Professor Aaron McKindy

May 17, 2007 9:21 PM
Aaron carefully surveyed his first year class as they entered the room. After the events leading up to and during midterm, Manfred Bulla would be expecting his staff to be on a very high alert for similar problems. After all, where two had been unearthed, there would almost certainly be more to follow. He leaned against his desk, hands deep in the pockets of his Muggle jeans, gray-green eyes following the first years as they made their ways to the now-familiar beanbags. The charms professor only rarely assigned written in-class assignments; theoretical work was best saved for times when practical was impossible. Therefore, he reasoned, what was the point of desks? It was far better to let the students choose their own learning style when it was possible.

With a mild surprise, Aaron noted some new students among those trickling in. These were the transfer students he had been informed of. He had just been under the assumption that they would be...older. But such was life. IN some ways, younger students would be easier because there was less chance of divergence in the teaching patterns and subjects.

As usual, Aaron wore jeans, a self-charmed t-shirt, and a top hat made of large, translucent, pink bubbles. Over the midterm break, he had cut his black hair very short. He had also taken down his Muggle posters--and threatened to hex most of the wizarding ones. His office door was shut and firmly locked to keep his former colleague's cat inside. As opposed to, say, outdoors attacking things. Or destroying his classroom out of pure spite. Or something of that variety, as was the animal's wont.

"All right," Aaron said loudly as it came time for class to begin. "Return to your seats, yes, that's right. Today we will be learning the spell 'Alohomora'. As you should have realised while you were doing your essays over midterm, it is based on the same basic concepts as the levitation charm we learned earlier this year. Speaking of which, do I have all of your essays on my desk?" he paused a moment as a few students brought their essays up. "To perform the simple unlocking charm, all you must do is move your wand like so and say 'Alohomora'. If the lock is not guarded by another spell, that is. However, those types of charms are generally taught in higher level Defense classes, so you have awhile to go yet.

"Now, you will find a series of small, colour-coded boxes around the room. I would like you to get into small groups of two or three and pick a colour of box. Use the charm I just demonstrated to open these boxes. Inside, you should find a few puzzle pieces. If you will look up," Aaron waited as the first years did so. "You will notice the puzzle frames on the ceiling. I would like you to utilise your other knowledge of charms to get the pieces up there. The puzzle frames already have a sticking charm on them.

"Also, before you begin, I'd like to remind you that we have a theory test next class. Remember to ask for help if you need it...and the first group to finish their puzzle gets a prize!"

The professor nodded to the class to signal the start of their work time and stepped back to sit on the corner of his desk. This class should be less chaotic than the last. Although, granted, with some of his students, he couldn't be sure. Still, Aaron was looking forward to a relatively peaceful class.
Subthreads:
0 Professor Aaron McKindy Charms Lesson II: First Years 0 Professor Aaron McKindy 1 5


Irene Liddowe

May 18, 2007 10:35 PM
Irene walked at a slower pace towards her Charms class, fully aware that she was very early today. She walked in to find that she was one of the first to arrive. Eventually, the class filed in and the room was full. Irene was actually looking forward to class this time. She had done pretty well (if she does say so herself) last time! If there was any time for a repeat, well, now might not be the time, but it would be nice!

Irene turned her attention to Professor McKindy as he began to speak and look forward with her blue-green eyes.

As you should have realised while you were doing your essays over midterm, it is based on the same basic concepts as the levitation charm we learned earlier this year. Speaking of which, do I have all of your essays on my desk?"

Irene let out a small, "Oh..." of realization and rummaged through her bag to retrieve the essay. Surprisingly, even to her, it hadn't taken all too long. She was happy to be getting the hang of Charms early, but she can't ahead of herself...

The class was instructed to be put into groups of two or three and to work on a box. Okay, simple enough... at least the instructions were. They were to solve the puzzle inside and get it to stick to the ceiling.

We have only learned two charms! Irene though, thinking about how obvious the answer was. It's either the levitation charm or the unlocking charm. Any guesses anyone? She thought sarcastically.

Irene looked around for anyone who may not have a partner, or a group that may want a third person. She spotted someone near her and, tucking a stand of brown hair behind her ear, tapped the person on the shoulder.

"In need of a partner?" She said with a smile.
0 Irene Liddowe Anyone have a nice witty subject line? 106 Irene Liddowe 0 5


Brett Hodges

May 19, 2007 4:25 PM
Brett bit his lip and glared at his new magic-compatible watch. Five minutes. He knew he should have started this stupid paper more than fifteen minutes ago, but somehow there was always something else going on: like, last minute DADA homework, or last minute Astronomy homework, or last minute Social Studies... well, no, not Sosh anymore. But there way last minute COMC and now, of course, potions homework would be last minute too because he had to do his last minute Charms homework. He never had so much homework in his life.

... and that makes it important, Brett finished off his essay, probably messier and three sentences earlier than he might have if he hadn't run out of time. He smushed the notebook back into his green Adidas sack pack (hoping, belatedly, McKindy would accept his essay on muggle looseleaf with spiral fuzzies) and ran to class. He got there, breathing harder than he liked, just as Professor McKindy was about to begin.

There She was again, arriving the same time he did. One of these days, he swore, he was going to say hey to Her. Whoever She was.

There was an open beanbag chair sort of near the middle of the room and he hopped over someone's bag and hurriedly settled in for a lesson, pulling open his bag, outing the notebook and a pen, and ripping out and handing in the barely concluded essay.

I'm out of shape, he concluded as Professor McKindy told them about opening locks, That was like, what, a field and a half? I shouldn't even feel that. If he didn't start practicing on his own at Sonora, no way was he going to make the soccer team when his mom let him go back to muggle school in 9th grade. The second class ended, he decided, he was going to run around Labyrinth Gardens five times. Tomorrow, maybe, he'd do six. And then seven. He had to get his practice on.

When McKindy turned them loose, Brett's notes consisted of three less than perfect soccer balls, a stick figure doing a victory dance, and a girl in a grass skirt saying, "Aloha, Mora!" to another girl in a grass skirt with a palm tree and a hammock in the background.

Brett was still working on the hammock and trying to decide if the post on the foot end of the hammock should be another palm tree or not when someone tapped his shoulder. He looked around, and was surprised to see a girl looking at him -- Me, Myself & Irene. He'd seen her around, she was usually hanging around with other firsties, if he remembered right, and her looking at him right now made him notice she had nice eyes. She was asking his muggle self if he needed a partner. Awesome.

"Not anymore," he grinned. She touched her brown hair and he decided she was pretty. She wasn't Her, but she was pretty. Did she dig his blonde surfer cut? He thought it made him look cool in an I don't care about being cool sort of way. "I'll get ye olde box."

He fetched the box and self-consciously wondered if his little sis was right about him having strutty walk that said, whoa, I think I'm sooo cool. He so did not. Anyway, maybe Irene liked that sort of thing. She did ask him to be her partner, right? Whoa, Brett, just don't think about it, right? She's not... Her. And there She was, waiting by the boxes for someone to be Her partner. Well, Brett had Irene now. He took a box and went back.

"Here it is," he said to Irene when he returned, "Ye Olde Locked Box."
0 Brett Hodges A nice witty subject line. 0 Brett Hodges 0 5


Irene

May 20, 2007 7:31 PM
OOC: The Red Wings just lost in over time! *bangs head on desk*

Irene reccognized the boy in front of her from the Pecari common room. She had never talked to him--well, before now, that is, but she still reccognized his blonde hair. He was good looking, she decided, now that she was up close. Irene was pretty sure his name was Brett, but she didn't want to call him that and figure out she was wrong the hard way.

Mental Note: Don't say anything stupid.

"I'll get ye olde box." Irene gave a short laugh at the medieval language and waited until he returned.

"Here it is," he said to Irene when he returned, "Ye Olde Locked Box."

"Hopefully not for long!" Irene said, still smiling and taking out her wand.

Irene found herself smiling a lot more ever since she recieved that letter from the council. Sure, she had cheered pretty loudly in the middle of the common room and many people probably thought she was mental now, but, hey, that was best letter she had ever recieved! Ever. Who cares if she jumped around and acted like a lunitic? Okay, maybe she did a little... but just a little.

"Oh, by the way, my name's Irene Liddowe," she said holding out her hand to him. "You have a name?"
0 Irene Aha! There we go! 0 Irene 0 5


Brett Hodges

May 21, 2007 1:59 PM
"Maybe," Brett smirked at the pretty girl and then looked up. "I mean, last time I checked. I think--," he held up a warning hand and dramatized it, "--don't quote me on this, you know I could be wrong here--but I'm pretty sure it was Brett." He flipped over his notebook and tapped where he'd written Brett Hodges, 1st Year Pecari in his neatest scrawl. He grinned, "Yep, either that or I got the wrong notebook."

Way to overdo it,, he thought, turning to fish out his wand. With any luck, Irene wouldn't try to talk about wands. His wand's core was a griffin hearstring or maybe some kind of lion hair or a sphynx something, and the wood might have been cherry, if memory served, which it probably didn't. It could as easily have been a redwood, an ash, or a sequoia. Somehow, he didn't think it mattered all that much, just so long as he could get the thing out of his robe pocket, which was proving more difficult than usual just now. Ah! There.

"It's, ah, alohamora, right? You want to do the honors?"
0 Brett Hodges Glad you like it. 0 Brett Hodges 0 5


Irene

May 22, 2007 6:29 AM
"I mean, last time I checked. I think--," he held up a warning hand and dramatized it, "--don't quote me on this, you know I could be wrong here--but I'm pretty sure it was Brett." He flipped over his notebook and tapped where he'd written Brett Hodges, 1st Year Pecari in his neatest scrawl. He grinned, "Yep, either that or I got the wrong notebook."

Irene laughed and said, "Let's hope not!" Irene watched as Brett struggled a little bit with the wand in his pocket.

"It's, ah, alohamora, right? You want to do the honors?"

"I can certainly try!" She said with a grin. A-lo-ha-mor-a... Irene repeated the spell inside her head, concentrating on hte movements. Though it never worked the first time for her, it was a good goal to aim for, right?

"Here goes nothing..." She said. Irene pointed her wand at the locked box. "Alohamora!" She said, waving her wand as instructed. A gold spark flew from her wand, but the box remained locked. Irene sent it a glare. It was mocking her with its still locked boxy-ness.

"Let me try once more," Irene said to Brett, hoping that she wasn't sounding too bossy, "and then I swear it's your turn."

Irene pointed her wand at the box once more and said, "Aloharmora!" There was a dim glow from her wand tip and the box may have shook a little, but no prevail.

"Stubborn..." Irene muttered. "Here, your turn with the locked-ness box. Maybe it'll like you more," she said with a grin.

Irene set her wand down, thinking of something she could bring up to talk about, you know, other than the spell. Irene wasn't all too involved with the wizarding world until she moved in with Uncle Mike. And even then she didn't get really into the magi...il her taught her to play-- Quidditch! Of course!

"So were you at the Quidditch game?" Irene asked, hoping Brett wasn't one of those 'I-want-everything-silent-while-my-work-is-in-progress!' kind of people. Somehow she always got stuck with those kind of partners....
0 Irene Glad you thought of it. 0 Irene 0 5


Brett Hodges

May 22, 2007 1:44 PM
"Stubborn..." Irene muttered. "Here, your turn with the locked-ness box. Maybe it'll like you more," she said with a grin.

Irene was cool, all up on the humor and scoring an admiring snick with her locked-ness box play. Brett totally wished he'd thought of that -- except he didn't, because then Irene wouldn't be cusping on awesome (from his limited experience of her, anyway).

She was all the more awesome because she didn't get Nessy open. That took the pressure off. He had been doodling instead of watching when Professor McKindy demonstrated the wand movement so he probably wasn't going to get it. He was just going copy Irene's movement as exactly as he could.

"Okay, Nessy. Let's-a-go," Brett said, turning the box toward him now.

"So were you at the Quidditch game?" Irene asked, before Brett could try the spell.

"Yeah," he said, and swished his wand, "Alohamora! --" it was a no-go, and he relaxed into the conversation, not really caring, "It was actually my first time seeing Quidditch. I tagged along with this kid, Echo, and he caught me up on it -- Alohamora! -- Okay, your turn. Those bludgers are crazy, man. Crazy. You play?"
0 Brett Hodges I astound even myself 0 Brett Hodges 0 5


Irene

May 23, 2007 2:50 PM
"Okay, Nessy. Let's-a-go," Brett said, turning the box toward him now.

Irene laughed as she was forcibly reminded of a video game character she use to play years ago. Brett looked nothing like Mario, but that's okay.

"Yeah," he said, and swished his wand, "Alohamora! -- It was actually my first time seeing Quidditch. I tagged along with this kid, Echo, and he caught me up on it -- Alohamora! -- Okay, your turn. Those bludgers are crazy, man. Crazy. You play?"

Yes! Common denomenator, or whatever you call it...

"I'm a reserve for Pecari. I thought I was a chaser, but apparently I'm a better seeker!" She said with a smile as she pulled the box twoards her.

"Alohamora!" When nothing happened, Irene continued. "Those bludgers are insane! My cousin Renaye is a beater. I don't know how she does it. She uses them for stress relief," she said. Irene's smile got even bigger as she thought of Renaye. Man, oh man, did she miss that girl. She couldn't wait until next year when she finally arrived at Sonora.

"Alohamora!" Irene waved her wand and was delighted to hear a click. The box opened to reveal the puzzle pieces.

"Yes! Stupid box, you thought you could out-smart me!" Irene said in triumph. Irene took out the pieces and handed some to Brett. "Good job, partner."

This was fun, the project with Brett. He was funny and easy to work with. Maybe she was acting weird, but he didn't seem to mind so much.

"Anything else? Any deep dark secrets you'd like to share?" Irene said playfully, trying to fit some pieces together. Irene suddenly had a fun idea. She put on a stern face and leaned forward.

"As for me, I'm a secret agent for the C.I.A.," she said as she snapped two pieces together. "I'm suppose to be following McKindy to find out if that pink-bubble hat was imported illegaly. But this is entirely confidential. Not a word, okay?"
0 Irene I am astounded 0 Irene 0 5


Brett Hodges

May 25, 2007 10:38 PM
"As for me, I'm a secret agent for the C.I.A.," she said as she snapped two pieces together. "I'm suppose to be following McKindy to find out if that pink-bubble hat was imported illegaly. But this is entirely confidential. Not a word, okay?"

"Not a word," Brett repreated in his best secret agent voice, "You're secret's safe with me."

Now it was his turn. He stalled by pushing the puzzle pieces around enough to get a good look at them. Then, after a conspiratory pause, "You can't tell, but right now I am saving the world with my brain. From dust mites." He nodded sagely at this.

So Irene was a reserve on the Quidditch team. Maybe it was time he got serious about that broom riding thing. It looked cool, that was for sure, but he hadn't been willing to buy into it before. Sure, Quidditch was exciting and there was a lot going on... but he had repeatedly pa-shawed the endurance level needed to fly around on a broom. On the skill factor, though, he was still undecided. It looked easy, but he didn't have much broom experience. Being on a broom migh make all the difference -- like Polo with the horses.

"I'm like Raid for dust mites. Without me...," he tsked, "it'd all be over."

Maybe if he had actually concentrated on the spell it would have done something for him. Irene managed it. Didn't matter, anyway. He came from a long line of squibs so his parents would more than understand if he didn't "have enough magic" to make it at Sonora. Puzzles, though, he could do. He popped a couple pieces together.

"So, how'd the CIA recruit you?" he smirked at the girl. Man, she just kept being cooler and cooler. And she had to be a muggle if she immediately jumped on the CIA for something random to say. Muggle was mad good.\r\n\r\n
0 Brett Hodges You should be. 0 Brett Hodges 0 5


Irene

May 26, 2007 4:01 PM
"Not a word," Brett repreated in his best secret agent voice, "You're secret's safe with me."

Irene gave him a very serious look, that was proving to be a more difficult task to keep up. Irene snapped a few pieces of the puzzle together.

"Good. If you prove helpful, I may just have to make you an agent," she said, smiling a little, but in her own "secret-agent" way.

"Be careful with this information, Agent B," Irene said, making a note to make a better code name. "It may be..." she paused for dramatic effect, "dangerous to your health. Many people are after this information," she said with a wink.

Irene paused as Brett snapped some puzzle pieces together. Irene may do well at the whole get-the-box-unlocked deal, but Brett was definitely doing a better job at the puzzle pieces.

"You can't tell, but right now I am saving the world with my brain. From dust mites."

Irene was finding it very hard to resist from laughing, and feared she was blowing her 'cover.' She didn't trust herself to speak without laughing. But, she couldn't just be silent! How boring was that?

"I'm like Raid for dust mites. Without me...," he tsked, "it'd all be over."

"Well," she said holding out her hand, "I guess a 'thanks' is in order, for you, you know, saving the world. I hear those mites can be beasts."

"So, how'd the CIA recruit you?"

Irene pushed some of her hair out of face as she searched for some of the pieces. "It's a funny story actually," she said, pushing a piece in place. She paused, rapidly pulling a story from the air.

"I was at the ski hills...skiing. I noticed all of these 'men-in-black' around me! They took me to their headquarters and told me I was the one they were looking for! I was the daughter of super-agent, Triple L. And here I am..."

Irene was impressed with herself for making up a random name on the spot! Too bad poor Brett didn't get a cool name like that one... His 'dust mite' story was very imaginative and she gave him props for that. She was happy that he was understanding her refrences to the C.I.A. He must be pretty happy with himself; funny, imaginative, can a keep a straight face better than she can, and not all that bad looking...

"We'll have to get you a better code name," she said out loud. "Agent B is no where near suitable for an agent like yourself..."
0 Irene That's good. I am. 0 Irene 0 5


Brett Hodges

June 02, 2007 7:08 PM
Brett stuck another piece of puzzle together. It was a fairly easy puzzle, as puzzles went -- not like those wacked out 3D gizmos his mom liked. When it came to helping with puzzles, Brett definitely preferred his little sister's 800 piece flat puzzles to those monsters. But, whoa, was Irene better company. She was pretty and cool, like, his age.

"Maybe the B stands for something," Brett suggested. He could think of some awesome B words. "Like... Bowser... or something." Okay, so maybe not. He and Echo called their friend from home One-T because his name was Bret and they got confused with the trio being Bret, Brett, and Echo. He could easily be "Double-T" (that one hadn't stuck back then for some reason) but it was too much like Irene's "Triple L" so he wasn't going to suggest it. He'd have to think about it.

"What's your code name?" he asked Irene in the meantime. Maybe it was Agent Iris. That would be an awesome name because she was all private eye and stuff with her secret spying mission on McKindy. Plus, Irises were supposed to be flowers and flowers were pretty... like her. He wondered if he should suggest it, but he wanted to see what she would come up with first.
0 Brett Hodges And you are fabulous. 0 Brett Hodges 0 5


Irene

June 03, 2007 10:32 AM
Irene look down at the puzzle in front of her. Almost done. Maybe they had a chance of winning that prize! Irene felt her competitive nature kicking in as she searched for more pieces.

"Maybe the B stands for something," "Like... Bowser... or something."

Irene looked up at him and gave a short laugh. "So you want to be Agent Bowser? I'm thinking... I don't know what I'm thinking, but we'll come up with something!"

Irene felt like doing something mysterious for his name. Something... fun but daring. Maybe a play off 007? 00B? Maybe. It looked a lot like "Oob" when written down...

"What's your code name?"

Oh, man. What was her code name? She'd only had one nick-name in her life and that was only okay for Uncle Mike: Nini. Not only because it was slightly embarrasing, but because it was kind of special. Just between them.

"Um..." Irene began, the wheels in her mind spinning. She clicked some pieces together, looking around for those remaining pieces. "My name is Agent..." Darn, her imagination was coming up with nothing.

"I'm not allowed to tell. You'll have to help me come up with one," Irene said, smiling.

Irene realized they had been talkig about their secret agent-ness for a while here. What else could they talk about? Not that this wasn't fun!

"So," Irene began, "When you're not being instated as a secret agent, what else are you about?" Irene pushed a piece she had been looking for into place. It seemed they were almost done. All they had to do after that was levitate it up!
0 Irene *blushes* 0 Irene 0 5


Brett Hodges

June 05, 2007 5:56 PM
So Agent Bowser didn't fly. Yeah, Brett didn't really like it either. Bowser was the bad guy and, anyway, he was big and clunky and that was definately not Brett. The kid from Sundance WY liked to think of himself as more like Sonic the Hedgehog: fast, cool, confident. But Agent Sonic was too obvious a reference. Agent Sega? Too girly, or maybe just too geeky. Agent Genesis? Too biblical.

At least Irene didn't have an awesome name yet either. This was going to be fun.

"I'm not allowed to tell. You'll have to help me come up with one," Irene said, smiling.

Perfect entrance. "How about...," he paused, pretending to think about it because he already knew what he wanted to say, but in case she didn't like it he wanted it to sound all off the cuff ridiculous like his Bowser suggestion, "Agent Iris?"

He tried to gauge her reaction as he went back to the puzzle. Some of the other groups were a lot slower at this part, but they'd gotten their box open quicker so it seemed like they were right on schedule with the others.

"So," Irene began, "When you're not being instated as a secret agent, what else are you about?"

Irene put another piece in the puzzle, which meant there were only three left. Brett grinned at her, and raced to get two in before she did, so she had to put in the last piece. He and his little sister would leave a puzzle unfinished for hours before someone couldn't take it anymore and put the last piece in, and Brett was proud to say that he'd never finished a puzzle in his life. At first, it was because his little sister got so much pleasure out of putting the last piece in. And then it became a running joke, a competition between them. He wasn't about to start finishing puzzles now.

His two pieces in, he leaned back and said, "I play soccer. Well, I do at home. I do lots of stuff a home: like, I'm into movies, music, video games and all that. It's all muggle stuff, though," he said. He still didn't get what people did with themselves here besides get really really good at exploding snap and chasing chocolate frogs. Belatedly, he hoped Irene wasn't going to go all muggle-hating on him but it was a doomed friendship anyway if she was. "What do you do? I mean, like, besides Quidditch."
0 Brett Hodges Agent Iris? 0 Brett Hodges 0 5


Irene

June 05, 2007 7:06 PM
Man, this Brett-name was getting harder to think of. B... What started with B? Agent... Let's see: Blonde hair... Blondie? Irene smiled to herself. She would probably bring it up for a laugh. B: Well, There's the classic "Bee". Yellow... Stinger... Sting? Agent Sting? Irene wasn't sure how he would feel about a refrence to a bee, though. Maybe a wasp. Those were more masculine, right?

"Agent Iris?"

Irene grinned. That. Was. So. Cool! She assumed it was the whole "I" thing that lead him to it. Uncle Mike even had irises growing around the pond! Man, how perfect could that be?

"Brett!" She exclaimed, "I love it!" She let out a small sigh. Great. Now the pressure was on. She would have to think of and equally brilliant name now!

"Okay, I'm going to think out loud in case you get anything," Irene informed him. "B... Blondie? I think it suits you very well! It shows you're in touch with your feminine side!" She teased. "No, I'm kidding. Bee as in the flying kind... Bee's have stingers... Sting? I don't know..." Irene said, observing their puzzle.

"I play soccer. Well, I do at home. I do lots of stuff a home: like, I'm into movies, music, video games and all that. It's all muggle stuff, though,"

So he played soccer! How could she use that? B... Soccer... What posistion did he play? She could use that maybe! B and Soccer. Brazil? Maybe...

"Me too! Not about the soccer, but about muggle stuff! I didn't even know about my magi...il I was almost six. I think it's a lot of fun," Irene said smiling. "Muggle stuff is something I know more about," she continued. "I'm still catching onto the whole magic concept," she added.

"What do you do? I mean, like, besides Quidditch."

"You mean there's something other than Quidditch?" She said in disbelief. "Joking. I usually hang out with my cousins Renaye and her brother Josh. Josh is usually pretty quiet and Renaye is really loud. It's hard to believe they're twins! I think I'm going to go to a Noveling Fury! meeting thing soon. I heard about it from Elly. She's in Pecari, you might have seen her around. It sounds fun so I think I'll give it a try," Irene said.

Brett had placed two of the last three peices in leaving the last one for her. Cool. The last peice... Irene picked it up and dramatically placed it in its spot.

"Done!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "So I've come up with Agent Brazil. It's still not... I don't know. I think it's missing the wow-factor."

Irene picked up her wand. "Ready to try to levitate this thing?"

OOC: Fuzzy-Time! Before Noveling Fury! meeting.
0 Irene *looks up* Yes? 0 Irene 0 5


Irene

June 05, 2007 7:08 PM
Ever time I type the words "Magic" and "until" together it shows up as magi...il. Weird. Just letting you know what it's suppose to be =]
0 Irene OOC: weird... 0 Irene 0 5