Chapter 6
"Emyuu"
The girls had gone their separate ways after their lunch had been eaten. Tabitha, Rory and Jessie had gone off in the direction of the large barn like structure towards the back of the campus. This is where the Care of Magical Creatures class was held. As they walked along, Tabitha wondered if she would have the same instructor as last year, Professor Cora Sutter. Professor Sutter was a tiny woman, only about 4' 5" in total height, but she was as fiery as anything!
Upon arriving in the "classroom" the girls found that they were alone, save for the some of the creatures who resided in the barns stalls, cages, or even free wandering. The room was laid out with the students' desks in the center of the barn floor, with cages and stalls all around. Up towards the front there was an open space, and a large table. Usually Professor Sutter would be seated or standing on that table, welcoming all to her class with a warm smile. But today, Professor Sutter was nowhere to be found.
Above them came the shuffling of footsteps and a gentle voice, hushed. Rory looked towards the shabby stairs that led to the loft, then turned back to her friends. Jessie was sitting at one of the desks, stroking a calico colored cat that had come to her of its own will, while Tabitha was setting up her "space" for the class, arranging her books, papers, writing materials. But after she had it down perfect two of the class ferrets scrambled from their play on the floor and went chasing each other across the table, and all over Tabitha's things, messing everything up once again. Tabitha just rubbed at her temples and tried once more to arrange her things.
Rory herself though was not willing to settle down for the wait, her curiosity was getting the best of her and led her to the stairs, where she began the climb up. At the top of the stairs, she looked around; it was a loft that used natural light, save for a lantern or two towards the back. Rory saw a figure stooped over, frowning in thought, Rory stepped closer; curious to whom it was up here in the loft.
Reaching her hand out to gently tap their shoulder, Rory let out a small shriek when the person whipped around. The woman had dirt smudged over her face and had her unruly reddish brown hair tied back with a bandana, with curls poking out. "Shh!" the woman hissed.
Rory's eyes adjusted to the poor light and then she realized who she had just been scared by. It was Professor Sutter herself and she was cradling a small thing in her hands. Rory started to apologize "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you." She laughed lightly "Don't know why I got so scared."
"Less talk, more walk." Professor Sutter said, shooing Rory towards the stairs, following after.
"What is that?" Rory said, eyeing the fluff bundle in the professor's hands.
"Today's lesson, now get on down there and make sure everyone's sitting, and tell them to be quiet, we don't want to frighten him," Professor Sutter said.
Rory was confused, but she decided it was best not to continue pestering her teacher. She started down the steps and saw that the seats were almost all full now. Rory slid into her seat next to Tabitha.
"Where were you?" Tabitha asked.
"In the loft, I found Professor Sutter, she's got something.Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Rory said, remembering the teacher's instructions, "Hey guys, we gotta keep it quiet, Sutter's orders."
There was some ignorant chatting by some, but eventually everyone became quiet as Professor Sutter started down the stairs, she was beaming holding a small bundle in her hands. She addressed the class as she started towards the front table "Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures class everyone, today I had originally planned a review of Bearogs, but a surprise came along and changed all that."
The class fell into a hush. One girl raised her hand, and Professor Sutter looked at her, "Yes?"
"What is in your hands?" The girl asked. She was a student whom neither Tabitha nor Rory knew. But she had the colors of a Jackalope on.
"Well, Miss Pearson, if you had let me finish then you would know." Professor Sutter said matter-of-factly. The girl hushed up, allowing the teacher to continue. "Alright since all is quiet now, I can introduce you to today's lesson." Professor Sutter turned her back to the class, setting down the bundle on the table. A tiny squawk was heard and the scrabbling of claws.
Professor Sutter moved out of the way to show the class what appeared to be a very young Griffon; it only looked about a week old at most. Professor Sutter stroked the little feathered creature that had the head and wings of a bird, and the body, legs and tail of a lion. It had a small ruff of light feathery fluff around its neck and back.
The students stared in amazement. A Griffon was a rare sight indeed, especially a young one, since its parents were usually extremely defensive over a roost.
Tabitha raised her hand, and Professor Sutter regarded her a moment before saying, "Yes?"
"Well. since the griffon appears so young. and its parents are not around, not attacking. What happened to them?" Tabitha inquired.
"Good point, Miss Granger." Professor Sutter started. "And a wonderful way to open up my lesson." The Griffon scrabbled closer to the Professor and she picked it up once more, crooning to it before continuing speaking. "Before you all had arrived, I had taken a visit to the Hyrax Mountains as a summer excursion. While up on those mountains, I stumbled across a Griffon's roost. There were eggs still there, but most were trampled by what I gathered to be a Hyrax. Do any of you remember what a Hyrax is?"
Tabitha was the first to raise her hand, and when given permission she spoke. "A Hyrax is a vain creature that the mountains are named for. They resemble a cross between a deer and a cat. They live in high altitudes and are known to disturb any nests of any other creature, due to their greed, wanting to remain the sole creatures on those mountains."
Professor Sutter nodded, "Quite correct. Yes the Griffon's nest had been mangled by the Hyrax and majority of the eggs smashed. I managed to discover an egg that had avoided the fray, it was towards the back of the ledge, I assume that the Griffon parents had missed it in their distress over their loss and had moved onward." She paused a moment. "It took a lot of work, but I managed to keep the egg in the proper conditions until it hatched a week before you had arrived. And that explains to you how we have been lucky enough to have to opportunity of learning about the Griffon today. Any questions?"
"What are you going to do with it?" A Hoofen girl piped up.
The Professor replied. "Well I intend to raise him up properly and then later release him to the wild, any other questions?"
"What is his name?" Rory asked.
"Well I've been just calling him Emyuu." The Professor said smiling at the little creature. "Since that is the sound he constantly makes when he desires attentions." She paused. "Alright today we'll learn about the advantages and disadvantages to Emyuu's body structure..."
"Emyuu"
The girls had gone their separate ways after their lunch had been eaten. Tabitha, Rory and Jessie had gone off in the direction of the large barn like structure towards the back of the campus. This is where the Care of Magical Creatures class was held. As they walked along, Tabitha wondered if she would have the same instructor as last year, Professor Cora Sutter. Professor Sutter was a tiny woman, only about 4' 5" in total height, but she was as fiery as anything!
Upon arriving in the "classroom" the girls found that they were alone, save for the some of the creatures who resided in the barns stalls, cages, or even free wandering. The room was laid out with the students' desks in the center of the barn floor, with cages and stalls all around. Up towards the front there was an open space, and a large table. Usually Professor Sutter would be seated or standing on that table, welcoming all to her class with a warm smile. But today, Professor Sutter was nowhere to be found.
Above them came the shuffling of footsteps and a gentle voice, hushed. Rory looked towards the shabby stairs that led to the loft, then turned back to her friends. Jessie was sitting at one of the desks, stroking a calico colored cat that had come to her of its own will, while Tabitha was setting up her "space" for the class, arranging her books, papers, writing materials. But after she had it down perfect two of the class ferrets scrambled from their play on the floor and went chasing each other across the table, and all over Tabitha's things, messing everything up once again. Tabitha just rubbed at her temples and tried once more to arrange her things.
Rory herself though was not willing to settle down for the wait, her curiosity was getting the best of her and led her to the stairs, where she began the climb up. At the top of the stairs, she looked around; it was a loft that used natural light, save for a lantern or two towards the back. Rory saw a figure stooped over, frowning in thought, Rory stepped closer; curious to whom it was up here in the loft.
Reaching her hand out to gently tap their shoulder, Rory let out a small shriek when the person whipped around. The woman had dirt smudged over her face and had her unruly reddish brown hair tied back with a bandana, with curls poking out. "Shh!" the woman hissed.
Rory's eyes adjusted to the poor light and then she realized who she had just been scared by. It was Professor Sutter herself and she was cradling a small thing in her hands. Rory started to apologize "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you." She laughed lightly "Don't know why I got so scared."
"Less talk, more walk." Professor Sutter said, shooing Rory towards the stairs, following after.
"What is that?" Rory said, eyeing the fluff bundle in the professor's hands.
"Today's lesson, now get on down there and make sure everyone's sitting, and tell them to be quiet, we don't want to frighten him," Professor Sutter said.
Rory was confused, but she decided it was best not to continue pestering her teacher. She started down the steps and saw that the seats were almost all full now. Rory slid into her seat next to Tabitha.
"Where were you?" Tabitha asked.
"In the loft, I found Professor Sutter, she's got something.Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Rory said, remembering the teacher's instructions, "Hey guys, we gotta keep it quiet, Sutter's orders."
There was some ignorant chatting by some, but eventually everyone became quiet as Professor Sutter started down the stairs, she was beaming holding a small bundle in her hands. She addressed the class as she started towards the front table "Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures class everyone, today I had originally planned a review of Bearogs, but a surprise came along and changed all that."
The class fell into a hush. One girl raised her hand, and Professor Sutter looked at her, "Yes?"
"What is in your hands?" The girl asked. She was a student whom neither Tabitha nor Rory knew. But she had the colors of a Jackalope on.
"Well, Miss Pearson, if you had let me finish then you would know." Professor Sutter said matter-of-factly. The girl hushed up, allowing the teacher to continue. "Alright since all is quiet now, I can introduce you to today's lesson." Professor Sutter turned her back to the class, setting down the bundle on the table. A tiny squawk was heard and the scrabbling of claws.
Professor Sutter moved out of the way to show the class what appeared to be a very young Griffon; it only looked about a week old at most. Professor Sutter stroked the little feathered creature that had the head and wings of a bird, and the body, legs and tail of a lion. It had a small ruff of light feathery fluff around its neck and back.
The students stared in amazement. A Griffon was a rare sight indeed, especially a young one, since its parents were usually extremely defensive over a roost.
Tabitha raised her hand, and Professor Sutter regarded her a moment before saying, "Yes?"
"Well. since the griffon appears so young. and its parents are not around, not attacking. What happened to them?" Tabitha inquired.
"Good point, Miss Granger." Professor Sutter started. "And a wonderful way to open up my lesson." The Griffon scrabbled closer to the Professor and she picked it up once more, crooning to it before continuing speaking. "Before you all had arrived, I had taken a visit to the Hyrax Mountains as a summer excursion. While up on those mountains, I stumbled across a Griffon's roost. There were eggs still there, but most were trampled by what I gathered to be a Hyrax. Do any of you remember what a Hyrax is?"
Tabitha was the first to raise her hand, and when given permission she spoke. "A Hyrax is a vain creature that the mountains are named for. They resemble a cross between a deer and a cat. They live in high altitudes and are known to disturb any nests of any other creature, due to their greed, wanting to remain the sole creatures on those mountains."
Professor Sutter nodded, "Quite correct. Yes the Griffon's nest had been mangled by the Hyrax and majority of the eggs smashed. I managed to discover an egg that had avoided the fray, it was towards the back of the ledge, I assume that the Griffon parents had missed it in their distress over their loss and had moved onward." She paused a moment. "It took a lot of work, but I managed to keep the egg in the proper conditions until it hatched a week before you had arrived. And that explains to you how we have been lucky enough to have to opportunity of learning about the Griffon today. Any questions?"
"What are you going to do with it?" A Hoofen girl piped up.
The Professor replied. "Well I intend to raise him up properly and then later release him to the wild, any other questions?"
"What is his name?" Rory asked.
"Well I've been just calling him Emyuu." The Professor said smiling at the little creature. "Since that is the sound he constantly makes when he desires attentions." She paused. "Alright today we'll learn about the advantages and disadvantages to Emyuu's body structure..."