Herbology
Herbology Professor and Healer Carmine Beryl had a very quick introduction to the infirmary this term. With students vomiting at the beginning feast, the very patient and kind Professor Beryl took care of them right away, probably missing part of the feast. It probably wasn’t easy manning two tasks as important as busy as Herbology Professor and Healer, which inspires the question: who was the healer when the healer was conducting class? Just food for thought.
Although Professor Beryl taught Ancient Runes last year, it seems she finally decided to teach something more interesting and engaging, like Herbology. The first lesson of the term started out by brainstorming garden design ideas, which seemed like an easy enough task. After enough brainstorming was had, Professor Beryl led a miniature lecture on spiral gardens, which is a very cool and creative way to have a whole garden that takes up very little space. The discussion then led the students to identify different plants on the tables, which inspired very specific instructions to not lick any of the plants when trying to identify them (we don’t have to wonder who that was directed at). At the end of the lesson, students left with a greater understanding of herbs, plants and ecosystems. Who knows, perhaps when Hogwarts is safe again, its very own students can design its landscaping?
Although Professor Beryl taught Ancient Runes last year, it seems she finally decided to teach something more interesting and engaging, like Herbology. The first lesson of the term started out by brainstorming garden design ideas, which seemed like an easy enough task. After enough brainstorming was had, Professor Beryl led a miniature lecture on spiral gardens, which is a very cool and creative way to have a whole garden that takes up very little space. The discussion then led the students to identify different plants on the tables, which inspired very specific instructions to not lick any of the plants when trying to identify them (we don’t have to wonder who that was directed at). At the end of the lesson, students left with a greater understanding of herbs, plants and ecosystems. Who knows, perhaps when Hogwarts is safe again, its very own students can design its landscaping?
Muggle Studies
With the departure of Professor Kaysha Stewart, who had served Hogwarts for ten terms, Mr. Finneas Schmoe took on the empty position of Muggle Studies professor. It doesn't surprise me that he was a former Ravenclaw. He is smart, inclined to research, and seems to get excited when his students get the answers in class correctly. Similarly, seeing his Rubik's Cube on the first day of school was quite an indication if you were to ask me. While Professor Schmoe did not begin his Hogwarts teaching career at Hogwarts itself, he was able to help many of his students adapt to the new environment with lessons on muggle furniture and room designing. I must personally say that his lessons have, in a way, helped with my nostalgia of our now MISTified school. Pun intended. I was also able to squeeze in an interview with our Muggle Studies professor during his spare time.
Hello, Professor Schmoe. I'd like to thank you for making time for this interview. Let me just...shuffle my cards. Hang on. Yes, alright. Firstly, please do tell us about yourself, sir.
Hello, Mr. Gunter! Thank you for making the time to interview me. I… errrrrrrr…. There’s not a whole lot to tell. What you see is what you get. I don’t like long walks on the beach because I don’t do well under the sun. I used to be a Hufflepuff back in the day … Uh, I’m also very impartial to pumpkin pie. Is that... Is that good?
How was your first term as a Hogwarts professor? And how did you cope with the...shall we say, unfortunate events that have happened during the term?
I’d say it was pretty okay! Unfortunate events? Wha—Ooooh, if you’re talking about the-er… the trouser debacle… I’d rather not comment. Though the dragon was all very exciting, wasn’t it? Don’t know if I’d want to do that again though. Ho, ho, ho.
You used to do research and teach in university, sir. I'm intrigued. How different is your job today compared to your previous work? And, uh, if you could tell us a little bit about these experiences, that'd be great too.
OH, VASTLY! I went from researching people to talking to them. Both are rewarding experiences, I don’t want to downplay either one. As for teaching in university versus teaching Hogwarts’ students… I find that the questions are much BIGGER here. University students can get errrrr jaded and bogged down. Younger folks have more, what do you kids call it these days? Jazz ’n pizzaz!
If you don't mind me asking, sir, why Muggle Studies?
If you don’t mind me asking, Drewett, why not Muggle Studies?
Muggles are just like us, but they work almost three times as hard. They have more incentive to innovate and the more we learn about them, the more we learn about ourselves! It’s very important to errrrr crush that superiority complex we wizards tend to have. Especially because we may find ourselves in the muggle world someday. There are a lot more of them than there are of us, you know? Muggles are our brethren! In this essay I will--
I heard you play the Rubik's Cube, sir. So, uhm...can we maybe do a Rubik’s Cube race sometime? Like, y'know, a cube schmoedown? I-I'm allowed to make a pun, right? Sorry....
Punderful idea, Mr. Gunter. As long as you still have time to get your homework done… I… errrr… don’t see an issue.
Hello, Professor Schmoe. I'd like to thank you for making time for this interview. Let me just...shuffle my cards. Hang on. Yes, alright. Firstly, please do tell us about yourself, sir.
Hello, Mr. Gunter! Thank you for making the time to interview me. I… errrrrrrr…. There’s not a whole lot to tell. What you see is what you get. I don’t like long walks on the beach because I don’t do well under the sun. I used to be a Hufflepuff back in the day … Uh, I’m also very impartial to pumpkin pie. Is that... Is that good?
How was your first term as a Hogwarts professor? And how did you cope with the...shall we say, unfortunate events that have happened during the term?
I’d say it was pretty okay! Unfortunate events? Wha—Ooooh, if you’re talking about the-er… the trouser debacle… I’d rather not comment. Though the dragon was all very exciting, wasn’t it? Don’t know if I’d want to do that again though. Ho, ho, ho.
You used to do research and teach in university, sir. I'm intrigued. How different is your job today compared to your previous work? And, uh, if you could tell us a little bit about these experiences, that'd be great too.
OH, VASTLY! I went from researching people to talking to them. Both are rewarding experiences, I don’t want to downplay either one. As for teaching in university versus teaching Hogwarts’ students… I find that the questions are much BIGGER here. University students can get errrrr jaded and bogged down. Younger folks have more, what do you kids call it these days? Jazz ’n pizzaz!
If you don't mind me asking, sir, why Muggle Studies?
If you don’t mind me asking, Drewett, why not Muggle Studies?
Muggles are just like us, but they work almost three times as hard. They have more incentive to innovate and the more we learn about them, the more we learn about ourselves! It’s very important to errrrr crush that superiority complex we wizards tend to have. Especially because we may find ourselves in the muggle world someday. There are a lot more of them than there are of us, you know? Muggles are our brethren! In this essay I will--
I heard you play the Rubik's Cube, sir. So, uhm...can we maybe do a Rubik’s Cube race sometime? Like, y'know, a cube schmoedown? I-I'm allowed to make a pun, right? Sorry....
Punderful idea, Mr. Gunter. As long as you still have time to get your homework done… I… errrr… don’t see an issue.
Potions
If you’ve been at Hogwarts long enough, you’ll know that Professor Noble’s potions lessons are ones to attend—mostly because he may very well come find you after and put you to work then make you regret skipping—but ALSO you never know what cool concoction the professor will have you brewing. Usually dead interesting but even when they aren’t, everyone knows you go for the drama. Someone to push his button, him to show them who’s boss. Things to surely not be missed if you know what’s good for you. With everyone on edge sharing the castle with the French, there’s always bound to be a show.
What’s less good is walking into the potions laboratory to find paper and quills. Pop quizzes have never been a student’s best friend, least of all in potions when you aren’t allowed to dump ingredients until something happens. Thankfully, the panic that was clearly running through everyone’s mind was put to rest. It wasn’t a test, just the topic of forensics. Of course, with all lessons, you have to get the boring discussions out of the way. Talks of it being some kind of science. Rasting and his rambling about latin—suck up—and talk of criminology floated around the lab. Dull stuff we don’t need to go over again before heading into the territory of how you’d identify forgeries. If you ask me, it was Noble’s way of letting us know he’ll find out if we forge stuff even if he didn’t say it in so many words. You lot didn’t help with that when you provided him with even more ways, so thanks, thanks a lot.
Checking signatures with magnifying glasses? Proud of yourself, Phillips? Running stuff through potions? REALLY, GRANTHAM?? Amateurs. Thankfully, before we could give away all our secrets, it was time to get to action with some good old fashioned Chromatography and a ransom note about cookies. It was a true missed opportunity not having taken bets. I know at least one Gryffindor who’d have been the richer when the results were revealed.
No time to waste the next time we hurried to potions class. There was no need to fear pop quizzes this time with work stations set up and ready for the day’s lesson. No cauldrons though? Maybe another cookie hunt. As it turned out, the lesson was going to revolve around identifying potions. Safe to say the answer is not by downing them one by one—but don’t pretend it never crossed your mind, too. Kaiser’s idea wasn’t half bad either; test subjects. Though, I reckon the Professor was looking more along the lines of smell and taste and colour. The usual, less interesting, stuff. Oh yeah, solution indicator thingies, too. Students got to test out both Benedict’s Solution and Lithmus Solution. A year of experiments, that’s probably the best way to describe potions this term. It’s been quite interesting to say the least.
What’s less good is walking into the potions laboratory to find paper and quills. Pop quizzes have never been a student’s best friend, least of all in potions when you aren’t allowed to dump ingredients until something happens. Thankfully, the panic that was clearly running through everyone’s mind was put to rest. It wasn’t a test, just the topic of forensics. Of course, with all lessons, you have to get the boring discussions out of the way. Talks of it being some kind of science. Rasting and his rambling about latin—suck up—and talk of criminology floated around the lab. Dull stuff we don’t need to go over again before heading into the territory of how you’d identify forgeries. If you ask me, it was Noble’s way of letting us know he’ll find out if we forge stuff even if he didn’t say it in so many words. You lot didn’t help with that when you provided him with even more ways, so thanks, thanks a lot.
Checking signatures with magnifying glasses? Proud of yourself, Phillips? Running stuff through potions? REALLY, GRANTHAM?? Amateurs. Thankfully, before we could give away all our secrets, it was time to get to action with some good old fashioned Chromatography and a ransom note about cookies. It was a true missed opportunity not having taken bets. I know at least one Gryffindor who’d have been the richer when the results were revealed.
No time to waste the next time we hurried to potions class. There was no need to fear pop quizzes this time with work stations set up and ready for the day’s lesson. No cauldrons though? Maybe another cookie hunt. As it turned out, the lesson was going to revolve around identifying potions. Safe to say the answer is not by downing them one by one—but don’t pretend it never crossed your mind, too. Kaiser’s idea wasn’t half bad either; test subjects. Though, I reckon the Professor was looking more along the lines of smell and taste and colour. The usual, less interesting, stuff. Oh yeah, solution indicator thingies, too. Students got to test out both Benedict’s Solution and Lithmus Solution. A year of experiments, that’s probably the best way to describe potions this term. It’s been quite interesting to say the least.
Transfiguration
When the going gets tough, you can always count on Professor Mitchell Barlow to keep everyone’s spirits up! The Transfiguration professor didn’t let the drama of the term bother him (or if he did, he did a fabulous job of brushing it off!) and charged full steam ahead with fun and exciting lessons.
The first lesson of the term started off with a bit of review - what was the difference between a charm and transfiguration? The brief review session made way into the main event of the lesson - human transfiguration! It was kind of obvious given all the MIRRORS in the classroom when the students first arrived, but whatever. Moving on! A complicated subject indeed, Barlow introduced students to the subject slowly, starting with eyebrow transfiguration to ease them in to it. The practical portion of the class got underway by allowing students time to practice growing their eyebrows, and as expected, it wasn’t nearly as easy as it looked when Barlow demonstrated the spell - Bernadette Grantham, first year, managed to cause her eyebrows to grow uncontrollably until fellow Gryffindor Carsyn Rose intervened, and Lucas Dakest didn’t so much grow his eyebrows as…straighten part of them? Turns out, the eyebrow spell casting was just a warm up for the main event - full hair transfiguration! Students were given slips of paper with individual assignments for students to practice changing up the color, length and texture of their hair. Just as the eyebrow portion of the lesson produced some interesting results, students across the room were given all sorts of unique new hairstyles. From Jillian Kim sporting spiky purple hair to curly red ringlets on top of Kaiser’s head, the class learned an important new skill in a unique and playful way.
Near the end of the term, space became a little harder to come by and one of the lessons was relocated to the dining room. It was the perfect setting for a lesson surrounding everyone’s favorite subject - FOOD! No, Barlow had not figured out a way to bypass Gamp’s Law and allow for food conjuring (unfortunately) but instead focused the lesson on how we eat and what we eat with. The workload for the class was a bit heavier than normal - four items required transfiguration, with a different incantation for each - but once done, each student would have a full place setting in front of them! Students of all age groups excelled in class - Cecelia Summers waved her completed napkin transfiguration with pride, and Tina Dantes showed off her NEWT level skills by successfully transfiguring all four items! If the students needed a break, Toddles was there to give delicious escargot to everyone as a mid-lesson snack.
With such a wide range of subjects covered this term, everyone is eager to see what Professor Barlow will come up with next. Perhaps a dining room set to go along with the new cutlery conjuring skills students learned this term? We shall have to wait and see - and thankfully this time, Barlow will be teaching out of his own classroom as the school heads back to Hogwarts!
The first lesson of the term started off with a bit of review - what was the difference between a charm and transfiguration? The brief review session made way into the main event of the lesson - human transfiguration! It was kind of obvious given all the MIRRORS in the classroom when the students first arrived, but whatever. Moving on! A complicated subject indeed, Barlow introduced students to the subject slowly, starting with eyebrow transfiguration to ease them in to it. The practical portion of the class got underway by allowing students time to practice growing their eyebrows, and as expected, it wasn’t nearly as easy as it looked when Barlow demonstrated the spell - Bernadette Grantham, first year, managed to cause her eyebrows to grow uncontrollably until fellow Gryffindor Carsyn Rose intervened, and Lucas Dakest didn’t so much grow his eyebrows as…straighten part of them? Turns out, the eyebrow spell casting was just a warm up for the main event - full hair transfiguration! Students were given slips of paper with individual assignments for students to practice changing up the color, length and texture of their hair. Just as the eyebrow portion of the lesson produced some interesting results, students across the room were given all sorts of unique new hairstyles. From Jillian Kim sporting spiky purple hair to curly red ringlets on top of Kaiser’s head, the class learned an important new skill in a unique and playful way.
Near the end of the term, space became a little harder to come by and one of the lessons was relocated to the dining room. It was the perfect setting for a lesson surrounding everyone’s favorite subject - FOOD! No, Barlow had not figured out a way to bypass Gamp’s Law and allow for food conjuring (unfortunately) but instead focused the lesson on how we eat and what we eat with. The workload for the class was a bit heavier than normal - four items required transfiguration, with a different incantation for each - but once done, each student would have a full place setting in front of them! Students of all age groups excelled in class - Cecelia Summers waved her completed napkin transfiguration with pride, and Tina Dantes showed off her NEWT level skills by successfully transfiguring all four items! If the students needed a break, Toddles was there to give delicious escargot to everyone as a mid-lesson snack.
With such a wide range of subjects covered this term, everyone is eager to see what Professor Barlow will come up with next. Perhaps a dining room set to go along with the new cutlery conjuring skills students learned this term? We shall have to wait and see - and thankfully this time, Barlow will be teaching out of his own classroom as the school heads back to Hogwarts!