the room. You'd think by now she'd know her classmates, but she was always so busy getting to know her housemates where she'd overlooked the fact that she really didn't have that many friends in her classes.

No matter. Jack walked over to the mat and smirked at the boys in her cocky sort of way. Her hair was spiked up in the back for the first day of classes and her bangs came down across her face perfectly. "Hey," she said as she sat down next to the two boys. "We've never properly met, but I'm Jack."

[calister]

Ty looked on as two more of his classmates joined him on the mat. He smiled at the Gryffindor who entered and said hello, then as the Ravenclaw came and introduced herself he said with a smile, "Hey, I'm Ty." It was nice to have someone in the class to talk to before it started, even though for the most part he wasn't that social to people he didn't know. Well unless he was being sarcastic then he was perfectly social to everyone.

[jacquelynchaput]

Jack sighed not knowing what exactly to say next. She never was at a loss for words before, and then it hit her. "So, you guys trying out for your houses Quidditch teams?" Jack was so excited and couldn't wait for the results for her house. She was hoping so much that she would infact make it on the team this year, and that she wasn't 'too young' or something. Being thirteen, the poor ravengirl had a lot going through her mind, and eveidently relationships other than just friends was one of them. Unfortunately, thought, she saw no one yet that would probably be interested as of yet in her. Oh, Merlin Jack! she scolded herself. Did she always have to think about that? Must be puberty...that's all the reason she could think of for it. Puberty.

[Lianna Maylorn]

Lianna watched as both boys--and the Ravenclaw lass walked by her without as much as a single acknowledgement. Apparantly hellos and goodbyes were a fickle and unimportant from of conversation, or perhaps she'd been deemed anti-social by the lot of them? Merlin only knew anymore. All Lianna knew was that Raynor had a mat, Raynor was here, andRaynor most likely would not appreciate Ty's antics on the first day back.

Regardless of her possible status in people's minds, the Hufflepuff continued to say nothing, instead shifting her eyes toward the door to see if another more specific third year would arrive. He would be of course, her only real sanctuary that she could call an actual friend among their year. The rest, were either complete strangers or mere aquaintances. Hurry up you... The Hufflepuff pleaded, as if willignly and begging at air and thoughts would actually work--who knew, it just might?

[calister]

"Yeah probably," Ty said with a smile. "I'll probably tryout for my old position as chaser. That's what I played last year so I think I will just stick with that. " He liked the chaser position because it was very intensive and on the go all of the time. You were either trying to help your team score, or trying to steal back the quaffle. "Although beater could be fun too," he added with a smirk as he remembered the time he got a hold of the beaters bat. "It really just depends on the layout of the team and where I am needed most."

[kennedy]

"Hey I'm Will," He said with a smile. It was already his third year, and he had never met these people before. Will looked the girl up and down. She was pretty, but he wasn't really interested in going out. "Nah, I probably won't. I've never been good at any sports, and I don't really want to humiliate myself this early in the year." Will said dully. He had always gone to support his house in the Quidditch games, and he had always aspired to be in it, with heaps of people watching, calling his name.

[mark]

lianna said:

Hurry up you... The Hufflepuff pleaded, as if willignly and begging at air and thoughts would actually work--who knew, it just might?

Oh lord. Oh lord. Oh lord. The boy had been back at Hogwarts for barely a week and he had been shipped off to the Hospital Wing once again. He'd taken note the time he was actually fine was getting shorter and with less time in between 'relapses' or so his uneducated parents had told him. He had gotten out of the Hospital Wing less than half-an-hour ago and had gotten a note, 'don't be late for Raynor's class, she'll have your head.' from... himself really. He was petrified of her. Therefore, he carried himself towards the class as fast as his short legs would take him and walked into class, completely out of breath.

Mark's green eyes peered throughout the classroom looking for one particular third year before haulting on some girl/boy... was it a girl? And his ability to overhear conversations told him that the name was Jack; one of those stupid names that could for a guy or a girl. Mark shook his head and craned left and seeing the person he was looking for barely two feet away. He was going blind for sure. The third year grinned before walking over and propping one foot against the wall (in a Quad stretch) and crossing his arms before giving Lianna a nod of hello. He still didn't know that Abby had left, and awaited her presence in the room.

[jacquelynchaput]

Ty, and Will Jack thought to herself as if to remember the names just given to her. "Oh, that's cool," directing her statement at both of the boys. "I'm going for Keeper of my house team," her smile as wide and ever, and her eyes just as active. Looking around Jack saw a few more people enter the room, Hufflepuffs mainly, and the professor standing off in the distance from them.

"How many minutes do we have until class officially starts?" Jack asked. She really didn't mind who the answer came from, but her mind still wandered off about the other day with Gail...and how to maybe apologize to the Ravengirl from her house....lost in her own thoughts, she rested her head in her hands and yawned slightly.

[Lianna Maylorn]

So apparantly that mind of matter concept did work, or, perhaps it was just a fluke. However, fluke or not Mark D'Angelo was here, and she was no longer allowed to permit herself to be completely stand-offish and anti-social. As the boy nodded in greeting, Lianna smiled and nodded back, lips parting long enough to mouth an actual, but somewhat shy "hello".

The third year didn't really want to be more vocal than that right now, especially since she wasn't sure just when Professor Raynor would be starting class. Actually the other partial reson for her lack of vocalness was because she didn't trust her mouth around him at the moment, Hogwarts was certainly different from Diagon in every form. There were alot less people and most likely the only one paying her any mind was Professor Raynor herself. The chance for carelessness in conversation abounded at every closely unwatched second.

Besides, to say what she wanted to now, would make the lesson all the more awkward.