18 Sept - Lesson 1 - Expelliarmus

[Prof. Brayden Mellor]

It was his second class of the week and already Professor Brayden Mellor was beginning to see boredom on the faces of some of his students. He couldn't really hold it against them. He hadn't been a fan of many of the 'duller' classes while he'd been at Hogwarts all those years ago. His mind began to wander a bit as he sat, leaning back on a well-stuffed black armchair that sat at the front of the classroom. His students began to trickle in. The classroom was set up unusually that day. Along one whole wall where a column of desks usually stood, a harmless-looking set of stuffed dummies clutching wands on posts were lined up. Some ten minutes later, when the classroom was getting particularly full, Professor Mellor stood to write the day's lesson name on the board.

Turning back once again to face his class, he cleared his throat to signal the start of class.

"Now if everyone is settled we can begin. I thought it would be better for everyone involved if we were to practise the theory of dark arts defense rather than just talk about it. If that's not what you feel you've signed up for, I'd imagine you know where the door is. Of course, leaving may end up doing you more harm than good, so might I suggest just giving it a go first. Yes?

"Now as you may or may not have noticed, I have set up a row of dummies. One for each of you. When I say, I'd like you to pair up with a dummy and practise the spell I've written already on the board. Expelliarmus. Now, be sure to pronounce it correctly as a mispronunciation may cause harm to you, your classmates or even me. I would not suggest the later as I am the one who is giving you a grade for this lesson. This spell should expel the wand from your dummy's grasp. You will have to be forceful when you say it as no one will listen to you if you sound weak.

If there are no questions, please begin. I'll be nearby for questions and took keep an eye on all your first years. I know you haven't had much practise with spells yet. Now, begin."

[Laelia Lule]

Laelia was excited to begin her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She had sauntered into class on time, and took her seat her the front eyeing the dummies curiously. Would they be practicing on them? She cracked a small smile excited at the thought.
She waited till class was full, she waited for the Professor to begin, and begin, he did.

She paid close attention to his lecture. Repeating the Expelliarmus many time in her head. When he let them up to practice, she to went to one of the dummies on the side. She settled herself into a proper duelling stance, and pointing her wand directly at the dummy, and forcefully said, "Expelliarmus!"

The wand flew from the dummy.

---

"Very good, Miss Lule, as usual. Have you signed up for Duelling Club? I would imagine you'd be quite good. Do keep practising. No point only doing these things once."

[Brooke Edwards]

Brooke had taken another seat at the back. She had her hair in black curls today. Her eyes were a dark green. She had her quill out before class and had been sketching the classroom with the dummies, she was just about to start on the teacher and then he stood up and began to speak. Brooke shuffled her paper and got out a fresh piece of parchment to write notes. Her quill worked madly, until the teacher talked about using the spell on the dummies.

Brooke looked up, wide eyed, at the thought of practicing on those dummer. She was quite excited to try. Brooke took her wand out of her bag and placed it on the table. She loved the look of her wand, although she so far had not had the opportunity to use it.

When time came to demonstrate to spell, Brooke had to take her turn while trying to reach the dummies. There were a lot of students in her way. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Brooke was face to face with a dummy. She had a bright smile on her face. Her green eyes got much brighter as she pointed her wand at the dummy. She took a deep breath, thought about the spell 'expelliarmus', and with a movement of her hand,

"Expelliarmus!" Red sparks spurted from her wand and the dummy wand flew out of it's hand and hit the wall to the right. Brooke smiled brightly and then retreated, trying not to look to proud of herself.

---

A flash of red sparks caught the eye of Professor Mellor and he immediately turned to find it's source which turned out to be a black-haired, young Hufflepuff. Raising his eyebrows at the girl slightly as she backed away from her dummy, he spoke.

"Those.. sparks... That is not something that I prefer to happen right now. It's a side effect of slight mispronunciation. Luckily you didn't say it much worse or you may have knocked your dummy over or perhaps even set it afire. Try again. Remember, it's expelliarmus. Ex-pel-ee-AR-mus. Emphasis on the 'ar'. So, try again."

[Katie Carter]

Katie sat in the front and listened closely. She ran the pronounciation through her head a dozen times before she got up to cast the spell.

She stood up and confidence flowed through her. She was used to facing opponents, her Tae Kwon Do had her to stand against challengers for a long time.

She pointed her wand at the dummy and strongly commanded "Expelliarmus !" and the wand flew from the dummies hand.

She smiled proudly.

---

"That's fine, Miss. Carter, but do keep going. One only gets better with practise."

[Mist LightRose]

Mist removed herself from her seat and walked to the nearest dummy.
'Imagine the dummy's Thorn, imagine the dummy's Thorn ... ' Mist told herself. She put on her worst scowl at the dummy, and said clearly, "Expelliarmus!" The wand flew from the dummys' hand to her own.
Mist smiled happily.

---

"And there's another unusual side effect. Give the dummy back its wand and have another go."

Mist nodded and put the wand back into the dummies' hand.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" she yelled, and the wand flew from the dummies hand; then she looked at the Professer.

[Oliver Hughes]

Oliver sat back in his chair while the professor spoke. If there was one thing that Oliver enjoyed, it was reading about Quidditch or Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was completely calm about Expelliarmus. He'd read all about it and he was ready to do it for this class. Oliver pulled his wand out and headed for the dummies right away.

He looked at the dummy and suddenly it reminded him of his brother, Leon. Leon had been the only member of Oliver's family who had been in Slytherin. Oliver had heard from his since he was 9. That had been the year that Leon had dissappeared. Oliver frowned and shook his head, thinking about how Leon had abandoned his family. It made Oliver quite angry.

Oliver took a deep breath, trying to shake these thoughts from his head. He barely ever spoke of his brother. Then, witha sharp movement of his arm, he shouted,

"Expelliarmus!" The wand flew from the dummy's hand. Oliver, however, didn't feel very proud of himself as all. He slunked back to his seat and awaited the teachers response in a sullen silence.

---

"Quite good, Mr. Hughes. But do get out of your chair. This is a class in which I mean to teach applicable spells. And the only way to teach said spells is by practise. No one will can get a spell down without doing it more than one time. Now, up! Do it again."

[Duncan Mowbray]

Duncan was sitting in the front row with Katie. He paid proper attention to the professor's lecture and thought that it was done quite well. He felt no particular rush to cast the spell, as it was already part of his repertoire.

He watched his classmates. He gave a thumbs up to each of his friends as they succeeded.

With a smile he stood up last. He stood the correct distance from the dummy, then bowed as if he was dueling. "Expelliarmus !" he said with practiced ease and the wand flew from the dummy's hand. He caught the wand and sat it on his desk.

---

Professor Mellor took a deep breath and looked towards the ceiling before speaking this time.

"Do give the dummy back its wand, Mr.Mowbray. I didn't mean for you to keep it. One moment..."

Duncan smiled and nodded. "Of course sir." He returned the wand to the dummy and expeiarmused it five more times. Each time he sent the wand flying and caught it again. He gave the wand back to the dummy again and waited for the froessor.

[Lilah Delancy]

Lilah walked in kind of drearing this class.
But once she saw the Professor set up Dummies she knew it would be hands on stuff..

~~
Lilah listened to the instructions. She knew about this spell before

She positioned herself across from the dummy got in the right stance and said

"Expelliarmus!" And the dummy's wand flew back a bit.

Lilah was suprised

---

"Very nice, Miss Delancy. Do give it another shot."

{OOC: In future, instead of double posting please use the edit button.}

[Prof. Brayden Mellor]

Professor Mellor clapped his hands loudly to get the attention of his students. Things were not going according to plan and that exasperated the professor a good amount.

"Students, what should be happening is that your dummy's wand should simply fly from their grasp. Bringing it into your own hand is the result of another spell which should be taught to you in your charms class and I rather suspect hasn't been taught to you yet. I'm really not too sure why so many of you are ending up with another wand in your hand. That is really not the desired effect of this incredibly basic spell.

"Also, I'd like it very much if everyone would have another two or three goes minimum. If I see you're doing something wrong I will let you know. When you think you've perfected it for today, remembering that need only be at a very basic level, raise your hand to catch my attention and then perform it one last time. If it is satisfactory at that point, you will be excused. Any questions? No? Then go back to your dummy and try again."

{OOC: You do NOT have to wait for me to post a reply to you after you raise your hand. Simply assume that I am watching. You may post something like: "John raised his hand and when he'd caught the professor's eye got ready to cast the spell". If there any questions about this OOC note, PM me rather than post them here. Thank you!}

[Laelia Lule]

Laelia gave a small smile at her head of House. She was quite pleased at her first successful attempt. "I have signed up for the club, and am quite excited for the first meeting," she replied.

She nodded at his encouragement to keep practicing. Picking up the wand she placed it back into the dummy's hand. She pulled on it a bit, to make sure it was firmly in place.

Before she could attempt another go at it, Professor Mellor spoke up. From the looks of it, it seemed people were not performing that well. Once her two gos went well, she would call him over.

Her first two tries were perfect. She did the same things she did for her first attempt. Her stance was perfect, so was her forcefulness and pronunciation. Both attempts had the wand displaced and landing on the floor.

Before she tried the third go, she set up her dummy with its wand again, making sure it was firmly placed. She raised her hand to alert the Professor, and then started with her third go.

She settled herself in a duelling stance, pointed her wand at the dummy, and said," Expelliarmus!" The wand flew away from the dummy and landed on the floor clattering.

---

"Well, you certainly seem to have gotten a handle on it, Miss Lule. You're excused. If you'd be so kind as to give the wand back to its dummy as you leave...

[Sleepy Dragonwood]

When the Professor had given some additional instructions, Sleepy finally felt he got the mood of the spell. So far he had not been able to get the intention right, being a soft person by nature and now, with louder voice, he tried again.

Pointing his wand towards the dummy, he loudly pronounced "Ex-pelli-Ar-mus" with all his mind concentrated on the word and there he went, the wand finally flew from the dummy and hit the wall behind it.

Sleepy touched his forehead to wipe some sweat away. "Phew, that was intens" he said to himself.

---

"That's one, Mr. Dragonwood. I had hoped I'd made myself clear, but I apparently did not. You are to try the spell at least three times, counting this first one, then raise your hand to let me know you wish for me to pay attention to your final go. After that, time is yours as I plan on excusing you. So, as I've said several times now, try again."
Sleepy did his best and tried a few more times the spell "Expelliarmus", the third time the dummie's wand flew out of the grip of the dummie and made a circle in the air before it fell to the floor. Sleepy thought to himself: "Ow, if I could do that again, I would be really mastering the spell, I guess." Sleepy smiled and put the wand back in the dummies hand and tried a fourth time. He couldn't get enough of it, he really loved this class!

[Lilah Delancy]

The professor told her to give it another go
Lilah noticed one dummy not occupie but quickly shot that thought out of her head

"Expeliarmus!" Lilah yelled

Two wands flew.

what happened? she thought

---

Professor Mellor was beginning to get frustrated with a member of his own house, something that happened only very, very rarely. He normally had a soft spot for his Slytherin students, but this one was grating his nerves with particular proficiency.

"Miss Delancy, rather than stand there like a spare part, your time would be better spent by trying the spell again. Right now your problem is pronunciation. I suggest watching those around you who are succeeding and doing your best to copy them. Yes? Right. Now again. And again, please, Miss Delancy."

[Ceta Nightingale]

Ceta was a little later than she liked getting into class, especially into one of Professor Mellor's classes. She had rather enjoyed his potions class (to her surprise) on Monday and now the thought of learning Defense Against the Dark Arts sent shivers of excitement up and down her spine.

She snuck in quietly and stood behind a few other students, she hoped he would not notice - after all she wanted to prove her worth in this class and not gain her Professors dissaproval already after only a week at Hogwarts.

He had already started the lesson, but she gathered he wasn't that far into it as he was still explaining about the dummies against the wall.
When Professor Mellor informed the students they would be practicing the spell Expelliarmus, Ceta wanted to jump up and down with excitement.

'Oh how wonderful' she thought to herself 'I think I'll manage this spell just fine and hopefully won't make a fool of myself' - after all she had been studying her book of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection all the previous night long.

However that's what worried her the most, not doing as well as the other students just because she was a half-blood witch. Ever since getting the letter in the post about being accepted into Hogwarts Ceta felt she had to prove herself, and that feeling only increased upon meeting some nasty full blooded wizard and witch students who thought they were better than her and only ones who could do true magic around here.

As the Professor's lecture finished, and Ceta did always like this Professors lectures - they weren't too long - just long enough to give you the information, but fast enough to let you experiment for yourself. She marched over to the wall where her dummy companion stood, and imagined it being an enemy that she needed to defeat.
She felt this exercise might make it more realistic, and put an emphasis on the words she was about to say in the hope that the spell might work better for her.

Holding her wand out and grasping it firmly, with all the confidence she could muster up within her small and dainty frame she pronounced "Ex-pel-ee-AR-mus" with a loud controlling voice.
The wand to her surprise flew out of the dummies hand, but did hit the leg of a student standing next to her shouting spells at his dummy.

'Ouch' she heard him say, as he turned and glared at her.

"Sorry" said Ceta nervously and peering over at Professor Mellor to see if he had noticed.

Trying a couple more times,without any other student getting hurt she felt she was ready to show the Professor. She raised her hand elegantly with pride from her hard work, and then flicking the ever growing ash blonde strands behind her shoulders and neck she held out her wand once more.

"Expelliarmus" she called out, with command.

With a force that filled her with power and gave her a feeling of great triumph,the wand flew again from the dummies hand and struck the floor in defeat!

---

Once again, the unassuming Gryffindor girl did her best to impress Professor Mellor, a feat hard to accomplish. He'd never show it though.

"Fine. Just fine, Miss Nightingale. If you'd give the wand back to its dummy, you are free to leave at your leisure. Though if you'd rather stay and practise some more, you may. And that goes for all of you."

[Galagron Smokestone]

Smokestone rushed into the room, clearly well after most other people had made it in. He felt fortunate that there were so many people in the room, because it improved his chances of not being seen to be late. It would be very embarrassing to be late on the first day of a class.

He listened attentively to the Professor, perhaps seeming a little TOO interested to make up for his tardiness. Once hearing the assignment given, he was determined to be incredibly impressive with his display of magical ability.

He moved quickly over to a particularly dastardly looking dummy and prepared it for abject destruction. By 'abject destruction' he of course meant 'correct execution of Expelliarmus'. You say tomato, I say tomatoe.

Galagron raised his wand with righteous indignation and after a graceful yet purposeful waving he exclaimed "ExpelliAR-MOOSE". What? That was not how it was intended. Much chaos ensued.

After picking what remained of himself up off the floor, he endeavored to try it again.

"EXPELLIARMOS!!!"

Epic fail.

Finally, upon bringing the dummy back to its upright standing position, Galagron promised himself, and the Professor with a raised eyebrow, that this, in fact, would be it.

"Expelliarmus!"

"There never was really any doubt, was there?" Galagron thought to himself. Perfect in its execution. Almost song-like in the utterance of word. Shakespearean even.

"My work here is done."

---

Professor Mellor didn't quite know what he thought of this Hufflepuff boy. There was some sort of talent, sure, but there was something else there too. Something... clumsy? Perhaps. Dramatic? Possibly. Professor Mellor couldn't quite place it. No matter though. The boy didn't belong to his house, and was therefore not his full-responsibility. Fascinating! That's what it was. The boy was a fascinating piece of work.

"No, not quite, Mr. Smokestone. I'm afraid that being done is a privilege given only to those who have successfully completed the spell at least three times. By my count, you've just clocked in at one success which allows us to assume you have two more successes to go, correct? Right. Get on with it."

Professor Mellor turned away to keep a watchful eye on his other students, but paused a moment not far away from the boy.

"Oh, and before I forget, it would be good if you tried not to make your lateness a commonplace occurrence. Just a thought from the one person who does keep track of these sorts of things."

[Mist LightRose]

'It's Thorn, it's Thorn, it's Thorn ... ' Mist reminded herself.
"Expelliarmes!"
Landing on the floor with a loud bump, she looked at the professer, who was shaking his head pittingly <spelling>. Mist shook her head and tried again.
"Expelliarmus!" The wand jerked from the dummy's hand.
"At last!" Mist muttered to herself.