Though December had settled over the castle, the section of the grounds reserved for today’s Defence Against the Dark Arts gathering felt touched by summer itself. Warm afternoon sunlight spilled across the Hogwarts grounds in soft golden waves, while a gentle breeze carried the faint scents of fresh grass and earth through the air. Any trace of winter’s chill seemed impossibly far away. Professor Khanna had evidently gone to great lengths to ensure the cold, dim weather would not interfere with the afternoon’s activities. Subtle warming charms lingered throughout the area, wrapping students in comfortable warmth and bathing the grounds in a bright glow.

As you arrive you will notice a few other curious things: an old, weathered wardrobe stood somewhat incongruously against the open landscape, its crooked doors shut tight for now, the wood worn with age. Not far beyond it, a line of enchanted training dummies had been arranged at intervals across the grass. They stood perfectly still at present but their presence suggested that the calm wouldn’t last for long. Further along the course, something darted briefly through the air. It was too quick to catch clearly, but a burst of shrill, mischievous laughter carried on the breeze. Whatever could that be?

At the far end of the field stood the unmistakable marker of the finish line: a pair of tall banners bearing the Hogwarts crest, planted firmly in the ground and fluttering proudly in the afternoon wind. Anyone who managed to reach them would know they had completed the mini obstacle course that had been planned for you.


OOC: Welcome to term 73’s DADA lesson! Just a gentle reminder to read the Rules and Guidelines, paying particular attention to the first rule about labelling your posts with your student's name and House. Please keep character chatter to a minimum.

Class will kick off in about 25 hours! CLASS HAS COMMENCED! ^_^

SPOILER!!: Replies! <3

SPOILER!!: Paul!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charely Potter (Post 12586374) 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 (Post 12586380) 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: :hello: 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 :yes:

A few notes on the lesson:

• Please do not role play for the Boggarts, dummies or pixies :shifty:
• 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 :glomp: