SnitchSeeker.com - View Single Post - DADA Lesson 2

DaniDiNardo · 06-08-2019, 05:15 PM

SPOILER!!: Replies

SPOILER!!: Awning

He'd been expecting all sorts of responses when he asked the question. It was vague enough to allow an array. What he didn't expect was the first being quite so...misguided.

"I'm not sure I'm following, Awning. If she was neither evil nor a death eater then what makes her a dark wizard? Association? Would you consider that to be a fair estimate?" Knowing a dark wizard, being in a relationship with one, it didn't necessarily make one dark as well. This was something he needed to ensure he got across for the others that were listening. "If your parents decided to be dark wizards, would that make you one too by being related?"

SPOILER!!: Spencer

The Headmaster nodded at the boy's answer. "Correct, Bellatrix Lestrange was considered a dark witch in her time. With a love for torture and a fierce loyalty to the dark lord, she was quite a dangerous one as well. Good." He meant it with more than just the answer. It was good the boy was trying. Good he was making efforts to speak. The man didn't imagine it was easy and so he appreciated it.

SPOILER!!: Slinkhard

Ah yes, one that actually had the word "evil" in his title. Hard to miss that one and Malachi nodded along as the Fifth Year spoke. "Emeric was a short lived but dangerous wizard as well. Yes. While in possession of the Elder Wand and before he was taken down by Egbert the Egregious he was known to be particularly aggressive and had a nasty little habit of terrorizing territories in South England. The man worked hard for his title."

He wasn't a dark wizard because he knew other dark wizards, he was a dark wizard because of his own callous deeds borne of nothing but mal-intent.

SPOILER!!: Abara

The yawn won the Hufflepuff no favours in the Headmaster's eyes. Morning classes he was somewhat more forgiving with but at this time in the afternoon Malachi didn't expect such nonsense. It took a moment for him to focus in on her actual response.

"Would you truly consider the man a dark wizard? Many actions taken in his time at Hogwarts were a direct result of the provocation he faced from James Potter himself; an "admirable" man as thought by most but a bully during his youth. It was his and a few other good men's actions that pushed Snape. Later his joining of the Death Eaters wasn't in a bid to stir chaos but for the attentions of the woman he loved. Following that, he betrayed the dark lord and secretly fought on the side of justice. He carried out the duties expected of him where he had to to avoid suspicion." But he would leave the final verdict to her. The man wasn't here to tell them how to think.

As for the other part. Well. It was quite the black and white way of thinking, wasn't it? "Aurors use unforgivable curses and there are many innocent, studious individuals who study and practice the dark arts but haven't caused harm to anyone." Again, he would leave the final verdict to her but it was food for thought.

SPOILER!!: Katharos

Here was another mixed response. A lot of the information the Ravenclaw gave was sound but the logic was slightly flawed. It didn't make the response wrong, just the means of getting there. A means that if repeated with other subject matter could lead to incorrect responses.

"The Cult of Walpurgis could be considered a dark organization of sorts, yes." He was careful not to label it a group of dark wizards are no one could vouch for the intentions and reasoning behind every single man and woman who stood a member. It was the organization itself that was not out to spread good.

"However," As this needed to be pointed out, "Needing a deadly battle doesn't always mean something or someone is out of control. It could just as easily mean someone has offended the wrong person, someone with the means to crush them under heel. All it proves, at its most basic level, is that a group of people did something that another group of people didn't like. This has been a trend all through history. Men fighting for their freedom. Wizards fighting for their lives against people who considered them wrong for existing. Try not to get too caught up in the losing side of a battle being the one's at fault." As a general rule. While he was correct in this, it was the reasoning that unsettled the Headmaster. "Equally, I wouldn't be so quick to link them to the dark lord or Grindewald without full knowledge of the intent that drove them to action in the first place simply because they wanted the same end result. Had they been wronged by muggles? Was this revenge? Is revenge on its own a terrible thing to want?" Just some things to think about.

SPOILER!!: Castillo

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Nothing spectacular, Nina appreciated that. It was too often that they walked in on strange arrangements of chairs and tables, a transitional classroom, one where nothing would really be learned. Nina had a fond admiration for those days when everything appeared as normal and they could learn properly, from a textbook. Nina preferred a traditional set up far more than anything out of the ordinary, and as such, she was very pleased with how their Headmaster had chosen to arrange the classroom today. He was one of her favorites, mostly for his pretty face and those arms.

But also for his common sense, something many other Professors at this school seemed to lack.

As she made her way to a desk towards the middle of the classroom, the Slytherin dropped her homework into the box. Of course she had done it. And of course it was absolutely impeccable and without error. She had only gone over it four times. And she had written it two weeks in advance. Nina liked to keep ahead with her assignments, procrastination was such a Gryffindor quality.

Because she had done the readings, the topic for the lesson did not come as any surprise. In fact, she was very much looking forward to it in hopes that there would also be a historical component to the topic. When going over the basics of a new subject, there often was history involved. It was one of her favorite things about learning something new.

Her attention quickly turned back to the front of the classroom as their Professor began with two question, both were fairly simple. Why the one Hufflepuff (Eniola) felt the need to go in severe detail was an absolute mystery. He hadn’t asked for the details. While Nina appreciated the historical background, there was hardly a need for excessive explanation. She couldn’t help but give the girl an unimpressed look from behind before it was her own turn to speak. Lowering her raised hand, she offered, “Gellert Grindelwald.”

Grindelwald was an interesting man. Not only was he a dark wizard, but he was also considered as one of the most powerful and dangerous of his kind. Curiously, the majority of dark wizards and witches began dabbling within the Dark Arts at quite an early age. Grindelwald wasn’t an exception to this, seeing as he had been expelled from Durmstrang for just that. Perhaps even more curious was his later life. Though Nina quickly turned her attention back to the answers her classmates were sharing. There was a time and a place

"Correct." Grindewald was another famous one, no doubt one they'd already begun to learn about in their History Lessons. He had quite the impact before his time came to an end.

"Interestingly enough, he didn't start out with bad intentions just a discontent with the level of power muggles held over wizards. He'd started with a dream for a better more benevolent world, one in which wise and powerful wizards ruled. On its own, there was nothing wrong with that dream however it spiraled into something much more dangerous, dark and undesirable."

The line was always such a thin one. What was that saying? The road to hell was paid with good intentions. Yes, that was the one.

SPOILER!!: Sinclair

"Ah yes, the first escapee in I believe it was nearly 300 years." Not a single person had gotten through the cracks in all that time the prison stood. No small task he assumed, objectively impressive.

"Much like Lestrange, he was also remarkably loyal to the dark lord, joining the ranks of the death eaters as a teen." A good answer.

SPOILER!!: Winklebleck

By this point, Malachi was somewhat growing accustomed to the black and white responses of his students. It wasn't that he was more accepting of them but rather he was less surprised by them now.

This one was one of the easier ones to address. "If someone came at you ready to kill you but you beat them to it in self defense, does that make you a dark wizard?" Killing wasn't the be all end all for becoming a dark wizard. Killing had many levels to it. No two people killed for the exact same reason and circumstance was a crucial thing to take into consideration.

"Accidental killings are still killings. Killings done for protection are still killing." Did she see why it couldn't be so straight laced?

SPOILER!!: Dakest

"You were onto something there, Dakest." Yes, Herpo the foul was another dark wizard, one good enough at being bad to have a title added to his name. "Creating a Horcrux is right up there on the list of questionable things that shouldn't be considered but while it's fair to assume he had no good intentions when he made the basilisk either, I wouldn't consider the act itself an indication of a dark wizard. Many creations are brought forth out of curiosity or necessity. They don't always end well but they don't always start with mal-intent."

Just something for him to keep in mind.

SPOILER!!: Burke

He was so involved with the responses being offered up that he didn't immediately notice this one not making any attempts at an answer. His attention remained on the other students, on their responses and how some gave him real pause. It was good they were having these discussions today. Perhaps it would cause some of them to think a little differently.

SPOILER!!: Toussaint

And another to remain quiet. This one the Headmaster did take notice of but as he wasn't typically one to offer up opinions during lessons, it didn't come as quite so much a shock to the man. There was nothing truly out of place here. In time the boy would speak, if he felt so inclined. If he didn't, it wasn't of great concern to the man either because this one wasn't falling behind in the subject like some others he could mention.

SPOILER!!: Fhearghall

"That...was oddly specific." Specific enough that Malachi had to pause a moment to really consider it. Infiltrate the government? Take over? Greater good but poor means of accomplishing it? "But as specific as it is, I'd still need more details before I could really say and even then this can sometimes be such a gray and subjective topic. What I may consider dark, someone may consider justice."

Was she asking for his opinion specifically?

"I guess, for me, it would depend on what they're trying to achieve. Whether their new regime impedes upon basic human rights and causes undue harm. How are they keeping people in line? How do they deal with people who don't agree with them? Those would be the real indicators for me."

SPOILER!!: Rasting

Molly Weasley. Well...that was an interesting way to get the idea across. So far, Rasting seemed to be the only one to take the topic further than face value.

"He's got a point." Malachi conceded easily. "A good portion of the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum teaches jinxes, curses and hexes. These all fall under a branch of charms known as "dark charms". We can agree that doesn't make any of us dark wizards, not even for the hour we have class--or maybe it does. It really differs from student to student and there's a lot more to consider outside of simple usage. Good catch, Rasting."

SPOILER!!: Dalgaard-Volkova

It was the very point he'd not too long ago made and the Headmaster found himself nodding along. "Well said, Dalgaard-Volkova. Killing on its own is not a very good indicator of whether a wizard or witch can be considered dark." But he wouldn't waste too much time going into it again. Surely they were all taking notes and had already gotten the bulk of the information there.

I suppose you could consider the William twins dark wizards too, yes, to an extent. Their cause, whatever it was they were truly after, it involved putting others in harms way, manipulation and the removal of free will for their own personal gain." He'd followed that story for a while, until it fell out of the public's eye and no longer made the news. Had to admit, until he'd heard it, he didn't think there were still people like that out there. Go figure.

SPOILER!!: Dooley

"You're absolutely correct, Dooley." It was a point that by now he hoped many of the students were beginning to understand. There really was no one size fits all ruling when it came to dark wizards and in many cases it came down to the individual offending the wrong person. Of course, there were many who truly were foul and deserved the title without a shadow of doubt but there were others who most certainly did not.

"At some point the criteria set becomes a little hypocritical because of the double standards that are used to uphold them." The "good" guys and the "bad" guys often did the same things but with varying results and criticisms.

SPOILER!!: Smethwyck

"Yes." He said with a firm nod, turning to the Gryffindor with a firm nod of his head. She was correct on all counts. "Many of you may have seen the portrait hung in the castle and perhaps even tried to get it to reveal its secrets. Its password is no form of coincidence, Merwyn was truly a vile human being." And a bloody good inventor of spells to have created so many that are effective even today.

SPOILER!!: Montague

"Also correct." He'd already addressed the student who mentioned Narcissa among the collection of dark wizards but he was glad another student had picked up on it as well. Now that they were getting more into something of a discussion, the word "intent" was coming up a lot more. It was such a crucial factor that he was glad they were getting it.

"Association to dark wizards, performing under duress, being stripped of all choice and being given "new ones", all these things can give a person the appearance of a dark wizard or witch to the outside world who do not know the full story. This is why we must consider each case carefully before passing judgement."

SPOILER!!: Calrissian

"Excellent points, Calrissian." They fell in line with things he'd gone on to explain and would no doubt provide a good amount of supplemental notes for any of the students currently scribbling away.

"There are far more things to consider in each act, that is innately considered "dark", for anyone to really slap a label on without giving each scenario the proper consideration that it deserves." At face value, everything the prefect had mentioned could be considered a dark act, but there was obviously more to each.

SPOILER!!: Katharos

He raised a brow at the Ravenclaw. A discussion had somehow opened up and the boy would rather...read? The Headmaster watched him for a silent moment before deciding to simply move on to the next student. He wasn't being disruptive and had made attempt at engaging already. It wasn't truly a problem.

SPOILER!!: Fairfield

...

.....

"I...don't think you should believe everything you hear, Fairfield." There was nothing in the news of any dark acts carried out by a Cambridge. There was a Cambridge newly appointed head of Law Enforcement but not one that gave that department extra work to do. Of course, a dark witch or wizard starting out their career within the walls of Hogwarts wouldn't have been anything new. It had happened often enough.

Who knew, maybe in a few years the former Head Girl would grace the covers of a few papers. She could simply be biding her time. Shame the Slytherin couldn't remember the reasoning. Nothing would surprise him anymore.

SPOILER!!: Allanach-Senchuri

Someone had definitely done her reading. The Headmaster looked pleased as he gave this one a nod. "Very good, yes. Both are considered dark and participated in acts that leave little question as to which side they're on." Such a response was promising in regard to her essay. It told him she'd likely put as much research into it and that was something he would greatly appreciate.

It was always glaringly obvious when students wrote about things for which they had no idea. It was almost painful sometimes.

The responses were as interesting as he imagined they would be. Mixed, as expected. Some more black and white than reality ever strictly called for but he was glad to see that some of the students could dive below the surface and realize that it wasn't so clear cut as many would lead them to believe.

The subject of dark wizards could sometimes become a touchy one. While there were some who considered the line as clear as day, there were others who knew the complications that accompanied such a label and the dangers of throwing it around all willy nilly.

"It was a good mix of answers." He began, calling the students to attention again. This was the sort of topic that could easily bring with it a debate but that wasn't where this lesson was heading, not really anyway. "Intent. Some of your classmates mentioned this in their responses and I'd caution you all to remember it moving forward. Actions don't always line up with beliefs." And that went both ways, in case they were wondering. "Sometimes our actions are not our own, sometimes they're a direct result of someone else's actions. They should never be the only measure of a man's heart and how dark it truly is."

Bringing Molly Weasley, Narcissa Malfoy and Rubeus Hagrid into the mix were good examples of this. By the textbook definition and some of these students, they did qualify for the heinous label and yet...how many considered them as such?

"The unforgiveable curses become a bit more forgiveable when used to end violence and wrongdoing. Does that make Aurors dark wizards? What about a man who breeds and smuggles dark creatures illegally because his wife and child have been taken hostage with malice their only reward if the man refuses? Has he lost his humanity and become a dark wizard? I'd like you all to give this some more thought before we get into the activity. Is a curious individual with a lust for knowledge who finds themselves reading the darkest of tomes going to be the next dark lord or simply an avid reader with a greater understanding of the mechanisms behind certain spells than those who never read such works? Does merely possessing objects that are considered dark make you dark? What makes the items dark? Their existence or the intent of the person wielding them? Does not agreeing with the views of the majority and those in power make you the bad guy or a free thinker with enough gut to do something about the things that bother you? Who decides what's right and what's rebellion and how do you know you're on the right side of such choices?"

He paused then to give them a moment to think it over. "I'd like to know where you draw the line. Forget whatever you've read in your textbooks for a moment. While desperation is by no means the only alternative to dark intent, I'd like to know where you stand. What separates a "desperate" or curious man from a dark wizard in your mind? Give me an example of something that would be considered bad circumstantially but is otherwise acceptable."

OOC: This took longer than I thought. You guys had some great responses!

For the next question, your students should think of a situation in which an action would be bad but another in which the same action could be considered passable or normal. I'll likely move this lesson on in another 20 hours or so.

06-08-2019, 05:15 PM	#37 (permalink)
DaniDiNardo MO & DMLE Crup Join Date: May 2012 Location: Over here! (GMT -5) Posts: 17,243 Hogwarts RPG Name: Ruth (Rae) Elliot Gryffindor First Year x12 x12	Yeah I broke that mirror, so what? ll NOT backward ll Official Gryfferin ll Lemon's favourite SPOILER!!: Replies SPOILER!!: Awning Quote: Originally Posted by Kayla Taaffe It was so lonely in the empty classroom. Especially without the spiders. And the door was shut and locked. No more latecomers. No sir. None of the student's business. Okay that's cool. But no stressing over. "An example of a dark witch is Narcissa Malfoy. She isn't evil or a death eater, but she is affiliated with Voldemort because of her husband Lucius and her sister Bellatrix." He'd been expecting all sorts of responses when he asked the question. It was vague enough to allow an array. What he didn't expect was the first being quite so...misguided. "I'm not sure I'm following, Awning. If she was neither evil nor a death eater then what makes her a dark wizard? Association? Would you consider that to be a fair estimate?" Knowing a dark wizard, being in a relationship with one, it didn't necessarily make one dark as well. This was something he needed to ensure he got across for the others that were listening. "If your parents decided to be dark wizards, would that make you one too by being related?" SPOILER!!: Spencer Quote: Originally Posted by 2111jen At the beginning of the year, Austin would be hessitent to answer a question. Now though? Not so much. He thought for a second. He raised his hand. "Bellatrix Lestrange." The Headmaster nodded at the boy's answer. "Correct, Bellatrix Lestrange was considered a dark witch in her time. With a love for torture and a fierce loyalty to the dark lord, she was quite a dangerous one as well. Good." He meant it with more than just the answer. It was good the boy was trying. Good he was making efforts to speak. The man didn't imagine it was easy and so he appreciated it. SPOILER!!: Slinkhard Quote: Originally Posted by Kimothy It occurred to Drewett that maybe Headmaster Trent wasn't in a good mood today...or maybe he was free-falling into a spiral. The Ravenclaw would have been empathetic. He only cracked a tiny smile towards the headmaster. He hoped it would be a good day too. He'd been having a rough fifth year so far, considering rumours and mistletoes and just fifth year in general. He, too, offered a smile when Rylee chose to sit beside him, also giving her a light nudge with his elbow. When class officially started, he was quite glad to kick it off direct to the point. Drewett took out his parchment, quill, and inkwell and labelled it appropriately with his name and the date of today's lesson. These would be much needed with the little study group he and Kenzie were planning to hold. He wouldn't mind sharing. However, a tiny part of Drewett's heart sank at the mention of dark wizards. It was, apparently, their lesson for the day and a few things came flashing back on him. About his parents. About how incredibly vague his social worker was when she explained to him what happened to Andrew and Catherine Slinkhard. It had been years (he was only six when it happened) but there was still an odd ache that came with recalling a memory. He paused writing for a few seconds, before he finished up labelling and raised his hand. "Emeric the Evil, sir. He used to be th-the master of the elder wand." And he did a lot of bad things with that wand, but Drewett chose not to elaborate. Ah yes, one that actually had the word "evil" in his title. Hard to miss that one and Malachi nodded along as the Fifth Year spoke. "Emeric was a short lived but dangerous wizard as well. Yes. While in possession of the Elder Wand and before he was taken down by Egbert the Egregious he was known to be particularly aggressive and had a nasty little habit of terrorizing territories in South England. The man worked hard for his title." He wasn't a dark wizard because he knew other dark wizards, he was a dark wizard because of his own callous deeds borne of nothing but mal-intent. SPOILER!!: Abara Quote: Originally Posted by gritandgrace Eni always gets startled by the slam of the door when the Headmaster flicks his wand. She almost glared at him for aggravating her already growing headache, almost. Sitting up straighter in her seat to seem like she was paying attention she looked around to see if any arms had shot up. Goodness knows there's got to be a few. Her own hand went up slowly on it's own accord as she yawned and looked just past the Headmaster. This headache really was a drag. "Well Professor," she began when she was called upon, "to bring up a previous Professor from here at Hogwarts there's Severus Snape a known ex-Death Eater and eventual spy. There's not much reported on him, but his affiliates and alias The Half-Blood Prince were known by enough to have some hung some nasty laundry out to dry." Eniola crinkled her nose as if she could smell the aforementioned laundry right then. "As for what you have to do to be considered a dark wizard, you simply have to practice the Dark Arts or commit an Unforgivable Curse in my books. Both of those things are choices you make, there's no accidents with that." The yawn won the Hufflepuff no favours in the Headmaster's eyes. Morning classes he was somewhat more forgiving with but at this time in the afternoon Malachi didn't expect such nonsense. It took a moment for him to focus in on her actual response. "Would you truly consider the man a dark wizard? Many actions taken in his time at Hogwarts were a direct result of the provocation he faced from James Potter himself; an "admirable" man as thought by most but a bully during his youth. It was his and a few other good men's actions that pushed Snape. Later his joining of the Death Eaters wasn't in a bid to stir chaos but for the attentions of the woman he loved. Following that, he betrayed the dark lord and secretly fought on the side of justice. He carried out the duties expected of him where he had to to avoid suspicion." But he would leave the final verdict to her. The man wasn't here to tell them how to think. As for the other part. Well. It was quite the black and white way of thinking, wasn't it? "Aurors use unforgivable curses and there are many innocent, studious individuals who study and practice the dark arts but haven't caused harm to anyone." Again, he would leave the final verdict to her but it was food for thought. SPOILER!!: Katharos Quote: Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi It was pure coincidence that Dorian looked up from his crossword puzzle and saw Rylee smiling at him. A smile was a good thing right? Because although she had told him that she wasn't upset about what had happened at the duelling area, he knew that ....girls lied. They would say one thing but meant the opposite and it was up to the other to figure out if they were telling the truth or not. But was she like that though? His instinct told him no but...his instinct hadn't always been right.... He gave a small smile back which faltered when she chose to sit next to Drew. When there was an empty seat next to him. WHAT DID THAT MEAN?! He needed advice on girls without the love interest side. He turned to the front as the Headmaster had closed the door and started the lesson. He closed his crossword book and placed it inside of his bag and listened to the first question asked. "The Cult of Walpurgis was a ...cult...obviously.... of Wizards who infiltrated and controlled the Ministry of Magic to gain control over muggles. I'm not entirely sure if they were labeled as Dark wizards and witches but my father told me that the cult lost after a deadly battle and if there needed to be a deadly battle then it probably meant they were out of control?" oh wait he had forgotten to put his hand up. Which he did now. Better late than never. "Well they wanted to get rid of the statue of secrecy which was also what Grindlewald and Riddle wanted and they were dark wizards sooo..." there was a pattern. Here was another mixed response. A lot of the information the Ravenclaw gave was sound but the logic was slightly flawed. It didn't make the response wrong, just the means of getting there. A means that if repeated with other subject matter could lead to incorrect responses. "The Cult of Walpurgis could be considered a dark organization of sorts, yes." He was careful not to label it a group of dark wizards are no one could vouch for the intentions and reasoning behind every single man and woman who stood a member. It was the organization itself that was not out to spread good. "However," As this needed to be pointed out, "Needing a deadly battle doesn't always mean something or someone is out of control. It could just as easily mean someone has offended the wrong person, someone with the means to crush them under heel. All it proves, at its most basic level, is that a group of people did something that another group of people didn't like. This has been a trend all through history. Men fighting for their freedom. Wizards fighting for their lives against people who considered them wrong for existing. Try not to get too caught up in the losing side of a battle being the one's at fault." As a general rule. While he was correct in this, it was the reasoning that unsettled the Headmaster. "Equally, I wouldn't be so quick to link them to the dark lord or Grindewald without full knowledge of the intent that drove them to action in the first place simply because they wanted the same end result. Had they been wronged by muggles? Was this revenge? Is revenge on its own a terrible thing to want?" Just some things to think about. SPOILER!!: Castillo Quote: Originally Posted by ArianaBlack Nothing spectacular, Nina appreciated that. It was too often that they walked in on strange arrangements of chairs and tables, a transitional classroom, one where nothing would really be learned. Nina had a fond admiration for those days when everything appeared as normal and they could learn properly, from a textbook. Nina preferred a traditional set up far more than anything out of the ordinary, and as such, she was very pleased with how their Headmaster had chosen to arrange the classroom today. He was one of her favorites, mostly for his pretty face and those arms. But also for his common sense, something many other Professors at this school seemed to lack. As she made her way to a desk towards the middle of the classroom, the Slytherin dropped her homework into the box. Of course she had done it. And of course it was absolutely impeccable and without error. She had only gone over it four times. And she had written it two weeks in advance. Nina liked to keep ahead with her assignments, procrastination was such a Gryffindor quality. Because she had done the readings, the topic for the lesson did not come as any surprise. In fact, she was very much looking forward to it in hopes that there would also be a historical component to the topic. When going over the basics of a new subject, there often was history involved. It was one of her favorite things about learning something new. Her attention quickly turned back to the front of the classroom as their Professor began with two question, both were fairly simple. Why the one Hufflepuff (Eniola) felt the need to go in severe detail was an absolute mystery. He hadn’t asked for the details. While Nina appreciated the historical background, there was hardly a need for excessive explanation. She couldn’t help but give the girl an unimpressed look from behind before it was her own turn to speak. Lowering her raised hand, she offered, “Gellert Grindelwald.” Grindelwald was an interesting man. Not only was he a dark wizard, but he was also considered as one of the most powerful and dangerous of his kind. Curiously, the majority of dark wizards and witches began dabbling within the Dark Arts at quite an early age. Grindelwald wasn’t an exception to this, seeing as he had been expelled from Durmstrang for just that. Perhaps even more curious was his later life. Though Nina quickly turned her attention back to the answers her classmates were sharing. There was a time and a place "Correct." Grindewald was another famous one, no doubt one they'd already begun to learn about in their History Lessons. He had quite the impact before his time came to an end. "Interestingly enough, he didn't start out with bad intentions just a discontent with the level of power muggles held over wizards. He'd started with a dream for a better more benevolent world, one in which wise and powerful wizards ruled. On its own, there was nothing wrong with that dream however it spiraled into something much more dangerous, dark and undesirable." The line was always such a thin one. What was that saying? The road to hell was paid with good intentions. Yes, that was the one. SPOILER!!: Sinclair Quote: Originally Posted by Fireheart Something told her that Headmaster Trent wasn't in the best mood today. Judging by his shorter than normal greetings and slightly haggard appearance, Avalon suspected that something was troubling him. She would bet money that it had something to do with the odd and dangerous creatures popping up around campus lately. It seemed like they would be discussing the various aspects of dark witches and wizards today, which could certainly turn into a touchy subject. Nevertheless, she enjoyed Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, and Headmaster Trent usually found ways to make the topics interesting. She was fairly surprised that nobody had directly mentioned Lord Voldemort yet as a response to the first question. And she wouldn't be the first to do so - what a plainly boring answer. She raised her hand, poised to offer up an example from the same era. "Barty Crouch Jr." she said, thinking back to the stories she had heard about the Death Eater. "He was one of the few who escaped from Azkaban. And he manipulated the Triwizard Tournament to make sure that Harry Potter came face to face with Voldemort." Avalon didn't know all the details of the other things that he did, but she figured that it would be a good start. Perhaps the Headmaster could fill in any important details that she had missed. "Ah yes, the first escapee in I believe it was nearly 300 years." Not a single person had gotten through the cracks in all that time the prison stood. No small task he assumed, objectively impressive. "Much like Lestrange, he was also remarkably loyal to the dark lord, joining the ranks of the death eaters as a teen." A good answer. SPOILER!!: Winklebleck Quote: Originally Posted by griffin How did Cordelia Winklebleck get her essay to be long enough when the length requirement was in inches? Large handwriting and gaps between the lines that were at the upper end of what was an acceptable amount of space. Her handwriting was not insanely large of course, but she didn't make any effort to write small. Needless to say, essays were not her strong suit. Dark Wizards, right. She had totally (not) finished all the assigned reading. How she managed to still have passing marks in this class was beyond her. She liked to think that it was because what she lacked in ability, she made up for in practical skill. Her wand was supposed to be really good at defensive magic so that meant she had to do well in this class, right? Cordelia listened to the professor's question and raised her hand. "Killing people would get you labeled as a Dark Wizard." Obviously killing people was bad, and Dark Wizards were bad people so that made perfect sense to the young Gryffindor. See, she could do serious thinking when she had to! By this point, Malachi was somewhat growing accustomed to the black and white responses of his students. It wasn't that he was more accepting of them but rather he was less surprised by them now. This one was one of the easier ones to address. "If someone came at you ready to kill you but you beat them to it in self defense, does that make you a dark wizard?" Killing wasn't the be all end all for becoming a dark wizard. Killing had many levels to it. No two people killed for the exact same reason and circumstance was a crucial thing to take into consideration. "Accidental killings are still killings. Killings done for protection are still killing." Did she see why it couldn't be so straight laced? SPOILER!!: Dakest Quote: Originally Posted by hermionesclone Even with the day's topic? Yeaaaaaaaah, that did NOTHING for Lucas's suspicions. He shot the Headmaster a very curious look, deciding not to say anything about...... that. That didn't mean he didn't have any questions, though. In fact, he only had even more questions and was itching to ask them. But seeing as the time was ticking down to the start of the lesson, he decided against it. Instead, he shot some suspicious looks around the room. He was NOT dying today, okay? Dark wizards? Did he know any? Yes. Because he did do the homework that was now sitting in the box in Trent's pocket. He looked up, this time trying to remember - and even visualise - any of the names that had popped up in his readings. One that wasn't being mentioned by anyone else. Someone...... like......... Oh! "Uh, Herpo the Foul is one?" he said, his hand up in the air, "He was an Ancient Greek wizard who was famous for creating a Basilisk. That's...... pretty bad." Pause. "You know, because of what Basilisks are like." Cue another pause. "He was also the first wizard to make a Horcrux which, when you compare, is even worse than making a Basilisk, I guess." Stop talking? Yeah. "You were onto something there, Dakest." Yes, Herpo the foul was another dark wizard, one good enough at being bad to have a title added to his name. "Creating a Horcrux is right up there on the list of questionable things that shouldn't be considered but while it's fair to assume he had no good intentions when he made the basilisk either, I wouldn't consider the act itself an indication of a dark wizard. Many creations are brought forth out of curiosity or necessity. They don't always end well but they don't always start with mal-intent." Just something for him to keep in mind. SPOILER!!: Burke Quote: Originally Posted by GrapehSarah Cassidy sat next to Rhett, taking notes on what all the other students were saying. She gave him a slight nudge to make sure he was taking notes too. She didn't care if he was in another house. He still needed to get good grades and house points too. They were each in their mum and dad's respective houses so they had to show that they were living up to their standards. He was so involved with the responses being offered up that he didn't immediately notice this one not making any attempts at an answer. His attention remained on the other students, on their responses and how some gave him real pause. It was good they were having these discussions today. Perhaps it would cause some of them to think a little differently. SPOILER!!: Toussaint Quote: Originally Posted by pundantic Alessandro Toussaint was a diligent student. He attended to his lessons with great mindfulness. He dotted every i and crossed every t, not because he was like his Ravenclaw counterparts that felt compelled to slave away to prove illusive point that was secret to them alone, but because, simply, it was his responsibility to do his school work. And Alessandro Toussaint was nothing if not dutiful. Duty did not leave room for opinion. Yet, he had many. And this homework assignment birthed more than most busywork assigned by professors. It was broad, he noted, first, the description of "dark wizard". It was as if some doe-eyed Gryffindor had scribbled down in their excitement THIS IS WHAT MAKES PEOPLE GOOD AND THIS IS WHAT MAKES PEOPLE DARK AND WE DON'T LIKE GREY AREAS. It felt like a narrow assessment of something so infinitely complex. So, yes, he had opinions. And he had even more of them when the professor opened with a question as equally broad as the assigned reading. His peers did not disappoint, either. They were all rambling off witches and wizards names with words like "foul" and "evil" to support their point. But Alessandro mercifully kept his opinions to himself. He listened. He observed. He was sorely disappointed. And another to remain quiet. This one the Headmaster did take notice of but as he wasn't typically one to offer up opinions during lessons, it didn't come as quite so much a shock to the man. There was nothing truly out of place here. In time the boy would speak, if he felt so inclined. If he didn't, it wasn't of great concern to the man either because this one wasn't falling behind in the subject like some others he could mention. SPOILER!!: Fhearghall Quote: Originally Posted by Optimist.Prime Gráinne had been there listening to everything – seriously…she wasn’t exactly the most as…astute person in the world or anything but it was already clear that everyone seemed to be listing off people that were named…that were historical that likely made up their own dangerous sounding name because they wanted to live the life of a hermit in solitude. Seriously, that would have been the most brilliant and the biggest rouse of all the world. Right? Telling people don’t go there Dendric the Deadly lives there, he’s horrid all the while being the deadly one…maybe some of those people were truly as foul as their names stated…maybe they were as deadly as a cavern full of kittens. Raising her hand the Gryffindor finally spoke, “Professor…I mean Headmaster Trent? Would say infiltrating the government – muggle or magical and establishing a totalitarian regime that forces all under its per-view to follow their guidelines with various methods to insure that people toe-the-line as it were?” She asked, before simply pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear, “even if the sole reason one started that regime was to better the environment make you be labeled as a dark wizard because of the methods taken to get there…” looking around she just waited for a second to see how people would react. “…if that doesn’t do it I’d say it depends on what ya consider to be dark…” really this could be fun right? Coming up with the ways people could be labeled as dark wizards…had she fallen into the trap though that little pitfall of revealing just how twisted her little mind was? Hopefully no one here knew Liam. "That...was oddly specific." Specific enough that Malachi had to pause a moment to really consider it. Infiltrate the government? Take over? Greater good but poor means of accomplishing it? "But as specific as it is, I'd still need more details before I could really say and even then this can sometimes be such a gray and subjective topic. What I may consider dark, someone may consider justice." Was she asking for his opinion specifically? "I guess, for me, it would depend on what they're trying to achieve. Whether their new regime impedes upon basic human rights and causes undue harm. How are they keeping people in line? How do they deal with people who don't agree with them? Those would be the real indicators for me." SPOILER!!: Rasting Quote: Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie Dark wizards. Which made Eiji assume that this was going to be mostly a theory lesson and that was perfectly fine with the Slytherin. He was not all that keen on all the flashy razzle dazzle of spellcasting and looking like the Gryffindor hero. There were other means of being proficient in defense. Taking out a fresh piece of parchment, labeled and dated it, and then proceeded to do what he usually did during lessons: sit back and listen. Typically this meant he held his tongue...but today he was feeling particularly opinionated. "By your logic," he noted coolly with a melancholy glance towards the Hufflepuff. "...all of us here are Dark witches and wizards with no moral compasses. Jinxes and hexes, those spells we label as merely mischievous pranks and bits of fun...are at their foundation the same as Unforgiveables when you strip everything away. All are Dark charms and all are spells created for the sole purpose of bringing harm and inconvenience to another person." He paused a moment, his attention turning back to the headmaster as he continued to speak dryly, not letting his annoyance show too much. "If killing a person constitutes one as a Dark witch or wizard, I would like to add Molly Weasley to the pot." Was he purposefully being a pot stirrer? Why yes, yes he was. Had he actually stated his view on the topic? No, he had not. Was he expecting outrage over his addition to the list of Dark witches? Most certainly. Molly Weasley. Well...that was an interesting way to get the idea across. So far, Rasting seemed to be the only one to take the topic further than face value. "He's got a point." Malachi conceded easily. "A good portion of the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum teaches jinxes, curses and hexes. These all fall under a branch of charms known as "dark charms". We can agree that doesn't make any of us dark wizards, not even for the hour we have class--or maybe it does. It really differs from student to student and there's a lot more to consider outside of simple usage. Good catch, Rasting." SPOILER!!: Dalgaard-Volkova Quote: Originally Posted by SilverTiger There seemed to be a debate aboutto begin, and Stasya truly wondered if the headmaster had meant to start it. On the one hand, probably not. The class was Defense against the Dark Arts after all so an understanding of dark magic was to be expected. But she hardly expected accusations to be thrown around as to whether or not established heroes actually qualified as Dark wizards, or judging simply based on the poor wizard’s name. Maybe they’d done something to deserve the name, maybe not, but it wasn’t always Dark. “Just killing someone doesn’t mean you’re necessarily Dark. There are all sorts of circumstances. Intent,” she pointed out, before going back to the actual topic of discussion. “Could the Williams twins be considered Dark, as they were willing to not only influence Professor Stewart’s actions but also possess a lot of us in order to try and get their goal across?” It wasn’t really a positive response as it was asking for an opinion, and it was certainly a personal matter since she still remembered what it had been like not having any memory of how she’d gotten places or what she’d done. But it also wasn’t quite as black and white as saying everyone who had killed someone was automatically Dark. Accidents did happen, and most heroes weren’t absolved of all their actions. A lot actually, probably, felt guilt over their actions. And on that note, she’d spiraled into wondering if her father was Dark again. It was the very point he'd not too long ago made and the Headmaster found himself nodding along. "Well said, Dalgaard-Volkova. Killing on its own is not a very good indicator of whether a wizard or witch can be considered dark." But he wouldn't waste too much time going into it again. Surely they were all taking notes and had already gotten the bulk of the information there. I suppose you could consider the William twins dark wizards too, yes, to an extent. Their cause, whatever it was they were truly after, it involved putting others in harms way, manipulation and the removal of free will for their own personal gain." He'd followed that story for a while, until it fell out of the public's eye and no longer made the news. Had to admit, until he'd heard it, he didn't think there were still people like that out there. Go figure. SPOILER!!: Dooley Quote: Originally Posted by siriusblackliveson Patrick was not thrilled to be in DADA because it was usually a ridiculous class that he did not want to participate in. However he was surprised when he walked in and saw desks and a few things covered. Holy Merlin, it was a semi-normal looking room today. He had sat in a normal seat and felt relief. This was going to be nice to have before break. And there it was. This was not going to be fun. Dark wizards? Oh boy. Patrick listened to the names people rattled off surprised that so many of his classmates knew the names, sure he had done the reading but still it seemed l that they knew this many of them. Raising his hand he was prepared to ask a question more than five an answer. ”Professor, while the names are people who have been deemed dark wizards, aside from maybe the unforgivable curses, it’s more of a grey area is it not? How can we set a criteria but then let someone who is a good wizard use the same spell to get a dark wizard? Or something similar...” he could feel it now his house prefect position would go bye bye because he looked like he was siding with the dark side when he wasn’t. "You're absolutely correct, Dooley." It was a point that by now he hoped many of the students were beginning to understand. There really was no one size fits all ruling when it came to dark wizards and in many cases it came down to the individual offending the wrong person. Of course, there were many who truly were foul and deserved the title without a shadow of doubt but there were others who most certainly did not. "At some point the criteria set becomes a little hypocritical because of the double standards that are used to uphold them." The "good" guys and the "bad" guys often did the same things but with varying results and criticisms. SPOILER!!: Smethwyck Quote: Originally Posted by Nordic Witch Ellie sat in her desk, pondering the question Headmaster Trent had poised moment’s later. It had been a huge relief to have somewhere to sit down at upon entrance to the classroom earlier, she had not been very keen on sitting on the cold stone floor. She had of course read up on dark wizards for the class. It was an interesting topic since it was hard to really label what differentiated a really dark wizard from a simple murderer. Raising her hand in the air Ellie said "Merwyn the Malicious was a medieval dark wizard that invented many jinxes and curses that are still in use today. He is also immortalized as both a portrait hanging here in the castle and as a picture on a chocolate frog card for his super disgraceful actions ages ago." After a short breath Ellie added "Um, I think you're also seen as a dark wizard by the public if you illegally breed dark creatures." Other than that she didn’t know what to contribute to what everyone else was already saying. "Yes." He said with a firm nod, turning to the Gryffindor with a firm nod of his head. She was correct on all counts. "Many of you may have seen the portrait hung in the castle and perhaps even tried to get it to reveal its secrets. Its password is no form of coincidence, Merwyn was truly a vile human being." And a bloody good inventor of spells to have created so many that are effective even today. SPOILER!!: Montague Quote: Originally Posted by RachieRu Lili actually found this kind of conversation fascinating. Defence against the dark arts wasn't really her best subject, but she tried. Talks about dark wizards, who they were, and what made them dark was a pretty fascinating subject to her. Not that she wanted to go into a career chasing dark wizards, but having an understanding of what made them dark, was something that was cool and pretty useful really. She listened to her class mates, shaking her head at some of the answers. She didn't agree with what everything people were saying. Simply killing made one a dark wizard? Azkaban would be overflowing if that was the case. She put her hand up, and spoke when it was her turn. "I don't think Narcissa Malfoy was a dark witch. Yes. She made bad choices, but choices alone doesn't make you a dark witch or wizard. Acting upon those choices... maybe that does. Being misinformed, or going along with what you believe is right.... I don't think that makes you a dark wizard. Like Stas says... It's the intent, the want to do evil, not just being married to a deatheater. Narcissa Malfoy lied to the Dark Lord, saying Harry Potter was dead. Who knew if we would even be here if she hadn't lied" She mused with a little shrug. That was her thoughts on the piece. "Also correct." He'd already addressed the student who mentioned Narcissa among the collection of dark wizards but he was glad another student had picked up on it as well. Now that they were getting more into something of a discussion, the word "intent" was coming up a lot more. It was such a crucial factor that he was glad they were getting it. "Association to dark wizards, performing under duress, being stripped of all choice and being given "new ones", all these things can give a person the appearance of a dark wizard or witch to the outside world who do not know the full story. This is why we must consider each case carefully before passing judgement." SPOILER!!: Calrissian [QUOTE=lazykitty;12416058]Pot stirring? Yes please. In her opinion, there were TOO MANY people who were afraid of doing so in the wizarding world right now, which made for a very boring time for all. So, bring on the pot stirring. And in that spirit.... "By that logic, Rubeus Hagrid would be a dark wizard," she began with a chuckle, "thanks to his Blast-Ended Skrewts. Not to mention his half-giant status. Also, Professor O'Hara and her family, since she's part-goblin." And she didn't think anyone would call either of them dark, especially not Hagrid. I mean, the guy was loyal to Harry Potter to the very end! Now, for the whole killing debate. Yes, killing people was not typically something good wizards did. But, and it was a big but, crap happened. Not only were there the obvious examples of Harry Potter and Molly Weasley, but there were other things to consider. "What if someone gets in the path of a spell you cast at someone else? Should hitting an innocent person in that way label you a dark wizard?" The answer was obvious, people. *"Obviously, intent has* to be considered a big part of what makes a person dark or not." Duh. "Excellent points, Calrissian." They fell in line with things he'd gone on to explain and would no doubt provide a good amount of supplemental notes for any of the students currently scribbling away. "There are far more things to consider in each act, that is innately considered "dark", for anyone to really slap a label on without giving each scenario the proper consideration that it deserves." At face value, everything the prefect had mentioned could be considered a dark act, but there was obviously more to each. SPOILER!!*: Katharos* Quote: Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi . . . . . Dorian rolled his eyes. They had realised that the Headmaster had told them to simply answer the questions right? So why did some of them get in to a discussion? Though it was luckily not a heated one ~~for now~~ but Merlin's Beard did he h a.t.e listening to them. It did not matter which form it was. They could be discussing about whether tea or coffee was the best and he would still feel really uncomfortable. The Headmaster wouldn't mind if he was just going to distract himself right? Of course he would keep the distraction on topic and grabbed his textbook, placed it flat on the surface so that he could see he wasn't doing his precious puzzlebook and began reading the chapter about Dark Witches and Wizards for the -nth time this year. He raised a brow at the Ravenclaw. A discussion had somehow opened up and the boy would rather...read? The Headmaster watched him for a silent moment before deciding to simply move on to the next student. He wasn't being disruptive and had made attempt at engaging already. It wasn't truly a problem. SPOILER!!: Fairfield Quote: Originally Posted by oh its Erik ok all the serious answers were already taken already and Eloise really wanted to say her sister just for the fun of it but then she remembered something about the Head Girl a couple of terms ago. She knew it wasn't true but hey it was an answer. Sorry Professor. "There were rumors that the Head Girl from like two years ago was one, Cambridge or something. I forget why tho." Think it had to do with necromancy or something but did that make someone a dark witch wizard or whatever the fourth year had no idea So she was just going to wait for Headmaster to dismiss her answer as just rumors. ... ..... "I...don't think you should believe everything you hear, Fairfield." There was nothing in the news of any dark acts carried out by a Cambridge. There was a Cambridge newly appointed head of Law Enforcement but not one that gave that department extra work to do. Of course, a dark witch or wizard starting out their career within the walls of Hogwarts wouldn't have been anything new. It had happened often enough. Who knew, maybe in a few years the former Head Girl would grace the covers of a few papers. She could simply be biding her time. Shame the Slytherin couldn't remember the reasoning. Nothing would surprise him anymore. SPOILER!!: Allanach-Senchuri Quote: Originally Posted by SneakySeverusSnape Dark wizards? Analiese gulped. She racked her brain for names of wizards and witches involved in the dark arts. She had read numerous books about them. Now they were all flooding into her head. Bellatrix Lestrange... Emeric the Evil... Lucius Malfoy... But unfortunately, they had all been said by other students. Ooh! "What about Gormlaith Gaunt, Headmaster? She is mostly known for being the aunt of Isolt Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny. Her deep hatred for muggle-borns, halfbloods and muggles made her incredibly strong in the dark arts. Also, Morgan Le Fay, more popularly known as Morgana, was a dark witch from the Middle Ages. Her skills included healing and transfiguration. One might think these skills are not in any way associated with the dark arts. However, her magic was very dark. She even made herself queen of the Island of Avalon, now Glastonbury, using her skills in dark magic. " Someone had definitely done her reading. The Headmaster looked pleased as he gave this one a nod. "Very good, yes. Both are considered dark and participated in acts that leave little question as to which side they're on." Such a response was promising in regard to her essay. It told him she'd likely put as much research into it and that was something he would greatly appreciate. It was always glaringly obvious when students wrote about things for which they had no idea. It was almost painful sometimes. The responses were as interesting as he imagined they would be. Mixed, as expected. Some more black and white than reality ever strictly called for but he was glad to see that some of the students could dive below the surface and realize that it wasn't so clear cut as many would lead them to believe. The subject of dark wizards could sometimes become a touchy one. While there were some who considered the line as clear as day, there were others who knew the complications that accompanied such a label and the dangers of throwing it around all willy nilly. "It was a good mix of answers." He began, calling the students to attention again. This was the sort of topic that could easily bring with it a debate but that wasn't where this lesson was heading, not really anyway. "Intent. Some of your classmates mentioned this in their responses and I'd caution you all to remember it moving forward. Actions don't always line up with beliefs." And that went both ways, in case they were wondering. "Sometimes our actions are not our own, sometimes they're a direct result of someone else's actions. They should never be the only measure of a man's heart and how dark it truly is." Bringing Molly Weasley, Narcissa Malfoy and Rubeus Hagrid into the mix were good examples of this. By the textbook definition and some of these students, they did qualify for the heinous label and yet...how many considered them as such? "The unforgiveable curses become a bit more forgiveable when used to end violence and wrongdoing. Does that make Aurors dark wizards? What about a man who breeds and smuggles dark creatures illegally because his wife and child have been taken hostage with malice their only reward if the man refuses? Has he lost his humanity and become a dark wizard? I'd like you all to give this some more thought before we get into the activity. Is a curious individual with a lust for knowledge who finds themselves reading the darkest of tomes going to be the next dark lord or simply an avid reader with a greater understanding of the mechanisms behind certain spells than those who never read such works? Does merely possessing objects that are considered dark make you dark? What makes the items dark? Their existence or the intent of the person wielding them? Does not agreeing with the views of the majority and those in power make you the bad guy or a free thinker with enough gut to do something about the things that bother you? Who decides what's right and what's rebellion and how do you know you're on the right side of such choices?" He paused then to give them a moment to think it over. "I'd like to know where you draw the line. Forget whatever you've read in your textbooks for a moment. While desperation is by no means the only alternative to dark intent, I'd like to know where you stand. What separates a "desperate" or curious man from a dark wizard in your mind? Give me an example of something that would be considered bad circumstantially but is otherwise acceptable." OOC: This took longer than I thought. You guys had some great responses! For the next question, your students should think of a situation in which an action would be bad but another in which the same action could be considered passable or normal. I'll likely move this lesson on in another 20 hours or so. __________________ Imma say all the words inside my head____________________________________ ______________________________I'm fired up and tired of the way that things are said.