Dueling 1

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan leaned back in his seat, for the most part now, uninterested in what the rest of the class was feeling about this. He wasn't sure why he had cared in the first place, other than to check his own sanity, and perhaps grin at a girl or two to get her knickers in a twist.

He was watching Voltaire out of morbid fascination now. The man was clearly off his rocker, but doing well to save it, and seemed to be steering the class back to the lesson. He still seemed flustered though, and wondered if any of the class pranksters would take advantage of this (as that sort of childish behavior was below his doing, but not his amusement).

[Evelyn Turner]

Evelyn managed to tear her eyes once more from Rabastan as the class erupted into discussion. It was a drastic change from the professor trying in earnest to get anyone to answer a simple question. Now it seemed the whole of the student body was shouting out spells left and right. Evie glanced over at Rayne and gave her a look. They would be discussing this class later for sure. Looking back to her parchment she realized she had zoned out for too long and missed loads of what she assumed was useful information. Apparently she would be borrowing Rayne's notes later as well.

[Charles Mortensen]

Charles yawned loudly. "Is this how you teach a class? Just have your students randomly shout out spells? Shouldn't you be teaching them how to use the spells? Or maybe how to combine spells for a more effective dueling strategy? Just having them shout out spells isn't very effective unless they know what to do with them."

He began floating on his back, with his hands behind his head. It had the curious effect of making him appear as if he was floating on water, lying on an inflatable raft. "Tell you what? Why don't you wake me up when the snoozefest is over?"

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire cleared his throat, "Yes, every good! well It seems Slytherin has earned some points back." he didn't mention how many, seeing as they were still a bit on his bad side. even some of the perplexed looks on the Gryffindors were annoying him.
This was so much easier last year. Everyone seemed willing to learn, that and he did have a cool duel the first day of class. "Look, I realize this isn't has thrilling as last years class, but I did promise to teach more advanced dueling, but before I get to teaching you all that, I have to know you at least remember the basics of last year, and for the new students, it's to their benefit too." Charles's running commentary on his teaching skill wasn't helping either. He was feeling a fool and a failure, He might as well start teaching Divination or some other useless subject, not how the students were going to defend themselves. As a duelist he had to teach them from ALL their subjects, didn't they at least respect that he was well know and competent to teach any of the other subjects, but opted to teach them all ? He sighed, no wonder Isa got an assistant. He almost wish he had one.

[Charles Mortensen]

"Oh, sure, justify it, if you want," Charles snorted. "Sounds to me like you didn't even bother to prepare a lesson plan. Did you just slap the class together at the last minute?" He began to roll around in mid-air, pulling a somersault, followed by a full backflip.

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire choose not to comment on Charles. Instead he pulled out his 'emergency' lesson plan that he thought he might need if the students didn't want to be active in class. "Ok I need you all to write this down," and he wrote on his black board a list of Essays on charms and some journals on spell craft, all of which he made sure were in the library. "these are a list of reading I want you all to read. They long and drawn out, they are dry and full of acadic prose, but since you haven't seemed remember even a few basic spells, I want you all to hand in a thirteen inch essay on what the over all theme of the journals and Essays, I want you to highlight the intention and the use of all the spells they mention and how they suggest the spells were made, Yes a history assignment...and heaven help you if you hand in highlighted spell books" he said turning back to the class after he finished writing his list. He wasn't going to enjoy this class, too many conflicting students, too much chatter and too much gawking at a certain Slytherin boy. Students were so one track.

[Rayne DiCostas]

Rayne bit her tongue, literally. That was hardly fair at all. She didn't mind doing the work, and if he wanted more, she'd do it, but his reasoning for giving it to them was off base, she thought.

She raised her hand, knowing that her housemates would likely give her hell for speaking up, but she planned on being nothing but polite about it.

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire noticed the red haired girl raise her hand, he pointed to her and the sat on the edge of his desk, he wanted a bloody cigarette. instead of letting that needle him too far, he picked a large silver coin from his pocket and began rolling it over his knuckles. She was probably going to complain, and whine how it wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair get over it. he almost wanted to laugh at the thought but kept his face even.

[Rayne DiCostas]

She was honestly surprised he was going to give her the chance to speak, but she jumped on it all the same.

“Sir, with all due respect… you asked us about basic spells, and we gave them to you. A banishing charm… Depulso, and then Expelliarmus, Severus listed off several for us… we’re all taking notes. I could read you every spell that’s been mentioned, and that’s all you’ve asked us to do. As you said, for review. I’m not complaining about the assignment,” though she was sure many students would, “I’ll write the essay. But we are trying to participate. We’re just a little… on edge, and I think it’s a little…”

How did she choose the right word for this without sounding terribly rude? There was no good way, she decided. “Well, I’ll be honest. It’s a bit rude to tell us we’re not doing what you’re asking. And I know you’ll take points away for that… I’m willing to do an extra assignment if you’ll consider letting Gryffindor keep its points.”

There, she had said her piece.

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Voltaire decided to look bored at her. "Yes, all very good points miss...Oh that's right none of you besides Mr. Black and Ms. St. Clare even wanted to introduce yourselves. How about this, everyone that's put for the minimum effort, doesn't have to do the essay, but Sadly that doesn't include you, or the rest of the class. So if you don't mind the work, well then by all means. do it. The following students are excluded from the assignment, Mr. Black, Ms. St. Clare, Mr. Snape , Ms. Logan and ...Oh my no one else." He looked hard at the class. "I didn't even want to give this assignment, I wanted us to have fun, but you all seemed to take me for a fool because I wanted to get to know you. Then I shall not know you, You shall not know me and you will do paper work, Boring useless paper work. I did say to put the incident behind us and continue, you all seemed so confused and disorientated, it's baffling to me. " he stopped a moment and hopped off his desk and put his coin away. "What makes you think you aren't being rude, telling me that you think I'm unfair and that I seem to have you all on edge? " He stopped along the row of desks," besides, if you remember, I wasn't even requiring notes, so the fact that you are doing them is a moot point, that's your prerogative." he turned back. his face was impassive, he was disappointed in this lot. He wanted to say it was times like this he wished he was still a death eater, but then he was sure some of the students would cry. "OH and I do appreciate your honesty, Really I do, I'll try to be ...More than fair, So If I thought Slytherin was rude, then Fifty points from Gryffindor, and Detention for you and You, " He said pointing to the pouting slytherin girl. "It's not my intention to seem unfair, after all." he said almost sneering, but keeping the look of dislike off his face, he was oddly even expression-ed. something he believed he picked up so many years of fighting. after all dueling was a great deal like muggle poker, you had to have the face for it.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan had inwardly rolled his eyes at the Gryffindor girl (Good lord, were they *all* redheads?) when she spoke up, but at least it took the attention away from Slytherin.

But the response that followed from Voltaire made him smile. No, for that, for hearing him go off as he did, he would gladly write whatever pointless essay he had required, and he quickly scribbled down the required reading.

Maybe they were learning nothing of dueling, but the class was entertaining all the same.

[Rayne DiCostas]

Rayne sat back in her seat. She supposed, looking back, that she hadn't quite communicated well what she had meant, but she often had that problem and couldn't really expect less than a detention.

Still, she had to fight the urge to gather her things and leave class. If this was what it was going to be, she just wouldn't come anymore. Of course, she knew walking out would probably earn her another detention, and she'd rather keep those to a minimum. This was not the first detention her mouth had earned her.

[Voltaire Rothschild]

Having hoped he made himself clear, he turned back to the front of the class. "Dueling is an extents ion of how much you know. Everything can become your weapon, I do mean that." he thought of telling them of some of his dueling, but decided against it as no one seemed to like him apart from his few known students. how sad. " I hope by the next few class we can begin the real portion of the class and have some duels. As of right now, I don't think you'd make for real duels, you'd make a mockery of my former profession." he said evenly. He honestly thought that, even his lovely Natalie wouldn't do well, but that was because she wouldn't want to hurt anyone, she was too sweet. he didn't know if Rori would do well, but he'd soon see, in a few classes of course.

[Rori Logan]

Rori hid the frown that threatened to show on her face as Voltaire assigned a thirteen inch essay. She copied down the books he listed on the board, and became slightly relieved when she said that she was excluded from the homework. Although, Rori was still going to read through the books to study, and then look back through the other spell books she had. Even with her studying as much as she could, she wasn't sure how well she was going to do with actual practice of dueling. Maybe she was better at the theoretical part than the actual doing, or maybe she was just downing herself before it even started.

Some people didn't seem to know when to keep their mouths shut. She knew better than to open her mouth when an assignment was given, no matter the circumstances. After a quick glance to Leo, she looked back to Voltaire after she placed her quill on her desk.

[Severus Snape]

Severus was never had been more relived, he wrote down the titles of the books and essays anyway, it was a fascinating subject after all. His admiration for the professor increased, he was ruthless! even if he was also against Severus's own house, he hadn't been so hard on them as he was on Gryffindor! maybe he had been a Slytherin. He, of course was going to make sure he stayed on his good side, even if he did tell them to mind their language when no one swore at all. Maybe it was just an admonishment? or a misunderstanding on everyone's part... but it had seemed he to be speaking to someone in particular.

[Remus Lupin]

Remus was very confused. One minute they had been talking about jam preferences, then suddenly people were randomly shouting out spells. Now, all of a sudden, they had a massive homework assignment and were down 50 points. How had it happened so quickly? He'd barely even had time to process each bit of information. He sat, scratching his head and wondering how he was going to manage this assignment on top of the other ones he already had.

He glanced over at Sirius. How was it that his friend had managed to burst in late, after some unknown bit of mischief, state his jam preference, and manage to be exempt from the assignment. That guy had all the luck!

[Voltaire Rothschild]

*Just so everyone knows, I don't really expect a typed out essay like response, in the new thread for the next class just mention how much you slaved over your work and whatnot and turn in a "Rolled parchment" with your 'essay'*

[Leo Agathon]

Leo shot a helpless look at Rori. He'd helped supply an answer, too, but he still had to do the essay? He woindered if Rori would intervene on his behalf. Of course, he'd probably do the essay, anyway. He was a Ravenclaw, after all. Ravenclaws lived for homework.

He saw a lot of the other students grumbling, and he couldn't entirely blame them. It was really hard to keep up in this class. He'd been taking notes ever since Sirius Black's entrance, and he still wasn't sure what had happened.

[Gilderoy Lockhart]

Gilderoy, who had spent much of the class admiring his own reflection in his silver inkpot, now looked up in confusion. An assignment? Why? What were they doing? Come to think of it, he wasn't entirely sure which class he was supposed to be in. The last thing he remembered was a discussion of jam preferences. He had been waiting until the Ravenclaw girl stopped talking, so that he could also share his jam preference--raspberry, of course--when things had shifted, and he'd gotten bored.

Raising his hand, he called out, "Professor? Oh, Professor? If I may ask, should we be including our jam preferences in the essay?"

[Voltaire Rothschild]

The tension in Voltaire had snapped, then it didn't matter that Charles was still a venomous asp of a dead man and that his students were rude. He laughed and realized that this had to be the hufflepuff Rori had told him was 'fun' so much time before. "No," he chuckled " you don't have to include your favorite jam." He suddenly felt guilty for punishing the class for Charles's behavior, but it seemed wrong to apologize, he had to follow through with his own punishments. he resolved to talk to Charles after class, that is if he didn't up an disappear on him for no reason.