(1938-10-22) NEWTs Charms Class: Pestering Jinx
Details for NEWTs Charms Class: Pestering Jinx
Summary: Professor Viridian comes up with a fun way for the NEWTs students to use charms; puking pumpkins!
Date: 22 October 1938
Location: Charms Classroom, Hogwarts
Related:
Characters
ViridianNikoMedusaMorganaRiaKimiko

The set up of this room is slightly unusual in that there are only four long desks, two lined along each side wall with the back desk on each side raised higher than the front one, creating a stair-like formation and leaving a long corridor open along the middle of the room. The large cathedral-like windows that form most of the back wall provide plenty of illumination to work by the massive wooden desks. Another unusual aspect of the room is the higher than normal vaulted ceilings, soaring up almost 12 feet. The space in front of the windows has been left open, with the exception of the teacher's desk, placed off at an angle in one corner.
Charms Classroom


Viridian sits at his desk, fingers steepled and eyes on the door, counting and taking note of the students when they come in. There are several jack-o-lanterns of small to mediumish size floating in the air. "Come in. Sit down. Yes, yes. Good day Students." He stands from the desk and comes around to the front of it to lean back upon it. "Today, with Old Hallow's Eve soon upon us I thought that the lot of you would do well to brush up on Carving as well as learn…The Pastering Jinx!" His wand is in his hand and dramatically he casts, "Remordeo!" Up at one of the pumpkins and it begins to spit out goopie pumpkin seeds out of the O like mouth that's been carved in it at the Medusa, just as she's gotten settled. On complete 'Accident' he forgets to call off the spell so every now and then for the next five minutes, the pumpkin spits out a seed. *PTOOEY*! "Take out your books and we will begin."

Medusa eyes the pumpkin which is spitting at her with bemusement. "How kind of you to teach us a spell which isn't normally learnt in school, Professor Viridian." She smiles sweetly at him as she flicks a pumpkin seed off of her over robe. "You really do have a way with charms." She looks around, curious to see if a certain dark-haired boy has made it to lesson but then gets spat at again. Out come the wand and she points it at the offending pumpkin, "Recedo!" Maybe if she is lucky the spitting vegetable will make its way back to the professor's desk.

Morgana is sitting not to far from Medusa, but unlike her she isn't looking toward to door to see who has and has not entered. Instead she pays attention to the professor, with a fresh roll of parchment ready to take notes on. "Either that or he's putting us to work, with getting the Great Hall decorated." She says with a very faint smirk before she too dodges a pumpkin seed.

Viridian tsks when a counter jynx is cast, the pumpkin does go hurtling back but as it goes it rather projectile spits even gooier seeds at the flaxen haired Malfoy. "I don't believe that spell was part of the curriculum today Miss Malfoy. 4 Points from Slytherin. But thank you for your compliment. I do have a way with Charms, it's why I'm the Professor, after all. I thought that we could have a little fun before Halloween. Of course I'll be very put out if I hear that points are lost for using this spell." In other words, don't get caught! "Now who can tell me some creative uses for this spell. Such as my use of the pumpkin." He whips a finger in a slicing gesture, "Nor sending snowballs after their victim. So passe'."

Medusa reaches up and flicks pumpkin goo and seeds from her hair. "So sorry, Professor, it was obscuring my vision. I could not see you properly. Next time I will leave well enough alone." She smiles sweetly at him and glances at Morgana, lowering her voice a little. "I think you're safe, Morgana. I have no doubt I will be the only target."

Niko is sitting in class, he tilts his head staring out at the pumpkin and the the reaction of a few of his fellow classmates. He doesn't say much about any of it, just listening quietly as the question is asked, Niko raises his hand, his bluish green eyes looking out at Professor Viridian.

"Well that is a relief." Morgana responds quietly. "I hear that pumpkin innards are not great for your hair." Not that she has any fact to back it up, but it is an amusing thought. She does catch Viridian's subtle hint about not getting caught using the spell and does make a quick note on her parchment before she turns toward Niko and his raised hand.

Viridian gives Medusa a very wide wicked looking smile. Though that really is his regular smile, it always has a bit of a wicked flare to it. "Very good Miss Malfoy." A finger angles away from the steepled collection and points towards Niko. "Yes, Mr. Denholm."

Medusa twists her now gooey hair up into a makeshift bun and uses her wand to secure it. She pulls her parchment over and begins to take notes, having decided that despite it being her best subject clearly the Mud Club professor has it in for her so she might as well just make notes.

Niko says softly, "Well there are various uses for the Remordeo Spell, you could use it as a distraction to escape from a hostile situation or to catch your opponent off guard for an opening." he smiles warmly, running his hand through his hair slowly, "Though it is relatively harmless, in certain situations it can make for a great detraction, so aside from just pestering people it has a rather practical use if applied properly." he says slowly, with nod, "It could even be used to simply mark a target, so that they can be easily identified if needed." he continues, looking around the room, to see what other people think of his opinion.

Morgana jots down a few notes form what Niko is saying, quietly settling into note taking, since Viridian seems to be point removal happy today. She doesn't want to be on the receiving end of that.

When Niko comes up with a rather long-winded but clever sounding answer Medusa gives him a sidelong look. Her mouth quirks with sardnic amusement as she notes down what he said. Undoubtedly she will do something wrong, take notes funny and earn herself a few more points lobbed off but at least the pumpkin isn't puking on her anymore. With a grimace she pulls a seed from down the front of her top when it finishes sliding.

Viridian would claim that it is mere unrelated coincidence that Medusa went from respected for her talent student to pumpkin spit target about the same time she showed interest in Flint's little brigade of Purists. "Excellent Mr. Denholm! Five points for Gryffindor. Now, wands Students, pair up and practice your pestering powers!"

Medusa looks at her notes and then at the other seventh years. Thankfully she is not a Magijugend or there would be pumpkin guts on her pretty necklace, as it is there just are pumpkin guts on her jumper. "Who wants the jinx?" Surprisingly she seems good humoured about it, you can't argue against a Professor after all. As a question occurs to her she raises her hand, "Sir, could you combine this charm with the protean one so that there is a trail of pestering objects?"

Ria, who has been here all along, sits among her fellow snakes, with a displeased half-frown that crinkles the corner of her mouth. Though her displeasure is certainly not directed to her housemate, but the professor's two false moves: a) taking points away from her house b) giving them to Gryffindor. Ria takes her time with vengeance though, and instead looks across to the lion's corner, and leaning forward to Niko asks with her snaky smile plastered across her lips, "Fancy a partner Denholm?" Ria Sykes partnering with a halfy! What's wrong with the world?

Niko looks over at Ria, shrugging his shoulders slightly, "If you want to Sykes, he says softly, the warm smile back on his face that has been missing the last week, he stands up and offers her a chair politely, waiting for her to take a seat, before returning to his seat. "Would you like me to go first or would you like too, Sykes?" he asks curiously tilting his head at her, his bluish green eyes staring out at her and the warm smile still on his face.

Viridian claps his hands three times and then steeples them together again. It's like there's strong magnets in his fingertips and they can't stay unsteepled for long. "Marvelous Miss Malfoy. 5 points to Slytherin. You would of course need to speak to Professor Dumbledore about the Protean Charm if your wish to study it. Very clever. Yeees." He nods his head to her. See, he's not entirely biased. Over those peaked fingers he watches the class turn on each other.

Morgana stretches a bit and turns to Medusa. "I'll pair up with you." She says quietly, setting her quill aside and reaching for her wand. AFterall, it'll keep her from pairing up with someone else. "I'll even be nice and let you have the first shot." Afterall, if she is going to tutor the Slytherin Queen, she may as well see where her strengths are.

Getting to her feet Medusa pulls her wand from her hair. "Thank you sir," she says in response to Viridian's compliment. "Alright, Morgana. Just don't blame me if that pumpkin comes back." She looks up at the pumpkins already in the air, "How many should we use? One each?" Leaping up she pulls down a pumpkin for her partner and holds it out to Morgana. "I wonder if we could carve them to resemble people we know," she teases the Ravenclaw.

Viridian angles a finger away from the rest towards Medusa, "That comes after when we refresh ourselves on the Severing Charm. At this level everyone should be able to carve a face into a pumpkin. After this exercise which will take fifteen minutes we will move on to the Severing Charm. Towards the end of class there will be a test to see if you have retained the lesson on Pestering. Commence the Pestering."

Up from her seat rises Ria, diplomatically working across the aisle to partner with Niko. She settles herself in the chair that the boy pulls out fer her without a thank you. Her manners indicating that she expected him to fetch her a place to sit. "I'll have at it first then," she says and moves her seat a bit back so that she does not soil herself should anything go wrong. "Remordeo!" she says imitating the sway Viridian had used on his pumpkin. And sure as daybreak, her pumpkin too begins spitting seeds right at Niko, annoyingly popping out one by one by one.

Niko looks at the pumpkin carved into a jack o'lantern sitting on their table, pulling his wand out slowly, he spins the wand idly between his fingers as he waits for Ria's answer, as the pumpkin begins to spit out seeds at him, he keeps the warm smile on his face. "Very well done, Sykes." he says giving her a small compliment, before flicking his wand in imitation of the Professor, "Remordeo" he says softly, as the Pumpkin that was spitting seeds at him, turns and starts to spit seen one by one at Ria, his hand moving to idly spin the the wand between his fingers again, as he flicks a few seeds off of him, with his free hand.

"Just so long as the pumpkin bits stay inside of the pumpkin I am sure we'll be fine." Morgana says lightly as she takes the pumpkin that is presented to her. "Two should be fine, and I have to say that my artistic skills are not that fantastic. So as much as I"d like it to look like someone, I'm sure it'll be easier for me to just carve a face." For now she waits, since she said that she'd go second.

Since they are to carve later Medusa sets her pumpkin on the desk and points her wand at the pre-carved vegetable instead. Charms really is one of her best subjects when they are doing practical elements like this. Her flick and swish is so…flicky and…swishy. She even has her pinky finger in the air. "Remordeo!" The incantation in said with confidence. The small pumpkin begins to hop over to Morgana's side of the desk, its top bopping up and down. When it is near enough the squash vomits out its insides through the maniacal smile Viridian gave it.

Viridian looks over his shoulder and a quill starts to scribble a tally of points and notes depending on how well or creatively the students use this special little spell. Happy Halloween!

"Mhmm," is all Ria says to his compliment, and leaning back in her seat only half interested to watch Niko do his charm. Thus, while the boy is practicing the jinx, she raises a polished hand to ask the professor a question. Soon after though, a pumpkin seed flies, bopping her right between the eyes, causing her to twitch. And in annoyance she frowns at Niko while keeping her hand up to be called upon.

Viridian once more angles a finger away from the collection towards Ria.

"Professor, can the pestering jinx only target humans or living beings?" Ria asks curiously. Pop, pop, pop - the seeds continue to slap her in the face before falling off onto her lap. She keeps a straight face, with only a hint of annoyance peeking through. "Or can I use this jinx to target another inanimate object?"

Niko just watches the pumpkin spit seeds at Ria, one right after another. His hand still idly spinning his wand though now he has managed to finally get all the pumpkin seeds and guts off his robes, "I think we should call him, Jim." he says slowly, reaching over and poking the pumpkin, softly, before listening to Ria's question.

Viridian manages to keep a straight face as well as he watches Ria be pelted by seeds all the while asking her question. "Mr. Denholm, mentioned earlier that it would provide a way of marking someone or something and provide a good distraction. While it can in fact target another inanimate object. You do lose the whole point of the spells purpose in doing so. One cannot Pester something that unpesterable, after all. Mhhmmm hmmm hmmm." Those last few sounds being the trademark closed lipped amused 'laugh' if one could call it that which Professor Viridian is known for.

"You know, it's a good thing I wore some older robes today." Morgana says as she watches the pumpkin vomits on her, and she does take a second to get most of it off of her before she picks up her wand and points it toward the pumpkin. She does a few wrist movements and a few flicks before she finally casts the spell. "Remordeo." She says calmly, watching as the pumpkin stops pestering her, and hops over to Medusa to add to her current pumpkin fashion she is trying to make popular today.

"Jim is a foolish name," Ria quietly slips to Niko, putting a needle to his cute idea balloon. And when Viridian answers her query, she ponders over the response a moment. "I see… then the 'Pestering Jinx' could be considered a misnomer then if used for other purposes," she reflects, rather than asks him. His answer is sufficient for her though, and with that thought in her head she picks up the heavy pumpkin in her arms, instructing Niko, "Come." As it continues popping seeds at her, sje sets the orange gourd down on the head girl's table next to her. "Morgana, Medusa," she politely greets the two girls then adds, "This is not personal. Remordeo!" Another dramatic flick of her wand and the pumpkin comes to life, plopping over to the other bewitched pumpkin in order to bump into a couple times rather aggressively. Let's rumble.

"House elves are a marvel," says Medusa. And she is right they are, which is a good thing because Ria Sykes has turned traitor! When the Malfoy girl and her partner are besieged by another pair of pumpkins Medusa is quick to respond in kind with her wand. However, all that pumpkin goo has made her wand a little bit slippy so her spell isn't nearly as good this time around, perhaps she will get points for the effect instead. "Remordeo!" Medusa's flick of the wand sends a pumpkin bowling towards Niko and Ria as if they were pins in ten pin bowling and the long desk were an alley. Will she get a strike or just a spare?

Niko raises his hand, waiting for Viridian to call on him, he continues to watch as seeds pelt Ria. "So I take it you like, the name Jim?" he asks curiously, still poking the pumpkin softly. Once he is called upon he asks, "Now if one was to learn the Singing Jinx, they could perhaps make the singing jinx trigger the object that is pestering the target, forcing them to be followed around by the pestering object and singing all day, if I am understanding correctly?" he says with a small smirk creeping across his face. When Ria beckons him to follow he gets up and watches giving both the other girls a small apologetic look, not getting involved til a pumpkin starts to shoot seeds at him, his hand moving to flick the seeds off of his robes as they come, with a small sigh.

Viridian simply nods his head in response to Niko's question and idea for how to piece together all sort of Jinxing goodies. But he doesn't answer just yet, instead he points a finger towards the pumpkin rolling towards Niko and Ria as a warning. Also a shielding charm is erected with a wave of his wand. Other than that the Professor literally sits back and watching and takes notes of who's gaining points and loosing them.

Niko flicks his wand and says, "Protego" as he steps in front of Ria, errecting a shield between them and the pumpkins coming there way.

Ria was quite looking forward to seeing the two gourds duke it out on the table before them, pumpkin guts all over - so long as she was kept clean though. And with eager eyes, she watches Medusa swipe her hand in retaliation until she realizes the spell is miscast and the pumpkin heads toward she and Niko with a vengance. Non-chalantly, she steps behind Niko with her hands weaved behind her back. He can take this one. However, not one but two shield charms are casted, and Ria tries her best to hide the disappointment of not getting to see a potentially gruesome impact.

When Niko uses a charm that isn't one they are supposed to be using in the lesson Medusa turns her head towards Viridian. This is allegedly what she got docked points for. She doesn't say anything, just waits to see what the professor does.

Viridian cocks up one eyebrow to a high peak at Medusa when he receives quite the expectant expression from her. He looks to his scroll of notes and the quill looks up to point it's nib at Medusa and wag in a no-no way before it goes back to scribbles more notes.

The Malfoy girl throws her arms up in frustration and gives Ria a pointed look. From that point on her heart just isn't into it. She flicks her wand at a pumpkin above her head, sending it teetering towards another student, back where some seventh year Hufflepuff boys are sitting. "Remordeo!" The incantation is delivered with Medusa's usual confidence but she doesn't even pay attention to what happens, looking at her notes instead, which is a shame because what happens is rather spectacular. The floating pumpkin is like a pinball machine ball as it ding-dings around the boys' heads, sputtering seeds at them like a machine gun in a rat-a-tat-tat fashion.

Viridian claps his hands and then like a conductor twirls them before zipping them out to the side in a finale manner and all the pumpkins cease their pestering chaos. "Return to your assigned seating and begin to work on the Severing Charm." One by one uncarved pumpkins float down to land in the center of each desk. "One mouth, one nose, two eyes. Anything additional to that could receive extra points. Now, begin."

Ria raises a brow at Viridian's inaction, and then gives Medusa a look that says 'Is this guy for real?' scowling, she returns back to her seat until she hears the distinct sound of pumpkin pounding against heads. Her mouth forms and 'o' in surprise while watching with pure delight as the Hufflepuffs struggle. Unabashedly she applauds nice and loud for her housemate. "Bravo," she nods thoroughly impressed, peering at the pinball chaos until its brought to a boring end by the Professor. That's her cue to sit down for real now.

Medusa pulls over the pumpkin she had selected earlier and uses her quill to draw on the exterior of the gourd before she pulls her wand out. "Diffindo!" The incantation is repeated as Medusa works. She has opted for a were-pumpkin design, not quite a classic but she finds the idea amusing. Considering they learned the severing charm in Year 2, Medusa is fairly decent at this, although her nose doesn't quite take her were-pumpkin ears are awesome.

Kimiko has been doing her best to stay well out of the line of fire this class session, while remaining relatively near to Niko. But it's back to assigned seating. Siiiigh. Her tongue just barely pokes out of the corner of her mouth in a look of deep concentration. She may not be the strongest witch, but she's got a knack for sculpture. As the face takes shape, it is no mere set of holes plucked out of the pumpkin, but rather a carefully carved relief. Well…until the mouth gives her some trouble. She only really manages to shave off the outer skin of the pumpkin there. Frowning at the imperfect work, she angles the gourd for another go.

Niko takes his seat, starting to spin his wand in between his fingers idly again, as he stares at the pumpkin for a moment, before flicking his wand a few times saying, "Diffindo", both the eyes end up not deep enough, though the marks were the eyes should be exist, with the mouth the same, though a rather nice nose sits on the pumpkin, "Bah." he says slowly, poking the pumpkin with his wand, "I liked Jim better…" he says to the pumpkin, the warm smile on his face as he does so, looking over at Kimiko's pumpkin, "Nice Kimiko." he says offering her a warm smile.Looking back at the rather plain looking pumpkin his waves his wand one last time, "Diffindo" he says clearly cutting out a perfect Handlebar mustache, then nodding at it slowly.

Once you have carved a were-pumpkin there isn't much else to do it seems. Medusa sets her pumpkin aside and starts to make notes about what they have done in the lesson. She pulls her book out and flips through it to find a few charms which she thinks will work well in conjunction with the pestering jinx.

Kimiko beams a bright smile over at Niko, earning a few immature oooohs from a pair of girls nearby. "Thank you. Yours is absolutely charming. The mustache is a very dapper touch." She giggles softly as she gets back to her own pumpkin, this time her Severing Charm cutting deep enough to work the mouth into a proper snarling troll maw. She moves the pumpkin back a few inches and leans back in her seat to give her art a critical examination.

Niko smiles warmly at Kimiko, "Welcome." he says to her with a small nod, ignoring the other girls, he tries again this time, getting one of the eyes and a rather large silly grinning mouth. Nodding slowly at his pumpkin, he tilts his head slowly, "Well Philip, seems you are still missing an eye, but Kimiko over there thinks you are rather dapper." he says with a small chuckle.

Kimiko smirks. "A very dapper cyclops, indeed.. I think it suits Halloween nicely." She leans over a bit, whispering as if it would mean those nearby couldn't hear (it doesn't). "I wrote to my father about the armour. I expect I'll hear back from him in a day or two."

Niko chuckles softly, "He lost his eye in the war, I decided." he says with a chuckle, reaching over and patting Philip the pumpkin on the head, tilting his head curiously at Kimiko, "You are so excited." he says softly, the warm smile on his face, "It's cute, it suits you." he says offering her a small nod.

Kimiko forgets her work for a time while she gives Niko bashful, swoony looks. But a few snickers and teasing comments snap her back to the present. With a blush, she rises to fetch a fresh pumpkin and begin anew.

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