Arithmancy
Imagine you’re going on a treasure hunt, which Hogwarts professors would you want to bring along? For their knowledge and wisdom of course. Not just their looks. Naturally, DADA Professor Hirsch would come in handy. Who else? Correct, Professor Tanner. How fortunate that those two decided to do a joint lesson this term. While Arithmancy might not be the first subject that comes to mind when thinking about breaking curses, it turns out that it IS in fact quite useful. In the real world one might come across a cursed object once in a while – at least when you’re in the treasure hunting business apparently. No matter the reason why the cursed object is encountered, the problem remains that knowing that it is cursed and knowing how to break said curse are two completely separate things. Now, the way to figure out just what kind of curse has been placed on the desired object is with the help of….DING! Arithmancy. After teaching the class the correct spell (Arithmos Revelio Scindo) to use on the curse – yes, the curse itself, not the object – Professor Tanner proceeded to show how to interpret the numerical equivalents of the curse’s four parts: Basis (what or who it affects), Kernel (what it does), Range (what triggers it) and Cline (what kind of spell it is and its severity). Once the curse has been identified, you can move on to the “easy” part and find a way to break the curse before it breaks you. However, THAT is still Professor Hirsch’s job.
With the knowledge of the previous lesson on curse-breaking, the students were consequently asked to apply it in real life. Or within a classroom setting at least. In the course of the next lesson each student was assigned a cursed object that contained Honeydukes sweets – there’s really no better motivation to get inside a cursed object without killing yourself than that, is there? In the end there were only a few cursed students but the provided antidote was quick to alleviate any real signs of pain or discomfort. All in all, a successful lesson. Nobody died, most students got sweets. This unfortunately also brings Professor Tanner’s time as a Hogwarts professor to an end. She has taught us many things, both numerical and Quidditch…ical. Maybe she hasn’t taught us how to break a curse exactly but at least how to identify the curse we’re about to be hit with. Thank you for an amazing nine years at Hogwarts and six of them as Arithmancy professor!
With the knowledge of the previous lesson on curse-breaking, the students were consequently asked to apply it in real life. Or within a classroom setting at least. In the course of the next lesson each student was assigned a cursed object that contained Honeydukes sweets – there’s really no better motivation to get inside a cursed object without killing yourself than that, is there? In the end there were only a few cursed students but the provided antidote was quick to alleviate any real signs of pain or discomfort. All in all, a successful lesson. Nobody died, most students got sweets. This unfortunately also brings Professor Tanner’s time as a Hogwarts professor to an end. She has taught us many things, both numerical and Quidditch…ical. Maybe she hasn’t taught us how to break a curse exactly but at least how to identify the curse we’re about to be hit with. Thank you for an amazing nine years at Hogwarts and six of them as Arithmancy professor!
Astronomy
One of the longest standing members of the current faculty, Professor Airey Flamsteed has been Hogwarts' Astronomy professor for the past eleven years. He is known for his eccentricities, his rambunctious Gryffindor nature, and unorthodox, but nevertheless efficient, teaching practices, not to mention his impeccable suits, a certain fondness for lint rollers, the occasional outburst of singing, and his ever-present companion, Pebbles the rock. Students of Hogwarts can always count on Professor Flamsteed's lessons to be fun-filled, action-packed, and highly eventful, and remain confident in the fact that they will leave the classroom having always learnt something.
As students stepped into one of those Astronomy classes this term, they found that an apple - that was not to be eaten - had been placed on each and every one of the desks. Due to the unfortunate tendency of some Hogwarts professors lacing food and drink with potions, most (but not all; looking at you, Zeke Browne) were quite happy to comply with this instruction. Class soon commenced with a discussion on the universal truths about apples, but before long there came an interruption in the form of the ghost of the Astronomy Tower, Marion Burbage. Burbage, an old Astronomy professor herself, created quite the commotion - calling Sir Isaac Newton AND Professor Flamsteed both 'studmuffins', revealing some interesting information regarding Flamsteed's new tattoo, and going so far as to revealing the professor had a newly born daughter - before taking up the class lecture herself and focusing on gravity. Professor Flamsteed, all worked up by the invasion of his personal life, quickly attempted to take back control of the class, but was soon lying flat on his back in a heap, after slipping on an apple that had been cast away by Ravenclaw third year, Daxton Prince. But Airey Flamsteed is nothing if not determined and, as always, the show had to go on.
After righting himself, he introduced the class to an advanced spell - Derivo Gravitatem - which influences the air molecules around an object in order to make it 'fly', or rather, to nullify the effect of gravity around it. After the class had practiced the spell, with no major disasters having occurred, it was on to the class activity. Professor Flamsteed revealed a large number of balloons in the house colours, floating by the ceiling of the room, and a layer of darts hovering some distance beneath them. Using the spell, students were to sent their apples up to hit the darts, which would then be propelled upwards, with a view to popping balloons that belonged to the other houses, in a bid to be the last house standing. By the time class was over, Slytherin and Gryffindor had been declared joint winners, followed by Hufflepuff, with Ravenclaw bringing up the rear.
Later in the term came a special lesson that was apparently close to Professor Flamsteed’s heart. At least, we would assume that he considers rocks to be close to his heart, given his usually stony-faced companion, Pebbles. The official topic of the lesson was shooting stars, and a discussion was kicked off with Professor Flamsteed asking exactly why it is illogical to wish on a shooting star. Meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites all featured as key points in this lesson, and after a short lecture, Professor Flamsteed revealed that there had, in fact, been a meteor shower the previous night, leaving numerous meteorites scattered about the grounds of Hogwarts. For the main activity, Flamsteed excitedly - with much grinning and arm waving - tasked the class with going out to find their very own space rock, hinting that the resulting souvenirs would come in handy for an upcoming assignment.
Shortly after his lesson on space rocks, Professor Flamsteed introduced an extra credit assignment, which involved his students taking care of their own pet rocks, using the detritus collected in the lesson. For the assignment, each student was essentially required to channel our very own Professor Flamsteed, and look after the pet rocks on a day-to-day basis. Going for walks, sharing a meal, showing the rocks what makes Hogwarts, and Earth, special. All in all, a very fitting activity for what turned out to be Professor Airey Flamsteed’s final long-term assignment... because he will not be back to teach next term. But Professor Flamsteed has left behind what can only be described as a legacy, here in the halls of our school, and in his eleven years of teaching at Hogwarts has inspired and helped countless students, who will never forget the impact he had on their lives. We wish you well, Admiral Flamsteed. Live long and prosper.
As students stepped into one of those Astronomy classes this term, they found that an apple - that was not to be eaten - had been placed on each and every one of the desks. Due to the unfortunate tendency of some Hogwarts professors lacing food and drink with potions, most (but not all; looking at you, Zeke Browne) were quite happy to comply with this instruction. Class soon commenced with a discussion on the universal truths about apples, but before long there came an interruption in the form of the ghost of the Astronomy Tower, Marion Burbage. Burbage, an old Astronomy professor herself, created quite the commotion - calling Sir Isaac Newton AND Professor Flamsteed both 'studmuffins', revealing some interesting information regarding Flamsteed's new tattoo, and going so far as to revealing the professor had a newly born daughter - before taking up the class lecture herself and focusing on gravity. Professor Flamsteed, all worked up by the invasion of his personal life, quickly attempted to take back control of the class, but was soon lying flat on his back in a heap, after slipping on an apple that had been cast away by Ravenclaw third year, Daxton Prince. But Airey Flamsteed is nothing if not determined and, as always, the show had to go on.
After righting himself, he introduced the class to an advanced spell - Derivo Gravitatem - which influences the air molecules around an object in order to make it 'fly', or rather, to nullify the effect of gravity around it. After the class had practiced the spell, with no major disasters having occurred, it was on to the class activity. Professor Flamsteed revealed a large number of balloons in the house colours, floating by the ceiling of the room, and a layer of darts hovering some distance beneath them. Using the spell, students were to sent their apples up to hit the darts, which would then be propelled upwards, with a view to popping balloons that belonged to the other houses, in a bid to be the last house standing. By the time class was over, Slytherin and Gryffindor had been declared joint winners, followed by Hufflepuff, with Ravenclaw bringing up the rear.
Later in the term came a special lesson that was apparently close to Professor Flamsteed’s heart. At least, we would assume that he considers rocks to be close to his heart, given his usually stony-faced companion, Pebbles. The official topic of the lesson was shooting stars, and a discussion was kicked off with Professor Flamsteed asking exactly why it is illogical to wish on a shooting star. Meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites all featured as key points in this lesson, and after a short lecture, Professor Flamsteed revealed that there had, in fact, been a meteor shower the previous night, leaving numerous meteorites scattered about the grounds of Hogwarts. For the main activity, Flamsteed excitedly - with much grinning and arm waving - tasked the class with going out to find their very own space rock, hinting that the resulting souvenirs would come in handy for an upcoming assignment.
Shortly after his lesson on space rocks, Professor Flamsteed introduced an extra credit assignment, which involved his students taking care of their own pet rocks, using the detritus collected in the lesson. For the assignment, each student was essentially required to channel our very own Professor Flamsteed, and look after the pet rocks on a day-to-day basis. Going for walks, sharing a meal, showing the rocks what makes Hogwarts, and Earth, special. All in all, a very fitting activity for what turned out to be Professor Airey Flamsteed’s final long-term assignment... because he will not be back to teach next term. But Professor Flamsteed has left behind what can only be described as a legacy, here in the halls of our school, and in his eleven years of teaching at Hogwarts has inspired and helped countless students, who will never forget the impact he had on their lives. We wish you well, Admiral Flamsteed. Live long and prosper.
Care of Magical Creatures
Much to the general student body’s chagrin Professor Draper’s fondness for punctuality was paired with an early morning 9am time slot for Care of Magical Creatures. How fun! While the usual location by the barn had been made more comfortable with heating charms in place for the first lesson of the term, Professor Draper also made sure not to make it too cozy or else some might be tempted to take a quick nap. To soften the blow, so to speak, the first lesson had the students take care of a very special – and cute and fuzzy and adorable – kind of magical creature: Crups. And no, not regular grown-up Crups. CRUPPIES. With the promise of being allowed to KEEP THEM afterwards – or well, formally adopt them from the animal shelter – this lesson was all about proper Crup Care. Who knew that there was a special Cruppy Toothpaste? After brushing their fur and teeth and bathing them, the students were instructed to first towel dry their Cruppy before using the Hot Air Charm on them. Interdisciplinary teaching at its finest! Aside from one adventurous Cruppy and a few soaked students (which, let’s be honest, is a great way to stay awake) the lesson appeared to have been a great success. Especially in finding a few of those Cruppies a new home.
What’s that saying? The early (9am, AGAIN!) bird catches the worm? Well, in this case it’s a Knarl. Or a hedgehog. Really, who knows the difference? Because honestly, who has spare food on them at all times? Nobody, exactly. In the second lesson the students learned that another way to figure out the difference between a mundane Muggle hedgehog and a magical Knarl is apparently the latter’s love for daisies. But once again, who has a field of daisies on them at all times? Exactly. Seeing as Knarls (and hedgehogs) are nocturnal creatures (which, if you wanted to attend this term’s CoMC lessons, you should not be) they have rather poor eyesight and thus, heavily rely on their other senses. To better understand the life of a Knarl (and possibly for Professor Draper’s own amusement) the students had to pair up; one was blindfolded while the other had to guide them through an obstacle course, only using their voice. No touching!
After two years of SAVING THE WORLD from EVIL – a group of rogue Nifflers as well as a child-eating hag this term, no big deal for someone like Professor Draper – James Draper has apparently found that the teaching life is not for him. This past term has been the last Professor Draper has graced us with his presence at Hogwarts it seems. Whether or not this means that everyone is facing certain death next term remains to be seen. Finally, to quote the man himself, “It’s been real, it’s been fun. But it hasn’t been real fun. And to whoever poisoned those brownies, I will find you and it will not be pretty”.
What’s that saying? The early (9am, AGAIN!) bird catches the worm? Well, in this case it’s a Knarl. Or a hedgehog. Really, who knows the difference? Because honestly, who has spare food on them at all times? Nobody, exactly. In the second lesson the students learned that another way to figure out the difference between a mundane Muggle hedgehog and a magical Knarl is apparently the latter’s love for daisies. But once again, who has a field of daisies on them at all times? Exactly. Seeing as Knarls (and hedgehogs) are nocturnal creatures (which, if you wanted to attend this term’s CoMC lessons, you should not be) they have rather poor eyesight and thus, heavily rely on their other senses. To better understand the life of a Knarl (and possibly for Professor Draper’s own amusement) the students had to pair up; one was blindfolded while the other had to guide them through an obstacle course, only using their voice. No touching!
After two years of SAVING THE WORLD from EVIL – a group of rogue Nifflers as well as a child-eating hag this term, no big deal for someone like Professor Draper – James Draper has apparently found that the teaching life is not for him. This past term has been the last Professor Draper has graced us with his presence at Hogwarts it seems. Whether or not this means that everyone is facing certain death next term remains to be seen. Finally, to quote the man himself, “It’s been real, it’s been fun. But it hasn’t been real fun. And to whoever poisoned those brownies, I will find you and it will not be pretty”.
Charms
Professor Primeaux has been the Charms professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the last two years. Primeaux is mostly known for his (mostly) unrelenting, no-nonsense approach. This year, on top of his regular classes, Primeaux also introduced the optional Great Charms Challenge; a series of competitive tasks for students at three different ability levels. Aside from the challenges, the lessons themselves proved themselves to be rather eventful experiences, too.
In one Charms class this term, students arrived at Primeaux’s classroom only to find that the desks had been replaced with easels, and that there was no professor in sight. Some of the more clued-up individuals in attendance were dubious; was this some sort of scheme by Primeaux? A trick? A ruse? The instructions left by the professor informed students to create some form of artwork on the canvases supplied... using finger paints. Then, when he did show up, Primeaux asked for more art, this time with crayons and paintbrushes. The point, Primeaux explained, amidst the expressed outrage from several students, was that the goal of the lesson was to animate their artwork. The charm in question was 'Animatae', and students were instructed to use it to bring their artwork to life. Another spell taught in the lesson was the Figura Charm, used to actually create the artwork with magic rather than animating it - because, of course, why create art yourself, when you can use magic to do it for you? The class spent the next few minutes creating art with the Figura charm, or rather, creating colourful shapes using 'Figura Circle', 'Figura Star', 'Figura Rhombus', and... well, you get the idea. Slytherin second year, Cornelius Baltazar, even went so far as to attempt 'Figura Potato', and found success, proving that the spell was not necessarily limited by only conventional shapes. Lastly, the class was taught 'Colovaria', the most useful charm of the day, used to change the colour of a subject. For homework, the class was instructed to go out and graffiti the school using the charms learned in the lesson, a request which, coming from the uptight, stickler-for-the-rules Primeaux, was incredibly suspicious.
Unconventional lessons were a running theme in Charms this term. Another notable lesson involved students turning up to find strange padded pits dotted around the room in place of the usual desks and chairs. Not to be outdone by the curious classroom setting, certain students - Slytherin second year Mason Stevens, Ravenclaw second year Azura Kennedy, Hufflepuff fourth year Esme Darcy, and Ravenclaw third year Kitty Valentine - made it their business to show up to class and cause a scene, moving around as though in a trance, and droning listlessly about objects they were searching for. After threatening the zombie-esque girls with detention, Primeaux called order to the class. Offering up no immediate explanation for the strange blue pits that were the seating arrangements for the day, he started off on a spiel about childhood, going back to basics, and the appeal of bubbles. And why would the appeal of bubbles be a topic? Because Primeaux was teaching a charm to create bubbles. Naturally. Of course. Later, after the class had used the Bulla Charm to practice creating bubbles, Primeaux at last revealed the nature of the pits, which were, in fact, empty ball pits. After producing a series of small plastic balls, he tasked the class with resizing them - using Augeo or Engorgio - and duplicating them - using Geminio - in order to fill up the ball pits scattered around the room.
When students arrived to the final Charms lesson of term before their final exams, they were met with a completely empty room. No desks, no chairs, nothing. Throughout the term in Charms class, the focus had shifted from charms to be used for entertainment, to basic usefulness, and now to defending oneself. Sort of. Maybe. At least, defending one's self in the very specific context of knowing how to deal with on onslaught from a dangerous object full of dangerous gases, which, as we all know, is a daily occurrence. But the Shield Charm and the Bubblehead Charm can also be used in a variety of other situations, and it was those spells that Primeaux taught his students in this final lesson, all in preparation for a special game of dodge ball. In this game, the balls were charmed to nullify the effects of the Bubblehead Charm upon hitting a person under the effects of the spell, which might not usually have been an issue. Except for the fact that, for the purposes of the 'game', the classroom soon began filling up with laughing gas. For the rest of the lesson, students spent their time pelting each other with dodge balls, popping the protective bubbles around each other’s faces and forcing them to succumb to the laughing gas. Exactly the kind of lesson one might expect to attend at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
In one Charms class this term, students arrived at Primeaux’s classroom only to find that the desks had been replaced with easels, and that there was no professor in sight. Some of the more clued-up individuals in attendance were dubious; was this some sort of scheme by Primeaux? A trick? A ruse? The instructions left by the professor informed students to create some form of artwork on the canvases supplied... using finger paints. Then, when he did show up, Primeaux asked for more art, this time with crayons and paintbrushes. The point, Primeaux explained, amidst the expressed outrage from several students, was that the goal of the lesson was to animate their artwork. The charm in question was 'Animatae', and students were instructed to use it to bring their artwork to life. Another spell taught in the lesson was the Figura Charm, used to actually create the artwork with magic rather than animating it - because, of course, why create art yourself, when you can use magic to do it for you? The class spent the next few minutes creating art with the Figura charm, or rather, creating colourful shapes using 'Figura Circle', 'Figura Star', 'Figura Rhombus', and... well, you get the idea. Slytherin second year, Cornelius Baltazar, even went so far as to attempt 'Figura Potato', and found success, proving that the spell was not necessarily limited by only conventional shapes. Lastly, the class was taught 'Colovaria', the most useful charm of the day, used to change the colour of a subject. For homework, the class was instructed to go out and graffiti the school using the charms learned in the lesson, a request which, coming from the uptight, stickler-for-the-rules Primeaux, was incredibly suspicious.
Unconventional lessons were a running theme in Charms this term. Another notable lesson involved students turning up to find strange padded pits dotted around the room in place of the usual desks and chairs. Not to be outdone by the curious classroom setting, certain students - Slytherin second year Mason Stevens, Ravenclaw second year Azura Kennedy, Hufflepuff fourth year Esme Darcy, and Ravenclaw third year Kitty Valentine - made it their business to show up to class and cause a scene, moving around as though in a trance, and droning listlessly about objects they were searching for. After threatening the zombie-esque girls with detention, Primeaux called order to the class. Offering up no immediate explanation for the strange blue pits that were the seating arrangements for the day, he started off on a spiel about childhood, going back to basics, and the appeal of bubbles. And why would the appeal of bubbles be a topic? Because Primeaux was teaching a charm to create bubbles. Naturally. Of course. Later, after the class had used the Bulla Charm to practice creating bubbles, Primeaux at last revealed the nature of the pits, which were, in fact, empty ball pits. After producing a series of small plastic balls, he tasked the class with resizing them - using Augeo or Engorgio - and duplicating them - using Geminio - in order to fill up the ball pits scattered around the room.
When students arrived to the final Charms lesson of term before their final exams, they were met with a completely empty room. No desks, no chairs, nothing. Throughout the term in Charms class, the focus had shifted from charms to be used for entertainment, to basic usefulness, and now to defending oneself. Sort of. Maybe. At least, defending one's self in the very specific context of knowing how to deal with on onslaught from a dangerous object full of dangerous gases, which, as we all know, is a daily occurrence. But the Shield Charm and the Bubblehead Charm can also be used in a variety of other situations, and it was those spells that Primeaux taught his students in this final lesson, all in preparation for a special game of dodge ball. In this game, the balls were charmed to nullify the effects of the Bubblehead Charm upon hitting a person under the effects of the spell, which might not usually have been an issue. Except for the fact that, for the purposes of the 'game', the classroom soon began filling up with laughing gas. For the rest of the lesson, students spent their time pelting each other with dodge balls, popping the protective bubbles around each other’s faces and forcing them to succumb to the laughing gas. Exactly the kind of lesson one might expect to attend at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Pro Tip: If you want to freak out your students, put them into a dark classroom whose only source of light comes from a handful of floating bluebell flames. Then tell them that today’s topic is a dark creature which lives in the darkness and feasts on human flesh. Sounds like fun, right? Luckily for everyone involved the only version of a Gyrash Professor Hirsch chose to bring to his lesson was an animated picture of one. Nonetheless, the mention of the Gyrash’s natural habitat being not only England and Scotland in general but also apparently the Forbidden Forest itself probably didn’t put anyone’s mind at ease. But at least it made everyone even more keen on learning how to defeat a Gyrash in case of an encounter. Light versus Darkness are not only frequently used symbols in everyday literature but also a useful piece of information for this Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. The only way to make a Gyrash disappear is through light, ideally blue light. The spell Lumos Livens is consequently introduced which – if done correctly – will produce blue light. To put all this acquired knowledge to practice, Professor Hirsch prepared a maze for the students with several animated dummies posing as Gyrashes that bark incessantly until appropriately defeated. If only there was a similar spell for small dogs, right?
Now who would have thought numbers and curse-breaking would go so well together? Professors Hirsch and Tanner apparently who decided to do a joint lesson of DADA and Arithmancy this term. While there were some very creative answers from the students on how to approach a cursed treasure box – kicking it? Really? – it turns out that the safest and wisest way to get inside said box is to take a step back and figure out what curse has been placed on it. This is no lesson for reckless Gryffindors. Once the curse’s identity has been determined through the use of Arithmancy, the logical next step is to actually break the curse. Professor Hirsch reminded the students that everything has a weak spot which can be exploited. It is thus essential to focus on said weakness when trying to destroy something. For a curse its kernel is its most vulnerable part which a curse-breaker has to focus on when choosing the appropriate counter-curse. If, say, a curse affects one’s ability to speak, a non-verbal counter-curse is the appropriate way to break it. The issue of making the right choice when confronted with a number of possible options not only applies to everyday life but also to interpreting the numbers correctly in identifying a curse. Usually people learn from their mistakes; in the case of curse-breaking, however, a mistake might be a deadly one.
The Dueling Club hosted by Professor Hirsch has become an occasion for not only improving one’s dueling skills but also to watch and learn while others duel friends, foes and people they’ve never before interacted with. While the first two rounds of duels were mostly quiet (or as quiet as duels can be) – some tears, some embarrassment, some anger, some (evil) laughter; the usual, really – the third round was certainly an interesting one for some of the students. Professor Hirsch confronted five students – Zeke Browne, Maddison Cooper, Nicole Iver, Hadleigh Lynch and Franklin Paton – with more experienced opponents. Two YATIs – Amrita Sandhu and Angelo Toussaint – as well as three full-fledged Aurors – Genevieve James, Alexa Cambridge and Tyler Bellaire – from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement joined the ranks for this year’s final dueling round. Hopefully we will see more of them again next year.
Now who would have thought numbers and curse-breaking would go so well together? Professors Hirsch and Tanner apparently who decided to do a joint lesson of DADA and Arithmancy this term. While there were some very creative answers from the students on how to approach a cursed treasure box – kicking it? Really? – it turns out that the safest and wisest way to get inside said box is to take a step back and figure out what curse has been placed on it. This is no lesson for reckless Gryffindors. Once the curse’s identity has been determined through the use of Arithmancy, the logical next step is to actually break the curse. Professor Hirsch reminded the students that everything has a weak spot which can be exploited. It is thus essential to focus on said weakness when trying to destroy something. For a curse its kernel is its most vulnerable part which a curse-breaker has to focus on when choosing the appropriate counter-curse. If, say, a curse affects one’s ability to speak, a non-verbal counter-curse is the appropriate way to break it. The issue of making the right choice when confronted with a number of possible options not only applies to everyday life but also to interpreting the numbers correctly in identifying a curse. Usually people learn from their mistakes; in the case of curse-breaking, however, a mistake might be a deadly one.
The Dueling Club hosted by Professor Hirsch has become an occasion for not only improving one’s dueling skills but also to watch and learn while others duel friends, foes and people they’ve never before interacted with. While the first two rounds of duels were mostly quiet (or as quiet as duels can be) – some tears, some embarrassment, some anger, some (evil) laughter; the usual, really – the third round was certainly an interesting one for some of the students. Professor Hirsch confronted five students – Zeke Browne, Maddison Cooper, Nicole Iver, Hadleigh Lynch and Franklin Paton – with more experienced opponents. Two YATIs – Amrita Sandhu and Angelo Toussaint – as well as three full-fledged Aurors – Genevieve James, Alexa Cambridge and Tyler Bellaire – from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement joined the ranks for this year’s final dueling round. Hopefully we will see more of them again next year.
Divination
After a frenzied term of Divination with none other than Hogwarts’ resident hag Ursula Black, students were pleased (and relieved) to start this term with a fresh new Professor. Professor Yoon made her mark on Hogwarts with more than just fortune cookies, leading a series of exciting lessons that engaged younger and older students alike. Her straightforward approach to teaching never failed to leave her students enlightened and empowered by the basics of Divination.
Entering a classroom full of food is always a good sign, and Professor Yoon did not disappoint in the slightest. One lesson near the start of term took place in an inviting tea room containing no shortage of sweet treats for the class. Of course, the lesson unfolded into more than just eating. Once students had shared their knowledge of Tasseomancy, the Professor jumped right into an exploration of the finer details of the process. As mentioned by Gryffindor Fiyero Jones, the reader’s mindset is an essential component of the readings, as in many other forms of Divination. Thus, Professor Yoon lead up to the main activity with a short period of meditation before allowing students to try reading tea leaves for themselves. Picking out shapes from blobs of tea leaves is easier said than done, but a full lesson’s hard work left students more knowledgable about their lives and the patience required for being a good seer.
Later in the year, Professor Yoon proved she could teach an epic lesson even without tea and crumpets. Students may have been confused by the quote on the board upon entering the classroom, but the Professor’s guidance quickly proved that the future—and the knowledge necessary for the lesson—really was in their hands. Even though the day’s Divination focused on broader life trajectories, the lesson began with the specifics of vital distinctions that define the art of palmistry. Focusing on their dominant hands, students observed the major lines on their palms to learn more about their present and future conditions. With Professor Yoon’s encouragement, students took many detailed notes to ensure that no element of their lives went unobserved. Finding the fainter minor lines proved to be more of a challenge, but the end of class still came far too soon for those intrigued by the wealth of information contained right there on the palms of their hands.
Entering a classroom full of food is always a good sign, and Professor Yoon did not disappoint in the slightest. One lesson near the start of term took place in an inviting tea room containing no shortage of sweet treats for the class. Of course, the lesson unfolded into more than just eating. Once students had shared their knowledge of Tasseomancy, the Professor jumped right into an exploration of the finer details of the process. As mentioned by Gryffindor Fiyero Jones, the reader’s mindset is an essential component of the readings, as in many other forms of Divination. Thus, Professor Yoon lead up to the main activity with a short period of meditation before allowing students to try reading tea leaves for themselves. Picking out shapes from blobs of tea leaves is easier said than done, but a full lesson’s hard work left students more knowledgable about their lives and the patience required for being a good seer.
Later in the year, Professor Yoon proved she could teach an epic lesson even without tea and crumpets. Students may have been confused by the quote on the board upon entering the classroom, but the Professor’s guidance quickly proved that the future—and the knowledge necessary for the lesson—really was in their hands. Even though the day’s Divination focused on broader life trajectories, the lesson began with the specifics of vital distinctions that define the art of palmistry. Focusing on their dominant hands, students observed the major lines on their palms to learn more about their present and future conditions. With Professor Yoon’s encouragement, students took many detailed notes to ensure that no element of their lives went unobserved. Finding the fainter minor lines proved to be more of a challenge, but the end of class still came far too soon for those intrigued by the wealth of information contained right there on the palms of their hands.