Poppy didn’t like asking for help. In fact, often she was too proud to admit she even needed it. Stubborn, and determined to do things all on her own, the Ravenclaw was hard pressed to find something she was poor at. Defense Against the Art Arts however seemed to give her a run for her money. It wasn’t the theory, really, that she didn’t understand. The academic part of it she quite excelled at, it was the practical. Poppy excelled in potions and charms, practically. (Particularly potions.) Defensive spells, especially those of a higher difficulty where just so aggressive and she had a hard time putting her emotions behind them enough to actually mean to do damage. (Perhaps that was why June was so gifted… Poppy hummed in her amusement at this thought.) That said, she had continued with the subject because - even though society might not dictate it important for young ladies to know how to perform advanced magic - Poppy wanted to be the most prepared she could be upon graduation. Being a debutante was not her dream. In fact, Poppy wasn’t sure she’d enjoy it at all frankly. But she knew she would try, and she knew she’d excel at it because she had to. Her family had suffered enough scandal at her step-brother’s hands and she was the next in line, the rightful sibling, to inherit the remediation of such damage. And she’d done a splendid job so far, at least in the public eye. (Privately, well…) But, being in that public eye was daunting, especially given Poppy’s inherent hellionist tendencies. A shiver ran up and down her spine at the thought and Poppy felt her skin crawl. It was something she was going to have to find a way to set aside sooner or later. She had to, for her family and for her own sake. But extending her tenure at Hogwarts had provided her a small respite from coming to terms with that. It was why she had opted to continue, and why she had shown up today with determination to the DADA office hours. She had to master this subject if it in any way could afford her future protections, assuming she ever needed. Poppy was determined to live her life the way she was expected to; she would do anything to achieve such an aim. But it was always best to be prepared. Besides, Professor Lissington had offered a few extra bonus points to any student who could best him at the spell and Poppy never backed down from a challenge.
Holding her wand firmly in hand, the brunette wiggled her fingers as she prepared to go again. Her teeth were clenched in frustration and she forced herself to take a deep breath. Then, with a little more gumption than the last time, and remembering to actually move her whole hand - not just her wrist - she cast the spell directly at Professor Lissintgon. “Exmemoriam!” A shot of little little gold sparks erupted from her wand in tandem with the spell and Poppy hesitated at the last second, (was that supposed to happen?!) moving her wand tip just slightly.
© Fox