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When your beloved students enter the room, they will find the room transfigured into the Courtrooms of the Ministry of Magic with some wonderful guests (those pesky vines intruding). There is a phonograph in the corner playing some elevator music waiting for them to enter. Professor Holden stands in the center of the room greeting students as they come in and handing them one of three colored cards (blue, white, and red). Welcome to class. Take a seat.
OOC: Welcome to MY SECOND HoM class!! So excited to have you guys here Opened a day early- please come post. I will move us on in 24-36 hours.
Please enter the room and mention which coloured card your student takes! This will be important for the future activity
If you are not familiar with the rules, please reference them here. Also any questions that you might have, please message me via PM throughout the lesson. I will be more than happy to answer them. I will update this post as we make progress.
Slytherindor ♛ The Crazytastic Besties ♛ Shan Watson ♛
He offered Ash a smile and would have added more back but it was lesson time. Though Simon, in fact, DID have an iPod. It was his great granddad’s. Didn’t really work too well. It made a nice book end on his bookshelf.
The older Mordaunt has guessed the purpose of his lesson. Had the young man SEEN his lesson notes? Had Ethan broken into his OFFICE?!
Simon wore an amused grin on his face when Scarlett Mordaunt spoke up. She had an interesting answer surely… “It may seem boring but I hope to unpack it to make it seem less boring, Miss Mordaunt,” he offered. She was young- it was understandable to think of courtrooms as boring.
The next several answers flowed very nicely together. He liked that the students were building off of each other’s facts much like the tree branches and vines had started to grow, adding little leaves. Miss Blaze and Mr Nam’s facts went hand in hand. Both brought a smile to his lips. “Yes, it was created to govern witches and wizards. Great fact, Miss Blaze.” A smile appeared on his lips as Evan Nam flawlessly recited several facts together. “Excellent, Mr Nam!” Simon could not have said it better himself. He turned his gaze to Valentina who ended her comment with a right? He nodded. “Yes, they were involved in that too,” he affirmed offering her a small smile.
Violet, Phoebe, Ash, Daniel, and Ivy all had strong examples of the laws. “Terrific examples. Thank you!” he said as he added that to his list. He was a very happy camper- he could tell that most of the class had done their pre-reading which would make the activity far more enjoyable.
He tapped the chalkboard with his wand and the points they brought up were there.
SPOILER!!: chalkboard
Pre-dated the Ministry of Magic and Wizengamot
Governed Witches and Wizards
Created several laws (the Code of Wand Use, Statue of Secrecy, Werewolf Code of Conduct, Golden Snidget)
Standardization and Classification of Magical Beings
Remy’s question gave him pause. Didnt the Wizard’s Council do similar things to the Ministry today? “They did,” he said with a nod before continuing on. “The Wizard’s Council is the first recorded instance of Wizarding government in our history. They did everything from making laws, enforcing laws, and judging events and activities.”
“Several historical accounts would suggest that the Wizard’s Council acted similarly to our Ministry’s Wizengamot which Mr. Mordaunt alluded too. That’s the next question. What’s the function of the Wizengamot? What does it do? Who were historical members? And who are the current members?”
OOC: Next post is up. Sorry for the delay- was traveling today. Great answers- Simon is chuffed! moving onto the second question about the Wizengamot. Several of the charries have guessed it! We will be role playing a trial in our main activity.
That was... a lot of questions and options for what to focus on to give answers for. Evan probably could have bored everyone and given one of each, but... he figured he'd pace himself and focus on one for now. The function of the Wizengamot was to uphold law and order, like any governing body. He honestly hadn't researched too much into the current in order to establish how he felt this particular one was doing (so maybe he couldn't answer all, though he assumed the current minister would be part of it as well) but historical members was something he'd certainly read about previously.
Evan raised his hand, waiting to be called on before offering a name. "Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was actually the chief warlock in the 20th century. He was removed from his post when the wizarding world thought he was a liar and conspiracy theorist by claiming Voldemort had returned after the Triwizard tournament. Once it was confirmed he and Potter were not liars, however, he was reinstated." Evan briefly wondered if there'd been a lot of public apologies over that as well. Though... if memory served, there might have been a sacking following that event.
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Let them point and laugh at who we are, it's you and me here dancing from the start
doesn't proofread tweets | #wrongaboutcereal | #siriusly? | emo to the extremo
Kins hardly saw the point of answer questions in class anymore now that she had her own, personal rules about not asking questions. So instead of joining the discussion, she took out her notebook. Hopefully from her spot alllll the way over here, Professor Holden wouldn't see that she wasn't actually taking notes on the lesson itself.
She was too busy sketching pretty dresses and playsuits to bother with writing down facts about the Wizengamot. Yes, yes. She was very sure they were very important. And obviously, Kinsay knew stuff about them too. Like how sometimes they were biased about things and how they didn't give Sirius Black a fair trial before sending him to Azkaban and how Barty Crouch Senior was a member and had to put his own son on trial for being a Death Eater (the drama!).
"The members wear pum-colored robes," which didn't necessarily answer any of Professor Holden's questions, but Kinsay thought it was interesting to note regardless. She knew because her mum used to be a VERY important member of the MLE. She politely lowered her hand after offering her insight. Maybe she'd make these dresses plum-colored too, in honor of their lesson topic.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Lemon!
Valentina ran a hand through her messy blonde hair, impatiently waiting for the activity part of the lesson. This was all so boring!! She sighed as she noted down a few points when the professor came up with a few more questions for them to answer. She hesitated for a moment before raising a hand.
"I think it has around fifty members??" .. and that was her contribution.
Yawns were definitely tempting. With the set up, Florrie had hoped the 'normal' part of the lesson would be short and sweet. So far it was neither, but the sixth year surprised herself by actually knowing something about what they were talking about! Knowing something well enough - or at least thinking she did - to raise her hand and wait to be called upon.
"As you said, the Wizengamont dates back to the Wizards Council - when the Ministry was formed, it was incorporated into the Department of Law Enforcement, to both create and uphold laws," she offered. The words legislation and tribunal floated around her brain, but for fear of using them in the wrong context (what did they even mean, really?!!?!) Florrie kept quiet on that point.
Now, could they move on? Do something fun?
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⇀ Standing now, calling all the people here to see the show_____________________________
Calling for my demons now to let me go ↽
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
This lesson was moving along rather smoothly, wasn’t it? At least Claudine thought so with the way that their answers all fit together and what not. She made her notes, itching for the activity to get started. She sensed this was going to be a good one.
The seventh year sat back, listening to replies for the next set of questions. Was there anything else that could be added? Yes, there was. Up went her right hand. “The first Minister for Magic - Gump, I think - was once Wizengamot’s Chief Warlock.”
Jedi Master•General Iroh•Java Junkie• King ♛ Stefan •Mycroft Holmes•Dragon Lord•Druid Boy
Noah wasn't quite sure what to make out of Professor Holden's (lack of) reaction. Was he wrong? Why did he seem to look...suspicious? The Gryffindor sat back, crossing his arms, wondering what just happened, but got distracted as the intruding veins seem to have moved...and...were those new leaves?
Peeling his eyes away from the vines, the sixth year shifted in his seat as his name was called out, nodding in understanding that his answer was correct after all. So what is the Wizengamot, and what do they do?
Noah raised his hand after the last student spoke, "The Wizengamot is superior to the Ministry's Council of Magical Law. So basically, they are the ones who do hearings and trials for far more severe, complicated, and high-profile cases." Yep. He was glad he wasn't keen on taking on Magical Law in the future. It sounded daunting, stressful, and frustrating.
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"It didn't go quite as planned." | The Underground Studio Translation: I may have caused irreversible damage on a monumental scale.
Ash played with her wand, drawing it from her holster and twirling it between her fingers like that younger student had taught her to do. It usually helped her concentrate on the topic at hand, unless of course she dropped it. "The Wizengamot is older than the ministry, but younger than the wizard's council. It's, like, the supreme court for wizards, or something similar to that. Like Noah said, they usually only take cases that are complicated, controversial, or important." She put her wand back in the holster, looking very very deep in thought. Because... Did the court ever take on a meaningless case because of corruption, or because they thought it was important, or... oh, and also, what's the popular opinion of the Wizengamot... do they set precedent for future cases... who decides who's a part of the wizengamot... why...
So... yeah. Ash wasn't lost in thought. She was lot in thoughts. Way too many thoughts.
Ash refocused on the room around her. Were they going to be reenacting a historical trial, or simulating a fake one? She bet on the first one. Had this question been answered already?
"They don't just hold trials, they also make the laws and policies. They're like the main legislative body for the Wizarding World." And just how were they selected, Violet wondered. Did anyone really know? She thought it was all a bit fishy.
A path is not simply for walking, its purpose lies in moving forward and improving oneself.
Not raising his hand did not mean that he knew nothing about the Wizengamot. He had done his reading before class like instructed. He knew that it was a combination of court and parliament and that was made up of around fifty members. He also knew of a few notable members were Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge and that the trials were brief and that no wizarding lawyers existed on behalf of a defendant. His mother would have been outraged! But with many having already said a thing about it, he thought it was pointless to repeat an answer.
Instead of raising his hand in the air to answer the questions, Daniel opted for opening his notebook and began to copy the writing on the chalkboard. Once he was done, he picked up the white card again and turned it around as if he could find a clue on what role he was going to get later on.
"The Wizengamot should run our government and set our laws, but I'm like pretty sure the peeps with the most money and influence do that. If they had real influence the war probs wouldn't have happened." Sorry, Professor. Kale Trent was a skeptical lil nugget. It had started when some random dude melted his Dad's face and had been solidified when he puffed into smoke and darkness.
He didn't really trust the government to do anything. SURE. The function was supposed to be one thing, but did it really work that way? Nah.
Slytherindor ♛ The Crazytastic Besties ♛ Shan Watson ♛
No surprise- Evan Nam had his hand up first. He listened to the young Ravenclaw as he offered another fact. This time - it was about Albus Dumbledore. He nodded, remembering studying the case in his former History of Magic class. “Very true. And look how events turned out. Cornelius Fudge was silly to doubt them... perhaps.”
Now Kinsay James’ comment was more focused on what they wore. He wasn’t expecting an answer on how they were dressed but her comment did help him think of just who he’d ask her to play during the simulation. “Indeed. Plum is correct.” He even had the perfect shade of robes for the kids to put on.
Valentina Nichols was next and he nodded once more. “Yes, it was around 50 members.” He turned his blue eyes to Florrie Charbonneau next. Her facts were accurate too. Once again, he was chuffed that the student’s had done their reading and we’re offering all the facts. “Precisely so, Miss Charbonneau! The Wizengamot pre-dated the Ministry itself. Records state back to 1544.” He then turned his attention to Claudine Blaze. “Mr. Gamp was once the Wizengamot’s Chief Warlock. He had an impressive career. His greatest legacy was that he founded the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He also outlawed the use of the Unforgivable Curses.”
It wasn’t as if Noah Mordaunt’s reenactment of his dear Uncle (and Simon’s closest ) was lackluster. It was good - hauntingly good. He was more upset that Noah Mordaunt may have already deduced his plan. “They do and we shall be exploring a few today.” Simon turned his attention to Ashley Fox. He nodded in agreement. Yes, the Wizengamot is older than the Ministry. Her comment about the Wizengamot being like the Supreme Court brought a smile to his lips. “Creative analogy.” He’d have to mention that to some of his colleagues who went to Illvermorny to hear what they’re thoughts were on it. He offered Violet Blackthorne a smile. “They are the main legislative body for the Wizarding World” His. His eyes flicked across Daniel Yoon, whom was in silent (probably in deep thought), and then landed on Kale Trent who brought up the point about corruption. He hadn’t asked for an opinion like this. For an opinion like this though.... he wanted to explore it. “Corruption most likely exists in all governments. It’d be naive not to think so.” Simon, unbeknownst what had happened to the children (at least the particulars), wondered what brought this cynical point of view out. “Mr. Trent sounds like you’ve got a case you’re building.”
He was about to move the class on to the main activity but thought the best idea would be to explore this idea. Consider it a practice for their arguments. “Class. Let’s do a mini-activity in order to practice for our mock trial. Call our Activity: FOR or AGAINST. If you have a RED card, then you are arguing that the Ministry if corrupt. If you have a BLUE card, then you are arguing that the Ministry is not corrupt. If you have a WHITE card, then you may choose which side to debate on. The topic of our mini-activity is: Is the Ministry of Magic corrupt? You may use historical references to defend your point.”
OOC: Hi folks! PLOT TWIST - we’re doing the Mini-Activity right now. The first debate topic: Is the Ministry of Magic Corrupt! I encourage you to use SS canon (prior Ministry or Hogwarts terms) to prove either point. As Simon said, if you have a RED card, then you are arguing that the Ministry is corrupt. If you have a BLUE card, you are arguing that the Ministry is not corrupt. If you have a WHITE card, then you have the WILD card for now.... We’ll move on in 36-48 hours to the main activity. Any questions? Message me!
This class was going much smoother thus far, and Evan could feel himself relax a bit - not waiting for it to turn controversial. Granted, he was probably relaxing too soon, as their mini activity was then turned to topic of was the current ministry corrupt. He didn't know the exact amount of students who had parents employed, but he could only imagine there were some who did who would be up in arms about it.
Though, Nemesis Upstead did not appear to be around to stir the pot - though for reasons he didn't know. Evan hated to admit there was often truth to what the Slytherin said, like one of the most heated discussions in the beginning of term as he had noted their opinions had been similar. But people were always on the defensive when they spoke. They were an enigma.
Hearing the assigned view points, Evan was relieved when he looked down at his red card in hand. Argument for corruption. Easy. Raising his hand, he waited again for his turn in order to share his portion of the argument. Debate was often fun to him, so he was fully open to the differing opinions. "The ministry showed the point of corruption in recent events with how the Neo-Alliance was able to get such a stronghold on the ministry. While Minister Hollingberry himself seems honorable, the fact of the matter is that not all of the division heads and employees were as well. And their easy infiltration was what made it possible for the Minister and others to have been cursed and turned into puppets of 'The Greater Good'." Nonsense that it was.
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Let them point and laugh at who we are, it's you and me here dancing from the start
Both her parents worked for the Ministry and Scarlett wasn't happy just aSsUmInG they were corrupt, because she knew there were NOT.
THEN AGAIN, she also had heard - because her parents worked there - that their leadership the other year wasn't too great, so MAYBE it was corrupt.
Merlin, this was boring and exhausting already. Eurgh.
But FINE, Scarlett had picked a RED CARD and so she'd PLAY HER PART.
"THE MINISTRY IS CORRUPT" She shouted PROCLAIMED before making her point, "BECAAAAUSE..." Uh...
Uuuhhhhhhhh...
...
"Uuuuum... beCAUSE... the people in charge can be under evil influence." She finally said. "Like under an UNFORGIVABLE CURSE."
TUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU--
Breathe.
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN.
That was it. That was all she had.
BUT it'd happened before and she KNEW it.
PEOPLE WERE GOOD in general, in her humble opinion, BUT not ALL were good - not ALL the time, at least - aaaand she KNEW that TOO. The EVIL people COULD have cursed the nice guys - AS THEY HAD NOT TOO LONG AGO - and THEN the Ministry would be corrupt.
WITH HER PARENTS WORKING THERE still. It could happen. It had happened.
Dem Carters | even 🕊🕊 have pride | | Expecto PAWtronum 🐈 | U-NA-GI
Welp.....she didn't have a horse in this fight. She hadn't grown up here in Britain like most of her classmates had, so she had no frame of reference about their Ministry of Magic. But she also held a white card, which gave her the freedom to choose a side.....or simply sit this debate out. Which is what she chose to do. Couldn't get mad at the one staying neutral, could you? Or maybe these weirdos could, one never knew.
Also, the stupid vines? Why didn't people simply sever them, like she had, if they bothered them so much? Seemed reasonable to her.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Salt!
Ash should have picked the red card... she thought the ministry was super corrupt! She sighed a little bit, but didn't complain. After all, it was important to be able to see both sides of something, as long as they were reasonable. Or whatever. Yeah. But Ash spent a lot of time thinking about her argument, because she didn't believe it and it was harder to see perspectives that weren't hers. "Um... Uh..." Ash cleared her throat a little bit, hesitated, then continued. "The ministry is not corrupt... well, mostly not corrupt... because when they found out that we were in danger, they came here to rescue us even though it was dangerous and they didn't have much time to plan. And then a lot of people died for us. They also went and found most of the people responsible for taking over Hogwarts and hurting muggleborns in the ministry. Even though there are bad parts of the ministry, they try really hard to get rid of that corruption and do the right thing." That was... a surprisingly reasonable opinion, and it made Ash's stomach twist. She didn't want to talk about it. And no, it had nothing to do with the activity. It had everything to do with... with... No. Ash didn't. want. to. talk. about. it.
She sort of just stared off into the distance and pretended that she didn't exist.
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
So that’s what they were doing for today’s lesson.
Claudine’s only regret was her not being given the red card for she was quite sure that there was a great amount of corruption within the Ministry once upon a time. Right off the bat, Evan made some good points to which Claudine silently agreed to. Scarlett? Not in the least bit helpful to the red card holders. Oh well. The seventh year would have to make the best of being stuck with a blue card.
“That term when that mist took over Hogwarts, animals went missing from Hogwarts and the Forest, two students were also missing.... the Ministry made alternative arrangements where the students and professors relocated temporarily to Beauxbatons. The Department of Environmental Regulations and Protection and the Magical Creatures Department employees were also sent in to figure out what was causing the mist. Certainly if there were corruption within the Ministry, those sort of attempts to fix the situations would not have been doled out and to also protect the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.”
Jedi Master•General Iroh•Java Junkie• King ♛ Stefan •Mycroft Holmes•Dragon Lord•Druid Boy
Procuring the white card from his shirt pocket, Noah twirled it between his fingers in thought. His knee-jerk reaction was to stay neutral, as his card would suggest, but the budding businessman has been exposed to the realities of the world through his grandfather, and great-grandparents. Corruption was everywhere, not just in the government. And, if they want to survive in such an environment, they must be made aware of it and learn how to either expose it, or be able to navigate in such condition. This would be the reason why Noah would NOT take an apolitical stance, and he would agree that the Ministry, to some degree, has a corruption problem.
Crossing his arms, and with brows furrowed in deep thought, the Gryffindor took his time to consider his classmate's answers, particularly those who held blue and red cards. So far, their arguments were valid, but...corruption was so much more.
Raising his white card, Noah sat up straight and delivered his argument. "Your Honour," yes you, Professor. "I would like to start my argument by asking, what is Corruption? Corruption can be defined as the abuse of given power not just for personal gains but for manipulation, as well." a dramatic pause, "Considering the events of the past, and the facts that have been made known to us, has the Ministry been thoroughly honest with its constituents? Have they been fair? Take for example the Wizengamot," he said gesturing to the classroom, "How were the members appointed? What would be their credentials? Basic questions that we as constituents do not have any answer, albeit having THE RIGHT to know. Transparency should be in place, should it not? Second fact, in trials, it is very rare for a defendant to have someone else defend for them. In fact, defendants were only called to trial TO RECEIVE their punishment right away, like in the case of Bartemius Crouch Jr., and the Lestrange siblings. How is that fair? How is that democratic? Is that transparent and honest? Let's consider for a moment those, who were in fact innocent. How many are stuck in Azkaban right now because of manipulated evidences? Isn't that corruption?" a Socratic questioning should suffice for now, yes? This was a debate, after all. "Thank you, your Honour." Ethan would be so pleased.
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"It didn't go quite as planned." | The Underground Studio Translation: I may have caused irreversible damage on a monumental scale.
Thanks, Professor, but Kale wasn't building a case. It was already built. He had started festering his deep mistrust for authority his fifth year and hadn't looked back. If adults wanted kids to trust them to be fair and democratic and not all-around-cruddy, then they had to act like it, and for going on three years now, he was not impressed.
From the Ministry to Board of Governors to some of the Professors at this very school that had all sat back and watched the world fall apart and did nothing. And then, at the very end, when all those same people stepped in for one night, he was supposed to be grateful? He wasn't.
Actually, he kinda resented the rhetoric around the war and everything the adults had done. They were all hailed as heroes for one night of their lives, but the students who had endured torture for months on end and still found the courage to fight back in small, miraculous ways were dismissed as troublemakers.
It was maddening.
Merlin, he loathed the Ministry. The same folks who had looked at his Dad after the war and said, YEP, send that guy back to work! It was despicable. Cowardly, even. And as a Gryffindor, Kale Trent did not suffer cowards.
So, when he pulled the white card, he already knew which side of the argument he was gonna take. There was no other option. The system was corrupt. Burn. It. Down.
"Of course, its corrupt," Kale nearly rolled his eyes. "Its been corrupt for ages. And the burden of its corruption always falls on kids. Heck. When Voldemort rose to power both times, it was an army of teenagers that fought him. And yet, we herald Dumbledore the hero of the first Voldemort uprising, and people like Severus Snape in the second. Sure, Harry Potter and his buds get some credit, but I mean, what about the Marlene McKinnons and Colin Creeveys of war time? Where is their praise? Where are there statues?"
He breathed out of his nose sharply. "And now after the war we just had, the Board of Governors and the Ministry talk down on the kids that endured it for more than just one bad night. But its a much prettier narrative to push that adults know better. Adults with power and money and influence. I mean, didn't Fudge gaslight Harry Potter when his narrative didn't fit what the Ministry wanted? Making him out to be hysterical and a lunatic? The system is broken. But its been broken a long time."
And Kale was mad about it. He didn't think he'd ever stop.
doesn't proofread tweets | #wrongaboutcereal | #siriusly? | emo to the extremo
...........................
If she hadn't already been entirely checked out, this next activity just about forced her into it. She didn't want to debate. Debates upset her and made her uncomfortable and they were just really, really overwhelming. Most especially this one because her mum was the Senior Undersecretary for the Minister for Magic and even before then, she was an auror. Which. Made everything feel like it was a personal attack against her mum.
And.
And it was just a lot. And Kinsay wanted it to stop.
So after Kale's heated additions to the debate, Kinsay found herself sinking even lower. She was trying really, really hard not to listen. But it was so hard to tune everything out. Even with her eyes on her sketchbook. Even then it was hard.
Could the debate be over now? And and and. Despite having a blue card in her hand, she didn't know when to jump in or when to raise her hand or how to contribute. It was difficult to gauge and she was severely uncomfortable speaking up in this sort of format all together. Please make it stop. Please.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Lemon!
Baguette | there is no D in my name | TRAITORclaw | Queenie of Narnia
Oh, well, this activity...made sense. Ivy wasn't surprised that it had become a debate of sorts, and the first topic...wasn't bad. She had received the red card, and she didn't necessarily have a problem arguing the Ministry had been and could be corrupt at times. Her mum wasn't, she knew, but saying there was corruption didn't have to mean that everyone in the organization was bad, mainly the key players, the ones with influence and power, like Kale had mentioned in answer to an earlier question.
And it...was to be expected that certain events would come up during this class. She felt like she'd gotten better about handling it when it did. It didn't always make her want to run away. But despite that, for whatever reason, this time she was suddenly feeling a little bit antsy, her stomach a little uneasy, her hands nervously bending and unbending the red card she held.
And it wasn't like she disagreed with what Evan and Ashley and Kale had said, even with Ashley arguing for the "opposing" blue side. The infiltration of the Ministry was a clear event of corruption. The people coming to fight the battle, including those like her mum who worked in the Ministry, proved there was also good there, that it wasn't simply full of shadowy villains bent on world domination. And it was still also true that there were times of corruption throughout history, including previous wars. And she particularly agreed with Kale's point about the less-acknowledged heroes. It was the big names, the famous and influential, that got all the credit, which didn't seem fair. She wasn't anything close to a hero of course, but there were others here that were, in her opinion. And the Board of Governors had yet to do any of them any favors.
But she wasn't sure what else to add. There surely was more she could say to add to the Ministry corruption pile, but...she just didn't feel up to it, which didn't really help since it also sort of...reminded her of her own actions, or lack thereof, from that time, and Ivy felt even more frustrated with herself than she already was.
So instead of offering an answer, she stared at her card, folding and unfolding it over and over.
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if we fall, we will fall together; and when we rise, we will rise together__________________♥♥♥♥ together we are dangerous; together with our differences; together we are bolder, braver, stronger
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SPOILER!!: Questions 1 & 2 catchup
Heath was here. He’d taken a white card before class started and sat near Claudine. The courtroom setup intrigued him… well, except for the vines. Those kind of ruined the ambience. Looking around the room, he was reminded of the courtroom scene from one of his favorite musicals. Ooh, could they reenact that please? All he’d need was somebody who resembled him enough for them to pass for each other, someone to play the judge, and - Never mind! This was History of Magic, not Muggle Studies! Probably not what they were doing today.
He listened intently as Holden spoke, briefly wondering which spells the professor had used to transfigure the room. Maybe he’d ask after class. For now, he focused on the questions, or questions in this case. The Wizard’s Council… He racked his brains, trying to recall all he knew about the Wizard’s Council. He knew that it governed wizarding Britain before the ministry existed, and he knew about that idiotic werewolf code of conduct it passed. To no surprise, both of those things had been said. So what else could he add?
As Heath thought, he vaguely remembered reading about another idiotic decision made by the Wizard’s Council. He raised his hand and said, “Another action - or inaction, in this case - of the Wizard’s Council was to not punish Nicholas Malfoy, who was suspected of killing muggles and disguising them as Black Death victims.”
Heath was not the slightest bit surprised when Holden took the lecture from there to the Wizengamot. It seemed the only logical direction, given the courtroom setting and the connection between that and the Wizard’s Council. He considered the next set of questions carefully. Since his classmates’ answers had already established the function of the Wizengamot, he decided to focus on the third part of the question, historical members. One name immediately jumped out at him.
His hand shot up, and he said, “One historical member of the Wizengamot was Amelia Bones. She was a member of the Wizengamot in Harry Potter’s time. In fact, she presided over Harry Potter’s disciplinary hearing in 1995.” From what he'd read about her, it sounded like she had more sense than the lot of them combined at that hearing!
Oh, so they were doing a mock trial? That made more sense than a musical theatre reenactment. Also sounded less fun, but he could work with this. As he listened to Holden’s directions, he was already formulating a lawyer character in his mind. Now he just had to translate that character to the activity at hand. He looked at his card. White… that meant he got to choose his side, but which one should he take? If he were playing his part accurately, he’d take the defense, but there was no amount of acting that could make him convincingly argue that the ministry of magic wasn’t corrupt, not after what he’d seen. Something about being imprisoned for nearly half a term because of his blood status destroyed his faith in the Ministry!
He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. This act would’ve worked a lot better if he had a partner to whom he could whisper answers, rather than making the argument himself, but he’d make it work. “There have been too many examples of blood supremacist fanatics rising to power within the Ministry to rule out corruption,” he said in a dispassionate, almost bored voice. “And it goes farther back than Voldemort’s time. Unctuous Osbert, minister of magic at the end of the eighteenth century, was essentially a puppet for Septimus Malfoy’s pro-pureblood agenda. Perseus Parkinson, who was also minister in the eighteenth century, tried to pass a bill that made it illegal to marry muggles. Parkinson’s predecessor, Damocles Rowle ignored the protests of people more qualified than himself to create Azkaban, and Rowle’s actions while in office were so egregious that he was actually censured by the International Confederation of Wizards and forced to resign. If that doesn’t scream corruption, I don’t know what does!”
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Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...
Valentina stared at the white card in her hand. UM. She decided to go with blue team but she chose to remain quiet, not entirely willing to participate. Debates or arguments only tended to overwhelm her and she really didn't want to upset anyone. Plus, she would get nervous and end up saying just the wrong things which would be terribly embarrassing. So. She simply watched people speaking, really wishing class would be over soon - and also hoping she wouldn't get in trouble for not participating. This was not the kind of activity she had been hoping for.
Violet eyed her white card--just her luck to pick something that had no definite directions, so now she'd have to choose. Which was often hard for her, because she tended to see both sides of most things.
When it came time for her to speak, she said "I don't think it can be denied that at times in history there have been actions that could be deemed 'corrupt' that came out of the Ministry. But I think it's a mistake to speak of an organization as 'corrupt' or 'not corrupt.' The Ministry is not an entity in itself, it is made up of people. It is those individuals who do things that are corrupt or not. At times, the people running the Ministry have acted wisely, or at least for the common good, and at other times some individuals have achieved power within the Ministry and used it to further their own corrupt ends.
As long as there are people involved, there will be some who will act corruptly, which is why I think it is important not to give absolute power to any one entity, as some have often wanted to do in the name of efficiency. But it is better to sacrifice efficiency than to put all the power and choices in one organization. And it is important for us to make sure the best people serve in our Ministry, to lessen the chance of corruption within it. Thank you."
Violet sat back down, feeling she had not really argued for or against Ministry corruption, but she felt satisfied to have had the chance to voice what she really thought for a change.
Slytherindor ♛ The Crazytastic Besties ♛ Shan Watson ♛
Simon wished Evan had gotten the blue card. He would have been excited to see young Master Nam play devil’s advocate. His arguments were always articulate and peppered with facts. Eyebrows raised, he was surprised that Evan was able to bring up the Neo-Alliance. Yes, Simon had hoped to cross that bridge. He eyed his students looking for a few in particular. Before he could comment on Evan’s well constructed argument, Scarlett Mordaunt interrupted with the fact that the Ministry was corrupt. Her argument wasn’t really based in facts but perhaps she was going for an emotional one. She definefly had a good description for it.
Simon was quite chuffed that Ash had a sensible opinion. She had a blue card but he was quite pleased with her construction of her argument. The shades of grey were the precise point….
Claudine was next and she built off of Ash’s prior points. Additional defense for the Ministry now… The Ministry repeated students to Beauxbatons. He remembered hearing that from his sister. It had occurred at least three or four years after she had graduated. “Perhaps corruption is natural… Citizens must help maintain the checks and balances..”
Simon smirked as Noah Mordaunt delivered his argument with a question. He gently raised his hand, motioning him to begin his discussion. That was true. “It can be defined as such…” He nodded before listening to Mordaunt’s argument more. It was the perfect example of weaving facts into an argument. Perhaps Mr Mordaunt had a future career in law?
Now Mr Trent took a different approach to his peer with said eye roll but he quickly recovered with excellent examples. Referencing Marlene McKinnon and Colin Creevey was brilliant. He paused, waiting to hear the final argument before applauding Mr Trent’s efforts. Then Mr. Jones jumped in, supplementing his argument with more facts, ranging back to Unctuous and Septimus. Mr. Trent and Mr Jones also would do well in a law career too. “Well said.”
There were a few students who were quiet (Ivy, Lydia, and Valentina) in particular so he offered them a kind smile. Kinsay looked -perhaps- uncomfortable? Simon wasn’t sure at this precise moment. Not to fear the exercise and class would be over soon.
Violet was the last to speak to offer her argument. Ah yes! The argument he was waiting for. He gave her an encouraging nod and watched her work her magic through the art and magic of persuasion. She was also well spoken and well thought out. She took a different route compared to some of her peers but still a good route. “An excellent point. Thank you, Miss Blackthorne.”
“ In debate, there is no ultimate right or wrong - that is let up to interpretation, opinion, or the jury. A well constructed argument can sway the group’s thoughts especially played to the right level of logic and emotion. There are always ulterior motives at work.” He checked his pocket watch, realizing the class had flown by quicker than anticipated.
“Unfortunately we will have to call class here for today but please keep your cards. I will be hosting a smaller debate later this term where we will role play it. We will need a court artist, lawyers, jury, and witnesses. If you’re interested in participating, please come see me after class and we can discuss. Class dismissed.”
OOC: Hi folks! That’s it for class today. We are out of time! I will - if people are interested- open up a separate thread for a Debate I had a debate planned (hence the colours) but we can open up a different thread if y’all want to do that. Thanks for coming!
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HoM Lesson #2 - Wizengamot! 
Opened a day early- please come post. I will move us on in 24-36 hours.
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I had a debate planned (hence the colours) but we can open up a different thread if y’all want to do that. Thanks for coming! 
