Paul arrived at another lesson for DADA. Knowing he was half-way through his final year as a senior didn't really hit him yet on how much closer the end was approaching. He felt comfortable, in other words. The lesson for today was taking place on the grounds, which had him curious. Would they be exploring, heading into the forest, or do something tactical? The set-up seemed to fit either scenario by the time he arrived.

"Hello, Professor." Paul greeted. His long hair was tied back into a low ponytail as he arrived with his usual circle involving his boyfriend and their friends. He observed the decorations and continued to ponder on the day's events.

Each day that passed was another day closer to holiday break. That's all that was really on Feliks mind as he made his way across the grounds. DADA was one of his better classes thanks to his parents. According to them it was all in his blood. Truthfully speaking if anyone asked him, he had no idea what any of them were talking about. That was a story for another day though.

Dark eyes scanned across the grounds being used for the days lesson. What was all this about? Training dummies and a.. finish line? If they were going to have to race one another or something he hadn't even warmed up for any of that. Fel was all for friendly competitions but this didn't look like that. Only time would tell for sure though. As for that mischievous cackling.. why did that remind him more than just a little of Gabs? Merlin help him if that girl was around right now.

Taking up the space beside his closest friends, Feliks gave a light but pleasant, "Good afternoon, Professor, in greeting.

SPOILER!!: Replies! <3

SPOILER!!: Paul!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charely Potter

Paul arrived at another lesson for DADA. Knowing he was half-way through his final year as a senior didn't really hit him yet on how much closer the end was approaching. He felt comfortable, in other words. The lesson for today was taking place on the grounds, which had him curious. Would they be exploring, heading into the forest, or do something tactical? The set-up seemed to fit either scenario by the time he arrived.

"Hello, Professor." Paul greeted. His long hair was tied back into a low ponytail as he arrived with his usual circle involving his boyfriend and their friends. He observed the decorations and continued to ponder on the day's events.

The possibilities about what today’s lesson entailed were almost endless, weren’t they? It was nice to keep the students guessing, if only for a little bit. First to arrive was Paul, with Idris bouncing his way just a step behind. Dhruv eyed the unlikely pair, their lips twitching a bit as the fleeting thought about opposites attracting really was true. “Mr. Rocker, hello to you too.” A nod was given, and though Paul may not have known it, it had everything to do with his hair being tied back. Today’s challenges required minimal to no distractions.

SPOILER!!: Feliks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Each day that passed was another day closer to holiday break. That's all that was really on Feliks mind as he made his way across the grounds. DADA was one of his better classes thanks to his parents. According to them it was all in his blood. Truthfully speaking if anyone asked him, he had no idea what any of them were talking about. That was a story for another day though.

Dark eyes scanned across the grounds being used for the days lesson. What was all this about? Training dummies and a.. finish line? If they were going to have to race one another or something he hadn't even warmed up for any of that. Fel was all for friendly competitions but this didn't look like that. Only time would tell for sure though. As for that mischievous cackling.. why did that remind him more than just a little of Gabs? Merlin help him if that girl was around right now.

Taking up the space beside his closest friends, Feliks gave a light but pleasant, "Good afternoon, Professor, in greeting.

Indeed Feliks was excellent when it came to this particular subject; though if you asked Dhruv, they would say that Feliks unfortunately lacked the ability to realise such, even with gentle coaxing. The boy could really go a far way in the DADA field if he wanted to. Dhruv caught Viano waving to get Feliks’ attention, which the Slytherin noticed since he went to stand beside his friend. “Hallo, Mr. Rustokov,’’ they replied with a smile.

3 PM!

Promptly as always, Dhruv was ready to begin things. They stepped forward so that they moved a few paces closer to their students. “Good afternoon, everyone,’’ they said, lips curved into a welcome smile. Their eyes were reflecting that warmth too, but you wouldn’t be able to see it: those dark eyes of Professor Khanna’s were hidden behind a pair of trendy sunglasses. “Today’s DADA will not require the use of books and note-taking, but rather your wand and defensive skills as we will purely be focusing on the latter. However, that does not mean the need for writing will be eliminated completely.” The man paused, allowing any sighs of relief to be quickly taken back. Sorry to burst your bubbles, students. “Your homework will require you to write one parchment on today’s activities, but more on that later.”

Dhruv clasped their hands behind their back as their gaze roving around the gathering. “Our focus today will be a mini obstacle course made up of three challenges. No need to worry as each was covered extensively in previous lessons, and even brushed up on in recent ones.” This was a revelation to the students as Dhruv had given no hints as to why there had been a few revision lessons. “Firstly, within the wardrobe lies a Boggart in wait. This aims to test how well you handle overcoming your fear. Secondly, the dummies which are quite still at the moment. However, the moment they detect your close presence, they will spring to life by launching minor jinxes, hexes and curses at you. To be successful, you must maintain your composure while using defensive spells to protect yourselves.” Calmness... it was a key component in any situation, especially when it involved one’s safety. “Lastly, Cornish Pixies.” Speaking of which… mischievous laughter certainly was in the air today. “You are aware of the mayhem these tiny creatures can cause. You must repel them only, while trying to make your way to the finish line.” They gestured towards the fluttering banners in the distance though they were sure that wasn’t necessary.

“Right. If you will all form a line, single file, if you please.” They gave the students a moment to do exactly that, trusting that there would be no bickering about who stood where. “You will each give the student ahead of you a five minutes start. Should you be unable to defeat the Boggart within that time, you will be allowed to proceed to the second obstacle. If you try to do so before making an attempt with the Boggart, you will find that enchantments are in place to prevent such.” Only Dhruv would be able to disable those enchantments.

“You may begin.”


OOC: Much appreciation for your posts! The instructions are hopefully straightforward, but should you need clarification, do not hesitate to reach out to me: PM/VM are okay, but if you have me on FB/IG/WhatsApp/Trillian, shooting me a message on one is welcome too

A few notes on the lesson:

• Please do not role play for the Boggarts, dummies or pixies
• This lesson is structured slightly in terms of the rubric: 4 points for arrivals, and a maximum of 12 points per obstacle. {a total of 40}
• As usual, catch up posts are allowed throughout the lesson, especially as SS remains unstable.
• Class has now begun; kindly do not announce the arrival of your precious bean of a brain baby.
• You need not wait for your character to be called on to participate; simply jump on in with your post.
• I hope you have fun! I really look forward to your creativity

Really? If Professor Khanna truly believed that he was more talented in DADA than he himself thought, perhaps it might be something that he looked into a little more. If only he wasn't so... Him. Not that being him was a bad thing, it was just... Hard sometimes. Sure his sister and friends had helped him come into his own over the years but he was still mostly known as the shy quiet one of the group. Which normally allowed him to blend in and go unnoticed. However, that didn't appear to be the case this afternoon.

An obstacle course.

That was what the Professor had said was today's lesson. Not just any obstacle course either. Oh, no. This one had Boggarts, training dummies and Cornish Pixies. Two of these he was sure he could handle... But of course the one he didn't want to deal with was the very first thing he had to encounter. Now everyone was going to know what he was afraid. And surely he was NEVER going to live this one down...

Feliks cast a sideways glance at Viano, silently telling his buddy that he could go before him. That way, maybe, just maybe, if he paid close enough attention to Vi.. he could make it through this portion of the course without failing epically. Wishful thinking at its finest right there!

Taking his place in line, Feli waited his turn, mind already racing, panic setting in and it wasn't even his turn! Each person ahead of him that moved onto the next part of the course brought him closer to his own turn. His fingers already brushing over the cool wood of his wand that was hidden away in its holster. Another step forward. Dark eyes watching, heart racing as Vi took his turn. This was it. He was next. Please, please, please don't take the form of his deepest fear. Any other fear was perfectly fine with him. No one would have much to say about any of those.

His turn. Deep breath. Slow steps forward. The fear already there. Fingers closed around his wand. Breath hitching in his throat as he awaited the appearance of what he knew was to come.

Birds.

This lesson being held out on the grounds was a surprise to Avalon, but once she had arrived, it was less so. Of course Professor Khanna would be nice enough to charm the environment to be nice and warm instead of making them stand out in the freezing cold. That was a relief. There were lots of things spread around the area to be curious about, but the lesson swiftly began just after she had arrived, so at least she didn't have to wonder for long.

...Or maybe she would've preferred to continue wondering. BOGGARTS??? The absolute worst thing that could possibly happen!! Even worse than being forced to stand outside in the cold for a lesson!!! Fighting dummies and pixies she could handle, but boggarts were the last thing she ever wanted to face again, especially in front of her classmates. This was so embarrassing!!

The last time she had faced one in Gigi Gunter's basement, she was eight years old, and it had turned into a banshee.

And it. was. horrifying.

But what if this turned into something else? There were SO MANY things she did NOT want to face. Lethifolds. Dementors. Manticores. The ocean. There were so many scary things in the world!!!

Avalon hung back and tried to get as far back in the line as she could, her mind racing, hardly paying attention to what the people in front of her were facing off against. Maybe there was a way out of this. Maybe she could pretend she'd caught a cold on the way down here. Maybe she could fake an injury. Maybe she could convince the professor that she had no fears, so there was no point in facing the boggart at all, and she could move on to the next part of the course. Surely there was some way to get out of this, she just had to pick the most convincing one, utilize her best acting skills, and-

Wait.

It was her turn already?????

Eyes wide, she realized there was no one else in front. It was... her... turn...

Um. Well. Okay, well-

Okay. She couldn't chicken out now. THAT would also be embarrassing. So. Okay.

Maybe this would be...fine. The last time she'd only been a kid, and now she was older, wiser (questionable), and - the best part of all - knew some magic. So maybe she could handle this now. Maybe she wouldn't humiliate herself.

Wand gripped tight in her hand, Avalon took a deep breath and forced herself to take a few steps forward. Each step felt like there was a lead weight on the bottom of her feet, but she took them nonetheless.

She was...ready? Sure. Hopefully.

It wouldn’t be the first nor the last time that a student would hate facing their fear in front of an entire class plus their professor. The world outside of Hogwarts operated like that too - not necessarily in a lesson format -, and it was Dhruv’s duty to ensure that their students were prepared as best as they possibly could be. They liked to think they fostered a non - judgemental class; they could certainly hope that anyone would be ‘scorned’ for their fears. Those wide eyes of Avalon’s, they were difficult to ignore. The professor’s heart went out to her; their confidence though? It was fully intact.

Perhaps Dhruv and Feliks needed to have a chat. The DADA professor made a mental note to do just that. For now, he watched the sixth year, who seemed hesitant about getting started on the Obstacle Course, instead letting Viano go first. The Gryffindor obliged, not before squeezing one of the Slytherin’s hands in encouragement. “Breathe, Feliks,’’ Dhruv muttered to themself. It was one of the things they told their students to do each time they’re about to face something perceived as difficult.

Almost unconsciously, Dhruv swiped at their forehead. They hadn’t realised there was a trickle of sweat that had formed. Had they done too good of a job with these weather charms?


OOC: You're doing excellently, guys!

The Boggart, defeated by one pesky seventh year Gryffindor, now lay in wait for its next victim. It sensed him approach, sensed the fear. Most importantly, it sensed what it needed to be turned into.

From the beaten up wardrobe sprang a bird. It was not just any bird. It was a bird that was as tall as a fully grown ostrich. Its feathers were mostly green though the tips of the were colored flaming red. Its eyes were also red and its beak was curved and wickedly sharp. It glared at Feliks.

SQUAWK!

The bird flared its impressive wings as it lunged.

The wardrobe doors burst open with a violent creak. For a moment, one could see darkness solely from within. Suddenly… a low sound… sobbing, was it? Then, a figure emerged slowly. Its form was gaunt and draped in tattered grey robes that drifted unnaturally across the ground. Long strands of blackened hair hung over a hollow face stretched too thin over sharp features. Pale skin. Sunken and lifeless eyes.

The banshee did not walk so much as glide forward. Around her, the air grew cold despite the weather charms in place. A shriek pierced the air, a combination of grief and rage.

Without warning, the boggart-banshee lunged.