This lesson contains a PRACTICAL assignment. Please remain in character. Any out of character comments should be put behind spoiler tags! ** This lesson was written by of Slytherin - she has been awarded 75 House Points!

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Lenore Addlebourne of Slytherin House, sitting near the back of the classroom, seems hardly to need to think before the spark in her eyes shows that she's come up with the perfect bird. Stepping lightly down from her seat she walks toward the box up front, conscious of the way she moves. She thought of herself as graceful even though others (her sister mostly) usually called her 'prissy.' Sometimes she wondered which it was. Sometimes she didn't care. As she began to sort through the items in the box the search took the thought from her mind altogether. After a few moments she frowned and looked up. Stepping aside to let the next student have a chance at an item, she raised her hand.

"Professor Norman? Would it be alright if I used an object of my own for the spell?"

Merlin was excited about the assignment, and the idea of turning an object into a bird was something he simply loved. So he went to grab an item from the table and picked a wodden small goblet and went back to his seat. He already knew what bird he would like to turn the item into, so he concentrated and said a bit too quickly. "Avifoors!" Nothing happened to the object except it shift a little its position. "Hum..I think I said the spell wrong." He remembered how the professor pronounced it and tried again. "Ahh-vi-forss" Once again the object didn't turn into a bird and Merlin frowned- he was always good with charms so he tried again with a bit more calm and less anxiety. "Ah-vi-fors" It was then that his goblet begin to change into a beautiful falcon.

"I did it professor!" He had a wide smile on his lips. "This is a Merlin falcon, and I chose this bird because it was after it that I was named unlike what most people believe that I was named after the famous, legendary wizard Merlin. This is my mother's favorite bird and it reminds her of her childhood where this birds were common around her home."

Merlin Pendragon, Slytherin

~Lee, House Slytherin

Magnus put his hand in the air... "So do you think o' the bird you want? Or do it just pick you?"

Outfit Not Found Ariadne Davenport -- Hufflepuff

Ariadne excitedly pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket. She knew exactly what she wanted to turn it into--an owl! She had always loved owls. Their grace and beauty, their incredible agility, and their ability to make no sound. Her dad had always said that a twinkle came into her eyes when she saw the magnificent beasts.

She smoothed her handkerchief out on the desk, trying to remove the wrinkles out of it as she was afraid her owl's feathers would turn out a little bit rumpled. After about five minutes of this, she gave it up as a bad job and pulled out her wand. She poked it with the tip whispering, "Ahvifoors."

The cloth square twitched and flipped a corner up, but other wise didn't move. It just lay there, looking innocently meek.

Ariadne decided to try again. She waved her arms a little bit, shaking back the sleeves of her robes and waving her wand a little more vigorously. She took a few deep steadying breaths as she did her best to focus on the type of owl she was trying to turn it into.

"AH-fi-voors!" she said, loudly and more confidently.

This time the handkerchief twisted and turned. The center raised up blobbily, becoming strangely oblong. The corners swirled, the threads pulling themselves free of the hem and sticking out at odd angles at they became brown and knobbly. The weird lump had split into two and begun to solidify and turn tan. After a few moments of struggling, the product of her spell stopped moving, and it was certainly NOT a bird...

It was a nest, with two eggs inside.

Ariadne look abashed at her failed attempt and raised her hand.

"Professor," she said, looking back down at the nest, "my birds appears to be a little--er--premature?"

Vivian sighed and dutifully walked up to the box. Birds were lucky. Birds were free. Birds could go wherever they wanted. She felt like a caged bird, so maybe she could make one of those? But that just made her feel sad, because it wasn't the bird's fault she was miserable. She'd figure something out. Maybe a gloomy bird, like a...a crow or vulture. Yeah. She smirked at herself a little. Put the angst away and focus!

Reaching into the box, she pulled out a lovely antique. It reminded her of one her mother had back in their home in the foothills of the Grampian Mountains of Scotland. Back when she was happy.

She took it back to her seat, cradling its heavy weight in her hand and running her thumb over the scroll work surrounding the glass. Putting it on the desk in front of her, she closed her eyes and tried to settle her mind, but the thought of changing shape and going home to the mountains kept intruding. Perhaps that is why when she tapped the mirror with her wand and whispered, "Ah-vi-fors", what popped into existence was not a proper bird but an occamy!

It looked up at her and blinked sleepily. It was still small, the size of a half-grown cat perhaps, but any minute it could grow to the size of the room! Gods! The student next Viv gasped and the occamy whipped its head to stare at him in shock. Quickly, Viv threw her hat over the occamy before it grew in response to perceived threat. She stared down at her hazel wand, wondering what a blue and green occamy that used to be a mirror would become if became a bird, while keeping a firm hand on the hat. Then she smiled slightly at the irony. "Of course," she said aloud, and readied herself. It would have to be done quickly and correctly. She would only have a moment.

Viv raised her wand, had the image of her bird firmly in mind, and whisked the hat off the occamy. Before it could react, she tapped its head and sternly intoned, "AH-vi-fors!" With a slight pop! the occamy blinked out of existence and was replaced by a resplendent peacock, which blinked at her in much the same sleepy way the occamy had, while its plumage trailed over the desk. "You'll do, I suppose." She fed it some of the biscuit she kept in a pocket for Stavia.

Charlotte Buttons (Fable), Slytherin

She walked up to where the box sat and waited her turn to take an item. She was surprised to see many students using there own items, as well as at the speed they dashed to get started. 'Perhaps she wasn't the only one excited!' she thought as she sifted around the remaining items for something that caught her fancy. Laying in the bottom of the box she saw a bit of silver. Digging down to it she produced a wee key.

Lee had a odd card sitting in front of him and a furrowed brow. He was clearly in his "zone". This made her smile, 'He looks so serious!' she thought. She sat down and started to prepare her things. She decided to make notes on her progress. She took out her ink and quill setting it next to her writing hand, which just happened to be the middle of the desk, she moved her bag down a bit and set the key in front of her. 

A peep and a scritch brought her attention back to her side. There stood a little brown bird. It didn't seem to have much in the wing department but an adorable little face. She leaned in to look at it. The little critter rubbed her nose with its long beak. It smelled like...fruit. 'Where have I smelled this before?' she thought. She picked up the little bird gently and smelled it again. The bird seemed to like it as it nuzzled her back. Finally she had her "Aha!" moment. "Oh my gosh! You smell like kiwi!" she looked at the little bird who had at that point taken an interest in her sparkly necklace and was chomping on it.

Charlotte set it back down on the desk. She looked over wanting to show Lee but he was...having issues. She folded her arms and laid her chin on them so she could be at the birds level to observe it. It waddled around, preened a bit, when the oddest thing happened. It laid...something. The bird didn't seem distressed its attention was on her open bag and the treasures inside. She slowly picked up the "egg" and upon realizing what it was giggled. It had laid a kiwi fruit! She looked back down at her new friend, who was now using her purse as a nest. She was determined to keep her. What better then a Kiwi bird that actually laid fruit after its namesake? 

She noticed she wasn't the only one trying to sneak out there "creation" the teacher hadn't said anything about not taking it with them, luckily hers was smaller and less dangerous then some of her other classmates. She quickly picked up her bag, kiwi bird inside and walked out with Lee as if she was doing nothing wrong. The teacher clearly had his attention on the other students anyway.

Poppy thanked Professor Norman as she thoughtfully selected a Foxglove from the box. She loved his lessons, as well as some of the similarly structured Transfigurations classes. Poppy was glad there had been blooms in "Santa's" box of items. She knew exactly what bird she wanted to conjure, and flowers were important for her charm. [img align=right]https://i.imgur.com/vtwIdPr.png[/img] "AH-vi-fors," she said clearly as she tapped the blossoms delicately with her wand. Poppy was delighted when a Hummingbird appeared in their place. She adored them not only because they were tiny and pretty, but they pollinated their environments and helped things grow.

Poppy, Slytherin

Well I'm a very new student( maybe not a student but hope to be of Ravenclaw)
I am positive I can do this. Turn an object into a bird. Easy!
Grabs the closest item..... and flicks her wand like a pro.
Ah-vi- ah- ah- ah chooo sniffiles all of these flowers are causing my allergies to act up.
I feel a little strange. Ohh noo I turned myself into a bird!!!! Maybe I can hide with all the items that now look like birds.

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Keet listened intently to Professor Norman's explanation, growing more excited as she watched him turn his item into a cardinal. Birds were Keet's favorite creatures, so she was highly interested in this charm. Luckily, charms usually came naturally to her, although sometimes her nerves could affect them. She walked eagerly up to the box of items at the front of the class, looking for something that felt personal to her. She spotted a cap covered in Lilies of the Valley, which had been her grandma's favorite flower. Sadly, Keet's grandma had passed away several years ago, and they had been very close. Keet reached into the box and reverently pulled out the cap, then took it back to her seat.

Placing the cap on the desk in front of her, Keet tried to decide what bird to focus on. This was a difficult choice! Keet loved all birds, after all. First she thought of a fwooper, like her dear pet Disco... but then decided that could be dangerous. What if she couldn't silence it in time and it drove the other students mad? No, not a fwooper. She thought of her home when she lived in the states, and some of the birds that she saw when she attended Ilvermorny. Hummingbirds had always been her favorite, and they were native only to the Americas. It would be a long time otherwise before she saw one again. She smiled. Yes, a ruby throated hummingbird. Keet focused her mind clearly on a hummingbird. Gently, she tapped the cap with her wand and spoke slightly nervously "Ahhh-vi-fors." The cap vibrated slightly, but did nothing more. "I have to be more confident," she thought. Remembering how Professor Norman had pronounced the spell, she resolved to try again. Concentrating on the hummingbird, she tapped the cap with her wand, this time speaking more confidently, "AH-vi-fors." The cap started to shrink and change shape, and in a moment, there hovered a beautiful, iridescent, male ruby throated hummingbird. Keet beamed, "Look Professor, a hummingbird!"

Keet, Ravenclaw

((Aria Quin Lee from Gryffindor here.))

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Lenore waits as other students ask questions then sighs and pulls some parchment off the table. She does what she always does when in doubt: exactly what she feel like. Taking some green-black ink she sits down at a desk and begins to write.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

Her quill continues scratching for quite some time before she sits up and with a dramatic final dot of ink she finishes. She looks at the parchment for a few minutes seemingly lost in her own mind then brings herself back into focus. She takes her new poem, accidentally smudging the ink on the second line, and retreats to a quiet corner near a window. Though socially awkward, Lenore has always been confident in her solo abilities and sets her parchment on the floor, taps it lightly with her wand and says quietly but clearly “AH-vi-fors.” With a white light the parchment changes neatly into a raven.

It seems to have one dead eye which must be due to the ink smudge. Lenore shrugs. It kind of adds to the look.

"I chose to create an item with special meaning to me. It's the poem that I was named for. Oddly enough it was written by a muggle but my Mum didn't know that at the time. Since the poem is called the Raven, which is a bird I've grown fond of, that's what I chose for my transformation."

The raven stretches its large wings, showing dark shiny green-black feathers underneath.

"Oh! That's an interesting feature. I guess we won't mistake him when he flies overhead."

Cassia rifled through the box until she found something close to what she wanted: . Returning to her desk, she set the talon in front of her and tried visualizing herself in the dark forest on the grounds of Durmstrang. "ah-vi-FORS" she said, flinching at the last second as the squawk of someone's newly formed bird broke her concentration. The talon began vibrating violently and grew suddenly and forcefully, transforming not into a kestrel, as Cassia had intended, but rather a harpy. As the angry creature took wing, Cassia shrieked and dove under the desk. "Professor!! Help!!!"

Lazuli, Ravenclaw

Kyros thought little of what bird he should summon - the exact idea had come to his mind as soon as he saw the professor summon his cardinal. He was about to ask whether he could use his own item when another student asked so beforehand, a small smile coming to his face when he learned he could. Quickly taking an empty parchment from his backpack, he began to draw on it as quickly - but still careful - as he could.

A sketch. I think it's enough. With a firm grasp on his wand, he made the necessary gestures before pronouncing “AH-vi-fors” as clearly as he could. The sketch shone with bright white light, and Kyros smiled at what seemed like a perfect spell... When suddenly black feathers blew everywhere, covering him entirely.

"Why??? Why it didn't work?? Was it the sketch???" With a quick flick of his wand, Kyros cleaned himself of the black feathers, but not of his annoyed expression. How could he not do that immediately? He created that exact same bird the first time he touched a wand! Almost angrily, he turned back to the now neat pile of feathers and once again exclaimed “AH-vi-fors” with renewed effort, the clear memory of the incident in his mind. The feathers shone in the same white light and he prepared for another clean-up... Only this time, instead of a feathery explosion, a big, sharp-eyed raven stared at back him.

"Finally! And... Wow. You're big!" Kyros approached the raven respectfully, allowing the bird to become acquainted with his presence before petting a few of its smooth feathers. He entertained himself that way until Professor Norman arrived to check on his progress. "Ravens are my favorite birds. They made nests near my old house, and I could see them from the window of my room at nightfall. They seemed so free... Later, I learned they were smart animals and dangerous predators, and that made me like them even more. They can adapt to almost anything, and that's a skill I'd like to have." The boy explained to his teacher, hoping this would be a fine answer for the assignment.

Kyros Riven - Slytherin

[img align=left]https://sapi.subeta.net/shared/149193.png[/img] Luck took a ribbon from the box and went back to her seat with it. When she thought of a bird, she smiled, and said, "lovely." She took her wand and attempted to cast the spell. "Avifors," she said. When nothing happened, she looked around, wondering if there was a delay. Some other students already had birds appearing, so she figured she did it wrong. She tried pronouncing it another way while waving her wand at the ribbon. With that, the ribbon started to transform into a bird. A tufted titmouse appeared on the desk in front of her. The sight of it caused a huge smile to spread across her face. The bird was so cute; it was small, round, and very lovely. She chose this bird because it was so pleasant and always made her smile.

Luck, Hufflepuff.

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Peng Li, Ravenclaw

A bird...

Peng looks around to see everyone has choosen pretty birds, elegant birds... but Peng is named after a less elegant bird...

This isn't the only reason Peng choose this bird, its a very determined and loyal bird and lets nothing stand in its way, and Peng likes to think she is like that (although she is a push over!)

Peng lifted her from her backpack and quitely said "ah-vi-fors" while waving her wand!

with a bright glow her doll came to life and waddled proudly around the room...

just the way emperor penguins do ❤️