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hermionesclone · 03-18-2017, 08:05 PM

The Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom looked as it usually did: devoid of any unnecessary items such as desks, chairs and most other pieces of equipment you'd find in a normal classroom. In fact, the only things that made this rather empty room look like a classroom were Professor Hirsch's desk and the large blackboard that sat behind it.

Looking around the room, you'll find that it was filled with the usual items you'd see in Professor Hirsch's class: mats and cushions were scattered around here and there, filling up most of the classroom floor but with enough space to walk between them. Don't worry, they're quite comfortable to sit on.

Something that might catch your eye is what happens to be on Professor Hirsch's desk. A number of musical boxes have filled up the desk, ranging in both size and style. Each musical box is different in both the dancing figure that sits inside as well as the musical chimes that ring out when you open it. Confused? The board might give you some clue as to what you can do with them...

Quote:

Feel free to pick up a musical box before you go and sit down. There should be enough for one per person. You may play with it as much as you want before the lesson starts.

Something else near the desk? Hirsch himself, of course! The man was standing next to the desk, arms crossed across his chest and looking as cool and collected as he usually did. Behind him, stood a number of dummies that usually stood in the Training Room or the Duelling Arena and looked pretty normal ~~for now~~.

So come in, grab a seat and wait for the lesson to start.

class progression:

- What do you know about Erklings? And what spells would you use against them?
- Why do Erklings attack children and not adults?
- MINI ACTIVITY: Use the Silencing Charm to stop your music box from playing music
- MAIN ACTIVITY: Students vs Erkling!Dummies!
- Dummies post
- Dummies post
- Dummies post
- Dummies post
- Dummies post
- That's all, folks!

OOC: Please make sure you're familiar with Hirsch's rules as well as the SS site rules before posting. ~~Class will continue tomorrow (late eveningtime GMT)~~ Class has officially started but you're more than welcome to jump in if you want to! Just pretend as though your charrie has been there the entire time. Hope you have fun! ^^

Govoni · 03-20-2017, 01:53 PM

Olivia kept herself far too busy with her own music box to note any of the arrivals past her own. That was probably a crummy move, but she didn't want to run the risk of upsetting herself again, and really... the music box she'd chosen was such a beautiful piece of equipment; it deserved her full attention. Maybe she could weasel Professor Hirsch into allowing her to keep it? She personally didn't give a single fig about it's cheap quality...

Hmm.

Oh, they were getting started.

Erklings. Okay, so, Liv didn't know that much about them given that they were on the more dangerous side. Sure, she was a Gryffindor that could be brave to the point of stupidity, but recent events had all but cure her of that defect. No more risky business for her, mind you. She wanted to live! And live, she would...

Oh, and Char said something interesting. About it depending on the number of Erklings involved. Really, what would anyone do when faced with a potentially dangerous creature? Attack first... and ask questions second? Or maybe run?... Eh, Running wasn't full-proof, given that most would eventually catch up. So, the best bet, probably, was to get a shot off first and then deal with damage control. A shield was smart... Maybe like the one Professor Hirsch had taught them during previous Defense lessons. The Fianto Duri one? So that other spells could be used in conjunction with it.... The aim wouldn't be to kill it, right?... That just seemed like an awful waste. "I know they can be annoying." Helpful. She was so helpful, right? Er, right. Moving on...

"The spell you taught us towards the beginning of the year would probably be useful. Fianto Duri, with whatever shield was appropriate." Against the darts as others had said.. But also, different shields did different things, and it made her think that some witches and wizards had entirely too much time on their hands; coming up with too many shield variations. "I'd want to use a non-lethal spell to follow that up...Immobulus! would be good."

........... And a STINK EYE at you, Derf. "I don't think harming them would cure their temperament." Seriously.

Hey Ju · 03-20-2017, 02:29 PM

Matt was there, alright. He had been there AAAALL along. Just watching people, as he had slowly but surely grown used to doing, because people were fun things(?) creatures(?) to watch.

He was soon bored, though - people weren't really that interesting to watch after all -, so he entertained himself with the music box. He got his wand and charmed it to play Michael Jackson's BEAT IT. RAH!

Awesome. The lesson could start now!

And it had. Errrrrrrrklings. Matt knew hardly anything about them.

"Are they like gnomes or something?" Sounded legit. It was probably wrong, but he didn't reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally care. He had a music box charmed to play Michael Jackson, that was all that mattered!

*PhoenixRising* · 03-20-2017, 03:30 PM

Skylar had been preoccupied slightly with looking over her music box that it took her a moment to realize that the professor had started the lesson and it seemed that they were discussing a dangerous creature that required specialized knowledge. Was this some kind of precursor to prepare them for what lay beyond the portal or was it completely unrelated because Merlin help them if they ever actually learned anything useful?

Listening to her peers as they suggested ideas and whatnot, which were all good ones, Sky jotted a few notes down before thinking of something herself. Her classmates seemed to give good thoughts about what Erklings were but as far as how to deal with them, she had a thought to which she raised her hand to voice. "I would think maybe you could use these music boxes or well music in general, to maybe lure the Erklings to sleep...." because why else would music boxes be provided at the start of a defense lesson? "Or if no means of producing music was available, perhaps there is a spell that could make music?"

emjay · 03-20-2017, 04:36 PM

Still trying to place where he knew the melody from his music box, Henry looked up from the revolving carousel horse inside as someone sat down next to him just before class started. Ah, a first year Gryffindor. He did not know this one's name, but he gave him a friendly smile all the same. "Hello," he said, glancing at the boy's music box, curious to see which one he had chosen. It seemed like first years were drawn to him lately, which was pretty alright by him.

His eyes snapped up as the door snapped shut, instantly getting his attention as class began. Oh.. Erklings. Yes, Henry knew what these dark creatures were. He had never come across one, but he had heard plenty. Nasty little creatures that crept out of the dark baring their long, sharp teeth as they pounced on some unsuspecting victim. Children, usually.. they ate them, didn't they?

Henry was unaware of how his breathing rate began to increase as he thought of those long, sharp teeth, an image that crept back in from the recesses of his mind. He had been vaguely aware that there had been several questions posed, though he had somehow shut out the answers from others as he fixated on the image of long, sharp teeth in his mind. "Stunning spell." The words left quietly from his mouth, almost automatically and without having raised his hand. And if someone else had already answered that, he certainly hadn't heard.

DuckyLinJi · 03-20-2017, 04:53 PM

Dora's behaviour was getting more and more ridiculous. She broke his nose, turned his fingers in to jelly, stole his wand and then later asked him out on a 'date' and he used the marks in 'date' because he had found out that the only reason why she wanted a date was because she wanted to make another guy who happened to be in his House, jealous.

Crazy.

Turning his eyes away from the Gryffindor, he smiled at Derf as he introduced himself "Nice to meet you and...don't mind her" He nodded slightly as to not draw too much attention to the fact he was talking about Dora, "She's...i don't even know anymore..."he sighed heavily, Placing his book back in his school bag, the sixth year turned his full attention to the Professor.

"They like children, as in eating them and can mimick the human language"

Erindipity · 03-20-2017, 07:06 PM

Um. Excuse YOU.

She apologized for EVERYTHING. Especially the date thing. She felt real bad about that. ~~Even if it had totally worked. Hello Casper Greenwood's girlfriend over here!~~ Ahem. And she could totally HEAR Mason speaking to HER Derf. He was hers. Didn't MASON know that?!

Ignoring them both now.

"Sir, they live in the Black Forest or Germany and Bavaria." Was that helpful? She had to say something to drown put the sound of betrayal happening over there.

No smile or glance for you, Derf. Nope. Only a stink eye in your general vicinity.

hermionesclone · 03-20-2017, 09:16 PM

Text Cut: All of you!

Text Cut: Junia

As quiet as it was, the man just managed to catch a hold of what the young Slytherin had said and it only left him in a state of confusion. Why was she apologising? "Nothing to apologise for, Miss Botros," he whispered. She was on time, as far as he was concerned.

It was a shame that the girl hadn't said that last part which connected the music boxes to the creatures themselves. She might have gotten some extra points for that.

"Precisely," he said, nodding his head at her, "Silencing is the best and long-lasting method of defeating them. Use their strength against them. Excellent thinking!"

Text Cut: Bentley

And this student wasn't in the nick of time.

Hirsch raised his eyebrows at the Gryffindor but said nothing. It was probably embarrassing enough to have your robes catch in the door and be stuck there for a tiny period of time.

And his answer? Uh, what?! "I hope you're not planning on giving your siblings away to an Erkling," He gave the boy a searching look before moving onto the next person.

Text Cut: Kat

High pitched cackles? Hirsch nodded along with this answer, particularly the part about human languages and other creatures. "It seems as though you know a lot about creatures, Miss Delgado," he said, "You're completely right: not many creatures can use human languages in the way they do so that makes them extra dangerous."

Text Cut: Kane

Snort. "Annoying little demon things is a pretty accurate term to use to describe them, I'll give you that." As for Expelliarmus, that took a bit more thinking on Hirsch's part. "I don't see why not. With enough force, you could knock them back, maybe even get them to pass out. That's not a bad spell to use against them but there are more effective spells as well." Keep that in mind.

Text Cut: Leon

'take away their voices and you take away their power.'

Ah, it was like music to his ears!

"Exactly! I couldn't have put it better myself." Pleased. He was pleased with this answer. "Silencing spell is probably the best option for them because, as you mentioned, their voices are their best asset. Very well done, Mr Kennedy."

Text Cut: Althea

"YES!"

Too enthusiastic? Maybe.

"Yes, you're completely right! I was hoping somebody would mention this little spell." And frankly, he didn't expect anyone to mention it but was glad that the Hufflepuff had done so. "As inhumane as it sounds, if you suck them into the ground, they won't get the food they need for their diet and are likely to die. Sad but there you go."

This was getting slightly morbid, wasn't it?

"Very well done, Miss Kenning."

Text Cut: Declan

Should he be worried that this student had no qualms whatsoever about setting a creature on fire?

No?

"Excellent mention of the poisonous darts," he said, nodding at the boy, "You're right: stun them before they hurt you." After all, the creature wasn't going to wait around. "If you can do both in quick succession, I don't see why your attempt can't be successful. Good thinking, Mr Kenning."

Text Cut: Levi - I wrote the right name!

Green eyes glanced between each of the Kennings as each of them answered. It didn't take long to figure out that they could be related in some way - siblings, if he was going to put his galleons on a name for this bond - but it was interesting to see how similar their thoughts were. And what was even more interesting was how less violent this Kenning's response was in comparison to his siblings' (?).

Huh.

Right. Answer. "Well, that's one way to make sure it doesn't go anywhere and doesn't use its voice to lure you anywhere," he said, nodding along, "What would you do with it next? Would you leave it there? Turn it in to the Ministry?" There wasn't a right or wrong answer, of course, but he was still interested to see how the boy's mind worked in a situation like this.

Text Cut: Brent

Oh, wasn't this an interesting answer?

The Defence Professor turned towards Mr Westwood as he answered. "Not many people would go for the option of the Babbling Curse," And most probably wouldn't even think of it in the first place. "But it's a very good answer. They won't be in control of their voice or their cackling so you're taking their strongest weapon away from them. Very well done!"

Text Cut: Daisy

Flipenda Tria? Hirsch rubbed the scruff on his chin as he thought about this answer. "It is the most powerful version of the Knockback Jinx and would probably be more likely to knock the Erkling out cold than the other versions of the jinx..." Was he rambling?

"If you can produce the jinx and are comfortable with it, I don't see why not. Like you mentioned, it gives you time to escape."

Text Cut: Noelle

It seemed as though someone didn't really like these creatures very much. Or was she just as horrified about them and their dietary requirements as most people would be? "Their height puts you to an advantage, somewhat, but their cackles are menacing themselves. You're completely right, Noelle."

As for the spells, he did expect Silencio to be an answer but..... Deletrius? "You want to disintegrate them completely?" She sure held no care for them, didn't she? "Do it quickly enough, before they can attack you again, and you'll be successful. But you have to be fast in casting the Deletrius. Very good answer."

Text Cut: Natalia

......... Well. Her way of thinking had changed somewhat, hadn't it? Especially from their first meeting.

"You're quite right, Natalia. Usually, catching someone, be it a creature or a human, off guard does the trick better than you think. But, be careful, some spells work better than others. So, if you're using Oppugno to distract them and then use another spell to finish them off, that'll work. Otherwise, you might be stalling." Better safe than sorry, eh? "Very good thinking."

Text Cut: Dora XD

............... Well.

Silent students were normal and he would've been surprised if he had a class full of students who all offered up answers all the time but considering the fact that Miss Umbridge hadn't offered an answer was..... a little concerning. And it confirmed his previous theory.

Sigh.

Text Cut: Juno

Another quiet student? He didn't really expect this from Miss Darcy, considering what he knew of her capabilities with this subject but that didn't matter. She wasn't the type to fall behind as far as he was concerned. And it didn't look like she was using this lesson as an opportunity to catch up on sleep.

Text Cut: Etta

.............. Oh?

Hirsch fully expected defensive answers in this lesson. Answers that suggested that the students were full on ready to wage war on the tiny, menacing creatures. This was Defence Against the Dark Arts, after all.

But Miss Kramer? She'd gone ahead and chosen an answer that wasn't directly defensive but was indirectly defensive, if you thought about it. He didn't really expect it, if he was completely honest with himself. "That's..... an interesting way of thinking, Miss Kramer. It would certainly eliminate the threat completely," Hmmm. "Transfiguration spells are amongst the most difficult kind of spells to work and even moreso under pressure. If you're more comfortable with that area of spellwork, I don't see why it shouldn't work for you. Excellent thinking!"

Text Cut: Tenacius

His grandma used to say that a lot? Was Mr Salander..... German? Or had lived in Germany? Hirsch wanted to ask but, well, a lesson wasn't going to be the best place to do that, was it?

"A shield charm is probably the best spell you can have at your arsenal. If you're comfortable with it, you could use it against the darts but you'll have to use another tactic against the cackling as well. Excellent thinking, Mr Salander."

Text Cut: Leesha

A simple, straight-to-the-point answer was never bad. "You're completely right. They're related to the gnome family but have a higher Ministry rating. German kids are often taught to stay away from the sound of a cackling, or get told folk tales about being snatched up by them if they're bad as a way of getting them to be good kids." Speaking from experience? He was.

Text Cut: Char

Trust Charlotte to come up with a clever response. One that factored in how many Erklings were present and not just the fact that they were present in the first place.

Impiriano! Smiling, Hirsch nodded along at her answer before saying, "Absolutely! Impiriano would be very effective against their poisonous darts and would probably help to stall them while you think of your next move."

Text Cut: Derf

Was....... was he really talking about dates and being in love? In front of the ENTIRE class?!

The little bit of Hirsch's cheek that was visible instantly turned a shade of pink at those words. Was he planning on embarrassing the man throughout his teaching career at this school? He cleared his throat a little awkwardly and readjusted his glasses before saying, "I'll be sure to ask her, then."

Uh, what? Causing physical pain on a creature was good enough, and he encouraged it if their lives were in danger and it was a life or death situation, but....... giving them a SOCK?! Uh.

"Knocking them out using something heavy is bound to work, you're right. That gives you enough time to get away or do something about the Erkling if you wanted to. It's not permanent but there's a chance it could work. Be careful that it doesn't try to seek revenge." Pause. "I'm not sure whether setting them free using a sock would work. They're not like house elves, even if both of them come from the same family."

"Excellent mention of the Bavarian Erkling, though! I'm glad you brought it up."

Text Cut: Liv

Quote:

Originally Posted by Govoni

Olivia kept herself far too busy with her own music box to note any of the arrivals past her own. That was probably a crummy move, but she didn't want to run the risk of upsetting herself again, and really... the music box she'd chosen was such a beautiful piece of equipment; it deserved her full attention. Maybe she could weasel Professor Hirsch into allowing her to keep it? She personally didn't give a single fig about it's cheap quality...

Hmm.

Oh, they were getting started.

Erklings. Okay, so, Liv didn't know that much about them given that they were on the more dangerous side. Sure, she was a Gryffindor that could be brave to the point of stupidity, but recent events had all but cure her of that defect. No more risky business for her, mind you. She wanted to live! And live, she would...

Oh, and Char said something interesting. About it depending on the number of Erklings involved. Really, what would anyone do when faced with a potentially dangerous creature? Attack first... and ask questions second? Or maybe run?... Eh, Running wasn't full-proof, given that most would eventually catch up. So, the best bet, probably, was to get a shot off first and then deal with damage control. A shield was smart... Maybe like the one Professor Hirsch had taught them during previous Defense lessons. The Fianto Duri one? So that other spells could be used in conjunction with it.... The aim wouldn't be to kill it, right?... That just seemed like an awful waste. "I know they can be annoying." Helpful. She was so helpful, right? Er, right. Moving on...

"The spell you taught us towards the beginning of the year would probably be useful. Fianto Duri, with whatever shield was appropriate." Against the darts as others had said.. But also, different shields did different things, and it made her think that some witches and wizards had entirely too much time on their hands; coming up with too many shield variations. "I'd want to use a non-lethal spell to follow that up...Immobulus! would be good."

........... And a STINK EYE at you, Derf. "I don't think harming them would cure their temperament." Seriously.

Annoying? They were. Really. A menace, even. He nodded at her first answer but it was the second answer that made the man smile wide. "Someone's been paying attention!" This made him happy, it did. His lessons weren't a complete waste of time, it seemed.

"You're absolutely right: Fianto Duri in conjunction with a shield spell will make it stay up longer while you decide which spell you want to use next. Immobulus will freeze them completely and give you the chance to escape or do something about the Erkling. Good choice of spells, Miss Phillips!"

Text Cut: Matthew

Like gnomes? "Well, yes. They're said to be related to house elves but are a much darker, much more dangerous creature in comparison to the house elves or the gnomes." Good, good.

And the Gryffindor was lucky that he'd picked such a good music box from the selection.

Text Cut: Skylar

This was another interesting answer. "So you want to use their strongest weapon against them and make them vulnerable?" Because that was the message he was getting here. "That's some really excellent thinking, I have to admit. It depends on what music you can use to lure them to sleep. Would a typical lullaby work? Or would you have to use another tune?" Because every creature was different, after all. "If you can find a tune that works in your favour, this would be a very good way of defeating them. Well done!"

Was there a spell that could produce music? "There are a few but they're fairly tricky. Maybe Professor Marchand can help you with that one." He was better at charmswork, after all. Hirsch was just better at defence.

Text Cut: Henry

Hirsch wasn't sure what was going on with Mr Whittebrook but it seemed as though the boy was a little preoccupied with something else. Something that the man had no idea about and probably wouldn't find out unless he asked. So, instead, he gave the Hufflepuff a curious look, almost trying to silently ask him if he was okay or if he needed to leave. Really, the man wouldn't be upset if he did.

As for the answer, he thought he heard a whisper of it in the air but, not knowing who it came from, decided not to answer it. It would work, of course.

Text Cut: Mason

Hirsch was glad that Mr Winslow had clarified with his answer because the first part could mean a number of things, ranging from the nice to the nasty. "They prefer the diet of children, yes, you're right. Interesting use of the word 'mimick' there." Instead of saying that they simply know the alphabet and human tongue with all its grammar rules.

Text Cut: Dora

Hirsch was just about to move on with his answer when..........

........... oh? So he was getting an answer from the Gryffindor, then?

He would be lying if he said that this didn't make him happy. It was a step in the right direction, after all. And, to top it off, she'd mentioned something that most people hadn't. "Excellent! I'm glad you mentioned Bavaria as well because they're known to reside there as well and have their own species of Erklings. Well done!"

When it looked like no one else was going to answer, Hirsch turned his attention towards the board. Some might have noticed and some might not have but as the students said their answers, a magical hand seemed to write it on the board behind the Defence Professor. This was mostly for note purposes and for them to keep in mind when the practical portion of the lesson rolled around.

Text Cut: Erkling!Board

And another one for the list of spells:

Text Cut: Spells!Board

That was a lot of information, wasn't it? And some included various pieces that he added in as well, which only made the lists look longer and this room look more like a classroom...

... Was it time to do the practical portions, yet?

"Okay! Those were some excellent pieces of information that you all have provided. It seems as though most of you know a lot about the creature we're talking about and have made smart guesses as to how to defeat them. I have to say, I'm very proud." Really. Look at the dimpled smile on his face.

"The information is on the board but I'll go over the basics for those of you who weren't paying attention to everyone's answers. Erklings are tiny creatures, three feet tall at most, and are related to house elves and goblins. They're normally said to be found in the Black Forest in Germany but some come from Bavaria as well. They prey on children and lure them using their high pitched cackling. When they have them somewhere alone, they eat them." Gruesome? It was. Let's hope nobody felt like throwing up their last meal. "The exception is, of course, the Bavarian Erkling which eats its victims out in the public. This makes them easier to attack but also deadlier because they don't care where they eat their prey."

Breathe.

"A lot of people have mentioned the fact that they eat kids and are only effective on those who have the Trace on them, particularly younger kids. So, my next question is: why? Why children? Why not adults?" There was no right or wrong answer here so he was very interested to see what they came up with. Of course, the Ravenclaw Head of House had his own theories but...... we'll see.

OOC: Gosh, that's a lot of info! Sorry! Hopefully the textcut helps to break it down a bit and summarise everything nicely.

The question is super simple: why do the Erklings attack children and not adults? There is really no right or wrong answer so guess away! We want to see your charries' way of thinking and understanding behind this ^^

We're going to move onto the practical portions veeeeeery shortly! YAY!

I'll try and continue this lesson by tomorrow at 5pm GMT. Thanks for sticking with me through this <3

Artel · 03-20-2017, 09:18 PM

Sinead would have liked to think this could be another productive and uneventful lesson, but... well, this was Hogwarts. When wasn't there drama? She'd managed to make it into the classroom, greet their professor and sit down (near Natalie and Carlton in her year, two of the few students she'd ever actually spoken to at Hogwarts), before she noticed the unusual number of glares which seemed to be flying around the room. And Sinead wasn't a particularly observant person when it came to other people's feelings- but this situation, she had a feeling, could result in her DADA lesson getting messed up. And she was really sick of other people's arguments messing up her lessons. Sigh.

Either way, if she got distracted being annoyed with people preemptively for causing a disturbance, she was only making her own situation worse, so she turned her attention to Professor Hirsch as he started class, eyes flitting towards the music boxes as he mentioned that everybody would need one. Oops. Didn't look like anybody else had failed to collect one, so... time to put their latest Charms lesson into practice?

She tried to be surreptitious as she drew her wand from her robes and levelled it at the music boxes under her desk, taking a deep breath before speaking.
"Accio!" she whispered, praying that nothing would go wrong. She'd been able to do the spell in their lessons, but that didn't mean it wasn't a difficult one...
Luckily, everything seemed to be okay, and the box she'd aimed at whisked itself off the table and flew towards her, narrowly missing Professor Hirsch at it did so (which was lucky, because she hadn't considered dodging him). It flew into her lap with a painful knock on her knee which she rubbed at, scowling, as she transferred the music box to her desk and returned her attention to what Hirsch was saying.

The topic at hand turned out to be Erklings. Which was all well and good- really, it sounded like an interesting lesson- but she didn't know much at all about them. Some kind of small Dark creature? She'd only gleaned a little about them from the textbook.

Fortunately, her classmates seemed a lot more well informed, which allowed her to think for a moment as well as note down all the interesting facts they came up with. She definitely couldn't add any new facts to the conversation, but she could hope to give a new perspective on what defensive magic might work against the creatures.
"Sir, if they attack children, won't that mean that the people being attacked probably can't use magic against them? So you might need something to protect a whole area, like a ward- something like Repello Inimicum? Or- if you stop them knowing where the children are, then they can't attack, so Cave Inimicum? I don't know how they track people, but I think Cave Inimicum can even stop people being smelt, right?"

Okay, so maybe she was just taking this as an excuse to air all the fancy spells she just read about last night. But they definitely could be useful against an Erkling, so why shouldn't her teacher know how much extra research she'd done?

Erindipity · 03-20-2017, 09:38 PM

Well Dora had only answered because hearing someone TALK about you in the classroom was really rather hurtful. So she needed to drown it out, you see. She had no desire to get praise from Hirsch so as he did... she merely averted her eyes and nodded.

And she DID have a theory about why children were lured... because kids were dumb and reckless, right? Right.

Like with the portal nonsense. OMG THERE'S SOMETHING STRANGE OVER THERE LEMME GO POKE IT WITH A STICK OR CLIMB INSIDE OR FOLLOW IT OR WHATEVER. Snort. No thanks. Curiosity is cool sometimes, but there needed to be some logical thinking there, also. So yeah. Her thoughts. She jotted them down and actively ignored Hirsch, Mason, and Derf. Hmph.

Boys were ridiculous creatures.

Hey Ju · 03-20-2017, 10:09 PM

Matt wasn't really reading all the stuff that appeared in the board, to be honest. He did hear what professor Hirsch had to say, though, as he bopped his head to the Michael Jackson song coming from his music box. So the kids had to have the Trace on them to be lured by Erklings? "Does that mean they don't eat Muggle kids?"

And why kids, not adults? "They are small creatures. It'd be hard to eat a full grown adult, I guess?" It was literally a wild guess.

SarcasticStrawberry · 03-20-2017, 10:21 PM

So now note taking was happening, and Kat was copying down all of the information from the board. From both boards actually. The whole class had really came up with a lot of info together. Well done everyone.

Moving as she finished her notes, she listened to the next question. Actually she had tons of ides about this. Raising her hand again. "I think its just because kids are naturally curious weather its seeing the creature or hearing its luring crackles. That or can you picture a three foot tall creature preying on a full grown man." Nah That was highly unlikely. Kat being just short of 5 foot still probably couldn't take on a full grow adult, unless it was in a duel. Even out her chances that way.

Artel · 03-20-2017, 10:40 PM

The notes on the board were welcome, even though Sinead had already copied down most of her classmates' answers- she scanned over them as Hirsch recapped the topic, checking that she'd got all of the information down correctly. The Bavarian Erklings sounded pretty horrible, and kind of stupid too; surely if they just sat around eating children in the open, it wouldn't take long for the parents of those children to find them and, presumably, take care of them? Which brought her right onto her answer to Hirsch's next question, something which was so obvious to her she couldn't believe nobody else was saying it...

"Children are much easier to attack than adults, especially when they're witches or wizards," she pointed out, eyebrows lifting intently. "They'll probably be easier to lure away because they're less suspicious- but mostly they're less likely to hurt the Erkling than a fully trained adult witch or wizard. It's like we don't eat wolves or bears, we eat sheep and cows, because they're not going to attack us. That would mean they should probably hunt Muggles, too, because they're even less likely to hurt the Erkling, but maybe there's something different about magical people which means Erkling only want to eat them?" It was easy to be matter of fact about this kind of thing in a nice safe classroom- thinking about the issue objectively like that, Sinead really forgot she was talking about children being eaten by monsters. She was sure no competent witch would let that happen, anyway.

2111jen · 03-20-2017, 11:12 PM

Uuuuuuuuh. Jonas frowned. Maybe because the children were so inoscent and unsuspectiing?
"Maybe because the children are so inoscent and unsuspecting?" Jomas asked.

TakemetotheBurrow · 03-20-2017, 11:13 PM

Junia was thinking about snakes and how even though they were tiny, they could still eat animals that were larger than them. Just because an erkling was small didn't mean it could only eat things that were small. She agreed with the answer about magic, though. Small children were less likely to use foreceful spells on the creatures. Or, well, perhaps it was that they wouldn't know as many spells. There were a lot of factors to that particular reason to consider.

Hm.

"Perhaps children just taste better. It could have to do with the diet of children and how it differs from the diet of adults. Like little kids eat more candy and junk food because they're not worried about empty calories." She paused and then added, "Maybe the kids are like sweets to an erkling." Whoa.

thekraken · 03-20-2017, 11:21 PM

It was always bizarre how very alike Althea and her brothers were--they often had similar thoughts on how to handle life or death situations. It probably had a lot to do with how they were raised, than anything else. She beamed at Professor Hirsch, excited that she'd given a correct answer (and also happy that he wasn't put off by her violent idea. She quickly made a running list of the answers that Hirsch had provided them, along with the contributions of her classmates--at least, she attempted to get it all down. Her only distraction? Her extremely obvious older brothers being a nuisance and giving her looks; she let out an exasperated sigh and attempted to remain tight-lipped as the professor lectured on.

She watched as the board filled with notes, and, again, Althea tried to copy down as much as she could. From what she'd heard about Erklings from various relatives, she prayed to never run into one. Professor Hirsch's added explanation had given her more reason to fear them. Raising her hand, she said: "Is it because adults can't hear their high pitch? It's probably something in the frequency of the sound. Children do tend to be more susceptible to supernatural things like that." This was coming from her own experience with bizarre, other-worldly beings.

Goblinfrog · 03-20-2017, 11:33 PM

She would have answered on what Erklings were, but so many other people had answered that it didn't feel necessary. Most of the answers were more descriptive than she would have given. Erklings weren't something she'd heard a whole lot about, though they sounded quite terrifying.

"I think maybe they'd attack adults too -" she began, in answer to his second question. "-if adults were lured by their screeching like children are. I mean, if an adult was lured in, would the Erkling let her/him go? That's just a theory, though, I don't know. Maybe they only attract children on purpose."

Her hand shot back into the air. "Professor, I was wondering: do we qualify as children? Or does the Erkling's cry only work on younger kids?"

*Holmesian Feline* · 03-20-2017, 11:35 PM

Erklings…

Cassie couldn’t say she had known much about the creatures but she was paying attention to what both her head of house and the students around her were saying about them. A challenge given the fact the music box she had been allowed to borrow had been trying to catch said attention from its place before her on the mat. Just what the music box had to do with the lesson and erklings peaked her curiousity and she was ready to find out just what the connection was. She just had to wait until the professor was ready to reveal that tidbit.

Patience Cass.

For now it was talk of small, horrid creatures that manipulated or attracted prey by sounds. Which likely corresponded to the music box, she thought to herself. The spells and defensive actions went into her notes with the rest of the information though the Ravenclaw inwardly hoped she never had to deal with one. She wasn’t scared….she’d just prefer not to if she could help it. Cass guessed visiting Germany might be one way to stay away from them given Hirsch’s further explaination on the creatures.

“Could it be something about the physiology of children that erklings notice and we don’t necessarily pick up or care about,” the fourth year suggested. “Taste…smell…something else.” After all, hags also went after children so maybe there was something there.

Shanners · 03-20-2017, 11:41 PM

Rooney was silent and Rooney was frozen in spot.

Essentially, he had zoned out as soon as the class began and was looking closely at the music box in his lap to distract from everything. He occasionally popped his attention back to the answers being given and the information provided by Professor Hirsch and then it dawned on him. Erklings. They ate children. And although he knew what he had encountered was not one of them, he was very well aware now that being eaten would have been a blessing in the situation he had faced.

The Ravenclaw shrunk as far back against a wall as he could, cradling the music box in his arms and tried his absolute hardest to zone back out.

No. Thank. You.

Govoni · 03-21-2017, 12:19 AM

Any defensive magic would've probably made sense against these creatures, but Olivia was pleased, nonetheless, that her answer had been praised. Despite repeats, it didn't feel any less special to her... Thank you very much. Also, yes... she was writing everything down from the board; given that she was still in a period of light catch up. The blonde was doing so well. It would've made zero sense to fall behind now.

Also, the Gryffindor had ideas about this targeting business... Ideals inspired by her stomach. Merlin, she was already hungry again. It was starting to frustrate her greatly.

"Sir, do you think some magic has different flavors?... I agree with Junia, too" Hello, smol Slytherin lady. "I think the diets of children would probably play a role, but also the magic placed upon them when they're much younger. By adults." Olivia had spent a lot of time over the past two months with natural witches, who practiced a different form of magic entirely. Different, but magic was magic, wasn't it? It all come from the same place within. She'd been told that certain spells permeated a different smell and taste, depending on EMOTIONS... Oh! "Emotions, as well! A range of emotions might taste differently from one another... Like how Dementors only feed on the carefree, cheerful ones." She was going somewhere with this, she swore it. "So, perhaps magic comes in different flavors, too. Magic and emotions." Perhaps the trace tasted better, as opposed to curses or hexes... Okay, Olivia was finished.

Heh, sorry for rambling, Professor.

Also, her best friend senses were tingling, but she was not going to search him out. After class.... Yes.

ChanceCoeur · 03-21-2017, 12:38 AM

Noelle was jotting things down from the board, her head rising and falling trying to get everything down. It was amazing how quickly some could copy what was on the board and listen to Professor Hirsch.

Once that task was completed, she took notes on what some of the others were saying. "I would think because children are smaller... their bones would be easier to chew" The thought was so daunting that she made a face to go with her answer. Ugh. What a horrible thought.

Noelle ganced at the music box next to her parchment and connected some of the dots, but not all of them. Hmm.

Lady of Light · 03-21-2017, 12:44 AM

Etta was busy drawing on her parchment. Drawing professor Hirsch's face actually.. 'cause why not? It was coming out pretty well, wasn't it? She studied the drawing for a moment. Hmm. Except maybe Hirsch's eyes weren't THAT close together. Yeah.

--- Derf's familiar voice distracted her. Also.. UM.. did he just say something about giving a sock? To a freaking Erkling? Seriously? She turned to give him an incredulous LOOK. Hi, Derf.

Also... ERM.. as for the professor's question. Did they really have to keep talking about it? Couldn't they just move on to the spellwork already? "Professor.. children are more curious, aren't they? They can't really distinguish between danger and safety.. they tend to explore." She was starting to feel super uncomfortable once again, especially when people started to talk about their taste, so she simply concentrated on her drawing, hoping it would divert her attention.

HaRoHeGiNeLu · 03-21-2017, 01:37 AM

Lucy...mused...and slowly raised her hand into the air.

"Adults...don't pay attention like kids do," she started in a distracted tone, as she tried to choose her words carefully, "They're..open minded and full of wonder...and adults...focus on what they need to do, and can easily tune out everything else. Children don't have those kinds of responsibilities." Therefore, making them more likely to notice the Erklings in the first place, let alone follow it to...their...demise.

MunchyBubbles · 03-21-2017, 01:46 AM

Leon tilted his head at the question and listened to a few of the other people's answers for he raised his hand and supplied his own "Children are more vulnerable than adults are, they don't quite have the constant vigilance that adults have, they are more fanciful as well, they would be the kind to listen to a random song from a creature, whereas adults would tune it out.."

He said with a smile as he sat on his cushion, the music box on his lap..

The Erklings almost reminded him of the old muggle myth The Pied Piper, his pipe only worked on kids as well..

Angie · 03-21-2017, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermionesclone

Green eyes glanced between each of the Kennings as each of them answered. It didn't take long to figure out that they could be related in some way - siblings, if he was going to put his galleons on a name for this bond - but it was interesting to see how similar their thoughts were. And what was even more interesting was how less violent this Kenning's response was in comparison to his siblings' (?).

Huh.

Right. Answer. "Well, that's one way to make sure it doesn't go anywhere and doesn't use its voice to lure you anywhere," he said, nodding along, "What would you do with it next? Would you leave it there? Turn it in to the Ministry?" There wasn't a right or wrong answer, of course, but he was still interested to see how the boy's mind worked in a situation like this.

In truth, Levi hadn't been expecting Hirsch to follow up with him. The man had, presently, just about the entire school shooting answers at him, some of which Levi had to admit were probably better than his very own. But it was still somewhat comforting that his answer had caused the man to pause, to ask for more. He always did enjoy being taken seriously by adults, especially one like Hirsh, who sort of looked like he could punch someone into oblivion but also invite them over for tea or even for a lovely afternoon picnic without even breaking a sweat. Not necessarily in that order, but.

Levi blinked, twice.

Anyway.

"I think that'd depend on the situation, sir." He paused, for a second, trying to find a way to properly make his point. "Do erklings travel alone? or in packs? Because it seems to me like you come across one in an area that has been suffering quite badly because of erklings..." eating children. But that part went without saying, "...then perhaps it'd be advisable to find a way to make the captured one talk or communicate with you in some way. To give you the whereabouts of the rest, if possible." It's why he'd suggested the body bind curse, and not a regular stunning spell. Levi would want to make sure the creature remained conscious. "They seem like smart creatures. Brutal, but surely they can be reasoned with one way or another, right? At least a little bit?" Levi shrugged one of his shoulders. "I guess calling the Ministry wouldn't be a bad idea, sure, but time can be of essence, especially if it's urgent, right?" Orrrr you could do both. "Or you could do both."

There.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermionesclone

That was a lot of information, wasn't it? And some included various pieces that he added in as well, which only made the lists look longer and this room look more like a classroom...

... Was it time to do the practical portions, yet?

"Okay! Those were some excellent pieces of information that you all have provided. It seems as though most of you know a lot about the creature we're talking about and have made smart guesses as to how to defeat them. I have to say, I'm very proud." Really. Look at the dimpled smile on his face.

"The information is on the board but I'll go over the basics for those of you who weren't paying attention to everyone's answers. Erklings are tiny creatures, three feet tall at most, and are related to house elves and goblins. They're normally said to be found in the Black Forest in Germany but some come from Bavaria as well. They prey on children and lure them using their high pitched cackling. When they have them somewhere alone, they eat them." Gruesome? It was. Let's hope nobody felt like throwing up their last meal. "The exception is, of course, the Bavarian Erkling which eats its victims out in the public. This makes them easier to attack but also deadlier because they don't care where they eat their prey."

Breathe.

"A lot of people have mentioned the fact that they eat kids and are only effective on those who have the Trace on them, particularly younger kids. So, my next question is: why? Why children? Why not adults?" There was no right or wrong answer here so he was very interested to see what they came up with. Of course, the Ravenclaw Head of House had his own theories but...... we'll see.

OOC: Gosh, that's a lot of info! Sorry! Hopefully the textcut helps to break it down a bit and summarise everything nicely.

The question is super simple: why do the Erklings attack children and not adults? There is really no right or wrong answer so guess away! We want to see your charries' way of thinking and understanding behind this ^^

We're going to move onto the practical portions veeeeeery shortly! YAY!

I'll try and continue this lesson by tomorrow at 5pm GMT. Thanks for sticking with me through this <3

That was a lot of information.

Fortunately, the blackboard seemed to be updating itself thus giving the Gryffindor time to take all the necessary notes. He had no problems offering suggestions on how to deal with magical creatures and he had no problems with his wandwork either.

But. There was certainly the matter of confidence that Levi felt often got in the way during this class once the practical portions began. Not that they were there yet, but this was Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was only a matter of time.

The thought alone almost made him made a face.

"What about magic overdose?" He raised his hand, a little belatedly. "We all have magic inside of us, right?" Which sounded like an awfully corny thing to say. Levi felt the back of his neck heat up. "Maybe erklings target children specifically not just because they are more susceptible to their particular, uh, baritone, but also because there is just so much magic they can handle at the same time?" Not that children had less magic than adults, but surely it wasn't quite as powerful. Was powerful even the right word?

Suziella · 03-21-2017, 04:51 AM

Juno thought long and hard about this. There could be many reasons, and everyone's answers were very valid points. But Juno, as usual had a different idea.

Juno raised her hand, and when called on replied, "Well, it could also have something to do with a child's innocence or their imagination. As we get older we lose that innocence and a lot of our imagination. Many children have imaginary friends growing up and, well, the voice of an Erkling could make a child think that maybe it's their imaginary friend actually talking to them. When a child grows out of that and goes through the trials of life, they lose their innocence and their imaginations." Her deep as usual answers. "Of course it could be the size thing as well." She added at the end hoping she didn't sound too crazy.

She bit her bottom lip and stared at her music box.

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