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hermionesclone · 07-14-2017, 05:14 PM

It might come as a relief to notice that the location of the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson is in its usual place. After all, trying to do a lesson outside in the April showers just wasn't worth it.

Despite the weather, the classroom looked bright and well-lit, giving you the chance to notice the things that were in the room and the things that weren't. No desks, no chairs and not even Hirsch's desk stood in this room. In fact, it was lacking so many pieces of equipment that it almost made the room look bigger.

Something that might surprise you is the lack of mats or cushions in this room as well. Instead, the floor of the classroom seemed to be softer than usual, as if extra padding had been added to it and thereby making it comfortable enough to sit on.

But the biggest change in the room? Rocks.

Standing on the other side of the room and where Hirsch's desk should've been were an array of rocks. The rocks ranged in size: from the smallest ones that you could hold under your arm, to the larger ones that were almost the size of an average fifth year. The largest rock was a gigantic one that had the smoothest exterior by far and almost reached up to the ceiling itself. The more observant people might notice something purple sitting at the very top of the rock but that's not something to concern yourselves with now.

Hirsch himself can be seen leaning against the largest rock, looking as cool and collected as ever and waiting for, well, you.

So come in, make yourselves comfortable and wait for the lesson to start.

class progression:

- What do you know about trolls?
- What spells would you use against a troll?
- MINI ACTIVITY: ROCK SMASH! Use the Bludgeoning Hex to try and smash the rocks
- MAIN ACTIVITY: ROCK CLIMBING!
- 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 (eveningtime GMT+1) Hope you have fun! ^^

ArianaBlack · 07-15-2017, 08:43 PM

Awwwwwwwww. No dragons? Zoryn couldn't help but feel disappointed. YET AGAIN. But she was excited for the lesson nevertheless. Especially when Professor H revealed that they'd be learning about TROLLS. HEY! Wait a minute. How come they were learning about trolls but they've never gotten to learn about DRAGONS? Both are technically creatures!!! They could've had a lesson on both! Why not both? Y'know?

But alas, trolls. What the heck was there to know about those???? Aside from the grades she no doubt make on her OWLs, trolls weren't something that Zor expected to ever encounter. Thus, she didn't know much about them. Except maybe one thing.... "They're HUGE and weigh LOTS!!" She threw both of her hands in the air to try to show JUST HOW HUGE they were.... Sort of.

2111jen · 07-15-2017, 08:53 PM

As everyone was responding, of course, Zoryn was here, her response was ALWAYS the loudest.
Joy he thought to himself dryly.
Why couldn't she just grow up? She was only two years younger than him so...he just sighed and shrugged. It was what ever he guessed. He wasn't going to give up in being her friend though.

griffin · 07-15-2017, 10:52 PM

It wasn't that Isa didn't want to learn, it was more of a fear about learning about all the dark stuff. She didn't like it. Really she wanted to be able to defend herself, but she hoped that she wouldn't need it because she was afraid of facing the dark magic they learned about in this class. All of her life she had been sheltered from anything that might harm her. Okay, so honestly she didn't really want to learn in DADA, but she wanted to want to learn. Isa knew how important self defence skills were, even at Hogwarts where she was supposed to be safe. Especially at Hogwarts where unexpected things happened all the time. Self defence might one day be the difference between life and death. Maybe she should talk to Professor Hirsch. Isa knew that things couldn't stay this way for her forever. Eventually she would have to learn about the evil things in the world and how to defend herself. Just maybe not today.

Oh, trolls? Isa didn't know much about trolls, but she knew that they were violent and could hurt people. She didn't like violence. "Trolls are very violent and aggressive." That was all she had to say. The young hufflepuff was no expert on trolls. All she knew was that trolls were violent, and violence was wrong. Trolls sounded highly immoral. Did trolls have morals? Could they tell right from wrong? Did they know how bad violence was? It was awful, how there was so much violence in the world. It just wasn't right.

Cassirin · 07-16-2017, 02:27 AM

The relationship of trolls to rocks didn't make sense to Katy yet, but she sure appreciated the effort the professor made in tossing puns her way. She flashed him a grin and the double thumbs up for his effort. Rock bottom. She'd missed that one.

"There are three sub-species of troll, mountain, river, and forest. Obviously, named that way because of their preferred habitat, but they have widely varying physical characteristics." It sounded like a book answer, didn't it? "And they're super ugly, sir."

NifflerFan · 07-16-2017, 02:30 AM

Emmeline wasn't really up for talking about her feelings but she appreciated the professor's asking. She shot him a thank-you type smile instead of saying anything and tried to not think about stuff outside the lesson. Her pygmy puff was hiding in her top pocket as usual now, so she glanced down at Luna to feel better.

Then it was time to start. Trolls, hmm... She thought that her classmates had already given good answers, but maybe she could talk about its weakness? How would she escape a troll... The first year's hand shot up when she thought of something, but she wasn't sure about this answer really. "I think that since trolls are really big and heavy and stupid, that maybe wizards could confuse them with lots of loud or like, flashy spells and stuff. And then the wizard would have more time to run away super fast or think of the next spell, maybe?" Like she said, she wasn't sure. But maybe that would work for a first move against a troll.

Charely Potter · 07-16-2017, 02:31 AM

Hmm.. Kirk's eyes did briefly look at the purple.. thing. But only until his attention was called by the start of the class. He didn't want to sit just yet, so he remained up while the topic turned to Trolls.

Oh.. So what did he know about trolls? "I know Trolls are the worst markings you can get on exams so that'd mean they're not bright at all." That was one thing, other than the other well-known answers. "And they do not belong in the dungeon."

RandomRaven · 07-16-2017, 03:17 AM

While waiting for the lesson to start, Ava just stood there tapping her foot on the soft floor. She saw Olivia Phillips entered the room and smiled at her. "Welcome back." Yeah, she knew about the incident that happened to her fellow lion and it's good to know that she's getting better. And there was Noelle Summers. "It's weird that you're the one who's more often to call me 'love' than my own dear boyfriend." She grinned. The Gryffindor prefect was known for her affectional behavior towards her best friends like her. Sometimes she wondered if Phillip was jealous about this, you know? Well... maybe not.

As the DADA professor started the lesson and mentioned that the students were allowed to sit at the squishy floor, Ava decided to keep standing because... There's no particular reason for that, she loved standing. They're going to learn about trolls? Huh, interesting. The Gryffindor put her hand up as Professor Hirsch asked them. "Trolls originally came from Scandinavia, but I heard that they can be found all across Europe. Also, although they are not that smart but some of them can be trained as security trolls."

Kimothy · 07-16-2017, 05:10 AM

Of course it was nice to see Vivian early to class, Professor. Hadn't she always been early to Defense Against the Dark Arts? The Slytherin couldn't seem to find a valid reason to not attend said class, for all the reasons.

How was she? The question made Vivian beam even more if that was possible. "I'm feeling super today, Professor!" She said while nodding and maintaining her smile. "And I hope you're feeling super as well." Sure, this was sort of small talk, but she didn't mind. They were both the only people in the room as of now so striking up a conversation was appreciated, not that Vivian gave a care if Professor Hirsch preferred to remain in silence. "Every class deserves a special song, Professor!" GIGGLE. Maybe she'd make that a thing from now on, and she definitely loved to challenge herself with finding a specific song for each DADA class. She'd have to up her skills, but her train of thought was halted when the other students began pouring in.

The fourth year looked up and smiled at those she knew, giving them each a wave. "Hi Ava, Liv, Stasya, Miss Noelle, Olivia, Derf!" The other students she didn't know weren't left unnoticed, as Vivian gave them all polite smiles as they entered the room. That way, they weren't being left out and ignored.

Moving on with the lessons... which was about trolls apparently. Vivian blinked because of course she knew what they were, but she never really gave thought as to what they actually did and do. She nodded along as her fellow school mates shared their answers. Yup, she knew a few of those facts. The fourth year raised her hand to share her view. "I've never really met a troll, Professor, but I think they like to grunt. Like this..." she said, and then gave her best, although sounded more like clearing her throat, Troll!grunt as an example.

Cue the innocent Fairfield smile.

SilverTiger · 07-16-2017, 08:44 AM

“I’m good!,” Stasya had replied, as Professor Hirsch had returned her greeting. She decided that he was good too, because she’d gotten a grin from him too, and she was still distracted by her excitement over Liv being there again. Even if she wasn’t sure if the older girl was going to be okay during the whole lesson. There was that whole ‘be ready to fight’ thing after all. Maybe fighting wouldn’t be good for her, but then maybe Professor Hirsch would make sure everything was okay. He was god at that. She knew it for a fact now.

She was going to stay sitting by Liv, though, giving Emmeline and Vivian grins as they’d acknowledged her. Except she was worried about her best friend too. There was lots going on, even if she knew she didn’t know all of it. She knew Emmeline wasn’t acting like she usually did, before her parents were all mean and stuff. Worried enough that she’d completely forgotten to answer the question about trolls, but then most of what she knew about them had been said. She wasn’t sure she knew anything else.

Hey Ju · 07-16-2017, 08:57 AM

Matt was REALLY looking forward to whatever it was they were learning about in this lesson since he saw the notice. He was READY TO FIGHT, alright!

The classroom arrangement made him even more excited and when professor Hirsch asked the first question he nearly fell off his imaginary chair.

TROLLS!!! MERLIN, they were goimg to fight TROLLS! He hoped it would be an actual troll and not just a dummy this time. They needed real life practice, you know? Trolls out there were probably nothing like dummies.

HE WAS READY!!!! Standing up and all.

He nearly forgot to answer the question. "They STINK! Like, for real." Literally.

DuckyLinJi · 07-16-2017, 09:11 AM

Deciding to stand, Mason snapped his book he had been reading before class closed and placed it in his bag before straightening back up. He placed his arms in his robe pockets and looked to the front.

He was curious about what the topic of today would be about and when the Professor said it he had to agree. You had to be REALLY stupid if you didn't know what trolls were. While students gave their answers, Mason listened and memorized them so that he did not copy someone elses answer and when it was his turn he lowered his hand first.

"Apart from Dragons, the trolls who are a bit more intelligent than the others are trained and used to guard places or objects. Which, in my opinion, is very dangerous because they're very unpredictable and can attack the one they're working for in an instant"

*PhoenixRising* · 07-16-2017, 01:04 PM

Uh, what was up with the lack of proper seating? Did Hirsch KNOW all the desks were replaced with rocks and mats and cushions? Well, duh, of course he probably knew ... unless someone had interrogated him and maybe they were polyjuicing themselves as Hirsch?

Best to be vigilant here, Sky decided, as she took a seat close to the door so she can make a quick escape if necessary.

And they were talking about trolls, which there were lots of comments being tossed around about their intelligence, or lack thereof. Wait, what did Kirk say? Lowest score one could get on their exams, which was symbolic of their brightness? Really? Is that why it was named a Troll if you did poorly? Why had Skylar not realized this before?!? Also, did Vivian just grunt? Sorry, but seeing one of your best friends grunt, when you weren't doing so in the joking setting, the fourth year let out a giggle!snort.

Right, focus.

"Trolls can be up to twelve feet tall in height, with the mountain troll being the largest and most vicious of the three types of trolls." They also consumed raw flesh, which ... uh, did Hirsch bring a troll to class with him today? Yea, escaping might definitely be an option, which was weird for Skylar Diggory to even be considering ... but it was better than the possibility of being some vicious creature's lunch.

Schroyers · 07-16-2017, 02:50 PM

Oliver grinned at Hirsch's response. "Your class is always interesting, Professor." ... Trolls? What did Trolls have to do with a sticky floor? Or a purple thing? Huh.. Maybe it was just a misdirect?

Whatever.. What did Oliver know about Trolls? Hirsch was about to get some signature Oliver Lupin word!vomit. "Trolls are omnivores, but that has more to do with their lack of intelligence and willingness to eat anything. Their whiskers have been used for wandcores and they were at one time classified by the ministry as 'Beings' due to walking on two feet but once the ministry found out about their low intellect levels they were reclassified as a four X beast." It wasn't too much, he didn't want to go on and on but between his CoMC studies and HoM he had plenty of facts rattling around in his head.

Govoni · 07-16-2017, 05:07 PM

SPOILER!!: You guys!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

Even if he hadn’t been the one to rescue her and her dorm mates from the scary forest, Stasya knew she wouldn’t have missed the next DADA lesson. Besides, she had to prove she was strong, even if she wasn’t entirely sure who she was proving it to. She’d held her own so far in dueling club after all, and all her other lessons. She just felt like she needed to prove it. The rain hardly bothered her, but deep down she was a little bit grateful that the lesson wasn’t being held outside. It was one thing making her way through the rain to go to the barn and the nursery, but standing outside in it was different. Especially with the part in the notice about the lesson about being ready to fight.

Walking down to the first floor, a confused expression crossed her face as she’d entered the classroom only to find a whole lot of rocks. And a squishy floor that reminded her of the Spongify charm she’d used when dueling Emmeline, but way stronger. Actually, that part was kind of cool, and she was tempted to bounce but she didn’t. Or, she mostly didn’t as she made her way further into the room. “Hi Professor Hirsch!,” she said brightly, giving him a grin. No tears this time. Especially not when she saw a familiar figure in the room, one she hadn’t seen in a while.

Hi Liv! She went over and gave her a big, but careful, hug.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oesed

It had been nearly a month since the last IMPS challenge but Levi Kenning was nothing if not consistent at nursing grudges close to his chest. This was especially obvious when the reason in question was his mother's well being and now it'd been threatened. She was perfectly fine now, of course, but. It was a matter of principle at this point.

And everyone on staff was guilty, as far as he was concerned. Even Hirsch, regrettably. Thus his "Good morning," to the man was rather short and lacked any of its usual--not enthusiasm, but certainly, it lacked interest. The lack of chairs and desks was noted with some light disappointment but the rocks were something else entirely.

Levi openly eyeballed them. If anything, they'd serve as a good surface to bash his head against if he embarrassed himself.

And, look, there were people he knew. And Olivia Phillips was back, and the girl was really nothing short of a miracle of modern healing, as far as he was concerned. He'd seen her and the blood and--yeah. He sent her a small wave.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChanceCoeur

Noelle wasn't too far behind Ava to DADA class. Smile on her face, feeling GREAT.

She was excited about this class. She had read the board in the common room and was curious what Hirsch had up his sleeves.

She paused when she entered the classroom. She studied the classroom curiously, her eyes traveling up the rocks. Something caught her eye at the top but she figured Hirsch would tell them in due time. Speaking of Hirsch, there he was by the biggest rock. "Good day professor!" She said brightly to him and then said hellos to everyone in the class before going to stand by Ava. "Hey love" she said nudging her with a grin. She looked as happy as Noelle looked.

Which was a good thing.

Also... Liv was back!! The girl got a wide grin from Noelle. Noelle had heard what had happened to her. She was glad she was well enough to be back in classes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NifflerFan

DADA was, in addition to Charms and CoMC, the most important class Emmeline was taking this term. Unfortunately, this particular lesson was being held on one of the best or one of the worst days of her life -- she wasn't sure which one yet. She and Professor Stewart had the scary court thing later this afternoon, and the entire idea was really kind of overwhelming. She'd been tempted to skip all of her lessons today -- not that Professor Stewart would be very impressed by that -- but what would she do instead? Sit in the common room and do nothing? No, thanks! She'd thought briefly of hiding in one of the creature barns, but that was a no-go too; Professor Wayland was always either in there himself or teaching right outside them. There's no way he wouldn't notice a student lurking in there during lessons time. Plus, what if Professor Hirsch taught them a new defensive spell that she'd end up needing?! Skipping just wasn't an option. To say that Emmeline was super distracted today would be a huuuge understatement though.

As she entered the classroom, she noticed the squishy-ness of the floor that reminded her of her first duel that had been with Stasya. She showed only a little surprise at the classroom being totally empty of its normal stuff and that there were loads of rocks around too. "Hi, Professor Hirsch," she greeted him with a forced smile as she walked past him to stand by Stasya -- and Miss Olivia!!! Emmeline approached her friends with caution, 'cause what if Miss Olivia was still bothered by noises? "Hi Stas, Hii Miss Olivia,"she said in a slightly quieter tone of voice than she usually would've done. She reallllly wanted to hug Miss Olivia, but she definitely didn't want to risk hurting her or anything, so she kind of just stood there and beamed at the older girl.

Quote:

Originally Posted by griffin

The notice for the lesson had said be ready to fight, and Isa Wright did not want to fight. NOPE. Not doing it. Honestly if this wasn't one of the required classes she wouldn't be here. Everything they learned about in this class was just so dark and evil and depressing. Isa couldn't stand all of the evil in the world. She couldn't understand why anyone would ever do evil things. Every time she thought about all of the bad things she cried. So many people suffered because of unnecessary evils in the world. She just wanted the world to be a happy, safe place free of injustice and evil. Why would anyone ever intentionally harm someone? Isa just couldn't understand why anyone would do that.

As usual, Isa was reluctantly hanging back in a corner near the door so she could easily leave if she felt that she needed to. She liked Professor Hirsch as a person, really, but she just couldn't handle learning about evil without getting all sad and upset about why it was so evil, and she never participated in anything that involved fighting or violence. Stasya, Emmeline, and Kane all got friendly waves from Isa. Later she would have to check in with Emmeline to see how things were going for the young Gryffindor girl. Hopefully everything would go well and Emmeline would be able to stay with Professor Stewart. If things didn't work out, Isa was totally prepared to just keep Emmeline at home forever and ever. Anything to help her friend.

Was that Liv? Liv was back! Isa waved at Liv. Later she would have to go and properly speak to Liv, but Liv was probably overwhelmed by everyone welcoming her back right now. Besides, Isa wasn't really in a talkative mood right now. This class had that effect on her. In DADA the usually bubbly third year hufflepuff turned quiet and timid. This was by far her least favorite class. Most of the time Isa didn't participate in the activities, so her skills were lacking as well. If she ever needed DADA skills to survive in the near future, things probably wouldn't turn out well for her. That was probably something she needed to talk to Professor Hirsch about.

Olivia hadn't known what she'd been expecting... Two months was a long time to be away (and out of people's minds), but most everyone was being very kind. Little Stasya and Emmeline.... Her smol Gryffindor loves. Isa and Noelle, too. She tried not to feel too embarrassed by the series of unfortunate events that had taken her away, but stopped herself. There was nothing to feel shame over, as it simply hadn't been her fault... Of course, this only made her wonder who's fault it actually had been, but that was a downward spiral meant for another time and place. Not in the middle of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Anyway.....with a wide smile, the blonde returned Stasya's hug; pressing her face into the top of the younger girl's hair. After a few moments, she tugged Emmeline into it, too. GRYFFINDOR GROUP SNUGGLE! Also, Olivia definitely appreciated the quieter tones, as her head seemed to be nothing but a giant 'ache' lately. The healers had mentioned that she may experience headaches for a while still, but that they should lessen over time. Merlin's chest, Liv hoped this was the case. "Let's have a slumber party tonight." Surely a lot had happened while she'd been MIA. Besides, she wanted to catch-up with her favorites.

And then, she noticed Levi Kenning... Olivia wanted to speak to him, but figured it'd be best left for later. There was just.... a lot she needed to say; Thank you, mostly....considering he'd helped save her life.

"Kinda sluggish, but I didn't want to miss sitting in." Yah, the blonde lion!lady wouldn't be able to really participate, but here she was! Anyway, it was better to get the notes first-hand, and not have to depend so much on Jacen Reed. Bless him. He'd really gone above and beyond for her. "I'll try not to get in the way." Yup, she'd just be...sitting off to the side, watching everything. Cause this girl was a visual learner. Written notes only did so much.

SPOILER!!: Professor!

"They like to guard bridges." Or that's what muggle fairy tales had taught her..... Ahem, sorry Professor. "They like to eat people, but aren't too picky about what they put in their mouths, even if they do prefer it. I think they like fish, too." For a brief moment, Olivia was reminded of Sméagol, from Lord of the Rings...and him eating the fish raw.

Gag. It was a sight one couldn't easily unsee.

"I guess it would depend on the type of troll...if you're thinking about weakness?" It was a question since she honestly didn't know. Anyway, surely that varied; considering whatever environments they were physically used to.

hermygirl · 07-16-2017, 06:01 PM

"It IS Sir!" Sam replied excitedly, pulling the book back out of her bag and holding it up so he could see the title. It was the Common Room copy of the one he'd been reading when she'd recently gone to visit his office. She'd be finding it to be an interesting read indeed.

And as for getting tired? Nah, Sam was full of energy today, and quite happy leaning against this rock here.

As for the topic of the lesson, Sam looked around the room curiously. Was Hirsch keeping a real live troll in here somewhere? The rocks seemed like their sort of territory, but was the ceiling high enough for a troll? It was often hard to just scale from textbooks.

"They belong to the Genus Troglodytarum," she replied, hoping she'd got the pronounciation correct. "And mountain trolls often ride graphorns...which the graphorns don't like very much, because, as Skylar said, the mountain trolls are the heaviest."

Angie · 07-16-2017, 06:37 PM

Levi was about to open his mouth to say something to Nicholas Tate--probably 'hello,' maybe 'good morning,' either would have sufficed--when Derfael joined them. Tate didn't look particularly pleased, but Derfael looked quite excited, so maybe the younger boy was going to bring in some slight balance here. He offered both Hufflepuff boys a mild smile and would gone on to throw in a nod or two for good measure--manners were important, after all--but Hirsch decided to speak just then. To say hello and call him Levi instead of Mr. Kenning and to smile at him and do the whole glasses thing that would have normally worked, but this time it would not. Levi was quite resolute about that.

Maybe.

He had to keep himself from smiling by looking pointedly away, so the automatic smile did not actually flourish as it intended to, but. The corners of his mouth did indeed twitch. So, he reached up to cover it with one of his palms.

It'd been a close call. Certain reactions to certain things were just intent on putting up a good fight, it seemed.

Good news was that class had started and everyone had something to say about trolls. Levi couldn't say he'd have preferred pogrebins as Derf had suggested--trolls were a rather more exciting topic, of course--but it was interesting to him (and kind of weird, maybe, just a tad) how much his peers seemed to know about the beasts. Or beings, as someone had so adequately pointed out.

He'd had no idea trolls were so popular, but this was why he was sent to school, really. Learn something new every day and all that. He lowered his hand from his mouth. "Trolls are stupid but terribly strong. With the ability to be quite vicious." Obviously. "Which makes for a very dangerous combination, really." Super strong, over-grown toddlers,
really. "Though, possibly, with the correct tools and training, it'd be better to face a troll than a giant. If anything because giants are notoriously smarter."

hermionesclone · 07-16-2017, 07:59 PM

Text Cut: You guys <3

Text Cut: Vivienne

Downright stupid and downright pea brains?

Hirsch was amused. Very much so. "I take it you don't like trolls?" He didn't really expect anyone to like the topic at hand but this description was nothing short of amusing. "You're right: they're really very stupid and outsmarting them shouldn't be hard. Well done!"

Text Cut: Jonas

Diet! He was expecting someone to bring up this part.

"And that's what makes them so dangerous to us." Though, considering, not as dangerous as some of the other creatures he's covered over the years but still dangerous. "Word has it that they prefer raw humans but something tells me that they're not entirely fussed. You're very right, well done."

Text Cut: Kitty

That was a nice transition, wasn't it?

"You're completely right. They understand a limited number of human words and phrases with some of the smart ones going on to become security trolls." Which, he hoped someone would go on to mention, simply because it was an interesting fact. "Their violent nature stops them from getting the being status. Well done!"

Text Cut: Nicky

This was another interesting fact.

"Trolls," Hirsch said, giving the Hufflepuff a nod of his head, "It's interesting that your dad's got troll whiskers in his wand. Their whiskers are powerful and used in wands but it's said that they're inferior to the cores that we're so used to." He half wanted to ask questions about the troll whiskers and the wand but decided against it. This wasn't the time or the place.

Text Cut: Zoryn

This answer right here made him smile. That and the way she threw her hands in the air.

It was the enthusiasm, you know?

"Well, yes. If you want the specifics, they're roughly 12 feet tall, give or take, and weigh about a tonne. I think the size, along with the violent nature, is what makes people tend to be scared of them in the first place." But size was no guarantee of power, was it? "Well done, Miss Spinnet."

Text Cut: Isa

He had to admit: he was glad that Miss Wright had answered. It was one step closer to wanting to participate in the lesson.

Or, well, that was how Hirsch was seeing it.

"Exactly," he said, giving her a nod and a smile, "Their violent tendencies are what makes them so dangerous and makes the Ministry classify them as beasts, not beings. Well done, Miss Wright."

Progress? He thought so.

Text Cut: Katy

The grin and the double thumbs up gave him the sign that she approved of his lame puns. Heh. Maybe his jokes weren't that bad, after all.

Maybe.

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Smile. "You're very right: there are three types of trolls and you can easily tell them apart because they all look different, while still looking like trolls. Some say that part-trolls exist but I think that's mostly used as a way of insulting someone." hich fitted in with the super ugly part.

Text Cut: Emmeline

Here was another answer that made him smile.

While most people had gone on to mention the characteristics of a troll, Emmeline was talking about its weaknesses and ways to get past it. Naturally, it made the man very happy.

"Exactly!" he said, nodding along, "Both confusing them and running really fast are methods that could work when you're faced with a troll, considering how slow and stupid they are. In fact, I'd say that's the first point of defence, if you find yourself in that situation. Very well done, Emmeline!"

Text Cut: Kirk

Considering what Kirk had come to talk to him about earlier on in the year, Hirsch wasn't at all surprised that the Ravenclaw knew the grades and what they stood for and why Troll was a grade on the list. "Nice connection you've made there. It's not a grade anyone wants to get for any of their exams, after all, so you could say that it acts as motivation." Sort of.

And the answer about the dungeon? That earned the boy a snort. "Exactly!"

Text Cut: Ava

He was wondering when the place of origin part would come up and, now, here it was!

"Absolutely correct. Scandinavia is where they're said to have come from but since then, they've spread. Hogwarts itself has housed a troll or two over the years." Interesting fact right there. "I'm glad you've mentioned security trolls as well. Quite a few people use them to guard their buildings or treasures since people are less willing to fight a giant troll."

Text Cut: Vivian

Feeling super? This, right here, was something that made him smile. "I'm glad you're in such a good mood. You could say that. I'm excited to be teaching." Not that this was something she probably cared about but it was true. "That's nice of you, Vivian. You can be the one to provide the soundtrack to my lessons."

That grunt? That was also going in the list of unexpected things to happen in this lesson.

Hirsch, once again, let out a small chuckle at that but nodded at her. "Exactly like that. Well done!"

Text Cut: Stasya

Quiet responses were to be expected and it didn't surprise him that they were coming up. As long as it wasn't a cause for concern, he didn't really mind. So, at Stasya's lack of an answer, the man simply smiled, pushed his glasses a little further up his nose and then moved on.

Text Cut: Matt

The excitement from this Gryffindor was nice to see. Really nice. It meant that the boy was ready to be part of this lesson and would participate.

Though, he hoped he wouldn't disappoint the boy because there really were no trolls or dummies here. Sorry.

But this answer? Uh. "I mean, you're certainly not wrong about that. If someone tells you that you smell like a troll, that might be a cause for concern."

Text Cut: Mason

Oh!

Oh!

This was not something he expected. He knew he'd get answers based on characteristics and what the creatures actually do but mentioning the dangers with integrating them into society was new. "That is a clever observation. You do run a risk of the trolls getting out of hand and rebelling, in a way. But I guess the people in charge would have their own ways of dealing with that."

Which sounded sad, now that he thought about it.

Text Cut: Skylar

Hirsch was very much aware of the lack of seating and, in fact, the reactions amused him.

Constant vigilance, indeed.

"Exactly, Miss Diggory," he said, giving the Slytherin a nod of his head, "They also carry around a club so they really are the ones you should be scared of the most between the three types. Well done!"

Text Cut: Oliver

His class was always interesting? Well, if there was one way to get the man to smile a wide smile, this was it. "I'm glad that you think so. Thank you, Oliver."

Word!vomit, indeed. The man's eyebrows shot up at the answer the Slytherin was giving. "That is some impressive knowledge you've got about trolls. Well done!" Really. The man was impressed. "You're completely right, of course. Their aggressive nature adds onto their classification as a beast but that is why, adding onto what you said, they're not classified as beings."

Text Cut: Liv | SHE THOUGHT ABOUT LOTR AHHHHH!!!! ahem

Guard bridges? "Yes, they do. River trolls in particular like to guard bridges and catch their prey, humans and fish, from there." Not a nice thought, was it? "You're completely right, well done!"

Ah! Weakness!

Now this is what he liked to hear. Hirsch smiled but instead of asking her to elaborate on that answer, he simply said, "Hold that thought, Miss Phillips."

Text Cut: Sam

That book! Was it.....? "Ah, will you look at that?" Hirsch had expected the Ravenclaw to pull out a book on the latest magical theories around Herbology or Arithmancy but to see the book that was in his office pop out of her bag was something else. The dimpled smile made a return once again. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, then."

"Exactly," he said, giving her a nod, "Graphorns give them scars as a way of attacking for the way mountain trolls treat them. Well done, and good attempt at that genus name." Not even he would've attempted it.

Text Cut: Levi

Should he be worried? Because this wasn't a reaction he usually got from the Gryffindor. Or should he put up missing signs for Levi's happy spirit?

Hmm.

Right now, he was going to concentrate on the answer, instead. "Exactly! Their violent tendencies are what makes them so dangerous in the first place." Though, there was a way to defend yourself against them so that wasn't something to worry about, at least. "I like your comparison of trolls and giants. Well done!"

Did it look like anyone else was going to chip in? Nope.

Carry on? He was going to.

"Okay!" he called to the class in general, "Those were some great answers given. It does seem as though everyone knows something about these creatures." Good!

"In case you weren't listening," ~~Why not?~~ "Trolls are creatures that are very strong but also very stupid. They're violent, aggressive and are said to be unpredictable. Their motto is act first, never think about it ever. This is something you could use to your advantage because, as humans, you're all good at thinking and problem-solving." If not, that was something to work on. "They come from Scandinavia and are said to be related to the Yeti but, of course, the characteristics of the two creatures have changed a lot over the years."

"There are three types of trolls: mountain trolls, river trolls and forest trolls. Mountain trolls are the largest and most vicious of the three: standing at 12 feet tall and weighing over a tonne. They're bald and pale grey and are usually seen carrying clubs. They are the ones most people are scared of, between the three." Just saying. "They ride Graphorns, and did so in August 2020 when they were travelling through Hungary."

"River trolls have short hair, purple skin and are very hairy. They're usually found beneath bridges or in the middle of rivers. They're generally less than 12 feet tall, as are the forest trolls." Breathe. "Forest trolls are pale green in colour but they have a few straggly hairs on their head. They're found in forests and woodland creatures, as you can tell from their name. It's been said that the Forbidden Forest has some forest trolls in there but you're more likely to come across centaurs in there than you are of forest trolls." And he didn't think they were anywhere near the grounds in the first place.

Breathe.

"Now! Trolls can do rudimentary magic, which is a brand of lesser magic that's also used by hags. They don't really use this a lot and prefer to use their aggressive nature, instead." So beware of the clubs, if anything. "In saying that, though, there is a way to defend yourselves against them. Picture this: you're faced with a troll, any of the three types of trolls, and you need to get out of there as quickly as possible. What would be your first point of action? What spells would you use?"

OOC: I'm loving these answers! Look at you guys go!

The question is more along the lines of spellwork: if you were faced with a troll, how would you try and get out of there? What spells would you use against a troll?

I'm going to carry on tomorrow at roughly 7:30pm GMT+1.

Thanks, lovelies

Hey Ju · 07-16-2017, 09:40 PM

"If they're carrying some weapon you can try and use that against them, since they're not that bright." Matt said, lowering the hand he had raised. "Or trick it to trip over something or lead them into an awkward space they can't get out of. Then the next step could be figuring out how to knock them out." The boy thought out loud as he spoke.

He then thought about what he had just said and wasn't too sure that would be the best idea. "Well, Stunning spells probably wouldn't work, so I would try and use something... anything, really, that was lying around. Or hanging around." He shrugged and continued to think how he'd approach the situation if he ever came across a troll by himself.

"I wouldn't just leave it there wide awake and ready to attack, in case someone came across them after me." Surely that was the right thing to do? "What if I just ran off and then somebody encountered the beast after me and then died? Their death would be on ME. No, thanks." No one would be able to live with THAT. Matt surely wouldn't.

lemon · 07-16-2017, 10:04 PM

The Hufflepuff provided Hirsch with a furrowed lift of his bushy eyebrows. Was he implying something about his father's wand?

It was most certainly adequate and functional, mind you.

Most of Nicky's focus was now being utilized to mentally defend his tad's magical capabilities, rather than to answer the posed question. Point of action? Spells to use? Why would he KNOW that? Anyone who wanted to make a speedy getaway and possessed a few brain cells would run.

He wouldn't say that, though. Last time he'd been so crass in a lesson, someone had most definitely sought him out after class...

This discussion was geared towards Gryffindors, really. Discrimination!

2111jen · 07-17-2017, 01:12 AM

What spells...what spells....hum...Jonas wouldn't have any idea. He bit his lip. Hummm...oh! Raising his hand,he had two responses. One of them being a question. He wouldn't mind right?
"I would say a paralizing spell" he said. "You know. To make them stop? And is it true that Trolls live under bridges?" Jonas asked. "That's what some muggles say."

Cassirin · 07-17-2017, 02:14 AM

If it was up to Katy, she would be smart enough to run if facing a troll on her own. And why would she ever be facing down a troll? Just wandering through the woods after dark, perhaps? Or maybe she'd hang out under a bridge, just for fun? Unless the professor was suggesting she might run into a troll just in her every day travels.

That was a scary thought.

Katy raised her hand. "Professor, I'm thinking that their larger size means that regular stunners won't work on them. Those are intended for people and don't work the same on non-humans. But regular old knocking them out or slowing them down would work through non-magical means. Maybe levitate a tree or rock on their heads. Or just swipe their feet out from under them with a good blast of wind."

RandomRaven · 07-17-2017, 02:30 AM

she listened to Professor Hirsch's explanation about what's the difference between each trolls. But for her, they're just same: a gigantic strong creature with a pea-size brain.

What spell that she's going to use against the troll?

Huh, this was tricky. Despite of how dumb they were, but trolls were strong, okay? An ordinary stunning spell probably wasn't enough to defeat them. "I think I am going to use rope conjuring spell aiming to their feet, or maybe stickfast hex, Professor. Because I need to make them not to have ability to chase me down. Petrificus Totalus can also work." Ava answered his question. After all, she was a Gryffindor but at least she tried not to recklessly attack the creature.

sweetpinkpixie · 07-17-2017, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermionesclone

"The topic of today's lesson is........" A rather dramatic pause followed while Hirsch took out his wand and moved it in an intricate fashion to conjure up a holographic image of a large, rather ugly creature with a small head and a very large body. "Trolls! Everyone has to know something about them, from the simple to the more complicated so my question to you is: what do you know about trolls? Give me anything: their characteristics, their weak points, whatever you can think of."

So not pogrebins. Okay. Well... KINDA disappointing but the Hufflepuff supposed he would survive. SOMEHOW

Trying to settle in - but the rocks were kinda distracting and he kept expecting them to pop to life or something - his head snapped back around when the professor mentioned that they WOULD be studying creatures today.

OKAY HE COULD FORGET ABOUT HIS CONSPIRACY THEORY FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT! FILTER ON!

TROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLL ~~in the dungeon~~.

OH OH OH there was LOADS that Derf could say about them. LOADS!

LIIIIIIIIKE...they are grouped in the taxonomical genus Troglodytarum. Which was like...REALLY fun to say aloud. Troglodytarum. Troglodytarum! Also that they originated in Scandinavia but are now aaaaaaaaaaall over Europe and super strong but also super dumb and because they are super dumb they are only considered half-sentient. Which made him wonder something...like like...did that make the Whomping Willow more smart than a troll?

Hmmmmmmmmmm....

Besides their height and stuff...they also only had two toes on their feet with GIANT toenails. Were trolls flexible? Probably not with those massive forms...but then like how did they clip their toenails? Did other trolls do it for them? With like...their teeth?

Thinking about troll toenails distracted him distracted him from actually raising his hand and answering the question. Oops.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hermionesclone

"Now! Trolls can do rudimentary magic, which is a brand of lesser magic that's also used by hags. They don't really use this a lot and prefer to use their aggressive nature, instead." So beware of the clubs, if anything. "In saying that, though, there is a way to defend yourselves against them. Picture this: you're faced with a troll, any of the three types of trolls, and you need to get out of there as quickly as possible. What would be your first point of action? What spells would you use?"

Okay but if Derf were faced with a troll his first instinct probably wouldn't be to leave if we are all being honest with each other here.

So his first instinct was prooooobably not the sort of response that the professor was looking for.

Okay but did the professor HAVE to mention centaurs because now Derf was thinking about asking Theroes to introduce him to a forest troll too. What had the question been?

"I'm not s-s-so good with s-spells," Derf answered. "S-So I probably wouldn't us-se magic at all...but trying to trip them by like...making them hit something...like a ROCK while they chas-sed me seems legit."

Schroyers · 07-17-2017, 03:25 AM

If He were to face a Troll? Maybe one day.. He planned to see the world eventually. Not sure when but Oliver had plenty of plans. Long term, he wasn't good at short term planning and there was always someone there to remind him of that.

"Well Trolls are very stupid so maybe fighting it wouldn't be the best course of action at all? You could distract it with light or sound. But i suppose if i had to fight it I might go with a few charms to protect myself instead of trying to injure the troll." You couldn't mount on offense if you'd been crushed by a club. Or at least this was Oliver's train of thought.

NifflerFan · 07-17-2017, 03:54 AM

Emmeline beamed at Miss Olivia when she suggested a slumber party. That sounded like loads of fun!

And then it turned out the professor knew way, way a lot about trolls. She learned stuff that wasn't even in Fantastic Beasts! Also, she kind of wanted to see a troll riding a Graphorn now. Maybe meet one of the forest trolls too, 'cause she was sure it wouldn't attack if she was all polite and stuff. Trolls are super aggressive and get mad easily, uh huh, but they're also so stupid that maybe if she brought it food, they could be friends? Mostly she just wanted to pet a Graphorn.

She'd already kind of, sort of answered the professor's second question when she'd said her answer to the first one, so she tried to think of what exactly she would do. Like if it was an already-angry mountain troll or something where being friends wasn't really an option. Raising her hand, she replied:"I'd cast purple firecrackers not AT the troll directly--" it wasn't okay to hurt trolls for no reason -- "but maybe kind of close to him or in the distance behind him so he has to turn around and look. OR if I knew how to cast a bunch of dark smoke, I'd do that and then run off before he can see properly again." Though the smoke idea ran the risk of being trampled maybe. The wizard would have to be SUPER careful how they cast it, but then, if you're up against a TROLL, you have to be super careful about any magic you use anyway.

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