DADA-101 Lesson 8

Year 1, Week 8

It was particularly difficult for the first-years to sit in class on this beautiful April day. The sunlight was pouring in and the biting wind had blissfully become a soft breeze. Every now and then, the still shy twittering of birds could be heard outside.

Professor Gount had mercilessly blinded all of classroom 3C's windows with their heavy drapes, as a possible means to reduce the sources of distractions; but the actual reason for it became more obvious as most of the students settled down and noticed the idly drifting, pearly white figure of a surly medieval warrior in chain mail armor, an arrow sticking out of his forehead. A few students hesitated at the doorstep at the sight of that ghost, but then Professor Gount's dark gaze, which was very much alive and less reassuring, goaded them forward. At the bell toll, the teacher pushed the door closed and stepped toward the stage, where the ghost drifted to be at his side like a solemn guard.

"Class, meet Sir Harold the Deprived, one of Hogwarts lesser-known ghosts. Sir Harold tends to want to keep for himself, not only for the obvious fact that he's been killed by a stray arrow at the Muggle Battle of Hastings, but also because he's been robbed of the glamour of his death to the benefit of another man named Harold, a Muggle King who, according to popular belief, had also been killed by an arrow through the eye at the same battle."

The ghost glumly stared at the class as the teacher spoke on:

"As you must have guessed by now, today's lesson is about ghosts and poltergeists. Can anyone tell me the difference between both?"

A Slytherin girl rose her hand, as she always did when one of Professor Gount's rare easy questions popped up. It was a sure way for her to collect points without risking the shame of giving a wrong answer.

"Yes, Miss Grant"?

"Ghosts are only gliding around, passing through walls, talking, things like that, while poltergeists enjoy throwing things around and messing everything up."

"I cannot deny that this is a correct answer, Miss Grant, but it is quite incomplete, as you are about to find out."

Sir Harold sighed and looked down at his leather boots, thus making the fletched end of his arrow point downward. Edgar explained:

"Ghosts are the imprint of the disembodied spirit of once-living wizards a or witches. To start with the obvious, they're weightless and may fly in any direction; they can pass through solid objects without damaging them or themselves..."

As a spontaneous demonstration, Sir Harold looked up, flew through the wall and came back. His sad face was now adorned with a proud smile at having something useful to do.

"However", Severus continued, "they do create some disturbances in water, fire, and air. The temperature drops in the immediate vicinity of a ghost. You'll feel an unpleasant coldness if you go through one. Ghosts cannot be destroyed. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has what is called the Spirit Division to deal with ghost welfare. Mr. Brown, this is a very bad idea".

A Gryffindor boy had his arm half raised, ready to toss a crumpled up Chocolate Frog wrapping through the ghost. He lowered his hand and looked down, his face beet-red.

"Sir Harold might not appreciate your idea of an experience or your disputable sense of humor, even if he wouldn't necessarily do anything against you; however, I certainly would. Right. Does anyone know why ghosts exist at all? Why aren't all the souls of deceased people manifest themselves as ghosts or, on the contrary, why aren't all souls simply gone?"

He faced the class with a scowl, but didn't delay any further in providing an answer.

"Most people usually use their common sense and don't choose to come back as ghosts, in a mere impoverished version of mortal life. Indeed, ghosts can no longer experience any physical pleasure; their knowledge, perceptions and opinions remain stalled at the stage they were at their demise, they can no longer evolve or change. That is why Sir Harold isn't talking to us: he has a bit of a hard time understanding modern English, but after nearly a thousand years he's catching on a bit. I only advise the Muggle-born students among you to avoid the subject of Bluetooth, lest you wish to lose communication with him."

The medieval spirit mumbled something no one could quite make up, but there was a definite rudeness to the tone, and Edgar clearly heard the words "Evil Saracen" as Sir Harold glared at him. The teacher ignored him and continued:

"Guilt, regret, unfinished business of high importance to them, or simply an overt attachment to the world are all reasons that ghosts refuse to move on. No longer alive, but not exactly dead either. So don't ask them to explain what death feels like, they just don't know. Many choose that path for fear of death. Speaking of which, I'll let you have a peek into your later Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons: any idea why Lord Voldemort, whose ideal was immortality, didn't return as a ghost? It is because his soul has been self-damaged and fragmented beyond repair, it is completely helpless in limbo."

The effect of his words was powerful: a few students shivered and Sir Harold's arrow butt was aimed directly at Edgar's chest as the ghost stared at him wide-eyed.

"Anyway. Ghosts have some extraordinarily strong connection to the locations they haunt and will tend to gravitate around a specific area, often the location of their death. It might also be possible that they are magically bound to it. Some ghosts are known to have been bound to objects as small as mirrors."

Sir Harold flitted behind the teacher's desk and seemed to try to read the parchment he had left there, but he shook his head dejectedly. Edgar said:

"In conclusion, only magical beings can become ghosts; Muggles can't see them clearly, while others only detect a feeling or a presence. Poltergeists now-"

"Peeves!" a Gryffindor girl interrupted irritably.

"Yeah, Peeves", approved a boy whose old schoolbag had been hastily patched up with Spellotape.

"Indeed. Whilst similar, poltergeists differ from ghosts in a number of ways. Firstly, ghosts are incorporeal, whereas the poltergeist, doesn't usually have a physical form. Peeves is a notable exception. Yet, they are solid enough to physically affect their environment - they can move objects, and they can be affected by spells aimed at them. They might feel pain, but without damage. Secondly, they never lived as human beings. As such, they never died and couldn't die. That feature is known as amortality. However, very much like ghosts, they too are indestructible and will haunt one specific location. They are among the creatures classed by the Ministry as Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions."

"Excuse me sir", a grinning freckled boy piped in, his hand raised. Professor Thorne nodded, giving him permission to speak:

"Why haven't you invited Peeves in here as well? It would have been funny."

"It just so happens that I don't share your idea of fun, Mr Logan. I also doubt he would have joined us anyway, for I have my own way of calming him down. So Peeves came into existence in 993, with the founding of Hogwarts, whose walls contained a large number of children. Whilst unconfirmed, it is theorised that Peeves is a tangible manifestation of the students' mischief."

Professor Thorne turned to the ghost.

"We've just about covered everything we needed to. Thank you for your time, Sir."

"Don't mention it. Time is all I have left", the ghost replied in modern English, but with a most fascinating accent.

Assignment

Write a question/answer essay with the following:

I-Name the ghost representatives of each Hogwarts House

II-Write a few sentences presentation about the ghost of your House.

III-Name three other canon ghosts of Hogwarts.

IV-Name two things that can repel a ghost.

V-Name two things that can repel Peeves the Poltergeist.

Requirements

Writing style stated above.

Creativity and details are encouraged. Take your time to read, feel the lesson and don't hesitate to interact with its contents.

You must answer all the prompts to receive full credit.

State your sources, including your own imagination.

Copying is frowned upon and will result in a "Troll" grade