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.

Paul wondered if Professor Khanna needed some water. But chances are Idris would be so quick to address that. Otherwise, he'd ask later after the lesson. He listened to the trials and tribulations of the tasks today, basically. He was a serious young man, he was. He felt like he had to be with Idris near him. He did feel a set of doubtness from the mention of boggart. There were some fears he still had to overcome, but he wondered which one would stick. Death seemed to be an obvious one but... it wasn't striking enough and leaned more on grief than fear.

Then he remembered the nightmare he used to have as a child. A slender woman with long, long jet black hair that reached the floor. While she fast crawled making clicking noise from her dislocated joints about to chase him. The thought still gave goosebumps. But perhaps he would see something more metaphorical on his insecurities.. well, whatever it was, he'd try to be ready.

Thinking of potentially amusing solutions, he stepped forward, ready to take the first challenge on.

That was something he wouldn't be opposed of. A simple chat about a topic with a Professor that knew it all extremely well. If nothing at all came from it, at the very least he'd have some clarity on which direction to take or not take when he graduated. There was no better time than now to try to focus on his future.

That future had to be put on hold for the moment however. A brief moment of comfort swept over him when Vi squeezed his hand. His buddy always believed in him. If only Viano could've remained at his side what happened next may not have happened. The wardrobe wasted no time at all. What in the name of Merlin was that thing?! Never before in all his life had he seen a bird of that size. From his eyes to the change in color of its feathers. The way its squawk nearly shook the room.

Feliks may have been gripping his wand but it was basically useless, completely forgotten about. All the sixth year could manage was staring. If he had been fearful before, what he felt right now had no words. It didn't matter none that somewhere deep in the back of his head he knew this bird wasn't completely real. That he could change it into anything with a simple thought and incantation. Breathing was becoming increasingly more difficult and the sound of his own heartbeat thudding in his chest rang loudly in his eyes.

For all intents and purposes, this boy was currently frozen where he stood.

Truthfully, Professor Khanna did require some water. Paul, knowing Idris so well, was correct to assume that the Gryffindor would offer him some water. They accepted the bottled liquid with a word of thanks then ushered the boy back into the queue. Perhaps they needed to get themself checked by the Healer. Dhruv noted that Idris kept standing rather close to Paul. This told them that Idris was channelling some encouragement and positive vibes to the other boy. The Hufflepuff may not believe in himself but Dhruv? They had seen over the years how capable he was and had no doubt he would master his fear.


It was rather pleasant watching the students be supportive of one another. The various gestures, whether it be shared looks or small hand gestures, truly warmed Dhruv’s heart. They could tell that Viano wished he could be more supportive for Feliks but alas. That could not be the case today. All this time, the DADA professor had been standing causally still with their arms folded across their broad chest in observance. They noted the way Feliks was frozen. Their concern began to rear its head. It was not the first time they had witnessed such a reaction from a student. Dhruv’s crossed arms loosened, their eyes keenly focused on Feliks, ready to intervene if necessary.

“Mr. Rustokov,’’ they called warningly. Would it be enough to snap Feliks back to reality? It was all Dhruv’s words intended to do.

The Boggart was tired of being defeated repeatedly in almost rapid succession. Perhaps this was why it was determined to instill further fear into the next person who approached. This human had quite a few fears it seemed. The Boggart shifted shape in a split second. The wardrobe doors burst open. At first, there didn’t seem to be anything else happening. Then slowly and rather eerily a bony hand emerged. The palm of it moved to rest on the ground while one click, two clicks were heard. The next identical hand made its presence now.

Were you terrified yet?

If you weren’t, you would see the beginnings of a face poking out. A forehead for starters.

The fear. The terror.

The Boggart felt it all. The child was petrified. This was perfect for it. It was not for him. Unfortunately, their lunger had been interrupted midway by the bigger human calling out to the smaller one.

Distractions. It hated them. It snapped its beak at the man impatiently.

Hop! Hop!

The boggart-bird took two giant leaps towards the boy. Perhaps it enjoyed toying with you by the way it made its approach dramatic and drawn-out. Either way, one more hop and it would be close enough to attack.

It was quite unfortunate that Feliks stood all alone. Perhaps had Viano or even Amph or Gabs stood with him, he wouldn't be in his current situation. The fact that he was slipping faster and faster into panic mode truly wasn't his fault. Anyone in their right mind would be fearful of this monstrosity of a bird! If one could even call it that. This thing was terrifying.

So much so that he barely heard his name spoken by Professor Khanna. Dark brown eyes hadn't shifted from the evil that was making its way towards him. Heaven help him! It was going to eat him! Did no one else see this?! Could he go up against something else please? A dragon or even a basilisk was better than this. Something so silly, he knew that, really he did. And yet, he couldn't breath.

He had to keep his head. Get his thoughts straight. How pathetic it would look for a boy his age to need help with this. The wand in his hand was slowly raised. Visualization of the very first thing came to mind. In his minds eye Fel pictured the bird the brightest hot pink feathers with purple polka dots. This wasn't it though. The large bird was going to hola hoop!

"Ri- Riddikulus!" Oi! No! The stutter was going to ruin it. Try again, Feli! "Riddikulus!" Please work! Please! All he wanted was to get away from this thing!

Dhruv did not find birds frightening. But they were not judging Feliks. Their own fear happened to be comodo dragons and there were witches, wizards and mundane folks out there who were not afraid of them. No one’s fear was ever to be judged - this was one of the takeaways which Dhruv hoped their students drew from the lessons.

They were thankful that Feliks snapped himself out of the very understandable trance. Professor Khanna relaxed by a hair as the Slytherin raised his wand and called out the incantation; though they did notice that Viano had taken a step forward in his friend’s direction as though hoping to assist. They sent the Gryffindor a look that said ‘stay put’. It was their hope that Feliks was picturing something immensely to finish that Boggart off.


OOC: Class will run until the evening of Wednesday 10th June! I’m enjoying your creativity so far

Just one more hop and it would be able to devour that human child. The Boggart internally celebrated its victory but it was premature. The child raised the dreaded wand to cast that infernal spell. It was poor spell work in the Boggart’s mind, that first one was.

The second attempt was far better and achieved the desired effects. Whereas the first spell simply sent a spark of light the second was completely effective. It felt as though nothing happened so the Boggart-bird stood there in mild confusion for a short while. Until -

SQUAWK!

Its feathers were pink. Bright pink too! With polka dots! The small humans were laughing, laughing at it even louder when it started to wiggle a matching hula hoop around its middle! Around and around it went quite clumsily! The Boggart-bird had never experienced such a thing before.

This meant that Feliks Rustokov was now free to proceed to obstacle two.

There wasn't one other person that Felixs knew that was afraid of birds. Only him. Such a strange fear when his sister was in LOVE with birds, especially ducks. Ducks were crazy, did Professor Khanna know that? Those birds would eat you if that meant they got some food! And there was never only one of them! It was like they knew how he felt about them and had to torture him for it.

So lost in his fear and trying to make this insane bird go away, he didn't even notice Viano was close by wanting to help him. Much appreciation for that! Vi was the best and Feli couldn't ask for a better friend. Unfortunately this problem was all his. One he hoped and prayed was handled as the incantion fell from his lips. If it didn't go away...

Laughter. Those around him were laughing. He had do- no, no he hadn't! Pink! The brightest of pink feathers with colorful polka dots made that bird look odd. Was it?.. it was! It was hola hooping! Or trying to. The darn bird thing looked about to tumble into his big ole face.

He had done it! Slight fear was still there but pride filled his face. "Vi! Hey, Vi! I did it! Had he seen?! Fel wasted no time now in moving onto the next obstacle and waiting his turn.

If no one was afraid of birds here, during the lesson, then there was bound to be someone who was afraid of them out there, beyond Hogwarts’ boundaries. But nope, Professor Khanna did not know that ducks were crazy. Feliks really should share his argument on the topic sometime; they would be all ears. As it was, they were laser focused on the way that the Slytherin handled things, even though at first the spell was unsuccessful. Dhruv’s lips twitched upward in a smirk as laughter filled the grounds and the bird’s feathers changed to pink. Not to mention the hula hoop. Oh, well played, Feliks! Very well played!

It was quite interesting that Viano happened to be the person Feliks wanted to share his victory with. And it did seemed that Viano hadn’t missed the victory, having just gotten past two obstacle two himself. Dhruv watched as the Gryffindor waited until Feliks caught up, gave him a fist bump then moved onto obstacle three. Then it was Feliks’ turn with obstacle two.

Hexes, jinxes and curses.

Were you trying to make your way through this part of the course as quickly as possible? Walking nor running would do no good as the dummies alternatively activated when they sensed your presence. It was far more sophisticated than Muggles’ motion sensor equipment.

The dummy closest to you on the right was the first to come alive. It sent a jinx that should be all too familiar to you - the Knockback Jinx. Bright purple light blasted from the ‘wand’ it held in its hand.

How will you handle this challenge?

They were going to be doing an obstacle course?! Professor Druv was the BEST.

Aurora loved doing this kind of activity, and she couldn't wait to start.

Though... the fact that they would be facing a boggart did make her feel rather apprehensive. She already knew that hers would be a snake. There weren't many things that Aurora was scared of, but she was terrified of snakes.

She needed to figure out what she was going to do when she faced her fear, but it was hard to when she was trying not to panic.

When it was her turn, she took a deep breath and gripped her wand tightly. She told herself that it would be alright.

She could manage this.

It was only a boggart.

Did Dhruv think that Aurora was a little biased because of their relationship with her family? Yes, they did. Did they mind? Nope, because they both kept that out of class settings. During lessons, they were simply student and professor.

The seventh year being terrified of snakes was nothing to be ashamed of. True, most carried a ferocious look and could be dangerous so it was completely understandable. Even though Dhruv could not tell what exactly was going on within Aurora’s mind, they recognised that stance, that body language. It was one of determination.

Each student, in their own way, was doing them proud.


OOC: Approximately 48 hours left, my dudes! Much appreciation for your posts!

All was still for a moment.

Just briefly though.

You hear it first. A rattle. A hiss.

Then -

The angular and broad head nudged the wardrobe door open and began easing itself onto the ground silently. All the while, its forked tongue flicked in your direction. Though known for their impressive length - sometimes eight feet - this one was just under that, but not by much. Perhaps seven feet. This did not make it any less terrifying.

Especially with the sinister rattle.