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Author Topic: Lesson 2: Shields & Summons (1973-1974)  (Read 118 times)

* Barnaby Thatch

    (03/02/2025 at 06:10)
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Conjuring and Summoning

LESSON TWO
Tuesday Dec 11th, 7:25AM

The classroom was still as Professor Barnaby Thatch made his final preparations, the soft scratch of chalk filling the air as he wrote the day’s spells on the blackboard in neat, careful lettering:
Summoning Defense

* Conjuro Umbra
– A basic magical shield –

* Vineyard
 – Summons vines to entangle
a target’s legs–
Satisfied, he turned toward the far end of the room, where a line of practice dummies stood rigid against the wall, ready for their role in today’s lesson. A faint rustling near his desk caught his attention, and sure enough, Pennywhistle, his ever-meddlesome pet niffler, was eyeing his pocket watch chain with keen interest.

“Don’t even think about it,” he murmured, tapping the watch with his wand so it vanished into the folds of his robes. Pennywhistle let out a disgruntled chitter but soon trotted off to her usual perch, where she could observe the students without getting in the way. Satisfied Barnaby took a sip of his tea from the cup on his desk while waiting for students to arrive. The aroma of the pumkin tea filled the classroom.

As the last of the students filed in, Thatch turned and, with a casual flick of his wand, swung the heavy wooden door shut behind them. The click of the latch echoed through the room, signaling the beginning of the lesson.

"Right then," he began, clasping his hands together as he surveyed the class. "Today, we're going to take a more practical approach to conjuration as a means of defense. Summoning isn't just about bringing objects to you. It can also be about creating something in the moment to protect yourself or control a situation. Shields, restraints, obstacles, magic that buys you time and shifts a duel in your favor."

He gestured toward the board. "We’ll be working on two spells today. Conjuro Umbra, which conjures a temporary magical shield to block minor jinxes, is where our younger students will start. More advanced students will attempt Vineyard, which summons vines from the earth to briefly entangle a target’s legs, keeping them from moving."

Thatch leaned against his desk, watching the students with interest. "Now, before we begin, let's get those brains working. Why might a conjured shield be more useful than a traditional Shield Charm? And when would it be better to momentarily trap an opponent rather than simply knocking them back with a jinx?"

His eyes scanned the room expectantly. "Let's hear your thoughts before we get to the fun part. Seeing if you can actually cast them."


OOC: Welcome to Lesson 02 of Conjuring and Summoning!!! I hope you all enjoy. This lesson will be updated on Feb 6th around 9pm CST. For now just have your students react to what is going on in the class and if they are brave enough venture an answer to Barnaby's questions.

Information on the spell Conjura Umbra can be found here.

If you have any questions for me feel free to PM me or message me on discord I am Asher  Cole on the main server.
« Last Edit: 04/02/2025 at 04:46 by Barnaby Thatch »
Magic is the
Bridge : Belief
is the key

Liam F Battersea

    (04/02/2025 at 02:27)
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As typical, he stepped into the classroom early. As before he sat near the front of the class. This time, he carried a sparkling crystal bauble wrapped in a cloth for Pennywhistle. It seemed he had it for over a year, almost forgotten and neglected. Ceithlinn had batted it around at least twice before leaving it alone altogether. And since the Niffler liked shiny things—and this was practically new—Liam saw fit to pass it to a new owner. Thankfully, the boy did have the commonsense to wash and dry it for good measure, removing dust and grit from its surface, finishing with a cloth to polish it up all nice and pretty. When he was done, it glittered in the light scattering tiny rainbows everywhere.     

Before the second person had shown up, he looked to the right, the left, and behind him before motioning to Pennywhistle, kneeling down, and handing her the prize.

“It’s all yours.” He added softly with a warm smile, knowing the Professor could hear him. “We’ll keep t’is between us.”

With a wink, it was taken from his hands. He watched as she carried it off, with the knowledge that it would be in better hands…

Why might a conjured shield be more useful than a traditional Shield Charm? And when would it be better to momentarily trap an opponent rather than simply knocking them back with a jinx?"

The Ravenclaw looked down and off to the right for a moment and considered the question before him. There were many things that he’d contemplated and mused over in the span of his twelve years on this planet. This wasn’t one of them. Liam considered a few possible ideas, none of which helped nor hindered his argument. Eyes narrowing and lips pursed, a kind of rapid eye movement soon began as he mentally sorted through option after option in combination with other options and then with a degree of hesitation raised his hand.

“Em… because traditional Shielding Charms are… set?” His nose wrinkled at the word. His ever-present accent dropped into the undertones of his voice, imparting a harmonic richness, lending to something that sounded distinctly academic—like a Battersea should sound. “Shielding Charms come in an array of incantations, thus feeling of pseudo-variety. A Conjured shield would theoretically increase with the strength of the caster—up to a certain level—without t’e need for additional semantics. It produced versatility. And… if correct, t’e creation should move with the caster.”

He pursed his lips. “As for trapping an opponent, aside from the obvious, you lower other factors, namely the knockback. Ya have your opponent where you want t’em, and can deal with them, thus reducing your chances of missing them with t’e next spell..  ”

That was at least… his theory…

“What if you love knowledge for its own sake, not necessarily as a blueprint to action? What if you wish there were more, not fewer reflective types in the world?” ~Susan Cain

Ren Al-Sayeed

    (04/02/2025 at 04:31)
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Ren shuffled in late, hair disheveled as he rushed through the door closinf g by the flick of the professors wand. Deep breaths and heavy exhales from the boy were evidence of a lengthy sprint from a late night study session turned late morning. He'd barely made it in time, and even forgone his potion's belt, which he usually took everywhere, to every class.

"Right then,"

The professor began speaking as Ren scrambled for a seat in the back, careful not to disrupt any of the students studying with his lack of oxygen. As the professor spoke of today's spells, Ren scrambled to find his wand which he was sure he'd managed to pack into his robes today.

The dogwood stick, as weathered as ever, was there. Ol' Reliable.

"Now, before we begin, let's get those brains working. Why might a conjured shield be more useful than a traditional Shield Charm? And when would it be better to momentarily trap an opponent rather than simply knocking them back with a jinx?"

Then the professor posed his questions. Shield charms were an interesting thing. He didn't think much of them, even when they were used (albeit sparringly) on the dueling block. Protego, the only one he was vaguely familiar with, was all encompassing. Short and sweet, it did what it needed to do when it came to blocking spells. At least, spells aimed at the person. There were always ways around the protective barrier itself, but the boy didn't have the dueling experience to say definitively. But he'd try, at the very least.

As he raised his hand, he hesitated with his answer. "Conjuro Umbra might be weaker than, say protego, but it has a component that protego doesn't. The shadow can block people's vision, right? That gives it not just a protective aspect, but an offensive one as well. Kind of like summoning a large...uhh...thing, from across the room to block something for you. It can block, but it can also be used now as a projectile."

He looked forward to casting the shadowy spell in class. He definitely could have used it a few days ago at the christmas party.


* Vlad Ivansko

    (04/02/2025 at 13:12)
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As always, Vlad was clinging to Snuffles as he entered the classroom. The Hufflepuff was in a festive mood. Christmas was coming up very quickly. And Vlad was thrilled. He had bought a Santa hat for the toy.

Vlad went and sat beside Liam. Vlad had decided that Liam was a friend. So he wanted to make sure that his friends had good Christmas lists. And he was sure that Liam would ask for books, books, and more books.

He wrote a note for Liam in his orange crayon:
Quote
So, I want to make sure you have more than just books on your Christmas list. Do you want a broomstick?

His tongue had stuck out in concentration as he wrote the note. And then he passed it to Liam.

Vlad did think about the question that Professor Thatch asked the class. "Conjured shields give more possibilities. Like you can use any material. Like fire or spikes."
I'll build back the room with



in it
our hearts

Katherine Dankworth

    (06/02/2025 at 17:42)
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Katherine arrived early, like she always did. Though her thoughts were not completely in the class, as she had a lot of things in her mind that were keeping her from being her usual, focused self.

"Good morning, professor Thatch." She said as she walked into the classroom.

That day, she didn't feel especially competitive, nor really like herself. When Ren answered Barnaby's question before she could even think about it, she didn't even give him an annoyed look —she was too tired to do that.

Her eyes flickered around the room and she noticed the dummies. At least, it seemed like it was going to be a practical class. Maybe it would help her take her mind off things.

While all her classmates gave their responses, she kept herself busy taking notes of everything she thought it could be useful in the future. Mostly, what both Liam and Ren had said about said spell.

She could see Vlad sitting besides Liam, but she didn't feel like approaching the little kid. It wasn't like Karina was around, anyways.

So she just waited.

Eryon Thornley

    (06/02/2025 at 17:44)
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Eryon rushed into the class just as the door closed with a tiny thud. Hurriedly pulling his belongings closer the young boy scanned the room for an empty seat. He saw one and was happy to see a familiar face in the crowd.

Eryon quickly made his way to the seat and plopped down his stuff on the desk as he sat down next to Destimonia Blackthorn. Eryon glanced at the professor and nodded with a smile just as he started speaking. The young boy's mind raced as their teacher told them about the two spells they would be learning today. Just for good measure, Eryon repeated the spell in his head, so that he was clear about what he was going to speak when the time came.

Just like the previous lesson, the professor had started with a question. Having known nothing about the two spells, Eryon kept his lips sealed as he heard other people answer.

It wasn't very long before the Raven inside him took control of his brain and he raised his hand hard enough to have probably pulled out the shoulder from its socket.

"Oh! oh!," the boy said excitedly, "As someone who knows very little about magic, I would like a shield that I can see with my own eyes," he took a deep breath, "I wouldn't trust some magic charms shield that I couldn't even probably see, can you imagine the horror of standing there thinking that an invisible shield is there to protect you whe........" the boy's voice died down as he realized he might have overshared. It wasn't his fault, he liked the way professor taught and it always got him excited.

"As for the second question," he said softly, "What Liam said."


* Angel Malvaux

    (06/02/2025 at 18:48)
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Angel found her way to the Conjuring and Summoning classroom on pure autopilot.

Last night could have been a dream — or a nightmare. She had hoped it was when her eyes first fluttered open. But reality settled in sharp and cold as her mind flashed back to last night. The trek to the Shrieking Shack when she noticed Lorelei and others take off down the path. Lorelei slipping inside it like it was the most natural thing in the world. And then finding Rocío, waiting there, knowing all this time.

A shudder ripped through Angel, curling her fingers into fists.

Too lost in thought, she stumbled right into the back of another student.* She jolted back. “Sorry,” she mumbled, catching herself before she fully bowled them over.

Her lips remained pressed in a fine line. Eyes cast downward.

Finding an empty seat, Angel sank heavily onto the wooden chair. Her shoulders curved inward as her bag slid from her arm and thudded onto the floor.

Professor Thatch wasted no time launching into a lecture, his booming voice far too bright and enthusiastic. It grated against her, made her fall deeper into the dark she found herself in. He was saying something about shields and defensive magic. Angel clenched her jaw. Perhaps the professor ought to be preparing them to defend against the werewolf incursion already inside the school’s walls.

Her teeth dug hard into her bottom lip as the thought twisted through her. She should have stayed in bed.

"Professor, how strong is Vineyard, really? Like, how much can it hold back?" A girl? A beast?



*feel free to be the student Angel stumbled into.
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* Charlene McCoy

    (06/02/2025 at 23:04)
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Charly did not want to be here. Classes, each and every one of them were a nightmare for the now 13 year old. Her wand, if she even remember to bring it, usually never did what it was supposed to and the teachers - no Professor they wanted to be called - were not too friendly about her failing everything. Whether it was writing, homework, quizzes or simple spell practise, Charlene McCoy was bad at all of it.

It caused her to skip classes at times, or she simply forgot going because she had to count the snowflakes falling from the sky - 5348 she'd counted last time. Just that her skipping caused the Professsors to be even less friendly with her.

Today Charly slipped into the classroom just before the door closed and plopped herself down in a seat close to the windows and door. She liked sitting in these spots. She was the first to leave, she had a view and if it all got too much she sometimes managed to slip out quietly. With Professor Thatch it usually wasn't necessary. He seemed one of the calmer, nicer ones, but Charly wasn't going to trust that.

The door closed and Charly dangled her legs from her chair and tried to listen to the man’s booming voice. Her gaze drifted towards the window by the third sentence and she watched some bird fly and snow dripping off the roof. Was somebody going to get a snow shower? She resisted the urge to jump to the window to see for herself, maybe even shout out a giggled warning that came just a second too late. In September she would have been on that window quicker than anyone could have stopped her.

School was changing her. It was forcing her to behave, conform, learn and it was all incredibly difficult for the girl. She longed for freedom and the lessons her father had given her. She had complained back then, but now she realized how lucky she had been.

Apparently there had been questions now and Charly's eyes flickered to each student who answered. Something with conjured shields and trapping people. It all sounded confusing really, although trapping someone wasn't. It's what people did to get what they wanted. Charly hated it. She looked through the classroom finding Theater Boy and stuck her tongue out at him.

"When you're fast, people trap you. Then finish you off. It's scary and you get wild thoughts (read: panic). Gives the Angreifer(*attacker more time. Also makes it hard to use the wood stick.

It was rare Charly said something in class unless it was something completely unrelated to class. But she knew a thing or two about getting trapped. It wasn't pleasant. That was for sure.
I'm not broken
My cracks let the light in

* Barnaby Thatch

    (07/02/2025 at 04:05)
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Barnaby listened with interest as the students shared their thoughts, his sharp gaze flicking from one to the next. He let them speak, nodding here and there, his expression thoughtful. When Liam finished, he gave a small, approving hum, stroking his chin as he considered the boy’s words. Pennywhistle, meanwhile, was utterly delighted with her new bauble, clutching it in her tiny paws as she rolled onto her back, chortling with glee.

Thatch caught Liam’s wink and, in return, gave him a warm, knowing smile before addressing the class.

"Excellent answers all around," he said, straightening up and clasping his hands behind his back.

 "Let’s go through them one by one. Liam, you’re spot on about versatility. A traditional Shield Charm is predictable—effective, yes, but rigid. A conjured shield, on the other hand, moves with you and adapts to your intent. Five points to Ravenclaw for your insight into magical flexibility."

His gaze shifted to Ren, who was still catching his breath from his mad dash to class. Thatch arched a brow at him but smirked all the same. "Ah, Ren, you bring up a fascinating point. The idea that Conjuro Umbra isn’t just defensive but can serve an offensive purpose as well. Shadows obscure vision, distract, disorient. You could certainly use it creatively in a duel. Five points to Slytherin for strategic thinking."

Thatch turned next to Vlad, who sat happily beside Liam, clutching Snuffles and his orange crayon. "Materials, you say? Clever thinking. Conjured shields do indeed allow for variations in form, Spiked barriers, flaming walls, and the like. The more advanced the caster, the more control they have. A conjurer who knows what they’re doing can craft their defense to fit the moment. Well reasoned—five points to Hufflepuff."

His sharp gaze then landed on Eryon, who was still radiating excitement from his sudden realization. "Eryon, your concern is valid. Some magic is felt more than seen, which can be unnerving. There’s value in seeing your own shield, knowing for certain that it exists. Not all wizards trust what they cannot observe directly. I’d argue that some of the most powerful magic is invisible, but that’s a lesson for another day. Five points to Ravenclaw for a personal perspective."

He glanced at Angel, who sat rigid in her seat, her expression unreadable. Her question wasn’t theoretical—it was practical, edged with something deeper. Thatch studied her for a brief moment before answering, his tone measured.

"Vineyard is not a permanent restraint, nor is it unbreakable," he admitted. "It’s meant to buy time. Seconds, not minutes. The strength of the vines depends on the strength of the caster. Against a person, it’s effective. Against a beast?" He paused, considering her carefully. "That depends on the beast. If you need something stronger, you’d want a different spell."

Something flickered in his expression, as if he knew what she was really asking, but he didn’t press.

Lastly, Charlene’s response pulled his attention. The way she spoke wasn’t detached theorizing It was personal. A lived experience. Thatch nodded slowly, his voice softer when he responded. "You’re right, Charlene. Being trapped gives the attacker time. It’s disorienting, which is often the point. That moment of panic can be more dangerous than the spell itself. You’ve given an answer based on experience, and that is more valuable than theory. Five points to Gryffindor."

His gaze swept the class one last time before clapping his hands together.

"Right then! Enough talking. Let’s see some magic. Everyone, wands out!"

With a flick of his own wand, the dummies at the front of the class straightened, preparing to be the unfortunate targets of today’s lesson. Pennywhistle chortled again, still clutching her bauble, completely uninterested in the fact that a flurry of spells was about to fly.


OOC: Welcome to the first update of Lesson 02 of Conjuring and Summoning!!! I hope you all are enjoying. This lesson will be updated again Feb 11th around 9pm CST. For now just have your students react to what is going on in the class and if have them try the spells on the dummies. Those with S3 or better will have the easiest time, but even S1 of S2 might manage a vine or two with vineyard. Have fun with it!

Information on the spell Conjura Umbra can be found here.

If you have any questions for me feel free to PM me or message me on discord I am Asher  Cole on the main server.
Magic is the
Bridge : Belief
is the key

Ren Al-Sayeed

    (08/02/2025 at 10:42)
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The variety of answers spoken by the class seemed to be normal, until the German Banshee, as he'd aptly named her, spoke about being trapped. That was enough to raise a an eyebrow for any person with any common concern. But Ren ultimately shrugged it off. Being trapped by someone at this school was par for the course. In muggle terms, this school was a building full of human rights violations. A relatively certain 80% of the staff would have been eligible for candidacy in the nuremberg trials, and it was a standard that Ren was, unfortunately, getting used to.

Maybe he'd ask her later if she'd been attacked or bullied. Even a girl who licks faces needs support every once in a while.

His eyes darted to Katherine, who had been suspiciously quiet for the first part of the class. As much as he'd come to detest her, her work ethic was something to be admired as he watched her write note after note in her notebook. If only she wasn't such a witch...

He turned around quickly to prevent locking eyes with his library mentor, as Professor Thatch continued his calling on students.



"Right then! Enough talking. Let’s see some magic. Everyone, wands out!"

Ren brandished his wand for what would usually be his favorite part of the class. However, this class always had a way of leaving him as red in the face as the eventual fire he'd accidentally cause. But this time around, he was just summoning shadows. He hadn't decided yet if he was going to attempt to summon the vine though. It seemed like a recipe for trouble.

The shadows would have to be enough.

He moved away from the dummies where most of the students gathered, into a corner of the room. His wand out, he closed his eyes and tried to visualize the spell as the professor had described. His eyes closed, both imaginging the spell in its splendor and focusing in the darkness.

Ren raised his wand.

"Conjura Umbra!"

The tip of his wand, high in the air, suddenly began releasing a blackened mist.

The boy swung the wand down, as the mist coalesced into a spherical shape. Slowly but surely, the filling bubble of shadow began to envelop Ren. As the boy began to submerge into the shadow, he gripped his wand tighter. The shadow climbing up his legs, now to his hips, felt like he was being enveloped by a chill water. His legs sent goosebumps up into the base of his neck, as the shadows made their way up his chest, continuing to rise.

And finally, the wand stopped releasing the black mist. Ren could no longer be seen, lost inside his own personal bubble of darkness in the corner of the classroom.

The black mist swirled around the bubble, as if alive.

Eryon Thornley

    (Yesterday at 16:59)
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Eryon watched as Professor Thatch moved from student to student, responding to each of their answers with thoughtful nods and quiet approval. He beamed when his own response earned points for Ravenclaw, sitting up just a little straighter in his seat. His logic hadn’t been perfect, but it had been enough. And that was reassuring.

Then, with a clap of the professor’s hands, the real fun began.

"Right then! Enough talking. Let’s see some magic. Everyone, wands out!"

Excitement bubbled up in Eryon’s chest as he fished his wand from his pocket. He barely noticed Pennywhistle gleefully rolling across the desk with her new bauble. His focus was on the practice dummies and the flickering possibilities of what they were about to attempt.

A shield. A barrier. Something tangible, something real.

He stepped toward one of the dummies, exhaling as he turned his wand over in his fingers. He glanced at the other students, noting their various levels of confidence. Some already had their wands raised, some were waiting. His gaze lingered briefly on Ren, who had stepped into the corner, shadows already swirling around him in a rising mist. Eryon shivered. That was… cool. And unsettling.

Shaking the thought away, he focused on his own task.

"Conjura Umbra," he murmured, his grip tightening.

Nothing.

He frowned, adjusting his stance.

"Conjura Umbra."

This time, something happened—a thin wisp of shadow curled at the tip of his wand, flickering like candle smoke before vanishing. Eryon’s heart skipped. He had done something. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. “Alright,” he muttered, jaw setting in determination. He could feel it—just on the edge of his grasp.

He raised his wand again, envisioning the shield not just as a spell but as a force—one he could call upon, shape, and hold.

"Conjura Umbra!"

The air around him dimmed, as if the candlelight in the room had flickered for just a moment. A faint ripple of darkness formed in front of him before dissipating.

It wasn’t perfect. But it was there.

Liam F Battersea

    (Today at 04:24)
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Receiving the note from Vlad, and found himself blinking, adjusting to the color before him. His eyes narrowed a moment, he pursed his lips, yet still kept his attention on Professor Thatch. While taking notes, he gave the question more thought he might have, eyebrow quirked as he posited it. The blonde-haired kid had never had such a question to him and never considered it. With his attention momentarily diverted, he hastily answered.

Quote
So, I want to make sure you have more than just books on your Christmas list. Do you want a broomstick? 

Sure, I suppose. Is there anything you’d like?

It seemed like a reasonable enough answer, given the environment. His attention moved to the answers that had been given. Charly’s answer sounded interesting, in that it seemed to come from an off-the-cuff way of thinking. While Liam preferred forethought and levelheadedness, sometimes a bit of spontaneity was valuable. Eryon’s answer was interesting, so much so that when he appeared to finish, Liam looked toward him with his seemingly trademark querying brow. Meanwhile, Vlad's answer, though straightforward had held value in its answer.     

"Right then! Enough talking. Let’s see some magic. Everyone wands out!"

“A shield o’ darkness…” muttered Liam as he stood up and gave himself some room. He paused to look over his notes a couple of times, contemplating what it was he was about to do. He cast a glance toward Ren who appeared to have an easy time of it and watched it manifest, paying careful attention to everything about it. 

A second glance made its way to Eryon, studying his Housemate’s progress. After the third time, he watched as it appeared to manifest, but for a little bit and then dissipated. In all of this, he watched everything from the beginning to the end. It wasn’t much, but it was progress, and that was nothing to scoff at. He gave his Housemate a congratulatory nod, took out his wand, and went still and silent. After several seconds he brought his wand before him, almost stabbing the air as he did so. 

Conjura Umbra!”    

Whether it was the forcefulness of his words or the etheric stabbing to prove a point, a flowing black mist spread outward from his wand and began to envelop him. Curious he reach his hand out to feel of it and found it cool to the touch. Glancing down at his hand and nodding to himself, he watched as it continued to swirl in a smoke-like fashion, obscuring his form from view.

Something about it was strangely familiar, almost like a memory passed down. Whatever the feeling he had, the experience was strangely surreal.


“What if you love knowledge for its own sake, not necessarily as a blueprint to action? What if you wish there were more, not fewer reflective types in the world?” ~Susan Cain

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