Prof. Rowan Dakin
November 25, 2009 9:16 PM
Intermediate Lesson (4-5th years) by Prof. Rowan Dakin
Rowan had been unsure how to approach the intermediate lessons but the decided on a comparison lesson. She swiped her hair out of her face and pulled up her sleeves, revealing the scars on her arms from the Dragon claws and burns from their fire. Today she wore a blue long sleeved shirt and a pair of heavy black jeans, on her belt was a pair of long leather gloves.She smiled as she propped opened the door to a large stone building. There were chairs and tables set up in rows with one small aisle up the middle. She smiled at the chalkboard and instead of pointing her wand at the board she picked up a piece of chalk and wrote.
Professor Rowan Dakin
Irish Phoenixes vs. Phoenixes
She was excited about the lesson almost giddy one would say. As soon as the class was settled Rowan stood up and walked over to the center of the room. “Good afternoon I’m a Professor Dakin.” She said with a smile. “Today as you can see we will be studying the differences between Irish Phoenixes and normal Phoenixes. Please take notes if I go to fast please interrupt me.”
She walked over to the one large cage and uncovered it. There stood a thin mournful-looking bird that almost looked like a vulture. Irish Phoenixes She put on her long leather gloves and stuck her arm into the cage. The large bird stepped on Rowan’s arm and she smiled. “Ladies and Gentlemen this is Heath, the Irish Phoenix.” She said with a grin.
“Now Irish Phoenixes are also called Augureys.” She smiled when Heath fluttered his wings and startled a couple of girls sitting near the front. “They are very shy birds and often nest in brambles and thorns. The nests are tear-shaped and they rarely leave their nests. Heath here has a family not too far away from here and only came out because of a large bucket of insects.”She walked into the middle of the room and moved her arm so Heath expanded his wings to full extent. “Now Augureys live on a diet of large insects and fairies. It is quite fascinating to watch them hunt as they don’t leave the nest and the insects and fairies are almost drawn to them”
“Now the odd thing about Augureys is that they don’t fly unless it’s raining very heavily. So they obviously aren’t from around here. They are mainly found in Britain and Ireland.” She paused as she began to walk slowly around the room to show off the bird. “Now wizards used to avoid Augureys because of their cries. It is very low and throbbing. Way back in the day wizards thought that the cry would cause your heart to stop.” She stopped as Heath let out a low throbbing cry.
She began to chuckle. “That’s the perfect example of it now trust me none of you will die. It’s simply a cry that rain is coming. A lot of people keep them as pets and weather forecasters. One other fascinating fact about the Augurey is their feathers can’t be used as quills as they repel ink.” With that Rowan set Heath on the desk and made her way over to the other cage that was covered.
She whipped off the cover and exposed the crimson and golden bird. “Ladies and Gentlemen this is Fisk.” She said as the Phoenix stepped onto her arm. “Now these birds differ from Augurey’s as they actually burst into flames.” She grinned. “No worries though Fisk has another two days before he starts molting.” Fisk
Rowan walked around the class again as she spoke. “Now Phoenixes are found primarily in Egypt, India, and China high up on the mountain tops. They are herbivorous so unlike the Irish Phoenixes they eat only fruits, and vegetables.” She paused as she looked around at her class. Most were still writing down notes.
Rowan then nodded and began to speak again. “Phoenixes may be small but they can carry great weight while in flight, it’s amazing if Fisk was to take flight and I was holding onto his tail feathers he would take me along with him.” She paused and smiled. “Now they can also disappear and reappear at will in a burst of flames, if one is domesticated they can and will deliver messages for you it’s very useful as they are quicker then owls. But it is very hard to domesticate a Phoenix, I’ve had Fisk since he was first born and I still don’t have him fully domesticated.” She grinned as she moved back towards the front of the classroom.
She set Fisk upon a stand and he squawked in happiness. “Now Phoenixes’ tears have great healing properties. If one were fatally wounded or poisoned a few tears from a Phoenix would save your life. Though it’s not often that a Phoenix will just save your life you have to have proved you deserved to be saved.” She paused and nodded at the students.
“I’m almost done I promise.” She said with a laugh. “When a Phoenix sings it gives strength and hope to those it sings for. If you read the chapter in your books about Phoenixes it says, ‘Increasing the courage of the pure of heart and striking fear into the hearts of the impure’.” She finally paused and took a deep breath. “Alright ladies and Gentlemen I’m done lecturing you; you may come up and see the birds closer and feel free to touch them gently as they both are very friendly.”
OOC: Feel free to interact with fellow students and remember to see both birds!
Subthreads: Feeling a kinship by Laurel Cider [Crotalus]
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Prof. Rowan Dakin
Intermediate Lesson (4-5th years)
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Prof. Rowan Dakin
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Laurel Cider [Crotalus]
December 01, 2009 8:48 AM
Feeling a kinship by Laurel Cider [Crotalus]
Care of Magical Creatures had been a favorite class of Laurie's, but not for the subject matter which, while interesting, often felt a little unnecessary to her life goals. Not that her life goals were particularly concrete, but she was fairly certain that her future would not involve an abundance of magical creatures. She was perfectly content with her own pet rabbits, Fudge and Cotton.No, she had liked her CoMC class because of its instructor, Professor K, who had left at the end of the last year. And while Professor Dakin seemed nice enough (not to mention enthusiastic, Laurie had never seen someone so excited over birds), she was no Professor K.
Laurie sighed mutely, tucking a strand of very brown hair behind her ear, and stood up from her perch on the grass. She approached the two birds slowly, managing to avoid making eye contact with any of her classmates, and then paused in front of Heath, its black feathers and bald head seeming terribly pathetic next to the finery of its neighbor, Fisk. Auguries and phoenixes, from the two of them auguries seemed to get the bad end of things, avoided for its cry, disliked for its appearance. It hardly seemed fair to compare it to its bolder, brighter and far more flashy neighbor.
"Well," she said to the augury, her voice kept low, "I think you're way better than Fisk, definitely way more useful."
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Laurel Cider [Crotalus]
Feeling a kinship
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Laurel Cider [Crotalus]
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Cecily Smythe (Crotalus)
December 18, 2009 9:46 AM
You get weirder by Cecily Smythe (Crotalus)
This was still Cecily's favorite class. Okay, sometimes she didn't like that it was held outside, and sometimes the creatures were a little on the disturbing side (like Jarveys, ew), bt mostly Cecily enjoyed the class. She was an animal-lover at heart; at home she had a pony, a crup and a squirrel monkey, and she had her two rats with her in the dormitory. Although Cecily rarely took care of her animals all by herself - she had servants to help with that - it didn't hurt to learn about magical creatures.The new professor seemed nice, too. She talked a lot, but Cecily didn't mind; it was easier to take notes when the teacher said a lot. Besides, phoenixes were cool, no doubt about that. Plus Fisk was absolutely beautiful. Heath had a smobre sort of majesty that Cecily could appreciate, but he didn't have the attraction of the other bird. Naturally, when Professor Dakin said the class could go and look at the birds, most of the students flocked towards the more colourful phoenix. Seeing her friend Laurie over near the augury, Cecily headed that way, instead. She arrived just in time to hear what Laurie was saying to the bird.
"More useful, how? Phoenix tears can even heal magical wounds, you know," Cecily said in her prim little voice. "Plus black is just so dull. He won't be turning any heads at the animal ball."
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Cecily Smythe (Crotalus)
You get weirder
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Cecily Smythe (Crotalus)
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