Defence classes

[alt_savitha]

My dear students.

Having had a week to evaluate your preparation and abilities, I've decided that my NEWT classes this week will run under what we used to refer to as 'Salazar's rules.' This means that you have the right to -- and in fact are expected to -- cast offensive spells at me during class from the moment class begins until the moment class is dismissed.

However, once you have made this attempt, you become fair game. A legitimate target for both me and every other student in the class. You are, naturally, allowed to block, counteract, and otherwise defend yourself. Spells that cause permanent damage may not be used -- I'll post a list of curses I don't want to see outside my classroom door, be sure to take a look before you come in to class.

House points will be granted for style; taken for stupidity. Naturally, should you succeed in landing a curse on me, House points will be generous -- also, you're then exempt from becoming fair game.

We may play this little game in some future class sessions throughout the year -- probably not every time, it's far too distracting.

Some of my OWL classes MAY be allowed to have a Salazar's Rules session later in the year; we will just have to see how it goes. This is a privilege earned through skill and dedication. Persuade me that you might actually have a chance at not making a fool of yourselves!

Comments

Private message to Antosha

[alt_savitha]

It's so very odd, being back here. Has it really been only eight years? So many memories! Seeing that glint in the eyes of children destined to serve Our Lord -- inviting them to battle at our side.

Though possibly the sweetest memory is the one of that wretched little goblin's innards spread across the walls outside the Great Hall.

Would you care to meet for tea some evening?

Re: Private message to Antosha

[alt_antonin]

I am so grateful you were willing to come back and teach for a few years, my dear. I know you have many other things to be doing. Yes, tea would be lovely -- tomorrow afternoon, perhaps? (Evenings, alas, are spoken for; my apprentice has never taught before, and so these first few weeks I am being most exacting in supervising the lessons she will teach in addition to delivering the lessons she has bargained for.)

I do regret I had already left the country by the time Hogwarts was taken; it would have been most satisfying to see.

And the use of Salazar's rules -- most suitable. I have been meaning to use them in my own classes for the past two years, but then discovered the little darlings' education in the Arts had been so deficient I had entirely too much ground to make up. Shall I let you know which ones to watch out for, or would you rather be pleasantly surprised?

Re: Private message to Antosha

[alt_savitha]

Oh, do share. I have infinite faith in the power of youth to surprise me, regardless of how much I know going in.

Re: Private message to Antosha

[alt_savitha]

And tomorrow afternoon would suit, as soon as I'm done with my classes.

Re: Private message to Antosha

[alt_antonin]

Come on up whenever you're free, then. I'll have the elves put together some treats and I'll give you the gossip.

Re: Private message to Antosha

[alt_antonin]

We ought to know by now that any plan involving you and me getting through a discussion with anything approaching alacrity is doomed to failure. By which I mean: I believe we made it through discussing most of the sixth-years -- or, at least, I cannot think of anyone I did not cover -- but I suppose I ought give you the rundown of the seventh-years.

Having consulted the records to see who is taking NEWT Defence: you met many of them through CCF last summer, but in case last summer is as far away for you as it is for me, I shall simply go through them all. Finnigan and Patil you've met through Our Lord's service, of course. Finnigan is as solid as one might expect from Stephen's foster-son, though he can be too diffident at times. Patil is quite intelligent, although more than a touch politically naive and convinced the world turns around her -- more so than teenagers usually are, that is. Crabbe and Goyle are very much their fathers' sons. Parkinson is clever when she sees enough reason to be clever, but Lyoushka despairs of her sense of her loyalty to her friends is almost Hufflepuffian, and she places more value in her associations than in her connections for her future -- to truly engage her, you must engage the remainder of her confederates.

Our Lord's son, meanwhile, truly shines in Defence; he was Razzer's prodigy, and I believe you will find him one of your best.

Of those who are not Council or Council families: Zabini can be promising when he forgets that he is allergic to anything resembling effort, which makes it a pity that he does not often forget. Weasley has quite the knack for Defence and the Noble Arts both, and I'm certain you haven't forgotten his head for strategy; he's the one who spent the summer interning with the Aurors. Greengrass is the sort who always knows the right thing to say and is always looking to smooth over difficulties; if you are planning group or team work, she is a good choice to place in a group that cannot seem to get along. Bones is quietly capable; she will never be a frequent contributor in class, but when she does have something to add, it is usually insightful. Smith thinks more of himself than is warranted, but there are glimmers of hope in there, underneath the self-importance. I am certain Dunstan and Bundy must have some talents in Defence, having continued to NEWT study, but when I last taught them they both seemed frightened of their own shadows in my classroom. Bulstrode had promise in the Arts early in her OWL year, but it faded quickly.

Of the ones I most have my eye upon: Perks is all intellectual curiosity, about just about any topic you might imagine; I am encouraging her along the path to Healer study, as she's an interest in the topic and you know as well as I how much we could use one. Finch-Fletchley is on my very short list for apprenticeship, once S-P has finished her Mastery or I've the time to supervise two. Moon, meanwhile, is in frequent and desperate need of a reminder of reality, but the boy can make numbers sit up and dance: he ought not be trusted in public unsupervised, but he has the uncanny ability to sift through a mound of data and identify the patterns -- or the pieces that do not fit the patterns.

Oh, and this year was far more split by Umbridge's interference than the sixth-years: Patil, Finnigan, Macmillan, and Jones all had a tendency to lord their status over their fellows, for instance. They have all seemed to arrive at an unspoken agreement that they will not mention that year again, but the fault-lines are still visible if you know what you are looking for.

I'm certain I'll forget six things I meant to say as soon as I close my journal, but if you've any more questions about the lot, do let me know.

Re: Private message to Antosha

[alt_savitha]

You passed over a few. Neville Longbottom, for one. He's the son of two Aurors -- treasonous Aurors, but neither was any slouch in a fight. Defence ought to be in his blood. Is it?

Re: Private message to Antosha

[alt_antonin]

I always forget about Longbottom; he likes to encourage it. He is the poster child for keeping his head down and his mouth shut.

He took my Theoretical class, and was careful to give the answers I was looking for, but never quite seemed to believe them -- well, that's due to the sort of stubborn scruples we are slowly stamping out. Raised by his grandmother, though, so he got quite the dose of it. Razzer used to say he was decent enough in Defence, but of course that was more than a bit awkward.

I would characterise him as stubborn and a bit thick -- though not as thick as he likes to be viewed as -- and lacking motivation to do much more than grubbing in dirt.

[alt_ron]

Thank you, Professor.

Sounds like the most interesting lesson we've ever had!

[alt_savitha]

Be careful, young man; you realise that since you drew attention to yourself, I'll be watching you much more carefully.

(Though I'd have had my eye on you regardless.)

Don't disappoint me.

[alt_ron]

Reckon I'm good for it.

I'll give it my best, anywiz.

Order Only

[alt_draco]

Bloody nightshade, do I ever wish I didn't have to miss this.

No offense to Raz, may he rest in peace, but this sounds like the way NEWT level Defence ought to be taught. She's basically giving you all lessons in how to overcome her in an actual, real duel. Unless she's too clever to actually respond as she would in a true life or death situation, which may well be the case.

You might not want to show her all that you're capable of, on that score. That goes for the rest of you, too.

Re: Order Only

[alt_neville]

I'll want to learn anything she's willing to teach us, but I'd rather have her underestimate me, yeah. Dad's taught me a lot that's specific to the old style of training Aurors, and I don't want to tip my hand there.

Except that if Headmaster Dolohov's giving her tips about the students, he'll probably tell her that I like being underestimated. He figured that one out eventually.

I'd offer to show you my notes at hols, but I don't write quickly enough to get everything down when she's lecturing. Which isn't often, anyway. Ron's and Justin's notes will probably be better.

Re: Order Only

[alt_draco]

I reckon the tricky bit about trying to go unnoticed is having people notice that you're trying to go unnoticed. Still, you've managed it for six years so something you're doing is obviously working.

I think there's enough of you in Defence that we'll sort out the situation with the notes easily enough.

Re: Order Only

[alt_ron]

Yeah. Hold out for F-F's notes. Or Sally Anne's. Mine'll be rubbish. I mean, I'll be able to tell you all she said and show you the spells, but you won't get much from what I write in lessons.

Expect that doesn't surprise you.

Re: Order Only

[alt_draco]

And why would you expect that?

Surprised none of you use a dictation quill, though. Unless Desai doesn't allow them because she thinks it'll give students opportunity to drift off during lecture.

Re: Order Only

[alt_sally_anne]

I don't use a dictation quill for several reasons, but one is that they write down every last thing the professor says instead of just capturing the main points. Makes it harder to revise.

If you'd like a complete transcription, though, one of us could get one. She seems the sort who'd think it completely reasonable that we'd want to revisit her ever word, so I doubt she'd think twice about me using a dictation quill in her class and no other.

Re: Order Only

[alt_draco]

I don't use them because then the notes aren't in my own handwriting, which bothers me. However, there've been a few times when I've set up an auto-dictation quill next to me while taking my own notes by hand, just for comparison later.

Anyway, whatever you can manage is fine. Hermione would definitely find them useful, as would Sarah. And some of the others, besides, like Terry and Lisa.

But Hermione and Sarah and I are particularly interested in seeing the NEWT-level course work, since we won't be able to sit the NEWTs ourselves (not that they would have let Hermione, of course).

Re: Order Only

[alt_sally_anne]

Right, I got hold of a dictation quill and a suitable roll of parchment; I'll set it going during class tomorrow and then send it along. You can let me know if everyone finds it useful enough to continue.

I can copy my own notes, too.

Order Only

[alt_cedric]

Is she bloody serious? Raz would never

We saw just how bad that sort of disruption was last year in that very same class. Good luck all of you. Anyone that wants some sane more normal dueling practice let me know and we'll schedule something in the evenings.

Dralworth made a dog's breakfast of the last match and I've been asked to step up my practice time, so I'm going to be around in the afternoon and evening from now on.

Order Only: Private message to Ron and Pansy

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, it's official: Cedric's one of the grown-ups now.

Ron, what's she like, anyway? You met her through CCF, yeah?

Re: Order Only: Private message to Ron and Pansy

[alt_ron]

Ced's one of the grown-ups except for the part where he keeps not leaving Hogwarts. It was... odd... Saturday that he was there running pickup Quidditch. It was like he and Harry were both seventh years, except you know he's not. I dunno. It doesn't feel that way with Sandoval, and she's not much older, but then she left and has just come back, and she's got a proper reason for being here that doesn't seem like

Yeah, CCF and this summer, too. I... yeah. She's hard to describe. Definitely dangerous. I still figure my way into the Aurors is through her, whatever that takes.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Ron and Pansy

[alt_sally_anne]

'Definitely dangerous,' yeah, but what sort of dangerous, I mean can you be a little more specific about what I need to be careful of?

[alt_hydra]

Professor,

I would like to know if Salazar's Rules will also allow for the advantages of legilimency, please.

From,
Hydra

[alt_savitha]

You may most definitely use whatever advantages you have, my dear.

[alt_hydra]

Thank you for letting me know, Professor.

From,
Hydra

[alt_bellatrix]

It is good to finally see our Protectorate's premiere educational institution in the hands of those who serve the Protectorate best.

One can only hope that those long-established staff members, who are no doubt accustomed to more indulgent methods, shall follow the example set forth by Headmaster Dolohov and the new faculty.

[alt_savitha]

Why thank you, Bellatrix. We shall certainly have the opportunity to see what's been cultivated here in the last few years. I am eager to see what flowers I discover.