SPOILER!!: Replies to all you lovelies! <3

SPOILER!!: Feliks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Originally upon finding out about this new DADA Professor some months earlier, Feliks hadn't been all that thrilled. Today, he could truthfully say that he didn't mind it. Sure he missed Professor Khanna but he still kept in touch with the man fairly often to go over what he was currently learning and what Khanna was helping him with. Surprisingly most of it went hand in hand as if the two professors had been planning it all. As funny as that would be, it wasn't so. Or was it? He didn't know and it didn't matter much as long as he continued to pass his exams and keep his progress going in the right direction.

What did surprise him though, was being the first one to enter the DADAs room that morning. Dark eyes scanned the entire room in confusion before noticing Professor Goth sitting there on a large cushion. "Good morning, Professor," Fel greeted lightly, choosing a deep blue cushion somewhere in the center of the semi circle and settling himself down upon it. Anyone of his friends could walk in right now and join him, please and thanks.

“Good morning,’’ Shim replied, though he took an extra beat to look up. He had just had a moment of inspiration for one of his future lessons. “Oh hello, Feliks.” It would be safe to say that Shim and Khanna had indeed worked something out so that Feliks would be able to pursue a future in the field of DADA. The Slytherin need not worry about anything at all - it was completely covered, and upon his graduation, he would be back fully under Khanna’s mentorship. “Great to see you here early as always.”

SPOILER!!: Nebula!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charely Potter

Nebula arrived with her braids tied into a neat ponytail. She figured by the location, she'll have to look presentable, but still ready, fierce, and fabulous. "Hello, Professor Goth." She grinned knowingly after arriving.

Nebula decided to choose one of the other deep blue cushions to sit on. She wondered how today would go, but hoped for the best.

Shim had lowered his back to his notes, using a Self Inking Quill to add to his lesson plan - because why should one waste any second of time not being constructive? - when he became aware of footsteps approaching. This time, he peered up to see a grinning Nebula. “Hello, Nebula.” You could say that his smile matched her grin. Then there was Harvey not far behind, who eventually sat beside her. Did he really hear the male Ravenclaw say ‘Connor and his muscles will be here shortly?’ Shim tried not to stare because… what even? Did he need to keep an eye on Connor Patterson as well?

SPOILER!!: Nathaniel!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl

Though he did not mind a theoretical lecture every now and then, practical instruction was Nathaniel's preference, so he was thoroughly enjoying the lessons from the new DADA professor thus far. But he hadn't had any problems with the lessons in past years from the previous professor either, of course. It helped that this was one of his favorite subjects, so it was easy for him to remain engaged.

"Hey, Professor." Nathaniel gave a polite nod in greeting before quickly finding an open dark green cushion to plop down on.

Nice and comfy. Excellent.

It was a tad disappointing to Shim that he would never get to watch the seventh years’ progress with the subject as they would be graduating in the blink of an eye. Still, the brief time that he had been there, he had had the opportunity to be impressed. Nathaniel was one such student who clearly had an aptitude for DADA. “Hello, Nathaniel,’’ the man responded with a smile.

SPOILER!!: Teagan!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

The new professor had taken a bit of getting used to, but Tea knew she was flexible enough to not seem bothered by it. Professors had changed before in her seven years at Hogwarts, and as of yet, it hadn’t led to anything untoward. She didn’t figure this would be any different. It just meant a different perspective on the subject, a different way of going about things. A different pathway to explore.

Either way, she’d arrived at the lesson with her dark hair twisted up into space buns, out of the way of anything they might be learning in class today. Playing it safe, so to speak. Not that people usually thought she played it safe on the skateboard or snowboard, but that was different. Classes were a different breed that her other training. “Good morning Professor!”, she called out softly, as she let her eyes scan the students who had arrived before her. Only to settle onto a deep garnet cushion near Feliks. Seventh year Slytherin solidarity and such.

Professor Goth could appreciate a student who turned up for a lesson well prepared. The space buns, for one, showed this as it would be helpful in the way of not being a distraction in today’s lesson. “Good morning, Teagan,’’ Shim greeted, silently thinking that this was yet another seventh year he would have liked to see more of in terms of DADA performances. One year would have to suffice.

SPOILER!!: Iris!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Iris entered the Dueling Arena with her satchel slung neatly over one shoulder, her eyes instantly scanning the room from behind her glasses — not just for details, but for variables. The conspicuous absence of desks was noted, but it was the floor cushions that drew a sharper look.

Arranged in a standard defensive perimeter... or just casual seating? Chances were it was the latter but a girl could always hope.

So far, she had found the change in professor her final year to be acceptable Practical lessons were, admittedly, a welcome change of pace and, hopefully, a continue trajectory away from Dark creatures. They were certainly fascinating in their anatomy, but predictable in their malice. She'd always been more eager to focus on the human element of Defence Against the Dark Arts as her aspirations had her much more focused on understanding human intent. It was, after all, the key to reversing the complex, structural rot of Dark magic.

She did still very much prefer theory to the more crowd pleasing action packed lesson. To her, practical application was simply the less elegant cousin of diagnostic mastery. Anyone could fling a counter-curse and hope for the best, but it was a completely different task to understood the exact frequency required to unravel a hex or curse without collapsing the something ― or someone's ― magical core.　

Still, Professor Goth arranging things with the intention of getting them into the thick of things wasn't the most insufferable of outcomes, and she supposed she could tolerate a bit of action to release certain tensions her body never quite seemed to be rid of.

"Good day, professor," she greeted as she crossed the space and selected a cushion of her own which she settled on, cross-legged, and placed her satchel beside her. She resisted the urge to pull her notebook out and resume plotting out the array she had been working on for the past two weeks, or doodle in general, in favor of trying some slow meditative breathing to center herself while she waited for class to properly begin.

Shim would tell Iris that the cushions were arranged as part of a casual setting, especially since they wouldn’t be required for very long today. “Good day, Iris,’’ Shim replied, closing his book and offering the seventh year a smile. Maybe it was his new role as a father to triplets but he found that he was very much more fond of students. It would certainly explain the constant smiling.

SPOILER!!: Tiana!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

As a second year Tiana felt more home in the castle so she arrived early to DADA class in the dueling arena with her dark hair braided into a crown on her head. She was also dressed comfortably in newly washed gryffindor robes as instructed. "Good day Professor Goth!" Tee greeted with a happy beam as she headed past her professor to plopp herself down cross-legged on a lion red, and gold patterned cushion. Putting her satchel down beside her with writing material inside Tiana let her eyes wander taking in the arenas set up as they waited for more peers to arrive.

The hair… approved. The robes… not so much. “Good day, Tiana.” Her bubbliness was commendable, and Shim loved to see it. He anticipated that it could be helpful for the activity later, once kept in check. “It would be advisable to remove your robe prior to the activity. Doing so will work to your advantage.” His words were gentle.

₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆

The time to get started had arrived before Shim knew it.

With a lazy flick of his wand, the door to the Arena shut with a light thud. His book and quill were quickly vanished to the desk in his office On second thought, that might not have been the smartest idea since he was sure that his furson - Griffin - was taking a nap there. The dwarf-kneazle might end up being startled out of his little wits. Shim would just use this as a learning experience; yes, even professors could learn a thing or two on a regular basis.

“Welcome, everyone, to another Defense lesson,” Shim remarked. In the process, he straightened his posture as he addressed the students. How lovely it was to see their eager faces, for the most part, ready to soak up the knowledge about to be disseminated to them. “Before we move into today’s topic, I would like to take the opportunity to show my appreciation for your timely arrival to the lesson. Punctuality demonstrates that you value both your own schedule and the time of your professors' as well as your peers.” There was a tiny pause which could be allowed for say… mental pats on the back.

Right.

"Many witches and wizards make the mistake of treating spells as isolated tools. In reality, some of the most effective defensive magic often comes from understanding how different spells work together. A Shield Charm may protect you, but what comes next? A Disarming Charm may remove a threat; however, how do you create the opportunity to cast it?

"Today, we will be exploring combination spells. This is the art of linking multiple spells together to achieve an outcome that neither spell could accomplish alone. Can you think of a situation where two or more simple spells used together would be more effective than a single powerful spell? What spells would you use in that scenario?”

OOC: thank you all for posting! I’ve enjoyed getting myself acquainted/reacquainted with your wonderful brainbabies The first set of questions are up, and you may choose if your character answers one or both.

On another note, given the er… erratic behaviour… of the site recently, catchup will be allowed throughout the course of the lesson. The next post will be in at least 24 hours, once SS allows

SPOILER!!: Brainbabies! <3

SPOILER!!: Nathaniel!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl

Spell combinations. A good way to start off a lesson. Nathaniel liked where this was going.

And it was an important thing to consider, for sure. Firing off random spells without any thought wasn't a good dueling strategy. He would know, considering he'd done that in the Dueling Club when he was younger. It hadn't led to a win, obviously. But at least he had learned from that experience.

But what would he give as an answer? Hm. It didn't sound like it had to be in the context of dueling, but that was where his mind went anyway.

Nathaniel tossed a couple ideas around in his head before raising his hand. "You could use a Rain Spell. Make it rain, and the floor and everything all gets all wet - and then you cast Glacius, and since there's already water everywhere, it makes it even easier to freeze. And then it's also easier to knock your opponent off balance and disarm them."

Shim would accept any relevant answer but it need not necessarily be in the context of Duelling, or even DADA. The students had free reign on the direction of their contributions. He nodded towards Nathaniel and was immediately pleased with the response given. “Excellent thinking, Nathaniel. Just be wary of turning the entire floor into an ice rink or you might accidentally be following your opponent.”

SPOILER!!: Tiana!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

Tiana instantly went a shade of embarrassed pink at Professor Goth's gentle note on her clothing. Scurring to slip out of her robes so she was in just a black t-shirt, and a pair of comfy black close fitting pants she hoped the professor would approve. The first questions of the lesson were up in no time and Tee thought long, and hard about the first question before raising her hand to answer. "To get the opportunity to cast a disarming charm then I think you first need to distract your opponent like by casting the bat-bogey hex at them. I know I'd be distracted if I had real bats flying out of my nose." She finished with a grin.

The second question was harder, and gave her more pause, hearing Nathaniel answer made her wish she had thought of that because it sounded pretty good. The only thing that came to mind made Tiana raise her hand again to answer, but this time with a little more unsuredness. "Um, would first using colloshoo to stick the opponents feet to the ground be good, and then cast flipendo at them work in unison in say a duel?"

Tiana really did not have to worry nor feel embarrassed when it came to her wearing the cloak. The important thing was there was no harm done, especially since the activity had not been launched as yet. Her responses to the questions, however, were entirely appreciated. Shim raised an eyebrow, obviously amused. “A rather memorable distraction for your opponent, indeed. From the Hex, then eventually finding themself wandless.” He was about to move onto Iris when he noted Tiana’s body language - she was thinking some more perhaps to add some more to her first answer or speak up in favour of the other. It turned out to be the latter. The man nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, that could work well in combination. However, one must be conscious that if one’s feet are pinned and Flipendo is used, it can result in catastrophic injury to your opponent’s feet such as a fracture or even broken bones. It would be wise to aim at the ground for your follow up spell rather than their feet, especially if you’re in a friendly duel.”

SPOILER!!: Iris!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Iris's quill tapped thoughtfully against the edge of her notebook as she considered the question. There was something almost deceptively simple, and rather humanizing, about it. Not every effective combination of spells required particularly complicated magic. Sometimes one simply created the conditions for another to succeed. Not all that different, when one thought about it, from how one chaser might set up another to score in a quidditch match, or how a beater could deflect a bludger from a teammate, giving them the advantage to fly ahead.

Sweet Circe, she had spent entirely too long around quidditch pitches if those were the initial comparisons her mind had supplied.

Her nose wrinkled faintly as the discussion began to drift toward dueling. Defending oneself was hardly exclusive to the activity, of course, but Iris had little desire to confine the concept to exchanging curses across a room. The principle had considerably broader applications, particularly where magic was concerned that could not simply be blasted away.

"If you were dealing with a concealed curse, the first spell could reveal where the magic is anchored or how it is behaving, while the second could actually begin dismantling it," she offered when it was her turn to speak, hand lowering back into her lap. "Using the counter-curse alone might be rather like trying to remove a knot without first finding where the strands are tangled. You might succeed, but you are considerably more likely to make a mess of it and suffer the consequences of a rebound."

Her gaze dropped briefly to her doodles notes as she considered for another half second.

"Specialis Revelio, to start," she added with a whimsical hum, "then, ideally, Finite Incantatem would be all that follows. Wishful thinking, admittedly. Particularly with more complex Dark magic."

After taking an extra look at Tiana to ensure she had no more to say, Shim then called upon Iris. Earlier, as he had been calling on other students, he had thought that the Ravenclaw seemed more lost in thought than usual. It made him all the more reason to look forward to her answers. Shim’s lips lifted in a slight smile that wend hand-in-hand with an approving nod. “Precisely. Finding the source before attempting to have a go at the curse can make all the difference. A careful approach is often safer, and sometimes, far more effective than simply throwing spells at the problem.” Would she be providing an answer to the second question? Yes, Iris would be. His head tilted just a fraction as the words were considered. “Wishful thinking, perhaps, but a sensible place to start. You are correct about Dark Magic: simplicity rarely lasts long in that aspect.” If only this were not the case.

SPOILER!!: Nebula!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charely Potter

Nebula squinted her eyes at her seat companion, goodness, they knew Professors did a supersonic hearing spell on their ears to hear everything, so she kept quiet. Flashing a small smile towards Professor Goth incase they did catch it. She would neither confirm or deny publicly... although an idea did spring into her mind for a little project. But that project would have to wait since the lesson began.

Two or more simple spells? "So, I think distraction is key to outwitting your opponent. Could probably shoot purple firecrackers near the opponent's feet to keep their eyes off of you. Then follow it up with Tarantallegra to dance them off their feet." That seemed simple enough, right?

Shim was not fooled by that smile, Nebula. His eyes narrowed in such a subtle manner that one would barely notice it. To Harvey, he sent a stern look, and the male Ravenclaw had the decency to pull on an abashed expression. And now, Shim would be holding them both to a higher standard than normal for this lesson. He gave an approving nod at Nebula’s answer. “Creative and mischievous.” Why was he not surprised? The answer sounded like most of Nebula’s personality. “Distraction followed by disruption can be effective. Provided you don’t get distracted by your own firecrackers, of course.”

₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆

His ankle continued to jangle as he scanned the Arena for any more raised hands. Finding none, he spoke up once more to carry the lesson forward. “Such creative responses,’’ Shim remarked calmly, giving a small smile. Creativity was something he appreciated, and liked to foster it. That aside, practical answers and approaches were equally appreciated. “Just one more question before we move onto our activity. What quality or qualities make a spell a good partner for another? Take into consideration factors such as timing, purpose and possible risks when brainstorming your answer.”

OOC: I adore these answers, you guys! Keep 'em coming! We'll continue in about 24 hours {*FINGERS AND TOES CROSSED*} when we'll be moving directly into the activity for the remainder of the lesson

SPOILER!!: A reply! <3

SPOILER!!: Tiana!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

Tiana, felt warm inside with a teeny tiny bit of pride. Her answers had been well liked by Professor Goth. He even seemed a bit amused by her bat hex suggestion, but also warned her to aim at an opponents feet to not cause them real damage. Nodding she promised wholeheartedly. "I shall remember that Professor. I don't want to injure anyone unintentionally in a friendly duel with how and where I aim my spells."

The lesson moved on to a new question that first just confused her. What did Professor Goth mean by spell qualities? She almost raised her hand to ask that when it hit her. Most spells were catagorized by its uses weren't they? Raising her hand thoughtfully Tiana said "I think qualities that can matter when choosing partnering spells is there use like if they are defensive like Protego or offensive/attaking like say Expelliarmus or even healing like episkey." Could they get to practice with spells soon?

Shim would have liked to know that; it was usually his goal to keep his students as relaxed as possible. In his opinion, it aided them to want to give their best during lessons. Not to mention, it showed that he was easy to approach with any issues they may have. He offered her a warm smile when she gave confirmation of understanding his warning.

The professor nodded. “Quite right, Tiana. Excellent thinking on your part. Purpose is certainly an important consideration. One important factor to keep in mind: two spells don't necessarily make a good partnership simply because they share a category. Timing and how one spell creates an opportunity for the next can be just as important. A well-chosen combo should work with the situation rather than against it.” The marker wrote the latter words with great zest on the whiteboard.

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Shim was always meticulous when it came to checking and double checking that there were no more raised hands before moving on. Each student always deserved to have their thoughts be heard. Finding no other hand in the air, the marker settled from writing notes on the board and he broke into a grin. “And now we shall move onto the more fun part of today’s lesson. If you will all put away your writing apparatus then get to your feet.” Or vice versa, really; whatever worked. He himself sleekly bound to his feet, giving the students a minute or two to follow his instructions.

“You will retrieve your belongings after class. For now…” With a bit of Non Verbal magic, the students’ bookbags, satchels etc. rose into the air in a collective manner and were stacked neatly on a lower bench in the Seating Area. The cushions, whiteboard and desk vanished in the blink of an eye. Shimron now stood with his hands behind his back to address the group. His eyes moved over it, pausing occasionally on students at random.

“Today’s challenge is going to require rather more than simply pointing your wand at something and shouting the first spells that come to mind.” Professor Goth gestured toward the beginnings of a thick fog surrounding the outskirts of the Arena. “Somewhere within this fog, your opponent - myself - will be moving between unpredictable locations. You are not expected to defeat them. Your objective is a simple one: detect my presence, anticipate an attack, and defend yourself.”

There was a pause during which Shim allowed the words to sink in, and he gazed around for any signs of confusion on their faces. “I expect you to use a combination of at least two spells when responding to the threat. Think carefully about which spells complement one another rather than simply throwing magic into the fog and hoping for the best.” The earlier discussions would be helpful so he sincerely hoped they had all been paying rapt attention.

“Your greatest allies today will not necessarily be powerful magic. Observation. Awareness. Quick thinking. The fog will purposely limit your visibility of me, so you will need to listen for movement, watch for disturbances within the mist, notice anything that seems out of place, and remain alert to where an attack might come from.” A tiny smile crossed his face. “You may also discover that working alongside your classmates is rather more useful than attempting to play the lone hero.” Yes, that was him giving them a hint.

Shim tapped his wand against a palm. “Remember this: in the real world, dark witches and wizards are terribly inconsiderate. They rarely announce themselves before attacking. There will be no helpful hint informing you that danger is approaching. A successful defender is not merely someone who can cast a Shield Charm. It is someone who can recognise danger before it strikes, remain calm, composed when the unexpected happens, and choose the right response for the situation.” He was starting to see why Khanna had focused heavily on those meditation sessions with their students - meditation helped to keep the calm demeanour.

“So! Keep your eyes open, your ears sharp, and your wits about you.” On cue, the fog began closing in on Shim and Shim alone; the students remained in clear line of sight of each other. Soon enough, he was completely obscured. There was no evidence that he had ever been present a second ago. Except… “Go ahead. Take your best shot.” His words echoed from one particular part of the fog - somewhere in the middle. Did you clock that? Would you use it to your advantage?


OOC: Thanks much for the posts so far, lovelies We now move into the activity which will last for the remainder of the class, so until Friday 25th September {this date takes into account recent SS downtime, and will be readjusted if necessary}. I encourage you to play catch up with the questions prior if you missed them!

A few reminders for the activity:

• While the fog covers Professor Goth, it does not do the same for the students; they are able to see each other without obstruction for it;
• Spells used per try MUST be at least be paired {i.e, two spells at once};
• Please do not RP the results of your character’s spells;
• I will be posting Shim occasionally in response to your brainbabies

If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to nudge me Any mode of SS communication/my socials {IG/FB}/Trillian is welcomed!

SPOILER!!: Feliks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Surely Feliks could've have given an answer to one of the previously asked questions. In fact, he more than definitely could've answered them all. However he didn't. Why? Simply because he had chosen to take detailed notes of all the ideas his fellow classmates had given as well as Goth's responses to them all. There were so many options to choose from when it came to combination spells. As the Professor had said though, many things factored into what one might chose in the moment and what may actually work.

Returning all his items to his bag when told to do so only left a moment or two for Fel to rise to his feet before all the cushions and such around the room vanished. This didn't bothered him none. It was the fog that did that. Not being able to see ones opponent was going to make things tricky. It gave him mild flashbacks of a lesson last term that nearly made him crumble beneath the pressure. That Boggart and not knowing what it would be until it was right in front of him was somewhat like this moment. Once more he didn't know what was going to happen, what might appear before him at any given time.

How was he meant to react to the building fog? Uhhhhh, not well. Dark eyes immediately sought out his closest people. Perhaps if they all combined their spells one after another they could surprise Professor Goth at some point? There wasn't really any time for discussion or even any planning for this activity. Whatever he was going to do needed to happen quickly. Direction was key. And it sounded like the Professors voice was coming from somewhere close to the center of the thick fog. This was it. A chance to prove to himself that he could do this. That he didn't always fall apart under pressure.

A flick of his wrist landed his wand smoothly in his hand, his fingers flexing against the cold dark wood. A small but deep inhale was taken before spells were cast in quick secession without more than a true moments thought about them except for hoping the combination would work at least to some degree. If one couldn't see their opponents then one had to be tactical about their attacks. "Bombarda," came first, cast at the floor where he thought the voice came from. It was then followed up by a wide cast, "Arresto Momentum," to slow the Professors fall or whatever movement may come from the blast. The third spell was the one that would hopefully land it's target squarely. "Stupefy!" None of these were obviously meant to hurt anyone, simply knock them off balance unexpected, slow them down in one place and then a full hit.

Would it work though? One could only hope.

Professor Goth had kept a keen eye on Feliks thus far. One should not misread his interest as favouritism - in any case, he didn’t know his students that well as yet to pick favourites. No, it was just that he knew how capable the Slytherin was and he needed to ensure he was paying rapt attention. Note taking did go a long way, also, in helping so Shim had sent Feliks a nod of approval at some point during the second discussion.

The professor had accounted for a possible mass team up on him. When one had spent all their life in the defense field as he had, well… let’s just say that he came with a wealth of experience, knowledge and capabilities. The students should never underestimate him. Or they can. They just need to be prepared for the pushback.

Professor Goth heard the first blast before the fog briefly illuminated around him. With a sharp movement of his wand, he cast Protego, the shield catching the worst of Bombarda and Arresto Momentum before he shifted sideways through the mist. He recognised the voice of the caster - Feliks - and smiled in appreciation of the boy’s efforts. A flick of his wand sent Ventus sweeping through the fog, briefly clearing the air around him. He took advantage of the opening to move several paces away, avoiding the incoming Stupefy as it cut through the space where he had just been standing. The combination had been very artfully constructed, and the yield could have been detrimental to a less capable person. He knew Feliks had such calculatedness in him. However, the seventh year had made one assumption: that they knew precisely where their opponent was.

Before the fog settled once more upon him, Shim gave Feliks a lopsided smile. An excellent start, young one!