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Join Date: May 2009 Location: London
Posts: 32,852
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Alexander River Hirsch
Gryffindor Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
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|  urine trouble | Pat's Strong Confident Other Half | Pees Like a Champion Unicorn Racehorse
Text Cut: You guys <3 Text Cut: Kane Quote:
Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom  For once, Kane was on the edge of his seat in DADA. The actual defense part of the class was fun and all, and dueling club was also fun of course - but learning about MONSTERS was SOOOO much more interesting! He hadn't answered the last question, because he hadn't really been sure which one he would rather face. In reality, he didn't want to face any of them, but it was fun to LEARN about it and PRETEND he would ever be face to face with the undead.
He raised his hand. "Well, zombies are rotting corpses, whereas mummies are prepared so they specifically do NOT decompose the way un-mummified bodies do," he explained. Did Inferi also decompose like zombies? He wasn't sure.
This was an interesting answer and there was one word in particular that interested him the most.
Prepared.
"The key word here? Prepared," he said, adjusting his glasses slightly, "I'm very glad that you mentioned that, Mr Westwood, because mummies are specifically prepared so that they can come back as a mummy. Zombies almost seem like accidents." Or bad luck. "You're right: mummies don't decompose in the way that zombies do. They just go back to their coffin and rest in the after life until they're disturbed again."
Text Cut: Olivia H. Quote:
Originally Posted by Watson Do you like the exhilarating feeling from a challenge? The question had caught her off guard and she hadn't expected herself to know what to say but before she had a chance to think, Olivia offered a smile, "Only when there's a way to get out or improvise." It'd be both an intellectual and physical challenge for sure.
Now to the next question, Olivia paused. Hmm... A difference between a mummy, a zombie, and an inferi? Heh. She could feel a joke coming along. What happens when a mummy, a zombie, and an inferi walked into a bar? She didn't know how to end that but it could be a start of something great or dreadful... Anyway... Now to think of differences between the three creatures. Inferi had no brain nor will to make their own decisions... but did zombies? Hmm.. Zombies could attack someone whereas Inferi were used to protect... "Inferi can attack when an intruder enters an area to which a spell was cast for.. For instance, if they were protecting a great treasure and someone threatened that treasure, then the Inferi would attack. Though I don't believe an Inferi would go out of its own way to attack someone..." An inferi couldn't think... or maybe it could? "Whereas perhaps zombies and mummies can attack anyone on their own accord?" she mused. Maybe?
Miss Holden talking about the beings in the attacking sense was something that made Hirsch very happy. But there was something about her answer that he was going to have to try and pick out at. "Well, yes....." he said slowly, nodding along, "Inferi are known to attack an intruder, especially if it's guarding something and protection is often the reason for using Inferi." With fighting being another. "But Inferi are likely to attack anyone if that's what the Dark Wizard controlling them wants them to do. And Mummies are another example of a dark creature that can be used to protect treasure and other kinds of personal items. Disturb the treasure or try to take it away and you'll wake up the Mummy." Which probably wasn't in her plans.
Text Cut: Dora Quote:
Originally Posted by Erindipity Dora gave the man a LOOK before she expelled a heavy sigh, sending a plume of white breath vapor out before herself. "While others have mentioned that Inferi are controlled by a dark wizard history has proven that said Dark dude doesn't have to be anywhere nearby for the Inferi to move and attack as they please. So o don't think facing the Dark person is necessarily something that needs to be worried about exactly. Besides, this is a purely hypothetical situation and to be frank, the way I imagine it is that the dark wizard isn't nearby." Pause for air and a stink eye to those around just in case anyone thought they were going to speak over her.
"And furthermore they are mindless. Why not face a rotting, mindless corpse? And fire was literally my answer to the why. Fire is an amazing form of magic... one that I appreciate above most others. One that requires control aND finesse that some don't quite understand or possess. And while yes, most things can indeed be destroyed by fire, I personally chose the Inferi and the fire. Period. Personal preference."
And as to his other question? "Inferi are controlled by another's bidding. Reanimated... legends have it that mummy's are risen by a curse. Also reanimated, but not controlled. And zombies... are they even real?" And she didn't appreciate the man hitting her Gryffindor bone that MADE her answer things when she was trying to ignore him and get through the class.
Hmph.
Darn Professor.
Nothing else shall be said though. Zipping lips and no locking them tight.
HMPH.
There was that explanation. Because giving two words to a question, especially a why question, was unacceptable.
He nodded along at her answer before saying, [I]"You’re right: the Dark wizard doesn't have to be nearby and might not be nearby so you don't know for sure whether they're around or not."[/B] Hypothetically speaking. "Zombies are a mindless rotting corpse as well and are said to be quite similar to an Inferi with some key differences to set them apart. One of them being fire."
"Excellent mention of control, by the way. Keep that in mind for later on." That was all he was going to say about that.
"Excellent! You're very right: Inferi have a master, someone that controls them, while mummies are cursed to stay in their coffins and rise when the situation occurs." One that he would mention. "Legend has it that they exist."
Text Cut: Nicky Quote:
Originally Posted by lemon This question had more to do with reading and less to do with spell applicability or problem solving skills— which meant Nicky was much better equipped to answer it. His textbook was his new best friend.
"Sir," the badger started, raising his hand and nervously adjusting his tie and then clearing his throat about three times (awkward), "I recall reading that a wizard can use part of a zombie's former soul to sustain himself while controlling them. A source of energy for his magic, if you will." Inferi and mummies didn't offer the same luxury, as far as Nicholas knew.
And.... his hand had remained upright in the air for the entirety of the time he'd been speaking, so he was going to lower that now.
Ahem. That was sufficient discomfort for the lesson's duration, thanks.
Oh!
Oh!
This was not an answer he expected from a student but it was one that he was glad had been mentioned. So glad, that it practically showed in thhe dimpled smile on his face. "Yes! According to certain traditions, some casters would create zombies and use part of their soul to sustain themselves. Similar to the way Horcruxes are used but, well, opposite." Pause. "I guess some people would do anything to live forever." Crazy but, then again, that's what people were. Crazy.
Text Cut: Katy Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin Katy was pleased as punch that her answer got approval from the Professor, and she was grinning and warming her toes as she considered the next question. And the answers from her classmates, which were mostly very thoughtful. It seemed like there should be loads of differences, but in reality, these undead types were all of the same ilk.
"I think Dora has a good point, and it really extends to zombies as well. Both inferi and zombies are subject to the will of the one who controls them. Typically that's their creator or curser or whatever you want to call it, but I don't know if that's always the case." Research... or not. She didn't need or want a zombie army. "I think mummies have more will."
And here was another student who had mentioned a key word.
"Will! I'm very glad that you mentioned that, Miss Toussaint," he said, pushing his glasses a little further up his nose, "Zombies and Inferi are both mindless creatures that don't have free will over their actions or motives. All they know is to kill and feast on human flesh." Hopefully no one was starting to feel queasy. "There….. have been cases of zombie-like creatures, or those that have been animated, throwing the reanimation curse off completely and attacking their own master as a result. The Golem is an excellent example of this." Pause. "Mummies are free to roam the after life until something comes and disturbs them, most often because of someone moving a treasure they're protecting. Excellent answer!"
Text Cut: Ava Quote:
Originally Posted by RandomRaven This was quite an interesting topic. And she flashed a smile as the Professor seemed like her answer about defeating the zombies by using reducto charm.
Alright, moving on...
The difference between inferi, mummies and zombies? The Gryffindor put her hand in the air and answered the question. "Just like I've mentioned before, Professor, zombies are contagious because it caused by viral infection while the others are not." And yes, Ava thought that zombies were real because if they're not... Why on earth Professor Hirsch mentioned it earlier on their discussion today? Oooh, were they going to attack zombies today? That would be fun.
Contagious! There was something about the words that these students were saying… as if they knew.
"That’s exactly it! Zombies are the only one of the three that are contagious and likely to turn you into one of them by biting you or scratching you. To turn into an Inferi or a Mummy, you need to be cursed, making the procedure a lot longer."
Text Cut: Zarina Quote:
Originally Posted by Expecto-Penguin Ooooh schweet. She got some relief from the cold. "Yes much better thank you Professor..." Now her hands didn't feel like icicles. The slytherin beamed when the Professor agreed with her answer. I mean she did use the right kind of spell to finish off a zombie. Zae on the other did probably watch too much muggle tv shows back during her summer break involving zombies with her dad. No one seemed to judge her though and she rolled her eyes when people picked the mummy. I mean that was too easy but yet too creepy. Zae personally didn't like the idea of someone being wrapped up and not showing their face.
Now onto the task at hand, what were the differences between the three? Well Zae had on idea for the Inferi. Zae raised her hand and contributed with, "Professor I know the inferi are controlled by dark wizards right? Well zombies and mummies I mean can't be easily controlled as inferi can. The mummies and zombies can't efficiently do a dark wizards bidding." That was a pretty good idea right? Seemed like it to her.
Her confirmation about the heating spell had earned her a smile in return. But there was something about her answer that made him want to agree and disagree at the same time.
"Inferi are controlled by dark wizards, yes, and so, they're almost the dark wizard’s puppet. But Mummies have a curse placed on them so you could almost say that they're controlled as well. I'm sure no Mummy willingly wants to guard treasure for the rest of eternity." Unless they were that paranoid. [B"]It’s also important to remember that they can be further cursed to do a dark wizard’s bidding but you're right: this might be more difficult, especially for a Mummy."[/B]
Text Cut: Mel Quote:
Originally Posted by Optimist.Prime Mel grinned when she heard Kirk’s reasoning and really, she got it. It was smart…not wanting to fight and defeat a contagious creature and not wanting to fight something controlled by another wizard. Giving him a slight grin and a little nod in acknowledgement at his answer. It was a smart answer after all, well, to her that is.
Still she was more interested in the fact that they were learning about Necromancy.
Sure, sure they weren’t likely going to learn how to raise a zombie or convert a friend into one like a science experiment but still, it was fun. It was challenging and like most defense against the dark arts it probably was slightly lethal…and she loved that.
Raising her hand Melbourne just grinned. Vi’s answer of course got a grin and a head not because hello girl knew her stuff about Inferi….still, Mel just smiled. ”Professor Hirsch, from what I have learned while studying for OWLs it appears that the Inferius are non-sentient reanimated corpses of the deceased that often don’t need to feed to sustain their second life where as zombies do consume human brains and living flesh for survival…” she paused for a moment before adding, ”there has been, as I have heard some information on how zombies retain some brain basal brain function which makes it so that the primitive sections of the brain used for hearing, sight, and smell still work when the cognitive brain functions cease to function.” she paused for a moment and shrugged, ”but that’s just…possibly hearsay I heard it in the Quibbler once actually,” she admitted with a grin and everyone knew the Quibbler wasn’t the most accurate source of information out there.
Feeding was another topic he hadn't expected to be brought up by a student. But what had started out as a good answer had turned deeper and more intricate and.... then turned out to be an extract from the Quibbler. How much of this could he believe, exactly?
"First of all, excellent answer! You're right in their feeding habits: zombies are decaying corpses and therefore, need to have a fresh supply of human flesh to stay, well, zombies. I'm pleased that you mentioned both the primitive and cognitive sections of the brain because that can be applied here to talk about the differences between each one. If we had to put them on a scale, the Inferi would have no brain functions of their own apart from what they've been animated to do." Which meant no willpower either. "Zombies have a primitive brain function whereby they can hunt for themselves and rely on their senses but they're more primal in the way they go about their business. When faced with a door, they'd break it down rather than trying the doorknob." Simple. "Mummies, although cursed, can think and act for itself and usually focuses on specific targets."
Pause. "Although, according to some sources, Inferi could have the ability to talk, making them a little bit more like zombies. I.... don't know if this is true but it's food for thought."
Text Cut: Olivia P. Quote:
Originally Posted by Govoni Since Professor Hirsch had praised her answer, Olivia bestowed a pretty smile on him. Not a flirtatious one, as her affections for staff currently resided with Healer Reed, but...the smile was a sweet one, all the same. As if to say, thank you for acknowledging that I'm kinda smart and...excellent. He'd said the words, she was merely interpreting. Innocently interpreting, of course.
Seeing movement to her side, the blonde eyed Nicky readjusting his school tie. Hufflepuff boys were an enigma. Bless her strange friend...and his logical, elder-person brain. She'd not done a lot of reading on zombies, so didn't know much about them in the magical sense. Only what she'd seen on the telly, as was aforementioned. That sounded kinda worse than the inferi... Huh. But also...
Necromancy? Reeeeally?
Playing with the tips of her hair, Olivia glanced down at her lap; her mind racing for a viable answer. One that hadn't been shared yet. See, again, she hated not providing original answers. Therefore, she'd always go out of her way to say something unique. Because she was unique...and was trying to be more proud about it, to be honest. Also, in regards to the answers from her peers.... "I think location is an important difference, and that just because they aren't local, we shouldn't question the validity of their existence." Just a thought. "The Walking Dead, aside...I do know that zombies are based in voodoo. or vodou, which has roots in Haitian and African culture. It literally comes from a word for "soul", though I couldn't tell you the language or dialect...and I don't want to assume just because I can't recall correctly." She remembered reading it someplace. After she'd marathoned another muggle telly show. This girl watched a lot of TV, needless to say. "The stories are conflicting to me, but I think jars were used in some way to contain their souls so that they could be controlled after death." So, kinda like what Nicky was saying? There was a lot of information and Liv had kinda spaced out after a while.
"Mummies are based in ancient Egypt, and the belief in their Gods and Goddesses." She was good with some mythology, but...it got tricky with Egyptian stuff, since there was, AGAIN, so much information. "In fact, I don't know if they were used for evil purposes? As in, I don't think that was the point...but I'm not doubting that the wrong person with the wrong intention...could misuse them." Cause that was always the case, and really, people couldn't have nice things. History proved as much. "They're preserved with chemicals and such. "
Moving on...."Inferi are local for us." Everyone knew about them if they'd picked up a history book over the past century. Lord Voldemort was infamous for using them... "So, we all know that they are basically soulless bodies that are used as a safeguard." Not to repeat what anyone was already saying. So, Liv kept that short, sweet, and simple. "As for other differences, it's difficult to give them when there are so many conflicting stories."
Location! He was really hoping that someone would mention location as a key difference between them and here it was, in all of its detailed glory. Hirsch was practically beaming at this point and nodding enthusiastically as she answered. "Excellent! Really excellent!" No wonder she'd been a Black Belt Dueller.
"The zombies that have a master of some sort do have their souls kept safely so that they can preserve themselves and control the zombies a little better. But in most cases, zombies have been known to happen because of the spread of the virus that causes them to become zombies, particularly from being bitten by one. In that case, the master isn't there to preserve the soul in any way using dark magic and so, their soul would die as the virus takes over." And yes, there were a lot of conflicting stories out there about this, weren't there?
"I'm glad you mentioned Gods and Goddesses in Ancient Egypt because they are often the ones who would be preserved as mummies with the most elaborate of curses on their most prised possessions." Pause. "They weren't used for evil purposes, no. Like the Golem, some were used to protect their treasures and if you try to take it away from its home place or disturb it in any way, the mummy will rise. Others simply come back to fulfil a duty that they didn't when they were alive. And others? Others want to live forever. Just like with wandwork, intent is everything."
Text Cut: Vivian Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimothy Did the man just... laugh? A legit laugh?
To be honest, had Professor Hirsch been another person, Vivian would have been offended. She wasn't sure if it was an insulting kind of laugh, or a 'oh that was funny' one... but either way, the blonde couldn't help but be amazed with just how lovely Hirsch was. Aaahhhh, her heart! Professor crush was just... wow. She smiled a bit at the Professor. "It probably does!" It was definitely upbeat... and it made her wanna dance too. It was the perfect song to jam to when punching some mummies. Well, if that was possible.
... Ahem. Anyway, moving on with the discussion. The difference between the mummy, zombie, and inferi. But NOT the appearance? Vivian's jaw dropped, but she immediately closed it. Ehh... she was clueless. Sort of. The blonde raised her hand. "Well, everyone's said it already, Professor." Which was TRUE. It left her with little knowledge on the topic. "Magic is mainly used in reanimating bodies, which is what happens in the case of inferius. Zombies, I believe... are caused by viruses, or by someone who thought that messing with genetics was fun. I think it's what muggles like to believe when they see inferi." She nodded along with her answer. Did zombies exist in real life, anyway? "And mummies... are bandaged to preserve the bodies of pharaohs and people in... uhm... Egypt, I think, from inside the pyramids? Not exactly sure how they began walking though." Still, either way, she didn't want to encounter one.
Hopefully this wouldn't be like that gytrash activity. Ugh.
Magic was another answer he had been hoping for and was glad that someone had brought it up. "Exactly! They're all made in different ways and that makes them function slightly differently from each other, even though they're all different forms of necromancy." Important to remember. "Mummies are made from curses placed on their bandages. So, magic is also used here but because it's Ancient Egypt, we can't say that these are the same type of magic that we know of or the type that's used to create Inferi. And that means it takes longer for the number of Mummies and Inferi to grow whereas the number of Zombies could wipe out entire cities very quickly." Hopefully that wasn't a scary thought.
Text Cut: Jessa Quote:
Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo "Yes, absolutely. I'd prefer if they were trying to attack me. It'd mean they have enough fight left in 'em to withstand whatever tests I put them through. Can you imagine them being proper dead before I'm done? I'd have to find another three roads with the exact same combination and do it all over again. Do you know how slim those odds are, Professor?????" He probably did. He was the one who gave the situation in the first place.
And then the Professor said the magic word, Necromancy. Sure he'd been hinting at it before but now he actually said it, making it a real thing. They were actually learning about it today.
For several minutes, Jessa sat silently listening to all the information her classmates offered up, thinking them all very useful for when she would begin her own study. There was a lot of information to be sifted through but that was GOOD TOO because it meant she had more to work with when she and Professor Hirsch got to it.
Consider her just very excited to be here right now, so eager and excited. Both expressions quite visible on her face.
"Um....um....this isn't really answering the question but...can I get closer to the illusions?" She wanted to SEE. "And do they react or are they just for imagery." No, she wasn't distracted, in fact she was paying full attention but jdsbfjggrulsdfifrlis she just wanted to get closer, OKAY??
Jessa Cambridge had the uncanny ability to confuse this man. "But...... you could get hurt." Did she not understand why he didn't approve of this idea?
.............. What?
Hirsch glanced from the Ravenclaw to the holographic images and then back again. "Sure. But they won't react because they're only there for imagery purposes. If you want to look closely at their appearance, you can." Just try not to experiment with them, okay?
Text Cut: Noelle Quote:
Originally Posted by ChanceCoeur Noelle grinned at Professor Hirsch when he said she had an excellent answer.
Moving along.
Hearing everyone else's replies, Noelle grinned. This seemed to be a great topic. Everyone had such vivid opinions on it. She couldn't help but grin at Olly's answer. Her person.
Noelle listened to some of the answers to Professor Hirsch's next question. She knew some of these. Others had questions, which were very good questions. Noelle jotted some of the answers down, just in case.
Apart from appearances. Noelle knew that Inferi's eyes were a gray and clouded color showing that they were in deed dead. None looked alike because they were the person they were when they were dead. Zombies were rotten. And mummies were already mummified.
But as for differences on how to take them down...
"Most others have said this but I agree. Inferi are controlled by dark magic but you don't have to be around to control the inferi. Mummies are cursed. Though.. Im still very curious about how long the curses last and if you have to be involved in dark magic to cast them." She was pretty sure you did. "As for zombies, they are an ... infection basically. They spread. They aren't controlled."
Control.
That's what he was taking from this. Control!
"Excellent, Noelle! I'm very glad that you mentioned control," Even his face showed it. "You're very right: between the three, Inferi are controlled the most. Zombies.... can be controlled but most of the time, they aren't and they just spread like a virus. Mummies would be very hard to control because, out of the three, they have the most cognitive brain functions."
Text Cut: Etta Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady of Light Etta wondered whether they'd be learning to defend against such creatures this lesson.. 'cause that would be pretty awesome, yes? She obviously couldn't see herself facing them at any point in her future but it was always better to be prepared. She gave the professor's question some thought while listening to her classmates give answers. Hmm. The difference.. she finally raised a hand.
"Professor.. the actions of inferi are controlled. I don't think they attack on their own.. As far as mummies are concerned, do they actually attack humans? Do they even have minds of their own? Or can they be controlled like inferi?" Etta paused for a moment. "And zombies.. I don't know much about them but from what I can understand.. they are a lot like mummies, maybe?" It was a guess but she had tried, at least. And hopefully, the professor wouldn't hate her for asking so many questions. Oops.
Another mention of control! Did the students know?!
A small smirk spread across Hirsch's face which he tried very hard to hide. "You've hit the point straight on. Inferi are controlled and aren't likely to attack unless that's part of the caster's intention. Mummies... are cursed and aren't like Inferi that much. They're the least controlled of the three creatures and are more likely to go after a specific target rather than just anyone. Zombies are more like Inferi but they're slower and are the only ones that are contagious." Did that help?
Text Cut: Zoryn Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack Dude.
This was SOOOOOOO COOL!!!!!!
Zoryn was listening to every word her Professor said (which was rare) and trying to retain ALL of the information (which was unlikely). But once everyone else started answering the question... She sort of lost track. There was just SO much to know. Dora and the other Blonde Gryffindor mentioned LOADS of things, and Zoryn maybe got like .2% of it.
SOOOOOOOOOOooooo answering the questions was gonna be hard. She was DROWNING in EVERYONE'S words. And while the question seemed easy enough once it was presented, now she was just out-right lost.
SO. MANY. DISTRACTIONS.
Inferi were easy 'cause basically everyone had the same answer for those. And then the mummies are also controlled by some guy, but then like not as controlled as the inferi? And then the zombies are just really sick??????? What. That didn't make any sense. And all that location stuff. That Gryffindor girl literally just went from DADA to Geography to linguistics to muggle television to who knows what.
Man.
Zoryn just batted her lashes a LOT and smiled SUUUUUUUUUUPER BIG and waited for the Professor to give them the RIGHT answer. Because listening to EVERYONE was giving her MASSIVE HEADACHE. And if she kept at it any longer, she'd probably turn into a zombie tbh.
Which was BAD. Because she didn't know what they were about yet!!!!!!!!!!
Quiet students weren't a bad thing. Not at all. And this young Gryffindor seemed to be smiling a lot. Hirsch wasn't sure whether he should be worried about this or not so, he let it go.
At least she was smiling and looked happy.
Text Cut: Levi Quote:
Originally Posted by Oesed There seemed to be some slight disagreement on certain things but Levi was unconcerned with them all. The question at hand proved to be more interesting; it was tricky because the creatures were in, many ways, something like distant relatives. All human beings at some point or another, but the differences lay on how their postmortem nature came to be.
Inferis with dark magic, zombies presumably with an infection and mummies were a result of a curse.
"Inferi are wholly controlled by dark magic, so we can assume then that free will is not option. Zombies are, supposedly, a result of an infection, either by a bite or a scratch." If he was getting his muggle mythology right, anyway. For someone whose father was a muggleborn, Levi was relatively uninterested on what the muggle world had to offer beyond books and graphic novels.
Both of which he enjoyed plenty. "Either way--assumptions aren't the best, but if the infection in question is so brutal, I don't think it'd be that mad to assume it spreads all the way to the pers--creature's brain, thus making them slave to their instincts and effectively ending what makes us all human beings; our ability to think and feel and decide." To varying degrees, at least.
And then there were the mummies. "Mummies are cursed, are they not? Ancient magic is complex, but my understanding is that these curses are all supposed to be a punishment." He scratched the back of his neck. Whether or not the punishment was deserved was another matter entirely and probably more of a subject for one of Professor Newton's classes. "And as terrible as it sounds, no punishment is worth anyone's time as long as the punished person in question can feel it. Even if the person--or mummy, I suppose--has to endure it for all of eternity." He added a one shoulder shrug as if to lessen the weight of his words. Human beings always found ways to be terrible; this was not news. It'd been happening since the beginning of life itself. This would have been the sort of thought process that'd make him feel grim, but Levi was too focused on giving his input to care. ""So, ultimately, I think their differences comes down to just how sentient they are--or aren't." Something difficult to achieve, surely, given the status they shared as creatures part of the undead family, but. "And mummies stand out the most because they most likely have vestiges of what once was--or who they were, rather. There must be a reason why they don't ever stray far from their tombs--other than the curse itself, of course."
Something he could always rely on was Levi Kenning's in-depth and thought-provoking answers. That was exactly the reason why he had been the Black Belt Dueller the previous term.
Smiling wide, Hirsch nodded along to the answer, feeling more and more proud as the answer rolled off. "I'm very glad that you mentioned free will in this. Inferi have no free will and aren't held accountable for their actions. I think it's safe to assume that zombies, er, multiply," Because reproduce wasn't the right word here. "by being bitten and that the infections take over their brains and turn them into a zombie as well."
A punishment? Hm. "Sometimes, yes. They could be cursed to roam this earth forever, which is a punishment in itself, but other times, they're also used as a form of protection. Ancient Egyptions were very protective over their prised possessions and so, it's not surprising to know that they would want to keep their possessions in their home forever and anyone who dares to move it would have to face their wrath."
"Excellent answer, Levi. Really." Smile.
Text Cut: Junia Quote:
Originally Posted by TakemetotheBurrow Junia didn't have any new information to add so she simply took notes and glanced from one classmate to another, her gaze lingering when a particular answer interested her. Mostly it was just a lot of information to take in.
Adjusting her seat and holding her hands closer to the fire for warmth, the fourth year glanced at Hirsch again and waited to see where he was going with all this.
Should he be concerned that Miss Botros hadn't answered? Probably not. After all, there was nothing wrong with wanting to stay quiet but, well, Hirsch always liked hearing her answers. They were insightful and different and beyond her years but if she didn't have an answer, he wouldn't hold that against her. He smiled slightly before moving onwards.
Text Cut: Skylar Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoenixRising Nothing wrong with wanting to go back down the path she'd come? Beaming at the praise from Hirsch, because good answer was definitely a good enough praise, she had to admit she found many of her classmate's answers interesting as to which path they would choose.
Now they were discussing more about aforementioned creatures, with talk for their differences. Wait, ZOMBIES WERE CONTAGIOUS? A VIRUS!? Hearing her peers talk just made the fourth year extremely grateful for her decision to turn back around, because facing ANY of these creatures of the living dead did not sound all too exciting.
Something Levi said sparked a question or thought within her, though, as it seemed as if everything had already been mentioned. Zombies couldn't be controlled? Creatures brain? Did they even have a brain?
"They're all dead, so I'm not sure any of them could really be considered to have brains, could they?" Sky asked hesitantly, "But mummies are the only ones of the three who weren't corpses that were revived, per say. They're dead beings who have been preserved with chemicals or extreme cold or lack of air, basically the body doesn't decay." They were kind of the most human, which was weird, considering they were all bandaged up.
Hm. "They don't have brains in the sense that we know it. They can't think or act for themselves, especially zombies. But brains are present in the physical sense in zombies and inferi. They just don't play a vital role in the creatures like they do for us."
Something he liked? The fact that she had mentioned mummies as being drawn from chemicals. "Exactly!" he said, nodding along at her answer, "Mummies were made into mummies in the process of, well, dying. Though, you could argue that a bite from a zombie would be similar but that's from a virus. Excellent mention of the body not decaying, by the way."
Text Cut: Emmeline Quote:
Originally Posted by NifflerFan
An excellent answer? Coool! Emmeline sat up a little straighter, her hope in the lesson restored -- until the professor asked his next question.
She listened carefully to her classmates' answers and thought they were all really, really good. Especially since she didn't understand some of them, particularly the older kids'. What differences were left? Unless...she paused before raising her hand, because everyone had already mostly said this before. Here goes nothing: "Is it that a Dark wizard can only raise a certain number of Inferi? You can get more zombies by bringing them people to bite, if you're a Dark wizard, I mean. And no one really knows how to do the mummy-making curse anymore, so there's only a certain amount of them in the whole world. So it might be harder to use them to attack people." She thought so, anyway. Dark wizards wouldn't go alll the way to Egypt and back just to find a mummy, would they? It just didn't sound like a weapon that would be super useful, 'cause the wizard would have to track the mummies down and if they're defeated, then what?
This was another one of the answers he didn't expect anyone to mention, least of all from a first year. "That's pretty advanced thinking, Miss Sparkes." Huh. He'd have to watch out for this young Gryffindor.
Anyways. Her answer. "You're completely correct. Zombies will be able to multiply faster because they're contagious but mummies and inferi can't do the same. Not when mummies are made from magic so ancient, that most of it's in heiroglyphs or runes. But! Inferi are easier to control than zombies because inferi act as a Dark wizard's puppet more than the other two creatures. What they'd do is just raise an army of the dead - huge numbers at their command - and then reanimate them. Large numbers of the living dead, all under their command, against one helpless wizard. The odds are against the wizard, unless they know how to defend themselves." Which, unfortunately, some people didn't.
After what felt like an eternity, Hirsch stopped talking to each individual student as they answered and turned his attention to the whole class in general. "Excellent! There were some fantastic answers mentioned here. It sounds like you all know your creatures of the living dead which, I hope, is nothing to worry about."
Was that a bad joke?
Anyways.
"So let's go over the key differences first. Mummies are corpses whose skin and organs have been preserved, either by charms written on the linen of their bandages, exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, low humidity or a combination of them. Mummies, as you know, come from Ancient Egypt and the process to make a mummy is probably more complex compared to the other two." With Inferi coming a close second. "Mummies only rise is they have a specific goal that wasn't fulfilled when they were alive or if they are on some kind of mission, usually the retrieval of a prised possession. Mummies can last thousands of years unless someone decides to kill them by burning them alive... or dead."
"Zombies are from Haiti and are different in that they are are mindless flesh eating drones with a cannibalistic lust for live humans. While mummies can think, to some extent, zombies have no intelligent thought process like we do. All they can think about is hunger and their need to fill their hunger with some live human flesh and if they don't get the flesh they need, they succumb to necrosis and end up dying when the brain is eradicated. The body itself is rotting " Pause. "That also makes them the most likely to be taken out because a simple diffindo or a well aimed, er, slash of the head will take them out. Not to mention, zombies are very slow, much slower than the other two, but be careful! They like to travel in groups rather than alone like a mummy."
Breathe.
"Now. Inferi! Inferi are corpses that have been bewitched to do a dark wizard's bidding - their puppet, if you will. Some researchers say that they could have the ability to talk but there's no conclusive proof about this. What we do know is that they have no control or power over their own thoughts and actions and are only there to do as the dark wizard says. They're a little like zombies in that their appearances can be different because of the human they used to be. But something that shows that they're dead is the white, cloudy eyes they all possess." Which was a sad thought, really. He hadn't scarred anyone, had he? "Complex dark magic is required to make an Inferi and because of the nature of being a dark wizard's puppet, they can't be multiplied as easily as zombies can."
That....... was a lot of talking. Stopping for a moment, the Defence Professor raised his wand and flicked it in the general direction of the castle, specifically the first floor.
When that was done, he turned back to the students, almost as if nothing had happened. "Okay! So before we get down to the main activity, I'm going to introduce a spell that'll help you when it comes to defeating all three of these creatures. And that is...." He paused to write a few words in the air above the images of the creatures:
Quote: Lustro Circulus
Ring of fire
Wand movement: whip-like motion
Light: red and gold flames in the shape of a circle or a lasso ".... the ring of fire!"
Was that dramatic enough?
And, to add to the dramatics, a mysterious box zoomed into the scene and landed by Hirsch's feet. Perfect.
Anyways, he needed to do a bit more explaining first. "As mentioned before, fire is what helps to defeat all three of these creatures and is the only type of magic, as far as we know, that's useful against the Inferi. While mummies are highly flammable and any form of Incendio would work against them and zombies would be destroyed as long as it does enough damage to their brains, Inferi need a more advanced form of fire to destroy it. Inferi are strong and fast and sometimes, travel in packs, which only increases their chance of taking you down. You need a strong fire spell that'll take a lot of them out completely in one go." Or make them retreat, at least.
Breathe. "I'm going to give you ten minutes to practice how to cast this spell. From this spell, you can either produce a lasso of fire or a complete ring of fire but that depends entirely on your intent. In this box," That he nudged with his foot for emphasis. "is a firesuit for everyone. I know, it's a bit ridiculous but this is probably the best way to protect all of you from flames while giving you the freedom to move around." Otherwise River would have his head.
"So grab a firesuit, stand along the edge of the lake and practice how to cast the spell. Point your wand towards the lake and not to each other." Got it? "But, if it makes you feel more comfortable, you are allowed to practice together."
"Remember the four essentials to spellcasting: wand movement, incantation, intent and control. For the older students, feel free to try it non-verbally as well. Whenever you're ready, start practising!" OOC: I'm so ridiculously sorry for keeping you guys waiting! I had an event last night and posting was just out of the question. Please don't hate me ;____;
This is the mini activity! Have your charrie grab a firesuit and start practising the spell mentioned above. If successful, it should produce red and gold flames either in the form of a lasso or a complete ring itself. The point is, it should be some circular form of flames.
I'm going to give you guys until tomorrow at 12pm-1pm GMT+1, depending on when my break is.
Have fun! And nudge me if you have any questions <3
Thanks for sticking with me 
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