DADA for Muggles [Wednesday, October 7, 5th period]

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

Today's session was back in the usual classroom, though space had been cleared in the center of the room. The sky overhead was enchanted a bright blue, possibly to counteract the glare on Sirius's face.

"In our world, there are three spells that are known as the Unforgivable Curses," Sirius began, not looking at Remus as he took a spider from a glass jar and placed it on the desk in front of him. There had been Words about this particular lesson plan. "Using them on an another human being guarantees you a lifetime spent in Azkaban Prison. Since today's lesson is about mind control, and you are all mature students it seems appropriate to show you an example of the Imperius Curse." Sirius pointed his wand at the spider, murmuring, "Engorgio," and the spider tripled in size, so that all of the students could see it clearly. "Under the spell of Imperius, the victim is completely under the control of the witch or wizard who cast it. The very strong-willed can shake off the Imperius Curse," Sirius continued as the spider wiggled its legs around, "but it is a very difficult thing to learn." He waved his wand again and muttered, "Imperio." The spider stopped moving. Without looking at Remus, Sirius commanded the spider quietly, "Dance."

It was really excellent that he wasn't looking at Remus, as the man in question looked absolutely furious at the use of the curse in class. That was not in the lesson plan, which Remus had carefully written out and Sirius had undoubtedly not read at all. The spider, as it happened, did dance, its legs flailing out in a sick little tapdance. "The Imperius is one of the three Unforgivable Curses in our world," he said, glaring daggers at Sirius, "which are called that for a reason. Mind control is not something to experiment with. Outside of the experience of myself and Professor Black, I understand that there are a number of you who know of practices like this in your own home worlds. Even in the Muggle world, brainwashing is not a horribly-unheard-of practice. There are few things more terrifying than not being in control of your own actions." And if anyone would know, he would. "So, why does this sort of mind-control seem to be so common across universes? Is it simply that inherent desire to control that which you can't?"

"And after you've answered those questions, we'd like you to participate in an exercise," Sirius said, returning the spider to its normal size, popping it back into its jar, and then shooting Remus the sort of insolent look that had sent Snape into a fury when they were all students together. "We're going to pair you up to play Simon Says." After a very brief explanation of the game, Sirius reached for a sheet of parchment. "The following people are Simons. The rest of you must follow their instructions."

SIMON:
Blysse Norwood
Sam Winchester
Alex Karev
Alice Liddell
Eleanor Robinson
George Sands
Andy Gallagher
Priestly
Didi
Edmund Pevensie
Griffin O'Conner

SIMONEES:
Jo Harvelle
Momoko Akatsutsumi
Jenny Sparks
Diana Hansen
George Cooper
Francine Peters
Merlin
Annja Creed
Elizabeth Stonem
Jack Burton
Dinah Lance

Comments

Sign in [DADA 10/7]

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

Like you're under a spell!

Re: Sign in [DADA 10/7]

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex Karev

Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

Take notes, pass notes, boggle at the totally creepy tapdancing spider, thank you, Sirius...

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

The spider would have been funny if it wasn't so fucking disturbing at the same time. Any notes were ignored just for staring at the spider and how scarily easy it was controlled.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Okay, that was just... really unnerving, thanks, make it stop, now? Please? Dinah wasn't a huge fan of spiders or anything but that was just way not the kind of thing she needed to see.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine looked at the spider once, then turned away, crossing her arms and closing her eyes.

It wasn't the spider (not that she wasn't creeped out) or the dancing; it was the making it dance.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[oops-mbad.livejournal.com]

Diana was a bit unnerved by a large, dancing spider being controlled by someone, but probably not for the right reasons.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[ashockingbitch]

Jenny was not as unnerved or disgusted as some of her classmates by the demonstration with the spider. She wasn't exactly thrilled either, but honestly, she'd seen worse.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Firekeeper... couldn't help but think of Torio, and how his dancing had freed him from Melina's mind-clouding spells. It seemed wrong, somehow, that something as wonderous as dancing (it had, after all, been one of the things that had convinced her humans were maybe worth knowing after all) could be twisted and used for wickedness this way.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[lovemykilt]

Oh, goody, mind control. Something else to be paranoid about.

Mind you, Priestly figured the government had been using it for years, but they at least used, like, natural methods of propaganda and subliminal messages. Magic was a little more . . . hardcore.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Well... That was disturbing, and even Effy, who hated to look like she couldn't handle anything, didn't want to look too long, glancing down to the desk like her pen had become Just That Fascinating.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[inthereflexes.livejournal.com]

Jack was squirming a bit at the spider dance. Just...not what he was ready for.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

It was frightening to see your professor torment a creature (no matter how small) with a curse he both seemed to know and had no difficulty using. And yet, it was impossible to look away somehow.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[heartflames.livejournal.com]

Eleanor didn't look, instead pretending to take notes. She knew all too well what it was like to be the spider.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[noearsyet.livejournal.com]

The spider was - George looked away, not sure what about it was the creepiest and not really wanting to watch it any longer.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[spiritandsword]

To be fair, Annja had seen a lot of creepy thing in her lifetime.

This had to be one of the creepiest.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[living_endless]

Didi rested her chin on her hands as she watched the spider.

This was something the Endless could do without spells, with only their will. Didi rarely used it, and couldn't as long as she was mortal, but she thought it was best not to mention that to her professors -- or, to go by their reactions, most of her classmates.

The dancing spider was a little creepy, anyhow.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[noteviltwin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Andy was finding the subject matter of this class a little disturbing. Unforgivable, really? He didn't feel like he was unforgivable.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[likethegun]

Sam was really glad he didn't have any kind of fear of spiders. If he snuck a few glances towards Andy during the lecture, it couldn't be helped.

Re: Listen to the lecture [DADA 10/7]

[notyourpawn.livejournal.com]

Alice swallowed uncomfortably, hesitant about the idea of mind-control. Feeling a strange wave of pity for the spider.

Answer the discussion questions! [DADA 10/7]

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

"So, why does this sort of mind-control seem to be so common across universes? Is it simply that inherent desire to control that which you can't?"

Re: Answer the discussion questions! [DADA 10/7]

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Gives you power," Alex said simply, shrugging. "Absolute power that you wouldn't get from hard work. Someone might be able to conquer a village but there'd be resistors. You control someone's mind, there's no resistance unless they're powerful."

Play Simon Says! [DADA 10/7]

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

Simons: Blysse Norwood, Sam Winchester, Alex Karev, Alice Liddell, Eleanor Robinson, George Sands, Andy Gallagher, Priestly, Didi, Edmund Pevensie, and Griffin O'Conner.

Simonees: Jo Harvelle, Momoko Akatsutsumi, Jenny Sparks, Diana Hansen, George Cooper, Francine Peters, Merlin, Annja Creed, Elizabeth Stonem, Jack Burton, and Dinah Lance.

Re: Play Simon Says! [DADA 10/7]

[ashockingbitch]

Jenny was good at giving orders, but not so good at following them. So she basically planned to be horrible at this, and possibly annoy the pants off her Simon in the process.

She would've gotten low marks in 'plays well with others' at nursery school, yes.

Talk to the TAs [DADA 10/7]

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

Hello, TAs!

Re: Talk to the TAs [DADA 10/7]

[youcantfollow.livejournal.com]

TA Griff was at his desk, should anyone have need of him.

Talk to the Teachers [DADA 10/7]

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

Hello, wizards!

Re: Talk to the Teachers [DADA 10/7]: Sirius Black

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

Sirius was there. No, he won't make the spider dance again.

OOC

[siriuslyscarred.livejournal.com]

I have a headache, woe.