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Post by ian on Jan 10, 2008 14:37:30 GMT -5
The castle was as breathtaking as he remembered it. Every moving staircase, every talking painting, every incorporeal spirit floating along. Ian had missed the place since he'd graduated nine years previous. Now he was back and he intended to do all he could to make sure all the current students enjoyed their time there as much as he had, if not more. Ian sat in the professor's chair behind his desk at the front of the charms classroom. Foregoing the traditional robes, he instead wore a well tailored beige business suit with a cornflower blue shirt and gunmetal silk tie. On the left breast of the jacket was a beautifully embroidered Gryffindor crest showing his status as the head of house. That he had not expected when he applied for the position of charms teacher, but the headmistress had offered it after looking over his records at the school and he felt he would have been a fool to refuse. A glance at his watch told Ian that the students would likely begin arriving soon. They should be anyway. With charms being such a core subject in any magical education, and an Acceptable O.W.L. necessary for even the most basic of magical careers, he doubted there would be many who chose not to attend. Standing, he walked swiftly to the blackboard and began writing in a smooth, flowing script that curved gracefully despite the typical difficulty in writing neatly with chalk. With a sideways grin at his handiwork, Ian took a step back and turned to face the entrance, clasping his hands behind his back and waiting for his first pupil to arrive. The board behind him now read: Professor Ian Lawrence Lochrest
Introduction: How to Charm.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 10, 2008 15:50:38 GMT -5
D'rorah made her way into the classroom quietly. As usual, her heavy satchel sat leaden on the shoulder of her austere robes. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the rather large writing on the board. She arched her eyebrow slightly upon reading 'How to Charm'... colloquially, the phrase lent itself more to a class on how to win people over through charismatic persuasion than to a class on magical charms. "Good day, Professor Lochrest," she greeted politely as she made her way to a desk at the front of the classroom. She nodded her head slightly to him before sinking into her seat in one graceful, fluid movement.
Thus seated, she set out her notebook and a quill. Taking advantage of the few minutes before the class began, she also took out one of her research texts and continued on with her notes and translations of it. Every minute had to be spent wisely. The recent turnover of Elemental Masters and Shadow Warriors set the Lightfighters at a distinct disadvantage against the Mage, who had been practicing her powers for centuries now.
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Post by ian on Jan 10, 2008 16:43:34 GMT -5
A broad grin bursting onto his face, Ian nodded to the surprisingly tall girl who entered. He immediately identified her from her apparent age, the fact that she was the first to arrive, and of course the long sleeved, high collared robes she wore. He had been given a brief description of some of the school's students, including all the prefects. The headmistress had seemed particularly interested in this young lady. Ian could only imagine the woman saw her as something of a protégée.
"And to you Miss Philosophy. I see you are doing a fine job of maintaining your Ravenclaw reputation. I expect great things from you young lady. Great things."
Taking a few steps toward her, Ian craned his neck slightly to glance at what she was writing, though he was clearly too far away to be able to make any of it out, even if he did understand the language in which it was written.
"May I inquire as to what you are working on? We have some time before class needs begin and I would love to offer any insight I could into your other schoolwork."
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 10, 2008 16:59:35 GMT -5
D'rorah listened to compliments from a man she had never even met before and wondered how sincere they could possibly be. Expecting great things from her? She had a vague distrust of anyone so immediately complimentary of anything or anyone. But still, she held her tongue and continued on with her scratching away. However, when he began attempting to read her notes over her shoulder, she went on her guard.
"It is not schoolwork," she answered carefully. "I am working on personal research. At the moment, I am merely translating. But if I happen to run against an issue which requires more insight, I shall certainly keep you in mind." Carefully, she folded away her parchment and closed the book, slipping them into her satchel with as little fanfare as possible. Perhaps at some point, she would invite his inquiry into her work... but it would have to wait until she felt some bit of trust for him. And at the moment, she simply did not.
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Post by Keaira O'Connell on Jan 10, 2008 17:07:56 GMT -5
Keaira remembered the days when she was always the first to arrive at a class. Those days seemed so far away now; times had changed ever so dramatically since she was a young and ambitious girl. Things had been found to be more dangerous, since she was that girl striving for the best. Now she seemed to move through her days distracted, and often times caught up with other things on her mind. She had attended DADA, and Astronomy, but yet found she couldn’t remember anything from those classes. It was as if the information just sort of came in to her mind, and then was pushed out with something more important, like training, or dealing with people’s death. Times were different now. But they didn’t always have to be.
Getting ready for class was simply enough today, as she had finally gotten getting dressed with her bandages down to a science. It took her only a few minutes to get all her things in order and head down the hallways to get to the right location. Upon reaching the room she slowly pushed the door open, and was not even the slightest bit surprised to find D’rorah already with in the room. D’rorah always seemed on top of things. School, translations, shadow wars, she had it all managed.
“Good afternoon professor, D’rorah, how’s the day treating you?” Keaira smiled at them both before taking a seat in the second row. She preferred the second row to any of the others, even if she didn’t always manage to attain it. Placing her bag at her feet she quickly pulled out her notepad, quills, and several different colored ink wells. Using the different colors always helped her to focus better when it came to studying. After setting up her desk, she turned back her attention towards the other two people in the room.
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Post by ian on Jan 10, 2008 17:11:43 GMT -5
Though the smile on his face widened slightly, Ian ceased his movement toward D'rorah. Holding his hands up before him non threateningly, he took two steps back away from her. Perhaps it wasn't truly research at all. She could be penning a manuscript or perhaps composing her first opus. For all he knew she could have been writing a passionate letter to her boyfriend. Ian reminded himself that, brilliant as he may have heard that this young lady was, she was still merely seventeen and likely quite reserved, perhaps insecure, about her work.
"My apologies Miss Philosophy. I did not mean to pry into your personal life. Please, feel free to continue your work. I will leave you to it. I am always available should you need anything. My knowledge is not limited to non offensive spellwork."
With a final nod, he turned and walked back to the board, turning again to face the room and returning to his original position, hands clasped behind his back. A small, pleasant smile remained. He was eager to begin, to teach, but this had just shown him that he must not be too outgoing. They were only teenagers after all, and possibly mistrusting of adults.
Just then a second student appeared. She too wore conservative robes, something Ian appreciated. While he didn't so much mind if a student preferred muggle clothes to robes, he believed firmly in covering oneself while in public and had been a little apprehensive at returning to a school full of teenagers. He'd heard that some of them modified their outfits so as to be more revealing, and he did not want to have to deal with such frivolity.
Smiling in return, Ian again nodded his greeting. He paused after his generic greeting, searching his memory for a description that matched this young lady.
"Good afternoon Miss . . . O'Connell is it? Forgive me if I'm mistaken. My day so far is going splendidly. I hope you can both say the same. And I dear say I hope my class doesn't bring you down a notch or two."
A sly wink and Ian was again looking to the door to see if any other students were going to imminently arrive. He of course turned his attention back to either student who directed any speech his way.
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Post by tori on Jan 10, 2008 23:00:30 GMT -5
Curious to see who the new Charms professor would be, Tori made a special effort to get to class earlier than usual. She entered the classroom without a fuss and made a quick scan of the room before turning her attention to the professor.
Wow, he's younger than I imagined. Not sorry on the eyes either.
She sent him a small smile and walked over to introduce herself, "Hi, Professor Lochrest, I'm Tori Reed. Welcome to Hogwarts." As she gestured to the blackboard, "Sounds like you have an interesting class planned. Can't wait." She wiggled her fingers at him and quickly turned to find a seat. As she passed D'rorah and Keaira she gave each a small nod in greeting.
Having decided on the third row next to the wall, she slouched herself into the desk and unceremoniously placed her bag on the ground. Shuffling through the mess inside she found a notebook and her favorite ballpoint pen. After flipping to a blank page she folded the cover back and placed the notebook on the desk. Preferring to have her feet off the ground, Tori brought her legs up to sit cross-legged, propped her elbows on the desk and leaned her chin in her upturned hands. Bringing her pen to the paper, she began doodling as she waited for the class to begin.
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Post by ian on Jan 10, 2008 23:53:21 GMT -5
Yet again Ian found himself nodding and smiling at the student that had entered. He was beginning to suspect that there were no male students in the castle. Or perhaps it was simply the girls who were eager to take his class. They may have gotten a hold of a picture of him somewhere and immediately all signed up for . . .
Ian shook his head slightly, berating himself for such a thought. It was a ridiculous notion anyway. Turning his attention to Tori, he returned her smile.
"Thank you Miss Reed. Back to Hogwarts actually. I attended when I was young. I'm happy to be back. I hope you think my lesson as interesting after you've heard it."
With another slight nod, Ian again looked back to the door. It seemed these students didn't travel the corridors in groups the way he had when he was a student. It was odd to have them enter one at a time. No matter though, so long as they arrived.
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Post by mallan on Jan 11, 2008 3:43:17 GMT -5
Mallan had been laying on the grass near the lake just watching the sky and clouds as they floated carelessly by. He tried to remember the last time he had been so carefree but had a hard time thinking of any until he came upon the memory of him and Aimee at his first flying lesson. Time had flown by and everything had changed since then. It wasn't even that long ago but it felt like ages. A smile came to his lips as he thought about himself as he crashed into the ground and Aimee's smile. Mallan basked in the moment for a few minutes and then it donned on him. "I'm gonna be late for charms!"
Mallan shot up and packed his sketching pad and pencils, that he had set down, back into his book bag and began running as fast as he could to the classroom. On the way through the courtyard he almost hit another boy but was able to dodge him as he continued running. "I hope I'm not late," Mallan prayed.
Finally making it to the classroom Mallan took a few moments to collect himself. He hated walking into a room out of breath and a sweaty mess. To Mallan, it was better to be late and look good than be on time and look bad. Mallan wiped the beaded sweat off of his forehead and adjusted his book bag before entering.
He looked around after stepping in and saw D'rorah, early as usual, Keaira, who was also timely, and another girl he wasn't sure of but thought he saw her around the school often. She was a Gryffindor and after piecing a few things together concluded that her name was probably Lori. Then he saw the professor, and from the board it must be Professor Lochrest. He was new but he was his head of house. The professor seemed to be in a cheery mood from the way he was standing and no one shot looks at him so Mallan assumed he wasn't late for class yet.
"Huh, is it only one person per row?" Mallan laughed in his head.
Hey there Professor Lochrest. Beautiful day; I hope I'm not late. (A split moment later) Name's Mallan Baine. (Mallan smiled sheepishly at being late and almost forgetting to introduce himself. He ran his free, right hand through his hair and then let the smile go after a moment) May I sit anywhere or is it only one person per row?
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Post by Caitlin Collins on Jan 11, 2008 8:52:34 GMT -5
Caity hurriedly packed everything in her bag and ran out of the dormitory. She could not believe that she had slept through her alarm - it was the most incessant noised one she could find, purposely and usually left her in a foul mood for the first hour of the morning. Today was the first time ever she had slept through it, possibly because she had been awake to the early hours of the morning thinking about what she had found out in the Room of Requirement. It was truly not a pleasant reality.
Checking her watch, she was relieved to see that she still had five minutes to get to Charms, although she'd have to give breakfast a miss. Perhaps she could grab something in her free after this lesson.
Entering the classroom, she slipped into a seat next to where Mallan was standing and gave him a quick smile before getting her books out of her bag. Luckily, it seemed she hadn't forgotten anything today.
"Morning Professor," she greeted the new Charms teacher, writing the title on the board onto her sheet of paper. Having never gotten on very well with parchment she had a stash of normal, muggle paper to write on for her lessons.
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Post by ian on Jan 11, 2008 14:10:19 GMT -5
Ian put on his broadest grin yet at the entrance and greeting of the next student. From the crest on his jacket he was clearly in Ian's house, and Ian found himself quite proud that the boy seemed to embody the relaxed friendliness that Ian himself so loved. With a quick glance at the seating arrangements of the young women present, Ian chuckled softly.
"A fine day Mr. Baine. I'm so glad you appreciate it. You've quite enough time, no cause for concern. There is however a rather eccentric seating arrangement set up and I'm afraid you'll have to sit in the back. No, I'm kidding son, sit where you like."
His attention shifted to the Hufflepuff as she entered, his grin persisting. The female prefects of the school seemed for the most part to be on top of things. Ravenclaw's, Slytherin's and Hufflepuff's had been the first of their houses to arrive. He wasn't sure where Gryffindor's was and it made him a little uncomfortable. Perhaps she wasn't taking charms this year, though that seemed odd. He again looked to Mallan.
"It seems Miss Collins has opted into the seat you look to have planned for Mr. Baine. There are plenty of other options, I'm sure. It seems you have your pick of lovely neighbors for the day. Choose wisely."
With a tiny wink his eyes shifted once more to Caitlin.
"Welcome Miss Collins. I'm glad you've come. You've a few minutes still so feel free to do whatever it is you students do these days."
Ian was immensely glad that each student he'd been able to greet by name so far. The prefects he'd been told about, and the other two had introduced themselves. Ian so loved being able to show, in some small way at least, that he cared. Perhaps in the future he would forgo the formality of calling people Mr and Miss, but for now it seemed appropriate. He would have to develop relationships first. How he dreamed of being each student's favorite professor.
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Post by Cavan Mikal Weiss on Jan 11, 2008 19:56:57 GMT -5
Cavan had been taking the air before going to his first class, knowing that he'd be inside a good part of the day today, studying and doing all his homework. He wanted it all done so that he'd be free to do some research the next day, and maybe visit the lake. He was just heading to his Charms class when he was nearly bowled over by a older Gryffindor boy. He managed to stay up right and continued on, chuckling at how funny the boy had looked running like that. In fact, he was still smiling from the encounter when he finally reached the class.
Upon entering, he took in who had already arrived and noticed that he recognized several of the students from his other classes. He shifted his bag on his shoulder and moved further into the room, looking for the best seat for this particular class. "Good Morning Professor Lochrest." He spoke softly, deciding on the seat beside D'rorah. His smile grew when he noticed that the boy who seemed to be speaking with the professor was the same one who'd nearly knocked him down. Apparently he'd thought he was going to be late.
He nodded to the other students before he slipped around Mallan and into his seat. He immediately took out the ink, quills, parchment and book needed for class, organizing them on his desk before he opened a book in a strange language and started making notes on little muggle post-it notes.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Jan 11, 2008 21:23:46 GMT -5
D'rorah heard someone take the seat next to her and looked over to see Cavan. "Ah, good day, Mister Weiss," she greeted quietly. Noting that he seemed to still be working on his translations, she nodded in approval as she glanced over at them. "Ah, this character is a nun," she remarked quietly. "The scribe's handwriting is a bit inconsistent," she explained, certain he knew the characters. "It does look a bit like a lamadh though."
Satisfied, she turned her attention away from his translations and back to her own desk to wait for the beginning of class. She looked up to see Mallan and wondered where he might decide to sit. Considering his status as a new student at Hogwarts, she thought it best if he sat near her, as she had already offered to assist him with his classwork so he would have an easier time of catching up. She sent the thought to him silently, but made no movement anyone would have seen other than turning her attention to a clean sheet of parchment on the desk before her.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Jan 11, 2008 23:54:42 GMT -5
Tracing the familiar path down to the Charms corridor, he regarded the portraits lining the walls curiously. They were always so entertaining to him, providing a multitude of activities and events to view. There were the friendly, inviting inhabitants, always willing to provide directions to the newer or more forgetful students. Then there were, of course, the more bothersome of people and creatures that adorned the walls of the school, not to mention the blatantly rude. Having just been ordered by a rather severe knight to walk in a statelier manner or risk losing his legs, he had scowled dismissively and trotted off up another set of stairs, bound for the Charms classroom.
His hand turning upon the strangely cold door handle, he stepped into the classroom and cast his eyes around, surveying the setting. D’rorah was, of course, settled into a seat at the very front; beside her was a boy that Dylan didn’t know as of yet. Behind them was Keaira, and behind her was a girl, seemingly a Gryffindor, that he also didn’t know. Caitlin was seated nearby, and Mallan standing beside her, seemingly debating over where to sit himself.
Summoning the allowance of mobility, he traipsed to the front of the classroom, giving Mallan and Caitlin a small smile and collective nod as he passed. Slipping himself into the only vacant seat beside D’rorah, he offered her and, for the hell of it, the boy beside her a friendly smile. His deep brown eyes flicking over to the professor, he smiled once more. Today seemed rather odd, given how happy he was. It wasn’t like him at all to show so much emotion, let alone be feeling such things given the situation of the present. Retrieving the necessary implements from his satchel, he set them upon the desk before him and slid the backpack to the floor, dipping his quill into the ink and beginning to trace neat, small letters upon the parchment successively.
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Post by mallan on Jan 12, 2008 2:14:24 GMT -5
Mallan was glad to hear that he wasn’t late and the smile on the professor’s face was reassuring. It was nice to have another friendly professor. Mallan almost slumped at hearing that it was fixed seating before hearing that the professor was joking. Lochrest was the only professor to joke with him. “This professor is great,” Mallan thought while letting a smile come across his face. If this was how the class was going to continue to go then Mallan knew he was going to have a great time. As he was thinking to himself, Caity walked in and sat in the chair closet to him, giving him a smile as she did.
Mallan was still standing near the entranceway, trying to decide where to sit, when a Hufflepuff boy walked into the room. It was the same boy he almost knocked over! Mallan immediately felt remorse and embarrassed. He tried to give the boy an apologetic look but was unsure if he saw it or not. As he did he caught a thought from D’rorah. It seemed as though she wanted him to sit next to her. Before he moved however, Dylan walked in, gave Mallan a smile, and sat down next to D’rorah. Mallan returned the smile and nod to Dylan but now both seats were taken. The first by the boy he almost knocked over and the other by Dylan. “Looks like I am going to have to find a different seat, but thank you Miss D'rorah. I'm sure Dylan needs your company more than I anyhow,” Mallan projected to D'rorah.
Now it was down to Keaira, Caity, or a girl he didn’t know. Mallan didn’t want Dylan to feel that he was a parasite so he didn’t even think to sit next to him. Plus, at the moment, Mallan felt like sitting next to a girl anyhow. Thinking about it a moment longer he decided to sit with Caity. As he wasn’t feeling outgoing enough to strike up a conversation with a girl he didn’t know and was already embarrassed enough so he didn’t want to walk over to Keaira. Mallan smiled at Keaira before taking a few steps to join Caity.
Hey there Caity. (Mallan let a small smile play across his lips as he spoke) Glad to see you again. I have to say, I think this class is going to be great. Professor Lochrest seems a character, huh?
Sitting down Mallan took out a few pieces of parchment and his quill and readied himself for the class while paying Caity a friendly attention.
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