Ancient Runes Lesson 1 - Identifying Runic Wards

[Zoe]

If you saw the notice for Monday's Ancient Runes lesson, then you knew that getting ready and heading to class earlier than normal was the smart thing to do. Being the middle of February, the temperature outside was not forgiving. Though the sun was occasionally peeking through they grey clouds, the air was bitter cold. Wearing the proper outdoor attire for winter and an insulation charm, however, would take care of that problem. But what in Merlin's beard was the headmistress thinking for holding the class all the way down at the Entrance Gate?!

Even though the path from the castle all the way down to the gates had been mostly cleared, the occasional snow drift and ice patch prove to be a bit of an obstacle, testing your attentiveness and balance. If you so happen to slip and fall, perhaps this will make you appreciate those thestral-drawn carriages that take you from the castle to the train station or Hogsmeade more. Best get back up on your own two feet continue the long trek on the path between the trees. There isn't much time for any dillying or dallying.

Soon enough the wrought iron gates, coated in ice, comes into view. The familiar winged boars await atop the two columns in their full glory, granted it is their backside that is facing you. Leaning against one of the columns is where you can find Headmistress Hawthorne, clothed in a rather fluffy ensemble. In spite of the cold air, there was something about her stature that is giving off the vibe that she is pleased to be outside of the castle for a change.

Hearing the snow crunching beneath your feet, the woman's head turns and greets you with a smile. "Good morning," she says, making a motion for you to come closer toward her and the gate. "We will be starting in a few minutes. Notebooks and writing utensils will be needed." After that nothing more was said, still leaving you wondering why the Entrance Gate had to be the location for this Ancient Runes lesson.

OOC: Take note that this is NOT the first Ancient Runes lesson your character has had with the headmistress this term. Also, please familiarize yourself with the classroom rules before posting. The lesson will continue in roughly 24-36 hours. The lesson is in session. Feel free to jump in!

Text Cut: Lesson Progression

• Arrivals
• Question #1 (What are runic wards, and why would someone want to use them?)
• Question #2 (What do you notice about the ward? Is there a rune you can identify? Why is it is part of this ward?)
• Mini-Activity (Go to one of the tables, select an item, and make the runic ward appear with SpeRevelio.)
• Main Activity (Write down your observations about the ward, then go to another table and repeat the same process.)

[sarahlooo]

Bundled up in nearly half of the clothing that she owned, Natalie crunched through the snow ALL the way down to the Entrance Gate (MERLIN KNEW WHY) for Ancient Runes class. And considering that this was one of Natalie's least favorite classes, it was wondered WHY she was one of the very first students there. She had taken the call to leave early rather seriously.

Slowing down near the gate, Natalie looked behind her to see if other students were coming. Then she looked at the Headmistress... and her SUPER snazzy outfit. Damn. "You look wicked cool," she said on impulse, then added a quick, "ma'am," for... properness.

Natalie herself was wearing TWO pairs of thick stockings, snow boots, her uniform with an extra heavy scarf, her biggest winter coat and a furry pair of gloves, looking like a very large, mismatched marshmallow with long brown hair under a pink hat. It didn't match, but she was warmer than usual. For now.

[debpetrisor]

When Daehyun had first seen the notice that their next class would be held at the entrance gates, he hadn't been all that fond of the idea. He'd have a long way to get there through the cold, but as soon as he'd stepped outside the castle, all bundled up, most of his face buried in a scarf, and a beanie keeping his ears from freezing off, he felt rather excited. Since the headmistress wanted them all the way out there, maybe there were some runes by the entrance gates that they would study? How cool would that be?

Slipping here and there on the way to the gates, he'd finally made it without falling or breaking any limbs. Nodding in greeting, he said, "Good morning," although it had all come out muffled, since he'd buried his face nearly up to his eyes in the scarf he wore. Everything he would need to take notes was in the bag dangling from his shoulder, but he wasn't going to take anything out just yet. He'd keep his hands in the pockets of his jacket where it was nice and warm.

[Pucki]

The cold air was invigorating.

Also Shera couldn't feel her face despite being bundled up in a scarf, beanie and gloves. Beyond that she had on two pairs of stockings with socks underneath, massive snow boots and a surprisingly thin cloak that had a heating charm on it to keep her nice and warm. She wasn't used to the cold and probably would never be. But hey, she was still enjoying it... That was until she stepped on a slippery bit of ice left on the road and face planted on the ground. It took her brain about 10 seconds to catch up with the fact that she was now on the ground instead of walking and when she did she burst into a fit of giggles.

So much for Daehyun being the clumsy one.

Jumping back up on her feet she very carefully walked over to the other students that were starting to form around the head mistress. She looked as beautiful and regal as ever, and not at all bothered by the cold. Unlike Shera. "Morning Professor, how are you?"

Writing things required? Ok... Shera felt like she was going to struggle to write with her snow gloves on but. She'd try?

Slowly she pulled out her materials. Just in case she needed to write something early on. It was Ancient Runes so she had a feeling that that would be the case....

[Waterloo]

This whole having classes outside in the middle of winter thing was getting silly now. And he would've thought the Headmistress of ALL people would be smarter than that. Did she want everyone catching a cold!?

Max shoved his gloved hands in the pockets of his winter coat to try and warm them up some more as he trudged slowly down the path towards the entrance gates. Not only did he have gloves, he was also sporting a Slytherin scarf and the skull and crossbones beanie from Muggle Studies. At least it had come in handy.

When he reached the small group that had started to form, Max came to a halt and nodded in greeting to the Headmistress. Her hat looked warmer than his.

[Bazinga]

Fashion was truly something the Headmistress knew and one of the reasons Zita loved to be around her. If she could have even just one hour in the headmistress's closet she would be in a world of pure joy. The weather was horrible and Zita had come quietly down, though she had her warm cloak on and her heating charm to stay nice and toasty. Her eyes glanced around for who was around and she gave Maxton a little wave.

Joining the small group that had started to form she just looked at the gates for a moment, even in her fourth year the castle and all around it was still gorgeous this time of year. The snow sitting in just the right places. "Interesting setting for our lesson today Headmistress." Not her favorite subject, but the woman had her attention.

[DaniDiNardo]

The Fifth Year wasn't that excited to be heading out to the gates. She didn't know if anyone really took notice but....very rarely did the Ravenclaw make the decision to trek outside the castle--and that was on days of good weather. It was safe to say that given the choice, Jessa Cambridge was not necessarily an outdoors person.

No complaints or anything though, because she did venture outside when it was where her friends preferred to be--and if she had need to be outside for an experiment--but she wasn't exactly skipping on the way either.

The slippery snow covered ground wasn't much incentive either.

Jessa walked a steady pace, lagging behind her classmates by a few feet. The cold, crisp winter air was THE last thing she needed in her lungs to trigger her asthma. Walking too fast and exasperating her breathing was only fanning a fire she had no intention of setting in the first place. "Morning Headmistress." She greeted, finally coming to a stop within the group.

It wasn't very often that she got a look at the school gates. Did anyone even walk out here when they weren't entering or leaving the school?

[lazykitty]

Ronan had to roll his eyes at the students who weren't even bothering to use a melting charm on the path and were instead slipping and sliding in the snow. Then again, maybe that type of thoughtfulness was something that came with age?

Anyway, he safely reached the gates and joined his classmates thanks to his use of the melting charm. "Morning, headmistress." Now, why were they at the gates? Were there runes there? Or were they carving runes into them? He started examing the gates for anything he hadn't noticed before, curious.

[hermionegold]

By this time of the year, Night thought she'd seen it all, but she had no idea why she was forced to do Ancient Runes in the snow. Maybe they would be carving symbols into the ground, and the snow made that easier to do that with? She nodded hello to the headmistress and pulled her scarf tighter around her face.

[siriusblackliveson]

There was only so much outside weather that Patrick could handle before he either got a cold or ended up a popsicle. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to these bitter cold winters. Sure it got cold in Kentucky, but usually it was minor and over by this time of year. Pulling his jacket closer to his body he trudged on the snow covered walkway as he headed toward the entrance gates. Why on earth would Headmistress have class out here?

Approaching, he noticed her outfit and was slightly surprised to find himself highly intimidated by the garb. The headmistress looked intimidating on a good day, allow her to put on something like this and she looked like she was going to tell them to go for a run. He wasn’t so sure that he was prepared for this kind of outing. “Hello Headmistress.” Grabbing his small notepad he kept for outdoor classes and his pen he awaited further instructions, and hopefully a friend who could make sure he didn’t screw up a rune lesson.

[Birchwoodmom]

Emmalyn clomped her way through the snow in her warmest coat and bright Hufflepuff scarf over her school attire. She wasn't exactly a fan of the cold, but her excitement over the class location was enough to make her smile.

"Good day, Headmistress." She greeted her with a grin and peeked out beyond the gates to see if anything was there. After a bit more glancing around, Emmalyn checked her bag for her notebook and pencil, glad to have remembered to pack a second set of warm gloves. The journey down to the gates had been rather slippery and her fall part way left her gloves covered in snow. She shook off her covered gloves and donned the dry pair. "Much better" she mumbled softly aloud. Satisfied that her fingers would not freeze and fall off, she readied herself for the class to begin.

[SilverTiger]

The walk out to the gates hadn’t been too bothersome for Stasya, not considering she’d gotten pretty good at maneuvering her way from the castle to the barns in the snow. Therefore, she felt like she knew all the tricks for avoiding slipping on the ice patches or falling into the snow banks. At least in theory. It was definitely a lot easier with the pathway mostly cleared, heating charms and an activated runestone in her coat pocket keeping her warmer than just the usual layers usually did. Normally she just used the charms, but she figured the headmistress would appreciate the runestone. The proof that she was still practicing her runes, that she was still the determined girl who refused to fail even if she was several inches taller than she’d been two years ago.

As she’d arrived at the gates, she had given the headmistress a smile picking a spot to stand near the edge of the group, not far from Jessa. “Good morning, Headmistress Hawthorne,” she added, her hand in her pocket wrapped around the runestone there. She’d get out her notebook once the lesson had begun

[Kolyander]

Taking the walk from her common room out to the gates had been quite the trek but not one that bothered her in the slightest. Getting to be outside for a lesson always brought a smile to her face even if there was snow on the ground. It was nothing that her warm winter clothes couldn't handle, explorers had to be able to handle all types of weather. Plus she had gotten pretty good at the use of heating charms lately with all the time she spent outside when she could.

Rylee was in good spirits, singing softly and skipping her way down to the pathway drawing closer to the gates where the lesson was being held. Not even when she slipped on a little unseen patch of ice that must have been under a bit of snow and landed on her bottom did her smile fade. Rather than be upset she rose to her feet laughing. It hadn't really hurt. Fixing her white knit hat on her head and tugging the strap of her bag up higher onto her shoulder she continued on, paying a bit more attention to where she was stepping now.

"Hello, Headmistress! I really like your hat and coat!" She wave giving the women a bright smile.

[PhoenixRising]

While Skylar LOVED Runes classes - Hawthorne made them interesting - she did question slightly about the location of the class today, considering it was the dead of winter. Not that it something terrible objectionable. For Merlin's Sake, she played quidditch in worse conditions than today, so really she was fine with the cold and the snow and ice. The Headmistress likely had her reasons for holding the class on the grounds today instead of the classroom; she usually didn't do things without purpose.

It was actually kind of fun slipping on the pathway to the entrance gates. Not falling because what kind of quidditch player would she be if she couldn't keep her balance, but just gently sliding along the path in the most graceful way possible. Her Mary-Jane flats actually made the sliding bit rather easy to accomplish.

Arriving at the gates, the sixth year was actually surprised to see quite a turnout already. Wait, she wasn't LATE, was she? A glance at her wristwatch, she sighed in relief. No, everyone else was simply early. "Morning, Headmistress," the Slytherin Captain grinned at the woman, appreciating her fashion choices very much. Not that she was underdressed in the slightest; oh no, she was plenty warm, thank you very much.

[Zoe]

Yes, she most certainly was happy to be outside of the castle's walls for a change. Anything that would separate herself from the clock pendulum and the writing in the second and basement corridors was taken advantage of, even if it meant facing the chill of winter. Regina only hoped that the change in scenery (the grounds instead of the classroom) was at least appreciated a little by those who were making their appearances bright and early.

Her eyebrow almost rose at the comment that came out of Natalie McKinley's mouth. The woman was internally highly amused by it. Regardless, the rather neutral smile remained on her face. "Thank you, Miss McKinley," the headmistress replied to the marshmallow Slytherin, still leaning against the column.

Soon enough, Daehyun Yoon made an appearance, along with Shera Ben-Ari and Maxton Carden. "Good morning, Mr. Yoon and Ms. Ben-Ari," she responded to the first years. "And I am doing quite well, Ms. Ben-Ari. Thank you for asking." As for Mr. Carden, Regina gave the too-cool-to-speak Slytherin a nod on return. She contemplated questioning the design of his hat, but a more vocal House-mater of his arrived and caught her attention.

Knowing that Zita Valla wasn't too keen on her subject, the comment she made was surprising but nonetheless welcomed. It wasn't every day the Entrance Gates was used for academic purposes. "Hopefully it'll get more interesting soon enough," the woman commented quickly before turning her gaze over to the others making their way down the path.

Jesse Cambridge, Ronan Carter, Amanda Dixon, Patrick Dooley, Emmalyn Walsh, and Stasya Dalgaard-Volkova all received cordial greetings -- mixtures of "good morning," "welcome," and even a "salutations" for additional flavour. She was grateful that they all had come to class in the proper attire and didn't decide to try fighting off hypothermia. Now, where were those notebooks?

Rylee Prichard was the next to grasp her attention. Naturally, the girl received a 'hello' for a greeting. As for the comment, Regina let the smile linger. First years were so precious. "And thank you, Miss Prichard."

When Skylar Diggory arrived, the headmistress returned the greeting with a smile and decided it was best not to comment on the girl's choice in footwear. They weren't exactly appropriate for the current outdoor conditions, but she was going to let the Slytherin Captain take care of herself. The sight of the girl glancing at her wristwatch caused Regina to look down at hers. Ten o'clock was steadily approaching, and the woman was not one to waste a single minute of her class time.

"Thank you all for being prompt and arriving here at the gates for today's class," the headmistress said the moment the hand on her watch struck ten, now standing upright. "As for why we are all here today, we are going to begin dabbling into some Curse-Breaking. Today's lesson will serve as more of an introduction. We will be diving deeper into this topic over the next few weeks." She paused to let that sink in before continuing.

"Let's start off by thinking about and responding to these questions: What are runic wards? Why would someone want to use them?" Regina was interested in seeing what they all knew before she probably overwhelmed them with information.

OOC: Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much for participating in our first role-played Ancient Runes lesson of the term. I am so excited that you are all here! If you have yet to post in this lesson and wish to do so, act like your character has been here the whole time ... unless you want your character to show up late, of course. ;)

To begin the lesson, Regina asked everyone what runic wards are and, essentially, what their purpose is. In your response, feel free to give the definition of a runic ward, state one of the types of wards, or give an example of how/why wards are used (whether right or wrong -- all responses are welcome). Please try not to repeat what someone else said, but you can definitely piggyback off of someone and add more/new information.

The lesson will continue in roughly 24-36 hours. Have fun!

[DaniDiNardo]

Okay, so, barely breathable air aside, this was starting to sound a hella lot like her kind of lesson.

Jessa perked up noticeable at the mention of wards and their uses, already knowing what SHE typically used them for. This may have been an introductory lesson, but the Ravenclaw had been using wards for well over a year now and they'd served her well. Granted, they'd only done her so much good when Professor Noble sacked her lab but to be fair, she'd hardly put them to good use. They were to repel students and that was easily achieved without going all out.

"They're basically.......like.....powerful magic that you can create by drawing lines or runes to anchor magic." That was the best way she could phrase it. "And can be used defensively. Some people have places they'd rather not have others going. With the use of effective wards you can pretty much keep anyone away.....or end up with a pile of corpses if they're too stubborn to leave."

Just saying. But that could've been fascinating too in it's own right. Determination vs. self preservation. Depending on the individual, the results would naturally vary. Huh. It wasn't a bad study--not one she'd pursue herself as she wasn't trying to get expelled but it was an interesting thought nonetheless.

"They're also good for concealment--in the same case of not wanting certain things found. With the right wards it can be virtually invisible." Which...when it came to the entrance of her new lab, was just the way she liked it.

"Oh!" She remembered. Yeah, she was excited about the topic, could anyone else tell? "If you've got magic corrupting the core of something over time. The right wards can counter it to make...say.....a hostile undead cat suddenly super friendly--hypothetically speaking, of course." Because the cat had not yet become hostile, so there was currently no need for wards.

[Waterloo]

Honestly, Max didn't know much about runic wards. And he really didn't want to give a wrong answer and embarrass himself in front of Headmistress Hawthorne of all people. The Ravenclaw Prefect seemed to know the subject well though, and he listened to her explanation attentively. These runic wards actually sounded kind of useful.

"So could be runic wards be used on something like a diary? To conceal what's written inside?" He figured these wards would be stronger than invisible ink which only needed a revealing charm to counter it.

[Birchwoodmom]

Thankful to have done her reading before class started, Emmalyn waited her turn before answering the first questions. "I think a runic ward is when you use runes to hold a spell to a solid surface. It helps to sort of lock the spell in place." At least that's what she could remember from her reading. She hoped it was correct. "I think there are three types, but I can't remember what they all are. Oh, I believe one is complex...or complicated. One of those C words."

She further thought about why someone would need to use a rune to lock a spell in place. It stood to reason that there would be powerful spells on the front gates. The students needed to be kept safe at Hogwarts and inside. If one of them decided to make a run for it, there would need to be a powerful enough spell to keep a well trained seventh year in.

"I guess you would use a runic ward to keep the spell there a long time. Don't spells lose their strength after awhile? Would a runic ward keep the spell strong as well?" She wondered just how long the spells on the gates had been there. Did the Headmistress have to refresh the spell every year?

[debpetrisor]

Curse breaking? Runic wards?!

Boy, was he excited!

Raising his hand, he said, "They make incredible shields, and I suppose mainly due to the difficulty that comes with deactivating them." He'd sure done his fair share of reading on this subject. "I'm not exactly sure how it's done, but by layering more runes, one on top of the other, you can confuse the intruders as to how many wards there are." But he decided to shut up right there, because the rest was a hazy mess in his head from a late night reading.

The magic behind the runic wards though... fine magic right there.

[Steelsheen]

Oh he's bundled up alright, heating charms to boot, but Scottish winters are a piece of work unto itself, and to keep his nose from frosting out entirely his scarf was wrapped pretty permanently around his head.

Until he has to talk, which is a drag because it means that nice heated cocoon he's got going is gonna be disrupted. Good thing his crush on the Headmistress outweighs certain creature comforts like not wanting his nose to freeze and fall off his face "Runic wards are two or more runes drawn together thereby combining their power to create a new type of spell. Runic wards can be simple, like just drawing a string of runes across in a line, or double, like drawing the lines of runes together in an angle. The more rune lines drawn together the more complex it can get. They said that the stones of Hogwarts Castle are imbued with runic wards, making it the most fortified places in the Wizarding World."

[Pucki]

Curse breaking?

That sounded exciting. But Shera was caught in-between, like usual this class was interesting and exciting but she had nothing that she could say. Runic wards. All she knew was that they were used to protect things. And that was also something that others had already said. How were they made? Shera hadn't had the faintest idea, but it seemed that other students had also already answered that making Shera's head spin.

She sighed lightly, resigning herself to not knowing anything. There was nothing that she could add without making herself look stupid. Or... was there?

"Well.. Gringotts uses a bunch of different types of wards to make sure it is fortified and protected," she offered softly, just hoping that they also used runic wards.

[Lissy Longbottom]

Scarlett really didn't want to try and learn anything new, when her brain was already exploding with NEWT information. Surprisingly though, runic wands sounded...interesting. She had always wondered what purpose Runes served besides, like, translating things (which was one of her weakest subjects, ugh). She had to flip through her textbook for a few minutes until she found the section, reading it over quickly. Although, the answer wasn't as cut and dry as she wanted, ugh.

She raised her hand. "Are runic wands something where you add a rune to a wand to increase its power?" she suggested. That seemed to be the gist of it based off her scanning.

[PhoenixRising]

Yes, perhaps her choice of footwear might not have appeared appropriate, but what the headmistress didn't know was that she naturally took proper precautions to ensure her feet were nice and toasty. It wasn't as if she was new to magic and she was well adept in charms in making sure she could wear what she wanted, when she wanted.

Also, the Slytherin Captain DEFINITELY lit up at the mention of curse-breaking, given that it was on her lengthy list of possible post-Hogwarts careers. So the fact that they might be dabbling in it, had her curious with anticipation.

"Protection and concealment, security measures, a complicated serious of curses used, rather similar to bindrunes but on places." Skylar stated simply, pausing a moment to think. "Could they maybe also be used for healing? Like if someone is seriously cursed?" The sixth year might have been thinking of the play rehearsal last year, which was what sparked her interest in curse-breaking to begin with and she honestly had no idea if it was even connected, but it was possible, right?

[hermionegold]

Twice in her life, Night had been given "guardian stones" by no-maj's in America. They were supposed to ward off bad things like illness and bring good things like peace. Each color and symbol meant something, but Night wasn't superstitious before Hogwarts, and so the stones had sat in the back of her closet until she moved to America, when they were sold or given away or something -- Night hadn't really cared at the time.

Now, however, she wondered if there couldn't have been more to the shiny rocks than they appeared. "When I was a kid, people gave me 'guardian stones.' They had colors and symbols that were meant to ward off evil? Maybe the no-maj vendors were actually wizards in disguise?"

Okay, maybe that was over the top, but it was possible, right?

[sarahlooo]

Ancient Runes was not Natalie's strong suit, so she settled on listening to everyone else offer their answers. JESSA got an eyebrow raise and a quizzical look about her "hypothetical" situation that she figured was definitely not hypothetical. Everyone offered views and questions so quickly that Natalie didn't have time to even make a guess herself.

Fortified buildings like Hogwarts and Gringotts used runic wards, that was cool. It made sense though, considering everyone said they were the two safest places on earth. Or, at least in Britain.

Natalie raised her marshmallow arm. "Can they be used on people? Like, quidditch players or people who could get hurt a lot? To protect them?" Because that would be cool.