Lesson 1: First & Second Years

Imitation was the highest form of flattery.  Selwyn could dimly recall one of the only Care of Magical Creatures classes he'd ever attended when he was at school; this was never one of his favourite classes.  It had been back when Professor... what was her name again?  He couldn't remember.  Anyhow, it had actually been interesting, so he was stealing her ideas. Borrowing.  Borrowing her ideas.

The day was sunny so they were able to work outside.  Selwyn hated when they were driven into the barn.  It wasn't really an adequate teaching space.  Maybe now he was Deputy, he'd be able to designate himself a proper classroom.

But not for today.  In the main pasture was an Abraxan.  They were more temperamental than most people assumed.  A pack of crups filled up a pen next to it.  And then, stacked by one of the fence posts was a pile of boxes, each containing a pygmy puff.  Selwyn knew what to expect by now and there was always some child who was intimidated by the larger animals.

"Good morning," he greeted the new first years, and slightly less new second years.  "Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures.  I'm Selwyn Thorfinn, some of the students call me Professor Selwyn."

"Today we're going to be going over health and safety.  You'll need to pay attention because there'll be a quiz at the end." *

"A lot of you probably bought a magical creature when you went to Diagon Alley.  Or maybe your family owns an owl or a kneazle.  And even if you're muggleborn, taking care of magical creatures is a lot like caring for ordinary creatures.  So we're going to start off with what we already know," he explained.

A flip of his wrist summoned the standing blackboard from the big barn at the other end of the paddock.  

"What do you guys think is important to remember so you can stay safe when caring for magical creatures?" Selwyn asked.

Goose felt more prepared for Care of Magical Creatures than any other subject, and not by his own choice. He was the plant guy in the family, but between Sunny and Jack, his home was a zoo. In fact, he couldn't point to a single animal that was his, and he had assured Jack he did not need an owl, but could use the Hogwarts stock. He was fine with his succulents - and did not think he needed to encourage the animal hoarding that went on at home.

But he had been exposed to all manners of creatures rather early on. As he shuffled into the pack of milling students, he pushed tilted his head to gaze above the others. Tension left his shoulders as he realized he was well acquainted with two of the three types of creatures. Jack had just given the McKillon pack a cage full of rescue puffs, and the last chore he had completed before heading off to Hogwarts had been feeding the Abraxan foal they were currently fostering. He had never handled a crup, though he had seen one, and had never actually interacted with a full-grown Abraxan.

He glanced around, wondering where Charlie Jericho was. He was probably ecstatic about the Abraxan.

Professor Thorfinn spoke and Goose blinked. It was one of those too-obvious questions that had a million right answers... which made it impossible to know which the professor was looking forward. He raised his hand anyway. "Understanding the temperament of the creature you're dealing with is important. Some animals require you assert dominance as soon as possible. But if you try to do that with a Hippogriff, you could lose a hand. So knowing the difference is pretty crucial."

Emilie walked down the hill towards the care of Magical Creatures class. As she arrived she saw a beautiful winged horse with fur the color of Caramel. She gasped and her feet carried her clsoer to the group. When the professor asked a question, a boy spoke and Emilie looked over and smiled at the boys answer before raising her hand "Always listen to your instructions so we dont injur ourself or the creatures we learn about." She said softly and then bit her lower lip as a small blush spread across her cheeks. She wondered where the rest of the student were as there were so little currently present