Still Rowan's POV

I turned around and for the first time in a very long time, I smiled a big genuine smile. 

I grabbed him in a bear hug. "Luke, I missed you" I said while slightly muffled as I was still hugging him. 

"So would any reasonable person, squirrel" he said to me as I released him. "And don't you think you should be paying attention, I heard we're doing some crazy things this year" 

I heard the chit chat of the other students die down as our professor stepped out of the forest 

"Shut up you lot, follow me but don't touch anything unless you want to lose an arm" and with that she walked back into the forest, trusting us to follow, which of course we did. 

I suddenly got an idea. 

I looked over at Luke. "Ro, don't do it, i know what your thinking, do-" but I was already 20 ft up the nearest tree. 

I watched him mumble something under his breath and knowing him it wasn't very PG. 

Ieapt between the the tree branches, easily keeping up with the group. I eventually got bored with only keeping up. 

I disregarded the looks Luke was giving me and I quickened my pace. I finally arrived at the meadow where classes were always held. When I saw what the first lesson was I nearly fell out of the tree. 

"Oh my God" I whispered as I looked at the wide array of creatures in the meadows.

"Rowan, get down from there" Called Professor Harvell. 

I obliged and jumped from my branch and rolling so I don't break something. 

"Your so extra" Luke said. 

"Says the guy with the lip piercing" I retorted. 

"Touché" he said. 

"And your going to freak when you see what today's lesson is about" I warned him.

"What do y-" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw the inhabitants in the field. 

"As you all know, this is an advanced class" Professor Harvell started and everyone fell silent. "This year we will be doing something very special as we are having some guests later in the year. I will be assigning each of of a beast to care for and study this year. We will also be partnering up later in the year with the Hogwarts students so make sure to acclimate your beasts quickly." she paused for a second. "Be warned, all of these beasts are dangerous so be careful." and with that she started to call out names.

"Luke Amarith, griffon" Luke set off into the field, searching for the griffon.

she continued down the line until she called mine. 

"Rowan Woods, Thunderbird" I blinked, a Thunderbird, those things are one of the hardest to both find and capture creatures in the known world. How the heck did they get one, and did my professor loose her mind over break

I then realized I had been zoning out and set off into the large meadow. The Thunderbird wasn't exactly hard to find, as its feathers were golden in the sunlight.

As I approached her I debated the best way to go about not getting killed. 

She studied me with piercing gray eyes. The exact color of the sky before a storm. 

I decided to just go for it. I didn't have much to lose, other than my hand.

I cautiously put my hand out. She glared at my hand and backed away from me, i remained where i was , knowing better than to aggravate her. She didn't seem pleased with that decision and snapped at my hand, i quickly backed away. She glared at my hand with her piercing eyes as my heart thumped in its chest. 

I heard a bell ring and I began to walk back to the school, this was going to be a very long year.