Somebody's got a case of the Mondays ((Closed RP))

[dinosaurman]

It was a Monday afternoon. Not that Monday was much different than any other day, since taking care of the magical creatures was a daily task. This Monday afternoon was dragging, though, and having already taken care of the major chores, there was nothing for the COMC professor to do that couldn't wait until tomorrow. So Grant picked up a pen

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[wh0_kill3d_m3]

Laura scribbled a reply and attached it to Waldo's leg.

Alan,

No, but I can ask around Hufflepuff while I'm on my way there to sneak some smoochies, if you like. See you in 10?

Laura

[dinosaurman]

Grant returned the bird with a note, knowing it would find her even if she'd already left.

In that case, ask them to come by later. I do have a serious question, though. Prepare to be slightly inconvenienced until after I've asked it.

[wh0_kill3d_m3]

Laura tapped on the door of Grant's office, then peeked in.

"Inconvenience is fine, as long as there's a reward for my patience," she said. "What's on your mind?"

[dinosaurman]

"I'll send the house elf out now. We'll be done by the time he gets back." Grant's personal house elf knew their mutual love of good scotch.

The office was cramped, so Grant pulled his chair around so they could talk without the desk being in the way. "I'm thinking of teaching a class on thestrals. Have you heard of them?" he asked.

[wh0_kill3d_m3]

She dropped into the visitor's chair and tilted her head. "Thestrals. Those are those skinny horsey black things that you exercise in the south field, right?"

[dinosaurman]

"Yes, those. Did you know that you can't see them unless you've seen somebody die?" He wasn't surprised that Laura could see them.

"They're invisible to everyone else. The school used to use them to pull carriages from the train to the castle, and most people believed that the carriages were enchanted." Now, of course, the sorting room had made them extinct obsolete.

"Would you want to learn about an animal that you either can't see, or that might remind you of a traumatic experience?"

[wh0_kill3d_m3]

Laura blinked. "I had no idea. They were always just there."

She twirled a lock of hair around a finger as she thought.

"Good question. I don't think I'd mind, but I can see where somebody else could have an issue. The big thing is, I wouldn't want it just sprung on me with no warning, I think. Maybe you could put some kind of note on the sign-up sheet, that there could be trauma triggers in the subject material?"

[dinosaurman]

He nodded. "I thought they were just there, too."

Grant reached over to the desk and picked up a stack of fliers. "I was thinking about something like that. I just wasn't sure if teaching about them was a bad idea all around, and I was letting my own interest overcome common sense."

He made a note on the top flier, then held it up for Laura's inspection. Disclaimer: By nature of the animal, only people who have witnessed death can see this creature. Students should take this into consideration before signing up for class.

[wh0_kill3d_m3]

She nodded. "Yeah, like that. Good thing students can opt in or out of a class here, as opposed to a more usual school."

She handed the flier back to Grant. "Does it go both ways? I mean, can they see us? Interact with us, whether or not we've seen death?"

[dinosaurman]

"From what I've read, they can. They're considered to be a bad omen, and given the circumstances I'm guessing that nobody's been willing to do controlled experiments on what exactly it takes to see one. I'll bet that many encounters with them get written off as poltergeists."

He set the fliers back on the desk. He'd correct the rest of them later. "If you're feeling really adventurous, you can ride one."