Charms Lesson 1: Dark Wizard Dodgeball

Tuesday, 7 September 1920 9:00AM

Roufas stood in the gymnasium leaning heavily on his cane. The damned weather turned early in the Scottish Highlands. His bones ached from the cool, wet weather and it made things difficult when he began to have more trouble getting around than usual. He waited as his students filed in, some with confused looks on their faces. Roufas, in spite of the pain he was in, smiled as the class gathered and crowded around. The hardwood floor of the gymnasium was scattered with red rubber balls. Torches were lit, helping to cast plenty of light throughout the large echoing chamber. Large windows to the rear looked out into the campus quad and it was a dreary, gray and dismal day. Lightning periodically flashed in the distance and thunder rumbled in a low, ominous tone occasionally.

"I'd like to have held this class outside, with a little more room. As y'all can see, the weather's got us staying in. We gotta make do with what we have today class," Roufas said as he addressed his students. " Now I hope y'all read the chapters I assigned because today you will be putting those pieces of the puzzle together. I hope by the end of class, you'll start to see the bigger picture. In a moment, you will divide into two teams. We will be playing dark wizard dodge ball. The two teams will take turns on offense and defense. Offense, your job will be to eliminate the defenders. Throw whatever you can at them. You can either hit them with a ball, or you can use an offensive spell to knock them out of play. Defenders, your job will be to dodge and defend. Do whatever it takes not to be eliminated. You can knock out an offensive player by catching the ball they throw, or successfully disarming them. Defending team is NOT allowed any offensive spells. Everyone be on your toes, and use charms spells only for this exercise. Divination and Transfiguration magic are not allowed," Roufas said for all to hear him.

Taking in the looks of his students, Roufas was certain there were more than a few who thought he was insane. Others looked genuinely concerned. A few Slytherins in the back were actually rubbing their hands together with a malicious gleam in their eye. Roufas hoped they'd have fun with this and not take it too far, but he had spent the early morning in the gym putting a special series of wards in place, just in case.

" If anyone is worried, no, you won't be seriously injured. I have wards in place to seriously diminish the intensity and duration of any effects you might feel. Also, to remove any room for error...anyone who is eliminated from the game will glow red when an elimination is achieved. Now, shall we pick those teams?"

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OOC: Hello and welcome to Charms! This is the first official Charms lesson. Posting in the official lessons is required at least once for purposes of passing the class. I will try to update this thread on Monday 15 September by 10pm CST

Vinnie had known they were in for an unusual class that morning, but hadn’t known just how much of one until he stepped into the gymnasium. He was still sleepy from the night before, rubbing at his eyes as he walked into the room. He had stayed up late testing the waters when it came to the school’s curfew, slipping in and out through the portrait hole and walking as far as he dared before fear of being caught got the better of him and he sprinted back to the common room. It had been good fun, if ill-advised.

Now that he had been at Hogwarts a week, Vinnie was beginning to know what to expect from his classes. Lectures, demonstrations, and sitting for an hour straight. Apparently, this was not to be one of those class periods. In place of desks and chalkboards there were red rubber balls scattered across the floor, as though everyone were about to play a Muggle sport. Vinnie, who rather liked Muggle sports, was pleased by the idea.

He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet as a flash of lightning streaked past the window, followed by a long rumble of thunder. This new setting was strange, and Vinnie was eager to get started.

With as much patience as Vinnie could muster, which wasn’t much, he listened to Professor Bourne’s explanation. “We will be playing dark wizard dodgeball.” Vinnie’s face broke into a wide grin. He loved dodgeball - the Muggle kind, at least. In spite of being raised in the wizarding world apart from primary school, he’d never heard of the magical variant.

Offensive charms…no transfiguration…serious injury… Some of the information sunk in, while the rest flew over Vinnie’s head. Most importantly, he could tell class was going to be a lot of fun today.

“Now, shall we pick those teams?” Professor Bourne asked, concluding his explanation.

“I’ll be on the defending team!” Vinnie blurted out. He didn’t wait to hear if there were any special rules for picking teams, or if Bourne meant to pick them himself. His enthusiasm had gotten the better of him. There was nothing like twisting out of the way just in time to avoid a ball hurtling towards his face. Except perhaps if that rubber ball was also magically on fire.

Vinnie wasn’t sure that was within the rules. With what Professor Bourne had said before about avoiding injuries, he guessed it probably wasn’t. Still, people were likely to be throwing all sorts of charms at him. Vinnie’s chances of making it to the end seemed slim, knowing next to no magic himself. Maybe the handful of spells he’d picked up as a first year would come in handy. Either way, the thought of being completely out of his depth thrilled Vinnie.

“Are we allowed to cast charms on the ball itself?” he asked, “Or only on people?

Elias stared around the gymnasium, mouth slightly open. This definitely wasn't what he had expected from what Professor Bourne had said. It was kind of cool. Instead of those horrible wooden desks and dusty blackboards, the big room had red rubber balls scattered across a shiny floor. With lots of space to run around. Even the windows were proper large ones, rather than tiny slits.

The weather outside still looked miserable though. His eyes tracked the lightning flashing across the grey sky warily. They should be safe enough in here at least.

Professor Bourne started explaining something called "dark wizard dodgeball," and Elias straightened up, suddenly very awake. Dodgeball? What was a dodgeball? He'd never heard that word before. Was it some kind of muggle thing? The red rubber balls scattered around the floor must be part of it, but he had no idea what you were supposed to do with them.

From what the professor was saying, it seemed like you threw the balls at people and tried not to get hit? That sounded... well, it sounded like the kind of thing that would get you in serious trouble at home. But also rather exciting.

This was nothing like the endless note-taking and textbook reading he'd been enduring all week.

Vinnie volunteered for the defending team with obvious enthusiasm, and Elias found himself grinning. Maybe the over eager boy would want to be on a team with him?

He drifted closer to the other first year as Professor Bourne continued with the rules. Offensive spells to eliminate defenders, defensive spells only for the defending team. Charms only. His mind started ticking through what he actually knew how to do.

He could make things glow, obviously. Make things float - he was getting decent at that one. Unlock his trunk when he forgot where he'd put his key. Heat the kettle for tea, or warm his hands on cold mornings. And that dusting charm Mum had taught him, though she always said he was too enthusiastic with it, sending dust flying everywhere instead of just tidying up properly.

Wait. Most of these were just household charms, but... what if that didn't matter? What if the point wasn't knowing fancy battle spells, but thinking about magic differently?

His gaze drifted upward to the high ceiling of the gymnasium, then back to the scattered red balls on the floor. A slow grin spread across his face.

When Vinnie asked about charming the balls themselves, Elias nodded eagerly at the question.

"Yeah, and what about the room?" he added, still looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Can we charm things that aren't people or balls? Oh, I can defend too."

Tulip almost smiled at the lack of desks as she walked into the charms classroom. The weather outside was awful this morning and that would mean a day cooped up inside. Tulip hated those days, she liked to see the sky at least once a day. And a day like that where they would also be chained to their desks was abosolute hell for Tulip. But this brought a rare ray of sunshine to the day, they wouldn't be stuck behind desks but running amock in the classroom instead. That meant a practical lesson, the type of Lesson's Tulip liked the most.

She looked at the red spheres and for a moment thought they were Quaffles, but then realised they were just balls. There was a moment of disapointment, she'd hoped she'd get to use magic to lob a quaffle about. But they were just red balls, "Oh that's right Quidditch isn't a big thing where you come from Proff, everyone plays Quadpot in America according to my sister Rose" she quipped poking the ball with her foot.

I hope y'all read the chapters I assigned because today you will be putting those pieces of the puzzle together. I hope by the end of class, you'll start to see the bigger picture.

Well Tulip certainly hadn't read them, she'd scanned them looked at a couple of cool spells and called it a night. She didn't like learning from a book, how could you see how it was done in a book, you needed to experience things to learn them not read them.

In a moment, you will divide into two teams. We will be playing dark wizard dodge ball. The two teams will take turns on offense and defense. Offense, your job will be to eliminate the defenders.

Tulip heard the two first years offer up to be on the defending team, how cute of them. They then asked questions about how to actually defend. Tulip was glad Poppy was in a different class, that feral first year wouldn't understand the concept of defend and would probabily attempt unforgivables just to win.

"I'll go on the attacking team Proff" she offered, "I should have brought my beaters bat down for this"

Corbin jogged down the corridor, his trainers squeaking against the stone floor with every step. These bloody muggle shoes felt wrong on his feet - too soft, too bouncy, nothing like the solid leather boots he usually wore. The fabric of his trackpants and his white cotton shirt clung in weird places and hung loose in others, and every time he caught his reflection in a window, he looked like some common muggle boy rather than a Donahue.

He'd gotten caught up at breakfast when some idiot second year had knocked over a pitcher of pumpkin juice, sending sticky orange liquid cascading across half the Slytherin table. Twenty minutes of cleaning charms and irritated huffing later, he was running behind schedule.

The gymnasium doors loomed ahead. Corbin slowed to a walk, trying to catch his breath. He smoothed down his hair and straightened his shoulders.

He pushed through the doors and stopped.

Red spheres scattered everywhere across the polished floor. Quaffles? His pulse quickened slightly. But there were no hoops. No brooms mounted on the walls. Just red balls lying around like someone had emptied a storage chest.

He stepped to the side, his back finding the wall.

Professor Bourne was leaning on his cane, talking about something called "dark wizard dodgeball." Corbin frowned. Dodge... ball? The words didn't fit together properly in his head. Were they supposed to dodge the red spheres? But those looked like Quaffles, and you caught Quaffles, you didn't dodge them.

The professor kept talking about throwing things at people, about offensive spells and defensive magic. Teams and elimination rules. It sounded like they were going to be hexing each other while throwing the red balls around, which made no sense at all.

Thunder cracked outside the tall windows. Asquith was saying something about attacking teams and beater's bats, sounding entirely too pleased about hitting people with things.

Corbin pushed off the wall and drifted toward where she stood. If this was anything like Quidditch, he could do offense.

His trainers squeaked as he shifted his weight, the sound sharp in the echoing space.

Rae knew that the first week back would be rough. It was always rough. After spending summers staying up as long as she wanted and sleeping in until she wanted, the proposed 5 am wake-ups and the abysmally early servings of breakfast always managed to do a number on her.

Familiar with the pattern by now, the Slytherin girl knew it would be around...say...mid-October before she stopped showing up to her earliest classes with a splitting headache from fatigue and sleep embedded in her eyes. Switching up routines was never easy, and for the girl so used to being commander of her own ship, being reined back in was always the hardest part.

Rae entered the large room, completely forgetting that they were meant to be having a special sort of class that morning. She'd forgotten all about eclectic shoes and the man with his cane and funny accent. Were it not for her overzealous dormmates and persistent (read: annoying when he was right, even only by accident, and when he wasn't trying to be) boyfriend, Rae may not have turned up at all.

Someday, she would convince the headmistress to start classes at midday. Today wasn't that day. Thankfully, having just walked over from transfiguration, Rae was awake enough not to be tripping over her feet. On the contrary, she was annoyingly awake and alert for the hour, understanding that even if she wanted to sneak back to her dorm and take a nap, sleep wouldn't come.

Might as well go to class.

"Now I hope y'all read the chapters I assigned because today you will be putting those pieces of the puzzle together"

Good one.

Rae had made a conscious decision not to complete the readings. She was a busy girl with many things to do--as she'd explained to an old history of magic professor not long ago. The evening she'd managed to carve out for herself was not for academia. Even if she hadn't been busy, why ruin the surprise? She'd find out what the professor intended to teach them when she got there. That was good enough for her.

Dark eyes locked on the dodgeballs while the professor explained. Defenders and offense, spells or balls. The first years were quick to grab the role of defense. It was just as well. Rae didn't intend to defend shit. Her wand worked, and while the professor insisted he'd put wards in place to neutralise some of the stronger magic that could be cast, there was still plenty she could do.

"I'm attacking with Tulip," came her simple answer. As if there was any question.

She was ready to hit things and people.

He knew the professor had said they would be doing something different this lesson, but this...wasn't what he'd been expecting. Dodgeball. Magical dodgeball involving dark wizards?

It was fair to say that Cassian wasn't the most excited Ravenclaw in the room. Being more of a creative and an intellectual, Cass had never really been one for sports. Even when he'd had those two terms as Quidditch captain, it'd always been to have an extra activity to bond with his girlfriend rather than any real love he harboured for being slammed by raging metal balls of death.

The game was cancelled, but the professors still managed to find a way to get him to exert. While the others began to volunteer for their roles, Cassian hung back against the wall not far from where Corbin had been. Offense or defense, he supposed it didn't matter.

At some point, they'd swap places.

Of course, he'd done the readings. It had taken him away from his own reading for a short while, and that had made it harder to focus, but the boy had never been one to skip out on homework, especially not when it was as simple as reading up before the next class. How many of the others had done it this early into the term? He couldn't say. Cass was aware that many of his classmates were still in vacation mode.

It was gonna take some time to get them out of it.

Rather than volunteer himself for a role, he would let the professor choose. At this stage, he didn't mind helping the younger ones defend, but was equally fine taking a more offensive stance. Bourne didn't have to worry about him going on some power trip and trying to show off with his magic. Cass was fine doing just enough to move along with the lesson, unless more was demanded. Unlike many of his peers, he didn't mind the theory lessons at all and would've preferred another lecture to...this.

The weather in Scotland that day necessitated a layer or two because it was cold in the morning. As Catherine walked into her charms class, she was confused. She was not good with practical things; more intellectual ways of learning were her thing. Today’s class was not going to be easy for her at all. A chill ran through Catherine as she stood beside her fellow older Ravenclaw, and the professor’s words echoed in her mind like a funeral knell: “dark wizard dodgeball.” Just hearing it was enough to cause the blood to rush from her head. While he seemed to have a detached, intellectual confidence, Catherine experienced an immediate and crushing fear. She was a first-year, after all, and the wizarding world was still a mysterious and terrifying wonder. Theoretical lessons were one thing—she had read every book, memorized every spell, and even enjoyed the clandestine thrill of learning—but practice was quite another.

The professors had warned them about the gap between theory and practice, but it was impossible to prepare her for this. Her hands became sweaty, and her heart beat against her rib cage like an out-of-control drum. She had never been a sporty person, even in the Muggle world. The thought of running, dodging, and, above all, being a target coiled her stomach into a tight ball of anxiety. She was no Quidditch star or dueling wizard. She was a reader, a thinker, a girl who would always opt for the safety of the library rather than the pandemonium of the classroom.

As the other children began to move forward to take up their positions with a sort of eager bravado—a jarring contrast to his resigned calm—Catherine found herself drawing back. She considered arguing, suggesting an alternative, or even merely telling the professor about her terror, but the words refused to come out. She had studied the Charms homework that the professor had set, of course. She knew the theory on which the spells were based and the dark arts history, but none of it even came close to knowing it in her mind to be able to perform it off the top. This class wasn’t a matter of grades; this was about avoiding humiliation or, worse, injury. She wanted to be a good student and an engaged participant, but fear paralyzed her.

She watched Cassian, who seemed like a reserved anchor for her in her sea of fear. He did not give anything away to leave the choice in the professor’s lap, either. His calm was both reassuring and a source of her own self-doubt. Despite his seeming indifference, she was in shambles. The fear of not being able to do it, of being ridiculed, of being a bumbling, magical imposter, was crushing her. She wanted to be brave enough, but the spasm in her stomach and the tremble in her hands betrayed her. For now, she simply stood, a ghost of a first year, and hoped the professor’s gaze didn’t touch her. She only wished for this class to end.

Roufas stood to the side of the court as students decided which side they'd take. Unsurprisingly, several students were eager to be on the attack, but there were a handful who chose to defend, which sparked a kind of admiration in Roufas. He nodded as Folwell and Everett took places on the defending side of the court. He was not in the least surprised when Elliot and Donahue took their places on the attacking side, nor when Asquith joined them. Tulip was of his house, and seemed like a part of her enjoyed a good fight. As he watched on, the students discussing which side they would take, he noticed McCormick and Holloway both hanging back. The former looked unconcerned, the latter seemed petrified.

Questions abounded regarding what could and could not be spelled. Roufas listened, giving final instructions. "The balls are fair game. The room itself and court should not be charmed. Keep an eye on your positioning. If you should be knocked out or otherwise thrown out of bounds, you will be out. You have a few minutes to finish deciding your teams."[/b]

Roufas knew Folwell and Everett would have a notable handicap with two fourth years and a third on the opposing team. He made the decision to shore things up a bit. "McCormick, take the defending side. Folwell and Everett can benefit from your example, I'm sure. Otherwise the teams might be a little unbalanced, don't you think," Roufas asked the sixth year. Yes, the kid seemed uncommitted to this, but perhaps given a charge and some direction, his skill would come out. Looking to the offensive side, Elliot seemed almost gleeful to begin as the teams were finalized.

Roufas looked to Holloway, noting the concern in her eyes and walking to her. "Holloway, you can sit this round out. Watch, and get an idea of how this goes. Never hurts to do a bit of observation before tackling a new thing, does it?" he asked with a reassuring smile, directing the girl to a chair along the edge of the room. He drew his wand from his cane and a few wordless flourishes saw the defenders robes take on a blue hue while the offense wore red. A silver whistle appeared in his hand and he raised it to his lips, blowing it. A sharp shrill trilling whistle echoed through the gymnasium. "Game on!" Roufas called out as he watched the students scramble, and the action began to unfold before him.

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OOC: This is the first class update. I will plan to post the next update on or about 22 September 2025 at or near 2200 hrs CST.

With the intervention of Professor Roufas, a wave of relief washed over Cate. She had been on the verge of flat-out panic, her heart pounding against her ribs at the thought of the magic balls coming her way. Professor Bourne's quiet action was an anchor, a refinement out of the fear of being the very first one to go down. She smiled uncertainly at him, her thanks before turning to head towards the chair he'd indicated she take on the side of the court.

The others were still arguing over whose side they'd be on, and the air hummed with a mixture of hopeful optimism and competitive fervor. Catherine watched the scene from where she sat, her own emotions now calm. The need to perform had fallen off, replaced by a serene wonder. She knew her talents lay in observation and analysis, not in frantic, high-damage body combat. She watched as Elliot, Donahue, and Asquith solidified their attack team with an eager swagger, their robes now a brilliant red. Opposite them stood Folwell, Everett, and McCormick with a more subdued, defensive demeanor, their robes a serene blue.

This was where she needed to be. As the professor drew out his wand and prepared to start the game, Catherine hunched forward, her mind already shifting from fear to a position of fierce watching. She was a scholar of magic, not a warrior. Watching, she would be able to learn the rules of this new, crazy game, study the magic being used, and discover the weaknesses in each side's plan. She glimpsed a flash of her usual, bookish confidence. She was not going to be playing this game, but she was going to be learning, and that was some kind of win.

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I wanted to get this out of the way.

All in all, not a bad team. Rae was content in the knowledge that the people she shared defense with weren't the sort who might shy away from doing some damage. They were all Quidditch players--if only formerly for now--and understood that in any game, there came a bit of pain.

It was nothing against the first years and certainly nothing against Cassian, who'd been roped in to keep them from dying. Rae was only doing as she was told, and doing so without hesitation.

If the professor wanted her to throw balls at her classmates, she had no complaints. That they could use magic made the task all the easier. Unlike in Quidditch, she wouldn't have a ref blowing their whistle at her because she charmed the bludger for extra power--justified, very justified, and only when she'd been angry enough to focus on injury over anything resembling fair play and good sportsmanship. Sometimes, the game stopped being about protecting one's chasers, or even winning, and began to be more about...proving a point.

There was no point she wanted to prove in this class, no statement she was trying to make, and no lasting impression she was trying to leave. Rae was merely engaging with the content in the manner expected of her.

With a degree of controlled violence.

Before the game started, she watched the professor lead Halloway's off-brand cousin from the main court. She couldn't understand why, at first. If the defense was largely first-years, they might have done well with an extra pair of hands holding the line. Still, the girl looked relieved to sit out of the fun and watch instead.

Wasn't her style, but to each their own. Rae certainly wasn't about to fuss about the plight of others.

A Gryffindor she was not, nor did she have any intention of becoming one. Let everyone sort out their salvation. The girl was no one's champion. She had a 'game' to play.

"Accio!" the girl uttered, summoning one of the balls toward her. As she sometimes liked to do with bludgers--yes, yes, illegal as it was. Lock her up--Rae used the spell to create momentum in the ball. When it was nearly on her, she cast her second spell, "Depulso!" reversing that momentum to send it careening in Little Vinnie's direction with frightening speed.

The boy had better think fast.

Not wanting poor Elias to feel left out, Rae summoned another ball, this time with a silent 'accio' before silently depulso-ing it in the direction of the first year Ravenclaw.

She hadn't planned to send a ball at Cassian, knowing very well the boy knew how to cast a protego. It wouldn't be nearly as fun watching her friend deflect with shields. The thought hit her, however. Distracted as he was likely to be trying to defend the ickles, it might have left his own defenses open. The temptation was beyond what she could reasonably resist. Spotting a ball that had rolled further back, Rae accio-ed it silently, hoping that it would hit into the back of the head of the boy who stood between her and it if she angled herself just right.

From the corner of his eyes, Cassian spotted Holloway. With a turn of his head, he was better able to see that something resembling terror gripped the girl.

Where the boys had been ready and rearing to go, the younger girl appeared to be more withdrawn and less eager to throw herself into this impromptu game of "Dark Wizard Dodgeball," as the professor had called it. He got it. Different classes worked for different students, and his housemate was likely one of them who preferred things on the quieter, more manageable side--at least while she was still getting her feet wet.

The first year was the most overwhelming, even for the students who did come from magical homes. There was so much to absorb, so many new faces on you while you tried to get a feel for the magic that had always been buried inside you. Cass had been the eager sort, preferring to try everything and test his limits, but he knew many like Catherine, too.

"McCormick, take the defending side. Folwell and Everett can benefit from your example, I'm sure."

He could do that.

The prefect gave a small nod of acknowledgement as he took up position with the first-year boys. He didn't mind defense and didn't mind helping, especially not when the other side was largely very likely to go all out. If not Corbin, then Tulip, and Ruth would give his team a run for their money, and while he didn't doubt he could hold them off, holding them off for the whole team was likely a different story.

"Game on!"

They were the words that sealed his fate.

He wasn't even surprised.

The moment the game started, so did his young Slytherin friend. Ruth had never been the sort to shy away from such challenges, even when it was spells rather than balls being thrown. Of course, she'd come out the gate swinging.

"Protego!" he cast in Vinnie's direction the moment she took aim. He'd seen the manoeuvre before, on the pitch, and already knew what was coming. It wasn't clear whether he'd gotten the shield up in time, and the boy hadn't had a chance to verify because the devil of a girl wasn't done. In the blink of an eye, she'd sent another ball soaring with uncomfortable force toward Elias. He scrambled to throw up another shield with a muttered "protego" and an "Oi! Take it easy will you?" Truthfully, with attacks coming from all sides, he wasn't sure if even that shield had worked when suddenly, something struck him in the back of the head.

Cassian recoiled, wincing while his world began to spin. It felt like he'd been hit by a truck, though he knew nothing could be further from the truth.

A hand reached into the curls at the back of his head, gently massaging his scalp in an effort to diffuse some of the pain that now left him reeling.

"...Bloody hell, Rae..."

Elias stared up at the high ceiling, then at the scattered red balls. Professor Bourne had shut down his idea about charming the room, but he'd said they could charm the balls and use defensive spells.

He hadn't said anything about what else they could use.

Elias glanced around the gymnasium, fingers finding the bottom hem of his grey jumper. Around them, other students were still asking questions and positioning themselves. Some of the older students stretched like this was Quidditch practice.

Before he could lose his nerve, Elias yanked the jumper over his head. The wool caught on his ears before coming free, leaving him in just his white shirt. Cold air immediately raised goosebumps along his arms.

He held the jumper up, testing the fabric between his hands. Maybe if he could get it floating, he could catch things with it? He stretched the wool out between his hands until it was tight, then pointed his wand at the center of the fabric.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

The jumper went stiff in his hands, suddenly weightless. Not quite flying, but floating, ready to move however he directed it.

The sharp blast of Professor Bourne's whistle cut through the gymnasium, echoing off the high ceiling and stone walls.

The moment the sound faded, Ruth was moving. Elias watched her point her wand at one of the red balls. The ball flew toward her really fast, then she did something else - just a flick of her wand - and suddenly the ball turned around and went flying at Vinnie even faster.

How did she do that? She'd made it go so much faster somehow. Ruth was already reaching for another ball.

The gymnasium filled with the sounds of casting and scrambling feet on the polished wooden floor. Cassian's voice rang out with a shield charm somewhere behind Elias, followed immediately by a second one.

Elias gripped his wand tighter, watching Ruth point her wand at another ball and send it flying across the court.

This time, the red ball came at him instead, going super fast from her magic. Probably hard enough to really hurt, if it hit him. Elias moved his floating jumper into the ball's path, hoping the wool would catch it. He dived sideways across the shiny floor, his eclectic shoes squeaking on the surface. If his makeshift net didn't work, at least he wouldn't be caught standing there like a gaping fish.

The sharp whistle cut through the gymnasium and chaos erupted immediately.

Corbin sighed exasperatedly as he watched Elliot throw herself into a flurry of fast spells and movement. The red not-Quaffles were sent zooming across the court at crazy speeds. Using that much magic against first years? It was... a little much.

All around him, spells were being shouted and people were diving for cover like they were under attack by actual dark wizards. McCormick had apparently decided to play hero for the first years. Meanwhile, one of the Ravenclaw boys had taken his jumper off for some reason. Because that would clearly help him avoid getting hit.

Apparently getting pelted with these "dodgeballs" was supposed to teach them something about defensive charms. It seemed non-sensical to him. If they wanted to practice dodging, why not use bludgers?

He could feel the soft cotton of his t-shirt clinging as he moved across to the edge of the court. "Dark wizard dodgeball." Even the name sounded made up. This new Charms professor obviously had some screws loose. While the others focused on immediate attacks, Corbin began collecting up the extra red balls that were scattered around the attacking side. Elliot's assault had left the defenders scrambling - perfect cover.

One, two, three, four. He stacked his prizes by his feet before pulling his wand and pointing it at the first ball. "Colovaria."

The bright red shifted to match the pale stone ceiling above. The second ball followed, then the third, until he had four ceiling-colored spheres. He eyed the results, then the ceiling, to make sure that he had the colour about right. It was a pretty decent match, he reckoned.

"Wingardium Leviosa." The balls rose toward the high gymnasium roof, positioning themselves like silent ambushers above the defending team.

Corbin watched the chaos unfolding, waited for the right moment, then dropped his wand arm sharply.

The dodgeballs streaked down from above, plummeting toward the tiny first years' heads like a swarm of meteors.

“Game on!” Professor Bourne called out, and just like that everyone took off. The room was filled at once with shouts and swearing on the part of those who’d been hit, with rubber balls bouncing away and the squeak of shoes against the gymnasium floor. It felt like the best parts of Muggle primary school all over again. Vinnie could hardly contain his excitement.

He jumped into action with the rest, dodging and twisting away on the defensive team as balls flew. He wasn’t strong, nor was he particularly advanced with spells, but he was tiny and agile enough to hold his own. At least, in the beginning. Unlike the games he’d played in primary school, everyone had a trick up their sleeves.

An older Slytherin girl he recognized from his classes as Elliott summoned a ball towards herself and sent it hurtling towards Vinnie at absurd speeds. His wand was ready in hand to cast whatever spell came to mind first - and then a shield of magic rose around him. Startled, Vinnie glanced sideways. His gaze landed on the boy who had cast it, just in time for that boy to get hit in the back of the head with another rubber ball.

Vinnie was slightly disappointed, both by the Ravenclaw boy being knocked out and because he’d wanted a chance to defend himself.

The feeling didn’t last long. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement far above. Something was dropping towards him, fast. Thrusting his wand over his head, Vinnie shouted the incantation for the hot air charm, hoping the blast of air from his wand would slow the ball’s fall enough for him to catch it.

“Look out, Elias!” Vinnie hollered as he held out his own hands above his head, ready to attempt the catch.

Roufas watched from the side lines. The action was chaotic, even beyond what he had expected. Ruth was quite ferocious in her attack. It impressed Roufas, seeing the ferocity in which the girl plied herself. She had potential, he thought. McCormick did well helping to defend Folwell and Everett until Elliot sent a dodge ball hurtling at the back of his head. The rubber ball connected with a hollow BOING, ricochetting off the boy's head. Roufas blew his whistle sharply.

"McCormick!! YOURE OUT!" Roufas shouted. "Run two laps around the perimeter of the gym, McCormick. Nice shield charms," Roufas called to the boy as he turned his attention back to his other students. The first year girl he had sat out was sitting on the sidelines, her attention glued to the action unfolding. Roufas turned back to the game in just enough time to see the fourth year, Donahue transfigure four of the bloody balls to camouflage them, attempting to let them rain unseen upon his opponents, one of which seemed to be levitating a sweater?

Roufas then turned to Ruth, one of his most frustrating and yet seemingly most talented students so far this term. "Excellent use of accio and depulso, Elliot. Well done. Five points to Slytherin," he told the girl, hoping perhaps just a bit of recognition might meet the girl where she lived. She had...something to prove, though Roufas was not at all sure what that might be.

Roufas looked back across the action, seeing Donahue alter the color of some dodge balls, levitating them and dropping them over the remaining first-years like bombs. One of the balls bounced off the floating jumper, but there were too many as it was knocked away and Everett was impacted by one ball, then another. Folwell managed a hot air charm though, and just barely caught it. Roufas blew his whistle sharply. " Everett! You're out! Donahue, excellent effort but he caught one. Youre out! Both of you, run two laps around the perimeter," Roufas called. This was good, exciting play for the students. They were learning a thing or two, and getting to expend some energy and frustration they'd built over the last couple of days. Roufas watched on as Folwell was the only defender remaining against Asquith and Elliot.

---

OOC: The next charms update will take place on 30th September

Boo.

Leave it to her lanky Ravenclaw friend to get in the way of a good time. In the same way, she felt the sting of disappointment when someone intercepted her bludgers on the pitch--usually Benji, usually to be a little shit--Rae felt that familiar pang now. They'd been perfectly good shots, backed by a great deal more power than perhaps the professor would've liked, but Circe had they soared. At least, until the dome-like shields appeared, deflecting them like flies being swatted on a hot summer afternoon.

"...Bloody hell, Rae..."

Her immediate response was a lower eyelid pull and her tongue sticking out for good measure. "Don't get in my way next time, and you won't get your brains scrambled." The logic seemed sound enough to her. In fact, given the status of 'friend' that the boy held, Rae hadn't even planned to hit him, not in the first few, anyway. She'd have easily saved him for last or somewhere near the end of the extensive list, allowing him some time to shuffle around with the others, trying to put together some defense.

"McCormick!! YOURE OUT!"

She shot the boy an impish grin. "That's what happens to heroes." And now he was out of her hair, she could get back to focusing on her targets. Elias was apparently out, not by the work of her blocked ball, but by something Corbin had done. In all the chaos of the 'game', Rae had lost track of her housemate and certainly couldn't say where Tulip had ended up, but in the split second where many outs were being called, the girl had grown more attentive. Some of the balls had strange colours. They stood out clearly against the floor and others, but a glance up revealed what they'd been intended to look like.

Huh.

That was certainly one way to do it. She knew Corbin wasn't much for brute force, always quieter and withdrawn. It made sense he'd go for stealth instead. She had no such persuasions.

"Excellent use of accio and depulso, Elliot. Well done. Five points to Slytherin."

The girl was a glutton for praise. She grinned at the professor's words, not so fussed about the points as she was about the recognition of her skill. It had been a good strategy, one that would've worked better had Cass not gotten in the way.

But there was no time to rest on her laurels. Little Vinnie was playing a game of keep away and still needed to be taken out. Rae paused a moment, assessing the situation and the boy she was beginning to think may have been scrappy.

He'd just try to deflect if she pulled out the usual one ball and go. In truth, without the distraction of many of the others, he wouldn't have had too many issues. She'd have to create an issue of her own. Rather than one, Rae employed a more advanced form of silent accio to pull in several of the balls at once. She timed them just right, keeping each within her field of vision before employing an equally advanced and silent depulso, catapulting about nine balls in the boy's direction.

It would be interesting if he could deflect them all. She reckoned she'd even be impressed.

In case it wasn't already abundantly clear, Cassian wasn't a fan of sports and most physical activity. The boy had known from the moment he entered the classroom that he was likely to regret not skipping. Now, with his head ringing fiercely and the world spinning ever so slightly, all his misgivings had been confirmed.

Of course, it came as no surprise that Ruth hadn't given a thought to how unrelenting her assault had been. She was a vicious storm of a girl that couldn't be quelled even on good days without the right know-how. On some level, he knew blocking the younger students would've gotten him into her field of vision, and he supposed it had been a risk he was willing to take, but he didn't remember signing up for a headache.

"McCormick!! YOURE OUT!" Roufas shouted. "Run two laps around the perimeter of the gym, McCormick.

Or that.

Cassian definitely didn't remember signing up for that.

When had this become some abysmal lesson on physical education? What would laps help him accomplish except a bigger headache? The world was filled with all sorts of people. Some of them were built for the athletic life of running around, ducking, dodging, slinging spells, and taking hits to the face. None of that was him. The boy knew very well where he stood in the world. He was a creative intellectual who enjoyed a show as much as he did a quiet afternoon with some books.

This class had come straight from the pits of hell to torment him for reasons he hadn't yet been able to ascertain. Was it something he'd done? Someone he'd offended? The universe trying to balance itself after some great travesty he hadn't been made aware of?

All seemed likely to him.

With a groan that could be heard around the world, Cassian moved towards the outer wall of the gym and began his laps. Mercifully, they weren't something he couldn't handle after the years he'd played Quidditch, but it was safe to say this wasn't the Ravenclaw's idea of a 'good time'.

From back where the professor stood, he could hear others being called out as well. Elias had apparently been hit but had managed to take out Corbin with a well-timed catch.

Talk about some bad luck as an attacker.

Cass held his head forward, trying to hunker down to get it done. At the end of the second lap, he found himself a place along the wall to lean, deciding he didn't really need to be too involved with the rest of the lesson if this was what it would be.

He was pretty...'physicalled' out.

Roufas watched on, serving as referee over two more rounds of this lesson on the practical use of Charms. McCormick had vocalized his dissent, rather loudly but had done the laps without a question. His first years had been a mess, truly but the lesson would impress upon them certain offensive and defensive lessons they needed to learn. Elliot seemed like she enjoyed the recognition for doing well, which didn't surprise Roufas in the least.

Roufas blew his whistle, calling the game to an end and calling his students to form a circle around him. " Today was a lesson in attacking and defense. I hope you enjoyed an opportunity to put what you know into practice," Roufas told them. "You all put in good work, though I suspect some of you were less than enthusiastic to do so. I hope that you understand my purpose here. It is important to know how to defend one self in the Wizarding World. Part of that is the knowledge and practice of various spells, but maintaining physical health is just as important as the mental aspects of it."

With that, Roufas paired the students and walked them through the most basic shield charm he knew, observing their practice for the rest of class. He dismissed them promptly when it was time, heading off to grab a quick nosh and perhaps a spot of tea before his office hours began. The class had been successful over all, even if some hadn't necessarily understood at first, but they would.

---

OOC: Sorry for the delay in posting, travel headaches and concerns got in the way. This class is ended. Fee free to continue posting until I close it for grading on the 7th. The next lesson (lesson 2) will most likely begin on the 8th.

That was it then, the end of the lesson. Rae rotated her casting wrist a few times, working out the tension that had built up from the succession of spells she'd thrown out. Switching between wand movements as she had, the constant back and forth had done a number on the joint. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle--certainly not, not for the girl who spent nearly every night practising her spellwork.

It did leave her hand a little sore, though.

Such was the nature of competition. Rae had been given the task of attacking--had claimed it for herself, really. It was likely that no one else had taken it quite so seriously, and perhaps she hadn't either, but the girl was thorough when it came to her casting.

It didn't matter that it was only an exercise in the class. Rae wasn't doing it for others. Every spell she'd thrown was another chance to improve, and she'd always taken that seriously.

Now, they were done, and it was time to pivot. She was still trying to remember her schedule, but if she wasn't mistaken, transfiguration was next. She hadn't done the reading or the write-up for that either, and didn't reckon the walk over would be enough time to accomplish that. Unwilling to scramble for an ultimately futile attempt, Rae decided it was better to enjoy a peaceful stroll through the corridors rather than worry herself over things she couldn't control.

Rae collected her things, throwing her bookbag over her shoulder.

A thought greeted her as she hit the door. Following transfiguration would be lunch. If she just happened to...not show up, she could have herself an early break.

Huh.

There was an idea she could get behind. Maybe she could convince Benji to skip with her. The boy had never been keen on attending lessons to begin with. There was plenty they could find to occupy themselves with until their afternoon lessons.

She'd need her beater's bat.