Defence Against the Dark Arts ((4th-5th Years))

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"Snakes, I see. Your Boggart will probably look quite frightening, so brace yourself and when it comes be prepared to conjure that funny image in your head as quickly and as vividly as possible – perhaps you could imagine that snake turning into a jack-in-the-box or something of the sort? Whatever you would find funny," he said, patting down his robes as he got back into a standing position after he'd been leaning over the desk so he could talk to Cassandra.

The next person Julius went to was Charles Driscoll. Julius wondered what the boy's worst fear was – it had been quite some time since he and the boy had last talked and a lot had happened since then – to both Julius and Charles. Julius gave him a little smile as he headed in his direction and then looked down at his paper. He frowned in remembrance. So that was the most frightening memory for the boy – Julius certainly knew the pain the boy had been through during that time was not something that he could forget easily. "Well Driscoll, perhaps you could imagine the wizard's wand malfunctioning or he himself not quite able to cast it for some reason and producing just sparks from his wand or maybe it would backfire or something? I mean that is if I assume correctly and what you'll be seeing is a wizard casting that curse on you?" he asked, just to make sure.

((Rip-off from Prisoner of Azkaban, I know. And that's OK Cathy, you know the rules, you post whenever you want to, just pretend you've always been there. Cleo, really? I never noticed. ))

[Charles Driscoll H7]

Charles smiled back at Professor Foxcroft when he came to him. It was good to see him after all this time – during the summer their only correspondence had been through owls – too formal for his liking. And besides, the professor had made him a promise when they'd been together at the station and Charles had believed him. He was one of the few people he knew he could trust and who knew his story – they really needed to talk.

At the moment they had to concentrate on the task at hand. Charles thought of all the Professor was talking about, the memory still fresh in his mind, still too close to the surface. "I'll think about it, Professor, those ideas all sound like good ones, I'll try and think which one would be funniest," he said. "Yes, sir, I think that's what I'd see," he said, remembering the evil features of the Death Eater and the look he'd given him before hurting him. He had a fleeting image of the wand backfiring and the Death Eater suddenly tripping over with a surprised expression on his face. Convinced that that was what it would take he focused on the image trying to see the details in his head.

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy smiled at the Ravenclaw boy who sat down nearby; she knew well who he was. “Hello,” she replied in turn, though not saying anymore because he might well not have a clue who she was. She was fairly sure his hello included her though so it was as well to make a small reply. Charles surprised her a little as she hadn’t noticed him coming across the classroom, but she gave him a smile as he settled into the seat behind her and asked her a question. Had anything happened this morning… no, it was just Hogwarts students being typical Hogwarts students really. Ivy noted that Charles didn’t seem his usual bright self either, but it was in accordance with her general mood today so she didn’t mind at all. “Not that I know of,” she replied, feeling glad Charles had come because he was someone she counted as a friend and could talk to easily. She liked not having to worry about appearing friendly; she presumed that he knew she liked his company and that if she looked fed up it wasn’t to do with him. She could be herself, whether that was happy or a little grumpy. Students were continuing to enter the classroom and Ivy gave Lacey, one of the girls she shared a dormitory with, a smile as the other girl took a seat a little way away. She shared a dormitory with Lacey so they certainly knew each other, even if they weren’t particularly good friends. She was more concerned when another boy whom she didn’t know whatsoever, a Gryffindor apparently, came to sit next to her, taking the liberty of greeting her by whispering in her ear. Ivy was all the more glad now that Charles was there to talk to as she replied with a “Hey” and a small smile for that rather disconcerting one the boy was wearing.

Having had a word with Kris Graas – as Ivy had learnt a little while ago that was the name of the Slytherin who had been blinded on the train where Laura had died – and the other girl that he appeared rather… attached to, Professor Foxcroft moved on to start the lesson. Ivy kept a still gaze on Professor Foxcroft as he began to speak, taking in his words whilst feeling slightly surprised by their tone. A little odd; she’d seen him give Charles beside her a genuine smile before the lesson had started, but now he appeared to be using rather a lot of sarcasm. Some of it obvious, some of it slightly more confusing. Where was he serious and where was he not? Ivy rubbed her temples for a moment; the school was determined not to give her a moment’s peace this morning, evidently. First the problems of trying to get through a number of students who couldn’t care less about whether you existed or not, and seemed to believe you didn’t, and now even the Professor was saying the opposite of what he was thinking. Very inconsiderate.

And now he was asking a question – she presumed he was serious in wanting people to reply. Ivy was fairly sure she knew the answer herself but hands were already going up all around the classroom. Ivy kept hers down and listened to the Gryffindor girl’s explanation, which made sense enough. The professor appeared to think so too – ten points to Gryffindor at any rate. They were to write down their worst fear. The Gryffindor beside her didn’t seem to think that such a great idea; Ivy glared back at that smile. The Professor, she hoped, was serious enough in what his reply was – he certainly looked a little angry. Ivy felt a little putout as well – she might not be the world’s greatest feminist but this boy certainly took liberties. Ivy didn’t believe in arguing with Professors. She also didn’t believe in presuming that other people would have problems. She didn’t say anything though, merely glaring at the boy momentarily and trying not to look at him too much. The fact it was a class prevented anything more. Lucky really – Ivy didn’t much like confrontations, even when she was the one speaking her mind.

They were going to work together on making it seem funny? Great. Ivy glanced at the sixth year Slytherin boy, feeling slightly uncomfortable that he was presumably going to get to know what her worst fear was, and then to Charles, who she wasn’t entirely sure looked particularly happy at the prospect either although it was possible he was just thoroughly engaged in the task. But what was her worst fear? One thing came to mind… and then another. Yes, that second was her worst fear… but how could you ever make it seem funny? When the truth was all too horrific? Maybe sometimes it was best not to laugh things off. The Professor was standing near to Charles now and talking to him in a low voice; Ivy attempted to block it out since it wasn’t really her business what Charles’ worst fear was. She should probably write it down now and raise her hand though; in neat-ish, loopy writing which filled about an eighth of the piece of parchment she’d taken from her bag, Ivy carefully scribed one word onto it as she raised her hand a small way into the air as unobtrusively as she possibly could. ‘Drowning’.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"You think about it Driscoll, remember what might work for you might not for someone else, it's your fear," he said, stressing the possessive article. Julius gave Charles' arm a little squeeze as he stood up thinking he would try and catch him after class for a talk. The next student he headed towards was a fourth year Hufflepuff as well. She had quite a common fear – heights. The question was how that it would manifest itself, and Julius saw that the girl had already answered it – she had drawn a sketch. "Well glad to see that you have such a clear idea of what scares you. You’re quite talented at drawing as well," he said, marvelling at the girl's ability to draw such a good sketch in the short of time she had been given. "You have any idea how you’re going to work on making that seem funny?" he asked. A fear of heights was common and quite natural but when it became acrophobia it could become a real problem for the person – however Julius didn’t think that was the case with Lacey.

[lacey]

Lacey was slowly working on her picture adding color to the dress of the woman standing on the edge of the cliff. Her fingers itched to draw some restrictions to the side of the cliff but that would kind of spoil the point. Professor Foxcroft started to circle the classroom and help people with their fears. Lacey sketched the professor quietly using only a pencil for this picture. Foxcroft was grouchy. Kind of like a diamond with hard edges that would still require work before he fit in. Lacey smiled a little and jumped slightly when Foxcroft reached her with his tour. Placing her hand over the drawing of Foxcroft’s face Lacey looked at the professor.
“Thank you.” Lacey murmured with a bright smile as Foxcroft complimented her drawing skills. Drawing was her life. She couldn’t sing nor play sports well or play music or write. But she could draw. It was her way to express herself and Lacey was glad if other people liked her works as well.

“I wouldn’t be afraid of heights if I found heights funny, would I?” Lacey asked quietly looking back down as she withdraw back into her shell her hair cascading forward as she hoped that Foxcroft wouldn’t find her question snappy. But the professor question was funny. If Lacey found something to laugh about in the very real chance of falling and breaking some bone or at the worst case her neck or crash her scull, then she wouldn’t be afraid of falling and heights either. Hadn’t they already made the fact that Lacey WAS scared of heights clear?

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"Yes, I understand that," said Julius. He wasn't planning on giving her a solution unless it appeared that there really was nothing on her mind to solve her problem, but he did want her to try. That was Julius did in all his classes, he hated teachers who spoon-fed their students everything. "Couldn’t you think of the height as an optical illusion or see something else in your mind that would make it seem funnier? I mean in your mind you see yourself falling and injuring yourself when you’re probably completely safe atop the cliff, you simply have this illusion that you will fall, so why not fight the illusion with another one?" he asked. He wondered whether that would help her at all. If not, he would just tell her what he would have done if that was his fear, but the problem with confronting Boggarts was that what one person could use to fight it wasn't always what would work for another.

[lacey]

Professor Foxcroft understood her fear? Lacey eyed the professor rather doubtfully. He seemed like someone who might have been popular and played quidditch and ran around and get into all sorts of dangerous trouble when he was younger. Somehow Lacey just couldn’t see him understanding just how exactly heights were scary. He might have sympathized but Lacey didn’t really believe much more out of him. Shaking her head lightly Lacey tried to rid herself of these thoughts of trying to guess from her professor came from. She was rather sure that she did not want to know more than absolutely necessary about her teachers. Knowing about Foxcroft’s childhood might almost equal with knowing what Snape wore to bed or whether McGonagall wore stockings or not. Lacey shuddered at the thought and quickly averted her eyes back to her drawing as she thought about professor Foxcroft’s words.

Heights and funny. Why did Lacey fear heights? Naturally there was always the sudden stop after falling. „I have never wanted to become a half-bird on top of everything else and I’m not light enough to float on the wind. Trying to imagine the gorge filled with jelly is not very bright idea either, because how would I know that the jelly would hold and then I would choke to death killed by a dessert.“ Lacey said quietly as she looked at her fingers quietly and the small ring her fahter had once gave her around the small finger of her right hand. It was just a silver ring with a bit wider crest shaped thing on top with Lacey’s initials on it. Maybe she just hated the feeling of lack of control over even herself just like she had little control over her life.
„I think there are some fears that just have to be lived with, professor.“

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

Julius looked at Lacey for a few moments and his eyes narrowed as he made a decision. "If that's how you feel, then I don’t think you're ready to face a Boggart today. Keep in mind though that the day may come when you have to face a Boggart, and the key to dealing with such a situation is in your own hands, not in anybody else's," he said as he rose from her desk which he'd been leaning on and turned to the student sitting beside her. He knew he'd made the right decision, but that didn’t mean he liked it. As a teacher he felt he should be able to deal with any kind of problem a student had, but this was a situation in which he'd had to let go and resign himself to the fact that he couldn’t help Lacey – that would need time and was not something he could do right now in class.

"Salah, I never knew you had asthma. That's certainly something I'm sure isn’t a bunch of laughs. So, any ideas on what you should do to face your Boggart or do you want a suggestion?" he asked.

[Nasser Salah G6]

"Well it would definitely have to involve me conquering it in some way Professor, I don’t know about the whole making it funny thing – I mean I would feel relieved if it turned out to be a burden I was just imagining. I think if I thought that pain in my chest wasn't really my respiratory system closing down – I think I can fight the feeling that I can’t breathe by seeing this Boggart as a weight on my chest and not really an asthma attack - that way I would think it was just something I could throw away and forgot about. Certainly relieving and I do think funny to some extent. Do you think that'll work Professor?" asked Nasser uncertainly.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"You'll only know when you try Salah. I'd say you’re going about it in a rather unconventional way, but it might work out. Good luck," he said encouragingly. He moved to the next student who also happened to be a fifth year Gryffindor. "Dumas, when did you see the Dark Mark? And any plan of action on how you're going to confront your Boggart?" he asked her.

[sammy]

"I didn't exactly... see it, sir." Cathy said, her eyes darting downward. "Um... My parents saw it back when... you know.... and they told me enough about it to instill a fear, and I think I know about it enough, to have it come up, sir. And the newspapers... I hear a lot about it in there."" She explained. She didn't want to do anything bad, or say something against the Dumas family. She knew some of the background history of Daddy and Daphne. It wasn't one she would be happy to share with her teacher.

"Er, plan of action?" Cathy bit her lip. "I guess I could turn it into a-a balloon, sir. And have it zoom across the room making that.. er, noise." Cathy suggested. "Or maybe the head that has a snake wrapped around its head; maybe I could turn that into a baby with their little head band on?" She wasn't sure if either suggestions were worth carrying out. She looked up at the Professor hopefully.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

Was her reluctance to discuss the subject simply shyness on her part or was the girl hiding something? Julius wondered if that was what she would really see since she had never seen it in real life although he did know the stories surrounding the Dark Mark were nothing of short of menacing. "Try it by all means if you can see the picture clearly enough in your head." Julius was beginning to realise that this was going to be even harder than he had anticipated and after all he'd never done anything even remotely similar to this in his Muggle Studies classes. But then he'd never planned on sticking to what some called the "safe" methods in giving this class. He went over to the final student who had raised her hand, Ivy Tunstall, who was sitting next to Charles. "Right then Tunstall, have you ever had a near drowning experience? Because that might be a start to conquering your Boggart," he said thoughtfully.

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy had been sitting quietly as she waited for Professor Foxcroft to come to her, following his progress around the room as she took note of the other students in the classroom, her eyes lingering thoughtfully on the sixth year Slytherin boy in particular. She started just a little as she saw the Professor coming towards her and nodded in answer to his question. "Yes," she said to voice her answer, thinking over it for a moment with her expression serious as she recalled the memory. "I can't really swim very well but I had to follow a friend into the Lake last year because... well, I did." Ivy said as she met the Professor's eye nervously, not wanting to explain the specific circumstances. "I kept on going under and then ended up in some weed so that whenever I tried to get up there was always the weed there too." Ivy looked down, blushing slightly. She found it embarrassing to admit that she wasn't a strong swimmer at all and wasn't entirely comfortable talking about that either. But that was probably why drowning was one of her worst fears.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

“Then in all probability that is exactly what you will see. Or, at least, what you shall believe you are seeing and experiencing as the Boggart has the ability to change the conditions around you so they match the exact situation which you fear most,” explained Julius. “I think that the only way for you to make the situation funny is by first feeling you’re relieved – by that I mean you need to realise you’re not in any real danger – rather than conjuring up a funny image. So maybe you’d like to see a way to save yourself first and then the funny image – think of what will work best for you and it’s OK if you don’t get it right the first time. Sometimes you don’t know everything about your fear until you’re faced with it,” he said, hoping this ominous statement did not sound quite as threatening as it could be in reality.

Julius resumed his original position at the front of the class. “Right then everyone, the spell is very simple,” he said. “Riddikulus!” he chanted, showing them the wand movement which was quite similar to that of many spells the class had done before. “Try it out yourselves,” he said. He watched the class approvingly, shifting Charles’ arm a little and then moving back to the front of the class satisfied that they could perform the incantation and wand movement correctly. He walked to the cupboard in which the Boggart was entrapped and placed his hand on the handle. “Blackfire, you can go first,” said Julius, deciding it was best to start with a Gryffindor. He waited till the girl was standing before the cupboard and look ready and then opened it and there was a loud menacing hiss as the snake-transormed-Boggart slid out of the cupboard.

((Points will be given for creativity in describing your character's Boggart, how he/she conquers it, etc))

[Nokomis Astarra H5]

Defence Against the Dark Arts was never one of her stronger classes, not that any of them qualified as her stronger classes, but DADA sometimes seemed particularly bad. She sat down hear the back of the class and tried to focus on what the Professor was saying. You always had to try scary things or do strange charms in this class and if she didn't pay attention she knew things would be going badly. Then the topic of Boggarts and fears came about she had a nasty knot in her stomach. She had an idea about what they would be going over today. As instructed she took out a piece of paper and scribbled down the first thing that came to mind when she thought of being afraid. It was not being able to play quidditch. After she wrote it down, she raised her hand, barely up off her desk, almost hoping that the professor wouldn't notice. It wasn't a good fear. Others were afraid of things like snakes and heights, and the dark mark, and he was afraid of not being able to play a game. She bit her lip, and sat still, sinking a bit lower in her chair while she watched other's problems being addressed.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass' insides twitched as she heard Foxcroft call her name to approach the boggart first. Looking around the classroom for a moment, she sighed and stood in front of the wardrobe since it seemed she would be the sacrificial lamb for this exercise. Raising herself to her full height, she extended her wand arm; trying to look intimidating and regal. Cass then looked Foxcroft in the eye, nodding her head to acknowledge that she was ready to face the creature within.

It was quite dramatic. Smoke rolled out of the wardrobe as the class waited for the boggart to join them. Cass strained to hear the slithering sounds of a snake coming from the wardrobe, but they never came. Cass stared around as the smoke began to lift from the floor. Turning to Foxcroft, she shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, not exactly sure what the problem was. Wasn't this boggart suppose to epitomize their fears? Cass was unimpressed. Dropping her poise, she began to laugh a little and turned her back to the wardrobe and looked at the class with a huge smile on her face. In the most superior Gryffindor manner she could muster, she said, " I guess it just didn't want to mess with the best."

Cold air began to tickle at the hairs on the back of her neck as she heard wood creak behind her. Several students started pointing behind her with eyes as big as galleons. Cass turned around slowly, all of the arrogance gone. Cass honestly could not believe what stood in front of her. A tall figure wrapped in a tattered cloak stood before her; holding a scythe that was just about as tall as he was. Cass wasn't facing a snake. She wasn't facing a dementor either. It was only the cold, harsh, stark reality of Death had presented itself to her.

Cass back peddled a few steps. It was true her whole family had succumbed to the merciless, cold hand of death, but she had never really thought about when it would come for her. It was inevitable. No one could escape Death. Fumbling for her wand, she pointed it at the creature. Pure panic swelled up inside her, " Pousikus!" A large gust of air swept toward the creature and passed without moving the creature. Cass shrieked, and tears of terror began to flow down her cheeks as her composure was lost. She turned her back to the creature and began to sprint away.

" Cassandra!" A voice called her name over the din of noise in the classroom, bringing her back to reality. " It's only a boggart!" Those words triggered something in her. Turning around in pure desperation, she was able to point her wand at Death, and between ragged breaths, powerfully said the incantation. " Ridikulus!" Cass stood stoic in front of the boggart as it tripped over the hem of is cloak; it dropped it's intimidating scythe. Cass lowered her chin to see the boggart's hands scratching across the wooden floor, it's cloak pinned to the floor by it's own tool of destruction.

Cass looked up at the Professor, tears stained her cheeks still. " Professor, I would appreciate it if you would please excuse me from class." Cass' breath still came in ragged breaths, her fear making her tense body shake all over.

(( Sorry, so long, but if anyone wants to say they brought Cass back to reality is more than welcome too. It was only a couple of sentences but anyone can claim them.))

[Kennedy Valak S6]

A bit annoyed that Professor Foxcroft chose Cass to face the boggart first, Kennedy watched anxiously. He and knew Cass quite well from having many classes with her, and he also spent a small amount of time with her once when he ran into her over Christmas break. He knew she was a very intelligent girl, and he expected her to face the boggart with ease.

At first, she seemed to be doing fine, and Kennedy had to fight back a yawn. But then he saw it. It was a cloaked figure that was holding a sort of metal blade. Death? Kennedy thought, assuming that was what the figure represented. Cass seemed utterly shocked by the figure. She didn't seem to be responding. "Cassandra! It's only a boggart!" he shouted almost instinctively. Surely she was capable of handling a boggart he thought. Weren't Gryffindors supposed to be brave anyways. Rolling his eyes, he watched as Cass came to, and fended off the boggart. It can't be that hard, he thought to himself, hoping that Professor Foxcroft would call on him next as he was eager to show how easy it really was. Cass may be brilliant, but Kennedy was confident in his own abilities for this lesson. Especially since he had already encountered a boggart with the help of his father when he was younger.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

((Actually Fiona I'm sorry but I do mind and I'm going to have to ask you to delete your post because while I'm forgetful person I simply do not see Foxcroft that way at all and he wouldn’t miss a student raising her hand. He will get to Fiona and you too Nokomis.))

Julius wanted to warn Cassandra that something like a Boggart should not be taken lightly at all when the Boggart transformed into the girl's fear. He watched her prepare to defend herself but the girl couldn't – too stunned by the shape of her Boggart she stood there paralysed as it advanced on her and then it seemed she had completely forgotten the correct way to battle it. A Slytherin at the back of the class came to comfort her and Julius thought he had chosen the right minute to do so since it seemed she was simply not ready to battle the Boggart. Julius had expected something like this to happen to one or two of his students but he hadn’t imagined it would happen to Cassandra at all. "Yes Blackfire you're excused," he said. "Have something with some sugar in it," he advised her. Her face was as a white as a sheet and Julius thought to himself he'd have a little talk with her later. "Valak, your turn," he said, since the boy was already at the front of the class. He made sure everyone was standing as far as they could from the Boggart for he imagined the sight of flames would scare most of them then turned to watch the boy.

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Much to his surprise, Professor Foxcroft did call on him next to face the boggart. Not expecting it, Kennedy felt a lump in his throat. Swallowing hard, he wiped his moist palms on the front of his robes and readied himself to face the boggart. Sure to keep his calm demeanor, Kennedy was talking to himself furiously, repeating the same phrase over and over again in your head. You can do this. It is only a boggart. Truth was, he was more nervous than he had anticipated. After seeing Cass, a good student in his mind, conduct a poor effort against the boggart, Kennedy's confidence was on the low. Regardless, he stepped forward and waited for the boggart to transform

Just as he had expected, the boggart instantly turned into a flame. Small at first, the flame began to gradually grow. For a few seconds, Kennedy starred at the flame and remembered the dreaded day that he had been badly burned. Oddly, the fire was not producing any heat, but it still was growing, now at an even faster rate than before. Gathering his composure, Kennedy snapped out of his trance, and gripped his wand tightly. "Ridikulus!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. The spell hit the flame, and Kennedy watched hesitantly. Gathering into a ball, the flame shrunk about three times the size that it had been. It formed into the shape of a fairy-like creature and began dancing. Kennedy's lips turned to a small smirk. How about that, he thought arrogantly to himself, all the while his nervousness was slowly diminishing behind his success. It sure does pay to have a father who is interested in such creatures,he pondered as he made his way back to his seat.

[Professor Julius Foxcroft]

"Well done Valak, 10 points to Slytherin," said Julius moving to stand right in front of the Boggart. There was the sound of several high-pitched screams from two young students being tortured which Julius quickly turned to laughter by a casual flick of his wand and he pushed the Boggart back into the cupboard and slammed its door shut. "Now everyone, what you have seen should have enlightened you a little. You have seen a correct demonstration of how to defeat a Boggart and you have also seen that sometimes for some reason or other you do not correctly identify your worst fear. Please think about that and I anyone has something they would like to tell me, another detail about your fear perhaps, then please raise your hand," he requested.

There will still two students he needed to talk to. He headed over to the Irish Slytherin's desk and looked down at her fear. "What is it you find so scary about the image? The way they died? Or were you involved in their death in some way? And were you there when they died? I need you to explain a little more to me O'Reilly so I can understand how your fear will manifest itself and how you will overcome it," he explained in a low voice, his eyes on her.

((Cass you get 10 points too, I'm giving points to anyone attempting to fight the Boggart whether you can confront your fear or you can’t., however I won't mention it IC unless you do conquer your Boggart.))