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Join Date: May 2009 Location: London
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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: All of you ^^ Text Cut: Sinead, catchup: no worries! It's completely understandable ^^ Quote:
Originally Posted by Artel  Sinead would have liked to think this could be another productive and uneventful lesson, but... well, this was Hogwarts. When wasn't there drama? She'd managed to make it into the classroom, greet their professor and sit down (near Natalie and Carlton in her year, two of the few students she'd ever actually spoken to at Hogwarts), before she noticed the unusual number of glares which seemed to be flying around the room. And Sinead wasn't a particularly observant person when it came to other people's feelings- but this situation, she had a feeling, could result in her DADA lesson getting messed up. And she was really sick of other people's arguments messing up her lessons. Sigh.
Either way, if she got distracted being annoyed with people preemptively for causing a disturbance, she was only making her own situation worse, so she turned her attention to Professor Hirsch as he started class, eyes flitting towards the music boxes as he mentioned that everybody would need one. Oops. Didn't look like anybody else had failed to collect one, so... time to put their latest Charms lesson into practice?
She tried to be surreptitious as she drew her wand from her robes and levelled it at the music boxes under her desk, taking a deep breath before speaking.
"Accio!" she whispered, praying that nothing would go wrong. She'd been able to do the spell in their lessons, but that didn't mean it wasn't a difficult one...
Luckily, everything seemed to be okay, and the box she'd aimed at whisked itself off the table and flew towards her, narrowly missing Professor Hirsch at it did so (which was lucky, because she hadn't considered dodging him). It flew into her lap with a painful knock on her knee which she rubbed at, scowling, as she transferred the music box to her desk and returned her attention to what Hirsch was saying.
The topic at hand turned out to be Erklings. Which was all well and good- really, it sounded like an interesting lesson- but she didn't know much at all about them. Some kind of small Dark creature? She'd only gleaned a little about them from the textbook.
Fortunately, her classmates seemed a lot more well informed, which allowed her to think for a moment as well as note down all the interesting facts they came up with. She definitely couldn't add any new facts to the conversation, but she could hope to give a new perspective on what defensive magic might work against the creatures.
"Sir, if they attack children, won't that mean that the people being attacked probably can't use magic against them? So you might need something to protect a whole area, like a ward- something like Repello Inimicum? Or- if you stop them knowing where the children are, then they can't attack, so Cave Inimicum? I don't know how they track people, but I think Cave Inimicum can even stop people being smelt, right?"
Okay, so maybe she was just taking this as an excuse to air all the fancy spells she just read about last night. But they definitely could be useful against an Erkling, so why shouldn't her teacher know how much extra research she'd done? Quote:
Originally Posted by Artel The notes on the board were welcome, even though Sinead had already copied down most of her classmates' answers- she scanned over them as Hirsch recapped the topic, checking that she'd got all of the information down correctly. The Bavarian Erklings sounded pretty horrible, and kind of stupid too; surely if they just sat around eating children in the open, it wouldn't take long for the parents of those children to find them and, presumably, take care of them? Which brought her right onto her answer to Hirsch's next question, something which was so obvious to her she couldn't believe nobody else was saying it...
"Children are much easier to attack than adults, especially when they're witches or wizards," she pointed out, eyebrows lifting intently. "They'll probably be easier to lure away because they're less suspicious- but mostly they're less likely to hurt the Erkling than a fully trained adult witch or wizard. It's like we don't eat wolves or bears, we eat sheep and cows, because they're not going to attack us. That would mean they should probably hunt Muggles, too, because they're even less likely to hurt the Erkling, but maybe there's something different about magical people which means Erkling only want to eat them?" It was easy to be matter of fact about this kind of thing in a nice safe classroom- thinking about the issue objectively like that, Sinead really forgot she was talking about children being eaten by monsters. She was sure no competent witch would let that happen, anyway.
It was probably a good thing that the charmed music box hadn't hit the professor himself. If it had, the man probably would've had something to say that was far from praise. However, as it was, he shot the girl a furrowed eyebrow look as the box flew past, narrowly missing his ear. Don't try to take him out before he had the chance to deliver the practical portion, okay?
Moving o-
Or not.
Green eyes landed on the Slytherin again as she spoke up. Cave Inimicum and Repel Inimicum? Huh. "Interesting that you should mention that: I had a friend in Durmstrang who lived near Stuttgart and, when she was growing up, they used these spells around their land, in case the Erklings decided to go on an adventure." Was this useful information? "So yes, you're right. These spells would be useful in protecting yourself against them in the long run: for example, if you knew there were some in the area and wanted to lower the risk of getting attacked.
As for her answer to his second question, Hirsch found himself smiling slightly. "That's exactly it. Children are much more innocent, much less likely to attack than an adult who knows how to attack." Shrug. "They prefer the taste of magical children but if there are only muggle children nearby, I don't think they're going to stay away either. Excellent mention of the food chain, by the way. Very well done."
Text Cut: Dora Quote:
Originally Posted by Erindipity Well Dora had only answered because hearing someone TALK about you in the classroom was really rather hurtful. So she needed to drown it out, you see. She had no desire to get praise from Hirsch so as he did... she merely averted her eyes and nodded.
And she DID have a theory about why children were lured... because kids were dumb and reckless, right? Right.
Like with the portal nonsense. OMG THERE'S SOMETHING STRANGE OVER THERE LEMME GO POKE IT WITH A STICK OR CLIMB INSIDE OR FOLLOW IT OR WHATEVER. Snort. No thanks. Curiosity is cool sometimes, but there needed to be some logical thinking there, also. So yeah. Her thoughts. She jotted them down and actively ignored Hirsch, Mason, and Derf. Hmph.
Boys were ridiculous creatures.
That moment of happiness that Miss Umbridge had decided to answer his question seemed to disappear when she turned towards her notes and didn't say anything for his next question.
Trying not to think of it too much, Hirsch simply glanced at her before moving on.
Text Cut: Matt Quote:
Originally Posted by Hey Ju Matt wasn't really reading all the stuff that appeared in the board, to be honest. He did hear what professor Hirsch had to say, though, as he bopped his head to the Michael Jackson song coming from his music box. So the kids had to have the Trace on them to be lured by Erklings? "Does that mean they don't eat Muggle kids?"
And why kids, not adults? "They are small creatures. It'd be hard to eat a full grown adult, I guess?" It was literally a wild guess.
Interesting question, this was. ”They prefer magical kids but if sources were scarce, they would go for muggle ones as well.” Why? He wasn't entirely sure.
As for the Gryffindor’s answer, the Defence Professor tilted his head slightly. Size? ”It could be a contributing factor,” he started slowly, ”It’s not what I was looking for but it's a good guess. Especially when you consider that they're not very big themselves.”
Text Cut: Kat Quote:
Originally Posted by SarcasticStrawberry So now note taking was happening, and Kat was copying down all of the information from the board. From both boards actually. The whole class had really came up with a lot of info together. Well done everyone.
Moving as she finished her notes, she listened to the next question. Actually she had tons of ides about this. Raising her hand again. "I think its just because kids are naturally curious weather its seeing the creature or hearing its luring crackles. That or can you picture a three foot tall creature preying on a full grown man." Nah That was highly unlikely. Kat being just short of 5 foot still probably couldn't take on a full grow adult, unless it was in a duel. Even out her chances that way.
Bingo! Here was the answer he was most looking for.
A wide smile spread across the man's face as he listened to Miss Delgado's answer. "That's precisely it! Children are more curious and are bound to wander after a strange sound more than adults. It's just their nature. As you grow older, some people tend to lose that sense of natural curiosity." Shrug.
"You're right about the size as well. Erkling's are just much smaller."
Text Cut: Jonas"[QUOTE=2111jen;12178602]Uuuuuuuuh. Jonas frowned. Maybe because the children were so inoscent and unsuspectiing?
"Maybe because the children are so inoscent and unsuspecting?" Jomas asked.[/QUOTE][/TEXTCUT]
Oh. This boy nearly hit the nail on the head, did he know? Hirsch wished he'd elaborated on his answer, and even waited to see if he would, but when silence followed the Slytherin's words, the man spoke up, [B]"Very close. Think about that answer and elaborate on it. You're very close to the answer I'm looking for."[/B]
[TEXTCUT="Junia Quote:
Originally Posted by TakemetotheBurrow Junia was thinking about snakes and how even though they were tiny, they could still eat animals that were larger than them. Just because an erkling was small didn't mean it could only eat things that were small. She agreed with the answer about magic, though. Small children were less likely to use foreceful spells on the creatures. Or, well, perhaps it was that they wouldn't know as many spells. There were a lot of factors to that particular reason to consider.
Hm.
"Perhaps children just taste better. It could have to do with the diet of children and how it differs from the diet of adults. Like little kids eat more candy and junk food because they're not worried about empty calories." She paused and then added, "Maybe the kids are like sweets to an erkling." Whoa.
Oh?
Hirsch paused, head tilted and a furrowed expression on his face as he considered Miss Botros's answer. Children taste better? Because of their diet? "That is a very interesting answer, I have to say." Really. "But that depends almost entirely on whether the Erkling likes the taste of children who eat a lot of sweet food or if they just like children in general. There's not enough conclusive research to support your theory by who's to say it's wrong? Excellent thinking, Miss Botros."
Text Cut: Althea Quote:
Originally Posted by thekraken It was always bizarre how very alike Althea and her brothers were--they often had similar thoughts on how to handle life or death situations. It probably had a lot to do with how they were raised, than anything else. She beamed at Professor Hirsch, excited that she'd given a correct answer (and also happy that he wasn't put off by her violent idea. She quickly made a running list of the answers that Hirsch had provided them, along with the contributions of her classmates--at least, she attempted to get it all down. Her only distraction? Her extremely obvious older brothers being a nuisance and giving her looks; she let out an exasperated sigh and attempted to remain tight-lipped as the professor lectured on.
She watched as the board filled with notes, and, again, Althea tried to copy down as much as she could. From what she'd heard about Erklings from various relatives, she prayed to never run into one. Professor Hirsch's added explanation had given her more reason to fear them. Raising her hand, she said: "Is it because adults can't hear their high pitch? It's probably something in the frequency of the sound. Children do tend to be more susceptible to supernatural things like that." This was coming from her own experience with bizarre, other-worldly beings.
Oh!
Oh ho ho!
This was another interesting answer and, frankly, the man didn't expect someone to mention frequency of sounds. "Excellent! I haven't even considered that but I wouldn't be surprised if it's true. Younger children are more likely to pick up on higher frequency sounds in comparison to adults. Very well done!"
Text Cut: Kitty Quote:
Originally Posted by Goblinfrog She would have answered on what Erklings were, but so many other people had answered that it didn't feel necessary. Most of the answers were more descriptive than she would have given. Erklings weren't something she'd heard a whole lot about, though they sounded quite terrifying.
"I think maybe they'd attack adults too -" she began, in answer to his second question. "-if adults were lured by their screeching like children are. I mean, if an adult was lured in, would the Erkling let her/him go? That's just a theory, though, I don't know. Maybe they only attract children on purpose."
Her hand shot back into the air. "Professor, I was wondering: do we qualify as children? Or does the Erkling's cry only work on younger kids?"
At first, Hirsch was thoroughly confused as to which path his Prefect was taking with her answer. But then, as she elaborated and expanded, he found himself smiling slightly at the Ravenclaw. "There haven't been any attacks on adults as far as I know by you could be right. Children are naturally more curious. You have to remember, though, that an Erkling is small. Just under half of my height, in fact. How likely is it for an adult, or even young adults, to fall under its prey?"
Do they qualify as children? He wasn't sure how to answer that. On the one hand, he tried to treat them with a sense of responsibility and care but, considering his subject, he wanted to think he could protect them from almost anything. It was a naive way of thinking but it was true.
So, he decided to answer Kitty's question with more of a focus on the subject matter and not in general. "Younger kids are more likely to fall prey to their sounds. Teenagers are an odd case because you're not kids and you probably could defend yourselves against them. I don't think it would affect you as much but if you have the natural curiosity of a child and are going near the Black Forest, be careful."
Text Cut: Cassandra Quote:
Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline Erklings…
Cassie couldn’t say she had known much about the creatures but she was paying attention to what both her head of house and the students around her were saying about them. A challenge given the fact the music box she had been allowed to borrow had been trying to catch said attention from its place before her on the mat. Just what the music box had to do with the lesson and erklings peaked her curiousity and she was ready to find out just what the connection was. She just had to wait until the professor was ready to reveal that tidbit.
Patience Cass.
For now it was talk of small, horrid creatures that manipulated or attracted prey by sounds. Which likely corresponded to the music box, she thought to herself. The spells and defensive actions went into her notes with the rest of the information though the Ravenclaw inwardly hoped she never had to deal with one. She wasn’t scared….she’d just prefer not to if she could help it. Cass guessed visiting Germany might be one way to stay away from them given Hirsch’s further explaination on the creatures.
“Could it be something about the physiology of children that erklings notice and we don’t necessarily pick up or care about,” the fourth year suggested. “Taste…smell…something else.” After all, hags also went after children so maybe there was something there.
Physiology.... physiology was a good answer as well. A wise answer, actually. "That's very likely to be the case with these creatures. Creatures who prefer a diet of a certain age bracket or type of human might only do so because said human taste a certain way at that age."
........
And now, hearing those words floating in the air, the man suddenly regretted saying them out loud. "Sorry, Miss McNally. That was a wise answer from you."
Text Cut: Rooney Quote:
Originally Posted by Shanners Rooney was silent and Rooney was frozen in spot.
Essentially, he had zoned out as soon as the class began and was looking closely at the music box in his lap to distract from everything. He occasionally popped his attention back to the answers being given and the information provided by Professor Hirsch and then it dawned on him. Erklings. They ate children. And although he knew what he had encountered was not one of them, he was very well aware now that being eaten would have been a blessing in the situation he had faced.
The Ravenclaw shrunk as far back against a wall as he could, cradling the music box in his arms and tried his absolute hardest to zone back out.
No. Thank. You.
..............
Hirsch paused. Maybe here was nothing wrong with a student cradling a music box and leaning against a wall but considering everything, he couldn't help but be slightly concerned with this sight. It was only if the Prefect was in a happy state that was brimming with gesture dramatics that the man would be less worried. However.....
....... hmm.
He shot the boy a furrowed eyebrow look and a small thumbs up, as if he was silently asking the Ravenclaw if he was okay.
Text Cut: Liv Quote:
Originally Posted by Govoni Any defensive magic would've probably made sense against these creatures, but Olivia was pleased, nonetheless, that her answer had been praised. Despite repeats, it didn't feel any less special to her... Thank you very much. Also, yes... she was writing everything down from the board; given that she was still in a period of light catch up. The blonde was doing so well. It would've made zero sense to fall behind now.
Also, the Gryffindor had ideas about this targeting business... Ideals inspired by her stomach. Merlin, she was already hungry again. It was starting to frustrate her greatly.
"Sir, do you think some magic has different flavors?... I agree with Junia, too" Hello, smol Slytherin lady. "I think the diets of children would probably play a role, but also the magic placed upon them when they're much younger. By adults." Olivia had spent a lot of time over the past two months with natural witches, who practiced a different form of magic entirely. Different, but magic was magic, wasn't it? It all come from the same place within. She'd been told that certain spells permeated a different smell and taste, depending on EMOTIONS... Oh! "Emotions, as well! A range of emotions might taste differently from one another... Like how Dementors only feed on the carefree, cheerful ones." She was going somewhere with this, she swore it. "So, perhaps magic comes in different flavors, too. Magic and emotions." Perhaps the trace tasted better, as opposed to curses or hexes... Okay, Olivia was finished.
Heh, sorry for rambling, Professor.
Also, her best friend senses were tingling, but she was not going to search him out. After class.... Yes.
Magic has different flavours? Hirsch considered this properly, chin rubbing included. "That's an interesting answer as well. Children have the Trace on them, after all. Who's to say that the Erkling can't pick up on that and that's why they go after them?" More research was needed to justify this, clearly, but it wasn't a bad response. "Excellent connection with Dementors! They're known to like going towards places that have a high level of emotion and energy. Who's to say that a similar theory doesn't apply to the Erklings?" Again, there should be more research into this very theory.
"Excellent thinking, Miss Phillips."
Text Cut: Noelle Quote:
Originally Posted by ChanceCoeur Noelle was jotting things down from the board, her head rising and falling trying to get everything down. It was amazing how quickly some could copy what was on the board and listen to Professor Hirsch.
Once that task was completed, she took notes on what some of the others were saying. "I would think because children are smaller... their bones would be easier to chew" The thought was so daunting that she made a face to go with her answer. Ugh. What a horrible thought.
Noelle ganced at the music box next to her parchment and connected some of the dots, but not all of them. Hmm.
They would be easier to chew?
Well.
"As gruesome as it sounds, you're certainly not wrong about that. It's probably easier for them to attack young kids, in that sense, especially given their similarities in height."
Text Cut: Etta Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady of Light Etta was busy drawing on her parchment. Drawing professor Hirsch's face actually.. 'cause why not? It was coming out pretty well, wasn't it? She studied the drawing for a moment. Hmm. Except maybe Hirsch's eyes weren't THAT close together. Yeah.
--- Derf's familiar voice distracted her. Also.. UM.. did he just say something about giving a sock? To a freaking Erkling? Seriously? She turned to give him an incredulous LOOK. Hi, Derf.
Also... ERM.. as for the professor's question. Did they really have to keep talking about it? Couldn't they just move on to the spellwork already? "Professor.. children are more curious, aren't they? They can't really distinguish between danger and safety.. they tend to explore." She was starting to feel super uncomfortable once again, especially when people started to talk about their taste, so she simply concentrated on her drawing, hoping it would divert her attention.
Miss Kramer seemed to be paying a lot of attention to her notes, wasn't she? It wasn't a bad thing, so to say, but he hadn't seen someone so attentive to a bunch of notes.
Huh.
Before he could dwell on that, however, the girl was giving him and answer and all Hirsch could do is smile. Widely. A wide, dimpled smile. "Precisely! They're more likely to follow a strange sound, especially one that seems to lure them away." Had no one mentioned psychology yet? "That's precisely the answer I was looking for. Very well done, Miss Kramer."
Text Cut: Lucy Quote:
Originally Posted by HaRoHeGiNeLu Lucy...mused...and slowly raised her hand into the air.
"Adults...don't pay attention like kids do," she started in a distracted tone, as she tried to choose her words carefully, "They're..open minded and full of wonder...and adults...focus on what they need to do, and can easily tune out everything else. Children don't have those kinds of responsibilities." Therefore, making them more likely to notice the Erklings in the first place, let alone follow it to...their...demise.
At first, Hirsch was sure that the young Hufflepuff was going to go on to insult adults but, when she elaborated on her answer, he felt himself easing slightly and nodding along with her response. "That's exactly the explanation I was hoping for." Especially if you put it with the part about children being more curious in general. "An adult would tune out the sound, a child will follow along. Well done, Miss Potts."
Text Cut: Leon Quote:
Originally Posted by FwooperOnYourLeft Leon tilted his head at the question and listened to a few of the other people's answers for he raised his hand and supplied his own "Children are more vulnerable than adults are, they don't quite have the constant vigilance that adults have, they are more fanciful as well, they would be the kind to listen to a random song from a creature, whereas adults would tune it out.."
He said with a smile as he sat on his cushion, the music box on his lap..
The Erklings almost reminded him of the old muggle myth The Pied Piper, his pipe only worked on kids as well..
Oh!
Oh!
Constant vigilance! Hirsch was practically beaming at this point, a giddy sense of excitement filling his otherwise cool exterior. "Constant vigilance, indeed." He was happy that those words had been mentioned, could the Ravenclaw tell? "You're completely right: an adult is more likely to tune out any random sounds but a child would want to see what's going on. They just happen to be more curious creatures. Very well done, Mr Kennedy!"
Text Cut: Levi Quote:
Originally Posted by Oesed
In truth, Levi hadn't been expecting Hirsch to follow up with him. The man had, presently, just about the entire school shooting answers at him, some of which Levi had to admit were probably better than his very own. But it was still somewhat comforting that his answer had caused the man to pause, to ask for more. He always did enjoy being taken seriously by adults, especially one like Hirsh, who sort of looked like he could punch someone into oblivion but also invite them over for tea or even for a lovely afternoon picnic without even breaking a sweat. Not necessarily in that order, but.
Levi blinked, twice.
Anyway.
"I think that'd depend on the situation, sir." He paused, for a second, trying to find a way to properly make his point. "Do erklings travel alone? or in packs? Because it seems to me like you come across one in an area that has been suffering quite badly because of erklings..." eating children. But that part went without saying, "...then perhaps it'd be advisable to find a way to make the captured one talk or communicate with you in some way. To give you the whereabouts of the rest, if possible." It's why he'd suggested the body bind curse, and not a regular stunning spell. Levi would want to make sure the creature remained conscious. "They seem like smart creatures. Brutal, but surely they can be reasoned with one way or another, right? At least a little bit?" Levi shrugged one of his shoulders. "I guess calling the Ministry wouldn't be a bad idea, sure, but time can be of essence, especially if it's urgent, right?" Orrrr you could do both. "Or you could do both."
There.
That was a lot of information.
Fortunately, the blackboard seemed to be updating itself thus giving the Gryffindor time to take all the necessary notes. He had no problems offering suggestions on how to deal with magical creatures and he had no problems with his wandwork either.
But. There was certainly the matter of confidence that Levi felt often got in the way during this class once the practical portions began. Not that they were there yet, but this was Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was only a matter of time.
The thought alone almost made him made a face.
"What about magic overdose?" He raised his hand, a little belatedly. "We all have magic inside of us, right?" Which sounded like an awfully corny thing to say. Levi felt the back of his neck heat up. "Maybe erklings target children specifically not just because they are more susceptible to their particular, uh, baritone, but also because there is just so much magic they can handle at the same time?" Not that children had less magic than adults, but surely it wasn't quite as powerful. Was powerful even the right word?
Hirsch knew that this was going to be a good answer from the get go. Why? Because the young Gryffindor had mentioned the it depended on the situation at hand. That was a type of thinking he liked very much. He crossed his arms across his chest and tilted his head slightly as he listened to the boy's answer. "So you'd try and use those spells to get information? Take out the entire pack while you're at it? That's..... a very smart response, I have to say." And slightly different to what his siblings (?) ha said.
"You're right: sometimes, it takes a while for the Ministry to swoop in on a situation. The German Ministry used to have an immediate response team that were specifically there to deal with these type of creatures and to save those that might have been kidnapped in the process." Pause. "But you're completely right: sometimes it takes time to get a government official to come over and sometimes, you have to act first and think later." Which was why his subject was so important. #biased
Magic overdose? He hadn't exactly thought about that reasoning either. "That could be a possibility," he said, nodding slowly, "Children are more likely to do bits of accidental magic as well. Adults have the power, and are taught, to hide it and nurture it. If it's a case of how much magic they know, I don't see why your theory can't be right. Children still need to hone their powers, which'll only grow over time as they grow older."
Text Cut: Juno Quote:
Originally Posted by Suziella Juno thought long and hard about this. There could be many reasons, and everyone's answers were very valid points. But Juno, as usual had a different idea.
Juno raised her hand, and when called on replied, "Well, it could also have something to do with a child's innocence or their imagination. As we get older we lose that innocence and a lot of our imagination. Many children have imaginary friends growing up and, well, the voice of an Erkling could make a child think that maybe it's their imaginary friend actually talking to them. When a child grows out of that and goes through the trials of life, they lose their innocence and their imaginations." Her deep as usual answers. "Of course it could be the size thing as well." She added at the end hoping she didn't sound too crazy.
She bit her bottom lip and stared at her music box.
Did Miss Darcy realise how sad this answer was? Genuinely sad. One that almost tugged at Hirsch's heartstrings.
"As sad of an answer as that is," he started, "That is very true. It's hard to guess exactly what anyone else thinks," Unless you counted Legilimency. "but there very well could be some children who think along these lines. The sounds they hear from an Erkling are very mysterious and seem to draw them in. I wouldn't be surprised if the Erklings do use that to their advantage when trying to draw the children in. Insightful answer, Miss Darcy."
Text Cut: Rula Quote:
Originally Posted by AlwaysSnapesGirl Rula had certainly heard of Erklings before, so of course she was aware of what they did, but...there was something really uncomfortable and creepy about discussing in depth how they ate children. It was just...not okay. So she'd mostly kept quiet during the first question, writing down the notes once they popped up on the board.
She didn't want to stay silent for the entire lesson though. It sometimes made it a little more difficult to stay focused if she didn't at least try to participate though. Her mind tended to wander. So she lifted her right hand to offer an answer.
"Children aren't completely helpless, since uncontrolled outbursts of magic can happen a lot as kids, depending on your emotions. So there's still a risk of the Erkling getting hurt, but those outbursts are unpredictable, so they're less likely to be able to fight an Erkling than someone who has a wand and knows how to use it would be. Maybe...maybe getting a wand and learning to control your magic is part of why they're easier to resist as you get older? But we don't get one until we're 11, so until then, young children are easy targets for them."
Oh!
Oh!
"I like this answer very much! That's part of the reason why they don't go for adults to prey on and why it would be very hard for an Erkling to go for any of you sitting in this room. Those outbursts of magic make magial children more susceptible, sadly," At least, those in Southern Germany. "Excellent thinking, Miss Botros."
Text Cut: Isa Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin Isa stared into her music box, trying to distract herself from all thoughts of anyone being eaten. Were the music boxes a connection to the voices that Erklings used when they were luring children to their deaths? No, she didn't want to think about that. "Maybe Erklings prefer to prey on children because children are less likely to be able to defend themselves from an attack. Most children aren't as proficient in defensive spells as adults, and young children who don't have wands yet or have control over their magic would be completely defenseless. And, um, maybe Erklings prefer the taste of children over the taste of adults?" Isa shuddered the thought of people being eaten. She was a vegetarian and couldn't imagine what Erklings were thinking about when they ate any sort of fresh meat, much less children. Ewwww, the idea of children being eaten disgusted her and was making her feel sick. If anyone was looking at Isa, they would notice that her face was pale. "Professor? I don't feel very well." She really was not doing well with the thoughts she was having about people being eaten. Her imagination was going to far with everything.
And here was an answer that was very heavily focused on the Defence aspect. Good. "Exactly," he said, giving the girl a nod of his head, "You're completely right: young children are more vulnerable, in a sense. They haven't learnt how to defend themselves just yet and so, they fall easy prey to the Er........... k.........."
Uh. What was happening with her face?
Hirsch blinked for a moment before the words she'd whispered registered with him. Feeling sick? This..... didn't have anything to do with the topic, did it? Not wanting to embarrass the girl, the Defence Professor wove his way around the various mats and cushions scattered around until he was close enough to the Hufflepuff to bend down and whisper, "Do you need some water? Or to lie down? Or a trip to the Hospital Wing?"
Text Cut: Genny Quote:
Originally Posted by Magical Soul Sitting next to Lucy was good for her, she could focus on her answers and face expressions instead of looking at the professor... which was what she'd been doing.
She knew those Erklings, and she was familiar a little with them but she was not going to raise her hand and talk to him. Nope, she was going to sit here and wait until they were allowed to use their wands to show him how much power she's got....
... although it got a little boring just waiting around and listening to dumb questions that earned a few eye rolls from her. By the time the professor asked the second questions, Genny's hand half shot up in the air in a weak moment of excitement but quickly dropped it. Ugh. NO. not going to raise it. Ugh.
............ He'd noticed that.
The hand that was half shooting up? He'd noticed it just enough to look over towards the silent Gryffindor. It was weird to see her so silent during one of his lessons considering how good she was at it. And yet, here she was. Still silent.
Hm.
Text Cut: Carlton bby ;___; Quote:
Originally Posted by potterobsessionist Carlton was SO prepared for this class.
Until they talked about monsters eating children. The boy looked up at professor Hirsch, slowly slumping his shoulders and shrinking in his seat. He'd never heard of Erklings before but he knew what they reminded him off. Carlton squirmed in seat, sending a look over his shoulder to find Henry or Rooney. Not that he really needed to lock gaze with them to know they were thinking of the same thing. Reliving the same thing. How could they not? He wondered if Erklings had as sharp teeth as the monster did, if they lived in the walls, if they were as fast with their long, sceleton like hands as the monster was. He shuddered and looked over at Natalie next to him, but she scribbled down notes without noticing how uncomfortable he was. Carlton couldn't take notes, his hands were sweating too much. Gross. He folded his hands in his lap and tried the best he could to focus on his breathing. He could do that. Slow breaths. In and out. Hyperventilation was bad. Healer Reed told him it lead to the escalation of the other bad things. Carlton had felt all of the bad things at once a few times after returning from the portal. He did not want to go through it again. And the fear of it happening in a crowded class room frightened him. He looked up at the professor again, his last words ringing loud and alarming.
Why children? Why not adults?
Carlton looked down again, swallowing past the lump in his throat. He didn't know why Erklings zeroed in on children. He knew why the monster in the portal did. Or he could at least guess the reason.
"Because we can't defend ourselves." He mumbled, looking up at professor Hirsch. Which was why he was in DADA class so soon after returning from that horrible place. He hadn't been able to defend himself against the monster. His wand had been useless and magic had failed him. Of course the monster targeted students and not the professors at school. "Professors- I mean. Adults are better at that."
Han Solo's Professor Hirsch's wand wouldn't have been useless against the monster.
............ We?!
Hirsch frowned ever so slightly. Frankly, he didn't care if Mr Lewis was including the professor in this - okay, maybe he cared a bit - but was he talking about himself as well? Was he saying that he was........ useless in these kind of situations?
Yeah. Frown.
"Young children can't defend themselves against them but you certainly could. And you will be able to after this lesson. Adults..... are better at this but only because they've had practice with these spells we're about to learn. With some practice, you'll know exactly what to do and defending yourself won't be as hard as you think." Hopefully.
Had he said this with enough conviction, yet?
"Give yourself some credit, Mr Lewis," he said, his tone now softer than it usually was, "You're not done with your defensive training yet." Smile.
Text Cut: Brent Quote:
Originally Posted by Anna Banana Brent tried to follow along with what the others were saying, but at some point, a few people were talking at once, and he was no longer keeping track. So knowing good and well he may be repeating an idea already said, he raised his hand. "Erklings are only about three feet tall or so. That's about the height of a small child," he pointed out. "Maybe they just go along with the old saying to 'pick on something your own size'."
Made sense to him. There were other things he could have said, too, but he did hear those ideas shared. He agreed that children weren't as experienced at magic as adults. Erklings were probably smart enough to realize that. Children were also a lot more innocent than adults. They were much more likely to be lured away than their moms and dads.
'Pick on someone your own size' was a nice, simple phrase to use to remember an Erkling's target food group, wasn't it? Useful for exams, for those who were concerned about them.
As for the Slytherin's answer, Hirsch nodded along in agreement. "They probably know that they won't be able to get away with trying to eat an adult so children it is. Good thinking."
This topic had turned towards the more gruesome side, hadn't it? And a little too heavy footed than he would've liked but, well, that was the Dark Arts. "Those were some excellent suggestions! Really, I'm impressed with this level of thinking." And he was glad that some had expanded on their suggestions as well.
"The answer I was looking for is because of the nature of children themselves. Children tend to be more curious being and are more likely to go after something that's making a sound because they're curious to find out what it is. Adults, and all of you in here, have more experience in life: you know that if a strange cackling can be heard, especially if you're in Southwest Germany, chances are, you really shouldn't follow it. And if you didn't know that, well, now you know." Learning. "However, do consider some of the answers given by your peers, especially the ones about children being a similar size to Erklings, children being able to hear along the same frequency of an Erkling's call and that they're more likely to spill magic because they have less control over it, making them more appealing to these creatures."
Again, gruesome.
"Now, I'm sure you've had enough of me talking so let's move onto the practical portions of the lesson!" Otherwise known as the best parts. "You see those music boxes I asked you all to take? They each produce a tune that's different to the other boxes. You task is to use the Silencing Charm to silence your box. If you're successful, the moving figure inside your box will stop moving." If not, try again and again and again.
"The spell you need is....." He turned around and flicked his wand at the board where the previous notes seemed to shift and large letters appeared right in the middle:
Quote: Silencing Charm Incantation: Silencio (si-LEN-see-oh)
Wand movement: semi-circle to the left and then flick downwards
Light: n/a (moving figure inside the music box should stop moving when the music stops)
Difficulty: moderate/fairly advanced (fifth year spell)
Other: n/a
"........ there. I'm going to give you......" Cue a quick glance down at his watch. "..... fifteen minutes and then we'll move on to the fun part of the lesson."
Ready?
"Off you go!" OOC: MINI ACTIVITY TIME! YAYAYAYAY!
The task is simple: use the Silencing Charm on the music box. If your charrie is successful, the figure in the box (whether it's a ballerina, a horse or a UNICORN) will stop moving completely.
Please remember that it's a fifth year spell. You guys have full creative license but try to keep charrie ages/abilities in mind. I will NOT dock points if your charrie is unsuccessful ^^
There is NO post limit! Post once, twice or fifty times, I'm completely fine with whatever, as long as you try. I'm going to give you roughly 24 HOURS to complete this before we move on.
That's all! If you have any comments/questions/concerns, hit me up wherever you can find me <3
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