Lily Alexander
January 19, 2013 1:12 AM
Subbing for Levitation Charm (1-2 years) by Lily Alexander
Early September rolled around and the green-eyed brunette pushed her black rimmed glasses further up the freckled bridge of her nose. Her expensive new Kodak camera hung around her neck, her present from Grandpa James for getting a real big girl job, and her two diplomas from the State University of New York at New Paltz sat in front of her on the desk. One, a Bachelors of Science in Education; the second, a Bachelors of Arts in Photography. Both made her proud.The Administrators of the school had told her just the night before what her first class she’d be teaching was. Beginners Charms. It was right then however, sitting in her new apartment, that she thought of the PERFECT lesson. The Levitation Charm.
It was simple, yet satisfying. It was fun, yet interesting. And could very well be useful.
The last thing Lily Alexander wanted to do, however, was to fail. She was never a quitter, and wanted nothing to do with doing wrong by her Headmistress or her students. Lils wanted her students to learn and grow, both from her and the rest of the school. They would be successful at anything they did if it were up to her, just as she felt when she was with Grandpa James. She hoped she’d be the same type of person that her grandfather was to the children.
She had collected small feathers, pillows, small stones, bits of paper, a few marbles, even a few photographs she’d taken herself and put them in her briefcase before she’d left for Sonora, and now she pulled them out and set them on the desk in front of her. After spending a few moments deciding which items should go to a first year and which to a second year, she went around the room placing items on desks. She put a light item on the desks for the first years and a slightly heavier one for the second years. With her wand, she spelled out the spell they would be learning as well as the pronunciation of it and sat down at the desk to wait for the class to arrive.
With the sound of the door opening, her smile widened again (but not to a scary point) and she welcomed the first student in. “Hello!” As the others shuffled in after the first, she gave a welcoming nod to each one and when all had entered the room, she used her wand to close the door with a small snap.
“Welcome first years! And welcome back second years!” she said in a happy tone. She was genuinely glad to see them, and dressed in her pretty pale blue robes, she knew she didn’t look intimidating. She didn’t want her students to treat her like subs that she’d had through school, but she didn’t want to be too hard on them either. There was a happy medium, and she was striving towards it. “My name is Lily Alexander, and I will be your substitute for Charms Class today. Professor Olivers is unable to make it today, so I have been asked to take over for the day.” she paused and glanced down at the roll call sheet she had in front of her. “I will be taking roll call, so that I can learn your names and see that you are all here, where you should be. And if you are not supposed to be here, you have the opportunity to go to the correct class.”
“Ambrose, Rajid?” she paused for Rajid to answer before going on to the next name. “Andrews, McKinley” Lils waited for McKinley to answer as well, before repeating this over and over again until she’d reached “Francesca Wolseithcrafte”
“Okay, now that we’re all here and in the right class, this is Beginners Charms and today we are going to be studying the Charm for Levitation. Behind me on the board is the spelling of the name of the charm as well as the pronunciation. So, before we pick up our wands, lets say it aloud. Repeat after me, please. “Win-GAR-dee-um lev-ee-OH-sa.”
They repeated after her and she smiled. “Great. Now, this is the wand movement.” She showed them the swish and flick and then spoke again. “Now try that, without saying the charm please.” She waited a moment and watched around her as the students looked like they were listening to her.
“Those of you in first year, should have a light object on your desks. Second years should have slightly heavier things on yours. Either way, the items are not terribly heavy. Please partner up, first year with a second year if it is at all possible please. Second years, use this chance to be like a mentor to your partnering first year. First years, allow the second years to assist you, and all of you, learn from each other.”
Lily looked around at the students, some of which seemed happy about this proclamation, other’s weren’t so happy. She let them express their moans or cheers, whichever, and then spoke again. “First you will watch me, and then you may begin. If you have any questions, please raise your hand and I will be right there.”
Lils pointed her wand, using the swish and flick movement at her diplomas and said, “Wingardium Leviosa.” Her Education diploma was levitated up off the desk and landed right on top of her Photography one. “Please pair up and begin.” She watched the students start their pairing, trying to be sure as many first years had a second year as was possible.
OOC: As in your other classes, at least ten sentences should be in your posts, as per roleplay rules. More creativity, however, gives higher points. Pair up with a student in the opposite year from you and have fun! Tag me in the subject line if you need me!
Subthreads: Looking for an awesome first year. by Rupert Princeton, Pecari with Omara Hernandez, Pecari, Rupert
Teasing the lower classes by Effie Arbon with William Casey, Julian Umland, Teppenpaw
Beware of stray flying objects! by Wendy Canterbury with Carter Browning, Wendy - Pecari
I'm spinning around! by Charlie B-F-R, Teppenpaw with Jeweliah Dyste
Up in the air by Rajid Ambrose with Enion Whitebriar - Teppenpaw
A reasonable start by Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren with Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
'Stupid letter S' by Analea Thornton with Annette Pierce, 2nd Year Pecari, Analea
What are you subbing for it? by Willow Collins,Teppenpaw
Why? by Amity Brockert, Aladren
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Lily Alexander
Subbing for Levitation Charm (1-2 years)
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Lily Alexander
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
January 23, 2013 6:05 PM
A reasonable start by Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
Teachers were teachers. Perhaps an exceptional one could be an inspiring role model, but it was scarcely as if they were people to get attached to. They were there to impart knowledge. So long as they were doing that effectively, little else really mattered to Francesca. The only issue with a substitute came if there was insufficient communication between them and the person for whom they were standing in. As this was her first lesson, she had little to judge this potential failing on, other than listening out for sighs of weariness from second years, indicating a repetition of their previous syllabus.She chanted diligently with the rest of the class and swished her wand through the appropriate motion. She was keen to put it into practice. She knew some Purebloods got away with conducting wandwork at home – a combination of a large, out of the way estate and enough connections or money to quash anyone who came asking. Her family lived in a busy city and, although her parents moved in very political circles, they had no wish to jeopardise that with something as foolish as letting their children flout the Restriction on Underage Sorcery. She already felt an affinity with her wand though, as was to be expected when you believed the old adage that the wand chose the witch or wizard. Her wand was Elm, a wood that represented strength of will. It was not very pliable. She could see why it had chosen her and she felt a warmth as she touched it, even without trying to cast a spell.
“Wingardium Leviosa,” she cast, swishing and flicking. The little ball of paper on the desk in front of her twitched, rocking as if one side and then the other was attempting to take off. It settled back to stillness. She knew that everything had to come together as a single seamless gesture, made of words and wand movement and her will. At the moment, it felt more like several things happening at once but in isolation of each other. She was unsure how to unify them. Practice, she supposed. She focussed on the warm feeling where her skin was in contact with the wand, trying to imagine that she was speaking specifically to that point of her body.
“Wingardium Leviosa,” she cast again, trying to feel that the words were moving through her finger tips and into her wand, which swished and flicked using the same energy. The ball hovered. Just a centimetre or so above the desk and wobbling rather unstably but it was floating. She let it down again, releasing a breath she hadn't realised she was holding.
“How are you progressing?” she asked her neighbour.
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
A reasonable start
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
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Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
February 05, 2013 11:06 AM
Quite Reasonable by Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
Annabelle Pierce was dressed in a pretty purple blouse with a delicate lacy collar that peeked out over the top on her green school robes. Her hair was neatly styled into a half-ponytail that was adorned with a purple ribbon that matched her blouse. Her fingernails were well shaped and all the same length, each one glossy with clear polish. In leiu of being allowed lipstick, she had applied chapstick, which gave her lips a slight shine as well. A spill of freckles across her nose and cheeks could not be helped, though she continued to hope they might disappear, or at least fade, as she got older.Aside from the freckles, she thought she looked reasonably pretty. She harbored no illusions of ever winning 'best looking' in the yearbook, but she thought 'nice looking' was well within reach. Her hair was a healthy dark brown that missed black by only a few shades, her features were well proportioned with each other and the size of her face, and her teeth were clean and, well, mostly straight.
Her clothing, too, carried the hallmarks of a young lady who cared about that sort of thing. The school robes were made of high quality fabric and finely tailored to her frame to avoid bunches and sags. No stains, holes, faded spots, or pills marred any part of her outfit.
Mother had put in a great deal of effort and expense to be sure her defamed daughters looked every bit the part of proper pureblood ladies this year, and Annabelle was willing to play along, at least for now. She liked feeling pretty, so it was no real hardship. With Sara Raines as Head Girl this year, even the Pecari badge on her robe did not detract too badly from the desired image.
She sat at a desk with a fine looking marble on it while her sister took the one beside her. They were bookended on either side with first years; a young Aladren for each of them to 'mentor' during the lesson. They did well enough in Charms, at least when they sat together, that they could probably handle that.
The one next to Annabelle answered to Wolseithcrafte, Francesca. The name was unfamiliar to Annabelle, but she looked proper. She wondered belatedly if maybe she should have responded to Annette's name instead. If the invitation to Effie's party this past summer was any indication, Annabelle was the one getting tagged with the Quidditch scandal, and introducing herself as Annette might have made for easier class lesson.
It was too late now, though. Perhaps she could try to mend her reputation. There wasn't any real Quidditch this year, so maybe, just maybe, she could at least temporarily convince Society that she was Reformed.
First, though, there was the levitation charm to get through. She repeated the incantation with the rest of the class, and performed the swish and flick along with the other students after the demonstration. Then they were on their own.
Annabelle looked to her sister and caught Annette's eye. They nodded to each other, then swished, flicked, and said in unison, "Wingardium Leviosa." As it was a reasonably simple charm for second years, and they already had some prior familarity with it, both Annabelle's marble and Annette's rock rose together into the air on the first try. The twins shared a grin of success, then lowered their respective items back onto their desks.
Annabelle turned to watch her first year in time to see the younger girl manage a low hover with her paper ball. "Good start," she encouraged.
In response to the question about her own progress, she lifted her wand, caught Annette's eye again, and cast the spell again once her sister nodded that she could continue. It wasn't quite as seemless as when they had done it together, but the marble rose a few inches over the desk, slid to the left as she moved her wand that way, then returned to the desk as she lowered her wand's tip and released the spell.
When it attempted to roll away, she clapped her hand over it before it reached the edge of the desk. Still holding it captive, she returned her attention to the first year and smiled politely. "I am Annabelle Pierce of the New Hampshire Pierces," she offered in introduction, in case the Aladren had missed it during roll call. "You may call me Annabelle," she added, to avoid confusion with her sister who was sitting right next to her. She opted to avoid the invitation to use the name Ann, since that was the Quidditch playing twin's chosen moniker. Maybe using her full name would emphasize how much more lady-like she was this year and repair at least some of the damage to her reputation.
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Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
Quite Reasonable
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Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
February 05, 2013 2:43 PM
Thank you kindly by Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
It was hard not to notice identical twins, them being something of a curiosity. Francesca had noted not only the twins but the sweet, girlish outfits and their answers to the name of Pierce during the register. Thaddeus had known who she was yet remained polite. Polite but bland was what she expected from these girls, their outfits adding to this suspicion. For now, that was a good thing. She was supposed to make friends with proper people and it would have been a waste of a lesson had she been sat with someone who would have no influence one way or another.She watched with curiosity as the twins worked in perfect unison. It was a little twee for her taste. However, when the one next to whom she was working made a second attempt, she did not execute it quite so flawlessly. A second year was unlikely to be fatiguing after a first attempt. If it was for more than just show then it became less twee and considerably more interesting.
“Thank you,” she accepted the girl's compliment politely. She was fairly sure she was not being condescended to, which would have irked her. It had genuinely not been a poor start, especially for a city girl who did not have the luxury some Purebloods did of thinking themselves above the law.
“My name is Francesca and I am of the Wolseithcrafte family,” she smiled, giving her introduction in such a format as to indicate her blood status, even though they did not have branches to declare. “And, as you have extended the courtesy to me, I am equally happy in dispensing with over formal modes of address.” There was the possibility that, as a twin, this was more for ease of reference than anything but it would be rude not to match level of informality offered by the other party, especially when they were senior in age. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” she smiled politely. She could do polite – she was, usually, in fact a polite person. For now she could even do society's version of proper. It was a lot easier in a situation like this, where flying was unlikely to be discussed as, in all other ideals and behaviour, she matched most other Purebloods.
“I could not help but observe that your spellwork was improved by acting in unison with your sister. Might I enquire whether that is a usual effect of being a twin? I confess I have never read of such an idea but then I suppose it would not be mainstream to discuss such matters, most people not having that resource readily available.”
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
Thank you kindly
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
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Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
March 05, 2013 4:37 PM
I have not abandoned you by Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
In truth, once they figured out why they had been having trouble using magic in class and how to fix the problem, Annabelle hadn't given much thought to the peculiarity. They had thought about confiding their handicap with their Head of House, but that was mostly because they didn't want to get accused of cheating during exams than because they had any desire to find out why it was happening or how to stop it.In the end, they had opted to keep it to themselves, as one more proof that they were meant to be inseparable forever.
They hadn't really expected anybody to pay them enough attention to notice their magic got stronger when they cast together, and Annabelle was a bit at a loss as to how to explain it to the first year. "I don't think it's a twin thing," she admitted carefully, because her evidence on that was a bit shaky and skirted much too close to acknowledging the dead one's existence for comfort, "I never heard of other twins, even identical ones, having the same problem. Melinda - my surviving elder sister - said she never had any difficulty casting alone, either before or after she lost her twin."
She shrugged slightly, opting to continue talking mostly to close any opening Francesca might see in asking about Melinda or the other one. "We suspect," or at least she did, and assumed Annette thought the same thing, "it has more to do with how close we were growing up. Aside from a few unavoidable occassions like using the ladies room," or changing into Quidditch robes in the Pitch locker rooms, but that was best left unsaid, "we never leave each other's sight. We both even answer to the same name, so if you're not sure which one we are, you can call us Ann. Everyone else does." She smiled, her dark blue eyes sparkling in mischief, "In perfect honesty," she continued in a faux confiding voice that suggested her honesty was not, in fact, perfect, "we are only fifty percent sure I am the real Annabelle since Mother can't tell us apart. We flipped for eldest status when we were four and I have claimed the name since then."
She couldn't remember that really happening, but it was a story they had exchanged between themselves often enough and for long enough that she thought it could possibly be true. It was an amusing enough theory that she could share it as if it were a joke anyway.
Feeling that was quite enough about her, she gestured toward Francesca's paper ball, "You should give the charm another try. Practice will help it levitate more easily and gracefully."
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Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
I have not abandoned you
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Annabelle Pierce, Pecari 2nd year
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
March 05, 2013 5:48 PM
I am most relieved by Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
Francesca nodded along as the situation was explained. It was definitely most curios and Annabelle's explanation raised many more questions than it answered. However, they were mostly of the incredibly intrusive variety, which treated the twins as a scientific study. That would not be an appropriate way to treat a class mate. Stringent followers of WAIL (which she suspected the Pierces were at high risk of being) also seemed to require that girls were decorative and brainless, and thus showing too much curiosity could possibly be deemed 'unladylike.' She curbed her enthusiasm for the subject, giving a small laugh at Ann's story of how they had decided which was which. She assumed it was meant to be amusing, even if it was also true. It sounded like a very interesting way to grow up, although not one she could easily imagine. However, she suspected that was a rather redundant comment and thus she kept it to herself.“Yes, you are quite right,” she said, returning her attention to the lesson, “And graceful is, after all, what we should strive to be,” she smiled, the 'we' implicitly referring to themselves as nice young ladies. When she wasn't mud-spattered and diving for a Quaffle she was perfectly graceful – she liked to think she even managed that activity with a little panache, although she mightn't have let it to be put to the test of a photograph.
“Wingardium Leviosa!” she cast again, focussing on her fingertips – they held her wand, her conduit, and connected it to her body. She swished and flicked and watched as the ball once again wobbled just above the smooth surface of the desk.
“I... I feel that all the elements of what I do are correct, unless you have any notes?” she added, supposing that it might well be easier to observe problems from the outside. “It just seems to be bringing them all together, rather than feeling as though I'm doing several separate things at one time. I trust that is a feeling which one eases into...? I understand the theory of the thing well enough,” she added, not wishing for Annabelle to think that she was ignorant or, worse still, not of a magical background. She understood her power. Wielding it appeared to be a different matter entirely.
“Wingardium Leviosa,” she tried again, the ball rising a little higher but definitely still not holding itself very steadily.
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
I am most relieved
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Francesca Wolseithcrafte, Aladren
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