hogwarts subjects a-d
ancient runes
Sure, every new year at Hogwarts brings a fresh wave of faces. You’ve got an entire year of first years, and perhaps some new staff and faculty changes. This year was no different, with seven new faces joining the Staff Table. We had the pleasure of getting to know Professor Carmine Beryl, not only as our Ancient Runes Professor, but also as our Healer. Some of the things studied during Ancient Runes under Professor Beryl were exploring our personalities and corresponding runes, and of course, plenty of time spent runecasting. I sought out or busy Professor/Healer to ask her some questions.
Hello Professor Beryl, thank you for taking some time out of your day for this interview. To get it started, for those of us who perhaps didn’t take Ancient Runes this year or visit the Hospital Wing, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Well you've given away the parts everyone should know - I'm the new healer at Hogwarts and as one of my specialty areas is runic magic, I've also taken the post of Ancient Runes professor this term. Prior to this I was the head healer for Contagious Diseases at St Mungos, and taught various healing and rune-related topics at Wizarding University, at various campuses. I have a raven who you'll often see in my office or with me in lessons, his name is Valetudo. I also have six children, two are grown, two are teenagers, and two are due to start school next term.
That sounds like a nice big family. What came first for you as a passion - healing or runes?
Healing came first, and when I began looking into different healing methodology, I found runic healing and plant-based healing to be the most interesting to me - essentially magical healing methods that don't necessarily rely on the presence of a wand. As a society many of us have become so reliant on our wands that we forget to look elsewhere and develop our latent magic skills beyond the wand. I find it unfortunate as many students who do not do well with casting spells with their wand are very talented with other means but are often not exposed to the options as many of the more obscure magical disciplines have fallen out of favour.
That's true, there's usually a big emphasis on using our wands for a lot of things, so those classes we don't use them generally feel a little... out of sorts for those of us who reply heavily on wand magic. Speaking of runes and plants, if you could only use one rune, and one aspect of healing, what would it be and why?
Exactly why I encourage students to explore the wider magical world instead of closing themselves off to more obscure academic pursuits. I'm sorry to disappoint, my dear, but I am afraid I could never choose just one. As a healer, having multiple tools in my arsenal is of utmost importance. I could not pick something that might, say, help someone with broken bones, and find myself unable to help someone who might have more cerebral injuries for instance.
Well you have a point there. Did you find a change of setting from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade challenging for your healing and teaching?
Not so much for me, but for many of the students in my care, yes.
And finally, is there one piece of runic advice you can give your students that wish to better their studies?
As with anything, practice is fundamental. With runes in particular, you need to practice your intuitive understanding of each rune, and pay attention to the ones you find yourself most drawn to.
Hello Professor Beryl, thank you for taking some time out of your day for this interview. To get it started, for those of us who perhaps didn’t take Ancient Runes this year or visit the Hospital Wing, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Well you've given away the parts everyone should know - I'm the new healer at Hogwarts and as one of my specialty areas is runic magic, I've also taken the post of Ancient Runes professor this term. Prior to this I was the head healer for Contagious Diseases at St Mungos, and taught various healing and rune-related topics at Wizarding University, at various campuses. I have a raven who you'll often see in my office or with me in lessons, his name is Valetudo. I also have six children, two are grown, two are teenagers, and two are due to start school next term.
That sounds like a nice big family. What came first for you as a passion - healing or runes?
Healing came first, and when I began looking into different healing methodology, I found runic healing and plant-based healing to be the most interesting to me - essentially magical healing methods that don't necessarily rely on the presence of a wand. As a society many of us have become so reliant on our wands that we forget to look elsewhere and develop our latent magic skills beyond the wand. I find it unfortunate as many students who do not do well with casting spells with their wand are very talented with other means but are often not exposed to the options as many of the more obscure magical disciplines have fallen out of favour.
That's true, there's usually a big emphasis on using our wands for a lot of things, so those classes we don't use them generally feel a little... out of sorts for those of us who reply heavily on wand magic. Speaking of runes and plants, if you could only use one rune, and one aspect of healing, what would it be and why?
Exactly why I encourage students to explore the wider magical world instead of closing themselves off to more obscure academic pursuits. I'm sorry to disappoint, my dear, but I am afraid I could never choose just one. As a healer, having multiple tools in my arsenal is of utmost importance. I could not pick something that might, say, help someone with broken bones, and find myself unable to help someone who might have more cerebral injuries for instance.
Well you have a point there. Did you find a change of setting from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade challenging for your healing and teaching?
Not so much for me, but for many of the students in my care, yes.
And finally, is there one piece of runic advice you can give your students that wish to better their studies?
As with anything, practice is fundamental. With runes in particular, you need to practice your intuitive understanding of each rune, and pay attention to the ones you find yourself most drawn to.
arithmancy
It was unanimous: Professor Sissay’s first Arithmancy class was just WAY too early in the day, even for those who liked working with the numbers. Though this didn’t stop some from asking about the strange assortment of objects on the professor’s desk. Among said objects were tiny animated elephants (in an equally tiny enclosure to ensure they remained on the desk), leather coin purses, flutterby bushes (presumably borrowed from Professor Sutton), broken clocks and muggle joysticks (an object that looks sort of like a stick that pivots on a base that muggles use to control such things as video games, airplanes, cranes and wheelchairs). See? Peculiar. And don’t dare call such things junk either, as Eloise Fairfield found out the hard way, being assigned an essay on the word. But before she revealed the purpose of the assortment of objects on her desk, Professor Sissay had a question of her own for the gathered students: what are some uses of Arithmancy that you have heard of?
Most stuck with the rather typical responses of predicting the future or figuring people’s heart, life path and etc. numbers and personalities (snore). Honestly, the assortment of answers didn’t start improving until Aaron Botros replied with cursebreaking, which, how did so many of you forget about that one? Pretty obvious, it was. As was probability, mentioned by yours truly and Hanna Newton’s answer of wandmaking. And no, Eiji Rasting, your eye rolling hadn’t gone completely unnoticed, though it was almost completely agreed with.
Anyway, the topic of the lesson was eventually revealed to be Arithmalethilogy, or an introduction to it, anyway. Basically, it’s a branch of Arithmancy that reveals the very essence of whatever (though, not whoever) you’re trying to analyze. The spell we needed to learn to begin this analysis? Emfanizo Arithmou, otherwise known as The Number Revealing Charm, which would give one the numbers they needed, in the form of smoke, to put this branch into use. Pretty cool, huh? Just make sure to jot down the numbers quickly, since they won’t stick around for long! This is where the objects on the professor’s desk came in, as we were to practice the spell on them. A task that went rather smoothly, with one Lucas Dakest even naming the elephant he’d chosen Dani. Of course, we had to interpret what the numbers were trying to tell us about our object too, starting interestingly with the fourth digit over or middle digit. Something that wasn’t nearly as hard as might sound in practice. Anyway, class ended without any major incidents and we even got to keep our objects when we were done!
The next lesson we had with Professor Sissay took place right before winter holidays. And boy was the room chilly when one entered. Not that everyone wasn’t use to chillier temperatures, thanks to the weather outside. It was just quite a change from the usual warming charms and whatnot. The reason for all this though was quite obvious if one just paid attention to the front of the room, for there sat a good-sized ice sculpture. Yeah, ice sculptures and warming charms don’t mix, folks. Though, that wasn’t the only thing that was different about the room. Almost directly behind that was a mini (but no less impressive) waterfall*, not to mention the clouds overhead making some wonder if perhaps they should’ve brought an umbrella. Or perhaps hug the professor so she’d make them go away? Was that the reasoning behind one Józef Kowalski walking up and hugging Professor Sissay? The world may never know.
The subject of the lesson was soon revealed to be water as the professor asked the class for the properties of the element** and why it was so essential for life. Which got better answers than the lead off question for last lesson, as Eniola Abara replied that it was used for transportation, by both muggles and wizards; Tina Dantes answered with hydroelectricity (a type of energy that muggles use to power their homes and businesses) and so on. Just very good answers all around. Then came the hard part: trying to figure out exactly which numbers one would get if they cast the number-revealing charm on water. Which, although there were good points raised by the likes of both Nina Castillo and yours truly (causing a slight bit of tension that we won’t go into here), nobody had gotten it correct. It turns out that whenever you cast the number-revealing charm on any state of water, it gives you completely different numbers every time. Huh. Why, you ask? Because the elements** can’t be analyzed.
Anyway, to finish out the lesson, Professor Sissay siphoned the water from the ice sculpture, waterfall and clouds and used it to form ‘water demons’ in a rather impressive display of magic. The point? The class was going to play a little game of dodge water. The water demons would chase the students around the room, throwing water, and the students remaining dry at the end would get to turn in a shorter essay next class. Of course, heating spells, freezing charms and anything else that could be thought of could be used to avoid the things (just no fire), just to make things fairer. The winners? It seems to have been Tina Dantes and Anahera Webb. And that wraps up Arithmancy for the term!
*It is not recommended that you chase waterfalls, just stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.
**It should be noted that this doesn’t refer to the Periodic Table of Elements (of which water definitely is not one), but the Classical Elements of Ancient Greece which are Water, Air, Earth and Fire.
Most stuck with the rather typical responses of predicting the future or figuring people’s heart, life path and etc. numbers and personalities (snore). Honestly, the assortment of answers didn’t start improving until Aaron Botros replied with cursebreaking, which, how did so many of you forget about that one? Pretty obvious, it was. As was probability, mentioned by yours truly and Hanna Newton’s answer of wandmaking. And no, Eiji Rasting, your eye rolling hadn’t gone completely unnoticed, though it was almost completely agreed with.
Anyway, the topic of the lesson was eventually revealed to be Arithmalethilogy, or an introduction to it, anyway. Basically, it’s a branch of Arithmancy that reveals the very essence of whatever (though, not whoever) you’re trying to analyze. The spell we needed to learn to begin this analysis? Emfanizo Arithmou, otherwise known as The Number Revealing Charm, which would give one the numbers they needed, in the form of smoke, to put this branch into use. Pretty cool, huh? Just make sure to jot down the numbers quickly, since they won’t stick around for long! This is where the objects on the professor’s desk came in, as we were to practice the spell on them. A task that went rather smoothly, with one Lucas Dakest even naming the elephant he’d chosen Dani. Of course, we had to interpret what the numbers were trying to tell us about our object too, starting interestingly with the fourth digit over or middle digit. Something that wasn’t nearly as hard as might sound in practice. Anyway, class ended without any major incidents and we even got to keep our objects when we were done!
The next lesson we had with Professor Sissay took place right before winter holidays. And boy was the room chilly when one entered. Not that everyone wasn’t use to chillier temperatures, thanks to the weather outside. It was just quite a change from the usual warming charms and whatnot. The reason for all this though was quite obvious if one just paid attention to the front of the room, for there sat a good-sized ice sculpture. Yeah, ice sculptures and warming charms don’t mix, folks. Though, that wasn’t the only thing that was different about the room. Almost directly behind that was a mini (but no less impressive) waterfall*, not to mention the clouds overhead making some wonder if perhaps they should’ve brought an umbrella. Or perhaps hug the professor so she’d make them go away? Was that the reasoning behind one Józef Kowalski walking up and hugging Professor Sissay? The world may never know.
The subject of the lesson was soon revealed to be water as the professor asked the class for the properties of the element** and why it was so essential for life. Which got better answers than the lead off question for last lesson, as Eniola Abara replied that it was used for transportation, by both muggles and wizards; Tina Dantes answered with hydroelectricity (a type of energy that muggles use to power their homes and businesses) and so on. Just very good answers all around. Then came the hard part: trying to figure out exactly which numbers one would get if they cast the number-revealing charm on water. Which, although there were good points raised by the likes of both Nina Castillo and yours truly (causing a slight bit of tension that we won’t go into here), nobody had gotten it correct. It turns out that whenever you cast the number-revealing charm on any state of water, it gives you completely different numbers every time. Huh. Why, you ask? Because the elements** can’t be analyzed.
Anyway, to finish out the lesson, Professor Sissay siphoned the water from the ice sculpture, waterfall and clouds and used it to form ‘water demons’ in a rather impressive display of magic. The point? The class was going to play a little game of dodge water. The water demons would chase the students around the room, throwing water, and the students remaining dry at the end would get to turn in a shorter essay next class. Of course, heating spells, freezing charms and anything else that could be thought of could be used to avoid the things (just no fire), just to make things fairer. The winners? It seems to have been Tina Dantes and Anahera Webb. And that wraps up Arithmancy for the term!
*It is not recommended that you chase waterfalls, just stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.
**It should be noted that this doesn’t refer to the Periodic Table of Elements (of which water definitely is not one), but the Classical Elements of Ancient Greece which are Water, Air, Earth and Fire.
astronomy
We all bid our farewell to former Astronomy professor, Mr. Kennedy, and welcomed the ever-so spirited Professor Simran Sandhu. A former Gryffindor herself, Professor Sandhu is no stranger to the antics and dramatics of Hogwarts and its students. You’ve probably heard of that one saying that goes “age is just a number.” Our parents would tell us otherwise. Some Gryffindor first year would use it to justify their clownery. But age has nothing on our Astronomy professor as she made lessons this term truly fun and interactive. We spun pendulums like a lasso during that one seminar on the scientific method, and also lassoed (or rather, orbited) ourselves around by using the Orbit-Focusing Charm while on the topic of Kepler’s Laws. The incantation is Creare Orbis, by the way, you’re welcome. While our dearest professor wasn’t busy planning for her next lessons and grading our lengthy essays—assuming she didn’t forget to assign us homework after class, you know—I had the loveliest opportunity to sit with Professor Sandhu and ask her some of the questions I’ve been dying to have answered about Astronomy.
Hey, Professor Sandhu! Thanks a bunch for agreeing to this interview with me! First things first, I’m the realest. Okay, I’m just kidding. But really—firstly—what’s up, Professor?
Drop this and let the whole world feel it, Miss Jarvis. I haven't been interviewed since I retired, it's very exciting, I must say! Would you like some tea? I've got a lovely new rose hip and hibiscus tea that I've been dying to try. I'm afraid that's all that's up with me, aside from grading all your papers and hoping that the lot of you don't fail your end-of-years.
Wha—you know that song? Wait, sorry, anyway. How does it feel like to be back teaching, especially younger kids?
Let's just say it was a large departure from what I'm used to. In my previous universities, there were much larger halls, and projection screens, and nobody really expected you to be interesting. It was just a bonus if you were. Here, you lot keep me on my toes, and I like that. I have far more freedom with the lesson plan, since I don't have to cram hours worth of self-study into a single lecture. Not to mention that being around so many people who are still excited about life and learning really does inject you with that same joy. It's very pleasant, you could say. Very different, but I certainly don't regret coming out of retirement for it. I do miss my great-granddaughter, though. I'm told she's babbling constantly these days.
A follow-up question! Now…like, right now, would you prefer teaching or researching for Astronomy, and why?
Like, right now, I think I much prefer teaching. I was very research-oriented when I was younger, and that deprived me of a lot of human interaction. I learned the hard way that being around the same type of people every day can make one rather cranky. And I'm really quite too old to be heading to clubs to meet people -- worked for meeting my husband, but I really don't think it'd be as effective anymore. Not to mention that teaching isn't quite what most students think it is. Often, I feel like I learn more from you than you do from me. Sometimes a student explains how they conceptualized an idea as I'm doing a remedial lesson, and it's so brilliantly intuitive that I start explaining it that way myself. I do miss being actively involved in research, though. It was always fun, knowing you're on the brink of something potentially earth-shatteringly amazing.
Earth-shattering. I love that word. I’ll use it one day. Anyhow, what would you say was your favourite lesson to teach this term and why so?
I love teaching all of you, dear, and it's difficult to pick favourites. I enjoy teaching theory and encouraging thought processes that challenge the norms at the time, but to pick one? That's asking me to choose a favourite tea. Lucky for you, I do have a favourite tea. If I had to pick one, I'd say it was the seminar lesson I did on Kepler's Laws. I'm not sure why I tagged whoever it was I tagged, but the whole lesson devolved into CHAOS and it was amazing! It even got Drewett Gunter to tag me. Talk about miracles.
It was Nina Castillo, I remember! That was a super coolio lesson, too. I still have so many questions to ask, but I’ve only got one last chance! So, professor, tell me...what happens if we fly towards the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning?
I failed astronaut training, my dear, so I can't tell you for certain. I do believe it should bring you to Neverland, though. You just have to hold on to your inner child, and tell the world to go fly a kite if it tells you that cynicism is necessary for survival.
Hey, Professor Sandhu! Thanks a bunch for agreeing to this interview with me! First things first, I’m the realest. Okay, I’m just kidding. But really—firstly—what’s up, Professor?
Drop this and let the whole world feel it, Miss Jarvis. I haven't been interviewed since I retired, it's very exciting, I must say! Would you like some tea? I've got a lovely new rose hip and hibiscus tea that I've been dying to try. I'm afraid that's all that's up with me, aside from grading all your papers and hoping that the lot of you don't fail your end-of-years.
Wha—you know that song? Wait, sorry, anyway. How does it feel like to be back teaching, especially younger kids?
Let's just say it was a large departure from what I'm used to. In my previous universities, there were much larger halls, and projection screens, and nobody really expected you to be interesting. It was just a bonus if you were. Here, you lot keep me on my toes, and I like that. I have far more freedom with the lesson plan, since I don't have to cram hours worth of self-study into a single lecture. Not to mention that being around so many people who are still excited about life and learning really does inject you with that same joy. It's very pleasant, you could say. Very different, but I certainly don't regret coming out of retirement for it. I do miss my great-granddaughter, though. I'm told she's babbling constantly these days.
A follow-up question! Now…like, right now, would you prefer teaching or researching for Astronomy, and why?
Like, right now, I think I much prefer teaching. I was very research-oriented when I was younger, and that deprived me of a lot of human interaction. I learned the hard way that being around the same type of people every day can make one rather cranky. And I'm really quite too old to be heading to clubs to meet people -- worked for meeting my husband, but I really don't think it'd be as effective anymore. Not to mention that teaching isn't quite what most students think it is. Often, I feel like I learn more from you than you do from me. Sometimes a student explains how they conceptualized an idea as I'm doing a remedial lesson, and it's so brilliantly intuitive that I start explaining it that way myself. I do miss being actively involved in research, though. It was always fun, knowing you're on the brink of something potentially earth-shatteringly amazing.
Earth-shattering. I love that word. I’ll use it one day. Anyhow, what would you say was your favourite lesson to teach this term and why so?
I love teaching all of you, dear, and it's difficult to pick favourites. I enjoy teaching theory and encouraging thought processes that challenge the norms at the time, but to pick one? That's asking me to choose a favourite tea. Lucky for you, I do have a favourite tea. If I had to pick one, I'd say it was the seminar lesson I did on Kepler's Laws. I'm not sure why I tagged whoever it was I tagged, but the whole lesson devolved into CHAOS and it was amazing! It even got Drewett Gunter to tag me. Talk about miracles.
It was Nina Castillo, I remember! That was a super coolio lesson, too. I still have so many questions to ask, but I’ve only got one last chance! So, professor, tell me...what happens if we fly towards the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning?
I failed astronaut training, my dear, so I can't tell you for certain. I do believe it should bring you to Neverland, though. You just have to hold on to your inner child, and tell the world to go fly a kite if it tells you that cynicism is necessary for survival.
care of magical creatures
Professor Grant Cornish took the Care of Magical Creatures stand after Professor Wayland left. With decent sized shoes to fill, it’s safe to say the Airstream dwelling, board short wearing, easy going bloke-of-sorts replaced those shoes with even larger flip flop sandals.
One of the first lessons from Cornish began with him reminding all students that they are, in fact, NOT the center of the universe, and that, biologically, there is so much more to the world than we may pay attention to. We are, though, probably the loudest part of the universe. It gave us all a moment to reflect and think of the creatures that we share a home with - from the giant squid in the lake and the acromantulas in the forest, to the plants we step on every day and the tiny bowtruckles that watch us from the cracks in the trees. After Cornish gave a depressing scenario involving plant fertilizer that ends up killing everything in the lake, the lesson reminded us that we are all part of a very delicate and dependent system in which every part is necessary to keep the world turning - even the weeds and the spiders. After the class discussion, the class split up and participated in four different activities that would help support the ecosystem of the Hogwarts Grounds: 1) pick up trash, 2) collect water and soil samples for testing, 3) make new homes for snail repopulation, and 4) rescue and untangle plympies from the lake.
Later on in the school year, as the ever mysterious mist began creeping up to the castle, Cornish decided to keep things interesting and hold a lesson in no other room than the Slytherin Common Room, giving the three other houses their own look into the dark, damp room that they were probably glad to leave toward the end of the lesson. The view into the lake is cool, but the common room is an acquired taste for some. The discussion of the ecosystem continued in this lesson and turned specifically to the merpeople that take residence in the lake at Hogwarts. Merpeople, interestingly enough, are classified as beasts - which is the same category that holds unicorns and flobberworms, whereas beings, like us, include giants and hags. It’s a weird system - one that apparently pushes some of Cornish’s buttons. But of course, a lesson wouldn’t be complete without Eiji Rasting making some sort of “my-grandpa-is-the-minister-of-magic” flex! Thankfully soon after, mermaids appeared to the windows and gave the students a good look at their strange beauty. While mermaids never seem to appear very happy, they did seem to be a little put off by the mist as well. While it didn’t seep into their waters, it did block the sun from warming their lake. What a conveniently timed lesson on the ecosystem!
Even though the grounds and much of the creature areas had been taken over by the mist, Cornish brought in interesting and valuable lessons. Who knew merpeople liked Taylor Swift? And on that note - how much did Cornish have to pay them to make them hang out with a bunch of pimply Hogwarts students? Food for thought.
One of the first lessons from Cornish began with him reminding all students that they are, in fact, NOT the center of the universe, and that, biologically, there is so much more to the world than we may pay attention to. We are, though, probably the loudest part of the universe. It gave us all a moment to reflect and think of the creatures that we share a home with - from the giant squid in the lake and the acromantulas in the forest, to the plants we step on every day and the tiny bowtruckles that watch us from the cracks in the trees. After Cornish gave a depressing scenario involving plant fertilizer that ends up killing everything in the lake, the lesson reminded us that we are all part of a very delicate and dependent system in which every part is necessary to keep the world turning - even the weeds and the spiders. After the class discussion, the class split up and participated in four different activities that would help support the ecosystem of the Hogwarts Grounds: 1) pick up trash, 2) collect water and soil samples for testing, 3) make new homes for snail repopulation, and 4) rescue and untangle plympies from the lake.
Later on in the school year, as the ever mysterious mist began creeping up to the castle, Cornish decided to keep things interesting and hold a lesson in no other room than the Slytherin Common Room, giving the three other houses their own look into the dark, damp room that they were probably glad to leave toward the end of the lesson. The view into the lake is cool, but the common room is an acquired taste for some. The discussion of the ecosystem continued in this lesson and turned specifically to the merpeople that take residence in the lake at Hogwarts. Merpeople, interestingly enough, are classified as beasts - which is the same category that holds unicorns and flobberworms, whereas beings, like us, include giants and hags. It’s a weird system - one that apparently pushes some of Cornish’s buttons. But of course, a lesson wouldn’t be complete without Eiji Rasting making some sort of “my-grandpa-is-the-minister-of-magic” flex! Thankfully soon after, mermaids appeared to the windows and gave the students a good look at their strange beauty. While mermaids never seem to appear very happy, they did seem to be a little put off by the mist as well. While it didn’t seep into their waters, it did block the sun from warming their lake. What a conveniently timed lesson on the ecosystem!
Even though the grounds and much of the creature areas had been taken over by the mist, Cornish brought in interesting and valuable lessons. Who knew merpeople liked Taylor Swift? And on that note - how much did Cornish have to pay them to make them hang out with a bunch of pimply Hogwarts students? Food for thought.
charms
Charms wasn’t always charming, yknow? But Professor Fuller-Thompson’s made a big, huge, gigantic, incredible, vast difference. Let me tell you about this one lesson in February, it was really great. The professor sat us down with these small wooden boxes on our desks. From the chalkboard it was clear, we’d be learning the pi-vi-tol art of anti-theft charms. It’s a core class so naturally everyone shows up, everyone but the ghosts and the professors- D’you ever wonder if the ghosts miss lessons? I wouldn’t- anyway. Anti-Theft Magic, it comes in a few different forms but what did we know about it (the professor was curious)? Avalon Sinclaire was all “Anti-theft magic prevents things being summoned.” and then Aaron Botros was like “all my most valuable items are protected by moleskin.” kinda on the nose, there. Anyway, we were learning about anti-summoning charms after that and I… Kind of lost track of things. The spell goes Non Vaco Furtum, you tap the object twice and boom! Non-summon-able. After Term's end, I caught up properly with the Charms Professor for some follow-ups.
Hey Professor. Last time I saw you we were evacuating. How have you been since then?
Much better, much better. Not running for my life, for one. I'm glad the term is over. I'm excited to see my dogs again, really.
I think everyone feels that way, real quick- What's an under-utilized Charm, in your opinion? I know Alohamora is a crowd-pleaser, but what about those special little spells you can't use every day?
That's a good question, let me think... You know, I'm a big fan of the expansion charm - undetectable, of course. Sometimes pockets just aren't big enough on their own.
I only just recently found out you taught here before- wild, what made you leave in the first place? And what brought you back- was it the food? the danger? blackmail?
Yeah, I did. No, I actually got married and my husband and I, who also worked here at the time, decided that we were going to start a family. We decided to have a child via surrogate, so Javy, my husband, left Hogwarts first to prepare and I left the following year when our son was born so we could both raise him at home. As for why I came back... They asked and I couldn't say no. Our son is 13 now, so I have the time again to do what I really love - and that is teaching. Although I really did enjoy my short retirement.
This term was really tough on a lot of us, like- you guys and us students. I've heard people say we should just move on, use a cheering charm or two- is this as bad an idea as I think it is? If I recall correctly... cheering charms shouldn't be messed with like that, and neither should your mental health. You opened a lesson last term with meditation, I remember that feeling really good.
Cheering charms... can be helpful, on occasion, and when used in moderation. But nothing really helps a person cope with heavy stuff like this more than really just talking to somebody - whether that's a friend, a family member, a mentor, or even a professional. Everybody deals with hard things in different ways, but avoiding it and using cheering charms to mask the real emotions you might be feeling can ultimately be extremely harmful.
Lol, that was... heavy. Can we end this with singing the school song?
Ha... uh, no, but I'll give you a high five.
defense against the dark arts
Headmaster and Professor Malachi Trent returned for his second year in both positions and didn’t disappoint. Ever with an air of mystery, the students are either in love with him or scared of him - both of which usually means they follow his instructions. It’s safe to say that walking in the DADA classroom or the Dueling Arena, you may not know what to expect, other than knowing that you’ll come out smarter and stronger. And perhaps more scared.
One of the first lessons of the school year brought the students into a white, padded room - frightening really, and perhaps in some of our nightmares. While some of the students seemed nervous as they entered the room, Trent seemed to grow even more excited by the second. Class began with a discussion on silence, focusing on the fact that said padded room was soundproof. Quiet enough to hear the hair rising on the back of the student’s necks, no doubt. But while students hoped for an in depth lesson on casting nonverbal spells, Trent had a young teenagers’ worst nightmare in mind - DODGEBALL. And not just regular dodgeball - no, BLINDFOLDED dodgeball, because it’s totally fair to blindfold the person you’re going to be chucking foam balls at. While some students probably enjoyed the opportunity, others (the more delicate kind) did their best not to hurt their blindfolded partners. Soon, though, it was over and no one lost any blood, and thankfully, the discussion returned to nonverbal spells, which somehow was related to an unfair game of dodgeball. Now, just when the students thought the object lesson was over, the Headmaster revealed some terrifying creatures chained up to a wall - part of an actual nightmare - that react (read: attack) at any sound. The class ended with a final, terrifying activity of silently transporting balls (charmed to sound loudly when dropped) into a basket across the room without disturbing or provoking the creatures. And then, to make matters worse, Trent got rid of the chains on the creatures, setting them free to roam around and listen for their afternoon snack.
Jeez, does anyone miss Scrimgeour?
Thankfully, no one got eaten and Toddles the house elf came bursting into the room a big mess, which had Trent sending away the creatures at once so the poor wrinkly bloke wouldn’t get eaten. Toddles may be a bit dramatic, but I think everyone was grateful for his well-timed breakdown that day.
After taking a turn away from nonverbal magic, the Headmaster changed gears to a much lighter subject - dark wizards. The discussion began with a simple question, but what followed was an intense debate about what made a wizard dark - their actions or their beliefs and intentions? Some students argued that by some definition, Molly Weasley and other notable “good” witches and wizards could be called “dark” because of the spells they had used to defend their lives or the lives of loved ones. Following the discussion, the students then were led into an activity that had them creating their own wanted posters (currently taking bets on whose will be used in the future). The lesson ended with an activity in which students were able to interrogate a few different criminals and decide which one was the one considered to be “dark” - further proof that it’s not easy to pinpoint and it’s even harder to decipher people’s intentions.
One of the first lessons of the school year brought the students into a white, padded room - frightening really, and perhaps in some of our nightmares. While some of the students seemed nervous as they entered the room, Trent seemed to grow even more excited by the second. Class began with a discussion on silence, focusing on the fact that said padded room was soundproof. Quiet enough to hear the hair rising on the back of the student’s necks, no doubt. But while students hoped for an in depth lesson on casting nonverbal spells, Trent had a young teenagers’ worst nightmare in mind - DODGEBALL. And not just regular dodgeball - no, BLINDFOLDED dodgeball, because it’s totally fair to blindfold the person you’re going to be chucking foam balls at. While some students probably enjoyed the opportunity, others (the more delicate kind) did their best not to hurt their blindfolded partners. Soon, though, it was over and no one lost any blood, and thankfully, the discussion returned to nonverbal spells, which somehow was related to an unfair game of dodgeball. Now, just when the students thought the object lesson was over, the Headmaster revealed some terrifying creatures chained up to a wall - part of an actual nightmare - that react (read: attack) at any sound. The class ended with a final, terrifying activity of silently transporting balls (charmed to sound loudly when dropped) into a basket across the room without disturbing or provoking the creatures. And then, to make matters worse, Trent got rid of the chains on the creatures, setting them free to roam around and listen for their afternoon snack.
Jeez, does anyone miss Scrimgeour?
Thankfully, no one got eaten and Toddles the house elf came bursting into the room a big mess, which had Trent sending away the creatures at once so the poor wrinkly bloke wouldn’t get eaten. Toddles may be a bit dramatic, but I think everyone was grateful for his well-timed breakdown that day.
After taking a turn away from nonverbal magic, the Headmaster changed gears to a much lighter subject - dark wizards. The discussion began with a simple question, but what followed was an intense debate about what made a wizard dark - their actions or their beliefs and intentions? Some students argued that by some definition, Molly Weasley and other notable “good” witches and wizards could be called “dark” because of the spells they had used to defend their lives or the lives of loved ones. Following the discussion, the students then were led into an activity that had them creating their own wanted posters (currently taking bets on whose will be used in the future). The lesson ended with an activity in which students were able to interrogate a few different criminals and decide which one was the one considered to be “dark” - further proof that it’s not easy to pinpoint and it’s even harder to decipher people’s intentions.
divination
When it was announced prior to the start of the 2098-2099 school year that a centaur named Thereos would be taking up the mantel this year as Divination professor, many were surprised by the hiring choice. Centaurs are notorious for being well versed in the art of Divination, but it had been years since a centaur had taken up a position in the school. No one knew what would happen in classes that term - and boy, were they interesting to say the least.
The theme that was common among most of Thereos’ lessons was the connection to nature and creatures. That was why instead of the usual Divination tower, Thereos could be found teaching outside on the grounds. One lesson that stood out in particular was the lesson on dendromancy - which is essentially Divination using twigs and leaves to tell the future. Thereos employed the assistance of bowtruckles to help add a bit of excitement to the lesson. Additionally, the professor brought the whole class to a clearing sacred to the centaurs to help them appreciate nature and the harmony of the universe. Most students got out without a scratch - Kaiser did take a couple acorns to the head, and Rylee Prichard had a few of them take up residence in her head - but the lesson had to end abruptly once the bowtruckles showed just how unhappy they were about the disturbance. It was odd behavior, even for agitated bowtruckles, yet no one knew quite yet that it was a sign of even worse things to come.
Later in the year, Thereos brought in more creatures to help with his lesson on scatomancy, which is the study of Divination through the excrement of animals. Yes, you read that right - poop. Why the focus on animal excrement? Well, as Gunnar McCarthy said in class, animals and humans have the same basic needs. Our bodies all require sustenance - and a way to, ahem, relieve ourselves. For those who were able to set aside their squeamish stomachs, they got a chance to play with cute little nifflers and learn about a type of Divination that not many people are familiar with. Everything from the number of droppings to the shape and color could give you lots of insight in to your reading. Not only did all the students learn valuable new Divination skills, but it was an excuse to hang out with some truly amazing creatures! Some students, like Chloe McCarthy, really took the dainty fairies - others, like Nina Castillo, gravitated more towards the cute and cuddly nifflers! The mist had already taken over the Hogwarts grounds at this point, forcing the centaur to hold the lesson in the Room of Requirement, but the creatures made themselves at home nevertheless.
At the end of the term, Thereos made his exit. Just as mysteriously as he had came, he was gone once again. He was overheard telling Headmaster Trent during the End of Year Feast that he was headed back to his herd, which had been displaced due to the mist that continued to overtake the grounds. The centaurs were not immune to the mist, and just like the rest of the school, will have to wait until things have been taken care of before returning to their home in the Forbidden Forest. We wish Thereos and the rest of his herd the best of luck as the situation continues to unfold!
The theme that was common among most of Thereos’ lessons was the connection to nature and creatures. That was why instead of the usual Divination tower, Thereos could be found teaching outside on the grounds. One lesson that stood out in particular was the lesson on dendromancy - which is essentially Divination using twigs and leaves to tell the future. Thereos employed the assistance of bowtruckles to help add a bit of excitement to the lesson. Additionally, the professor brought the whole class to a clearing sacred to the centaurs to help them appreciate nature and the harmony of the universe. Most students got out without a scratch - Kaiser did take a couple acorns to the head, and Rylee Prichard had a few of them take up residence in her head - but the lesson had to end abruptly once the bowtruckles showed just how unhappy they were about the disturbance. It was odd behavior, even for agitated bowtruckles, yet no one knew quite yet that it was a sign of even worse things to come.
Later in the year, Thereos brought in more creatures to help with his lesson on scatomancy, which is the study of Divination through the excrement of animals. Yes, you read that right - poop. Why the focus on animal excrement? Well, as Gunnar McCarthy said in class, animals and humans have the same basic needs. Our bodies all require sustenance - and a way to, ahem, relieve ourselves. For those who were able to set aside their squeamish stomachs, they got a chance to play with cute little nifflers and learn about a type of Divination that not many people are familiar with. Everything from the number of droppings to the shape and color could give you lots of insight in to your reading. Not only did all the students learn valuable new Divination skills, but it was an excuse to hang out with some truly amazing creatures! Some students, like Chloe McCarthy, really took the dainty fairies - others, like Nina Castillo, gravitated more towards the cute and cuddly nifflers! The mist had already taken over the Hogwarts grounds at this point, forcing the centaur to hold the lesson in the Room of Requirement, but the creatures made themselves at home nevertheless.
At the end of the term, Thereos made his exit. Just as mysteriously as he had came, he was gone once again. He was overheard telling Headmaster Trent during the End of Year Feast that he was headed back to his herd, which had been displaced due to the mist that continued to overtake the grounds. The centaurs were not immune to the mist, and just like the rest of the school, will have to wait until things have been taken care of before returning to their home in the Forbidden Forest. We wish Thereos and the rest of his herd the best of luck as the situation continues to unfold!