DADA Seminar 1 - Jericho Vertagren

[Felixir]

Leave your textbooks back in your dorm, you will not be needing those today. In fact, the only instructions you receive are that you must bring your wand and adorn yourself in comfortable clothing that will allow you plenty of movement. If that were not already an indication that your Defense Against the Dark Arts seminar had the potential to be a grueling one, perhaps the fact that it was being held in the Dueling Arena would complete that visual.

As you enter you will see that the raised stage, where formal duels took place, has been tucked neatly against the wall and a section of the dueling arena squared off with woven straw mats laid side by side to create a cushioned floor. A sign hovers and spins around, like a petal or a leaf blown about by a breeze, for its own amusement and ensures that you read its very important message for today’s training: ‘Please remove your shoes before ascending to the mat.’ It would be for the best that you not tempt fate and ignore the request.

Already standing upon these mats is your mentor for the day, professional duellist and Hufflepuff alumnus Jericho Vertagren. His palms are pressed gently against one another, slowly making circles, as his brilliant blue eyes meet yours as you approach and offers you a welcoming smile while the pair of Eurasian Eagle-Owl eyes tattooed on his arm follow your movements and may even blink if you look carefully. Jericho stands straddling a thick red ribbon that seems to flow out from the floating blackboard behind him divides the mat area into two. Upon the board reads the following:

SPOILER!!: the board (text version)

Please stand on the side of the line associated with the phrase that resonates with you most

"Winning is .......................... "The best
more related .............................. defense
to good ................................... is a
defense ............................. good offense."
than offense." .......................................

“Do not dwell on your choice and forget to act,” Jericho encourages you while his toes alternate between flexing upwards and pressing down against the straw mats. “One…or the other…trust your gut…”

❧ SEMINAR PROGRESSSION

• Arrival : taking off shoes, ascending the mat, resonating with a phrase [this post]
• A Query: care to explain your choice? What about sharing what you know about offensive and defensive magic?
• A Movement: clarification of intent and reassurance of no harm (THIS ROOM IS FULL OF STRESSED AURAS!), allusions to combination spellcasting, partner up and magically tickle one another
• Another Movement: follow up to the discussion, checking in, Protego, and how to cast to reflect
• Yet Another Movement: balloon popping a la Protego reflected Tickling Magic
• A Final Movement: this is where we must part ways

______________________________________________

OOC: Hello, hello, HELLO and welcome to your first Defense Against the Dark Arts seminar of the term which will focus on dueling technique and looking inwards at your own (your character's, that is) individual style and approach to dueling. A notice would have been posted prior to come to class dressed in clothing that 'allows for ease of moment' such as athletic wear.

So come on in! We've so happy to have you here

Just as with regular lessons, if you have two characters, you may only play one of them in the seminar.

Points will be awarded for participation; these will be calculated and delivered by a member of staff.

Remember: the DADA position is staffed by an NPC (Prof. Kelly Peabody) this term. Your characters have been having their regular DADA lessons with her. Attendance at the seminars has been strongly advised.

This seminar will officially begin in approximately 24 hours from the time of this post.

[Charely Potter]

Darius having decked in a simple dark shirt and shorts over black leggings and running shoes arrived with his wand tucked in. Surely, this will be an eventful lesson, right? The eighteen-year-old thought. The stage looked set and the mats aligned as his eyes surveyed the area.. before settling on the instructor who wasn't Professor Peabody.

The tattoos did not go unnoticed, seeing as he had some of his own. Cool... was one of the many words Darius thought of to describe the mentor's appearance before him. "Good day, sir." He then began removing his shoes and ascending the mat... which side to choose.

Darius went over to the 'winning' side, the name did speak for itself after all. Plus, this was a Defensive class.. supposedly. He so thought.

[astrocat]

Hm. Ash liked the idea of dueling, but more often than not it made her freak out(or get set on fire) in real life.

She took off her shoes and approached the 'defensive' part of the mats. Then she changed course and headed for the professor, both curious and hesitant. She had a quiet question for him. "Why do we have to pick a side when you get to pick both?" There were only two options on the board. But Ash saw three. The professor person was standing in the middle.

"I like your tattoo."

[DuckyLinJi]

Since Professor Peabody had heavily adviced to attend today's seminar, the Hufflepuff decided to join as well. He was always ready to learn more and perhaps he would even learn something different too.

The boy had left his books back at the dormitory like instructed and entered the room. After one of the Care of Magical Creatures lessons, he had gone ahead and owled his parents to buy him some cheap clothes. This of course, had been an embarrassment because coming from a wealthy family, only being SEEN near a thrift shop would raise rumours. So naturally, his older brother Minjae, who did not care about wealth or status anymore after having gone through a literal war had gone to buy the clothes.

"Hello, sir" Daniel greeted and nodded his head at the tattooed man standing there while holding a red ribbon. The Hufflepuff put his hands in his robe pockets and looked at the board and as he read the instructions he heard Ashley Fox asking a curious question. Daniel turned his head to look at her. She was right that a combination of defense and offense would be ideal but to him, it wasn't his style.

The Hufflepuff moved to the right side, the best defense was a good offense, and began to take off his shoes before stepping on the mat.

[Nordic Witch]

Bella was glad for a seminar that promised hands on training rather than having to bury her head in a textbook to find an answer. Dressed in pink athletic pants and a green t-shirt for the day with a hissing snake print on it the fourth year snakette was ready for the lesson. Kicking off her shoes as instructed and with her wand safely in its waist holster Bella opted to stand on the left side of the mat (winning is more related to good defense than offense). Pulling her black hair behind her ears and back into a ponytail Bella flashed their instructed a big smile. "Hello Sir!" It was interesting to see which side of the mat Jude and Apollo would choose when they arrived.

[FearlessLeader19]

Aria was always more than happy to dress comfortably for lessons, or in this case, a seminar. With her wand holstered securely at her side, the Slytherin flounced her way into the Dueling Arena. Eyes took in the set up and she immediately developed a soft spot for those gorgeous straw mats. Remove her shoes? Luckily Aria had prettily cut and polished toenails!

“Hi, Sir!’’ Aria gave the instructor a toothy smile. “Ooh, I REALLY like your hair. And those straw mats. Reckon I can have one after the seminar’s over? A mat, that is… not a strand of your hair.” Just in case that wasn’t clear. As for choosing the phrase. Well, that wasn’t a difficult thing to do.

Ms. McLeod skipped over the ‘winning is more related…' side - the side that Darius and Bella were on. “Hiii, Darius! Hiii, Bella! Fancy seeing you two here.” Not really, and Aria certainly wasn’t surprised to see her friends on this side. Was choosing this particular side a Slytherin thing?

[Hey Ju]

Well, of course, OF COURSE Dawn would be at the seminar. Not only was it going to get her better at something - and that was her favourite thing - it also sounded very promising in regards to being a totally practical lesson.

No need to say she was wearing her martial arts gear, of courseeee. She even considered wearing her black belt to show off have it nice and complete, but in the end she deemed it unnecessary. This wasn't exactly about martial arts anyway; given the location and the fact they were asked to bring their wands, it would be about magical duels. AWESOME.

When the Slytherin arrive, she was surprised to not see the raised stage where it normally was. Woven straw mats? A bit hippie in her opinion, but Dawn could go with the oriental vibe, no problem. It was actually kind of fun!

But whoa. Something else she was not expecting was to be greeted by such eye candy. Wooooooow. That was a very good looking bloke over there. Wow.

"Nice. I mean, hello!" Ahem. There was a board with some info, right. Oooohhhhh, THAT was interesting.

The fourth year immediately took her shoes off and marched straight to the 'the best defense is a good offence' side, though she could see the point of both sides, honestly. Technically, a good defense had to be a good defense, not offence. And the board didn't mention winning when it talked about the best defense being a good offence. It did say that winning was more about good defense than offence, though. Dawn didn't agree with that. If one wanted to win, one needed to attack. But defense was also important.

Wow, this was going to be a good lesson.

[MadAlice]

Violet had never liked it when they met in the Duelling Arena. It had too many unpleasant memories of classes with Professor Trent/Not Trent. But if you took Defense Against the Dark Arts, you eventually wound up here once in a while, whether you liked it or not.

"Good day, Professor Vertagren," Violet murmured, looking up in the man's unnerving eyes for just a minute before continuing into the class, certain that that strange tattoo he had was watching her, too. The spinning sign caught her attention right away and she sighed and bent down to unlace and remove her shoes. Did that mean socks as well? she wondered. Unclear. Since it was cold, Violet opted to leave them on for now; she could always pull them off and stick them in her pockets if it turned out that was the wrong choice.

Speaking of choices, now there was another sign--which sort of defense did one prefer? Violet had always been a wait-and-see-what-happens-first kind of fighter, like the good Slytherin that she was, so she walked over to the left side of the mats (winning is more related to good defense than offense), where, to no one's surprise, she found a number of her fellow Slytherins--Darius, Bella, and (the slightly annoying) Aria. "Hi, guys," Violet remarked, "what's up?"

[Chelliephone]

He'd been looking forward to the seminar, thinking the whole idea of visiting instructors could be quite fun. New perspectives were always of interest to listen to, and while he liked Professor Peabody well enough.. a new teaching technique could be enjoyable to experience. Besides, the instructors for seminars must have had something they were better equipped to teach because of their experiences. Or else why would they be coming?

He was curious and excited enough that there was no way he'd be missing this. So once the day had come around, Evan made his way to the dueling arena. Spotting the instructions, he slipped off his shoes and laid them against the wall out of the way, keeping his socks on peeking out from the bottom of his navy sweatpants. He'd worn a snug fitting long sleeve back shirt, to make sure no extra fabric would get in the way of his wand movement, but now he was wondering if they were actually duelling and he'd get too warm. Too late.

Making his way closer to everyone else, he glanced at instructions again and the quotes. He started towards the quote beginning with winning, but quickly changed direction and went to stand beside Daniel. Offense was not something the Ravenclaw thought he'd resonate with, but they'd once been in a situation before where defense had been their best option but they're magic had been taken away before they really had a chance. Maybe it was better to be able to attack first before things got to anything like that again.

[Daemon]

Emma loved dueling, and has been looking forward to this seminar ever since it was announced. She'd been in the dueling club since first year, and before that had technically been practicing ever since she was old enough to walk. She'd previously thought that with so much training, and having the best auror in the ministry as her dad, she'd be the best dueler at Hogwarts. Luckily, she'd been quick to learn that that had not been the case, and her attitude had shifted from haughty to eager. She genuinely loved dueling, and loved learning about dueling, and could not wait for this seminar to get started.

The fifth year slipped out of her shoes and didn't hesitate before slipping onto the 'best defence is a good offence' side, adjusting her dark workout gear as she settled into place. She had debated for a good hour whether to wear only a sports bra, but finally had conceded and threw on a comfortable tshirt as well. She looked around at the people who had also chosen this side, nodding when their gazes crossed. Emma doesn't technically agree with the either statement, but she knew what the instructor meant.

Speaking of, is this Vertagren aware that he has absolutely fabulous hair? Really. O's all around for the hair. Emma nodded in agreement with the girl who'd voiced that very thought out loud, but didn't add any of her own commentary. She wasn't sure what this person was like just yet, and she wanted to do well. No need to incur the wrath of a potentially grumpy grown up in the first three minutes of the seminar.

[Felixir]

Milo's choice in apparel had put him a step ahead of the rest. Wandering, as thought dazed, into the duelling arena in socked feet, the direction regarding shoes was none of his concern. What he saw next on the board was another matter, not to mention the verbal addition that pierced the fog like an arrow to reach Milo, who immediately regarded it with no small amount of suspicion. With a faraway expression, he looked from one statement to the other, and seemed to come to a decision, but didn't step to either side just yet.

He hadn't forgotten to act, and didn't dwell on his choice, but guarded his response carefully. Milo trusted his gut more than anything in the world... and he didn't trust anyone to know what it told him; the lines of thought he erred towards seemed worthy of the same protection. Difference made him a target, but mystery gave him a shield.

The decision he made was to stay in place, off the mats, and to wait. As soon as someone like Mercer or Mitsuki appeared, Milo would join whatever side they chose - it didn't matter which. It didn't matter, to him, that it might look like he couldn't think for himself. Milo had never shied away from independent thought or from acting in whatever way suited him, but the whys and wherefores were more treacherous by the day.

[Cassirin]

Mercer paused beside Milo and gave the whole set up a look that was supposed to be as contemplative as Milo's, but probably was the same face he made when he'd eaten too much candy and was trying to decide if he should keep going or throw up. Fact was, he had no clue whether he agreed with one statement or the other. He didn't disagree with them, but he didn't... care?

"On the one hand, I think whatever we choose, we're wrong. On the other hand, I think if we don't choose, we're wrong." That was sage advice, really, and all he could offer. "What if we just lay under the ribbon in the middle?"

[PhoenixRising]

Apollo had almost forgotten they had a visiting instructor for defense class today. A REAL LIVE DUELING CHAMPION. Which was exciting in its own rights. The tats on the bloke were pretty nifty too, although Apollo had none yet for himself being only fourteen and lacking parental permission. But he definitely could appreciate the artwork. No time to dwell though because there was something written on the board and Mr Vertagren was encouraging them to not dwell on their decision.

He noticed Aria and Bella were on the side with good defense, which from a quidditch perspective made sense. But yet when he read the other side again, you needed good offense to win too? Was that why Vertagren was straddling the ribbon? Was he trying to hint that you needed both offense and defense equally?? It seemed more people were siding with the good defense, maybe because it mentioned winning and yet there was a part of Apollo that was torn. He overheard a couple of wise first years discussing the dilemma which made a whole lot of sense actually. Perhaps there was a way to straddle the ribbon as their instructor was doing? Before hesitating any longer, Apollo lifted one leg over the ribbon and just stopped there - one leg on each side. Sorry, any quidditch player knew that both offense and defense were of equal importance.

[MadMadamMalfoy]

Several months into the term, and Desiree still had mixed feelings about Defense Against the Dark Arts. She liked learning new spells, but the facing scary monsters part? No thanks! That’s what handsome princes were for! Speaking of which, she noticed as she entered the dueling arena that the guest lecturer kind of looked like Prince Adam but with darker hair and a beard.

The second thing she noticed was the floating sign and its instructions. Ooh, cool! Were they going to learn the spell that made that sign float? She had no idea what that had to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, but it would be fun to learn! As the sign instructed, she removed her shoes to reveal neatly painted toenails the same shade of pink as her tracksuit. “Hello, sir!” she greeted the teacher with a smile and a small wave as she approached the mat.

Desiree stared at the board, taking in the two sentences written there. To be honest, neither statement really resonated with her, but the directions specifically said to pick one. Hmm… “the best defense is a good offense” sounded good in theory, but what if that offense didn’t work? Wouldn’t it be better to have a good defense to fall back on? Her mind made up, she moved to the left side of the line where several older Slytherins (Darius, Bella, Aria & Violet). She gave them a small wave in greeting but was too shy to say anything.

[lazykitty]

Dia was thankful for the opportunity to wear something other than her uniform to a DADA class. The uniforms didn't really lend themselves to defense too well in her opinion. It was with this thought in mind that she showed up in green track pants with 'Slytherin' spelled out in silver on her behind and a matching thin green hoodie with a white t-shirt underneath. Much easier to move around in.

Naturally, she chose to join the 'offense' side of the ribbon. She hadn't had all the Durmstrang Hogwarted out of her. Besides, it just made sense. People didn't tend to bother those who they thought could knock some sense into them. "Hello....er, sir." She wasn't sure whether to call him Professor or what, so she settled on the polite sir.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Stretching his toes as he waited, one little piggy at a time and lamenting silently about his lost innocence when it came to such nursery rhymes, Jericho wondered briefly if he would have time to visit a certain dark haired friend of his who was employed here at Hogwarts. His freckled features grew in saturation as his thoughts dwelled, but were soon smoothed to a cool lavender pulse as the first hints of footsteps approached the arena. His feet pressed firmly to the woven straw mats, feeling each and every fiber lightly grate and caress the bottoms of his feet. It elicited a bit of an unpleasant purse of the lips, however.

Curious…unfortunate…he would have to perform some eye stretches later.

SPOILER!!: individual replies; thank you all for being here :3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charely Potter

Darius having decked in a simple dark shirt and shorts over black leggings and running shoes arrived with his wand tucked in. Surely, this will be an eventful lesson, right? The eighteen-year-old thought. The stage looked set and the mats aligned as his eyes surveyed the area.. before settling on the instructor who wasn't Professor Peabody.

The tattoos did not go unnoticed, seeing as he had some of his own. Cool... was one of the many words Darius thought of to describe the mentor's appearance before him. "Good day, sir." He then began removing his shoes and ascending the mat... which side to choose.

Darius went over to the 'winning' side, the name did speak for itself after all. Plus, this was a Defensive class.. supposedly. He so thought.

Ah yes, the infamous sir. Jericho could only presume that such formalities were something expected here at Hogwarts - not that he had ever used them to his own professors while a student - and therefore would not discourage student usage. Rather, Jericho smiled at the strapping young man and admired the intense glow about him as he greeted. “Salutations and good day to you as well,” he said with a small bow of the head while his palms continued their slow rotation against one another

So that was one for defense. How quaint.

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Hm. Ash liked the idea of dueling, but more often than not it made her freak out(or get set on fire) in real life.

She took off her shoes and approached the 'defensive' part of the mats. Then she changed course and headed for the professor, both curious and hesitant. She had a quiet question for him. "Why do we have to pick a side when you get to pick both?" There were only two options on the board. But Ash saw three. The professor person was standing in the middle.

"I like your tattoo."

Oh. How unfortunate. This young woman had a dark grainy texture that fluctuated between a cold slate gray and dark maroon…and her question added to the heaviness . Both brows arched at her question, wondering for a brief moment if she thought he was meaning to trick herself and her peers. A tad disappointing as this little exercise truly was not of that nature. “As your instructor,” he spoke airily and with a smile to his lips. “I am asking each of you to look inwards and make a choice based on a feeling. I straddle the line because this exercise is not meant for me nor would I wish for my choice to sway.” Though, to be fair, anyone who kept up with professional duelling was familiar with his dueling technique and which side he would stand on. “There is no intent of trickery nor unfairness here.”

To her compliment, Jericho merely smiled and brought his arms to rest by either of his sides. A stance that helped show off the tattoo sleeves on both his arms, though one side was full of color and the other only in black inks. “So, if you please, stand on a side of the red line.”

Hmmm. So much graininess. Entirely too much for one so young.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

Since Professor Peabody had heavily adviced to attend today's seminar, the Hufflepuff decided to join as well. He was always ready to learn more and perhaps he would even learn something different too.

The boy had left his books back at the dormitory like instructed and entered the room. After one of the Care of Magical Creatures lessons, he had gone ahead and owled his parents to buy him some cheap clothes. This of course, had been an embarrassment because coming from a wealthy family, only being SEEN near a thrift shop would raise rumours. So naturally, his older brother Minjae, who did not care about wealth or status anymore after having gone through a literal war had gone to buy the clothes.

"Hello, sir" Daniel greeted and nodded his head at the tattooed man standing there while holding a red ribbon. The Hufflepuff put his hands in his robe pockets and looked at the board and as he read the instructions he heard Ashley Fox asking a curious question. Daniel turned his head to look at her. She was right that a combination of defense and offense would be ideal but to him, it wasn't his style.

The Hufflepuff moved to the right side, the best defense was a good offense, and began to take off his shoes before stepping on the mat.

“Hello, thank you for being here,” he greeted the young man who, for as far as Jericho knew, had had this particular kit all their life. He happened to enjoy a good thrift store visit! The glimmer of hesitation was noted, but soon enough faded vibrant vermillion footprints were left in the wake of this young man, and Jericho nodded his head approvingly at the decisiveness of his movements.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

Bella was glad for a seminar that promised hands on training rather than having to bury her head in a textbook to find an answer. Dressed in pink athletic pants and a green t-shirt for the day with a hissing snake print on it the fourth year snakette was ready for the lesson. Kicking off her shoes as instructed and with her wand safely in its waist holster Bella opted to stand on the left side of the mat (winning is more related to good defense than offense). Pulling her black hair behind her ears and back into a ponytail Bella flashed their instructed a big smile. "Hello Sir!" It was interesting to see which side of the mat Jude and Apollo would choose when they arrived.

A brightness followed this young one as she found her spot on the mat. “Hello and welcome,” he greeted with his usual serene joviality. It was perhaps not the aesthetic she was going for, but her color combinations and general vibrancy made him think of fresh watermelon in summer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

Aria was always more than happy to dress comfortably for lessons, or in this case, a seminar. With her wand holstered securely at her side, the Slytherin flounced her way into the Dueling Arena. Eyes took in the set up and she immediately developed a soft spot for those gorgeous straw mats. Remove her shoes? Luckily Aria had prettily cut and polished toenails!

“Hi, Sir!’’ Aria gave the instructor a toothy smile. “Ooh, I REALLY like your hair. And those straw mats. Reckon I can have one after the seminar’s over? A mat, that is… not a strand of your hair.” Just in case that wasn’t clear. As for choosing the phrase. Well, that wasn’t a difficult thing to do.

Ms. McLeod skipped over the ‘winning is more related…' side - the side that Darius and Bella were on. “Hiii, Darius! Hiii, Bella! Fancy seeing you two here.” Not really, and Aria certainly wasn’t surprised to see her friends on this side. Was choosing this particular side a Slytherin thing?

Speaking of vibrance, this young woman brought a certain radiance with her as well. Though not summer pinks and greens as her friend. It was more a peachy orange with little flecks of a wild indigo. It was almost shocking that hers was the first greeting that brought attention to his hair, something he was often complimented upon. He did go to great lengths maintaining it, though mostly he had been blessed with good genes for strong roots and natural luster. “Hello there,” he greeted with a chuckle and accompanying shake of the head. “They are not mine to give, so I regrettably must decline and encourage you to seek another means of procuring them.” He could, perhaps, offer her a reference later if she so desired. He had been in contact with a UK based interior designer, who had her own ties to Hogwarts, for them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hey Ju

Well, of course, OF COURSE Dawn would be at the seminar. Not only was it going to get her better at something - and that was her favourite thing - it also sounded very promising in regards to being a totally practical lesson.

No need to say she was wearing her martial arts gear, of courseeee. She even considered wearing her black belt to show off have it nice and complete, but in the end she deemed it unnecessary. This wasn't exactly about martial arts anyway; given the location and the fact they were asked to bring their wands, it would be about magical duels. AWESOME.

When the Slytherin arrive, she was surprised to not see the raised stage where it normally was. Woven straw mats? A bit hippie in her opinion, but Dawn could go with the oriental vibe, no problem. It was actually kind of fun!

But whoa. Something else she was not expecting was to be greeted by such eye candy. Wooooooow. That was a very good looking bloke over there. Wow.

"Nice. I mean, hello!" Ahem. There was a board with some info, right. Oooohhhhh, THAT was interesting.

The fourth year immediately took her shoes off and marched straight to the 'the best defense is a good offence' side, though she could see the point of both sides, honestly. Technically, a good defense had to be a good defense, not offence. And the board didn't mention winning when it talked about the best defense being a good offence. It did say that winning was more about good defense than offence, though. Dawn didn't agree with that. If one wanted to win, one needed to attack. But defense was also important.

Wow, this was going to be a good lesson.

There was a bit of overlap, was there not? Jericho was familiar to some martial arts practices, though he would hardly consider himself much of a practitioner and more of a passerby. Unless one were speaking to T'ai chi ch'üan, of which he was more of a permanent resident. With or without her black belt, Jericho was awe-inspired by the pride with which she walked and the hue she radiated because of it.

“Nice?” he could not help but ask with an amused chuckle. It was quite the curious greeting, was it not? “Hello, thank you for being with us today.” His palms sufficiently warmed by this point, Jericho ceased the circular movements and began holding his left wrist with his right and while circling his left wrist to loosen it up a bit.

In fact …

“If you all will please begin a series of wrist loosening exercises while we wait,” he said, now addressing the gathered group while taking a quick glance at the clock. “Begin with rotating your wrist up, down, and from side to side…four times on each side. Next, spread your fingers far apart, relax them, then stretch again. Also four times on each side. Finally, if you will, stretch your thumb by pulling it back gently, holding it, and then releasing it. Again, four times on each hand.”

Four. Solid, stable, dependable, and confident.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadAlice

Violet had never liked it when they met in the Duelling Arena. It had too many unpleasant memories of classes with Professor Trent/Not Trent. But if you took Defense Against the Dark Arts, you eventually wound up here once in a while, whether you liked it or not.

"Good day, Professor Vertagren," Violet murmured, looking up in the man's unnerving eyes for just a minute before continuing into the class, certain that that strange tattoo he had was watching her, too. The spinning sign caught her attention right away and she sighed and bent down to unlace and remove her shoes. Did that mean socks as well? she wondered. Unclear. Since it was cold, Violet opted to leave them on for now; she could always pull them off and stick them in her pockets if it turned out that was the wrong choice.

Speaking of choices, now there was another sign--which sort of defense did one prefer? Violet had always been a wait-and-see-what-happens-first kind of fighter, like the good Slytherin that she was, so she walked over to the left side of the mats (winning is more related to good defense than offense), where, to no one's surprise, she found a number of her fellow Slytherins--Darius, Bella, and (the slightly annoying) Aria. "Hi, guys," Violet remarked, "what's up?"

If the sir had not been jarring enough, the professor certainly was enough to send a certain kind of icey drip up and down his spine. “Please, credit where credit is due,” he laughed while raising both hands up, palms towards the student, in a humbling stance. “If you prefer to use my last name, please attach Mr. to it rather than professor.” He hardly had the credentials to warrant such a title. “Or you may simply call me Jericho.” Something he would inform all the students once things officially kicked off.

And it was at that moment he found himself wondering who among them he may see as YATI in the coming years. He had been blessed with the opportunity to train a few over the years, his latest pupil now rising to Auror status and Jericho beyond proud of her progress. Judging from the graininess around many, this particular young woman included, he felt it more likely that he could potentially see them in the same capacity that he met with James. Life coaching was another passion of his, after all.

And the socks were perfectly fine.

“Thank you for coming,” he added with an especially warm smile in her direction as she made her own choice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

He'd been looking forward to the seminar, thinking the whole idea of visiting instructors could be quite fun. New perspectives were always of interest to listen to, and while he liked Professor Peabody well enough.. a new teaching technique could be enjoyable to experience. Besides, the instructors for seminars must have had something they were better equipped to teach because of their experiences. Or else why would they be coming?

He was curious and excited enough that there was no way he'd be missing this. So once the day had come around, Evan made his way to the dueling arena. Spotting the instructions, he slipped off his shoes and laid them against the wall out of the way, keeping his socks on peeking out from the bottom of his navy sweatpants. He'd worn a snug fitting long sleeve back shirt, to make sure no extra fabric would get in the way of his wand movement, but now he was wondering if they were actually duelling and he'd get too warm. Too late.

Making his way closer to everyone else, he glanced at instructions again and the quotes. He started towards the quote beginning with winning, but quickly changed direction and went to stand beside Daniel. Offense was not something the Ravenclaw thought he'd resonate with, but they'd once been in a situation before where defense had been their best option but they're magic had been taken away before they really had a chance. Maybe it was better to be able to attack first before things got to anything like that again.

There was a very real possibility that the boy may get warm, but one could not always predict the circumstances of a duel. Jericho had hoped, however, that the instruction to wear athletic and comfortable clothing had been enough of an allusion to actual dueling. He was certain this young man, a whimsical periwinkle and canary yellow softness to him among the graininess, would do just fine regardless.

“Hello, thank you for being with us,” he greeted despite the boy’s silent approach. He was a bit surprised by the choice given his own first impression of the porcelain skinned boy, but that just went to show you what happened when you judged the barn by its door.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daemon

Emma loved dueling, and has been looking forward to this seminar ever since it was announced. She'd been in the dueling club since first year, and before that had technically been practicing ever since she was old enough to walk. She'd previously thought that with so much training, and having the best auror in the ministry as her dad, she'd be the best dueler at Hogwarts. Luckily, she'd been quick to learn that that had not been the case, and her attitude had shifted from haughty to eager. She genuinely loved dueling, and loved learning about dueling, and could not wait for this seminar to get started.

The fifth year slipped out of her shoes and didn't hesitate before slipping onto the 'best defence is a good offence' side, adjusting her dark workout gear as she settled into place. She had debated for a good hour whether to wear only a sports bra, but finally had conceded and threw on a comfortable tshirt as well. She looked around at the people who had also chosen this side, nodding when their gazes crossed. Emma doesn't technically agree with the either statement, but she knew what the instructor meant.

Speaking of, is this Vertagren aware that he has absolutely fabulous hair? Really. O's all around for the hair. Emma nodded in agreement with the girl who'd voiced that very thought out loud, but didn't add any of her own commentary. She wasn't sure what this person was like just yet, and she wanted to do well. No need to incur the wrath of a potentially grumpy grown up in the first three minutes of the seminar.

Finishing up his wrist rotations and on to his thumb, stretching instructions still applicable to all and especially those who had arrived after his initial instruction, the energy of this young spirit was contagious and the sentiment showed very much in the toothy smile that spread across his face. It may be cliche to say, but he would be quite the hypocrite were he not to voice a compliment when he felt it on the rise. “Hello and welcome. Your aura is absolutely radiant in its enthusiasm this day,” he smiled. He was quite keen to see just how that manifested in today’s activities and growth.

Growth and individual reflection was, after all, the focus of today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Milo's choice in apparel had put him a step ahead of the rest. Wandering, as thought dazed, into the duelling arena in socked feet, the direction regarding shoes was none of his concern. What he saw next on the board was another matter, not to mention the verbal addition that pierced the fog like an arrow to reach Milo, who immediately regarded it with no small amount of suspicion. With a faraway expression, he looked from one statement to the other, and seemed to come to a decision, but didn't step to either side just yet.

He hadn't forgotten to act, and didn't dwell on his choice, but guarded his response carefully. Milo trusted his gut more than anything in the world... and he didn't trust anyone to know what it told him; the lines of thought he erred towards seemed worthy of the same protection. Difference made him a target, but mystery gave him a shield.

The decision he made was to stay in place, off the mats, and to wait. As soon as someone like Mercer or Mitsuki appeared, Milo would join whatever side they chose - it didn't matter which. It didn't matter, to him, that it might look like he couldn't think for himself. Milo had never shied away from independent thought or from acting in whatever way suited him, but the whys and wherefores were more treacherous by the day.

Quite the contrast to the last student, the air around this particular youth seemed cold and gray…in desperate need for the influence of magenta. If Jericho were to move closer, perhaps halfway down the mats, he may be able to read more into things…but from his place at the front, the duellist instead could only infer indecision and reluctance. Something that his peers had already exhibited in their own ways with each of their arrivals and something that dampened his heart a bit. An empathetic sadness, mind you, and not disappointment. This generation of young witches and wizards had lived through and seen the horrors of war. Whether at Hogwarts or otherwise, it changed an individual no matter the age.

Or, perhaps, the boy was simply allergic to the material of the mats and did not wish to form a rash. It was impossible to infer too much

“If you would rather observe from off the mats today, that is perfectly acceptable,” he called out. Though his voice had raised, it still had a dreamy quality to it and softness.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

Mercer paused beside Milo and gave the whole set up a look that was supposed to be as contemplative as Milo's, but probably was the same face he made when he'd eaten too much candy and was trying to decide if he should keep going or throw up. Fact was, he had no clue whether he agreed with one statement or the other. He didn't disagree with them, but he didn't... care?

"On the one hand, I think whatever we choose, we're wrong. On the other hand, I think if we don't choose, we're wrong." That was sage advice, really, and all he could offer. "What if we just lay under the ribbon in the middle?"

…or perhaps he was simply waiting for his friend to arrive. While this was an individual exercise, there were no instructions that prohibited anyone from seeking the counsel of others when selecting a side, he supposed.

“There is no wrong answer,” he assured the duo. “However, more is lost to indecision than incorrectness as indecision in a merciless thief.” A bit heavier than he had intended to go so early into the seminar, but it was a part of the point to be had in this little harmless exercise. In a duel, after all, one did not have the luxury of simply not acting. Not unless certain defeat was the choice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

Apollo had almost forgotten they had a visiting instructor for defense class today. A REAL LIVE DUELING CHAMPION. Which was exciting in its own rights. The tats on the bloke were pretty nifty too, although Apollo had none yet for himself being only fourteen and lacking parental permission. But he definitely could appreciate the artwork. No time to dwell though because there was something written on the board and Mr Vertagren was encouraging them to not dwell on their decision.

He noticed Aria and Bella were on the side with good defense, which from a quidditch perspective made sense. But yet when he read the other side again, you needed good offense to win too? Was that why Vertagren was straddling the ribbon? Was he trying to hint that you needed both offense and defense equally?? It seemed more people were siding with the good defense, maybe because it mentioned winning and yet there was a part of Apollo that was torn. He overheard a couple of wise first years discussing the dilemma which made a whole lot of sense actually. Perhaps there was a way to straddle the ribbon as their instructor was doing? Before hesitating any longer, Apollo lifted one leg over the ribbon and just stopped there - one leg on each side. Sorry, any quidditch player knew that both offense and defense were of equal importance.

Chuckling, Jericho could not help but wonder if this boy too was of the same mind of the brunette earlier. Of course there was truth and a certain validity in both being important, that was not up for debate today. Not exactly. This was about something deeper and more personal.

“As I was just telling those two,” he spoke, calm and with a twinkle in his eye while gesturing to the young pair of boys. “Indecision is the only wrong answer here. Please pick a side. I stand the way I am in hopes of not swaying your instinct to either side.”

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Several months into the term, and Desiree still had mixed feelings about Defense Against the Dark Arts. She liked learning new spells, but the facing scary monsters part? No thanks! That’s what handsome princes were for! Speaking of which, she noticed as she entered the dueling arena that the guest lecturer kind of looked like Prince Adam but with darker hair and a beard.

The second thing she noticed was the floating sign and its instructions. Ooh, cool! Were they going to learn the spell that made that sign float? She had no idea what that had to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, but it would be fun to learn! As the sign instructed, she removed her shoes to reveal neatly painted toenails the same shade of pink as her tracksuit. “Hello, sir!” she greeted the teacher with a smile and a small wave as she approached the mat.

Desiree stared at the board, taking in the two sentences written there. To be honest, neither statement really resonated with her, but the directions specifically said to pick one. Hmm… “the best defense is a good offense” sounded good in theory, but what if that offense didn’t work? Wouldn’t it be better to have a good defense to fall back on? Her mind made up, she moved to the left side of the line where several older Slytherins (Darius, Bella, Aria & Violet). She gave them a small wave in greeting but was too shy to say anything.

He knew not of this Prince Adam but would certainly not turn down the opportunity to be educated a bit later. Time permitting, of course. He did have the afternoon free and was hoping to take a bit of a nostalgic stroll through the castle and grounds. Perhaps dip into the greenhouses and offer his own assistance there as he had alluded to in a personal letter.

“Hello, a pleasure to see you here today,” he greeted in return as the girl made her choice and he checked the clock once more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazykitty

Dia was thankful for the opportunity to wear something other than her uniform to a DADA class. The uniforms didn't really lend themselves to defense too well in her opinion. It was with this thought in mind that she showed up in green track pants with 'Slytherin' spelled out in silver on her behind and a matching thin green hoodie with a white t-shirt underneath. Much easier to move around in.

Naturally, she chose to join the 'offense' side of the ribbon. She hadn't had all the Durmstrang Hogwarted out of her. Besides, it just made sense. People didn't tend to bother those who they thought could knock some sense into them. "Hello....er, sir." She wasn't sure whether to call him Professor or what, so she settled on the polite sir.

…and just as he did, one more girl came scampering through and with a bold wave oozing out from her. Less grainy than the majority of her peers, which was a curious oddity but not an unpleasant one. “Hello there,” he smiled in return and with an added little wink. “You’re just in time.”

Flourishing and twirling his wand between his fingers as though performing some slight of hand, Jericho gave it one final flick at the door to close it but not lock. If anyone were to arrive late he would not wish to deny them entry. Likewise, even with wands in their possession, this crop of young minds did not seem the sort to respond well to being locked anywhere. Not to mention that locked doors were restrictive and today was about movement and fluidity. It would just ruin the overall vibe.

“Let us begin,” he declared with a firm clap of his hands together and holding that prayer-like position to continue to stretch his limbs. “First, thank you for being here today. I have the utmost respect for Professor Peabody and am humbled to have been given the opportunity by her as well as Headmaster Kami to be with you all here today. I am Jericho Vertagren, once a Hufflepuff here in these very walls and now a professional duellist with multiple world titles as well as a private dueling coach and life coach. I enjoy fostering creatures, have a pet teacup pig, and I can confirm that I am…” He paused to give his hair a casual and comically exaggerated brush over his shoulder, the light catching it just so and making it look like golden silk cascading over his shoulder. “...born with it. You may call me Mr. Vertagren if you so wish, though I am perfectly fine with you all calling me Jericho just as my clients do. Now, if you will all join me in taking one deep centering breath…” he continued, his eyes closing for a moment while his pressed together palms lifted and stretched high above his head without his feet leaving the mat in any capacity. His arms then circled slowly downwards until they returned to their original position in front of his chest. “...and if you have not taking the opportunity yet to stretch your wrists and fingers, please do so as a preemptive measure against any cramping and strain during today’s activities.”

Now, with all that out of the way.

“As you may have heard me say to a couple of your peers, there is no correct or incorrect choice between these two quotes on the board. Each of you made your selections for reasons known to you alone, and I am curious as to who among you may be willing to share those reasons with the rest of us?” There was a pause to allow for any hands to begin raising. “[b]If you would rather keep your reasons to yourself, you are of course permitted to do so and need not feel forced to share. That being said, if during anyone’s explanation, you feel your instincts shifting and you would like to hop the line, you may do so.” Self discovery and reflection were essential qualities to becoming a good duellist, after all. “I would also like to inquire as to what you believe constitutes as offensive magic and defensive magic,” he continued on still, holding out his hand as an accent point to each branch of magic. “...and what are some examples of each?” Rolling his shoulders next, Jericho began to effortlessly walk along the red line on the mats. "Oh, and if you will please introduce yourself before you speak. Just your name will do unless you feel so inclined to share more."

________________________________

This seminar has officially started!

Jericho asked a fair few things here, so here is a break down of topics your character can speak on. They may address everything, some, or remain silent. Whatever you feel fits your character is a-okay.

- Why did you pick the phrase that you did?
- What is offensive magic?
- What is defensive magic?
- What is an example of offensive magic?
- What is an example of defensive magic?

This seminar will continue with a mini activity in approximately 24 hours from the time of this post perhaps longer.

If you are just peeking in now, please feel free to join in! Keep in mind that late arrivals IC will face IC consequences should you choose to go that route. Otherwise, simply pretend you have been here all along:omg:

[FearlessLeader19]

Mr. Seminar here was awfully polite. Such a nice trait that went along with his hair and his face, now that Aria took a closer look at him. He rivaled Professor Holden for the title of ‘Eye Candy’ of the Year’. Cue her face falling with some disappointment at the mention of the mat not being his. “Sad. Awfully sad. But thank you, anyway, Sir!”

Aria took that back: this side of the line was NOT a Slytherin thing because she watched Dawn go off to the other side. But there were others joining this little group: “Hiii, Violet!’’ Aria smiled enthusiastically at the older girl even though they usually had some sort of tension between them. Why was she NOT surprised at Fox and Apollo? The Slytherin sent Apollo a bright smile just for the fun of it. Was she keen on seeing how their instructor took the two students’ choices? Yes, she was. And wasn’t this interesting? A little Hufflepuff {Desiree} joined them. Aria waved elegantly back in greeting, much like a proper model would.

Mmm. Professional duellist. This young Slytherin was impressed; and she almost drooled at the sight of his hair going gold. Indeed her face had gone slightly slack as she admired those delicious strands. Almost robotically she followed his lead but to say the least, her actions were not as graceful as his given her current stage of… INFATUATION.

Merlin!

Sir Jericho was asking a lot, wasn’t he? Um, what were the questions again? Aria attempted to pull herself together, her eyes flicking from the man in front to a few other students. Could they go ahead and start answering so that she could at least get some sense of direction about the questions?

Because...

This man was a DISTRACTION to her.

[Charely Potter]

There was something majestic surrounding the Instructor. It was true zen, it looked like as he awkwardly returned the small bow (cause why not) before settling on the 'winning' side. Darius didn't have to wait long staring at the Instructor before some other mates like Bella and Desiree joined him. They got acknowledgements from him, "Hey Aria," He greeted back. "Hey Violet,".. "He's quite striking, isn't he?" Just look at the hair and tattoos. He was supposed to be doing some sort of wrist movements by now wasn't he? Gossiping with the girls had him miss that, whoops.

Jericho Vertagren... Darius repeated in his head. Soo he could him by first or last name. He finally went ahead with stretching his fingers and wrists while pondering on the questions. Breathing in and out before it was his turn to respond, "Darius Potter here, er.... defensive magic includes spells like Protego where it serves to repel magic directed at you." Oh and why he chose this side. "Sure, being on the offense sounds like the better advantage, you can shoot spells all day but that doesn't mean those spells will hit or make their mark if they thought ahead of you. A barrier could already be in place." He left it at that for now.

[Nordic Witch]

Saying Mr Vertagren all through the seminar was going to be a mouthfull. Mr Jericho was shorther and easier to remember. "Hi Aria!, Hi Violet!" Bella greeted her fellow snakes as they joined her on the left side of the mat. "It's going to be fun to duel right?" she asked her friends. She then waved to Desiree and watched Apollo take a stand in the middle of the mat with one leg on each side of the line. Was Apollo making a statement? Curious.

Professor seminars eagle owl tattoo was very eye-catching, but Bella manged to pull her focus on to the man's face as the seminar began. Raising her hand after contemplating what to say the black haired snakette said meeting Professor Jericho's eyes. "I'm Bella of Slytherin. I picked the phrase i did because you can't win if you don't defend yourself well so you can attack when your opponent least expects it. An offensive spell example is Stupefy and an example of defensive magic spells is Expecto Patronum."

[Felixir]

"Neither are wrong," Milo said quietly to Mercer, keeping his eyes on the one with long hair only until the moment there was a chance their eyes would meet, at which point he looked away. "Or right. They're credos." Optimal choice depended on the enemy, but with so many potentials in the room, he didn't risk even whispering that. On his guard, he kept his own flimsy defences shored up as best he could, and didn't say anything to the seminar leader until he'd moved on several times over.

"I've already decided," he said then, back to his usual vague and almost incidental manner of speaking, and mostly for his friend's benefit. "To adapt." And, taking Mercer by the hand, he tugged him towards the side which was lousy with Slytherins, the side which prioritised defence.

And then the disclosure. Hufflepuff... of course. Milo decided at once to re-seek Mercer, to grab his hand a second time only not let go - regardless of this arm-waving and hand-stretching business - and perhaps to also take advantage of his untapped potential as a human shield, though there were other, much taller, sturdier, and better-versed-in-magic students on this side of the line who would serve. By his outward appearance he was as unfazed as ever, but for the excessive and interminable blinking, now up an extra gear.

Milo didn't give up his name, nor any kind of answer, though a whole slew of curses of every conceivable nature had been stored up in his brain over the last few years, ripe for the collecting and presenting. They were fascinating, and he'd long enjoyed learning about them. But this? He did not like this. Exactly what it was he didn't like, he also didn't know, couldn't pinpoint, and for that reason he liked it even less.

[astrocat]

Ash frowned. She could be forgiven for thinking this was a trick, since... y'know, she had been in several lessons where she had been tricked and she did NOT take people at their word anymore. "Standing in the middle isn't indecision." But she wasn't supposed to be arguing with guest lecturers(or people that could probably kill you, that was dumb- not that this one was likely to do so). She moved to the defense side, but physically stood closer to the line than some of the others.

She resisted the urge to pull out her markers. Also she resisted the urge to complain. "I'm Ash, I guess... Defense doesn't mean you can't attack. I think it means that you wait for others to attack instead of striking preemptively or unprovoked, and that you only fight as long as you need to protect your stuff. I don't know. And offense can involve shields too." She thought about it. Hm, maybe he was asking for something else, like what is a defensive spell, but Ash thought that most spells could be used for anything. "I guess an example of defensive magic would be knowing how to cast a good shield so that you can sort out all your options instead of dying when someone strikes at you." Those 'options' didn't have to be magic, necessarily. "I would say that incendio is a truly offensive spell." Nobody defensively set people on fire. Fire hurt.

Speaking of... Ash was very happy about the quality of magical healing. Especially as she did her wrist and hand stretches... the amount of accidental damage to her hands over the years would have restricted her mobility, especially the burns. But her hands felt quite... articulate? Articulated???? Flexible?????? Whatever. The point was, she could move them. Healing magic was the actual best kind of magic for fighting.

[MadAlice]

Violet nodded and managed (she thought) a smile to all the Slytherins who had grouped together over on the left hand side, even the younger one (Desiree) who had just joined them. She winced slightly at Bella's comment, though--no, it would not be fun duelling; Violet never felt very comfortable with that, everything was so unpredictable.

Violet had been a little taken aback to Professor Vetigren's reaction to her greeting--usually it was better to err on the side of caution and address a person by the highest title you thought they might possess--if you were wrong, they would at least be a little flattered. But this man--she did not think she could manage to call him 'Jericho'--seemed to resent it, or at least he was made uncomfortable. So--starting off on the wrong foot; oh well.

But now, on to questions--Violet wanted to make sure to give some answers here, hoping to make up for what she was sure would be her weaknesses when they got around to actual duelling.

"Violet Blackthorne, si.....um...I picked the left side because I think sometimes it's better to wait and let your opponent make the first move and trust your ability to defend against it, to gauge their strength and get an idea of their tactics, before you go rushing in on the offense. An offensive spell would be Incarcerous, which would bind and therefore incapacitate your opponent, and a defensive spell would be Expelliarmus, which disarms your opponent entirely."

[DuckyLinJi]

The small group of kids who couldn't determine which side they wanted to be on and chose the option in the centre were getting on Daniel's nerves. He, too, believed that a balance of defense and offense was ideal, but this wasn't about it anyway. It was a case of either one or the other, with no in-between. Just choose! Although he did not express his displeasure, he did notice that his emotions began to relax when Evan joined him. The Hufflepuff student gave the older student a sidelong glance. If he had to be honest, he had thought that Evan would choose to stand on the opposite side of the ribbon. This was interesting. Still, he was relieved that he wasn't the only one on the offense team now that Evan, Emma and Lydia had joined him.

Daniel put his hands back in his back pockets as the instructor began the lesson. He wasn't interested in who the man was at first but when he revealed that he was a professional duellist with world titles under his belt as well as being a HUFFLEPUFF, he looked at him with a more intrigued expression on his face. But then he rolled his eyes when the man proudly displayed his 'beautiful' hair. Pffft, he didn't believe his hair was like that because he was 'born with it'. He bet the man used a Madam Primpernelle's product in his hair.


"Which side do you choose, Mr Vertagren?" he questioned instead of answering any of the questions himself. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and began to circle his wrist a little as he gazed at the man. Anyway, could they start duelling now?! He wanted to demonstrate why his side was superior!

[MadMadamMalfoy]

Desiree positively beamed when the teacher acknowledged her. How very princely of him! And the older students were paying attention to her too. Best day ever! She returned Violet’s smile with a warm one of her own, and more smiles for the guy (Darius) and the two girls who waved back at her (Bella and Aria). The second one had a very princessy wave, did she know? Oh, well. She’d have to tell her later. Mr. Prince Adam Vertagren was speaking!

Desiree listened with rapt attention, hanging on to every word. Ooh, he was a Hufflepuff like her? And he fostered creatures? Asdfjkl!!! So cool!!! But not as cool as that hair flip! Okay, now she was 100% convinced this guy was a Disney prince in disguise, and nobody could tell her different! Maybe he’d been cursed to forget that he was a prince or something?

All too eager to please, she took a deep breath and did a few graceful wrist and finger stretches as she listened to the questions, lots and lots of questions! Ooh, she was willing to share her reasons! Her hand shot up. “I’m Desiree Marchand,” she said when called on, giving her most princessy curtsey. “I picked the left because a good offense sounds good in theory, but what if your offense doesn’t work as planned? Shouldn’t we have a good defense to fall back on, just in case?”

The other questions required a bit more thought. She didn’t know as many spells as the older students, and the first defensive spell that came to mind (Protego) had already been said. “Would Impedimenta be an example of a defensive spell?” she said uncertainly. Suddenly a thought occurred to her, and she added, “Come to think of it, couldn't almost any spell be used defensively if you think creatively enough?” Did that make any sense? She hoped it did! The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself in front of Prince Jericho!

[emjay]

Karleigh had been on the defense side of the room, though it had originally been a snap decision. She hadn't really thought about the reason why until she had been standing there a few minutes, doing the wrist loosening exercises Jericho instructed. Jericho. He said that's what they could call him and she thought that was kind of cool to address him by his first name.

She took a deep, centering breath, then thought over the question as he eyes flitted back to the words on the board. The fifth year raised her hand, then hesitated as the Slytherin girl was called on before her and gave the answer she had prepared in her mind. But she could elaborate on that too maybe.

"If you use a shield strategically," she began, noting that the shield charm was a defensive spell. "It can also be used to deflect your opponent's offensive spell back at them." Two birds with one stone, in a sense.