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Join Date: May 2009 Location: London
Posts: 32,841
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: You guys <3 Text Cut: Vivienne Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayla Taaffe  Vivienne was excited for DADA. The seating arrangement was confusing but it would come and make sense of her. She chose to just suck it up and pay attention.
The professor startled her by clapping. Today she was learning about... trolls? Ew! Vivienne raised her hand and said, "I know that trolls are downright stupid and can be downright pea brains."
Downright stupid and downright pea brains?
Hirsch was amused. Very much so. "I take it you don't like trolls?" He didn't really expect anyone to like the topic at hand but this description was nothing short of amusing. "You're right: they're really very stupid and outsmarting them shouldn't be hard. Well done!"
Text Cut: Jonas Quote:
Originally Posted by 2111jen What did Jonas know about trolls? Well...a lot of things. Of all the things he knew about them...the only thing that could come to mind was that trolls were really slow and they could grow to be really tall and they are dimwitted. But what else? Aha! Jonas raised his hand and spit out an answer.
"Trolls have a taste for our flesh and they would also eat fish," he said.
Diet! He was expecting someone to bring up this part.
"And that's what makes them so dangerous to us." Though, considering, not as dangerous as some of the other creatures he's covered over the years but still dangerous. "Word has it that they prefer raw humans but something tells me that they're not entirely fussed. You're very right, well done."
Text Cut: Kitty Quote:
Originally Posted by Goblinfrog Yep she knew about trolls! Once upon a time a long time ago 9when she was ten) she'd seen one while visiting Romania. It was a guard troll and she'd never forgotten how scary it looked.
The rocks must have something to do with trolls then. Most trolls had grayish skin, just like these rocks. Hmmm.
Her hand shot into the air. "Trolls are able to speak some human words and phrases and can be taught a little, but they are still classified as beasts instead of beings by our Ministry due to how dangerous they are." Speaking of which, she had a question, but she'd not ask right away.
That was a nice transition, wasn't it?
"You're completely right. They understand a limited number of human words and phrases with some of the smart ones going on to become security trolls." Which, he hoped someone would go on to mention, simply because it was an interesting fact. "Their violent nature stops them from getting the being status. Well done!"
Text Cut: Nicky Quote:
Originally Posted by lemon Who was that small child joining them? Nicky knew the Hufflepuff at a glance, recalling some common room run-ins, but he mostly rang bells in relation to Genny. Didn't that kid follow her around a lot? Carry her books and things? Weird.
He should have known Levi would attract oddballs. IMPS champion and all— or so he'd heard. Like this Tate would be caught attending a challenge and consorting with AMERICANS (other than a select few exceptions, okay?).
Anyhow, he'd just ignore the youngster, so long as he didn't make noise. Or breathe.
"Trolls, sir?" Nicholas raised his hand. "I think their whiskers are pretty powerful. M'tad's got one in his wand."
This was another interesting fact.
"Trolls," Hirsch said, giving the Hufflepuff a nod of his head, "It's interesting that your dad's got troll whiskers in his wand. Their whiskers are powerful and used in wands but it's said that they're inferior to the cores that we're so used to." He half wanted to ask questions about the troll whiskers and the wand but decided against it. This wasn't the time or the place.
Text Cut: Zoryn Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack Awwwwwwwww. No dragons? Zoryn couldn't help but feel disappointed. YET AGAIN. But she was excited for the lesson nevertheless. Especially when Professor H revealed that they'd be learning about TROLLS. HEY! Wait a minute. How come they were learning about trolls but they've never gotten to learn about DRAGONS? Both are technically creatures!!! They could've had a lesson on both! Why not both? Y'know?
But alas, trolls. What the heck was there to know about those???? Aside from the grades she no doubt make on her OWLs, trolls weren't something that Zor expected to ever encounter. Thus, she didn't know much about them. Except maybe one thing.... "They're HUGE and weigh LOTS!!" She threw both of her hands in the air to try to show JUST HOW HUGE they were.... Sort of.
This answer right here made him smile. That and the way she threw her hands in the air.
It was the enthusiasm, you know?
"Well, yes. If you want the specifics, they're roughly 12 feet tall, give or take, and weigh about a tonne. I think the size, along with the violent nature, is what makes people tend to be scared of them in the first place." But size was no guarantee of power, was it? "Well done, Miss Spinnet."
Text Cut: Isa Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin It wasn't that Isa didn't want to learn, it was more of a fear about learning about all the dark stuff. She didn't like it. Really she wanted to be able to defend herself, but she hoped that she wouldn't need it because she was afraid of facing the dark magic they learned about in this class. All of her life she had been sheltered from anything that might harm her. Okay, so honestly she didn't really want to learn in DADA, but she wanted to want to learn. Isa knew how important self defence skills were, even at Hogwarts where she was supposed to be safe. Especially at Hogwarts where unexpected things happened all the time. Self defence might one day be the difference between life and death. Maybe she should talk to Professor Hirsch. Isa knew that things couldn't stay this way for her forever. Eventually she would have to learn about the evil things in the world and how to defend herself. Just maybe not today.
Oh, trolls? Isa didn't know much about trolls, but she knew that they were violent and could hurt people. She didn't like violence. "Trolls are very violent and aggressive." That was all she had to say. The young hufflepuff was no expert on trolls. All she knew was that trolls were violent, and violence was wrong. Trolls sounded highly immoral. Did trolls have morals? Could they tell right from wrong? Did they know how bad violence was? It was awful, how there was so much violence in the world. It just wasn't right.
He had to admit: he was glad that Miss Wright had answered. It was one step closer to wanting to participate in the lesson.
Or, well, that was how Hirsch was seeing it.
"Exactly," he said, giving her a nod and a smile, "Their violent tendencies are what makes them so dangerous and makes the Ministry classify them as beasts, not beings. Well done, Miss Wright."
Progress? He thought so.
Text Cut: Katy Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin The relationship of trolls to rocks didn't make sense to Katy yet, but she sure appreciated the effort the professor made in tossing puns her way. She flashed him a grin and the double thumbs up for his effort. Rock bottom. She'd missed that one.
"There are three sub-species of troll, mountain, river, and forest. Obviously, named that way because of their preferred habitat, but they have widely varying physical characteristics." It sounded like a book answer, didn't it? "And they're super ugly, sir."
The grin and the double thumbs up gave him the sign that she approved of his lame puns. Heh. Maybe his jokes weren't that bad, after all.
Maybe.
"Couldn't have put it better myself." Smile. "You're very right: there are three types of trolls and you can easily tell them apart because they all look different, while still looking like trolls. Some say that part-trolls exist but I think that's mostly used as a way of insulting someone." hich fitted in with the super ugly part.
Text Cut: Emmeline Quote:
Originally Posted by NifflerFan Emmeline wasn't really up for talking about her feelings but she appreciated the professor's asking. She shot him a thank-you type smile instead of saying anything and tried to not think about stuff outside the lesson. Her pygmy puff was hiding in her top pocket as usual now, so she glanced down at Luna to feel better.
Then it was time to start. Trolls, hmm... She thought that her classmates had already given good answers, but maybe she could talk about its weakness? How would she escape a troll... The first year's hand shot up when she thought of something, but she wasn't sure about this answer really. "I think that since trolls are really big and heavy and stupid, that maybe wizards could confuse them with lots of loud or like, flashy spells and stuff. And then the wizard would have more time to run away super fast or think of the next spell, maybe?" Like she said, she wasn't sure. But maybe that would work for a first move against a troll.
Here was another answer that made him smile.
While most people had gone on to mention the characteristics of a troll, Emmeline was talking about its weaknesses and ways to get past it. Naturally, it made the man very happy.
"Exactly!" he said, nodding along, "Both confusing them and running really fast are methods that could work when you're faced with a troll, considering how slow and stupid they are. In fact, I'd say that's the first point of defence, if you find yourself in that situation. Very well done, Emmeline!"
Text Cut: Kirk Quote:
Originally Posted by Charely Potter Hmm.. Kirk's eyes did briefly look at the purple.. thing. But only until his attention was called by the start of the class. He didn't want to sit just yet, so he remained up while the topic turned to Trolls.
Oh.. So what did he know about trolls? "I know Trolls are the worst markings you can get on exams so that'd mean they're not bright at all." That was one thing, other than the other well-known answers. "And they do not belong in the dungeon."
Considering what Kirk had come to talk to him about earlier on in the year, Hirsch wasn't at all surprised that the Ravenclaw knew the grades and what they stood for and why Troll was a grade on the list. "Nice connection you've made there. It's not a grade anyone wants to get for any of their exams, after all, so you could say that it acts as motivation." Sort of.
And the answer about the dungeon? That earned the boy a snort. "Exactly!"
Text Cut: Ava Quote:
Originally Posted by RandomRaven While waiting for the lesson to start, Ava just stood there tapping her foot on the soft floor. She saw Olivia Phillips entered the room and smiled at her. "Welcome back." Yeah, she knew about the incident that happened to her fellow lion and it's good to know that she's getting better. And there was Noelle Summers. "It's weird that you're the one who's more often to call me 'love' than my own dear boyfriend." She grinned. The Gryffindor prefect was known for her affectional behavior towards her best friends like her. Sometimes she wondered if Phillip was jealous about this, you know? Well... maybe not.
As the DADA professor started the lesson and mentioned that the students were allowed to sit at the squishy floor, Ava decided to keep standing because... There's no particular reason for that, she loved standing. They're going to learn about trolls? Huh, interesting. The Gryffindor put her hand up as Professor Hirsch asked them. "Trolls originally came from Scandinavia, but I heard that they can be found all across Europe. Also, although they are not that smart but some of them can be trained as security trolls."
He was wondering when the place of origin part would come up and, now, here it was!
"Absolutely correct. Scandinavia is where they're said to have come from but since then, they've spread. Hogwarts itself has housed a troll or two over the years." Interesting fact right there. "I'm glad you've mentioned security trolls as well. Quite a few people use them to guard their buildings or treasures since people are less willing to fight a giant troll."
Text Cut: Vivian Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimothy Of course it was nice to see Vivian early to class, Professor. Hadn't she always been early to Defense Against the Dark Arts? The Slytherin couldn't seem to find a valid reason to not attend said class, for all the reasons.
How was she? The question made Vivian beam even more if that was possible. "I'm feeling super today, Professor!" She said while nodding and maintaining her smile. "And I hope you're feeling super as well." Sure, this was sort of small talk, but she didn't mind. They were both the only people in the room as of now so striking up a conversation was appreciated, not that Vivian gave a care if Professor Hirsch preferred to remain in silence. "Every class deserves a special song, Professor!" GIGGLE. Maybe she'd make that a thing from now on, and she definitely loved to challenge herself with finding a specific song for each DADA class. She'd have to up her skills, but her train of thought was halted when the other students began pouring in.
The fourth year looked up and smiled at those she knew, giving them each a wave. "Hi Ava, Liv, Stasya, Miss Noelle, Olivia, Derf!" The other students she didn't know weren't left unnoticed, as Vivian gave them all polite smiles as they entered the room. That way, they weren't being left out and ignored.
Moving on with the lessons... which was about trolls apparently. Vivian blinked because of course she knew what they were, but she never really gave thought as to what they actually did and do. She nodded along as her fellow school mates shared their answers. Yup, she knew a few of those facts. The fourth year raised her hand to share her view. "I've never really met a troll, Professor, but I think they like to grunt. Like this..." she said, and then gave her best, although sounded more like clearing her throat, Troll!grunt as an example.
Cue the innocent Fairfield smile.
Feeling super? This, right here, was something that made him smile. "I'm glad you're in such a good mood. You could say that. I'm excited to be teaching." Not that this was something she probably cared about but it was true. "That's nice of you, Vivian. You can be the one to provide the soundtrack to my lessons."
That grunt? That was also going in the list of unexpected things to happen in this lesson.
Hirsch, once again, let out a small chuckle at that but nodded at her. "Exactly like that. Well done!"
Text Cut: Stasya Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverTiger “I’m good!,” Stasya had replied, as Professor Hirsch had returned her greeting. She decided that he was good too, because she’d gotten a grin from him too, and she was still distracted by her excitement over Liv being there again. Even if she wasn’t sure if the older girl was going to be okay during the whole lesson. There was that whole ‘be ready to fight’ thing after all. Maybe fighting wouldn’t be good for her, but then maybe Professor Hirsch would make sure everything was okay. He was god at that. She knew it for a fact now.
She was going to stay sitting by Liv, though, giving Emmeline and Vivian grins as they’d acknowledged her. Except she was worried about her best friend too. There was lots going on, even if she knew she didn’t know all of it. She knew Emmeline wasn’t acting like she usually did, before her parents were all mean and stuff. Worried enough that she’d completely forgotten to answer the question about trolls, but then most of what she knew about them had been said. She wasn’t sure she knew anything else.
Quiet responses were to be expected and it didn't surprise him that they were coming up. As long as it wasn't a cause for concern, he didn't really mind. So, at Stasya's lack of an answer, the man simply smiled, pushed his glasses a little further up his nose and then moved on.
Text Cut: Matt Quote:
Originally Posted by Hey Ju Matt was REALLY looking forward to whatever it was they were learning about in this lesson since he saw the notice. He was READY TO FIGHT, alright!
The classroom arrangement made him even more excited and when professor Hirsch asked the first question he nearly fell off his imaginary chair.
TROLLS!!! MERLIN, they were goimg to fight TROLLS! He hoped it would be an actual troll and not just a dummy this time. They needed real life practice, you know? Trolls out there were probably nothing like dummies.
HE WAS READY!!!! Standing up and all.
He nearly forgot to answer the question. "They STINK! Like, for real." Literally.
The excitement from this Gryffindor was nice to see. Really nice. It meant that the boy was ready to be part of this lesson and would participate.
Though, he hoped he wouldn't disappoint the boy because there really were no trolls or dummies here. Sorry.
But this answer? Uh. "I mean, you're certainly not wrong about that. If someone tells you that you smell like a troll, that might be a cause for concern."
Text Cut: Mason Quote:
Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi Deciding to stand, Mason snapped his book he had been reading before class closed and placed it in his bag before straightening back up. He placed his arms in his robe pockets and looked to the front.
He was curious about what the topic of today would be about and when the Professor said it he had to agree. You had to be REALLY stupid if you didn't know what trolls were. While students gave their answers, Mason listened and memorized them so that he did not copy someone elses answer and when it was his turn he lowered his hand first.
"Apart from Dragons, the trolls who are a bit more intelligent than the others are trained and used to guard places or objects. Which, in my opinion, is very dangerous because they're very unpredictable and can attack the one they're working for in an instant"
Oh!
Oh!
This was not something he expected. He knew he'd get answers based on characteristics and what the creatures actually do but mentioning the dangers with integrating them into society was new. "That is a clever observation. You do run a risk of the trolls getting out of hand and rebelling, in a way. But I guess the people in charge would have their own ways of dealing with that."
Which sounded sad, now that he thought about it.
Text Cut: Skylar Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoenixRising Uh, what was up with the lack of proper seating? Did Hirsch KNOW all the desks were replaced with rocks and mats and cushions? Well, duh, of course he probably knew ... unless someone had interrogated him and maybe they were polyjuicing themselves as Hirsch?
Best to be vigilant here, Sky decided, as she took a seat close to the door so she can make a quick escape if necessary.
And they were talking about trolls, which there were lots of comments being tossed around about their intelligence, or lack thereof. Wait, what did Kirk say? Lowest score one could get on their exams, which was symbolic of their brightness? Really? Is that why it was named a Troll if you did poorly? Why had Skylar not realized this before?!? Also, did Vivian just grunt? Sorry, but seeing one of your best friends grunt, when you weren't doing so in the joking setting, the fourth year let out a giggle!snort.
Right, focus.
"Trolls can be up to twelve feet tall in height, with the mountain troll being the largest and most vicious of the three types of trolls." They also consumed raw flesh, which ... uh, did Hirsch bring a troll to class with him today? Yea, escaping might definitely be an option, which was weird for Skylar Diggory to even be considering ... but it was better than the possibility of being some vicious creature's lunch.
Hirsch was very much aware of the lack of seating and, in fact, the reactions amused him.
Constant vigilance, indeed.
"Exactly, Miss Diggory," he said, giving the Slytherin a nod of his head, "They also carry around a club so they really are the ones you should be scared of the most between the three types. Well done!"
Text Cut: Oliver Quote:
Originally Posted by Schroyers Oliver grinned at Hirsch's response. "Your class is always interesting, Professor." ... Trolls? What did Trolls have to do with a sticky floor? Or a purple thing? Huh.. Maybe it was just a misdirect?
Whatever.. What did Oliver know about Trolls? Hirsch was about to get some signature Oliver Lupin word!vomit. "Trolls are omnivores, but that has more to do with their lack of intelligence and willingness to eat anything. Their whiskers have been used for wandcores and they were at one time classified by the ministry as 'Beings' due to walking on two feet but once the ministry found out about their low intellect levels they were reclassified as a four X beast." It wasn't too much, he didn't want to go on and on but between his CoMC studies and HoM he had plenty of facts rattling around in his head.
His class was always interesting? Well, if there was one way to get the man to smile a wide smile, this was it. "I'm glad that you think so. Thank you, Oliver."
Word!vomit, indeed. The man's eyebrows shot up at the answer the Slytherin was giving. "That is some impressive knowledge you've got about trolls. Well done!" Really. The man was impressed. "You're completely right, of course. Their aggressive nature adds onto their classification as a beast but that is why, adding onto what you said, they're not classified as beings."
Text Cut: Liv | SHE THOUGHT ABOUT LOTR AHHHHH!!!! ahem Quote:
Originally Posted by Govoni "They like to guard bridges." Or that's what muggle fairy tales had taught her..... Ahem, sorry Professor. "They like to eat people, but aren't too picky about what they put in their mouths, even if they do prefer it. I think they like fish, too." For a brief moment, Olivia was reminded of Sméagol, from Lord of the Rings...and him eating the fish raw.
Gag. It was a sight one couldn't easily unsee.
"I guess it would depend on the type of troll...if you're thinking about weakness?" It was a question since she honestly didn't know. Anyway, surely that varied; considering whatever environments they were physically used to.
Guard bridges? "Yes, they do. River trolls in particular like to guard bridges and catch their prey, humans and fish, from there." Not a nice thought, was it? "You're completely right, well done!"
Ah! Weakness!
Now this is what he liked to hear. Hirsch smiled but instead of asking her to elaborate on that answer, he simply said, "Hold that thought, Miss Phillips."
Text Cut: Sam Quote:
Originally Posted by hermygirl "It IS Sir!" Sam replied excitedly, pulling the book back out of her bag and holding it up so he could see the title. It was the Common Room copy of the one he'd been reading when she'd recently gone to visit his office. She'd be finding it to be an interesting read indeed.
And as for getting tired? Nah, Sam was full of energy today, and quite happy leaning against this rock here.
As for the topic of the lesson, Sam looked around the room curiously. Was Hirsch keeping a real live troll in here somewhere? The rocks seemed like their sort of territory, but was the ceiling high enough for a troll? It was often hard to just scale from textbooks.
"They belong to the Genus Troglodytarum," she replied, hoping she'd got the pronounciation correct. "And mountain trolls often ride graphorns...which the graphorns don't like very much, because, as Skylar said, the mountain trolls are the heaviest."
That book! Was it.....? "Ah, will you look at that?" Hirsch had expected the Ravenclaw to pull out a book on the latest magical theories around Herbology or Arithmancy but to see the book that was in his office pop out of her bag was something else. The dimpled smile made a return once again. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, then."
"Exactly," he said, giving her a nod, "Graphorns give them scars as a way of attacking for the way mountain trolls treat them. Well done, and good attempt at that genus name." Not even he would've attempted it.
Text Cut: Levi Quote:
Originally Posted by Oesed Levi was about to open his mouth to say something to Nicholas Tate--probably 'hello,' maybe 'good morning,' either would have sufficed--when Derfael joined them. Tate didn't look particularly pleased, but Derfael looked quite excited, so maybe the younger boy was going to bring in some slight balance here. He offered both Hufflepuff boys a mild smile and would gone on to throw in a nod or two for good measure--manners were important, after all--but Hirsch decided to speak just then. To say hello and call him Levi instead of Mr. Kenning and to smile at him and do the whole glasses thing that would have normally worked, but this time it would not. Levi was quite resolute about that.
Maybe.
He had to keep himself from smiling by looking pointedly away, so the automatic smile did not actually flourish as it intended to, but. The corners of his mouth did indeed twitch. So, he reached up to cover it with one of his palms.
It'd been a close call. Certain reactions to certain things were just intent on putting up a good fight, it seemed.
Good news was that class had started and everyone had something to say about trolls. Levi couldn't say he'd have preferred pogrebins as Derf had suggested--trolls were a rather more exciting topic, of course--but it was interesting to him (and kind of weird, maybe, just a tad) how much his peers seemed to know about the beasts. Or beings, as someone had so adequately pointed out.
He'd had no idea trolls were so popular, but this was why he was sent to school, really. Learn something new every day and all that. He lowered his hand from his mouth. "Trolls are stupid but terribly strong. With the ability to be quite vicious." Obviously. "Which makes for a very dangerous combination, really." Super strong, over-grown toddlers,
really. "Though, possibly, with the correct tools and training, it'd be better to face a troll than a giant. If anything because giants are notoriously smarter."
Should he be worried? Because this wasn't a reaction he usually got from the Gryffindor. Or should he put up missing signs for Levi's happy spirit?
Hmm.
Right now, he was going to concentrate on the answer, instead. "Exactly! Their violent tendencies are what makes them so dangerous in the first place." Though, there was a way to defend yourself against them so that wasn't something to worry about, at least. "I like your comparison of trolls and giants. Well done!"
Did it look like anyone else was going to chip in? Nope.
Carry on? He was going to.
"Okay!" he called to the class in general, "Those were some great answers given. It does seem as though everyone knows something about these creatures." Good!
"In case you weren't listening," Why not? "Trolls are creatures that are very strong but also very stupid. They're violent, aggressive and are said to be unpredictable. Their motto is act first, never think about it ever. This is something you could use to your advantage because, as humans, you're all good at thinking and problem-solving." If not, that was something to work on. "They come from Scandinavia and are said to be related to the Yeti but, of course, the characteristics of the two creatures have changed a lot over the years."
"There are three types of trolls: mountain trolls, river trolls and forest trolls. Mountain trolls are the largest and most vicious of the three: standing at 12 feet tall and weighing over a tonne. They're bald and pale grey and are usually seen carrying clubs. They are the ones most people are scared of, between the three." Just saying. "They ride Graphorns, and did so in August 2020 when they were travelling through Hungary."
"River trolls have short hair, purple skin and are very hairy. They're usually found beneath bridges or in the middle of rivers. They're generally less than 12 feet tall, as are the forest trolls." Breathe. "Forest trolls are pale green in colour but they have a few straggly hairs on their head. They're found in forests and woodland creatures, as you can tell from their name. It's been said that the Forbidden Forest has some forest trolls in there but you're more likely to come across centaurs in there than you are of forest trolls." And he didn't think they were anywhere near the grounds in the first place.
Breathe.
"Now! Trolls can do rudimentary magic, which is a brand of lesser magic that's also used by hags. They don't really use this a lot and prefer to use their aggressive nature, instead." So beware of the clubs, if anything. "In saying that, though, there is a way to defend yourselves against them. Picture this: you're faced with a troll, any of the three types of trolls, and you need to get out of there as quickly as possible. What would be your first point of action? What spells would you use?" OOC: I'm loving these answers! Look at you guys go!
The question is more along the lines of spellwork: if you were faced with a troll, how would you try and get out of there? What spells would you use against a troll?
I'm going to carry on tomorrow at roughly 7:30pm GMT+1.
Thanks, lovelies 
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