Lesson one - Intro to the Dark Arts

[Serafina Ayris]

Serafina wandered through the rows of desks that lined the floor of her classroom, she was excited to be starting her first lesson and had a lot of plans for what she would teach throughout the school year, with any luck taking her class would prove to be an interesting experience.

She was still feeling a little on the strange side, although in all technicalities she had recovered from the experience being a vampire was still something she wasn't quite used to and things kept suprising her, hopefully she'd be able to keep things under wraps throughout the class. Reaching her own desk at the front of the room she waved her wand and curling letters appeared on the surface of the blackboard behind her:

An Introduction to the Dark Arts
* Defensive Spells
* Offensive Spells
* Dark magical creatures e.g. Boggarts, dementors
* Unforgiveable Curses
* Dark Objects

Was what it read, more would be added there later but for now she sat and waited for her students to arrive.

[Jasmine Littler]

Jasmine wondered into the DaDa class. She was wearing a long sleeved white top with jeans. Jasmine looked around. The class looked pretty clean. Well, it would be clean, it was brand new. She sat down at a seat in the middle of class, feeling a bit anxious as only the proffesor was in the room. Jasmine smiled at Serafina.

[Melody Ayre]

Melody walked up to her first DADA class. She hoped she would be right on time, not early, and not late. So when she got to the door, she opened it, and found that..... Oh great! She was early that was worse than being late because there was never many people in the room. She quickly walked up to a girl wearing a long sleeved white top with jeans. She sat down on the desk next to her. "Hi," she said. Hoping that she could become friends with this girl.

[Joanna Shallow]

Was Joanna going the right way?? Had she signed up for enough classes?? What classes had she signed up for!!?? So many questions wizzing through her mind as she ran to DADA, she was sure she had signed up for the class, why else would it be on her timetable?? Or maybe it was someone elses timetable!!?? Oh no! She was in such a worried mood.

Joanna arrived at the class, she looked around and sat down at an empty seat, since the one next to Jasmine had been taken by someone else. She looked at the professor and smiled...hoping it was a nice professor because she didn't like strict professors at all.

[Serafina Ayris]

Serafina looked around happily as students began to file into the classroom, she was expecting some others but time was getting on so she decided to beging the lesson they could catch up when they arrived.

Slipping off of the desk and onto her feet Sera smiled broadly at the class, flashing fangs as she still wasn't used to that yet, moving on quickly and hoping she hadn't scared anybody Serafina began her introductions.

"Good morning and welcome to your first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. I'm Serafina Ayris, you can all just call me Serafina. None of that professor stuff makes me feel old." She smiled again before continuing.

"As you're probably expecting the first lesson will be some introductions. So if you could each take turns and introduce yourselves. name, age, house and somethings about you. And then I would also like you to give me some examples of what you think the Dark Arts is..." She said realising that this question was a little vague, but then there was a whole mass of answers that could be given.

"Give me some idea of what you already know and of the kind of things we should study throughout the year. So who's going first?"

[Melody Ayre]

Melody stood up "i'll go first," "My name is MelodyAyre, I'm a 1st year, in mirkwood, some of my favourite colours, are pink, orange, and yellow. umm... I think that defense against the dark arts is where you learn to uhhh.... defend yourself from te dark arts!" " I already know how to defend myself against bogarts, and a few other things, and I would like to learn, uhhh, anything really I don't mind," When she finished her introduction she sat back down and waited for the next person to introduce themself.

[Joanna Shallow]

Joanna nearly fell of her chair when she saw the fangs that Serafina had. She relized she was only a vampire...and a nice one (hopefully), so there was nothing to worry about. She waited for people to their introductions, then it was her turn, she stood up a cleared her throat. "Hi, my name is Joanna...I...am...12 years old, and I...am in Lothlorien...and I'm very strong for a girl, I once accidently sent a guy to hopital, so don't mess with me....eerr....I'm very athletic and I rarely get tired. Also, I think the dark arts is bad magic and...well...bad magical creatures, like dementors and in this class we learn to defend ourselves." Joanna quickly sat down, glad it was over....she wasn't too muuch of an outgoing person when it came to speeches.

[Serafina Ayris]

((Are you Melody or Jenny? it's different in each post))

Serafina listened to the first few introductions and nodded, ticking off who was there against the roster she had drawn up. She nodded as Melody first gave her own answers to the question which Serafina had posed to them.

"Good Defensive Magic is of course the most obvious part of what we will be looking at in these classes, starting with the next one in fact." She said brightly with a smile waving her wand and the words defensive spells appeared on the board beneath her written title. "We will also look at some offensive spells that are effective against the dark arts seeing as we need to know how to attack when the time calls for it as well as defend." She added waving her wand again and adding the words offensive spells to her list.

"You also mentioned boggarts, one of the many creatures considered to be a dark creature and a possible one we will look at in these lessons if I can find myself one." She said still smiling.

She then looked to Joanna who was next to introduce herself. Serafina nodded as she too answered the question, "Dementors are another magical creature that is considered to be a dark creature." She said adding both boggarts and dementors to her list, "And indeed bad magic is correct and there are huge numbers of different branches of magic that can be considered to be dark or can be made dark in the wrong hands. Can you both give me any more examples of what you think of as dark magic? What things spring to mind when someone mentions the dark arts?"

[Jasmine Littler]

((claire... Jenny is on OH remember?lol And you already know me. I don't need to become friends with you. No hard feelings.))

Jasmine stood up. "Um, I guess it's my go," she smiled, "Well, My name is Jasmine Littler, and I am in lothlorian."
"What else," she murmured, "Oh, I'm twelve. I'm an elf. I can speak telepathicly, but I'm still learning. I like the colours black and white, in case you wanted to know. And, defence against the dark arts, is, well, defence against the dark arts. Learning to protect ourselves from stuff like pixies. Well, many other creatures as well but that was the first thing that came to mind." Jasmine laughed.

[Melody Ayre]

((soz I got mixed up with this game, and our hogwarts, my name is Melody ))

[Joanna Shallow]

Joanna thought for a bit when Serafina asked what pops into mind first when they think about the dark arts, "well...I think about the 3 unforgivable curses, and....eerrmm....Jinxed objects, like a necklace that can make you do...like...bad stuff that you don't want to do," Joanna said unsure of her answer, "and...well...sometimes creatures like vampires and werewolves, and I also think about dementors, dragons, acromantulas and other scary creatures." Joanna fiddled with her thumbs, she definatly couldn't speak well in front of people.

[Jasmine Littler]

"Well... I first think of dark creatures. Scary things like the unforgivable curses. Basicly everything that Joanna said," Jasmine shrugged.

((Sorry it's short))

[Serafina Ayris]

Serafina nodded with a smile as Jasmine too introduced herself and considered the girls answer to the question she had asked. "Defending yourself is quite right yes, though I'm not sure I'd class a Pixie as a dark creature they're more of a magical pest. However the thing with the dark arts is that in theory most magic could be considered dark when in the wrong hands." She explained.

"Excellent the Unforgiveable curses." She said with a grin as Joanna ventured to add some more suggestions, these words too were added to the board, "And dark objects, there are many different dark and cursed objects which we will take a look at in one of our coming lessons."

Joanna's next three suggestions however Serafina nodded to but a quizical look came to her face as she considered them. "Dragons again are not necessarily dark creatures, they are fierce and dangerous indeed but they do not specifically serve a dark purpose." She explained, "Werewolves and Vampires now that is another matter entirely." She said grinning broadly. "This situation becomes a question of ethics. Because for the most part a person who is a vampire or a werewolf is still human they have a choice of how to live thier lives just the same as everybody does. There are indeed werewolves and vampires that follow the dark arts but there are many who don't." She explained before adding, "Consider us simply another 'species' as it were much like the elves."

Turning back to her desk and taking a seat once again on it's surface Serafina faced her class. It was coming to the end of the first lesson and she thought it had gone quite well. "Okay anybody have any more suggestions or questions for the little time that we have left? Nobody? Okay then well Class Dismissed and I will see you all next lesson."