Leave it Hadley to be the first one to arrive for the dueling club meeting. She practically skipped into the arena and glanced around. The set up seemed similar to the way it had been last year, when she got knocked out by Ilia. Maybe Hadley would have her chance to stupefy the snake this term.

"Sir Knight." Hadley curtsied. He was the only person alive she'd curtsy to. She took a spot next to him, leaning against the same platform and trying to look as chill as Hirsch looked, but failing miserably. "More team combat?" It fit. Just like last year. The various raised platforms. The cushions between so when you fell off, or got knocked out, you'd land on the soft cushions. Unless a snake blasts you across the platform and you hit the edge before tumbling off.

Even just thinking about it brought back a memory of the pain so strong that she had to rub the tension out of her shoulder. Of course she didn't remember hitting the platform, she had been knocked out thoroughly by that point, but she did remember how her shoulder felt after. "I'm not getting knocked out again," she said, more to herself than Hirsch.

This term was turning out to be the most draining thing he had done in his life. Jaemin made his way to the arena, the usual bounce in his step absent now as it had been for the last month. Dueling Club was at least something normal and engaging, which meant he was happy to be there, at least.

He found his way to the front, absently pushing his shaggy grey hair out of his eyes and giving Hirsch a tired smile before giving Haddie a friendly 'hello' nudge. Then he moved to hop up onto the edge of one of the platforms. He wouldn't interrupt the man while he was talking to those... other... people. Hi people.

Dueling club meeting. Now THAT was her thing!

The gryffindor rushed towards the meeting place without getting lost this time. She had even used a shortcut through a painting she had discovered last week. Entering the room, the girl spotted a couple of students already present and she waved at them before moving further until she was infront of the professor himself. He looked cool like always.

Turning her bag to the front and opening it up, she took out a bag of gummy worms and held it up. "I've never given you one, want one Professor?" he wasn't like most of the professors who told her that those would rot her teeth and refused right? He wasn't a boring person, RIGHT??

-smile-

Was it just her or did the castle seem to get smaller every time she was required to pay a visit? There was the reunion, then dropping those.........questionable children off after their oh so er....unfortunate(?) kidnapping and now she was here to talk Auror things.

It was a good thing the Hirsch guy put in the request when he did. It was equally good that the next set of Chimaera fights was scheduled for the end of the week, giving her and her partner time to join the others here today. Why good? Because in some small way Alexa might have missed this place. Sure it didn't look like it did when she was an actual student here but the sentiment was there.

"I suppose you'll want us forgoing any unforgivables, as well as anything life threatening, yeah?" Had to ask. The man said they should come and give them a real taste of Auror life. Real Aurors cast real curses that hurt real bad. They also used excessive force as they deemed necessary--or was that NOT the message they were trying to pass along. It'd been a while since she used a 'tame' spell.

Hazel eyes flickered around the room as students began making their way in. Merlin, had she ever been that small?

Daxton was turning into something not unlike a walking dark cloud, bringing doom and gloom with him everywhere he went, as was his right as a troubled teenager. In fact, so busy with his own personal and private angst was he that he did not even bother to cast Hirsch his usual extra-aggressive glare as he walked, barefoot, into the Duelling Arena.

Opting to take a seat on the floor right by the door as he always did, back against the wall, feet flat on the floor, knees up in front of him as though acting as a shield, Daxton cast a look at the other adults present as well. After just a moment, he averted his gaze, though remained on high alert, pulled his wand out from up his shirt sleeve, and turned it over in his hands with his forearms resting on his knees. Occasionally he would glance at the adults, and then away again. Of course, he said nothing.

So this time it wasn't exactly another duel, but rather a meeting for the club. Well, okay, Vivian took a moment to weigh the pros and cons of actually attending said meeting, considering that it may just be more on discussions like actual classes (and that's kinda boring, really) but the fact that she would get to see Professor Hirsch again totally made up for all the cons. So yes, she was going to present herself in the dueling club meeting, all for the love of Pretty Hirsch.

The blonde didn'r really skip as fast as she would usually do, since she wanted to kill time and the loss of house points wasn't exactly going to happen because this wasn't a legit class, right? But, uh well... Hirsch. Seeing his face was really the only "motivation" or what.

Once she reached the arena, Vivian skipped to the front, her usual place whenever Hirsch was teaching. No better place to witness and see Hirsch's face in HD. "Hi, Professor!" the Slytherin greeted and took a seat. Who were these people present though?

And even more important question: which one of them was Ariadne Grahn-ny? Was she HERE? Hmm...

Even though he still had that mandrake leaf still in his mouth, there was no way that Frankie was going to be missing a Duelling Club meeting. Though he was there, the blond wouldn't be speaking much, if at all. Talking with a mouth full of leaf was difficult, man. So hopefully that wasn't going to be an issue. At the least, he could communicate via Flagrate or parchment-writing and, if spellwork was required, do nonverbals (he was starting to get quite comfortable with those).

The moment he entered the arena, the Gryffindor prefect noticed that everything seemed to be in its usual place. The only difference he took note of was that there were extra cushions and mats. What were those for, Hershey?

Blue eyes meeting the eyes of the Defence professor, the sixth year gave the man a courteous nod of a his head. He was about to turn away and claim the best seat in the room when he did a double take. That blonde head of hair ... seemed oddly familiar ... WAS THAT ALEXA CAMBRIDGE? Frankie waved at her. Hey, girl, hey! Long time no see! How long had it been since she graduated? He was just a wee little lion when she was Queen Bee Head Girl.

Nothing was more exciting than a dueling club meeting, except going to Myers' office because that place always interesting and had something new. Including the professor himself.

Hugo was ready for this meeting and always looking forward to learning more about spells and all that because it was fun and cool, yeah? YEAH, AH HA. Sooooo, the dueling arena, where the magic happens...literally. There was Hirsch with some aurors, Hugo assumed, and one of them was a former Gryffindor. "What's up, professor? Nice day, right?" yeah Hugo was in a very good mood. After greeting, he went to find a seat aaand he picked the one next to Frankie "Don't hex me, please" said kidding.

Dueling Club meetings! Probably the only time Tenacius was genuinely excited because it means he can participate in some capacity. Being benched during dueling sessions was a total buzzkill for him. But Daddy says no (grrr) so Prof says no (sighs).

"G'afternoon Professor Hirsch--" he trailed off when he saw there was an unfamiliar lady in the room (Lex). For some reason that got him on a better behavior. No it had nothing to do with the fact that she looked formidable as well as pretty it totally did

So mat, cushions or what? Well the Gryffindor Ace decided to prop himself onto the platform, letting his legs dangle casually over the edge. Might as well, as it probably is one of the rare times Tenacius Salander would be seen on a dueling platform.

Attending Dueling Club was a must even with the still ever present Mandrake Leaf in her mouth. Each day that passed was one day closer to the end of the month when she would be done with this part of her training. Anyhow today's focus wasn't on the bitter tasting leaf it was on this meeting.

Entering the room it was clear to her that she was indeed not the first to arrive. Hazel eyes took in the platforms from the last meeting having her wonder if they would be firing spells at one another in teams again. It had been rather interesting to say the least. Easily spotting Hirsch leaning against one of the platforms looking as relaxed as ever Hady sent him a small grin. Hello! Oh! There was her name twin already standing there beside their professor. A grin for her too!

Walking over towards them both her eyes fell upon a certain blonde Prefect. With her typical smirkish/half smile that she always used for him she walked over to stand beside him. Nothing needed to be said for he was in the same boat as her still so he would understand her lack of words today.

Now what was it they were going to be doing?!

Despite the fact that Azura hadn't been dueling the entire year, she wanted to come to this meeting, perhaps get a feel for what it felt like to duel again and get ready for next term..

She kinda missed dueling if she was honest.

She walked in and waved at Professor Hirsch, a smile on her face. "Hello Professor!" She said as she spotted Haddie and moved next to her as she leaned next to the Professor..

Any familiar face in the crowd really.. Az was nervous.. Last time this had happened.. Well.. It hasn't gone well.. She sighed softly and leaned back against the wall..

Dueling club meetings were always fun so it was needless to say that Esme was in a rather good mood right now. The only thing that would make things perfect would be if she could go home and see her family but there was no way that could happen until the holidays. Siiiiigh. She just wanted to see her dad after what had happened to him.

"Hello, Professor!" He got a smile before she headed over to join her friends. "Hey, guys!"

Text Cut: Lex

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo

Was it just her or did the castle seem to get smaller every time she was required to pay a visit? There was the reunion, then dropping those.........questionable children off after their oh so er....unfortunate(?) kidnapping and now she was here to talk Auror things.

It was a good thing the Hirsch guy put in the request when he did. It was equally good that the next set of Chimaera fights was scheduled for the end of the week, giving her and her partner time to join the others here today. Why good? Because in some small way Alexa might have missed this place. Sure it didn't look like it did when she was an actual student here but the sentiment was there.

"I suppose you'll want us forgoing any unforgivables, as well as anything life threatening, yeah?" Had to ask. The man said they should come and give them a real taste of Auror life. Real Aurors cast real curses that hurt real bad. They also used excessive force as they deemed necessary--or was that NOT the message they were trying to pass along. It'd been a while since she used a 'tame' spell.

Hazel eyes flickered around the room as students began making their way in. Merlin, had she ever been that small?

Alexa's questions were ones that the Defence Professor had to take the time to consider: on the one hand, he wanted them to learn what it was like to work in this profession, to show them what the dark arts were actually like but on the other hand, he'd rather give up his tattoos and be forced into exile than have to cause any harm to his students.

"Yes and no." Explain? He probably should. "Unforgivables are a definite no, no questions asked. It'd be more than my job's worth to teach them about those." And he didn't want harassed parents showering him with Howlers either. No thank you. "Nothing that puts them in any immediate danger but something that gives them a taste of what you do."

Pause.

"See, I want them to learn about the profession and what you do and what it's like to face the Dark Arts in your everyday life. Maybe even teach them how different it is to memorising a bunch of spells to pass a test." Another pause. "But you have to remember that they're students. Some are hardly into puberty." Essentially, it was up to her.

Text Cut: You guys <3

Text Cut: Haddie

Quote:

Originally Posted by Callie

Leave it Hadley to be the first one to arrive for the dueling club meeting. She practically skipped into the arena and glanced around. The set up seemed similar to the way it had been last year, when she got knocked out by Ilia. Maybe Hadley would have her chance to stupefy the snake this term.

"Sir Knight." Hadley curtsied. He was the only person alive she'd curtsy to. She took a spot next to him, leaning against the same platform and trying to look as chill as Hirsch looked, but failing miserably. "More team combat?" It fit. Just like last year. The various raised platforms. The cushions between so when you fell off, or got knocked out, you'd land on the soft cushions. Unless a snake blasts you across the platform and you hit the edge before tumbling off.

Even just thinking about it brought back a memory of the pain so strong that she had to rub the tension out of her shoulder. Of course she didn't remember hitting the platform, she had been knocked out thoroughly by that point, but she did remember how her shoulder felt after. "I'm not getting knocked out again," she said, more to herself than Hirsch.

Was he surprised that Haddie happened to be one of the first students to arrive? Not at all.

A smile flitted across his face as he watched the girl enter and..... curtsy? Should he question it? Probably not. "Haddie," he said, giving her a bow of his head. He would introduce the woman standing near him but figured to leave it until the beginning of the meeting itself. He didn't want to have to repeat himself and besides, he was far too interested in whatever it was that the young Ravenclaw was doing. A curious expression spread across his face as she abandoned the cushions and mats and.........

........... was she copying him?!

Hirsch let out a burst of laughter. It was funny, it was too funny, and a quite a bit touching as well. "Suits you, that does." Just saying. As for the part about the combat, his eyes flickered over towards Alexa before saying, "You'll see." Was that a knowing smile on his face?

Text Cut: Jaemin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ameh

This term was turning out to be the most draining thing he had done in his life. Jaemin made his way to the arena, the usual bounce in his step absent now as it had been for the last month. Dueling Club was at least something normal and engaging, which meant he was happy to be there, at least.

He found his way to the front, absently pushing his shaggy grey hair out of his eyes and giving Hirsch a tired smile before giving Haddie a friendly 'hello' nudge. Then he moved to hop up onto the edge of one of the platforms. He wouldn't interrupt the man while he was talking to those... other... people. Hi people.

Ah yes, another very familiar face.

The smile stayed on the professor's face as he watched the young Slytherin walking in. The hair was something he was getting used to, especially after the initial shock of the previous lesson, but what was different was, well, the demeanour. Jaemin would've been fairly alert and bouncy but today, he had a more tired look about him, as if he'd spent a few days staying up too late.

"Hello, Jaemin. Everything okay?" he asked in a would-be casual voice.

Text Cut: Bec

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

Dueling club meeting. Now THAT was her thing!

The gryffindor rushed towards the meeting place without getting lost this time. She had even used a shortcut through a painting she had discovered last week. Entering the room, the girl spotted a couple of students already present and she waved at them before moving further until she was infront of the professor himself. He looked cool like always.

Turning her bag to the front and opening it up, she took out a bag of gummy worms and held it up. "I've never given you one, want one Professor?" he wasn't like most of the professors who told her that those would rot her teeth and refused right? He wasn't a boring person, RIGHT??

-smile-

Was he getting offered sweets?

The man was taken aback. Really. Students would give their professors gifts towards the end of the year or if they were due to leave, but this was different. This was during an actual meeting in the middle of the year. Had he done something to warrant this? Or was the girl in a particularly good mood?

He was going to go for the latter.

He smiled, though, and took a gummy worm from the packet. This reminded him too much of his childhood: particularly the pleading to get those euros so that he could go to the nearest corner shop. "Thank you! That's very nice of you." And she was lucky that she'd offered before the class had started.

Text Cut: Daxton

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felixir

Daxton was turning into something not unlike a walking dark cloud, bringing doom and gloom with him everywhere he went, as was his right as a troubled teenager. In fact, so busy with his own personal and private angst was he that he did not even bother to cast Hirsch his usual extra-aggressive glare as he walked, barefoot, into the Duelling Arena.

Opting to take a seat on the floor right by the door as he always did, back against the wall, feet flat on the floor, knees up in front of him as though acting as a shield, Daxton cast a look at the other adults present as well. After just a moment, he averted his gaze, though remained on high alert, pulled his wand out from up his shirt sleeve, and turned it over in his hands with his forearms resting on his knees. Occasionally he would glance at the adults, and then away again. Of course, he said nothing.

Daxton Prince not choosing to shoot him any death glares that almost suggested that he was planning his murder? This was new.

Hirsch raised an eyebrow as he watched the kid enter. It wasn't at all surprising to see him entering quietly and choosing to sit near the door. His manner of sitting wasn't surprising either but he did expect some kind of glare or look that suggested that the hate was still strong. Or, even, some kind of recognition.

But no. Nothing.

Maybe this was his good mood face. Maybe.

Text Cut: Vivian

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimothy

So this time it wasn't exactly another duel, but rather a meeting for the club. Well, okay, Vivian took a moment to weigh the pros and cons of actually attending said meeting, considering that it may just be more on discussions like actual classes (and that's kinda boring, really) but the fact that she would get to see Professor Hirsch again totally made up for all the cons. So yes, she was going to present herself in the dueling club meeting, all for the love of Pretty Hirsch.

The blonde didn'r really skip as fast as she would usually do, since she wanted to kill time and the loss of house points wasn't exactly going to happen because this wasn't a legit class, right? But, uh well... Hirsch. Seeing his face was really the only "motivation" or what.

Once she reached the arena, Vivian skipped to the front, her usual place whenever Hirsch was teaching. No better place to witness and see Hirsch's face in HD. "Hi, Professor!" the Slytherin greeted and took a seat. Who were these people present though?

And even more important question: which one of them was Ariadne Grahn-ny? Was she HERE? Hmm...

And here was something that was familiar: skipping. From Vivian Fairfield.

Pretty Hirsch watched her as she entered the room, all the while trying not to be amused by a certain nickname she had called Ariadne while she was in his office. Maybe he should get the two to meet: see how she fared meeting a Quidditch star whom she was already on a nickname basis.

What? It would be amusing to watch.

"Hello, Vivian," he said, giving her a smile and a nod of his head.

Text Cut: Franklin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoe

Even though he still had that mandrake leaf still in his mouth, there was no way that Frankie was going to be missing a Duelling Club meeting. Though he was there, the blond wouldn't be speaking much, if at all. Talking with a mouth full of leaf was difficult, man. So hopefully that wasn't going to be an issue. At the least, he could communicate via Flagrate or parchment-writing and, if spellwork was required, do nonverbals (he was starting to get quite comfortable with those).

The moment he entered the arena, the Gryffindor prefect noticed that everything seemed to be in its usual place. The only difference he took note of was that there were extra cushions and mats. What were those for, Hershey?

Blue eyes meeting the eyes of the Defence professor, the sixth year gave the man a courteous nod of a his head. He was about to turn away and claim the best seat in the room when he did a double take. That blonde head of hair ... seemed oddly familiar ... WAS THAT ALEXA CAMBRIDGE? Frankie waved at her. Hey, girl, hey! Long time no see! How long had it been since she graduated? He was just a wee little lion when she was Queen Bee Head Girl.

........................ What?

Just WHAT?!

Hirsch stared at the Gryffindor as he entered the arena. Teenagers had all kinds of weird new trends and sayings to make themselves look cool and hip but surely, surely, mandrake leaves didn't count? Just what?! Was there a reason behind this? Could he possibly explain? Or was this one of those things that Hirsch would do better being oblivious about?

Probably the latter.

Coming to his senses, the man shook his head slightly before deciding to smile at the young Auror wannabe. "Hello, Franklin. Glad you could make it." Really. He had a feeling that the boy was going to like this topic.

Text Cut: Hugo

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeasleyGirl

Nothing was more exciting than a dueling club meeting, except going to Myers' office because that place always interesting and had something new. Including the professor himself.

Hugo was ready for this meeting and always looking forward to learning more about spells and all that because it was fun and cool, yeah? YEAH, AH HA. Sooooo, the dueling arena, where the magic happens...literally. There was Hirsch with some aurors, Hugo assumed, and one of them was a former Gryffindor. "What's up, professor? Nice day, right?" yeah Hugo was in a very good mood. After greeting, he went to find a seat aaand he picked the one next to Frankie "Don't hex me, please" said kidding.

And here was someone else who was in a good mood. Was this normal? Had someone mixed something into these students' morning pumpkin juice?

Nice day. Nice.......... surely, he wasn't referring to the weather, right?

You know what? He wasn't going to complain or even laugh, for that matter. If the Slytherin was in a happy mood, it might just boost his confidence levels. Not that the boy needed it but you never know, do you? "Hello, Hugo. I guess you could say that it is." Don't laugh. "Are you having a good day?"

Text Cut: Tenacius

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steelsheen

Dueling Club meetings! Probably the only time Tenacius was genuinely excited because it means he can participate in some capacity. Being benched during dueling sessions was a total buzzkill for him. But Daddy says no (grrr) so Prof says no (sighs).

"G'afternoon Professor Hirsch--" he trailed off when he saw there was an unfamiliar lady in the room (Lex). For some reason that got him on a better behavior. No it had nothing to do with the fact that she looked formidable as well as pretty it totally did

So mat, cushions or what? Well the Gryffindor Ace decided to prop himself onto the platform, letting his legs dangle casually over the edge. Might as well, as it probably is one of the rare times Tenacius Salander would be seen on a dueling platform.

Oh? This was unusual.

Sure, Tenacius had entered with his usual exuberance but something had made him stop. And it sure as well couldn't have been him because let's face it: some of the students were too comfortable around him to act like that. Looking to see where his eyes were wandering towards, he found himself looking at......... Alexa? Weird.

Or was it?

Turning to the young Gryffindor, the man smirked slightly but said nothing. He did, however, give him a slightly raised eyebrow look as he said, "Hello, Tenacius."

Text Cut: Hady

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Attending Dueling Club was a must even with the still ever present Mandrake Leaf in her mouth. Each day that passed was one day closer to the end of the month when she would be done with this part of her training. Anyhow today's focus wasn't on the bitter tasting leaf it was on this meeting.

Entering the room it was clear to her that she was indeed not the first to arrive. Hazel eyes took in the platforms from the last meeting having her wonder if they would be firing spells at one another in teams again. It had been rather interesting to say the least. Easily spotting Hirsch leaning against one of the platforms looking as relaxed as ever Hady sent him a small grin. Hello! Oh! There was her name twin already standing there beside their professor. A grin for her too!

Walking over towards them both her eyes fell upon a certain blonde Prefect. With her typical smirkish/half smile that she always used for him she walked over to stand beside him. Nothing needed to be said for he was in the same boat as her still so he would understand her lack of words today.

Now what was it they were going to be doing?!

............ Again, what?!

First Franklin and now Hadleigh?! What was up with these sixth years? Had he missed something important? His eyes flitted between her and the Gryffindor Prefect but, as always, he decided to say nothing. If this was a new fashion trend then frankly, he didn't want to know. And he didn't want it to spread, either, considering how weird of a trend it was. Surely, there were better things to do to look cool rather than stick some leaves in your mouth?

"Hello, Miss Lynch," he said, giving her a smile and a nod of his head.

Text Cut: Azura

Quote:

Originally Posted by FwooperOnYourLeft

Despite the fact that Azura hadn't been dueling the entire year, she wanted to come to this meeting, perhaps get a feel for what it felt like to duel again and get ready for next term..

She kinda missed dueling if she was honest.

She walked in and waved at Professor Hirsch, a smile on her face. "Hello Professor!" She said as she spotted Haddie and moved next to her as she leaned next to the Professor..

Any familiar face in the crowd really.. Az was nervous.. Last time this had happened.. Well.. It hasn't gone well.. She sighed softly and leaned back against the wall..

Ah, a familiar face. More or less.

Not to the Dueling Club this part year but to Hirsch, at least.

The man smiled at the sight of the young girl, taking in how much better she seemed to be doing. At least, the smile was enough of an indication for that. It was much different to how she was at the beginning of the year, where a smile was pretty much rare on her face.

"Hello, Azura. Welcome back!"

Text Cut: Esme

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squishy

Dueling club meetings were always fun so it was needless to say that Esme was in a rather good mood right now. The only thing that would make things perfect would be if she could go home and see her family but there was no way that could happen until the holidays. Siiiiigh. She just wanted to see her dad after what had happened to him.

"Hello, Professor!" He got a smile before she headed over to join her friends. "Hey, guys!"

Someone else who was in a good mood? The spiking theory was starting to seem more and more real now. Unless, of course, they all seemed to be happy to be attending this meeting.

The last thought was one that made Hirsch happy.

Esme got a smile in return from the Defence Professor and a nod of his head as he said, "Welcome, Miss Darcy."

Time was ticking and, after a few more glances down at his watch, he decided to get started with the meeting. There was no use waiting for anyone else since it didn't look like they were coming anyways. So, raising his wand, he flicked it over at the door, letting it shut with a sharp snap that reverberated around the room.

Had he gotten everyone's attention? Good.

"Hello, Duellers, and welcome to a very special meeting." Could they see how excited he was about this? Could they? "As you can see, we have a special guest with us today who'll be taking over most of this meeting. Some of you might remember her from your days here but for those of you who don't, this is Miss Alexa Cambridge, former Gryffindor Head Girl and now, an Auror at the Ministry of Magic."

Cue a small pause where they could give her a round of applause and she could have her ego stroked.

"Today's meeting is mainly going to cover the aspects of being an Auror, a profession that a few of you are very interested in." His eyes flashed towards one Franklin Paton and he smiled. "Aurors can give the best insight into what it's like to use defensive, and offensive, magic in the real world. They are highly skilled witches and wizards who, essentially, fight the dark forces. If anyone knows what it's like to face the Dark Arts, it's them."

Pause.

"So, not being an Auror myself, I've called Miss Cambridge to come in today to talk to you all about the profession and maybe teach you a few things that could help with your duels." Exciting stuff, wasn't it? "So without further ado, off you go, Miss Cambridge."


OOC: HAI lovelies

Soooo Dani (DaniDiNardo) is going to be taking the majority of this meeting. She's absolutely wonderful and she knows what she's talking about so you're in completely safe hands! And I'm going to be around as well.

The meeting has already started but if you want to jump in, you're more than welcome to! Just don't announce your late arrival IC wise, okay?

Hope you have fun! And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate in coming to me or Dani ^^

Yes and no was an interesting answer pretty Defense Professor. Lex might have asked him which it was but he got to the explanation soon enough so she merely nodded her understanding. Of course she couldn't have agreed more on the difference between memorizing for tests and actually being the difference between all hell broke loose and a happy ending. All things she was sure she could impress upon them before she left...one way or another.

Alexa glanced around the room, seeing what he meant about the late arrivers to puberty but that wasn't all she saw. Merlin's beard wasn't that little Frankie? He'd been so tiny when she last saw him and now he had a badge. Would you look at that. Lex gave him a wave and a smile. There were a few others she remembered. All had been small at the time and off her radar. By the time she was ready to leave her mind had already checked out; she didn't concern herself nearly as much with the ickles around the castle. Her mind was on to bigger things.

That introduction though. Was it bad that she sometimes FORGOT she'd been Head Girl? It hadn't been something she wanted and it certainly hadn't been her favourite year of school.

But she wasn't here to reminisce. She was here to make sure the future generation knew exactly what they might be getting into...one way or the other.

"Before we get into any specifics, the Professor told me a few of you are proper interested in giving this Auror thing a shot when you leave here, so that's what I'll address first. It's not a job for the faint-hearted and pansies don't live long in our line of work." That being said. "Idiots don't live very long either. It takes a level head, not someone looking for eternal glory and a quick route there." Typically, people found that out during YATI training if they didn't before but it was still good to give warning when you could, otherwise SHE would have to be sharing an office space with the less than desirables.

"It's also a lot of hard working. The training's brutal but it's nothing compared to the real deal. Those of you thinking to apply will need O's and E's in your NEWTs as it's a real competitive program and they don't let just anyone in." Hazel eyes gave them all a once over as she wondered who among them would give this a shot.

"But once you do make it, it's the best job in the world. Imagine it, your heart in your chest as you descend into a known meeting spot for Dark Wizards. Your wand in hand, your nerves going in all directions, the dark of night your only cover then suddenly lights, very bright lights from spells flying all over, shouts and people dropping all around you. It's enough to make you lose your resolve unless you're sure it's what you want. Nothing's guaranteed, every mission could be your last. It's not like school where if things go bad a Professor will step in and call time out. You'll have a team depending on you as much as you depend on them." A thought she relished in, nearly as much as the thought of taking on bad guys. It was the fast pace life for her and nothing else. "So before I get into those duels and ways to help you, any questions?"

Fiyero jumped slightly as the door slammed shut. Well, he supposed that was one way to call the meeting to order. He sat up a little straighter on his cushion, looking intently up at Professor Hirsch as he started speaking. So, apparently one of the people the professor had been talking to earlier was an Auror, and she was going to teach them today? Cool!

He joined in the applause for Miss Cambridge, listening with rapt attention as she talked about being an Auror and what was involved. Fiyero wasn't sure if he wanted to be an Auror, or really what he was going to do when he left Hogwarts, but any job that involved fighting dark wizards and competition sounded interesting to him! A determined look crossed the blond Gryffindor's face. He couldn't wait for the activity to start! He wanted a chance to show the Auror lady that Fiyero Jones was not a pansy or an idiot!

Fiyero let the Auror's words sink in for a minute when she asked for questions. Wait a minute, she said they needed Os and Es on their NEWTs, but she didn't say which ones. Did they have to make excellent grades in all of their classes to become Aurors? His hand went up. "Aside from Defense Against the Dark Arts, which Hogwarts subjects are most useful to an Auror?" he asked.

Oh, the woman in front wasn't Miss Ariadne Grahn-ny then. For some absurd reason, Vivian was a little bit relieved about that. But it was even more interesting because Hirschy brought an actual Auror to this meeting? AWESOMESAUCE. The Slytherin sat up straight and kept her eyes on the pretty woman in front of them. The fact that she was an Auror made her about 99.9% cooler than usual. Obviously. She'd heard a lot of awesome stories about Aurors and their saving-the-world missions and stuff. As a young kid, Vivian had always been intrigued by them.

Of course, she did applaud for the lady too. Just... wow. Awesome. But as Miss Cambridge started talking about her work, Vivian didn't even care how dangerous and scary it seemed. She thought it was FUN, and her inner Gryffindor (thanks, Dad) was tickled with interest at the moment. And yes, she totally agreed that idiots wouldn't get anywhere. She was totally aware of that.

For the question-and-answer portion, Vivian looked at Zorro as he asked his question and then immediately raised her hand, waving it left and right. This was an opportunity to be taken, thank you very much. "Hi, Miss Cambridge, and good afternoon. My name's Vivian Fairfield, and I'm a Slytherin." If the surname 'Fairfield' had a small ring to it, maybe Miss Cambridge actually knew her aunt way back then. That is if ever they went to school together. She didn't know, but she hoped so. "I don't know if you're allowed to share this information, and I respect if it is top-secret too, but what kind of training to do you undergo before becoming an Auror... and what sort of 'classes' do you need to pass during training?"

Because THAT sort of info was very interesting, really.

Miss Alexa Cambridge, former Gryffindor Head Girl and now, an Auror at the Ministry of Magic.

Ok now THAT was just beyond cool. Pretty, powerful lady there was Hoggies Head Honcho of the Studentsies and now Awe-inspiring Auror. Stars are clear in the Curly Top's eyes. Crush alert hello!

Oh questions. Can they go out on a date? He actually raised his hand with that in mind. But at the last second this came out instead thankfully "Whats like your most dangerous mission yet?? And and what spells do you find most useful when you're faced with the bad guys??"

They were going to learn stuff about Aurors? That was pretty cool because even though Esme had no desire to be an Auror that was what her dad did for a living. He was very good at his job though work wasn't talked about too much at home. There were just some things that weren't to be discussed and her mother didn't want them having nightmares about evil wizards. Or something.

Curious, she raised her hand. "Have you taken down any Dark Wizards? What's your favourite thing about being an Auror?" There were other things that she could ask, but Esme didn't want to hog all the questions.

Eeeeeeeek! Did they all see that?! Professor COOL accepted her candy offering~ Smiling brightly , the Gryffindor grabbed one five gummy worms as well and began to eat them as she walked away to give some of the candy to the other adult in the room when the Professor began class.Oh boo. Giving up, Bec moved towards one of the mats and sat down.

Wait, the woman was an Auror AND had been a Head Girl?! Uhm! HI NEW ROLE MODEL! The Gryffindor's eyes twinkled with a mixture of fear and excitement as she pictured herself in the situation that the Auror was saying. It was both frightening and amazing at the same time, wasn't it?

Raising her hand in the air, Bec waited for her turn before she spoke. "What happens if you apply to become an Auror but fail during the testing?" she asked. Would they get another job in that department? Desk jobs? Or were they kicked out? "Also! Did you KILL anyone before???" There. She said it.

A very special meeting, eh? Well you don't say. Hmm. The attentive gaze of a pair of bright hazel eyes turned their full attention onto Hirsch the moment he began to speak. Not a sound was made from her as per usual when a lesson started. The mention of Auror training had her glancing sideways at Frankie giving him a small nudge. This was his career path. A small peek for her into what her friend would be truly getting himself into if continued to move forward with what he wanted.

Hadleigh turned her attention onto the guest that was taking over the lesson. Lex Cambridge. A vague memory of her entered the girls mind but there really hadn't been much. Back at that time she didn't know all that many older years and especially not the Head Girl. That wasn't what was important though. Listening to what she had to say about being an Auror and all it took to become one was. Hopefully Frankie was listening as closely as she was. Oh, and no, no she didn't have any questions.

Oh, had she forgotten to go through that?

Might have been good to mention during the little speech earlier. You'd think it'd have been like the third thing she mentioned but alas, having already passed the tedious process of getting accepted it was far detached from her mind.

What DID she need to get into YATI training? She'd taken so many NEWTs that it was hard to really remember. He was right, there was Defense Against the Dark Arts....and...oh! Right. "Along with DADA, you'll also be needing Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and, though I can't figure out for the life of me why, Herbology." That last one had been her only 'E'. A stain in her otherwise perfect row of 'O's but she supposed it didn't matter. Her grandparents still kept their end and she was greatly rewarded. "Muggle Studies wouldn't hurt when it comes to detection and such either." Food for thought as she remembered the Muggle Artifact Identification training her office had just completed.



Merlin, the enthusiasm on this one. Fairfield, huh? "Any relation to a former Elise Fairfield?" Elise was now married, as were......most of her friends and the people she'd gone to school with. Not for the life of her could she see the appeal--but yes, onto the question.

"I wouldn't call it top secret or anything. In fact you should know what you're getting into and the sort of things that will be required of you. There are tests you have to take, to show the Department they aren't about to hire a nut case or someone who'll easily crack under pressure. There's also advanced magical combat--so these duels are a good way of getting your feet wet." Even if...they were nothing compared to the actual training that got done over on Level 2.

"I dunno if I'd call them classes but YATIs are required to train in concealment and disguise as well as stealth and tracking. You'll also need to learn a ton about poisons and antidotes. It's all very rigorous but you'll be more than happy for it when you finally get out there."



...Er....why...was he looking at her like that....?

Lex might have asked him if he needed to see the Healer--Murdoch was still here, yeah?--in fact she was about to insist he did when the boy's hand shot up. Turns out, he had a question, not some contagious ailment. Good stuff.

"Most dangerous mission? I'd have to say...the one I'm on right now--but it's completely classified so I can't fill you in. I will tell you this though. It'll take me very close to potentially rabid chimaeras." But really she wouldn't say more. It wasn't that she figured any of these kids would intentionally jeopardize the case but you just never knew who had an uncle with a hand in the underground rink and she'd rather not take that chance of them tipping them off accidentally or otherwise. "I could tell you of a case we've now closed that was plenty dangerous. Some idiots thought it a good idea to smuggle werewolves through Knockturn Alley. Had to go undercover, do stakeouts and finally organize the bust to take them down. The werewolves weren't the problem, just the blokes who thought it a good idea to smuggle them."
As for the question on the spells she found most useful..."It depends really...on if you want them taken back dead or alive but I suppose in the cast of the latter, stunning spells are brilliant. Anything that can prevent them from fighting back is always a good way to go. Sometimes, you'll need them talking after and dead people have a hard time doing that."




Now there was a question she'd be asking if she was on the other side of this room! Not that she wouldn't have asked the others because honestly, always important to know the requirements and how much harder she'd have to work. It was just...this was more up her alley of interest; the take down of dark wizards. "I've gotten a few, yeah. None by myself yet but it'll happen one day." If Legend ever stepped out of his right mind long enough and decided it was a good idea.

"It's a brilliant feeling when you've got your wand to their throat and they know they've lost." Or...was that...one of those things the Professor was talking against when he said 'some haven't reached puberty, don't overshare? Merlin she couldn't very well take it back now, could she? Obliviating worked. She would if the Professor needed her to.

Best to just...er...move on and hope the man wouldn't notice. "My absolute favourite thing is the thrill of it all. I love the adrenaline rush before a big bust and how your heart starts to pound 'cause you know it's all very real." If the girl was hoping for a 'it's seeing the hope on the faces of the innocent' or 'the joy of knowing I saved someone', she'd have better luck asking another Auror. Alexa lived for the thrill and uncertainty around every corner.



And the next question came from...oh, this one. And an interesting set of questions too. Funny enough, that very thing HAD happened, not to her but she'd heard of it.

"If the training doesn't work in your favour, you could always end up working Security for the Ministry, or you could apply for something else within Magical Law Enforcement, wait a year then attempt the training again. Sometimes Security work takes you close to Auror stuff which could end up helping you on your second go of YATI training." Just ask Simon--or maybe he didn't count. He'd been BOTH an Auror and Security. Kinda gave him an advantage most others didn't have.

The second question though. Alexa took a noticeable pause and for that moment, she wasn't sure how to respond. It was...well it wasn't like...

A brief look of uncertainty swept across the Auror's face before she quickly regained composure. Pull yourself together Cambridge! Lex shook the unwanted thought from her head, pulling for a grin instead. "I haven't, but I have beat the--" Ahem, language Lex, "...stuffing out of someone before. Poor sod was crying by the time I was done with him."



Oh look, there was Zeke's girlfriend. Or well...she hadn't BEEN his girlfriend when Lex was still at Hogwarts but they'd always spent so much time together. Kinda had her wondering where he was.

No questions from her though so it was back to search the room in case anyone else had questions or the first set had follow ups.

An Auror!? Cool! This woman exuded everything Hadley wanted to be and the Ravenclaw teen was brimming with adoration. Hadley didn't have many heroes but Alexa Cambridge was on her wa--why was she looking at Tenacius all weird?

The redhead's eyes followed Alexa's to her favorite Gryffindor and saw it instantly. That look in his eyes as he regarded the Auror. A bitterness came over Hadley, welling up from somewhere deep inside her gut, and the girl's mood soured instantly. Who was this woman anyhow?

Her eyes returned to Alexa Cambridge and Hadley openingly, but silently, mocked the woman while her attention was elsewhere. All admiration in her eyes was replaced with daggers. Sharp, painful, red hot daggers boring into her. Needless to say, Hadley's expression was not pleasant.

Seriously, who did this woman think she was!? Oh, I'm so cool. Look at me. I'm an Auror! And Head girl. And Gryffindor. I'm soooooo amazing. Please. Hadley could take her. She had half a mind to hex her, discreetly then and there, like she had Drapes at the end of the term feast last year. That'd show her.

Dude. What was that look for, Hershey? Him, plus Hady, having a mandrake leaf in his mouth shouldn't have been a surprise. Didn't he mingle with the other staff? Surely Myers and, especially, Ichihara filled the adults in about why the Gryffindor and Slytherin weren't going to be ask focal as they normally were. Was the man so worn out he had forgotten that he was nearing the final stages of his training? Frankie shrugged it off, though, the moment the professor smiled and said that he was glad he was in attendance.

The prefect was glad that he was in attendance as well. He was always excited for anything Defence-related. But he was even more excited by the fact that Alexa was here. Her presence in the room gave away the topic of today's meeting. He knew what her profession was, and he himself was determined to join the ranks once he graduated.

Following her smile and wave (aww, she remembered him!), the blond quickly took his seat. He was soon joined by Hugo, who fortunately wasn't mad at him for the slug scenario from their last duel. With that leaf in his mouth, all the boy could do was grin and give the Slytherin a good ol' pat on the back, reassuring the lad that he had no intent of hexing him any time soon. He saved that for duelling ... and when people annoyed the hippogriff poop out of him.

Soon after, another Slytherin sat beside him. He wasn't surprised in the least to see Hady there. In fact, they often sat next to each other in their lessons due to their lead predicament. Frankie gave her a 'sup?' nod and flashed his teeth at her, a bit of leaf sticking out.

And then the meeting began. Frankie was instantaneously drawn in, giving Hirsch and Alexa his utmost attention. Had he been like this in History of Magic, he might have actually passed his OWL.

He knew about the scores he needed to get into the program. He was good there, though he wasn't taking Muggle Studies. But, Merlin, the training sounded AMAZING. Some tests as he expected, but it seemed to be very hands-on, which is what he wanted in a career. Plus the risks and the adrenaline rush and the butt-kicking. YAAAAAAS, ALEXA! PREACH! TELL US MORE ABOUT BEATING THE STUFFING OUT OF THOSE BADDIES!

No really, what was with these kids? First the curly haired one and now this one glaring daggers at her like she'd dipped her hair in boiling tar then made her walk London with it (Hadley). Lex kept her gaze on the girl for a few seconds, before deciding to simply move on. She didn't suspect she cared very much what was going on in the girl's mind to begin with.

One thing was certain, the look alluded to malicious intent. "You'll have to work on a better poker face than that or you'll give away the game too quickly." If you could even call it that. One minute the girl was as bright eyed and bushy tailed as the rest then all of a sudden visual daggers were being thrown. This one, she would keep an eye on--if only to prevent the girl from doing something she'd likely but reluctantly regret.

She looked to the rest of the club, ready to move on if there were no further questions.

"Now then, let's talk a little bit about the real world of fighting bad guys before we get into something a little more practical. As I'm sure most of you know, there are two ways to launch an effective attack--a strong defense that holds up long enough for you to get a few hits in while you tire the opponent and the more direct route of an unrelenting assault meant to completely subdue the attacker. Of course there's also an ambush but that doesn't really happen in duels so we won't focus as much on that one."

Alexa dipped into the bag slung over her shoulder. It took only a moment of fishing around before she pulled out two chocolate frogs.

"I'll need two volunteers. One to display their take on the defensive approach and the other to go the more direct, offensive route."

Because talking was well and good but the real learning took place when you could see and even more when you could be a part of it. "Don't be shy. I promise to let you keep all your limbs." Which...unfortunately meant no explosions but she supposed she'd live. "Every else pay attention, take notes if you have to because we're gonna be pairing up in a bit."

OOC: First two people to post can say they volunteered first, it'll be a quick demonstration but after volunteering, give Lex a chance to say what the challenge is before beginning <3