(1938-10-30) Attack of the Lionpig
Details for Attack of the Lionpig
Summary: It's NEWT level Transfiguration class, and a final test on the Desk-To-Pig project. There's some (un)healthy rivalry going on between two groups, before all hell breaks loose when some poor students botches his spell.
Date: 1938-10-30
Location: Transfiguration Class
Related: Stealing The Show Transfiguration 6th Year
Characters
AlphardAndromenaSeamusNiko

The day had finally come: the day when she and Alphard would put all their hard work and theorizing to the test. Literally. But she was supremely confident that they would do swimmingly. They were both keenly interested in the subject, and despite getting off to a somewhat shaky start, Andromena eventually settled in comfortably in her partnership with Black. He was interested in the glory of the presentation, whereas Andromena was actually okay with being out of the spotlight, once she had started to thinking about it. (Read: once she realized he was much, MUCH easier to work with when she didn't fight).

Taking her seat, Andromena twisted 'round to watch for Alphard's entrance. Around her others were settling in, some hurriedly going over last-minute notes and displaying the obvious signs of extreme nervous behavior. Yet others were cool and collected, most were just ready to have the project done and over with.

"You know, Meanie," Alphard was consistent when it came to using that nickname Andromena absolutely detested. With some luck the others in the class would pick up on it, too, and she'd be fated to hear it everywhere she went for the next year and half she had left in Hogwarts. "Theory is all well and good.. but the real fun is actual practical magic." He'd been one of the late commers, barely making it into the classroom in time. With a lopsided and semi-excited grin he dumped himself down into the chair next to her. "Two packs of Charm Chocs says Denholm burns his whole group like he nearly did ours."

Niko being removed from Alphard and Andromena's group, due to being rather distracted has joined forces with Seamus. Taking his seat, he sits his items down and pulls out his wand and starts to twirl in between his fingers idly waiting for his partner to arrive. His gaze moves across the room, he is back to his old self now, that warm smile lingering on his face and that odd air of confidence. He looks at Seamus, "Ready for the fun?" he asks offering the other boy a smile.

She did detest it, too. It was a horrible mutilation of her otherwise beautiful name. Like Alphard, hers was (somewhat) drawn from the stars as well. Why did he have to mangle it? Well…why let herself get so upset over it? It was only Alphard, and let's face it: he did not have the sort of first name that just rolled off the tongue. "To be sure," she replied with a grin. "Actually applying the theory is the best part, but I rather enjoy the learning process all the same." Not so surprising, given that Andromena often had her nose in a book. But her voice hardly sounded one hundred percent scholarly just then.

"Come on. Not taking the bet?" Alphard asked her with a smirk, before cutting a cool look of dislike towards where Niko was seated. "Hey Denholm! Two packs of Charm Chocs says you fail!" It was still early enough in the class that it hadn't settled, and a bit of student-to-student banter could be gotten away with without too mush hushing or point education. He glanced back at Andromena. "Does that include all sorts of learning processes."

"Black what are you going on about?" Seamus asks looking at the other student. "Betting on this type of thing is not particularly wise." He says casually as he leans against the wall. His dark blue eyes look at those here. Taking a nice steady breath in, the diminutive prefect is trying to seem utterly casual. "Do you think that you can put theory into practice better than her? Let me guess because of you're blood being pure." He keeps his voice utterly bland.

Niko chuckles softly, the warm smile on his face as he looks over at Alphard, "Make it four packs Black." he says softly with a nod, then he looks over Seamus with a chuckle reaching over and patting him on his arm, "Let Black be Black, really is a nice chap, just a little grumpy." he says softly with a nod, still idly spinning his wand between his fingers.

Andromena had avoided answering about the bet because she had no desire to come between the two boys. Whatever problem Niko Denholm and Alphard Black had was something that could /stay/ with them. She detested conflict. It made her feel uncomfortable and nervous: put on the spot. When Seamus spoke up, her eyes shifted away from Alphard over to him, and she offered a small smile.

"Alphard and I are in the same group, Seamus, we've just been doing a lot of studying up to now, and we're both looking forward to actually performing." She had not taken his words to be insulting. As yet, he had been pretty cordial with Andromena, given his reputation. Turning back to Alphard, she leaned forward to answer his last question. "/Most/ sorts," said she, a finger pointing into the air for emphasis. "There are /some/ things you never want to learn, after all."

"Why don't you just mind your own business, Cavanaugh?" The words were spat out with arrogant dismissal, and the look he gave Seamus was on the level one'd give a cockroach. Disgusted and annoyed it was even vaguely in the vicinity. "I wasn't speaking to you." With a sniff he looked towards Niko again. "I'll go with five.. if you do better than me." Which clearly was impossible, so free chocolates, right? RIGHT?!

The look is actually met with a smile from Seamus. Apparently he doesn't let that sort of thing bother him. "We all know the reason why." Seamus says in a very polite tone. "I cannot thing of that I wouldn't want to learn other than dark magic." He's not someone who likes the dark stuff. "I do not think grumpy is quite the right word for this." He says in a casual manner.

Niko chuckles softly, "Lets give it a go, best luck to you Black." he says warmly with a smile, looking over Seamus, he rubs his chin slowly thinking, "Crotchety? Edgy? Cranky? Irked?" he says looking to Seamus, his tone is soft and sound like he genuinely likes Black, even though they are not friends and well Alphard hates him, "I mean he can be a bit, intense, at times, but he is not a bad fellow, just very intense." he says nodding slowly.

Andromena quiets down. The boys were welcom to trade, ah, banter as they willed. For Niko's part, Andromena was surprised he was not agitated by Alphard. But whatever. She isn't here for that. Instead, she looks towards the front of the class, watching as the professor calls the students to attention. "We ought to go first," she whispers to Alphard. "What do you say?"

"Then anytime you feel like it, Cavenaugh, you can have the learning experience of how it feels to get your teeth punched in. All you have to do is ask." Alphard's voice was a soft little whisper of sociopathic malice. Those Blacks weren't exactly known for having the most stable mental states. "I'd be happy to be your instructor."
"You're on." Though as far as luck went, he only sniffed a dismissive: "Whatever."
"Alright. Go ahead and let him know we'll be the first out."

In another time there would be a different response to the threat, Seamus's voice is cool and level,"Black, you seem to have confused learning experience with something else. Perhaps you need to spend some more time with a dictionary." He doesn't sound at all angry. There's just a calm casual manner to his speaking.

Niko chuckles softly, as he spins the wand between his fingers, a warm smile still on his face. Looking at Seamus, "See he is just grumpy." he says with a small nod, "I am sure beneath all that frustrations he is actually a pretty decent and possibly fun." says the Gryffindor known for being perhaps a little too nice to everyone and a bit too understanding and accepting of people. As class is called to order, he continues to spin his wand staring at the Professor now.

Andromena raises her hand when the call comes. She's not the first, mind you, so she doesn't have that whole…desperate to be called upon appearance, but nevertheless, Andromena scores herself and Alphard the joy of going first. To shock and awe their fellow classmates, right? Given the surprise they intended to include in the otherwise droll transfiguration of desk to pig, Andromena believed there would at least be a few within the room that would enjoy it. At the front of the class was a lone desk: the one that /should/ successfully become the fabled pig of yore. Andromena stood at its right.

"I haven't confused anything at all, Cavenaugh. If you don't think you'd be improved by the lessons a nice proper beat down would teach you, then I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree." Alphard tipped an imaginary hat in Seamus' direction, like he was one gentleman having a scholarly disagreement with another gentleman. Then he was up to his feet, taking a moment to give over to a long and languid stretch, before he crossed the classroom. He took up his spot, wand in his hand and a thoughtful look given to the desk. Time to work magic.

The Professor announced: "You'll each transfigure the desk to a pig, using the appropriate spell. Since this is a group project meant to teach you to work together, you'll be graded on your average success. Good luck!"

Shaking his head a bit, Seamus looks towards Niko,"To be honest I am thinking that perhaps you are giving the gentleman, and I use the term loosely, far too much credit. However, we have work to be done here so we should give it a go don't you think?" His voice is utterly polite and he's trying his best to maintain a calm demeanor. Not that he has ever really overtly lost his temper.

Niko chuckles softly, "I like to see the good in people versus the bad." he says with his trademark warm smile. Nodding slowly he says, "Ready when you are." he says shooting a thumbs up at Seamus, "I think we will do pretty darn good." he says with a small nod, "I think we have this." he says nodding slowly, his tone warm and pleasant, not cocky.

Taking a calming breath, Andromena faces her desk and flourishes her wand. She shares a quick look with Alphard; a silent 'this is it.' and just perhaps…well, no. Couldn't be any sort of veiled threat. This was do-goodie Andromena. Speaking the appropriate words, Andromena directs the tip of her wand to the desk, which transforms into a pig without a hitch. It was more than that, however. This pig, snuffling about on the floor as it was, was no ordinary pig. Indeed, it was emblazoned with the trademark colors of Gryffindor!

Alphard aimed his wand at his desk, too, and barked out his commend. There was a moment there where his concentration almost flickered off completely thanks to an intrusive daydream about watching Niko having to fork over all his chocolates. By pure luck he snapped out of it in the last second, and the spell unleashed without catastrophic failure. Just like Andromena's pig, his too had a different coloration than your usual domestic pigs. The Gryffindor colours were on brigth display. One male, one female. And they sniffed towards each other, of course. In a deadpan tone, Alphard murmured quietly (but loud enough for anyone close to hear): "Kimiko and Niko, rutting on the floor. What's new?" Smirking at Niko, he left the stage for Seamus and Niko.

"That's enough of that, Black!" Came from the Professor. Not nearly as amused by teenage antics as the class.

What Alphard had been doing and saying must have had some sort of effect because it almost looks like Seamus is going to horribly screw up but in the end he manages to transfigure the desk quite neatly. As far as the whole antics go, Seamus doesn't look terribly amused by it. "Well I think someone is quite stuck on themselves." He says in a very casually manner. His eyes close as he takes a breath.

Niko goes to do his now, his wand still twirling between his fingers before he snaps it into his palm, feeling rather lucky that he wouldn't loose the bet, he flicks his wrist tapping the desk, and smoothly it transforms into an all black domestic pig. His gaze moves from the pig to Black, then back to the pig, tilting his head curiously at it for a moment, a bright warm smile on his face, before looking back at Alphard and shrugging slightly, with a look on his face that said, 'Curious'.

Alphard ignored Seamus' comment. Niko's pig was given a very pointed sniff. "Please," he yawned out in mock boredom. "How utterly predictable. Whatever. Give it up, Denholm. My pig was obviously better than yours. I'll expect those Choc Charms by the end of the day, thank you very much." To Andromena he gave a crooked grin, murmuring: "Well done. You're not so bad to be in a group with. As opposed to someone else we know." The latter said with obvious reference to Niko. No lost love thre at all!

Andromena hastily follows after Alphard, casting a helpless look towards the professor who is clearly unamused by Black's comments if not their color scheme of choice. When Niko transforms his desk into a black piggie, it is all she can do not to gape. She turns her gaze toward Alphard, fearing he'll practically be choked with rage. Thankfully for all involved, he appears quite at ease. Dismissive, even. "I /tried/ to tell you that before," Andromena insisted with a whine that was only /partly/ faked. "I know my stuff." Again, she keepsher mouth shut when it comes to himself and Niko. No way she was going to tell Alphard that he sort of just…oh, never mind.

"Well considering he stuck within the rules of the assignment, I would more say he did a better job. Your colouring is off for a pig." Seamus says casually as he puts his wand away for now. His deep blue eyes look to Alphard,"At least you managed to acquit yourself well enough." He says casually, as if it were a matter of indifference. "However, you really should have used actual colouring." His words lilt softly as he speaks.

Niko rubs his chin slowly, "Dunno, I think that I got the resemblance pretty close." he says with a small shrug, "Also your pig looked nothing like me, minus my clothing, and we all know that it isn't the clothing, but the heritage, that pig obviously, came from a house of black pigs, prize winning pigs I would say, top notch specimens." he says offering Alphard a warm smile, "Admit it, it was clever, just like yours, lets call it a draw Black." he says with a chuckle, even though it sounds like the words he is saying should be insulting, they actually sound rather pleasant, he picks his words very carefully, making sure though an underlining meaning could be hashed out, that he has plausible deniability.

"Well…I'm glad we succeeded," speaks Andromena in a whisper, because at that moment another student pair has reached the front of the class. The first of the two performs as expected: a nice, pink little pig, complete with curly cue tail. Their partner, however, fares less fortunatley. Sweat beading upon their brow, the young man utterly botches his wand technique and the pronunciation of the proper words. What next ensues shall be remembered for years to come.

The attack of the Lionpig.

It is a monstrous creature to behold! Some fey mix of lion and pig, it is mightily maned with a snout ull of razor sharp teeth. Stomping and thrashing its long tail about, it pierces the ears with its squealing roar before CHARGING at the innocent little Gryffpigs. (Whom it must be added, are being harrassed by the black pig). Andromena gives a shriek; bright crimson now stains her face - Alphard's too, if he's close at hand.

"Pigs are pigs whatever their colour, Cavenaugh. An inability to think outside the box is the mark of a very simple mind. You should work on that." All of it said while he smugly polished his nails against the collar of his grey school blazer. As always Alphard was immaculately put together, his uniform being a level of craftmanship and tailoring beyond the average Hogwartian. Dismissive though he had been initially, every word Niko uttered seemed to put a little more fire into his gaze, until it was burning with dark fury. "The more you hav-" and that was when the Lionpig came into existance.
SPLATTER. All of Alphard's beautiful clothes suddenly gone crimson as the poor lil Gryffpigs died a horrible death. Shocked only for a split second, the next his wand was aimed t it and shouting: "STUPEFY!" Because it was the first spell that came to mind after all these years in the Duelling club. PROTECT THE POOR GRYFFPIGS! HE HAD LABORED FOR DAYS ON THE PREPWORK FOR THAT SPELL!

"Impedimenta!" Seamus says as his wand flicks quickly, his spell coming off just as quickly as Alphard's, his own time in the dueling club quite evident. The blood and gore exploding all over doesn't seem to bug him at all. Probably because he's done muggle cooking methods. His deep blue eyes focus on Alphard,"And do please try and get my name right Black, it's Cavanaugh." He says with his wand out still.

Niko how had returned to idly spinning his wand between his fingers, waiting for Alphard response, before suddenly out of no where, a LIONPIG!?! And it is attacking his his pig! Snapping his wand to his palm again, he says "Flipendo!" with a flick of his wrist, looking between his fellow Duelers with a smile, "Well that was interesting." he says with a chuckle.

Three spells, cast almost at the same time, struck the Lionpig with varying strength in quick succession. Alphard's knocked it out a split second before Seamus' wrapped around it to keep it in place. Only Niko's would have none of that. Which had a very peculiar effect as the two spells' effects warred against each other: The stunned lionpig was thrown back, hurling head over heals through the air, but it did so in extreme slow-motion. The whole class stared at it, wide eyed.

"That will be all for today! You're dismissed early, with those of you who didn't perform the spell today will do so tomorrow." A pause. "Thank you, Denholm, Cavanaugh, Black. Very quick thinking and reacting."

Alphard barely paid attention to anything said as he watched the Lionpig keep floating and spinning. Then he raelized he was covered in blood from one of the butchered Gryffpigs. "Ew. Guh. This was my favorite tie!" Growling, he stalked off to get cleaned. "YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!" To the poor student who'd botched his tranfiguration spell to create the monstrosity.

Andromena was already running for the bathrooms.

Niko slips his wand inside his robes, picking up his things and watching as Alphard and Andromena leave covered in the crimson blood. The warm smile not on his face, he feels bad for both of them, his hand moves being his head as he carries his things out of the class, looking at the slow motion pig one last time, "Thank you for class Professor." he says as he heads out, "So we agreed on a draw?" he says towards Alphard, though he is sure he isn't going to pay him any mind.

Alphard kept going, ignoring Niko, ignoring everything and everyone except the fact that he was covered in pigs blood.

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