Lesson Two - First Years

Konig strode into the room with a small scowl on his face. He really wasn't in the mood to be teaching, his brother had been captured by the British after all. No he would much prefer to be out there, in scotland, tearing British people apart until they told him exactly what he wanted to know. Now very annoyed that he was stuck teaching the class, Konig wrote on the board.

Sociopathy

Sociopathy

Yes, the word was definitely familiar from her readings earlier but she couldn't bring it to mind right that moment. She knew it had something to do with severe trauma but in psychology, the witch had quickly learned that pretty much everything had to do with severe trauma or something in your childhood.

Wondering if she could take a peek at her textbook, the witch waited for the Lehrer to continue.

Ava looked at the board with interest. Now that wasn't something she had expected. Taking a seat next to Alys she wondered what they were going to be doing in order to learn about Sociopathy.

Would they be book learning? Would they be talking to a Sociopath in class? Or was the word not a lesson, but a warning? Ava didn't know but she was curious enough to sit still and wait for more information, a feat that was highly unusual for her.

Konig looked over the class for a few moments and said nothing, letting them sweat. Without a word he took a chair from a desk and put it in front of the class. Sitting down in front of the class, very casually, Konig looked at them without blinking,

"Who can tell me what a sociopath is?"

"Who can tell me what a sociopath is?"

Just the way he asked the question made Alys shiver and the definition of the term came to her as the Lehrer stared unblinkingly at the class. Alys wondered how many points she would lose if she raised her hand and answered "The Sweeney". And that would be the least of her worried if the potion mistress found out what she had said.

"Someone who lacks moral judgement, works for selfish gains, disregards all laws and has a violent and aggressive nature," she tried, hoping the teacher would at least blink and become less creepy.

Ava thought she might know, it wasn't a medical definition, but the general concept she felt comfortable enough to answer. "I think a sociopath is either someone who has no sense of right or wrong, or if they do chooses to ignore it. They don't care what kind of damage their words or actions cause, though some do derive pleasure from watching others react to them."

Avangeline didn't think that was a bad answer, she only hoped it was complete enough to be correct.

Lukas sat quietly on the bench behind the girls. He had come in early and settled without a word. His mind did not wonder about the question at all or how they are going to learn this topic. He didn't know what sociopathy was and he didn't know how a sociopath was, frankly speaking if he knew the answers he would be the one teaching.

He looked on to the lehrer as he waited for him to respond to the girls' answers and explain in depth about sociopathy. If the girl's answers were any bit true he might learn a thing or two more about the Sweeney. Finding the last passing thought pleasing his lips curved into a small smile but only momentarily so as not to lose his concentration completely.

Konig continued to play his mind games with the students, having cast a silent spell that meant he didn't have to blink. He stared at both girl as they answered, not saying which one of them was right, or if they were both right. He noticed the boy, Lukas, smiled slightly at something, seemingly his own thoughts. He looked emotionlessly at Alys and Avangeline,

"You both have correct points." he told them eventually, "A sociopath is someone who is aware of the moral perceptions of right and wrong but feels no attachment to them. A sociopath is, in a very simplified manner of speaking, selfish. They look only inwards."

He slowly began to smirk,

"Can anyone tell me if we have a sociopath as a member of staff here at Durmstrang?"

From the way the Lehrer was speaking, Alys rather thought he was a bit of a sociopath but saying that to his face would bode well for no one. Had he guessed that she was thinking of the Sweeney when she answered? Alys remembered seeing this teacher (or was it his twin?) at the welcome dance with the potion mistress. Did that mean it was okay to call her a sociopath in front of him?

"T-The Sweeney," she almost whispered, regretting it the second the words were out of her mouth.

Avangeline was sure this teacher was baiting them a little, no wizard could avoid blinking for that long without aid. She held her head up and answered, if the Sweeney didn't scare her, he didn't, at least not yet.

"There is no way of knowing who is and who isn't, sociopathy can be hidden, or simply overlooked, if the person in question doesn't want you to know. After all a person who doesn't care what is right or wrong makes an excellent liar. Also erratic, and violent behavior are not only symptoms of sociopathy so if someone is displaying them it could be a number of different things."

Lukas took his own sweet time and let the girls speak first. When they were done he raised his hand and stood up, not waiting for the permission.

"Well lehrer, I have not spent too much time with all the staff members closely yet so I am not sure which one is actually a sociopath. However, the closest person I can think of according to the description the girls gave is lehrer Drake." He sat down swiftly as he finished saying.

It was best to be as diplomatically correct and polite as possible, he thought.