Muggle Studies - All Years

[KelseyMattie]

Kelsey sighed as the boy took her answer. Yup, happens all the time! she thought sarcastically. But raised her hand again instantly with a new answer. She wanted to be picked this time! Her answer ran over and over in her head. She knew it would work.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

Julius listened as Kamron gave him one of the charms and said, "Quite right Leopold, only you have confused a Muggle-Repellent Charm with a Memory Charm. Muggle-Repellent Charms can be used to make Muggles suddenly remember appointments, but a Memory Charm does something quite different. Perhaps you know Maddison what a Memory Charm does?" said Julius, a little twinkle of amusement in his blue eyes as he saw the enthusiasm of the young Hufflepuff.

[KelseyMattie]

Kelsey was a bit startled when Proffesor Foxcroft called on her. She knew what Memory charms did.

"Yes, a memory charm wipes the Muggle's memory up to a certain point, usually it is up to the person casting the spell, otherwise it is how powerful the spell is," Kelsey hoped her answer was right.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"Indeed Maddison, a Memory Charm if performed correctly will cause the loss of a certain incident or event. Stronger Memory Charms could cause the total loss of memory of events in which the played a part in. Such Charms of course are used only by the Ministry of Magic. They also use memory enhancement potions which have the adverse effect. These methods though are only used in severe circumstances as their consequences can cause the person they are performed on many problems of course due to the laps of memories. Anyway, back to Muggle- Repellent Charms. I'm quite sure all the Quidditch players in this class know one use of a Muggle-Repellent charm?" said Julius, expecting a hand to rise immediately after he asked the question.

((Points will be awarded at the end of class for your answers everyone.))

[versnowa]

Robin was sitting in his chair with his face propped up on his elbows as he listened to the students answer Professor Foxcroft's questions. He had been pleasantly surprised by the discovery that they were going to be learning a new charm at the end of class, and was waiting expectantly for the theoretical part of the lesson to end so they could move on to it. Professor Foxcroft asked a question and mentioned Quidditch, and Robin perked up suddenly. Though it was rare for Robin to answer a question in class this question was about Quidditch, so of course he knew the answer. He raised his hand and looked at Professor Foxcroft, hoping to be called to answer the question.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

As Julius had expected, a student who didn't usually participate very actively in class raised his hand. It was Robin Versnowa, one of the few students who did Muggle Studies at NEWT level; a student Julius knew to possess a brilliant intellect though in reality this was not always very obvious in his final grades as he usually left his studying to the last possible minute. "Yes Versnowa can you enlighten the class with an example?" he said to the boy.

[versnowa]

"Well in cases like the Quidditch World Cup, or any other event really where a huge amount of wizards and witches are congregated together some charms are used so that the places everybody is gathered in is made Unplottable. Even Hogwarts is charmed so that any Muggle who comes over here sees a derelict ruin of a castle with a sign reading 'UNSAFE: DO NOT ENTER'. Or I think they suddenly remember something they have to go and finish off whenever they get close to such a place," said Robin, surprising himself by how long his answer was. He almost sounded like that fifth year boy Kamron Leopold. Not that Robin would ever be like that or wanted to be, he much preferred his carefree way of living.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"Ah yes, Versnowa, just as you said, all these are instances of Muggle-Repellent Charms and when they might be used. In fact, Unplottable Charms are exactly what we shall be learning today. There is however one last thing we need to mention before we start working on the charm. None of you have said anything about charms you use at home or your parents' do that might be considered as Anti-Muggle precautions. Do you know one, Strathclyde?" asked Julius of the young girl who had raised her hand earlier.

[petra]

Evan was shocked when Professor Foxcroft called on her to answer. She took a deep breath and began, “Well Disillusionment charms are used by those wizards who have magical creatures that may end up being seen by muggles. The spell distorts the muggles perception and so they don’t see it.” She paused for a moment trying to remember anything else, “Oh, and they have to been done everyday or else they wear off and muggles can see the magical creature they are harbouring.”

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"Quite correct Strathclyde, there is no need to look so dreadfully frightened," said Julius, noticing the sudden flustered expression on the girl's face. "I am sure quite a few of you have magical creatures as pets at home, and might have seen Disillusionment Charms being performed by your parents. As you have just heard they must be performed at regular intervals, and some magical creatures also require a license if you want to keep them. That should be enough methods for you today," said Julius. "Remember to read the first chapter in your book today, you will find it covers what we have discussed," he continued, holding up the book.

"Now everyone, it's time to practice our charm for today, namely, the Unplottable Charm. Just as we learned a few minutes ago, it is possible to enchant an area so that it does not show up on a map. Firstly, I want you all to think of a place you know very well in Hogwarts. You need to picture it very well in your minds, visualize what it looks like, and close your eyes for a minute while you do so." Julius waited for a minute while the class did so. Then he pointed his wand at the maps in front of him and they flew towards the student before him, one for each student. "Here is the incantation," said Julius, as the words "Disappearium Locatation" appeared on the board. "Before each of you is a map of Hogwarts. Listen to my instructions and follow them carefully. First of all, the place I have in mind is the classroom we are in right now. It is located on the second floor in the West Wing of Hogwarts as you obviously already know; please find it on your map. First of all using your wand you must trace the boundaries of the location you have chosen. Then you must repeat the motion, saying the incantation aloud." Julius carried out the instruction he was giving before the class as the map he was using was already floating before the class. "The area you have chosen will suddenly expand on the map, and then a light should flash out towards you." Soon enough a blue light was emitted from the area on the map on which the classroom was drawn, after it expanded. After this is done you must go to the place you have chosen and place your wand on any part of the area, for instance a brick in one of the walls, and repeat the incantation. If you have performed the charm correctly, the area will disappear from the map. I will now repeat all the steps once again, take care how I move my hand and hold my wand, it isn't too difficult but you must be a bit accurate as you outline the area. The last step is done by a quick tap on any area in the room as you repeat the incantation." Julius suited the action to the word, and as soon as he did so, the Muggle Studies classroom disappeared from the map.

Before the class started practicing the charm, Julius clarified a few points necessary to the understanding of the day's work. "This is the way used for both protection against wizardkind and Muggles, if you were protecting the place against Muggles a spell to make them remember a non-existent appointment would have been sufficient. The maps you have before you of course have been treated with a special potion to enable you to see Hogwarts which is Unplottable. Please proceed now in attempting to perform the charm while I write your homework on the board and then I shall watch you work and provide you with any assistance you might need. Take care, the place you have chosen must be one you know well and not too far, it will be easier for you and also I don’t want anybody loitering in the corridors on their way back from wherever they have gone to perform the last step of the charm." Julius turned his back to the class and for the last time that day instruction appeared on the board. They were the following: Write a paragraph about the methods and charms used as Anti-Muggle Precautions.

((Homework is due on Wednesday, November 10th, 12:00 GMT, via IM. That gives you all a week to post here and I will post too if I'm needed, and a week to do the homework, which I think should be sufficient. ))

[KelseyMattie]

Kelsey had her place in mind. it was the girl's bathroom on this same floor. She smiled as she listened to her instructions. She took her wand in her hand and traced the second floor girl's bathroom. She then said the incantation aloud : "Disappearium Locatation". Kelsey looked at her map. The bathroom explanded and a purple light eluminated from the map. She smiled triumphantly. Kelsey stood and grabbed her map. She smiled at Liam before leaving the classroom, heading straight for the girl's bathroom. Touching her wand to the inside of the door, she said the incantation once again. She looked back at her map and saw the bathroom dissapear. She felt fit to burst at the notion of doing the spell right. She walked back to the classroom and to the Proffessor's desk.

"Excuse me sir," she said politly, "I did the spell on the Girl's Lavatory just outside the classroom, and it worked. Do I include that in my essay?" she felt rather confused.

[versnowa]

Unplottable Charms? Robin did not remember doing those before. "Of course, we might have done them and thay've just totally escaped my memory," thought Robin, but the thought did not worry him much. The charm did not seem too difficult, but there were several steps needed to perform it correctly. Robin knew what place he wanted to make disappear. It was the Slytherin common room! He couldn't do that of course because he wasn't allowed in there, so he thought for another minute and then decided on the room next door, which happened to be a store room containing various cleaning solutions used by house elves. Robin wasn't in the mood to walk all around the school finding a place, why waste energy when this place was just as good as anywhere else. "You're just lazy," he thought, and then "I most certainly am not! Oh, let me just get this done already!" Having a conscience could be very annoying at times.

Robin went to the room and made sure he could visualize it completely in his mind if he couldn't see it. He then followed the steps Professor Foxcroft had just performed, but the charm did not work the first time. Slightly annoyed because he was usually quick with charms Robin performed the charm a little more carefully and this time the place disappeared from the map after a bright yellow appeared in the place he had traced with his wand. Glad he was done with his first class of the day he took the map to Professor Foxcroft then picked up his bag and textbook and left the class. They had 15 minutes before the next class, and for this he was thankful. He really hated it when they had all their classes immediately after each other, especially their NEWTs classes as they were much harder than the years before and required a lot of concentration for a long period of time. Robin didn't struggle too much with his classes but working hard for a long amount of time always bored him.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"Good work everyone; I see most of you have performed the charm correctly. I shall now go and perform the counter-charm on the places you have made Unplottable. 10 points to all those who have performed the charmed correctly, and 5 to those who answered my questions. Maddison, yes, please include the method with which the charm is performed. Class is now dismissed."