As he settled down, he looked around at the other students filtering in, giving Evelyn a bright smile as she settled down next to him. He turned his head as he heard Lexi and Jimmy talk, giving them both a wave hello. But he quickly mumbled a low "Jim..." as he looked at his Ravenclaw friend-- then shifted his eyes towards Lexi's antlers. Jim... Antlers...Jim... Antlers. Arent you going to do something about that buddeh?

He turned back at the Headmaster when he began to speak, then shrugged about the room climate "Ish cool." he said casually, although a quick glance around made him realized that maybe its a little too cool for some.

He noted the next that came through the door-- Sierra, Kurumi, Jake, Prefect Hudson, Treyen, Ellie....

.... and the Ravenclaw blond (Neptune) from Runes class.

He really has to get her name down.

He turned his attention back to the Professor as he spoke, and was a bit dissappointed when told to keep the wands away for now. Oh well, time for the magic quill-- he thought as he took his quill and a parchment out and set them on the desk.

Whaaaat?

The boy blinked. Once, twice, thrice. No wands? Like...really? But then...oh, this was all Ikenna's fault, wasn't it?

Oh, well, he had no other choice but to wave hello to Arya and take out his quill and parchment before letting out a LOUD sigh.

Lexi took the scarf, gave him a giggle, and wrapped it around her neck. Jim was an astute young man. That was for sure.

Hehehe.

She then caught sight of Salander waving and returned the gesture. Awww. Salander. Made her want to sadface.

Wait... what? Lexi couldn't help but let her shoulders slump a bit. Boo! She did, however, do as he instructed and began to dig through her bag for parchment and a quill.

Finally extracting them from the bottomless pit that was her bag she set them on her desk and smiiiiiiled brigthly. Even if it was SERIOUS, DADA was the most useful and exciting subject at Hogwarts. So says Lexi.

Moving his bag out of the way for Neptune to sit, Jake grinned at the girl as she sat beside him. He was so much happier these days.

"Would you like my robes until you warm up?" he offered, holding up the outer robes he tended to neglect these days. Oh, wait. Lexi back there had the right idea. "Alternatively..."

The young man kiiiiinda slipped his arm around Neptune's wait and huggled her closer.

As the boyfriend, he was legally obligated or something to keep Neptune warm. It was the law or something.

He still offered the robes. Tate would probably disagree with canoodling.

Speaking of the man... well, looks like theory was on the agenda. Jake reached with his free hand to get out his parchment and self-inking quill, pretending to be all innocent at the same time. Yyyyyyup.

Oh boy, Headmaster Tate did not seem to be in a good mood today. Classes always had some sort of fun element in them! Getting her parchment and quills out and ready, Kurumi wondered if they were going to have a test. It sure seemed like it. Or, perhaps they were going to have to write an essay?

More serious subject? Did this, perhaps, have anything to do with the added security at Hogwarts? Kurumi rather liked Mr. Ikenna, so she didn't really see the harm in him being at school. He even served her green tea!

Yet, Kurumi couldn't ignore the rather obvious theme that had made its appearance in all her classes thus far. "P-Professor Tate, does this have anything to do with the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy?" she asked with a raised hand.

Having already unloaded his wand onto the desk in front of him, Simon slipped it back into his pocket at the headmaster's instructions. Ok so no practical lesson today, he mused to himself taking out a quill and a piece of parchment. Looking back up to show he was ready, he heard Kurumi's question and wondered the same thing. The boy looking to Professor Tate to see his answer.

No wands...no wands...?

Really? Like, for real? Seriously?

Ellie looked around her to make sure she'd heard right. And as people took out their quill and parchment, she supposed she had.

She hadn't used a quill and parchment yet all term. Well, aside from Transfiguration. But even then, they'd used their wands for the majority of the class.

Obligingly, though, because she was definitely going to listen to scary Tate, she bent over and fished through her bag for what was asked.

There. Parchment and quill. Weird.

The room was filled with whispered sighs as Patroclus like many other's were slightly disappointed by the statement, 'wands away'. Maybe Patroclus had counted his eggs to early, it seemed the lesson was going to be like Arithmancy and Astrology, full of words rather than wands.

However not letting that upset him too much, the Prefect turned on his thinking cap, he was going to do the best he could!!

The question that Kurumi, had just asked reached the boy's ear, and instantly peaked his interest. It was a very valid question, so far most, if not all of the class had had some section of the lesson that referred to the Statue, or ways in which magic could help muggles.....would this be the same?

Serious subject?

Turning her attention away from Stalker Dude and the Gryffindork Lexi, wondering why Lexi was taking Marie's spot, the Slytherin looked up to the Headmaster before pulling out her notebook and quill; the boring brown quill that is since Destiny made her break the last almost beautifully perfect one she had left. Pfft.

And Cookie girl had a point. She was having a horrible feeling that this class had something to do with muggles. If that was the case, she would have soooooo preferred there to have been magic somewhere in learning about whatever they're learning.

*Taking his seat Matty nodded a hello to the professor. Putting his wand away he pulled out a quill and some paper. Matty loved this class and was ready to go. He noticed that it was a bit cold but it was slowly warming up.*

A very tolerant sigh left Kellen as Neptune mussed his hair, and he gave it a reverse-muss while she went and sat with someone who... wait, that was the Upstead guy, right? Kellen made a mental note of it, so that the next time Neptune launched into an account of her escapades he wouldn't be caught flat-footed.

Probably the only one in the class who wasn't disappointed at this news, Kellen pulled out the required items and revved his mental engine. Discourse and thinking? Yeah, he could do that way better than dueling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

Moving his bag out of the way for Neptune to sit, Jake grinned at the girl as she sat beside him. He was so much happier these days.

"Would you like my robes until you warm up?" he offered, holding up the outer robes he tended to neglect these days. Oh, wait. Lexi back there had the right idea. "Alternatively..."

The young man kiiiiinda slipped his arm around Neptune's wait and huggled her closer.

As the boyfriend, he was legally obligated or something to keep Neptune warm. It was the law or something.

He still offered the robes. Tate would probably disagree with canoodling.

Speaking of the man... well, looks like theory was on the agenda. Jake reached with his free hand to get out his parchment and self-inking quill, pretending to be all innocent at the same time. Yyyyyyup.

Neptune took the robes and laid them over her legs, then slipped her shoes off to snuggled her toes up in his robes. Mmmmm better.

She was fine with the additional boy warmth Jake provided, too. After the Headmaster's announcement she handed Jake her wand for him to hers up with his. She was far too comfortable and cozy now to be moving about putting wands up. "Be a dear?" Put it away? Neptune batted her eyelashes.

"Knock it off," Tate glanced at the boy only once, but he felt like that was enough. He didn't like distractions, and there was nothing so distracting as romance. Honestly, they'd end up sitting boys on one side and girls on the other in about 30 seconds.

"Statute?" Tate gave her a wide-eyed look that would only have fooled a toddler. As if he couldn't POSSIBLY know what she was referring to. "I'm not sure what you think that has to do with Defense against the Dark Arts, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts."

The palpable disappointment in the room almost made him laugh, but Tate wasn't really malicious. "Buck up, chaps. We don't go racing in with wands drawn in every situation, and Defense isn't all about learning to use the right spell in the right place at the right time. It's about defending against the entire family of Dark magics."

He paused for a moment. "Shall we begin, or are there other questions?"

.... no wands?

"Lame." Jim murmured and smiled quickly at Lexi before getting out parchment and quill. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at the little Gryffie who asked about the statute.

... it had been in the news a lot right? Quibbler especially. Jim again pretended not to be too interested.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

Tate gave a slightly horrified shiver at the wave from the Bott girl before pulling himself to his feet and addressing the class at large.

"Quills and parchment out. Wands away for now. This will be an active class in discourse and thinking, but we will not be brandishing our weapons today. I promise there is fun to come later in the term, but we have a more serious subject today."

Rubbing her hands together in an attempt to warm her fingers, Ivory shuddered a little in her seat. It wasn't so much that she was cold now, no the warm cheery fire nearby prevented that. It was that she'd been so cold outside that now her body was getting used to the not so coldness of the inside. Aftershock shivers if one would call them.

But now what was this...no wands?! In DADA? Ever since she could remember the classes had been divided into the lecture and practical part and it seemed today it would just be the lecture part. Glad that she'd sat herself down next to her best friend, Ivory gave Arya a little pout knowing her friend would probably feel the same way. But there was probably a good reason for no wands right? It was the headmaster after all.

Alright, pouty face out of the way now, Ivory brought out her quill and parchment and dutifully straightened up. Attentive to the core and ready to take notes however serious it could be.

She spared Treyen a small smile as she pulled out the quill and parchment that she didn't realize she would be loosing for the entire lesson. Really, she didn't know what they would be doing this that required all talking and no practical, but she was REALLY hoping it would be fun. Scooching closer to her bestie, she returned the pout-y look before facing Tate.

Luin nodded at herself, and quickly brought out her quill and parchment. She was very excited to start defense against the dark arts. Her quill was in her hand already, poised above her parchment. She felt ready for questions and had already read as much as she could. Her parents being Aurors, she was determined to prove herself in this class.

Tori sat and waited for the class to start. She always loved defense against the dark arts. It was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

It was interesting, the approach her professor took. It's not about waving wands and casting defense spells but the entire family of dark magic which from her knowledge could range from potions to dark creatures. It made her wonder what today's lesson was going to be

Kurumi blushed as she returned her attention to her parchment for a brief moment. "Forgive me, Professor," Kurumi finally said as she raised her gaze. "It just seems like all of the classes so far this term have had some sort of focus on the Statute and whether it would be better if witches and wizards were out in the open." She paused for a moment to look around the classroom nervously. "I thought that perhaps today's discussion was related to if witches and wizards should be allowed to protect the non-magical population." Or something like that. Not to mention that Mr. Ikenna had practically told Kurumi it would be better for wizardingkind to be out in the open.

Yay!! Emma was so excited. This was her faveourite class.. well apart from Potions. She got out her quills and parchment, put her wand away, and waited. The suspense was killing her.. Okay, maybe she liked DADA too much.

Selina was so excited for DADA. It was her largest interest in magic and she had spent her entire summer reading up on this type of defense magic. She had even spent some of her weekends, when not on the Pitch, in the Defense Training Room trying to hone her skills.

Then when Headmaster Tate started class she beamed. But he seemed to be very on point and a no-nonsense type of guy. It was not as she had expected. She fumbled trying to pull out her parchment and phoenix quill before he started. Then when she was ready she looked up- time to get to buisness.

Jake saluted with his left hand, since his right was busy a-hugging, and put Neptune's wand away with his own. And while he was at it he extracted another quill and a pot of ink from his bag and placed them on the table in case Neptune neeeeeeeded them.

Good job he was left handed, since his right arm was around Neptune...

Errr... never mind.

Jake kind of tentatively withdrew his arm slightly, but Neptune was still close, so it was okay.

Jeez, rude.

Well... now he was ready to LEARN! WOOOOOOOOT!

... ahem.

...are you serious?!

Sierra made a slight face but moved to take out her quill and parchment anyway. So much for a fun and exciting lesson disarming opponents and conjuring attack canaries. Oh, well. For all she knew, the lesson could turn out to be fun and exciting anyway. Ancient Runes, after all, had been alright once she got in there and got started.

She didn't have any questions, though, so she just glanced up at the headmaster expectantly, waiting for things to get started.

Emmaleigh wasn't excited about having to her her wand away, or the idea of class not being fun. She took her parchment and spread it across her table, and then grabbed her quill and green ink, and began to scrawl the title when her classmate's question pricked her ears. The young redhead looked up and paid attention to the conversation between Kurumi and the Headmaster. It seemed like the two girls needed to talk.

"There, see? Everything relates to Defense," Tate said broadly, grinning a bit in the process. She'd actually managed to bring it home, which was very impressive.

"We can diverge from the subject for a moment, but just one moment, and pursue this line of thinking if you'd like. Does anyone have an opinion on Ms. Hollingberry's topic? Should witches and wizards be allowed to protect Muggles? Or more specially, are witches and wizards discouraged from doing that now?"