Shining, Shimmering Splendour {NEWT DADA}

[Nikolai Sleptov]

Given Rose’s…status, Nikolai did not dare demonstrate what the students would be working on, lest his distraction cause him to waver in front of the class. Patronuses were tricky work even for a skilled wizard—or witch—and he did not fancy making a fool of himself before a bunch of children. The shadow of potential hung over his head as he introduced what was usually one of his favourite lessons of the year.

“We have studied,” he continued, having undergone the tedious housekeeping aspects of the class already, “the myriad applications of the Patronus Charm, but today you will finally be able to practice the spell for yourself. Remember that it is only happiness that will enable you to succeed, so choose your focus wisely. You may begin!”

Open to all NEWT-level Defence students. Those active in this thread may earn participation points. Please include, in your first post the form below. Students who are unsuccessful in casting a patronus during this lesson may sign up for extra, one-on-one help with Nik at the end of class. In the case of the last point, omit the rest of the sheet ;) Each post should end with them casting the spell; results will be posted every few attempts. If you change memories later, please include the memory/and in the appropriate posts.  See this thread if you’re confused!

Code:

[b]SKILL:[/b] General skill, with 1 being average (the lowest anyone would be in this NEWT course), 3 being “quite good”, and 5 being “can expect to get into the Auror program if they had the inkling”.  Most of you should be in the 1-3 range.
[b]CHARMS:[/b] What did you get on your charms OWL?
[b]MEMORY:[/b] The memory your character will be using.
[b]AND…[/b] 1-5 with five being “they will never be happier than in this memory” and 1 being “it was nice at the time”.  
[b]FORM:[/b] What your character’s patronus will be if successful! Select random if you want me to choose based on my knowledge of the character. They can change over time so it’s not permanent, but will probably stick until a Massive Event in your character’s life.
[b]PREVIOUSLY ON DADA:[/b] Include any results your character has had in the past for trying to accomplish this! Mostly for seventh years—sixth years haven’t been taught formally yet. Please link to the applicable post.
[b]SCREW THAT I JUST WANT THEM TO FAIL[/b]

---

Open to…
@'Madeleine Backus' @'Cecily Gallivan' @'Handsome Whitledge' @'Ignatius Quirrell' @'Mundungus MacFusty' @'Hope Crawford' @'James Baird' @'Owain Edwards' @'Rupert Bingham' @'Katherine Midford' @'Oscar Stretton' @'Ivory Kamaria' …and anyone in the class but not listed here!

  

[Handsome Whitledge]

SKILL: 4
CHARMS: O
MEMORY: Sharing a kiss with Maddie for the first time.
AND… 4
FORM: Random!
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: He managed to produce "something"

Despite his past efforts, Handsome had never managed to cast a patronus. Rather than believe it was due to his lack of skill (he did have confidence in his skills) in the subject, he firmly believed it was due to the drama and despair that had managed to swallow him and his family since the death of his father.

It wasn't as if his life situation had gotten any better, with him having been orphaned and the subsequent mental breakdown. However, not all things had gone wrong—he had the heart of the girl he cared for, and he was head boy.

With the first memory in mind, Handsome lifted his apple wand and attempted to cast: "Expecto patronum!"

  

[Eoin Friel]

SCREW THAT I JUST WANT THEM TO FAIL

Oh, patronuses! Eoin had enjoyed this bit last year though he hadn't been able to produce anything. Hopefully that would not be the case this year. Taking his wand in hand, he tried to think of his happiest memory which came easily enough. Well, sort of. His mind went to the time he'd kissed his best friend but it was immediately tainted with the memory of what had happened after that. The other boys insistence that there was a cure for what was 'wrong' with Eoin. Something Eoin somehow knew was impossible. Even so, he still stubbornly tried the spell. That was as happy as most of his memories got.

  

[James Baird]

SKILL: 3
CHARMS: Outstanding
MEMORY: His first kiss with a girl.
AND… 2
FORM: Eh, Random
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: N/A

James was excited for this class. Patronus time always seemed to be an exciting time for NEWT DADA students and now it was finally their turn! He wondered what his patronus would be - there was really only one way to find out. "Expecto patronum," he cast, eagerly awaiting the result.

  

[Kristoffer Lestrange]

SKILL: 2
CHARMS: E
MEMORY: Banging a Moroccan whore #thankslucius
AND… 4
FORM: Random! >D
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: --

The principle of Patronuses seemed rather boring, when you thought about it: one didn't often wander into the path of Dementors, and without anything to fight off, they were just giant ghostly animal friends, weren't they? Still, it was apparently ludicrously difficult or something, so Kristoffer did have a mind to manage casting one this lesson to prove himself superior to as many people in the class as possible. Sorting through happy memories was rather underwhelming an affair; just because he was incredibly well-off didn't mean he hadn't been disadvantaged all through his life. After all, he was an orphan now. Slytherin hadn't won the house or quidditch cup in a while. His sister had been sorted into Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake! He suffered.

Happy memories, though. Most of them seemed... quite petty, now that he considered them. And getting prefect or quidditch captain was lame, really, rather too sad to use as a 'happiest memory'... aha, he decided, thinking back to the summer with a smirk. He had it. "Expecto Patronum!"

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[Naeva Lécuyer]

SKILL: 3
CHARMS: A
MEMORY: The day her father gifted her with Margaux.
AND… 3
FORM: Some form of cat - either panther or lithe housecat
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: She was unsuccessful (not yet played)

Finally, they were learning powerful magic. Something Naeva might never be able to apply to her daily life, but if she were to succeed, oh, how she could show it off! She hoped it was something proud, something beautiful.

A happy memory...the happiest she'd been in some time had been when Margaux came into her life, with a pale green ribbon tied loosely around her neck. She hadn't felt so loved, so content, in so long that it was certainly significant to her. It had been the happiest thing in so long...she closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the gentle purring of the kitten as she held her to her chest, stepped forward by a half-step, and cast.

"Expecto Patronum!"

  

[Madeleine Backus]

SKILL: 1
CHARMS: O
MEMORY: The first time she and Handsome kissed
AND… 4
FORM: it was elephant but she's had a death, and a first love since then so Random
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA:
Managed a whisp
Maddie managed to fight off a boggart



Maddie loved DADA, at least as much as she loved her other classes, and of course Professor Selptovs russian connection made her think a little more fondly of him than many of the others, especially now her own connections to the country seemed all but evaporated. She took her place at her desk and was excited when Professor Sleptov announced that they would be practicing their Patronus charms, of course those who were at NEWT level had seen the charm before, and Maddie had certainly been practicing hers since last year.

When instructed she took out her wand, and concentrated intently on her memory- She and Handsome at Marcus Lyttons ball admitting their feelings and sharing a kiss. She smiled to herself at the thought, and glanced at the lovely ring on her finger, his Christmas gift to her, a promise for their future. She raised her wand and cast the spell.

  

[Nikolai Sleptov]

Until further notice, it’s an 17 for a wisp, 25 for non-corporeal, and 30 for corporeal. This will drop as time goes on AND repeated efforts will bolster your score! +1 for wisp, +2 for non-corporeal, +3 for corporeal.

Those students who had made their efforts thus far, Nikolai noted, were having some difficulty—even Mr. Whitledge and Miss Backus, who had managed to accomplish something (always better than nothing) the year before. This was hardly surprising, for like most charms, the Patronus was not one that could be accomplished once and then mastered forever. As he continued his patrol of the room, the professor offered encouragement and criticism as necessary.

WHITLEDGE 13 | FRIEL - | BAIRD 10 | LESTRANGE 9 | LÉCUYER 11 | BACKUS 9

  

[Handsome Whitledge]

Handsome was immediately frustrated that nothing had happened, but just assumed he hadn't cast it correctly. He looked at his wand for a moment, wondering if he'd developed an annoying flick of his wrist that was causing his spell to awry.

Perhaps the summer had taken a toll on his spell-casting abilities, too. Attempting to push the negativity out of his mind, Handsome focused on his memory. He would try again, this time his voice far more confident: "Expecto patronum!"

  

[Madeleine Backus]

Maddie focused on the air in front of her and the spell. She longed to see the little whisp infront of her, so that she might guess its form, if it was her elephant or if it it had changed. She took a deep breath, glanced from her jet black ring to the young man across the room who had given it to her. But another attempt was clearly needed.


She Said the spell again, 'Expecto Patronum'

  

[Ignatius Quirrell]

SKILL: 4
CHARMS: E
MEMORY: Being able to stay for his NEWTs
AND… 2
FORM: Random
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: N/A

Ignatius took his wand into hand and pondered what his happiest memory might be. He didn't have a whole lot to choose from, really. His life hadn't been bad but it had been exactly average, really. Nothing so happiness inducing that it might produce a patronus had happened to him thus far. Well, there were some things such as Miss Ruskin implying that she thought he was handsome and tigeresque but he couldn't use that, could he? Probably not.

The secondary time was definitely when his family had decided that he would continue his schooling and get his NEWTs. Concentrating on that, he attempted the spell. "Expecto patronum."

  

[Emmeline Woodcroft]

SKILL: 2
CHARMS: E
MEMORY: Getting her kitten, Emma
AND… 3
FORM: Randomize, yo!
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: NA

Emmeline was quite excited for the actual hands on lesson of casting a patronus. Though she didn't have high hopes, seeing as it was her first time, she hoped to at least see some sort of start for herself. Once Professor Sleptov had finished the initial instructions, Emmeline pulled out her wand and set to task.

Focusing as well as she could on her chosen memory, she waved her wand with a simple flick and said, "Expecto patronum."

  

[Novella Braunstone]

SKILL: 3
CHARMS: E
MEMORY: Winning the Parkinson Scholarship in 1884
AND… 2
FORM: Random!
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: N/A

Novella was by no means a genius in Defence Against the Dark Arts or Charms class, but she thought she had the willpower to manage the patronus charm this year.

She doubted she would ever come face-to-face with a dementor in the safety of the busy village of Hogsmeade, there was something absolutely enchanting about being able to produce a patronus. Perhaps it was the self-realization that came with it—or, perhaps, it was simply the amazement while watching the wispy animal dart around the room.

Novella lifted her wand let out a deep breath. "Expecto patronum!" she cast, giving her wand a little wave.

  

[Mundungus MacFusty]

SKILL: 3
CHARMS: E
MEMORY: Finding out that Una was moving to Itaily. FAR FAR AWAY from himself.
AND… 3
FORM: Dragon
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: Didn't post him in last year #shameonme

Wand in hand, Munny thought through his happiest moments. Becoming Quidditch captain, his first kiss, the other kisses he'd had in his life since his first kiss. Hm. Then it came to him and he smirked, remembering the day that his sister Una was moving to Italy with her husband. Oh, he'd been so happy. He loved his sister but man, she was a horrible human being.

"Expecto patronum."

  

[Katherine Midford]

SKILL: 3
CHARMS: O
MEMORY: Receiving her head girl badge
AND… 2
FORM: Butterfly
PREVIOUSLY ON DADA: None

Katherine had a hard time thinking of a happy memory. Last year was just full of sorrow, following the death of her mother and recently her father had neglected them by traveling far away. Oh, but there was one good thing that happened last year – when she had received her head girl badge. She felt ecstatic during that day as her hard work paid off. She focused her attention to that memory as she cast “Expecto Patronum”

  

[Kristoffer Lestrange]

Well. Nothing had happened so far, but Kristoffer wasn't yet put out. Even Buttface Whitledge hadn't made the slightest wisp of anything, and he was the overachieving Head Boy or whatever.

Fine; he'd try again. "Expecto Patronum!"

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