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Join Date: May 2009 Location: London
Posts: 32,844
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Alexander River Hirsch
Gryffindor Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
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|  urine trouble | Pat's Strong Confident Other Half | Pees Like a Champion Unicorn Racehorse
Text Cut: Replies <3 Text Cut: Janelle Quote:
Originally Posted by Daydreamer11  So apparently they were going to have to wait to find out what the professor had hidden. Janelle could wait. She had no choice really. As Professor Hirsch called the class to order, Janelle gave him her full attention. Ahhhhh, they would be dealing with spellwork today.
The Professor didn't waste any time in getting to the first question. This was one answer that Janelle did not have to think about. She knew her biggest problem when casting a spell and raised her hand right away. When it was her turn, she began to speak. "The thing I find most difficult is keeping my concentration. Sometimes I'm clear on the incantation and the wand movement, but if I can't keep my focus.......my spell is doomed." She had gotten much better with her concentration over the years, but it was still a challenge.
Concentration. He should've expected an answer like this to pop up.
Hirsch nodded slowly as the Ravenclaw answered, trying to think back to an instance where he'd seen her duelling. "Do you get distracted easily?" A question that was asked more out of curiosity than anything else. "That's always going to be a problem with certain spells and in certain situations but it's something you can work on. Practice will make it easier to keep up the concentration. A spell you're particularly comfortable with will come easily with little concentration required."
Pause.
"It's not the answer I'm looking for but it's a very good point. Well done, Miss Guidry."
Text Cut: Zara Quote:
Originally Posted by DH Vixen Once Zara was done pondering the identity of what was hidden on the table, she noticed Zoryn beside her and smiled bright in return. It was so nice to have a friend near and so far Zoryn was probably her favourite friend.
Hearing the class called to order, she turned her full attention to Professor Hirsch At the moment of a zap, her eyes wandered to the table for a second before returning to the front. It was a good thing she had just pondered on the items on the table and not tried to look. Being zapped was not something she wanted to happen.
Spellwork? That wasn't what she expected to hear they were doing today, but as she thought at it; it kind of made sense to her. Spellwork was kind of the backbone to everything, wasn't it? Slowly she raised her hand. "I have troubles with form and movement," she offered shyly. "Spell casting required precise movement and most of the time, I don't get it right and things usually don't always work out right." So far there hadn't been any disasters, but it still bothered her. Spells worked but never perfectly like she wanted and she spent so much time just practising movements over and over.
Form and movement? "That's an interesting thought, Miss Monroe." Interesting phrasing as well.
"There is a lot of precision required with spellcasting," he said, pushing his glasses further up his nose, "I think you'll find that practice will help with this. When you get so used to a spell, the movement and form will come naturally to you. It'll almost be like second nature." Pause. "Some spells might require a bit more work than others." And that, right there, was her warning when it came to spellcasting.
Text Cut: Jonas Quote:
Originally Posted by 2111jen Jonas bit his lip. The frustrating part? Huuuuuum.
He thinks he knew. He raised his hand.
"For me it would be the incantation. I mean..." he frowned. "Some spells are fairly recent and theyre created by Americans sometimes ao the accent would be different."
Oh.
Oh!
Wasn't this an interesting answer? Hirsch could feel a full on beam coming right up, despite the frown on the young boy's face. "Most spells come from Latin words and terms but accents definitely get in the way. Excellent thinking, Mr Emery."
Maybe this was something Gaston could go over? Hm?
Text Cut: Noelle Quote:
Originally Posted by ChanceCoeur Noelle had sat down right beside Olly on one of the cushions right after he had said down. She gave a hearty smile to one of her favorite professors. "Good day Professor." She said in greeting before leaning against Olly for an armless hug.
Her eyes scanned the covered table, wanting to know what was hidden. She could contain her curiosity though. She knew they were hidden for a reason. That didn't stop her from asking Olly what he thought was underneath. "I wonder if it's dangerous." she whispered to him.
Oh yay. Class was starting.
Noelle hushed when Professor Hirsch stared talking. Her eyes darted along the table again before he asked the question. She didn't have to think on this. "Mines probably the concentration. Imagining the spell happening. My mind wants to cast it and then think about what I want to do next instead of concentrating on the spell." That wasn't a good thing when you wanted a strong spell.
Hirsch would've been very surprised, and a little let down, if Noelle hadn't turned up for one of his lessons. She was adept at this subject so there was no reason not to turn up.
When she did, though, she got a wide smile from the man before he concentrated on her answer. "So your mind runs faster than your mouth?" Interesting. "Has extra practice helped with that? Have you found that you're better at casting certain spells without imagining it once you've gotten used to the spell?" He'd seen her extra practices so he was assuming it did work for her but that was just his observation.
Text Cut: Rula Quote:
Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl Most frustrating part of spells? Hmm...that was tough. Spellcasting could be frustrating in general, at least when you were first trying a new one. Sometimes it was the incantation, sometimes the wand movement, sometimes concentrating on the intended result...it could be anything, depending on the spell.
The mention of dueling in particular though brought another thought in Rula's head. "I think sometimes the most frustrating part for me is remembering all of them," she said, raising her hand. "Most of the time I can remember whatever spell it is I'm wanting to use, of course, but occasionally I forget the incantation or wand movement in the heat of the moment, like it just slips my mind. You know, like how sometimes you try to think of a word you want to say but can't remember what word it was? Kinda like that." And that was pretty annoying. There were lots of different words just like there were lots of different spells, so it was easy for them to just slip your mind sometimes.
Oh memory! That was another good answer right there. "I'm glad you mentioned this because you're not the only one. Remembering spells, especially ones you're not used to, is difficult. Always has been, always will be. And sometimes, you forget the ones you thought you were great at."
Pause. Was he going to let her down now? Er.
"I would say that practice helps but........" Another pause. "If you find yourself forgetting a spell, the worst thing you can do is worry about it too much and forget to keep fighting. Forgot a spell? Move on. Use the next best thing. The spell will come to you later, if you need it."
Text Cut: Katy Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin Spell casting wasn't really all that hard, though. It took a bit to get good at some spells, but that was about practice. It wasn't about things being too hard. It was just about learning.
Or maybe that was the answer? Katy smiled broadly at Hirsch, since he liked her giraffe answer, and shot her arm into the air. "Sir? I think spells just take a while to learn. Like you need to get used to the incantation and wand motion, figure out how it feels to get it right so you can cast flawlessly in the future... I'm not sure it's a difficulty so much as a process."
Hirsch couldn't help but smile wider at this response. "I have to say, I like your thinking." This was what he was trying to get at, in a sense. "The more you practice a spell, the better you get at it and the easier it is to cast. No need to even think or process. It's like second nature, I'd say." Shrug. "Excellent thinking, Miss Toussaint."
Text Cut: Brent Quote:
Originally Posted by Anna Banana Brent smirked. Had he known people were getting zapped over by the bubble, he'd have paid better attention to it. Would have been a cool show to watch. But whatever. The lesson was moving on now. He tried to think about all the duels he'd had in the past and what might have been frustrating for him. People were talking loads about concentration, and all Brent could think about is how frustrating it'd been that time somebody had spit their gum out on the arena floor, and he'd lost a battle all thanks to the gooey mess on his feet.
He didn't think that would make a really good impression on the professor of his favorite subject, though, so he tried to think about something else instead. Finally, he raised his hand in the air. "You know what's difficult for me?" he asked, answering a question with a question. "When someone casts two spells back to back, and I'm not expecting either one. It's hard to come up with something on the spur of the moment that can block one spell but also get to the next one in time." He hated losing battles that way!
Ah! This answer!
Hirsch nodded along as the boy answered, understanding exactly what it is he was trying to get at. "That is frustrating, especially if your opponent is much faster than you. Agility is key in a duelling situation." And sometimes, the winner wasn't the one who could produce the flashiest of spells but the one who could move and cast spells quickly.
"My advice is to work on your agility. Can't think of a good counter curse to a spell? Move. Unless you've been hit by Feet-Sticking Charm, you're not rooted to the spot." Sometimes, it could buy the person more time as well. "But that's a key answer. Well done!"
Text Cut: Olly Quote:
Originally Posted by littledhampir Oh yay Noelle was there and sitting by him. Olly grinned at her but then class was starting so he couldn't really say anything. Professor Hirsch was definitely right that spells did not always go the way they were supposed to. They definitely didn't always work the first time. There were a lot of reasons Olly could think of that made spellwork frustrating. His top answer was the what Noelle said: concentration. He did not exactly have the best concentration. It was easy for his mind to wander and hard for him to get the amount of focus he needed to properly cast a spell, especially the more advanced ones. That older Slytherin, Rula, had a good answer too. There were so many spells it was sometimes hard to remember all of them. But Olly needed to come up with his own answer.
He didn't duel but he tried to think of what it would be like if he did. Or if he was in a dangerous situation. He raised his hand. "Rula had a good point. There are so many spells sometimes you don't remember the incantation or wand movement. I think it would be hard especially when you're in a dangerous situation. You have to think quickly but it's harder to think under pressure so you might not be able to think of the right spell fast enough."
"I'm glad you're thinking about dangerous situations as well." Good. "You're completely right as well: some people do better under pressure than some others. It's just the way it is." Unfortunately. "But if you can't think up of the right spell, use the next best one. They won't know that you forgot what spell you were going to use." Fake confidence, anyone?
"And with some spells, you'll find that they'll come much easier to you than others. It'll be like second nature."
Text Cut: Leon Quote:
Originally Posted by FwooperOnYourLeft Leon tilted his head a little as he listened to Professor Hirsch speak and the boy let question flow over him for a moment as well as let his classmates answers move through his ears..
Yes, concentration was hard. As was remembering spells, he had trouble with both of those. Though his trouble was really..
Leon raised his hand and said "Intent, Professor. That's what I have the most trouble with, summoning the correct intent and emotion for the spell at the proper moment. Dueling and spell casting can sometimes happen so fast, that even being in a proper mind set, intent can hinder my casting. "
The grey eyed boy had spoken his piece and put his hand back down. He was loving this lesson all read.
Oh, intent! This was an answer that pleased him very much.
"Excellent! You're right: duels happen faster than you think and sometimes, emotions can clash with intent. Especially if you're duelling against someone you know and care about." No one wanted to hurt someone they liked. "Have you found that you can cast certain spells faster, get the intent down faster, because of practice? Or because of circumstance?" Hirsch was curious.
Text Cut: Char Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegz
OooooooOOOOH!? Things to DISCUSS??? Charlotte was CURIOUS and INTRIGUED and you BETTER BELIEVE she was going to go straight to Professor Hirsch's office after class (Unless she got distracted by something else. Thennnnn there might be a delay. Ahem. But she WOULD get there!) Char gave him a thumbs up. YEAH. Sounded good to HER.
And ooooh the lesson had started and.... uhh?
Charlotte looked confused, and for good reason. What was he on about, about spells being frustrating? Whaaaaat?
She really had to THINK to come up with something and then it hit her and she stuck her hand up.
"Its frustrating when its a boring spell that does pointless things that you will basically NEVER use, or like the ones that it would basically be faster to just do a thing the muggle way, but you have to learn about them in classes anyway!" So, you know, not dueling. Basically.
............ Snort.
Useless spells? She did have a point there, if he was being completely honest. "I guess. Some really are terrible, aren't they?" Pause. "I'll try not to teach you anything useless, Charlotte." Promise.
Text Cut: Trixie Quote:
Originally Posted by Mell It wasn't until Professor Hirsch mentioned the objects hidden underneath the cloth that Trixie actually noticed them. Apparently her constant vigilance was totally lacking today. Actually that was usually every day. DADA was not one of her stronger subjects.
Her gaze lingered on the table for a little while longer and she wondered what could possibly be underneath that cloth. And it wasn't until the Professor began talking again that she turned back to look at the man and pondered his question.
What did she find frustrating about spell casting? Trixie did as the Professor suggested and thought about herself duelling someone and what she would find the most difficult. She raised her hand in the air when the answer came to her.
"Losing to your opponent." She said simply.
And here was another answer that made him snort. It was a broad answer and not exactly what he was going for but she was right. "Nobody likes losing so you've got a point there. Now you just have to try not to lose, which is easier said than done."
Text Cut: Jacob Quote:
Originally Posted by awakemysoul Jacob loved Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was arguably his favorite class, and while he generally felt confident in most academic areas, this was where he felt most comfortable. He was especially glad to be taking it at a new school. He had loved the class at Ilvermorny, but he didn't like having his success in it attributed to nepotism. His aunt had been the DADA teacher, and his peers had acted like his success in the class was due to that fact. That was part of the reason he hadn't told anyone yet that he was related to her. He didn't want the reputation of being a goody-two-shoes or a tattletale. And besides, Aunt Regina (or Headmistress Hawthorne, he guessed he should call her now) had never treated him differently because he was her nephew... Actually, she seemed to be stricter with him than the other students, but nobody believed that. He greeted the professor as he walked into the classroom and settled down, waiting for class to begin.
When the door snapped shut, signaling the beginning of the lesson, Jacob's attention turned raptly to his Head of House, Professor Hirsch. He hadn't had a chance to interact with him yet, but he seemed pretty cool, and Jacob was really looking forward to this class. The professor began by explaining why there were some secretive-looking things in the room, then went on to pose a question that didn't have a cut-and-dried right or wrong answer... Jacob's least favorite kind. Still. It was an exercise in thinking outside the box, he supposed.
Jacob listened as his classmates answered the question at hand. What was most difficult for him? He hated to sound cocky, but he was having trouble thinking of anything that was difficult for him. He was usually able to get what he needed to. Still, he knew he had a lot to learn, and he was by no means an expert. So... What was difficult for him? There had to be something, he just wasn't thinking of it.
Hmm... Sometimes intention was hard, especially if his mind started wandering as it often did. Oh, drat, someone said that. Okay, well, remembering exactly which was the right spell could be difficult occasionally... Aaaaaand someone said that, too.
There had to be something he could say that wouldn't be repeating what anyone else had said. He tapped his finger thoughtfully on his lower lip. "This may sound strange, Professor," he raised his hand, having decided on an answer, "but getting tongue-tied happens to me sometimes. If I'm trying to go too rapidly or get distracted, I don't always enunciate well." That was true enough. Nothing really bad had ever happened because of it, but he could imagine that if he were out in a real duel outside of the castle and he tripped up on his words, that could make or break the outcome.
This was a very new answer. Very new and very interesting, he might add. Not that he expected anything less from someone who might be related to the Headmistress (?) herself but he wasn't about to pressurise the boy by mentioning any of this.
Anyways. The answer. "Getting tongue-tied is completely normal," he said, nodding at the young Ravenclaw, "It happens to the best of us so you don't have to worry about it. But it's something you can always work on, especially through practice. You might find that the spells you're more adept at will come as naturally to you as breathing does."
Text Cut: Hattie Quote:
Originally Posted by RachieRu oooh. She knew an answer to this. It was one she didn't usually face anymore, due to being better at casting spells now. But she was sure it was bound to happen since she'd be learning new spells all the time. She listened to her class mates answers before raising her hand. "I find it really frustrating when I practice, and practice and practice and still can't get a spell to work" She murmured with a smile. "Obviously it takes hard work, but it can be really frustrating when you think you've got it.... and you haven't" And she'd experienced that a lot, and she did not like it at all.
Oh. This was a sad answer, wasn't it?
Hirsch didn't really know how to respond. He made a great effort to take a deep breath and adjust the placement of his glasses on his nose. Buy time, you know. "Well," he finally said, "As sad as it is, you just have to accept that some spells will come easier to you and others will be difficult. You might not even be able to cast some spells. For example, not everyone can cast the Patronus Charm and that's okay." Sorry?
Text Cut: Henrietta Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady of Light The most frustrating part when casting a spell? Etta thought for a moment, trying to think. Hmm, what would be frustrating? The girl had never cast that many spells so she wasn't sure.. but she tried to come up with an answer anyway. After a little while, she raised a hand hesitantly.
"Well.. when you momentarily forget the spell that you want to use, maybe? That can get frustrating, right? And give your opponent the advantage?" ... she was doing it again. Why did all her answers sound like questions? Ugh.
Hirsch nodded slowly along with this answer..... and then shook his head a bit. "Yes and no." Explain? He was going to. "Everyone can forget spells but if you do, go for the next best one you have. Do something to distract them to give you time to think."
"The only way you'll give your opponent an advantage through this is if you stand rooted to the spot, trying to think up of the spell you want to use. That gives them a clear advantage to take you out. But! If you use another spell quickly enough or.......... I don't know, send a bunch of rocks tumbling on them, that gives you time to think. Your opponent doesn't need to know that you forgot what spell you want to use." Did that help? He hoped so.
Text Cut: Carlton Quote:
Originally Posted by potterobsessionist Everything was not okay. Carlton was nervous and scared and excited and anxious all at the same time. But he was also flattered that Professor Hirsch knew his name. He might have blushed and mumbled something under his breath. Proffessor Hirsch was so COOL. The DADA teacher and his Head of House Mr. McLeod were like Han Solo-cool. They duelled and flew around in the air on brooms.
Now that was cool.
Carlton had vowed to himself to stay silent during his first lesson unless there were actually something he really, really knew. Which wasn't a lot in the magical world. And he hadn't a clue what could go wrong in duelling. There was so much stuff that went wrong for him just by walking from the common room to the class room, he didn't want to imagine what would happen for him in a duel.
The other students sounded so... Grown up. Carlton had only managed to do one spell, all the others that he'd tried had gone wrong or worst of all, nothing had actually happened. Once again, he doubted if Hogwarts really was the place for him after all. Or was it something else that caused the spells to go wrong? He felt his hand raise up in the air.
Don't do it, don't do it. But he did. He asked a question.
"But Professor," He started, confused and... Irritated. "What if the wand doesn't work?!" Everyone else just assumed that their wands worked but what if they didn't? Then what?! Carlton was convinced his didn't. It had only worked once and that was barely. He hated it.
He poked his wand where it lay on the floor so it rolled away from him. Good. Leave. I don't like you anyway. "It's not easy casting spells if the wand doesn't work. Mine don't." He was sure of it. Just look at it, laying there on the floor all disobediant.
Hirsch would've been more than flattered if he knew that the boy was comparing him to the likes of Han Solo. As it were, he didn't know any of this and so, he concentrated on.......
............ what?
"Your wand doesn't work?!" Er. "Have you had a lot of practice with the wand? What makes you think it doesn't work?" As in, elaborate, please. Because Hirsch was confused.
Text Cut: Leesha Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonea Bleh, the professor had seen her while she had touched the bubble! Luckily she hadn’t been the only one, she realized later what was a good thing she decided. But WHY was the professor hiding something? And what was it? Luckily her question was answered quick and she looked curious now. Casting spells? Hmm, she just had turned a second year and she had not yet practicing duels because she as a first year hadn’t been allowed to do so and she had not yet been able to do it now. But, she tried to think of a answer anyway because this was a important subject and she wanted to know about it! So she rose her hand and spoke slowly, wondering if she was thinking correctly. “Knowing what spell you should use instinctively because you only have seconds the time to respond?” she frowned because she thought that that would be difficult for her to do, knowing WHAT to do in a split second…
"I'm very glad you mentioned the time you have to decide what spell you want to use. Seconds. Literal seconds." It was very fast paced, see. "Some spells are going to come instinctively to you but others might not. I think you need some practice to get these spells down and you might find that seconds are all you need."
Text Cut: Derf Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie Sitting on this cushion was kiiiiiiiind of distracting. It made Derf want to have a friendly pillow fight...or lay down on his pillow, chest to fluff, and flip through his textbook to read. Thoughts he would have had if he were not distracted looking at the covered objects...buuuuuuuut he was aware enough to hear the professor ask a question and while he pondered that response an older Ravenclaw boy said essentially the same thing he had been thinking.
"I agree wiff him," Derf nodded, pointing to said older Ravenclaw. "I haf a s-s-stutter." Among other things, like a lisp that he still had not entirely processed that he actually had. "S-So d are hard." He paused again to glance at the covered objects. "Also frus-strating fat my Accio is-s too weak and I don't know how to do a Banishing Charm..." he added, with some more pointing. "S-s-so...not knowing the result of my intent..." Intent being to remove the covers and see what was under there. "... OR hafing the control..." Because he was not all that strong with magic yet. "...is frus-strating TOO!"
Because his curiosity was kind of killing him right now. Not literally though, not to worry, professor!
A stutter? Oh. He......... hadn't been expecting this answer.
Hirsch blinked at the boy, a little lost for words. How was he meant to answer this? Spells were good to use, yes, but if the boy struggled with most of them..... "You might find that some spells will be easier to cast. Is there anything that helps with your stutter? Are there any spells you've been able to cast?"
Pause. "And who says you should only use spells? If you need to save your skin and can't cast spells, use muggle defence. Combat. Fly-kick them, karate-chop them...... whatever it takes to save yourself." Probably not a good lesson he should be teaching them? No. "Only if you absolutely need to. Otherwise, I think you'll need to work on some of these spells."
Text Cut: Dora Quote:
Originally Posted by Erindipity HEHEHEHE! Dora beamed as she watched Professor Hirsch conjure a vase for the daisy. Yisss! This totally meant she was his favorite, right?!
Right!
The blonde listened with rapt attention as he started the lesson, her eyes shifting to the covered objects from time to time. Curiosity was in her in abundance, but she didn't think touching ANYTHING in THIS classroom was a good idea, so she had kept her hands to herself. Yep.
But what was the hardest part of spell casting? Well, her classmates had pretty much covered everything, hadn't they? YEP. So Dora listened quietly this time around.
A silent one? That didn't matter. Not really, anyways. He wasn't worried about Dora. In fact, something told him that she was going to like this lesson, even if it didn't have anything to do with fire.
So, he gave her a swift smile before moving onwards.
Text Cut: Zoryn Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack Close enough? That felt like a disappointing answer, but there was still a tiiiiiiiiiny glimmer of hope simply because Zoryn hadn’t yet figured out that “close enough” normally meant “no” in the adult world. So she still wore her HUGEST GRIN EVER as she listened to Professor Hirsch address the whole class. Wow she was RIGHT on time!!!
What bubble over there? This comment made Zoryn heads whip around, noticing the covered stuff for the first time. Aw man. If she had realized it was there she totally would’ve gone to investigate before they started!!!!! This was SO unfair! She was too busy being excited about PUNCHING STUFF maybe.
So for the rest of his speech, Zoryn just stared at the covered tables, as if staring would help her see through the fabric that hid them. A kid had to try, okay?
She did hear the questions though and she thought REALLY long and REALLY hard about what her answer would be. Except long and hard meant a good minute and a half. But that was a lot longer and harder than she thought about most things. ”Mostly that I only know three spells,” she nodded. But it wasn’t her fault. She was still a first year. That meant you could get away with it. It also meant that they didn’t teach her any AWESOME spells yet. That was frustrating too. Zoryn nodded loads for that older Gryffindor’s (Char’s) answer.
This answer amused him slightly and reminded him that the girl really was very young. "You're not going to have to worry about that for much longer, I bet. You might even surprise yourself with how many spells you know by the end of the year." Just saying.
The moral of this was: keep your head up, okay? This was hardly something to worry about now.
Text Cut: Tenacius Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelsheen Tenacius was awake, very much so. That little jolt made sure he's all ready for vigilance now. Yes he saw both Ravenclaw Prefects demonstrate that the covered object had an anti-touch security system, but he went and tried it out anyway. Partly because testing Gryffindor luck, partly because he was sleepy and he needed a pick-me up. Sure he shouldve gone for a cuppa but sleepy also meant lazy.
So ok, what was his biggest or most frustrating thing about spellcasting? Oh he knew his answer right away "'Too Much.' " he replied simply. His folks says it, his dueling tutor says it, heck Hirsch has been teaching him since his first year so he should have a real good idea what that means. "Very often I'm always told to reel it in, its like... to me this is normal--" he holds his hand in the air at a certain level "--but then people tell me, no, you should be this level." and he gestures with his other hand half a level down. "And to me it often feels like its half of what I can really do, but yeah apparently, thats supposed to be normal and that my normal is actually overkill." But he has his own idea of what overkill is, so what would that be for other people?
Yes. Yes, Hirsch knew exactly what Mr Salander was getting at. Having taught him since his first year, this hardly came as a surprise to the man. Nope. In fact, it was enough to make the amused smile stay on his lips as he listened to the boy talk.
"This depends on the situation, I'd say. If you're up against a dangerous creature or a dark witch or wizard, overkill is better than underkill. Take them out completely rather than leaving them with a papercut." Not that he was telling the boy to kill people, mind you. "But what you need to learn is control. You're good at magic, just try to control it and let it out when you need to."
Text Cut: Junia Quote:
Originally Posted by TakemetotheBurrow Hirsch's attempt at humor was a fail, though Junia had given him the faintest of smiles for his effort. He was lucky he was pretty because jokes weren't his strong suit. He should definitely stick to his day job. What did help was Rula. Her presence was always calming and it made the third year feel a little better. It did.
Notes were being taken as soon as the discussion had started and Junia was very interested in the information her classmates were providing. Looking for weaknesses, she was. Looking for them, listening to them, and then jotting down the ones that might help her out in a future duel against her peers. As for something she struggled with, she didn't really want to share in case the others were thinking along the same lines that she was.
Still, participation...
"Sometimes it's frustrating when your spell isn't as strong as you intend for it to be." There.
It was a shame that his attempt at humour hadn't worked but hey, at least the girl was smiling! A little bit. It was something, at least.
Not as strong? "This is something that might come with age and a tiny bit of rage. I'm not saying to be angry when you cast all spells but sometimes, anger helps you to strengthen a spell." Shrug. "You're still quite young and you have potential so just try and work on your spells. They'll be stronger than you think before long."
Text Cut: Daisy Quote:
Originally Posted by Crayola Daisy was snuggled leaning against four pillows she had managed to steal confiscate before her classmates had gotten there, so really she was ready to sleep. It really was a pity they weren't allowed to eat otherwise this would be perfect. She risked one glance at her bag, lacking in research books but overflowing with candy but then Professor Hirsch had started the lesson and really - eating now would just be rude.
Bleh.
She reached for some paper and a quill and listened to the answers filling the room. What was there of frustrating about casting spells? YES, sure, sometimes she forgot the actual incantation. Or the wand movement. Or sometimes she overdid the wand movement. But that wasn't exactly frustrating about the spell - it was just frustrating because sometimes she was pretty bad at it. Well, she had to try something so the fifteen year old raised her hand, thinking back at all those times the intensity of the spell performed wasn't the desired one. "Sometimes, Professor, I try really hard to concentrate and do everything right and try to explode something and still all I manage to do is to light a slight fire..."
That was frustrating.
Did he mind her stealing so many pillows? Not at all. Didn't even bother him in the slightest.
As for her answer, the man reached up and rubbed the scruff on his chin. So many people had mentioned intent as being a cause for frustration during spellcasting. Interesting. "Intent. You really have to want to cast the spell otherwise it won't work. Try and work on summoning that motivation and intent if you can: I have some dummies in a practice room that you're more than free to try and blow up, if you need to work on it. Just don't leave the room in shards, okay?" Smile.
Text Cut: Mason Quote:
Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi Mason had not tried to touch the objects on the table as he had somehow knew that the professor would have protected them and his feelings had been comfirmed when he heard the unmistakable zap from the bubble surrounding the objects. Younger students were so foolish.
As the professor started the class, the Ravenclaw pushed himself off of the wall and walked towards an empty cushion somewhere in the middle. He sat down, making sure he did not sit on his robe and raised his hand in the air. He knew a couple of things that bothered him when spellcasting. But one of them stuck out for him. Especially when his eyes went to Dora after she had said her words , remembering the punch in the face she had given him and when he thought back to the duel between him and this Hufflepuff who's name he could not remember, in which he had lost quite dramatically.
"Defensive spells like Protego are frustrating to me, i can conjure a shield and i can stop the simplest spells but most just go through it" he said, lowering his hand again.
Oh!
Oh!
Wasn't this an interesting response?
Hirsch, now smiling wider than ever, nodded at the young Ravenclaw. "You need to work on strengthening that shield so that nothing goes through. Shield Charms are one of the best defensive mechanisms you can have. What's the point in having one that doesn't do its job properly?" Hm? "This lesson might just help you with that." So pay attention, okay?
Text Cut: Olivia Quote:
Originally Posted by Watson What as difficult about spell casting?
Olivia remained silent, thinking of the possibilities and trying to remember what she had found challenging as a first and second year when it had come to spell casting. The motion was always difficult. In dueling, she had found the hardest part was being able to predict what spell your opponent was going to do. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses as well as what spells they tended to favour was all important in calculating the probability of what spell they would use. Though it also could be a complete longshot. She was still thinking of an answer when Tenacius' answer stuck out to her. Reel it back in? Olivia smiled. It was difficult for her to understand about being too much. She was always told to put more of herself into spells and believe in herself and her ability.
Hmm... Anyway. "I think that the most difficult part of spell casting in duels is being able to read your opponent." She paused momentarily, trying to find the correct words. "It's as if you're playing cards. Great players always count cards and can almost begin to tell what card their opponent will play next. You not only need to be good at reacting quickly but almost be ready to predict possible spells."
"That's an interesting comparison you've made there, Miss Holden." Playing cards. He hadn't exactly thought of it in that sense but now that she'd mentioned it....... "It's exactly like playing cards. You need to be on your toes, have a number of methods ready, just in case. Even the best players will end up being surprised by their opponent but what makes them so good is that they always have something up their sleeve."
Huh.
"Excellent thinking, though. Well done."
Text Cut: Alice Quote:
Originally Posted by Schroyers Alice thought about the question for a moment... Really thought about it. Put herself back into her past duels. What really bothered her more than anything? She wasn't the best at magic but dueling was easy for her because she always knew what she wanted to do.. Before she could even really think about anything it was just happening. She supposed that was the Gryffindor inside of her. Hmm.
She raised her hand because she wasn't the kind of savage to just start talking in the middle of class while anyone else could possibly be talking. How else would she guarantee the attention she deserved? "Well, Professor i think the hardest part for me personally was trying to outdo my opponent. It's hard when you all know the same spells and how to counter them." it was like she'd watched in the special features for Revenge of The Sith. Obi-Wan and Anakin's fight was so intense and lasted so long because they were evenly matched, they fought the same. That one move where neither of them hit the other's sword because they both flurried at once.. It was a real thing that happened to fencers but only when they knew each other very well or trained very closely. She imagined dueling with classmates of the same year cause a similar phenomenon.
Evenly matched? Hm. "That's a good point you've made there. Two evenly matched duellers won't exactly take each other out completely and that's the challenge right there." An equal challenge, actually. "While you may know the same spells and learn the same things, it also depends on who's faster. Who can defend themselves better. Who can think on their feet." In short, a lot of factors are involved in this.
Text Cut: Kitty Quote:
Originally Posted by Goblinfrog Her conversation with Jonas could continue after the lesson, as right now Professor Hirsch had called the class to order. She was glad for the chance to put behind her that embarrassing incident with the bubble. Maybe after the class was over she could ask Hirsch how he did it so she could protect her worms in the same way.
She raised her hand when no one was speaking to offer her own opinions. "I wouldn't exactly call it frustrating, but sometimes I'm scared of the spell backfiring or giving off nasty side effects. That's why I'm always gentle with my wand. For the frustrating part, I suppose it's frustrating when my tongue slips in the middle of a duel and nothing happens."
............ What?
Hirsch furrowed his eyebrows as he listened for the girl's answer. Scared? "You're good with magic, Kitty." Why did she need to be scared? "If you're confident with your spellcasting, it should be fine." No need to worry, okay? "And if it makes you feel better, I supervise the duels."
"I guess that could happen as well. It's completely natural. You just need to think of the next spell to use instead of focusing on what went wrong." Smile.
Text Cut: Henry Quote:
Originally Posted by emjay Henry kept his eyes on the cloth-covered table as he waited for class to begin. He tried to imagine what could be under there based on the shapes and sizes of the lumps, but he was soon distracted as a few people got a little ZAP when they got too nosy. That was kind of a cool security system and he could think of ways that could be useful himself.
He was kind of lost in that thought when he noticed his fellow Hufflepuff taking a seat next to him. "Oh, hey Derf," he greeted the boy with a grin. "How's it going?" Maybe he'd take the first year under his wing a little now that he was one of the older students.
But class was starting now and Henry looked up as Hirsch spoke. Dueling club. He hoped that he hadn't missed sign ups because he did want to participate again this year. He turned to glance at Charlotte as she offered her answer, thinking about his own spells he'd use in dueling. He really did enjoy watching her compete in duels simply because she was so good at it, and there was good reason she was chosen to represent Britain. There were certain spells he could not bring himself to use against her when he opposed her though, and he thought possibly that was part of why he was not a better dueler.
Anyway. What did he find most frustrating about dueling? Other than being reluctant to cast certain spells against certain people, which he was not going to offer as an answer. He eventually raised his hand. "Sometimes the anticipation can be hard. Like knowing what your opponent is going to cast and responding appropriately in time. Especially defending against non-verbal spells." Not that he had that latter experience, but he knew that some of his yearmates were beginning to learn non-verbal spells too, and it would be something relevant soon enough.
Anticipation!
Oh boy, this answer.
"It's what Miss Holden was saying: it's like playing cards. You never know what your opponent is going to serve you until they do but you still have to be ready, just in case. Have a few tricks of your own up your sleeve." Hirsch remembered the Hufflepuff's attempts at duels last year. He knew he could do it. "You'll learn to grasp non-verbals soon enough and when you do, you'll find that you have the upper hand as well. It's hard and if you're at the receiving end of one, you're at a disadvantage but if you can cast them, you're at an advantage as well. It's the same situation on both sides." Something to remember?
Text Cut: Liv Quote:
Originally Posted by Govoni Professor Hirsch was too observant...and Olivia knew he'd been expecting a more jovial entrance... She'd need to work on that. For the sake of flying beneath the radar. As if to affirm this line of thinking for herself, the Gryffindor quickly broadened her smile; fishing out her journal from the satchel with a bit more animation. She'd usually have been all over this cushion with excitement and enthusiasm for D E F E N S E and whatever vital life lessons Hirsch would be sharing for the day; hand raised wildly. While that wasn't happening today, Liv did take great pains in putting more oomph into her performance...suddenly amazed at her past self for the sheer amount of energy she always unknowingly put forth.
It seemed exhausting to the blonde now, and a touch impossible.
Opening the journal to a clean page, Olivia took a few notes to start off with. It was kinda interesting that most of her peers considered concentration a problem. Same, honestly......but never when it came to dueling club. There was simply something to be said about being in the arena and facing off against a classmate. It sharpened her mind, instead of giving way to the constant jumble of thought and colors as it sometimes did. And as someone who enjoyed challenging herself, Olivia felt she took a lot away from the practice, as well. It was the perfect extracurricular activity for her, honestly.
Hmm.
"Professor." Liv cleared her throat, gripping her quill as if it were a stress ball. "Loads of people have said concentration, but it's a bit more specific for me, personally. There's a difference between Charmswork and Transfiguration magic that I can't seem to bridge a gap between. Charms come easily, never taking more than a few tries before I've gotten it down...but Transfiguration takes so much more for me to wrap my mind around. So, my answer would be that it depends on the type of magic I'm trying to perform. Charms spells rarely frustrate me, but getting the latter to actually be effective would be highest up there." Accidentally snapping her quill in two from the way she was holding it, the Gryffindor took a moment to get another....before adding, "There's also the issue of tiring myself out. I've danced and put my body through some pretty strenuous workouts throughout my entire life. So, my stamina is very high, but there's always the issue of feeling rundown when I've performed an excess of magic back to back." And for someone in as good of shape as she was, that said something. How some of her classmates could perform so much magic consecutively at their age, Liv would never know. She needed to learn their secret.
Smile still forcibly in place, she went back to adding to her long list of notes; ducking her head slightly.
Oh, this answer! This was a good answer.
"Transfiguration spells are much harder than Charms, there's no doubt about it. They require more effort and more concentration from the caster. There's nothing wrong with not being able to cast one or the other. If one is not your forte, don't use it in a duel but work on it in the meantime." He paused for a moment to glance at the broken quill, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. Was this a cause for concern or.....? ...... Anyways. "That's bound to happen. It happens to everyone, really. Have you found that practising and taking part in more duels has helped your stamina last longer during those duels?"
Text Cut: Sinead Quote:
Originally Posted by Artel
Sinead felt she'd made a good enough first impression with the teacher; the real test would come when they began learning, though. She was restless, sitting and waiting as other students filed gradually into the room; pleasingly, there were plenty she recognised as other Slytherin first-years, whether or not she could remember their names. She gave Carlton a brief smile when she thought he was looking her way, frowned disparagingly at Nero as he went to fiddle with the teacher's setup and then got his comeuppance for it, and nodded politely to Ava, who sat herself down on the other side of Carlton.
Finally, after what seemed like an age of watching Hirsch expectantly, the professor twitched his wand at the door and it snapped shut. Sinead watched greedily- maybe it hadn't been a large spell, but they'd been told that non-verbal magic was very difficult and they wouldn't study it for several years. Well, it didn't look that hard, did it? Maybe she could start early if she went to lots of extra-curricular clubs.
The professor came across a little... strange, though. Why did he have to hide the lesson from them? And it seemed odd to be shocking the students, although she really thought they should have just asked instead of fiddling with something they clearly didn't understand, so maybe they deserved it. She'd known better than to go poking around at a mysterious table likely covered in magic objects, hadn't she?
All these thoughts, however, scattered as soon as Sinead had the chance to answer a question. She shot her hand into the air before Professor Hirsch had even got his last words out, fixing him with intent eyes until she was called upon to speak.
"Obviously I've never been in a duel before," Sinead began, trying to sound dignified despite this admission- it was her first ever DADA lesson, after all. "But I think it's easy to do the incantation, and the wand work, and to stay concentrated, because you can learn it all if you study hard and just stay focused. I think what's difficult is when you do all of that right- and sometimes the spell isn't quite right anyway. My Charms professor says it's because you're not being creative and you don't have the right mindset, but I don't know what that means really."
Well, that answer certainly was something, wasn't it? Hirsch didn't really mind but there was the way she said the words that made him think. Yep, he definitely wanted to see how she'd fare with physical activities rather than just talking.
"That would be something that could throw you off. Practice makes perfect but sometimes, a spell just won't work for you. And that's okay." Not the right mindset? Hm. Gaston had said that? "Well, you need to be in a certain mindset to get a spell to work. For example, the Patronus Charm requires you to be happy, very happy, before you can even cast a glimmer of the charm. If you're not, it just won't work for you." Sorry, kid. "It's something to work on when you have the time, not when you're in the middle of a duel."
Text Cut: Rooney Quote:
Originally Posted by Shanners Roo was still tittering to himself about the zapped sweet that he had lost to the classroom floor when Professor Hirsch moved on to actual class things. He was pleasantly settled by having Liv nearby and gave her a little grin when she answered Hirsch's question with a very well thought out answer. He knew that drawing the attention to herself was something she was very wary of nowadays and he thought that a smile from himself would remind her that she was a superstar. His superstar. Had she looked at her bracelet recently? Her dance bag? Anything he had ever given to her in their relationship or friendship?
Raising his own hand, Roo shot another perfect smile at his Head of House. "I struggle most when I know my competitor, Sir. If I see someone use a spell, I want to learn it and I want to be as good at it as they were...are, even. But if, say from experience in Duelling Club.. I faced them for a second or a third time.." Here's looking at you, Rula Botros. "And they use different spells to what I know they're good at, then it throws me off. I like to think I know people and that makes me think that I don't. So I lose confidence." Maybe this was the reason he was always so bad and cried after every duel.
"Actually, pretend I didn't admit to any of that."
Oh? This was an odd answer to start off because surely, you'd know the weaknesses of your opponent if you actually knew them? But then Rooney went on to elaborate on his answer and suddenly, Hirsch understood exactly what the boy was on about. "Yes...... yes, exactly." This explained last year's duel against Rula, didn't it? "People can throw curveballs at you if they think you're expecting something. That just means that you have to be on your feet and not expect them to go route A. Throw a few curveballs back. Surprise them as well." Shrug.
Snort.
"Of course you didn't." Smile.
During that answering session, Hirsch had been on a bit of a walk back and forth, only stopping to hear a student's response or to talk to them directly. After Rooney answered, he found himself back at the front of the classroom once again, looking back at them all and, if he looked up, at the table with some covered objects.
Moving on? Moving on.
"That was an interesting array of answers, I have to say. It seems as though most of you have trouble concentrating on the spells themselves with intent being a problem and thinking on the spot being another." Good. Very good. "They might be problems that set you back and make you feel like you can't duel but they're problems that everyone shares." Bright side?
"There are some special cases that need something extra but mostly, practice will help you. Practice and agility. Sometimes, if you're very good with a spell, you'll find that the spell will come as naturally to you as breathing does. You won't need to concentrate as much, it'll just happen. A student of mine," Not going to name names but she would definitely know who she is. "is very good with the Featherlight Charm. Exceptional, even. To her, this spell is almost like second nature. If you can get a spell to be like that for you, always use it to your advantage. If you have a bunch of spells that can be like that for you, your opponent doesn't stand much of a chance."
He was rambling. Reel it in, Hirsch.
"But! I was looking for another answer that none of you mentioned." Not a big deal, really. "What about spells that require your fullest concentration? Or require you to keep your wand up and pointed and it means that you can't cast any other spell until you get rid of the one you're casting? What happens then?"
At those words, Hirsch smirked slightly before turning around and writing two words on the board behind him. Just the two.
"Fianto Duri," he started, turning back towards the students again, "is a very useful spell to overcome the problem I was just talking about. Can anyone tell me what it does specifically?" He'd practically given away the answer at this point. "Or! Tell me what spell it'd work well with." Come on, let's get those minds working some more. OOC: EEEEEEEE! Those were some great answers! <3 I hope that post made sense! *apologises for his rambling*
The question is simple and is two-fold: what does Fianto Duri do and what spell would it work well with? Super simple. Feel free to answer one or both questions, I don't mind. Try to be as creative as possible please ^^
I'll move the class on tomorrow at roughly 8pm GMT........ or when I get back from uni.
Thank you! 
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