“Hello, Jenovick.” He greeted the first year mid bubble blowing. ”Feel free to make some of your own, grab a bubble wand from one of the fountains if you don’t know the spell.” Bubbles for eeeeeveryone. The lesson would begin shortly but for now, there was no harm. Indeed, even once it officially began, there would be no harm in it.



Ah and another Slytherin to drift on in, one of his prefects no less. Malachi greeted the boy with a welcoming grin and a gesture to a fountain with the bubble wands perfect for making bubbles should he decide against using his own wand. “Afternoon, McCarthy. Don’t be shy, add some bubbles.”

Everyone was welcome to add bubbles, unless they’d rather he fill the room on his own. A monstrous task, in truth, considering how many of them popped the moment they bumped into anything.

So yes, grab some bubble soap.



Look at that, right by the fountain. That was already half the journey. “Afternoon, Ojeda.” Trent greeted lightly, pausing a moment to add more bubbles to the room. There was definitely such a thing as too many, but not under these particular circumstances.

“Bubbles?” He offered, gesturing to the fountain she stood by that held several bubble wands. She could help herself.



“Bubbles!” The Headmaster replied enthusiastically to the boys question. It wasn’t exactly one that needed further explanation—not yet, anyway. The room was full of bubbles and should he choose, he was more than welcome to help create more. The offer to take a bubble wand from one of the fountains that was extended to the other students was quite open to him, too.

“Take a crack at a few. Who knows, you might be good at it.”

Everyone should be good at it. It was bubble blowing...not a higher branch of Transfiguration.



And there was precious bean #3.

“Hello there, Summers.” This one definitely got a smile as he gestured her to any of the bubble fountains. “Help yourself.” Each contained bubble wands. Did she care to have a go at it? Bubbles were just what the room, and the lesson, called for. The fact they were so aesthetically pleasing was a sure fire bonus. Already, the man could see some of the students taken by the sights. That would hopefully keep them interested when things really got under way.

Though if they became a distraction...that would be its own problem.



“Kaiser.” The Headmaster returned the boy’s greeting with a nod of his head. Was it just him or did the Slytherin always look like he could use a comfy bed and some blankets? Was that a teenager thing? He’d read somewhere that they needed copious amounts of sleep in order to function. With the level of dysfunction taking place recently among his students...Malachi was willing to believe most of his students were sleep deprived.

“Bubbles?” If he was interested, there were still many bubble wands in the fountains scattered about the room.



“Afternoon, Sinclair.” Another that drifted relatively close to the fountains. Perhaps she would also be interested in creating some bubbles of her own. The more the merrier...usually. Sometimes. Come to think of it, there were several scenarios he could think of where the more people you added was the worse it became.

Thankfully, this was not one of them.

“Still plenty of bubble wands if your interested.” Malachi gestured to the closest fountain, an open invitation to her and anyone else.



He hadn’t missed the look, just like he hadn’t missed the way Blaze almost backed out of the classroom before realising this was in fact Defense Against the Dark Arts and the bubbles were a part of today’s scene. It was understandable. This wasn’t the usual set up the man had for his lessons but this time was necessary...for the most part. Kinda.

“Grab a bubble wand and we’ll see where it goes from there.” He suggested, motioning her to grab one from the fountain. Her classmates had already hopefully taken him up on the offer and with the bubbles popping faster than he could make more now that he’d stopped to do the greetings, a little help wouldn’t hurt.



And there was his sweet, summer child. Dakest. The look on his face as he took in the room, told Trent the boy had accepted this as the lesson. Granted, this wouldn’t be nearly as terrifying a lesson as some others they’d had but he couldn’t help the twinge of both amusement and guilt. It was wrong to get the Gryffindor’s hopes up like this but...also worth it.

“Dakest.” He returned, pleasantly. Yep, good mood all around. So peaceful. So calm. Enjoy it while it lasts? Nah, he’d leave that part out. Best not spook the boy unnecessarily.

It really wouldn’t be that bad. “Bubbles?” He could grab a bubble wand from the fountain and make his own if he wanted.



Precious bean #4.

And look at her precious beaning by the door. If only they stayed this way forever. He wouldn’t have any objections to that. If only his son could stay that way—if only his daughter never got that way. Was there a way to freeze them all? He suspected so but as it happened, the man liked his job despite the grey hairs it was giving him. It was simply not a good idea.

“I’ve got a better proposition for you.” He replied, levitating a bubble wand from the fountain over to the first year. “More bubbles? More bubbles.” They obviously didn’t have enough.

"Correct you are, Khaine." If the boy kept that up, he wouldn't have problems with his OWLs at the end of the year. They all still had those, in case they were wondering. This "field trip" to Beauxbatons changed nothing. "Jinxes do fall under the category of dark charms. Nice to see someone's doing their readings." Something he expected them all to be doing but he wouldn't digress.

"And they would be beneficial should you be trying to create some distance between you and your pursuer." As it so happened, the knockback jinx was particularly useful against certain dark creatures, but he supposed the boy already knew that.



"I..." What? No, really, what?

The Headmaster blinked several times at the Fourth Year, not entirely sure where to begin replying to a response like that one. Given the...ahem...scarlet and gold nature of her uniform, the man was more inclined to believe it, too.

"How many have you asked...?" How many had said no? Questions, he had them. "Let's not jinx our schoolmates. Won't end well for anyone involved."

Him included if he ended up responsible for the detention.



"Some would consider them to be 'amusing', yes. I don't blame them--not condoning any cross fire among you students, but some do have interesting results when done correctly." There, balance struck between being a responsible Headmaster and an appreciator of a well cast jinx. Nailed it.

"Useful when you don't want to cause harm but don't want to be harmed either." As opposed to not wanting to be harmed and not minding doing some damage in the process.

Some just had a bigger heart. Thoughtful but sometimes the difference between life and death.



And another that got a peculiar sort of look from the Headmaster. These students were a lot more willing to cast on each other than he cared for.

"In theory, yes, that would be a good use of the ebublio jinx, however," Because there was obviously going to be a 'however' following a suggestion like THAT, "we don't cast on our schoolmates. If we're having issues, we report them and have a professor deal with it." He remembered that meeting, largely filled with First Years, in the Inquisitorial Hall. The main reason for their poor behaviour was that they "didn't know".

Well. He was reminding her--and everyone else in the room--that that sort of behaviour landed you in serious trouble. Just saying.



"Excellent point, Dakest. Eye contact is important when it comes to casting and maintaining jinxes. The moment you break eye contact, the jinx is broken and you have to cast again."

Good to see the boy wasn't too distracted by the bubbles to pay attention. "Of course, that becomes more crucial for some than others. Like...say the knockback jinx your classmates mentioned. Once the target is blown back, there isn't really need to maintain eye contact...as opposed to say...a jinx on a broomstick mid quidditch game play. You'd have to maintain throughout."

It was all about choosing wisely while in the middle of a scrap.



"You're there but not there." He saw where the boy was going with his logic on whether the spell was a dark charm or not, however that wasn't how classification worked. "Intent does determine how dark a spell or even a creature is considered to be, however the standard classification is more black and white. Spells that have been created as jinxes, hexes or curses are all labelled "dark charms" regardless of the individual caster's intent. It is the intent at the creation of the spell that gave it the classification, not how you choose to use it in daily life."

So yes, a jinx was still very much a dark charm. Choosing not to use it with dark intent was admirable but did not change what it was by nature.



"Right on that one." The Headmaster affirmed. "While considered the least harmful of the dark charms, jinxes can still do a bit of damage in their own right and leave some nasty consequences." Something else he hoped they would all keep in mind before sending spells at each other all willy nilly.

"They do make good distractions, in fact some make it near impossible to keep proper focus once they've been cast. A good route to take when trying to gain the upperhand."

He was pleased with most of the responses thus far.



"Not...quite that first one..." Malachi scratched absentmindedly at his chin just watching the girl make her own beard of bubbles. "But on the second, you've got more of a point." As...watered down and First Yearafied as she'd made it.

Precious beans at work, honestly.

"You've...you've got something right there..." He said, gesturing to his own face in all the areas bubbles had collected on hers. "Just there. Did you know?"



"Yes, good point. There are ways to prevent or put an end to a jinx." They were, afterall, the mildest of the dark charms. "A counter-jinx is one good one." It was something they'd touch on in another unit but today they would just be focusing on the jinxes themselves, one particular jinx.

"Duels would be an appropriate place to put them to good use. A sanctioned environment to cast at your peers."

Because, liked he'd said, it absolutely was not permitted otherwise and the man had had his fill of suspending and giving detentions for the year. The students needed to chill.

...Yes...it could be countered..."Most spells can be countered." He replied to the Ravenclaw, not at all impressed by the first attempt. "We still use them." Being able to be countered, while a disadvantage was also something generally factored in. "There are ways to avoid having your spells countered which even out the possibilities." The second half of his response, however, showed more promise.

"Wands would make a difference in how advantageous a jinx like this one would be, yes." As to how people breathed once inside, the boy would find the answer to be remarkably simple. "Magic keeps them breathing. It's a magical bubble. It easily permits air." So there was little need to worry there. Still a fairly harmless spell to cast, for better or worse.

The faintest smile graced the Headmaster's lips at the final question. "Patience, dear boy. Everything in it's own time." And that was all he'd say for now.



"Correct, again." Two for two, Khaine was on a mini Ravenclaw role, wasn't he? "It's a rather niche spell in that it won't come in handy in most situations that contain real danger. Not while your opponent is still armed." Deescalation, as the boy called it, would have been one of the better circumstances in which to pull this one out.

"Creatures, on the other hand, depending on the kind, would have more trouble escaping such a spell and causing further harm."

Always good to know what and when a spell became useful and when it was better to bench it.



....

"Fair point." The Headmaster conceded, having taken a second to consider that one. "Depending on the external environment, one could very well find their opponent floating away whether they meant for them to or not. Depending on the nature of the conflict, this might not be a bad thing but it does leave you with an enemy floating off to parts unknown."

Better to always know where the people who meant you harm happened to be. It helped in avoiding sudden surprise appearances. "Another good reason to not cast it on our fellow schoolmates." He hoped they were taking notes on this one. He didn't know students floating off into the sunset regardless of how badly some of them wanted to get out of here.



"No worries on that end, Pascal." He could understand the worry about suffocating someone who simply stepped on your toe or looked at you the wrong way and the man was pleased that not all his students were fickle enough to go casting willy nilly without caring about the welfare of those they cast on--in this school setting anyway. Here's to looking at you, Rose.

"The person trapped in the bubble won't have problems breathing. They do have to take the time to remove the bubble before they begin casting again. Could be the second you needed to regroup or make that grand escape."

Good to know some good see the bright side of this spell.



"Wouldn't that be more of an advantage?" He wasn't sure he was following the logic there. If she cast on someone and the person was unable to undo the charm, the other person had essentially lost. She wouldn't need to do anything else, the person would be contained and no longer a threat.

"I can see it being a disadvantage if you're the one caught in the bubble and unable to break it, but having someone unable to get out of the bubble you cast can only be a benefit to you."

...Except, y'know, if the bubble was cast on a fellow student in a bout of anger and when rational thought set in the bubble couldn't be removed. Definitely a disadvantage then. They'd have to ask for help. It would be reported. That could go downhill fast. In an actual fight, however, effectively trapping your opponent is goals.



"An interesting point, Kaiser. One I don't think I've ever really considered." Granted, the man never considered sneaking anyone out of anywhere except his son on some of his weekend visits but that was much easier and didn't require a bubble. "You could wind up with more problems, a giant bubble doesn't exactly blend in--unless you then disillusion and silence it or shrink it pocket sized and go from there." A very interesting thought indeed-- "Don't attempt any of that with Chosen. No matter how much he insists."

The man could already see ideas forming in the Gryffindor's eyes at the Slytherin's words and he wasn't having it.

"You're equally correct about the wands. No wand, no way out. Wandless magic aside." Something they should all invest time in sooner or later. Never know when you'd be disarmed. Constant vigilance was a real thing.



"Thank you for bringing that up, Summers. Depending on your skill level, the bubble could last a few seconds or a month." Something to consider with any spell. "That's why practice is so important. The more you improve at your magic, the better your spells will be and the longer their effects can last." Want impressive spells? Homework was a good option to get there.

"In this case, it also depends on how quickly the opponent can undo the bubble or if they can at all. Even with a wand, just as a caster might not be great at magic, they might not be great at countering. There's no definitive answer there. Best to keep in mind that the stronger the intent and power, the longer and more powerful the spell."

That was the golden rule. If she followed that, she'd be fine.



"Yes, that, absolutely." Going good there, Dakest. "Size also plays a role in determining just how useful this spell is like to be." It was similar to the reasons mentioned when he replied to Summers, but...still different enough that it required its own explanation.

"Bigger objects--and creatures--will need a far greater amount of power behind a spell in order for it to be effective. Something the size of a dragon would require more power than most wizards possess in order to create a bubble worth the wand it's cast with." It took several to stun dragons long enough to transport them. It would take several to make an effective bubble for one.

"Sometimes, the task becomes too much and it's simply not possible. I'd like to hope none of my students make the attempt." Believe it or not, the man actually cared if they went on to live long and successful lives.



..."Huh." Yet another point he'd never actually thought of. "I suppose you're right, James. Trap the wand and they won't be able to physically pop the bubble to retrieve it. That's quite clever of you. Must be the beard." She did look a tad wiser, if not entirely ridiculous.

"Wandless magic would make this useless, but not everyone takes the time to learn. For most, arresting their wand is the easiest way to put an end to them."

What would they be able to do after that point?



"Yes but no." Was the not so simple but quite simple answer to her question. "You can't control the bubble itself, but should you then cast a levitation charm on it, you could then influence its height and where it goes." Like he'd mentioned earlier, the environment could also affect the bubble, say....strong wind or it being bumped into but once that bubble was up and out, it wasn't the caster's to control anymore.

"Should the bubble end up high and you don't wish the person harmed, you can always animate the bubble, lasso it, or otherwise take control of it. No need to wait for it to pop before trying to save the person on the inside."

Not everyone was quick enough, or skilled enough....and now he was imagining students going splat. Not the image he needed.