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Post by Headmistress Isadora Gunvald on Apr 11, 2023 19:10:27 GMT -8
Classroom Description
A large classroom lined with brilliant marble columns that end in decorative arches supporting a large domed roof. At the sides of the classroom stood several large cages containing a variety of birds and small animals that would be used in practice by advanced students. Three rows of old-fashioned mahogany desks, each sitting two people, fill the middle of the room. At the head of the room stood the professor’s desk, a regal chair lined in navy blue, and two blackboards on wooden frames. The room was illuminated by a row of small arched windows that lined the wall and four round hanging chandeliers.
Lesson Two | Vanishment October had arrived beautifully. The forest outside of the classroom was a sea of color. Cool breezes whipped past the castle windows. Isadora pulled her hair up, ready to begin her second lesson. She wore an enchanted pumpkin pin on her breast. When looked upon directly, the pumpkin’s plain surface glowed into a jack o' lantern that changed facial expressions upon every look. Currently, it was sticking its tongue out wildly to the class. Professor Gunvald realized that she was working with teenagers and wanted to capture their attention to learning in any way she could.
She strode to the blackboard at the front of the room, circling “Vanishment” from the four branches of Transfiguration. Professor Gunvald casually casted transfiguration charms over a feather at her desk; she changed it’s form from a feather to a bird then to a egg and back to a feather again. Students began to trickle into the room, Professor Gunvald stood and announced, “Hello all, welcome back to Transfiguration for your second lesson. In Lesson One, I assessed your basic Conjuration skill with a bouquet charm…You all impressed with your attention to detail and creativity. Transfiguration requires magical skill, yes. But also the ability to imagine a new reality. To picture a feather turning to a cup. A wizard to pig...” She smiled, “It’s all possible. We will continue through the four branches of Transfiguration…your assessment today will be focused on Vanishment. Essentially, the opposite of Conjuration.”
“Vanishment is used to make things go into non-being. Traditionally, students find this to be one of the hardest transfigurations to be tested on the O.W.L, so I expect full attention today. Especially for you fifth years.” She scanned the room, now filling, “The difficulty of Vanishment to be performed correctly correlates directly to the object or organism being vanished. For example, a worm is far easier to vanish than a cat.”
Isadora turned to one of the cages on her desk, “Alohomora.” She said, unlocking the bolt. A precarious horned viper slithered across the surface, eyeing the crowd with intimidation. He then turned his eye toward Isadora, who quickly cast, “Vipera Evanesca.” The snake vanished in front of their eyes, “Unlike conjuration, there is only one incantation required for vanishment.”
She turned to the board to jot:
Vanishment – “Evanesco”
"We will be continuing into this level of difficulty as the year progresses, for now, I will be assessing your Vanishment skills on something much simpler to gain an understanding of where the entire class lies. Though I do not expect any of you to vanish on your first attempt, this is a particularly challenging area of focus for most students.”
Professor Gunvald smiled at the class, awaiting the arrival of more students….
House Cup Points for Participation:
1. Attend Class (minimum 1 post per class) +10 pts
2. Correctly Answer Question in Class (first to respond correctly) +5 pts
3. Earn or lose house points assigned by the Professor at their discretion.
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Post by Loce Vaisey on Apr 11, 2023 19:58:48 GMT -8
Loce sauntered into class, slipping into his seat at the back of the class. Vanishment could come in useful. “Hello Professor.” He said, pulling out his quill and parchment. He glanced at the chair Fergus had occupied in the last lesson, wondering how much trouble he would get in if he tried to vanish a classmate. “Outside of school, are there laws against vanishing other wizards?” He asked. He hadn’t studied transfiguration outside of school, and therefore hadn’t thought to look up laws. But…. If vanishing wizards was not an unforgivable offense… It may come in handy. You could always spin it as self defense as long as any witnesses were on your side. His thoughts drifted from Fergus to Isla, wondering if un-existing the problem would be the best course of action? Something he’d have to ask.
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Post by Cordelia Burke on Apr 11, 2023 21:00:25 GMT -8
Cordelia enters the Transfiguration classroom casually, her mind wandering elsewhere. She takes a seat near the back, her usually seating option. She sees Loce already seated, empty space beside him. She smiles in his direction. She doesn't need to ask, she knows the seat is saved. Instead she just places herself in the desk next to it. Once Anneli shows up she will be on her other side, across the walkway. "Afternoon," She greets with a polite nod in general.
She eyes the cages at the forefront of the room. Ah, snakes. Ironically... not her favorite. She sits, crossing her legs and leaning back in her seat. A notebook and quill set in front of her, not likely to be used, but ready if needed.
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Anneli Oden
Slytherin
5th Year - Slytherin Captain - Chaser - Part-Veela
Posts: 296
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Post by Anneli Oden on Apr 11, 2023 22:06:05 GMT -8
Anneli strolled into the Transfiguration room, a leather bag across her robes. Her hair fell down her shoulders in wavy blonde locks. She had read Transfiguration Today through the morning. It had been an easy way to pass time. She had read about a witch who had turned a small mound into a fully functioning four-bedroom home on the coast of Scotland. Anneli’s mind had been sparked by the accomplishment. If that were possible, nothing could stop her.
She nodded her head to Headmistress Gunvald as she entered. Her blue eyes flickered to the board, Vanishment. This would prove useful. Especially beyond a bouquet of flowers. Anneli smiled at Cordelia, her former seat partner. A small streak of sadness ran through her. She hoped her friend might understand. As Anneli passed, she left a small cup of warmed tea on Cordelia’s desk. Green tea. Her favorite. A token of shared friendship, even if silent.
Anneli strolled up to Loce, a small mischievous smile appeared on her face. She winked at him as she sat down, “Hej igen.” She whispered softly. Anneli conjured her parchment and quill. She squeezed Loce’s thigh lightly with one hand as she took notes with the other. A blush ran through her face. It was time to focus on the subject at hand, though she found it more difficult than before.
but with blonde hair
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Post by Loce Vaisey on Apr 11, 2023 22:49:58 GMT -8
Loce looked up as another entered the classroom. Cordelia. He smiled at her, returning her nod. “Hey Cordelia.” He returned to scribbling on his parchment. Although the notes had strayed from what was on the board to scratching out different phrasings he could use to make Fergus disappear altogether. He raised an eyebrow at the smile and returned her wink. “Hej mitt hjärta” he replied, glad to see her. He stilled as she squeezed his thigh, not expecting it at all and thankful it was the beginning of class. He placed a hand over hers and leaned closer. “Not fair.” He teased then kissed her cheek. Then again, if he had wanted someone who played fair and always by the rules, he wouldn’t be with her in the first place. He leaned forward so he could see Cordelia as well. “If the weather holds, do you want to ditch the Great Hall and take dinner down by the lake?” The great hall was loud and obnoxious and not generally very good for meaningful conversations.
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Isla Reinhardt
Gryffindor
5th Year - Gryffindor Seeker - Prefect
Posts: 116
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Post by Isla Reinhardt on Apr 12, 2023 11:40:50 GMT -8
Isla entered Transfiguration class, her mind completely elsewhere. She had received an owl that morning from her mother. Or Ingeborg the Dictator, as Isla might put it. Her red hair fell wildly around her face. She hoped it might discourage anyone from looking too closely at her. The last thing she wanted was for someone who might ask what’s wrong to see her. Although, that was probably a lost cause if Gwen was in class. Her friend would surely notice the subtle change in attitude. She thought briefly to Fergus, wondering if he had received an owl as well.
She looked around quickly, noticing only Slytherin faces. They always seemed to make it to class before anyone else. Isla gave a brief nod to Loce and Anneli before settling at the front of class. “Hello Professor Gunvald.” She greeted, pulling out her notes.
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Niamh Cara O'Shea
Ravenclaw
Niamh (NEE-av or NEEV) - 5th Year - Ravenclaw Seeker
Posts: 42
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Post by Niamh Cara O'Shea on Apr 12, 2023 21:23:47 GMT -8
Niamh walked happily down the corridors. Her bag of books swung at her side. Her short frame more confident in the hallways now. It was October. The year was settling in. She was no longer pining for the green hills of Ireland anymore. Hogwarts was her home now. And she was headed to one of her favorite classes, Transfiguration. Niamh looked up to the Headmistress in many respects. She had been offered an Auror position before coming here. Niamh wondered momentarily if Professor Gunvald had regretted the choice...
She entered the classroom, happy that it was still so warm. Niamh listened to Professor Gunvald's lecture as she choose a seat at the front of the class. She pulled out her notebook and began to jot down a few questions she had. The class could only be made better by Zander's arrival. Her one true confidant besides her brother.
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Post by Reece Briarwood on Apr 12, 2023 22:18:08 GMT -8
Reece entered the Transfiguration classroom slowly. He was tired and still rubbing sleep from his eyes. He’d missed the first class of the day by sleeping in but, hey, at least he made it to his second.
He noted the board. They were learning about vanishment today. As he made his way to his usual seat in the middle row, he caught sight of the other Slytherins: Loce, Anneli, and Cordelia sitting alone, in the back row.
Cordelia was a Slytherin, just like him, but they had never really spoken before. She was always so reserved, and he wasn't sure how to approach her. She had bothered him on occasion to join the quidditch team, but he’d always turned her down. He wasn’t the team playing type. But hey, maybe he should get to know her better.
With a grin on his face, Reece made his way over to Cordelia and slid into the seat next to her. "Hey there," he said, leaning in close. "What's a girl like you doing sitting all alone?"
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Post by Ameryn Hahn Davies on Apr 13, 2023 18:58:40 GMT -8
Ameryn bounded into the room with enthusiasm and excitement. She liked this class, probably because she found the headmistress to be a good and engaging professor. Plus she could transform into a magpie, how perfect for this class could you get?
Vanishment? Ameryn eyes the board upon entry, “Ooh, should be a good one.” She remarks to no one in particular. Finally turning and assessing the seating arrangements.
“Hey Isla, mind if I join you?” She plops down into the front-row seat beside her teammate and hastily begins pulling loose items out of her messenger bag. Some parchment papers, some quills. One piece of paper escapes her and slides nearly halfway across the room on the floor. She pulls out her wand and with a quick flick of her wand and use of accio it returns promptly to her hand. She chuckles at her messiness. Aracely would be horrified. Finally feeling settled she turns to Isla fully, "Hi." She grins.
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Ezra Ansel
Ravenclaw
6th Year - Prefect - Ravenclaw Captain/Chaser
Posts: 105
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Post by Ezra Ansel on Apr 13, 2023 19:22:59 GMT -8
Ezra walked into class, hunching over as he walked around the front. He listened to Professor Gunvald. Ezra smiled as she vanished the viper. He had some practice in the area, but certainly not enough. He scanned the room, holding the book bag strap at his shoulder. His telescope tucked away for later.
He nodded to some of his friends as he decided to take a seat next to Niamh. She was in his house and seemed fairly smart, “Hey Niamh.” He greeted, taking out his supplies. Ezra rubbed the back of his neck, hoping it wouldn’t be misconstrued if Aracely entered.
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Post by Cordelia Burke on Apr 14, 2023 13:35:57 GMT -8
Cordelia smiles as Anneli passes, leaving a little treat on her desk. Happily Cordelia wraps her fingers around the delicate mug and enjoys the warmth beneath her palm for a moment before taking a sip. "Ahh, now that's how to start a class." She inhales the fresh, slightly spicy scent. Her body and mind reacting by succumbing to a more relaxed state.
The seat next to her scrapes across the flooring as Reece Briarwood takes that space. "A girl like me," She replies, "Was enjoying some nice quiet before class starts." She replies, giving him a look and taking a sip of her tea to spread the warmth.
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Post by Reece Briarwood on Apr 15, 2023 23:34:01 GMT -8
Reece chuckles at Cordelia's aloof attitude. He found it charming. He turns in his chair to face her more directly, one elbow casually on the desk. "I don't normally enjoy the whole, peace and quiet thing." He muses, "But for you?" He flashes a charming smile, continuing to look in her direction.
His smile fades into a slight smirk, just watching as she sips her tea and effectively ignores him. He stares a moment longer before chuckling and repositioning himself in his seat again to face forward. His instinct was to prod her more, see if she'd be open to some playful banter... but, she asked for quiet and he'd give her that.
He almost makes a remark about the class. But stops himself. He glances at her out of the side of his eye, subtly and is about to ask about her drink... but stops himself.
Sometimes being quiet is a lot harder than it looks.
He hopes class will begin soon, he does't know how long he can restrain himself from being chatty.
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Post by Headmistress Isadora Gunvald on Apr 16, 2023 16:28:13 GMT -8
Questions Answered & Greetings OOC: I know this is long! *LOL* Don't worry - you don't need to read all of it. Professor Gunvald answers Mr.Vaisey's question and greets each of her students. You can scroll down to skip and begin lesson Isadora nodded and greeted her students as they entered and sat. She was impressed with the turn-out this year. This cohort was certainly ambitious and attentive across each house. Professor Gunvald stood next to her desk, turning to greet her first student of the day as they entered, “Good afternoon, Mr. Vaisey.” She said, offering a smile. It usually took some time for transfer students to gain their ground in the school. Loce Vaisey had made a nearly seamless transition, sans his first session with her in detention. She had pardoned this. Professor Gunvald thought some of her most intelligent students were drawn to mischief. Isadora had taken special interest in Ms. Oden and Mr. Vaisey’s situations. She had many concerns, yet that would never appear outwardly on her face. “Fantastic question, Loce,” Isadora sat on her desk, “We should first begin with a foundational question, where do vanished objects, or people, go?” She asked rhetorically, scanning the entire class, “As you know, they are transformed into a state of non-being. Vanished objects, or people, are not destroyed. Instead, they are broken down into magical energy, which is present in all the things around us. It is the same magical energy we draw upon to create objects into life. For instance, last class you all conjured beautiful bouquets into life drawing from that same well of magic energy.” She heard a yawn and frowned. Hopefully someone might find it useful. “Their energy can be changed from one form to the other…but cannot be created nor destroyed.” Isadora smiled, lost in her lecture and hoping she wasn’t boring her students with the review, “Since we know we can create objects from this same energy, then it follows that someone who is vanished can simply be reconjured. In magic law, vanishment does not equate to murder.”
Isadora smiled, turning to her students, “It was not a common issue we saw in the Law Enforcement department. Vanishing a wizard is particularly challenging. Remember that the more complex an organism, the more complex the magic required to transfigure or vanish.” She paused, “Especially when that wizard is actively working against being turned into non-being. Almost impossible for a single witch or wizard to achieve. I hope that answered some of your questions, Mr.Vaisey. You can always stay to chat if you have more.” She smiled, pushing back some of the vanishment cases she had worked on in her former life to the back of her mind. Those would not need to be discussed in today’s lesson. She then greeted Cordelia Burke with a smile, “Hello, Ms. Burke,” She was a bright student and seemingly loyal friend. Isadora had noted her help in supporting Anneli and helping to lead the Slytherin team to victory. Anneli Oden followed, a determined look on her face. Professor Gunvald was intrigued by Ms. Oden. She seemed wildly beyond her years, both in attitude and skill. “Good afternoon, Ms. Oden.” Isadora greeted warmly. Professor Gunvald grinned at Isla Reinhardt. “Hello, Ms. Reinhardt. I wanted to thank you and Gwen, for the Homecoming Dance idea. It was a brilliant event, I believe your classmates will remember it for years to come...” She thought Ms. Reinhardt seemed good-hearted, especially when considering the owls she received from her parents. “Hi, Ms. O’Shea. Please, no pixies in here.” Professor Gunvald teased warmly. She thought Niamh O’Shea contrasted greatly from her twin brother, Oliver. She was attentive and quiet, whereas Oliver was distractible and boisterous. Isadora liked both students and thought they had potential if guided. “Hello Mr .Briarwood, Ms. Davies, and Mr. Ansel” Isadora greeted, happy to see the stream of students pouring in. This would be Reece Briarwood’s first class with her. She would be curious as to his interest level for the subject. Ameryn Davies was a delight to have in class. And Ezra Ansel was another extremely bright yet mischievous student. Isadora was delighted to see them all in class. – Entrance to class now will be considered late – Lesson 2 | Vanishment Begins Isadora smiled to the class, “As stated previously, to vanish an object or organism takes great concentration and focus. Though there is only one incantation, Evanesco, it still takes years to master.” She walked forward, “For today’s assessment, I’m going to allow some freedom of choice. It will be your objective to decide which level you would like to be assessed. If you are not confident in your vanishing skills, I suggest you select a snail for today’s lesson. A more simple organism.” Isadora turned, revealing a large bucket of snails. Choice #1 | Level I Difficulty: Snails “If you feel that you are proficient at Vanishment, but still require some guidance...” Isadora conjured a cage forward, full of mice, “I suggest you select a mouse. This will be good practice, as these will most likely be featured on your O.W.L.S.”
Choice #2 | Level II Difficulty: Mice
She scanned the room then, pondering if she should bring out a third option. This would be for either very skilled or very courageous students to attempt. Isadora didn’t expect any of her students to be able to make this one vanish completely, though she would be curious to see the attempts. Professor Gunvald took a few steps over, conjuring a large cage. In the middle of the cage were a pair of cuddling barn owls. “These will be particularly difficult to vanish. I do not expect any of you to vanish them completely…however, I am willing to allow a student to attempt it if they wish.”
Choice #3 | Level III Difficulty: Owls
“The objective of today’s lesson is for me to get a baseline assessment of where your Vanishment skills are today,” She said, her voice solid, “It will be your job to self-select the level which you feel comfortable. If you select something too easy or too challenging, you can re-select after giving the first a few tries. However, you will be assessed on your first selection of animal.” She turned to the board, pointing out the wand movement for ‘Evanesco’. “Please, remember to use the correct movement as seen here. I will be coming around to assess your vanishing skills and to answer questions. You may now come up to the front and select a snail, mouse, or, if daring enough, an owl. I urge you to use your best judgment…”
Chart of wand movements: OOC Directions: *Please select one animal and attempt the Evanesco charm to vanish it. You can attempt it as many times as you’d like. Remember that this is a challenging feat, some parts of the animal may vanish while others…remain.*
House Points Awarded thus far: Gryffindor = 20 pointsIsla Reinhardt +10 Ameryn Davies +10 Slytherin = 40 pointsLoce Vaisey +10 Anneli Oden +10 Cordelia Burke +10 Reece Briarwood +10 Ravenclaw = 20 pointsEzra Ansel +10 Niamh O’Shea +10 Join class or continue participating to earn more House Points.
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Post by Loce Vaisey on Apr 16, 2023 18:09:20 GMT -8
He sighed, he probably couldn’t get enough people to go along with attempting to vanish Fergus. And really what was the point if he could be brought back? Shrugging he smirked. Why would anything be that easy? He glanced at Anneli, no matter the extent of the challenge, she was worth it, and he would see it through to the end. Loce glanced at the choices. Snail was obviously out of the question. They’d done Evenesco last year, so he knew the spell, but did he want a challenge? Dumb question. He always wanted the challenge. Go big or go home. That had been his motto at Ilvermorny, why should he back off here? Besides, he needed to push himself that much harder considering everything. He stood, walking to front of the room. “May I have an owl professor?” He asked. Taking the owl back to his seat. He set it down in the middle of his desk. “Immobulus.” He said, freezing the bird. Might be a bit easier if it couldn’t fly away. He chuckled and winked at Anneli. He practiced the wand movement a few times, the flattened upward serpentine movement with the upward slash at the end. A lot of his classmates last year missed that sharp upward slash. He shrugged. He was good at remembering wand movements, they had been drilled into him before he could legally have his own wand. Muscle memory was on his side here. He took a deep breath, lifted his wand and implemented the proper upward serpentine movement and cast. “Evanesco!” He said. He frowned. Well, he’d managed most of it… left a leg and some tail feathers behind. No one’s perfect, he thought. He took a breath, steading himself to try again. He repeated the process. “Evanesco!” He said again, completing the wand movement with a little sharper upward slash at the end. He shrugged, a single feather lay on his desk. He’d take it. He picked up the feather and offered it to Anneli with a wink.
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Post by Reece Briarwood on Apr 19, 2023 20:07:14 GMT -8
Reece smirks over at Cordelia while the professor began to speak, "But it's so much more fun when you've got someone to chat with, don't you think?" He leans closer to her and whispers in her direction quickly, so he can focus on the lesson.
Reece wasn’t sure where he should land, he figured mice would be a safe enough trial run. But if he was being honest, snails might be more his speed. Now the questions was, should he succeed fully with a snail, as he expects he would, or upgrade to mouse and potentially be unsuccessful on the first go? He contemplates his options. Would he over or underestimate himself? He glanced sideways, wondering what the others would choose. Probably all Owls. His housemates were talented.
Reece hops up and decides on the mouse. He didn’t want to sell himself short. He knew his skills, even if he doubted himself occasionally. He steadies himself, staring down the rodent in front of him. “Evanesco!” He asserts, he hand moving in the appropriate manner. All that remained of mickey was his tail. He eyed the thing with a frown. Going to have to attempt it again…
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