DADA-201 Lessons

Well, I certainly hope you are all well-rested. While you have been enjoying your break, or perhaps working on other classes and getting relaxed, the Dark Arts have been stirring outside of these castle walls. Your first year of this course began to prepare you with the basics of what you will need to know in order to succeed outside of these walls; this year, we will step it up a little and start teaching you more spells that you can add to your arsenal - nothing is more dangerous than a well-prepared witch or wizard.

Introduction
Before we can get into the interesting information, we must first get through the basics. Most of my policies from last year are in place this year. Our general rubric for essays will be as follows:

• 70%: Content
• Do you address all components of the prompt?
• Do you do so in a logical manner?
• Do you defend any opinion statements with facts?
• 15%: Word Count
• Do you meet the minimum word count for the assignment?
• 10%: Grammar and Spelling
• Has your work been proofread?
• Please note that students who are Learning Disabled in any form (LD) or are Non-Native English Speakers (NES) need to place the appropriate mark (LD or NES) at the top of their assignments so that no points will be deducted in this category.
• 5%: Identifying Marks
• Do not include any information in your assignments that might create bias. This includes, but is not limited to, your name, your house, or other such information.

It is also important to note that this year there will be no textbook for the course. All information needed for assignments can be obtained through the lessons or the use of logic.

Also be aware of one last item that is different this year - there will be two mandatory essays. For your first year, all essays were extra credit. This year, two will be made to be mandatory, in order to help prepare you for the mandatory essays that you will be writing in Year Three. As a reminder when completing essay assignments, make sure you incorporate all relevant knowledge and information to demonstrate you comprehension of the course concepts - for casting spells, this includes all spellcasting components; for creatures, you should demonstrate a thorough knowledge of defense against the creature you are writing about. Now, with that out of the way, we can begin. Here is a look at what we will be learning this year

Year Two

• Lesson 1: Introduction and Dueling Information
• Lesson 2: Improving Your Concentration
• Lesson 3: The Tickling Charm and the Jelly-Legs Jinx
• Lesson 4: Curses
• Lesson 5: Counter-Curses
• Lesson 6: Pogrebins
• Lesson 7: Fear of the Physical and the Mackled Malaclaw
• Lesson 8: Murtlaps and Clabberts
• Lesson 9: Final Thoughts

As always, if you have any questions about the course, you can always get in contact with any of my PAs, Head Student, or myself by sending an owl.

Introduction to Dueling
Now, as Second Year students, you will begin learning some more offensive spells than those you learned last year. Therefore, it is important that you understand the basics of how these spells are most frequently used, which is often in a duel.

Dueling is a very ancient art form, dating back to the creation of the wand, which was in approximately 600 B.C.E. Witches and wizards would use these new magical channels to challenge each other to contests of strength, wit, and ability. Even back then, people had to prove they were better than everyone else. These duels became very popular in Rome in the same way that the gladiator fights were popular. I won’t explain that too much here, since I you will learn more details about the purposes of dueling in Rome if you decide to take Ancient Studies and follow it to Year Four.

For our purposes, we will be talking mostly about dueling today. To simplify, a duel is a situation where two magical persons engage in combat, normally under the assumption that only magical means would be used. However, this is not always the case as you will see in just a moment. These combats can realistically happen anywhere, though since dueling has become an official event, many places will have designated stages where duels can occur.

Dueling has two separate paths that it can take - the formal path and the informal path. In a formal duel, the standard rules of engagement are followed. This means that only magical methods will be used; solely spells. There will also be an individual called a  “second” on either side. The duty of the second is to step in should the duelist need to be relieved or is incapable of continuing, but will not surrender. A formal duel is over when one side is incapacitated. These duels are most often non-lethal, though there have been notable extreme cases where deaths have occurred. In modern times, these deaths are extremely rare and are often associated with overexertion while recovering or suffering from magical exhaustion. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are in a formal duel, be aware of your limits. It is not worth the consequences to continue a duel beyond your ability for the sake of pride.

The other path, the informal duel, becomes much more dangerous. These duels are frequently started in the heat of the moment. The rules of engagement are almost never followed; these types of duels will frequently use both magical and non-magical methods and there is no second to ensure that the rules are followed. Some wizards will simply resort to throwing their wand aside and punching their opponent in the face while others will resort to more extreme methods such as drawing a knife or even a gun. Many witches and wizards have died due to informal duels and I highly suggest avoiding them if at all possible. While it may seem “fun”, the risk far outweighs the nonexistent rewards.

The Rules of Engagement
The Rules of Engagement have been referenced several times in this lesson. As such, I believe it is prudent that you know what these rules are so that you may follow them properly if you are ever faced with a situation where you will need them.

1. Bow to your opponent - This is simply a sign of respect. It does not have to be a low bow, but it is suggested that your bow is low enough that your torso and head come to approximately a 45 degree angle with your legs. This step shows that you acknowledge the skill of your opponent and believe them to be a worthy adversary.
2. Turn and walk ten paces back - By walking away, you and your opponent both have time to begin making a plan. It also provides you with the space required to perform some of the proper spellwork you will be doing while in the duel. When dueling, the distance between you and your target will change (sometimes you will get closer, other times you will be further), but every competitor takes these ten steps. Stand still until you hear the referee’s mark.
3. Assume a dueling stance - There are many potential stances that a dueler can take. Some will have their off-hand held out in front of them with their wand held over their heads and aimed towards their opponent. For this course, and any potential duels you may have, I expect you all to use the basic stance. This means that you are standing with your feet slightly apart, your strong leg slightly behind your weaker leg, and your wand will be held out in front of you as if you are holding a sword or a fencing foil or saber.
4. Wait for the referee’s mark - The referee will stand in the middle of the two duelers, not directly in the line of fire. They will typically use statements like “wands at the ready”, which indicates that the duelers should assume their stance. Once both duelers are settled, they will say what their count is (the normal is three, but some have chosen higher numbers). Once the referee has counted to that number, the duel begins.
5. Use only non-lethal spells - These duels are not meant to be lethal; they are designed simply to settle a dispute. The goal of the duel is to get your opponent to submit, not to kill.

In the Rules of Engagement, rule three and rule four have very blurred lines, with both happening simultaneously; however, they are important to note separately because both are separate processes that require different actions. With all of this knowledge, you will be adequately prepared should you ever find yourself in a situation where you are in need to defend yourself. At minimum, you won’t look like baboons brandishing twigs if you find yourself in a duel. Throughout the first half of this year, I will be teaching you a variety of spells that you can use in such situations.

For your assignments, you will find the usual quiz and essay.

Class dismissed!

Original lesson written by Professor Jericho Penrose