Practice space available
Sep. 29th, 2014 10:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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alternitySixth and seventh year students: Professor Desai and I have each had several of you ask about space and time to practise your duelling outside class. We've discussed the matter thoroughly, and have set up a duelling salle and training course in the east wing.
Obviously, student safety is a paramount concern. To that end, we have instituted a number of rules that must be followed for the use of the space:
— The space is thoroughly warded against casual admission. Professor Desai and I are both able to authorise passage through the wards. To be added to that list, you must briefly duel one of us. We'll be looking for both skill and a concern for safety.
— The salle will be available whenever you wish once you have earned the privilege of admission, and it is set up for both solo practice and paired or group training. You may use it as you'd like. However, you must come see me or Professor Desai for a brief report within 24 hours after each time you use the space, without exception: this is so we can check you over to make sure your practice has had no lingering effects.
— If you are sharing the space with one of your classmates, or with another professor, you must hold to standard training course etiquette to avoid clashing with each other's practice. If you are unfamiliar with course etiquette, you may ask one of your classmates who have more experience, or see me, Professor Desai, or Professor Sandoval-Pennifold for a tutorial.
— Both Professor Desai and I are happy to conduct training sessions, either individually or for small groups, for those who would like additional instruction. See us individually to make arrangements.
— If we determine you are training in a manner we consider unsafe or too risky, allowing admission to unauthorised students without our explicit permission, or in any way abusing the privilege of the use of the salle, we reserve the right to revoke your privilege of admission.
Please see one of us if you have any questions, or to arrange an appointment for consideration for admission.
Obviously, student safety is a paramount concern. To that end, we have instituted a number of rules that must be followed for the use of the space:
— The space is thoroughly warded against casual admission. Professor Desai and I are both able to authorise passage through the wards. To be added to that list, you must briefly duel one of us. We'll be looking for both skill and a concern for safety.
— The salle will be available whenever you wish once you have earned the privilege of admission, and it is set up for both solo practice and paired or group training. You may use it as you'd like. However, you must come see me or Professor Desai for a brief report within 24 hours after each time you use the space, without exception: this is so we can check you over to make sure your practice has had no lingering effects.
— If you are sharing the space with one of your classmates, or with another professor, you must hold to standard training course etiquette to avoid clashing with each other's practice. If you are unfamiliar with course etiquette, you may ask one of your classmates who have more experience, or see me, Professor Desai, or Professor Sandoval-Pennifold for a tutorial.
— Both Professor Desai and I are happy to conduct training sessions, either individually or for small groups, for those who would like additional instruction. See us individually to make arrangements.
— If we determine you are training in a manner we consider unsafe or too risky, allowing admission to unauthorised students without our explicit permission, or in any way abusing the privilege of the use of the salle, we reserve the right to revoke your privilege of admission.
Please see one of us if you have any questions, or to arrange an appointment for consideration for admission.
Private message to Mr Finch-Fletchley
Date: 2014-09-30 04:25 am (UTC)The course, alas, cannot be anywhere near as intense as the Ourobouros, but I dare say Savitha and I have given it a few surprises, and we plan to reset it regularly. Once you've had a chance to familiarise yourself with the space, perhaps you'd like to design a round. I am also considering an expert mode for students such as yourself, but we shall see how things shake out first.
If we can coordinate schedules, would you care to make a standing appointment? You are an excellent partner.
--T.
Re: Private message to Mr Finch-Fletchley
Date: 2014-09-30 04:53 am (UTC)Thank you. I was just about to write to ask if I could duel Professor Desai, since it would be a better test of my skills to fight someone less familiar. But if you think it unnecessary then I shall do my best to live up to your confidence in me.
I'm certain Ron Weasley will want an admission screening as soon as possible, what. As for a standing appointment: Certainly, jolly good! If I recall from our sessions last year, you are usually free on Tuesday mornings? I haven't any lessons until 11, so we could meet after breakfast. Or directly following our morning run, and a late breakfast afterward.
-Justin
Re: Private message to Mr Finch-Fletchley
Date: 2014-09-30 05:12 am (UTC)And yes, it's always a good idea to vary your opponents as much as possible, but I'm certain Savitha would be happy to duel you even without admission to the salle at stake. You could learn a great deal from her, though I'd like to believe I haven't finished teaching you everything I can!
I'm certain Mr Weasley should have no problems earning his own admission as well -- I would pass him through untested, since he undoubtedly had enough training over the summer in his internship, but as I've only had the chance to evaluate his skills in CCF, rather than in the salle, I thought it best to leave it to Savitha to decide if he could be cleared without screening or not. I hope to get the chance to work with all of you who earn admission at some point, actually. This summer's work aside, I am finding myself embarrassingly rusty, and duelling regularly against the vigour of youth will undoubtedly be good for me.
I do hope you'll be willing to tutor your classmates on course etiquette, as well, or at very least to drop me a quiet word if anyone is behaving poorly. Savitha and I thought about requiring a brief tutorial on things such as right-of-way and the rules of distractability, but eventually decided it would be too much overhead, and of course half of you already know the details. Still, you know as well as I do that some of your classmates are less predisposed to following the rules than others, and although we do intend to be selective on our criteria for admission, one does fret a bit.
--T.
Re: Private message to Mr Finch-Fletchley
Date: 2014-09-30 07:01 pm (UTC)-F-F
Private message to Miss Patil and Mr Finnigan
Date: 2014-09-30 04:33 am (UTC)Seamus, I am certain Stephen has your training well in hand, but if you would like to supplement that training, you have but to say the word. Padma, I am less familiar with your background in formal duelling and less formal battle, but now that you are one of Our Lord's chosen, I would most heartily recommend a regular training regime; Council politics can become rather spirited at times.
--A.
Re: Private message to Miss Patil and Mr Finnigan
Date: 2014-09-30 07:28 pm (UTC)Re: Private message to Miss Patil and Mr Finnigan
Date: 2014-09-30 07:30 pm (UTC)Re: Private message to Miss Patil and Mr Finnigan
Date: 2014-10-01 02:38 am (UTC)Re: Private message to Antonin
Date: 2014-09-30 07:33 pm (UTC)It's odd, but our class at Hogwarts has a lot of really excellent duellists, don't you think? Far more than the classes from previous years -- I think Padma might have been one of the best, if she'd been in 7th year two years ago, instead of not even being in the top half. I think it's probably because of CCF. And having Professor Lestrange leading duelling club, and things like that.
Re: Private message to Antonin
Date: 2014-10-01 02:47 am (UTC)I think you are correct that CCF and Professor Lestrange's excellent example have influenced your year's duelling ability. And I have often found that success in duelling and self-defence is a self-perpetuating thing, among groups of people: once even a few make it a priority, the skills of the group as a whole begin to improve rapidly.
Private message to Miss Lestrange
Date: 2014-09-30 04:35 am (UTC)--A.
Re: Private message to Miss Lestrange
Date: 2014-09-30 07:38 pm (UTC)Private message to Tosha
Date: 2014-09-30 06:47 pm (UTC)I still feel so very slow and out of step with myself (and I am going to go
try tonap again when I finish this.) I'm certainly nowhere near wanting to try your new course, or let anyone (either students or our so-competent colleagues) see, but I'm at that stage where it's hard to judge for myself how badly off I am.Also, have some thoughts on the first years, like you'd asked. And my niece's comments on Lana's teaching, too. Remind me, Friday, it'll fall out of my head otherwise.
Re: Private message to Tosha
Date: 2014-09-30 07:19 pm (UTC)If you'd like, I can walk you through the space after curfew one night this week, when it would be only us, and show you the details -- not as anything but a tour for informational purposes, of course, but you will appreciate some of the nuances we've tucked into the space. If only from an infrastructural point of view. (It is not the salle I would design for, oh, myself and Barty, or that Savitha and I would design for ourselves, mind you. But we did indulge ourselves somewhat with the amenities.)
The space is rather well put together for individual general drills as well as a more complex course and space for duelling -- I had your drills in mind, actually, and thought several others on staff might appreciate the chance to refresh their skills in an environment without the pressure of an opponent. The dummies can be set to any level of challenge, for instance. (I will admit to looking forward to setting them to 'complete beginner' on a bad day and taking them to bits; there are very few frustrations that smashing something will not improve.)
And yes, I will be happy to supervise your drills for you on Friday, and offer what suggestions I might. I know it must not feel as though you are making any progress, little star, but from the outside, you are seeming much improved. Anything I can do to help you continue that trajectory, I will.
Your, T
Re: Private message to Tosha
Date: 2014-09-30 07:26 pm (UTC)The dummies - that's a good choice. I do rather miss the salle at Spence, for that. It's just - well. Beyond the other things, I am feeling rather out of sorts, dealing with the new staff, one way and another. Nothing I won't manage (and they are all a vast improvement on various other former staff, starting with the Carrows in one way, and Lockhart in another direction entirely), but I decidedly do not want any of them to see me fumble. More than is strictly necessary, anyway.
(I am also doing badly at napping, but that is scarcely a new problem.)
Re: Private message to Tosha
Date: 2014-10-01 03:00 am (UTC)Re: Private message to Tosha
Date: 2014-10-01 03:23 am (UTC)Though it's simple truth that I'm nowhere near recovered. (I admit, I'm chafing more over the apparition than defence, at the moment: I'm still not fit for any useful distance at all.)
I do appreciate the tour. And your comments about how things are set up. (And the attention to the things that really would be a problem. We do not need a repeat of two years ago, at all.)
Friday, drills in the workroom here I set aside for that kind of thing? Better privacy (if much less fancy), and I can feed you marzipan after.
Re: Private message to Tosha
Date: 2014-10-01 03:30 am (UTC)It is a date.
Private message to Ron Weasley and Antosha
Date: 2014-09-30 07:38 pm (UTC)Re: Private message to Ron Weasley and Antosha
Date: 2014-10-01 12:18 am (UTC)I went to have a look at the course between Potions and supper. (I guess you'll have seen if you've checked the wards.) It's brilliant! So much better than anything we've had. I mean to say, we're going to have an amazing time working in there. (That bit after the third turn is going to be tricky, isn't it? In a good way. Really unpredictable, yeah?
Anywiz. Thank you (and the Headmaster) for creating it. Well, and for setting aside other things to be here at all. I don't know if you know, but everyone feels really lucky to have you.
Private message to Professor Dolohov
Date: 2014-09-30 07:59 pm (UTC)Thank you.
Re: Private message to Professor Dolohov
Date: 2014-10-01 02:56 am (UTC)When you are in front of it, activate it with the usual activation key and strike its left foot with whatever spell you would like for it to make you dodge. It will proceed to fire that same spell at you every five seconds ... or rather, it will choose whether or not to fire at you, every five seconds. The pattern and the randomness, and not knowing whether you will be facing a spell or not at every five-second interval, ought help cure you of that flinch you have developed.
Once you've done some work with it, let me know, and we can duel again.
Re: Private message to Professor Dolohov
Date: 2014-10-01 03:48 am (UTC)Re: Private message to Professor Dolohov
Date: 2014-10-01 03:53 am (UTC)