[b]Jetipster Noah Cooper - Transfiguration[/b] - Character Connections [b]Bex - Herbology[/b] Noah has known Bex since first year, most of which was spent avoiding her after their potions class went up in flames for the second time. It was only when they were assigned as greenhouse partners in second year that the most unexpected friendship began. Noah was tending their mandrake project, in protective earmuffs, when Bex scared the life out of him with a tap on the shoulder. Visibly upset, she somehow reminded him of his young sister when surrounded by plants and he made his best attempt to take her mind off things by pottering together around the greenhouses and quizzing one another on herbology facts, before finally ending in a hilarious leaping toadstool race. The next 5 years were spent as the gardening dream team, Noah making sure Bex revised for her other subjects and her forcing him to actually let his hair down occasionally. She’s also the mastermind behind his Christmas pool party but he has always maintained his distance from her pranks. His prefecture was also a boon for Hufflepuffs, with far fewer pranks played upon them, well from Slytherin at least. Despite his parents’ disapproval of their friendship, it was their one wish that he rebelled against and they’ve since come around to like her, with Noah’s sister, now an herbologist herself, frequently inviting Bex over to her nursery and florist. They have since holidayed together and Noah’s left wrist is home to a drunkenly decided upon tattoo of a leaping toadstool that proceeds to hop around his arm in Bex’s presence. He cannot wait to teach alongside her but has his concerns around her being on the other side of the desk… [b]Thomas - DADA[/b] Noah and Thomas first met in a small wooden boat as is crossed the Great Lake, but they wouldn't speak until 2 months later when they realised they had both become semi-permanent residents of the library. From then on a friendship was struck despite the house difference, Noah finding a fascination in Thomas' explanation of Muggle technology and Thomas finding equal awe in Noah's revelations about the wizarding world. Remaining friends throughout their years at Hogwarts, they visited one another's family homes and supported one another through both exam seasons. However, since working at the Ministry they have grown apart, empty promises of 'we need to grab a butterbeer soon' and 'you should come round for dinner sometime', flitting between them as their work constantly keeps them in separate locales. [b]Devin - CoMC[/b] Noah was initially in awe at the level of intuition Devin had when it came to magical creatures and probably wouldn’t have his Exceeds Expectations O.W.L. were it not for his housemate. To this day Devin is the only person Noah’s pet Kneazle, Minerva, has ever immediately taken a liking to, surprising everyone in the Cooper household. In return Noah helped Devin with transfiguration, undoing many failed practice attempts. Whilst good friends at school, both their jobs kept them estranged, apart from one chance fleeting meeting in New York, crossing paths as Noah headed back to the UK and Devin out to the Great Plains to advise on Jackalope migrations. He’s looking forward to catching up and hearing all about his school friend’s adventures. [b]Elliot - HoM[/b] Noah was ecstatic to find out he was at school with a Fortescue - a descendant of a previous headmaster. Well, that and he prided himself on having tried every ice cream flavour over the years, trips to try new releases have become a tradition with his father. Yet they didn’t even speak until Elliot happened to join his and Thomas’ usual spot in the library and strike up a hushed conversation. Whilst initially glad for Elliot’s expansive knowledge of history, Noah’s least favourite subject, he soon found himself crushing on the dark-eyed Ravenclaw, but too cowardly to act upon it, especially not after the dung-kiss of fourth year. Not even in their fifth year at the bonfire, he’d been dragged to, despite being a newly chosen prefect, did he make a move. It was only in the steam and tipsy revels of their Christmas pool party after bemoaning the lack of alchemy that they finally kissed. The outgoing Ravenclaw and the stoic Hufflepuff, seemed often to be in the wrong houses when together, but had a fling throughout their last year and a half at Hogwarts. They mutually agreed it could never work after graduation as Elliot left for his travels straight away. They’ve met up when they happen to be in the same country, the catch-up more oft than not resulting in too much drink and a shared bed. It’s been a while though and Noah thought he had gotten over his feelings... But with the prospect of them working closely together at Hogwarts has dredged up many memories and emotions he thought he had put aside. [b]Dragana - Astronomy[/b] Noah has never warmed to Dragana, her fierceness on the Quidditch pitch and stories of her family leading him to avoid her. He envied her naturally gifts for, and extensive experience of, astronomy, something he’d had little exposure to growing up in light-polluted cities, but his caution turned to distaste after he accidentally fell foul to a dungbomb of hers in their fourth year. The situation was made even worse whereby, whilst covered in a fetid odour he encountered a remaining patch of her rogue kiss-istletoe and was forced to kiss his secret crush Elliot whilst trying not to heave. Whilst not the target of either prank Dragana had the cheek to blame him for ruining her prank that had been ordered by someone else to hit the librarian. He then made it his personal mission as a prefect to try and foil her schemes and black book dealings, albeit with very little success. He is [b]not[/b] looking forward to having to work with her. [b]Naia - Charms[/b] Noah knows Naia mostly as a pain in his backside from his prefect years - frequently catching her and her motley crew sneaking around at night. Their most memorable encounter was him finding her loitering outside the Hufflepuff common room in a large hat, this time actually waiting for Noah to find her. She had transfigured her hair into sparkling bioluminescence that was actually rather impressive in the dark of the kitchens. But she quickly explained that whilst unnoticeable during the day it was keeping both her and her roommates awake at night. Noah gladly agreed to untransfigure her hair on the condition that her nighttime escapades avoided the corridors he patrolled. The last he heard of her was overhearing some gossip about her being a curse-breaker whilst he was on a joint venture with the Office for the Removal of Curses, Jinxes, and Hexes.