Intermediate Lesson (4th and 5th years) on Care of Magical Creatures

Professor Kijewski

July 21, 2011 8:49 PM

Intermediate Lesson (4th and 5th years) by Professor Kijewski

Kiva was slowly getting back into the routine of being a professor. It was a rough start for her, having not been used to the constant shuffling that teenagers often did with both their thoughts and their actions. Five years out of working in a school really threw a person for a loop when they were rushed back into it. Kiva had spent the last five years being a mother and learning how young children work that she’d completely forgotten everything else.

It was all rather exhausting. Oh well, it was paying the bills and she was still working a nine to five job so there wasn’t much she could complain about. Although, Emery did miss the animal stories she always told him when she used to come home from her previous job as a Zoologist. But, she did get to tell him stories of Sonora and all the fun lessons that the students get to learn. He seemed happy with that enough and he seemed excited about the prospect of being able to attend someday.

“Good afternoon, everyone. Go ahead and get comfortable, today we will be observing one of the many creatures we have been studying this year.” Kiva announced. She never let the students know ahead of time what creatures she had been able to obtain. Surprises were always the most fun, at least to Kiva. Not everyone enjoyed them, she could certainly remember some of the looks she used to get from the students from time to time, but in the end she still felt that surprises were worth it.

“Before we actually get to the creature though, I have some news to tell you all.” Kiva’s smile grew with happiness. She wasn’t actually sure if they would be happy by this because she knew not everyone would be into it, but it also meant a break from norm and that could be potentially fun. “A few years back, the fifth years had been permitted to go to a flying horse ranch where they stayed a full weekend. This year, I’m bringing that offer back and extending it to the fourth years as well.” Kiva announced. She had been sad to learn that the Flying Horse Ranch hadn’t continued after she had left, but at least it could be around again for at least a little while longer while she was at the school. “Of course, I’ll need permission from your parents that you are allowed to go and the trip will be towards the end of term. I’ll go into more detail as things come to light.” Kiva informed them.

She moved around the heavy table that stood in the clearing turned to a covered crate that sat behind it. Using her wand, Kiva raised the crate to the table and then vanished the crate entirely. What were now sitting on the table were what looked to be tortoises with a jeweled shells. “These are Fire Crabs.” Kiva explained, waving her arms to the students to come get a closer look.

“Most of you probably immediately noticed the beautiful shell that Fire Crabs are known for, but there is something else that they are known for-“ Almost as if on queue, fire burst from one of the Fire Crab’s rear end. Kiva laughed, “They shoot fire from their behinds.” Kiva announced. “Because Fire Crabs are so precious due to their shells, their fire is a way of protecting themselves. You see, Fire Crabs are under protection because they were once rapidly being killed for their shells to either sell for the money or use as a cauldron.” Kiva informed them.

“These creatures are native to Fiji and its in their homeland that has a coastal reserve specifically set up for the protection and safety of these beautiful beings. Okay, so, I do not recommend touching the crabs without wearing your dragon hide gloves, but other than that, you are free to make your own observations of these creatures. I’ll be around if you have questions.” With that, she left them to enjoy the Fire Crabs.

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Shiny! by Jane Carey, Teppenpaw

0 Professor Kijewski Intermediate Lesson (4th and 5th years) 0 Professor Kijewski 1 5

Jane Carey, Teppenpaw

July 29, 2011 7:36 PM

Shiny! by Jane Carey, Teppenpaw

It hadn’t been common, not common at all, but when Mother had still been alive and the main controller of their educations, she had sometimes surprised Jane and Edmond with a free day. Whole days where, rather than being instructed every hour what they were to do for the next hour, they were allowed to entertain themselves however they chose. They had both enjoyed painting – or, on one memorable occasion, throwing paint at each other; Jane still couldn’t believe Mother had allowed that – and going outside more, and Jane had spent many an afternoon trying in vain to climb the trees and reading the kind of novels, things about girls going to school and girls making perfect love-matches and so forth, which Mother said were sentimental trash and Edmond despised for how poorly written they were but which had been almost the only glimpses she’d ever had to life outside the house before Sonora. Though those free days had been given at least in part, she knew, because Mother had realized that there was only so much studying they could do before they both cracked like glass on heavy tile without some kind of relief, she also thought they had been given sometimes on days when Mother felt especially fond of them.

Something about Professor Kijewski’s smile as she mentioned that she had a surprise for them, here and now, made Jane think about that, and have to blink twice to be sure she had herself fully in hand, but she was almost distracted except for a slight ache in her chest by what the news was. Flying horses, really? It sounded lovely. She had no idea how she would ever get Father to permit it, since it might be dangerous, but maybe she could….

…Not bring it up over midterm, because that would be grotesque this year of all years, but sometime. He was more indulgent than Mother had been, and had, as it were, first hand evidence that she backed up her test scores’ suggestion that she was more competent than a normal fourteen year old female. After the mirrors, and the living nightmare, and…the worse things, in their way, before all that, she thought she could be trusted to handle a horse, even if it did have wings. She would have her wand, so even if she fell and no one was there to help, she would be able to help herself if she didn’t lose her head completely, and she didn’t honestly think she’d do that.

Though, she did agree that jumping a little when the fire crab suddenly spurted fire despite having read enough to know they could do that didn’t speak too well of her. She wasn’t frightened, though, and laughed with the professor, leaning forward a little to see around the shoulder of someone in front of her since, as usual because she was tall, she’d stood a little back to get a better view. They were so pretty!

When they were given permission to come closer, she put on her gloves – good ones which allowed her to move her fingers while still protecting them; Uncle Jasper had picked them up somewhere and sent them for her thirteenth birthday – and approached, though she didn’t immediately touch one. “They’re very beautiful, aren’t they?” she remarked to another student, a matter she hadn’t considered before occurring to her even as she did. “Are they actually gems, like you’d put in a necklace, do you think, or do they just look like them?” She doubted the other person would know, but you never knew, did you?

0 Jane Carey, Teppenpaw Shiny! 0 Jane Carey, Teppenpaw 0 5