Prof. Lunaran leaned against the wall of the DADA classroom, waiting for his students to arrive. As this was his first class, he was a bit nervous, but once he got into the rhythm of things, he was growing more confident. On each desk there was a scrap of paper and in the front of the class was a large bin. On the board, scrawled out in his not so neat handwriting, were Prof. Lunaran's instructions to the class:

Good morning class, today we will be studying some of the different species out in the world that can give you trouble. You see before you a piece of paper. I want you to take this piece of paper and choose one of the species you see listed here on the board. Based on your choice, I want you to write down as much as you know, specifically focusing on habitat, diet, appearance, how they stay hidden, danger rating on the MoM Scale, and any special characteristics of the creature. Also write down one thing you want to know. Then, take your papers and place them into this bin. I will be drawing them at random and answering your questions. And tomorrow we will be going through each of the four species and filling in this information. I would suggest taking notes, as there will be a quiz later on.

Listed underneath that were four different species of "monsters":
Doxy
Grindylow
Kneazle
Red Caps

((OOC: As most of you don't know a whole lot about these four species, I will give you a link where you can find at least the most basic information on these species. The prudent student would do well to dig deeper and come up with even more information. Here's the site: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/bestiary/bestiary.html))

Jale walked into the Defense against the dark arts classroom, the first student to arrive, and immediately noticed a scrap of paper on each desk. He nodded at the professor and sat down at his own desk, as he did so, he noticed a large bin at the front of the class.

He eyed the paper suspiciously for a few seconds, then picked it up and turned it over, and saw that it was blank. He looked up at the black board and saw writing scrawled on it. He scanned the board and decided to work on a grindylow. He sat back in his chair and waited for the rest of the class to arrive.

Ally walked into the classroom, not feeling at all confident about the days lesson. Defense Against the Dark Arts was not one of her best subjects. As she glanced at the Professors desk she did a double take. Well there's a surprise she thought a bit nervous.
She made her way to the back of the room and saw that there was only one other student there. Then she saw the paper and wondered what it was about. A few seconds later she saw the writing on the bored and let out an audible groan when she had finished reading. This is gonna be a long lesson she thought, and slouched in her seat.

The last class of the day, Marie thought with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. Finally. And we finally have a DADA teacher, at least. She'd only had one or two of the defense classes before their professor disappeared, and was now very happy to have it back again.

She read the long message scrawled on the blackboard as she found her seat, frowning. This seems like a Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Marie pulled a quill and ink from her bag, setting them to the side as she turned the parchment provided over and over in her hands. Immediately, she'd chosen the kneazle, as she knew the most about creatures of its kind; she always researched them for fun. Reaching to dip her quill in the ink, she decided to start the paper off with her chosen question:

'What is the diet of a kneazle?' The handwriting was a dainty, disciplined form of cursive. Unlike most females of her age, she didn't add curls to the ends of her words, didn't dot her eyes with little hearts -- she simply wrote how she'd been taught to, no personality hints added.

Hm... and here we have yet another student turned teacher.'

Dracona walkedi n set down her bag and looked around. Te board answered her question, what are we doing today? 'Boring stuff...' she thought and took out her quill to start writing.

In her odd, messy like handwriting she wrote,

She knew that some of her questions were not the best idea ever, but she didn't really care. When was the last time she did, after all?

The slight Slytherin First year with the rusty hair walks into the DADA classroom hesitantly. She had signed up for courses at random and had no idea what to expect with any of them, trusting her fate to her untrustworthy, in her mind, wand. So this is the Defense Against the Dark Arts class… She thinks as she wanders to a seat in the front corner. Noticing people with there books open and working already she glances at the board. Doxys? Grindylows? Kneazles? Red Caps? What the heck are those? Are they creatures? Spells? She sighs and takes a closer look at the board. Ok… So they’re creatures… Some that can give you trouble apparently… “Since I have no idea in the Smokey Mountains what’s going on…” She mutters to no one in particular, “I guess I’ll just go with the Doxys…”

Shuffling through her backpack she pulls out the same book she used for her Care of Magical Creatures Class, hoping that would be some help. Reading the page she scribbles down what she saw, pen in hand. She had gotten frustrated with the quill and after breaking 3 bottles of ink she had just forgotten about them altogether.

She looks at the board again. MoM rating? What the heck is that? MoM? Ministry of Magic perhaps? Ahh.. I see it now! She smiles slightly as she catches the three X’s in the top near the name.

She tilts her head curiously at her last question. It felt sort of odd to call her own family muggles. After all, she herself was totally ignorant of the magical world before she turned eleven.

Mina entered the quieter classroom, shouldering her bag. Seating herself at a middle place, she dug around for her utensils and tapped her quill against her cheek after reading the given instructions. Flipping her textbook open with a hand, her eyes skimmed the page. With a light flick, she dipped her Ibis quill into its deep blue ink and scrawled:

After there seemed to be enough students to begin the class, Aaron cleared his throat and began his introductions.

"Greetings to all of you, and welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I will be your professor this year, and I will hopefully last more than one. Some of you know me, but for those who don't, my name is Aaron Lunaran, Professor Aaron Lunaran to most of you, but in my class, please just call me Aaron. Formalities can be used elsewhere, we're here to learn. As you can see, today's lesson will be an informative one. To some, it may seem boring, or even unnecessary. However, having the basic knowledge about a species can be as vital as knowing how to get rid of it. Now, will anyone who has finished their questions please place them into this box right here, and we'll get down to the lesson. As it will always be in my class, note taking is advised, but not required."

He stepped back to allow his class to turn in their slips of paper.

Well I guess that means I need to take notes then... She thinks glumly as she trudges up to the professors desk to turn in her paper. As she does so she catches the instructions again. Only one question?! Aww jeezz... Well... I guess he shouldn't mind too much... I mean... He is supposed to answer our questions right? She gives a mental nod to herself. That is what professors were supposed to do, so the two extra questions should be fine.

Upon turning in her paper, she heads back to her seat and continues to look through her CoMC book for the other three creatures. From the look on everyone else’s face they seemed to be basic creatures, but she knew none of them, until the professor continued. It seemed a sensible thing to do, plus there was really no harm in it that she could see in it.

Aaron collected the papers from the box and picked up the first one. It was Dracona's and he quickly glanced over it.

"Alright, the first question we have today is this: Why are Red Caps found mainly in Europe rather than America? Does anyone have an idea on this?" Aaron knew the answer but he wanted to see if any students could figure it out. "As many of you are thinking that this will be rather boring, I assure you... you're right. However, after we learn the basics we will be taking a field trip to witness these species first hand. So, any ideas?"

Oh, bother. She cursed mentally when Professor Lunaran took up all of their slips of paper. I've not finished. Contenting herself with flipping to the correct page in her Defense Against the Dark Arts text, she heard their teacher voice Dracona question.

"Yes, sir."

Marie made herself known, raising a hand leisurely. "Most say they live only in castles with a history of violence, as they so enjoy torturing muggles, and there's a distinct lack of such habitats in America. The history of that country is very short." She said simply, pointing to a picture of the bloodthirsty creatures in her book.

"Exactly right, Miss Antoinette. America does have a few bloody battle sites, but no where near as many as most countries in Europe. 5 points to Slytherin. Next question I have here is a combination of two: Why do Red Caps like killing and why do they like blood. As all of you know, killing leads to blood, so let's just concentrate on the second part of that question shall we?" Aaron said, reading off of Dracona's paper. "Anyone have an idea?"

He began to walk around the room, waiting for someone to come up with an answer.

Timidly Cassie raises her hand slightly. "Uh... Perhaps they need to drink blood because blood has vitamins and minerals in it that they may need? They don't know how else to get it so they have to kill for it. Or perhaps their only way of processing the necessary substance to sustain them is through blood." She says hesitantly in her usual near mumble before sliding her hand back down. I hope that’s right… I really don’t want to make an idiot outa myself again… not after that last class anyway… She thinks nervously as she fiddles with her pen.

"Hm... you've brought up an interesting idea there, is it Cassandra? Yes, well, while your answer does make some sense, unfortunately it is incorrect. Red Caps fall into the Dark Arts category for this very reason. Their love for blood is purely evil. They do not drink the blood, or use it for any useful purpose. The single reason that Red Caps want people's blood is to dye their caps red, hence the name of the species. After killing their victim, a Red Cap will soak its cap in blood, then wander around until the blood begins to fade. After that, they find another victim and then the cycle begins again." Aaron said, glad that someone had at least hazarded a guess. "But enough about Red Caps. Let's move on to... Grindylows. First question is, do Grindylows have a preference for certain temperatures of water? Any ideas?"

Ally, who had not been bothered to submit any questions, was now finding it hard to stay focused on the lesson. Her mind kept wondering, coming up with ideas that would most surely get her in trouble. If only there were no such things as rules she thought with a twinge of frustration. There are so many possibilities if these Professors would just have an open mind. Then she thought about the wonderful chaos that would occur if such a thing were to happen, and she hid a grin.

"Ah, Miss Larson. Would you care to give it a shot? I am sure that there are many brilliant thoughts going through your head right now, most of which are probably smart remarks to why you can not answer the question. But I will suggest giving it a try. Besides, there are no wrong answers in this class, only wrong attitudes." Aaron said, noticing her bored look.

He turned and walked over to her desk, opening a Care of Magical Creatures book to the section on Grindylows.

"Here, a bit of assistance for you, though I am certain that you didn't need it. Now, the current question is: Do Grindylows have a preference for certain temperatures of water?"

Ally was startled when the Professor addressed her that she didn't notice the slight scolding. Uh oh, I have no idea what question he's talking about, she thought, as she she quickly sat up straight and wiped the bored expression from her face.
Then she got a bit nervous when he stood in front of her desk. Grindylows? Darn, what a time to stop listening, she thought as she glanced at the page that he had opened the book to. Do Grindylows have a preference for certain temperatures of water? she repeated in her head. I don't know, she thought as she skimmed the page.
Oh what the heck, "No?" she said, but it came out as more of a question rather than a straight answer. From now on I'm paying attention, I don't want to get on the bad side of another Professor, she told herself sternly.

"That is correct, Miss Larson. As far as anyone in the Wizarding world knows, Gringylows do not have a preference for any specific temperature of water. Why then, do they only live in Britain, you might ask? As to this, we believe that the Grindylows enjoy the weeds at the bottom of the lakes. As these grow more often in Britain, flourishing in its rain, the Grindylows stay in Britain. This also accounts for the reason that Grindylows stay mainly in the deep waters of the lakes, they're closer to the weeds. See how just a bit of work can pay off, Miss Larson? Anyhow, the next question is about Doxys. The question is: Do Doxys live in Muggle houses as well as wizarding houses?" Aaron posed the question to the class, giving a small stare at Marie, implying that she should attempt to answer.

Catching onto the challenge, Marie didn't bother raising her hand, speaking out before anyone else got the chance to be called on. "I wouldn't think so," She began, pausing for effect. "They are magical creatures, and evolved into such in the wizarding world. It's doubtful that the Ministry would let such beings slip into the Muggle world, if their Department for the Control of Magical Creatures is anything to speak of." Her lips turned upward in the ghost of an amused smile.

She hadn't expected him to let her answer a question for a second time -- in most cases, she would answer one and be forced to stay quiet for the rest of the class while others got a chance to show off their knowledge (or lack thereof). It was more interesting, to say the least, and falling asleep rather unattractively in her chair was far less tempting than ever.

"Exactly right again Miss Antoinette. Of course, the occasional Doxy gets into the Muggle world, but in general, they are kept in the wizarding world. Good work all of you, you're doing a good job of listening. Just a few more, and we'll be on to the next section. On to Kneazles, the question for you now is: What is the diet of a Kneazle? Anyone?" Aaron leaned against a stool in the front of the room.

The class is doing very well, Aaron thought to himself, Far better than I had expected for my first class ever. Well, just goes to show me I can't judge a book by its cover, or a class by its teacher.

Aly walked into DADA class, late once again. She sat down quietly in the back and looked at the piece of paper. Waht is this for? Aly looked up at the board. We're learning about magical creatures? I though this was Defense against the dark arts... Aly shrugged and picked the Kneazle. The Kneazle was one of her favorite creatures and knew a lot about it off the top of her head.

Taking out her quill, she wrote on teh paper:

Quietly, not wanting to disturb the class, Aly got up and went to the front of the class. She dropped the paper in the bin that Aaron was holding and walked quickly back to her seat. Seh knew she would get in trouble for being late, but she figured she'd better do the assignment.

"Miss Weasley, could you please answer this question? I won't get you in trouble for being late if you can. Let me repeat the question: What is the diet of the Kneazle?" Aaron said, watching her take her seat.

At least she came, Aaron thought, And the class is dead right now, maybe she'll get it going again. Pretty good for my first day though I imagine

He leaned against his desk and awaited her answer eagerly.

Oh, Blast.. that was what I didn't know.. Aly thought and sighed. She quickly opened her COMC book. There must be something in here..

Aly flipped through her book frantically and found only what she already new. "Bugger it.." She muttered. She tried to remember what they ate..I know I read something about this..

She looked back up at Aaron and said unconfidently, "Um.. Do they eat mice? And fish?" Aly bit her lip, knowing she wrong.

Ar practically smashed through the wall in her rush to get to DADA. It was her absolute favorite class, but she had gotten stuck on one of the stair cases when it started moving and then she had ended up in a totally unfamilliar part of the building. Note to self: Never EVER trust an inanimate object! She slid into the room and slipped into a desk at the very back of the room. Then she looked up at the board. Kneazles...Kneazles? Are they in any way related to say, my knees? How bizarre. But thats not right. OH YEAH! I remember now!

The Kneazle looks like a tiger because of its spotted fur, large ears, and a tail like a lions. They were first created in Britain but are now all over the world. The Kneazle makes a good guard cat for its ability to sense suspicious people. It can have up to 8 kittens in a litter and can interbreed with other felines. They are also rather nice pets. Most Muggles find the Kneazle's appearance un-appealing.
Classification: Not sure...
Things I want to know: Ummm, what Do Kneazles eat? And are they viciously aggresive?

She sheepishly walked up to the front and put her paper on top of Alys. She was so embarrassed about being this late. She was NEVER late. And would she get points taken from Ravenclaw? She ducked back into her desk and stared at the floor while Aly struggled to answer the teacher's question. Please please PLEASE don't call on me! She silently begged

(OOC: So sorry for the delay students. I, ehem, have been having difficulty finding out an official ruling on what exactly Kneazles eat. *looks at feet* So, I'm just going to give my opinion alright?)

Aaron looked at Alyson and smiled at her indecision.

"Well, Ms. Weasley, that was actually a trick question. No one knows for sure what a Kneazles favorite food is, or even their second or third favorite. However, as a general rule, Kneazles have the same diet as that of a normal tabby cat. So your answer of fish and mice was at least partially correct. Thanks for taking a swing at it."

Aaron walked over to his desk and set the box down behind it. Then he walked back and addressed the class again.

"Alright class, now that you know some general information about these four species, I believe it is time for some real life experience. That is why, for our next class, we will be heading outside, where myself, and perhaps another professor I know, will be guiding you in effective ways to... shall we say, extricate yourself, from the clutches of any one of these creatures. So next week, bring your wand, and bundle up. We wouldn't want any of you catching cold."

She swallows. Uh... a practical? With... wands? She thinks nervously as the worry hits her face. she couldn't feel the same worry from any of the others. Great... There prolly all peachy keen with this idea... There all good with this stuff... She looks down at the desk, fiddling with her pen hoping that no one could catch the worry or the blush on her face. Maybe... Maybe I should just skip next class... I-Imean... It's not like missing that one class will hurt any... Will it?

"I would not advise skipping this class, as it will be a major part of your grade, and will also tie in to most of the rest of my classes. Anyone who has any questions can come speak to me now. The rest of you, you're dismissed."

Aaron walked over to Cassandra's desk and lightly tapped it, hoping she would get his drift. He'd noticed her nervous look when he'd mentioned the next lesson's plan, and he wanted to make sure she would be ok. He felt responsible for his students and he knew that she had just recently been introduced to all of this. The magic, the creatures, all of it must be blowing her mind. He felt sorry for her, but not in a pathetic sort of way, he just wanted to help her as much as he could.

Her eyes snap up at the Professors words. "Yes sir..." she mutters. Her face was turning slightly red. She could feel the professor's sympathy. Not quite pity but more so an understanding. She was comforted by this slightly and she could also feel the professor's confidence in the class. "I'll be there sir... I'm just not sure... If I can handle it. I mean... Before today I've never heard of Grindylows or Red Caps." She says with a slight grin as she gathers her notebooks and pens up. "I guess I could do a bit of studyign beforehand... I mean... It couldn't hurt could it?"

Aly smiled weakly as the Professor said that she was at least partly correct. Well, that wasn't so bad. Aly thought with a sigh.

Ooh! Outside!! Next class is going to be fun! Aly grinned as Aaron told the class about the next class. Aly was beginning to like this class more than she did the years before.