Friday, September 2nd, 1994
The Great Hall
"Percy!" Jessica said with a frustrated tone, standing behind the boy in question. "Did you really call the first years 'a bag of little whiny maggots that'll get nowhere in life with your bitch-ass attitude'?"
"Could have done?" The boy replied as he turned around and refocused on his food. She gave a frustrated grunt before slapping him on the back of his head. "Fine, I did. What's wrong with that?"
"What's wrong with that?" Jessica repeated quite loudly. She sat down next to the head boy and looked as if she were ready to pull her hair out.
She took a few deep breaths before she turned back to look at him. Jessica took the fork from his hand and slammed it down onto his half-eaten plate. Now, that got the attention of the rest of the people sitting at the table for breakfast. She gave them a glare, and they returned to what they were doing.
"What's wrong with that? What's wrong is that you said that to the first years at seven in the morning, just before you left with them to do exercise. What's wrong is that you used adult language and made one of them cry," she growled while keeping her voice low.
"Did I say anything wrong, though?" Percival replied, nonchalant.
"That is beside the point," she sighed. "Percy, why? They're children, and for most of them, this is their first time away from home. I don't want your foul morning mood in front of them anymore. And that's why Professor Flitwick has said you'll be doing Friday mornings with them until after the winter break. I don't want to hear any complaining, and there's no getting out of this. At least have a good reason when the professor comes asking."
"Hate is the strongest motivator."
"Love is."
"I'd love to see you try to make all the first years love you before they hate me. And they already hate me," the raven-haired boy said smugly.
"I hope it was worth it."
"After I said that, they all managed to finish. We adhered to the guidelines of the trails. I got all the necessary data, and I managed to arrive before you for breakfast. I say it was worth it."
Jessica shook her head. "Stop being smug. Someday that's going to come and bite your arse. On to a brighter topic: we have Moody next. Can't wait!"
"Really?"
"No, not really," she rolled her eyes. "Today was the day I was supposed to get my beauty sleep. Only free day I was supposed to get till November."
"Oh, how will you survive without your beauty sleep, princess?"
"Shut up!" she said. "And the worst thing is I can't have a good breakfast. Because of you. We have to leave now if we don't want to be late."
"I could have sworn we had another five minutes before we had to leave," Percival said as he glanced at his watch. "Did you arrive late or something?"
"I had to deal with a crying child," she said as she got up. "You can finish that later. We need to leave."
"I can't finish this later. Come on, give me two minutes," he said as she glared into his soul.
"Fine, I'm getting up."
"The others are popping into the kitchen to get some food for us. You can have one of my bagels if you're hungry," Jessica said as she led the way out of the Great Hall.
"No need. I've eaten enough to tide me over till lunch," the raven-haired boy said as he followed her. "I thought you were taking the first years to their first-ever class?"
"Davis is doing it. He offered to take them yesterday after the introduction. I needed time to fix my face. You know we don't wake up this cute," Jessica said as she opened the door to the waiting chamber. "Imagine my shock when Isabel woke me up saying we have DADA. Priscilla looked like she was ready to end her. I even forgot my robe."
"I slid the note under well before your bedtime. How did you only find out this morning?"
"We must have missed it; we thought it was rubbish and threw it away," she said as she opened the next set of double doors. "Look at that. How has Gryffindor gone into minus points when nobody has had their first lesson?"
"I reckon it was either the twins or the golden trio," Percival said as he opened the next set of double doors while glancing at the hourglasses. "They must've sneaked out yesterday and got caught by Mrs Norris."
"Maybe," she said as we walked down the stairs. "Tell me: what are the odds of Potter somehow being picked as our champion? It has to be quite high."
"I mean, they did completely ignore Dumbledore and went to the corridor on the third floor in their first year. They also came face to face with a basilisk and managed to live to tell the tale. The whole encounter with Sirius Black last year, to name a few. I wouldn't be surprised if they completely disregarded Dumbledore and put his name in it," the head boy said as he opened the next set of double doors.
"Glad we think the same. I put some good money on that. Oh, fresh air," Jessica said as they walked into the courtyard. "I love it, but why is it so cold?"
"Do you want my robe?" he asked as they took it off.
"Then you'll be cold."
"I'm wearing underlayers." Percival passed Jessica his robe as he adjusted his uniform.
"I mean, if you're offering, why not?" she said as she put on the head boy's robe, remembering to hand back his head boy pin.
They continued in silence down the stairs until we reached the viaduct bridge. Standing atop the stone viaduct bridge, the clouds parted to reveal a picturesque landscape. Below, a glistening lake mirrors the cloudless, azure sky, its surface a tranquil expanse interrupted only by the occasional ripple of wind. Beyond the bridge, the landscape rises and falls in gentle, rolling hills, blanketed in every shade of green imaginable—verdant meadows, thriving woodlands, and mossy outcroppings. In the distance, majestic mountains loom, their peaks softened by a faint haze, completing the horizon with a commanding grace. The air is crisp and fresh, carrying the faint scent of wildflowers and the earth.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jessica said.
"Yes, it is."
"Do you need help when you go see Madam Pomfrey?" The prefect asked suddenly.
"Not to be rude, but how are you going to help?" Percival asked.
"You were going on about your Japanese pen pal and one of their weird muggle customs. The one about where, when someone gets fired, they bring someone along. For moral support. That's it! I forgot it was called moral support," she said as she turned to look at him.
"It's hard asking for help. I thought maybe you'd want a familiar face by your side."
"Thank you for offering. I'll think about it," he said uncomfortably.
"It's the least I could do," she said as she turned away from me. "The view is still the same as the first day we saw it. It was after potions class, if I remember correctly."
"The forest line has receded a little after the ministry commissioned a new magical settlement to be built," Percival corrected.
"Enough with you, smart-ass," she said as she chuckled.
"But yeah, it's nice to see some things haven't changed."
"Hogwarts has changed a lot since we got here. The schools of magic have extra professors so the heads of departments have more contact time with N.E.W.T. students. We have more contact hours overall and the societies and clubs brought back old courses. They finally did something about the acromantula nest. Although it's not gone, the forest looks and breathes a lot better," Jessica said, reminiscing. "But the best change has to be the new heating system. Absolute godsend! Even with all these changes, I'm glad we're still friends."
"That's something I hope never changes."
…
Friday, September 2nd, 1994
Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom
The door crashed open, eleven minutes past the hour.
Professor Moody lurched inside, a battered flask at his lips. Conversation died in stutters and scraps. There was a Ravenclaw perched on a table with a half-eaten bagel, and Slytherins were still trading quips over the said professor's run-ins with their families. Moody stumped to the front, his wooden leg thudding on the stone, the flask vanishing into his cloak as he raised his wand.
A bagel, half-eaten and mid-bite, slipped free of the Ravenclaw's fingers and floated through the air. Moody caught it without pause, tore off a mouthful, and chewed with an oddly relieved expression. For a heartbeat the scars on his face softened, then his mismatched eyes swept the class: one dark, the other rolling wildly in its socket.
"I'm Professor Moody, and this is vile. Who puts peanut butter with bacon?" he growled, dropping the mangled breakfast item onto his desk. "Your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Forget your chatter. Forget your food. Forget whatever you think you know. You're here to learn how the world really works. And I don't mean in books."
The room went still. Even the less than pleased Ravenclaw who'd lost her breakfast didn't make a sound.
"I see all of you slogged down to Flourish & Botts like the good boys and girls you are and brought the required textbooks. Congratulations! At least you can follow orders," Professor Moody said gruffly. "I'm here because Dumbledore asked me to train you, and you're here because Dumbledore doesn't believe any one of you has the makings of a champion."
The odd-eyed professor lifted his wand and pointed at the head boy. His blue eyes locked onto him for a few moments before turning away and taking another swig from his flask. The class continued to stare at whom the professor pointed at. Putting the flask away, this time he lifted the bagel to his mouth as he finished it off.
"Three times under seventeen duelling world champions—not a bad record, kid. However, surviving and duelling are completely different things. I am here to shape all of you up, according to my standards. Beauxbatons tends to excel at charms, while Durmstrang excels in the dark arts. I am here to give you an edge when one of you faces the Durmstrang champion. I'm here to give you a second life if ever your life is in danger. Filius will help you a lot with charms," he said as he picked up a jar from behind him and placed it on the table.
"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach. You may wonder what I mean by that. I'll show you. But first, which one of you can tell me... how many Unforgivable Spells there are?"
The students traded uneasy glances. As his real eye continues to stare at the spider, Moody's blue eye rotates towards the person who raised their hand. And then completely ignored him.
"Peanut butter and bacon, answer the question."
"There are three unforgivable curses. However, considering a retired Auror is asking the question, I assume you are referring to Rockwood's last paper before he was sentenced to Azkaban. If that is the case, then every spell can be considered unforgivable in the right conditions," Jessica answered politely.
"You would be right to assume. Some might find his associate less than appealing, but that sycophant had a head on him. I lost both times I duelled him, and he only used spells from the first four years of Hogwarts. The first time, he overcharged his Lumos and blinded me. The second time, he similarly overcharged his Herbivicus. I had a salad just before the duel, and my stomach has not been the same since," the professor said as some students looked at him with horror in their eyes. "The Slytherin boy who looked too eager to please. What's your name?"
"Jaiden Mensi, professor," replied the boy, his cheek a tinge pink.
"Slytherin, just like your father. Do you like incest, just like your father?" Moody said as the boy looked down.
"No, sir. I'm an only child," the boy replied, stammering his words. "I am betrothed to a witch from the Lesser Noble House, Jackson. And I'm an only child. And I love her."
"For the fuck-up he is, he raised you decently," said the professor, almost looking a little uncomfortable. "Tell me the names of the three unforgivables."
"The Imperius Curse, Imperio. The Cruciatus Curse, Crucio. And finally, the Killing Curse," the boy said confidently. The next part, a whisper: "Avada Kadavra."
"No need to whisper, boy," the professor said as she slowly loosened the lid of the jar. "Even if you pointed your wand at me and said it, all you'd give me is a small nosebleed. The use of any one of them will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Now, the ministry says you're not mature enough to see what these curses are capable of, but they say you are mature enough to cast one as a last resort. They said I'm only allowed to inform you. I say different. You need to know what you're up against. Which curse shall we see first? Theodore White!"
"The Imperius Curse," the Gryffindor boy said.
"Not surprising. Your parents used that as their defence during their trial. Do you know how to tell if they're actually under the Imperius Curse? You don't. You blast them all the same," Mad-Eye Moody said with a slight chuckle as he helped the spider out of the jar. "Even though they were both Gryffindor, they were more bigoted than most Slytherins. Oh, how I enjoyed hunting them down. Let's see it in action. Imperio!"
As Moody waved his wand, the spider leapt from his palm onto Priscilla's shoulder. As she shrieked, Moody flicked his wand, and the spider bound from Jessica to Jaiden to Percival, one by one. The other students were chuckling until they had panic-stricken eyes as it crawled over every single student. Finally landed on the palm of the clam Theodore. The boy smirked as he locked eyes with the professor. He clenches his fist. Moody grinned and summoned the spider back to his hand, where he slowly circled his wand over it, mending what was broken.
"A bit cuckoo, aren't you, boy?" Mad-Eye said with a sigh of disappointment. "Talented, isn't she? What should we make her do next? Jump out of a window? Drown herself?"
One by one, the smiles that just returned slowly dry up, leaving the classroom in an awkward state.
"The Imperius curse. Few spells in wizarding history embody the complete corruption of free will as the Imperius Curse. It seeks complete dominion over the mind. It overrides thoughts, instinct, and even the will to resist. Under its influence, the subject will obey commands, often in a state of euphoric detachment," the professor said solemnly. "It comes from the Latin 'imperare', which means 'to command' or 'to rule'. Early records suggest its creation in the Middle Ages. The spell is believed to have been constructed through a convergence of advanced Legilimency, compulsive charms, and blood-binding rituals, refined until a single incantation could bypass mental resistance and silence the subject's conscious. The first mass usage was in Eastern Europe when a wizard used it to control peasants and nobles, building a private domain that collapsed only at his death."
Moody scans the classroom until his eye rotates with a particular interest in the head boy.
"Percival Ebonwood, which one should we see next?" the professor asked.
"The Killing Curse."
"And ruin the fun too early? Don't you want to see the Cruciatus Curse in action?" Moody said as he made his way towards the head boy's desk. Looming over the boy, he released the spider and raised his wand. "Crucio!"
The spider twitched, its legs trembling violently. Moody stood there utterly motionless, his eyes fixed on the head boy. The boy in question averted his gaze towards the left. In his sight was Isabel, who seemed transfixed by the spider's misery. Her feet were tapping the floor in a rhythmic beat. Her sadistic tendencies were showing. The boy let out a sigh.
"Is there a problem, Percival Ebonwood?" Moody asked.
"No, sir. Nothing at all."
"Then why aren't you looking?" the professor asked as Percival slowly turned his head towards the suffering spider. "If the Imperius Curse robs a person of their freedom, the Cruciatus Curse robs them of their humanity. In short bursts, no physical mark is left. However, prolonged exposure can lead to the permanent shattering of both mind and spirit. And maybe even physical deterioration. The word 'Crucio' is drawn directly from Latin. 'Cruciatus' means 'torture' or 'affliction by pain'. The spell does not incapacitate or restrain; it exists solely to cause anguish."
The professor swirled his wand above the spider and stopped moving. He gently picked it up and
it in his palm but lightly tapping the spider with his wand. The spider's legs twitched before it slowly positioned itself upright.
"Unlike many Dark charms, the Cruciatus Curse requires more than finesse. It demands intent. A half-hearted effort produces little more than discomfort. My department recorded a massive influx of Cruciatus usage during Voldemort's reign. Perhaps the most infamous example is the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. The longest anyone survived under the Cruciatus Curse was Gustav Ebonwood. It's a shame the bystanders were too cowardly to stand up to the Death Eater; otherwise,he would have survived. Broken, maybe, but would have survived," the professor said as he brought his mouth close to the boy's left ear. He whispered, "You'd be glad to know that Crouch is dead."
The retired auror slowly leaned back, maintaining eye contact with the boy before turning his gaze to the girl to the left. The head boy's hands trembled under the desk.
"You seem a little excited, miss?" the professor asked.
"Fitzgerald. Isabel Fitzgerald, sir," Isabel scrambled. "It's that I'm a huge fan of you and your work. And..."
"No need to explain yourself. I remember when I met my hero. I was scrambling just like you," Moody said as he placed the recovering spider on her desk. "Could I ask for everyone to gather around Miss Isabel's desk?"
A ripple of resistance ran through the classroom. Chairs scraped back with shrieks of protest, and a few students groaned under their breath. One boy dragged his heels deliberately, earning himself a glass eye constantly observing.
They clustered together at last, a loose ring of hesitant faces around the desk. The professor scanned them, unimpressed. His glass eye, unblinking at the boy, and his regular eyes scanning the rest.
"Closer," he barked.
The students shifted again with their shoulders brushing against each other. Uneasy glances flickered between them.
"Of all known spells, none is more feared than the Killing Curse. We can argue that the Killing Curse predates modern Latin-based magic. Scholars can trace it back to Aramaic civilisation. Scholars find it difficult to trace back the original creator. With the other two, we can roughly tell you when and where it was created. But with this, we have two potential places of origin," Moody said as he poked the spider with his wand. "What scholars can agree on is that Avada Kedavra was based on the phrase 'abracadabra'. One group of scholars, the most popular school of thought, believes the incantation comes from the phrase 'avra kehdabra', which means 'I will create as I speak'. They believe that the Latin 'Kardarva' was imposed later to change the meaning to 'I create dead bodies as I speak' and to give the effect of the Killing Curse we know today."
The professor then turned to face his desk and levitated a book towards him before returning his focus to the students. "Another group of scholars, the objectively correct ones, believe that it originates from the phrase 'abra kadabra', which means 'let the thing be destroyed'. The Kedavra phrasing is believed to come from the dialect of the spell's creator. Either way, the Killing Curse severs the very thread binding soul to flesh. Nobody, except the boy who is currently sleeping in the Gryffindor dorm, survived, and no counter-curse has ever been discovered. So who would like to see it in action?" The professor asked, but nobody responded. "Ah, you're no fun. How about a little thought experiment? What is the biggest killer of wizard kind? Come on. This is a call and response. So respond."
"Grindelwald!" a Gryffindor boy shouted.
"Dumbledore'" a Slytherin countered.
"Good guesses, but both wrong," the professor replied. "Dumbledore does have one of the highest kill counts of wizarding kind, but Grindelwald is far lower. Even lower than Voldemort. Would anyone like to guess why?"
"His acolytes killed in his name," the Slytherin replied.
"Correct. The acolytes killed in his name. Grindelwald never really had to get his hand dirty. So back to the original question: what is wizardkind's biggest killer?"
"Is it an animal?" a Hufflepuff asked, raising his hand.
"It would make more sense if it were a disease," Isabel stated.
"Correct, Miss Isabel. Disease is the biggest killer of wizardkind. Dragon Pox is responsible for thinning the number of magical children in particular. Spattergroit, Vanishing Sickness and Blood-Blight, the next three biggest diseases, together do not hold a candle to the devastation and the sheer amount of death caused by Dragon Pox," the professor said. "The next biggest killers are wars and Dark Lords. Grindelwald's war took the lives of wizards from all over the globe, while Voldemort's efforts were concentrated in Britain. We felt a much larger impact from Voldemort. Grindelwald and his acolytes hold a higher total death count, but a large percentage were muggles. Witch hunts, Goblin Rebellions, and the Orge Wars also inflated the percentage of deaths in this category. What percentage do you think accidents account for?"
"Five percent."
"Eight percent."
"Two percent."
"You are all far off. 20% is death due to accidents. All preventable, mind you. The most common in this category is potion-related. Toxic fumes can be dealt with better with ventilation. Missues can be dealt with better enforcement of laws. Exploding cauldron will never be dealt with."
"What do you mean by 'Exploding Cauldrons'?" Jaden asked.
"Good question. There are a few subcategories, but the two main categories are ingredient freshness and cauldron composition. Most ingredient sellers overstate and underdeliver. As for cauldron composition, have you ever noticed if you buy the same cauldron from two different shops, you get two completely different cauldrons? They could be different alloys or thicknesses or shapes. If you use one from one manufacturer and then in a hurry use another from a different one but still use the same adjustments you used from the first, you'd be in a lot of trouble."
"That sounds easy to fix. Why did you say that it would never be dealt with?"
"There are three major conglomerates when it comes to cauldrons, and let's say policymakers would be hard-pressed to make legislation regarding this," the professor explained. "Another five percent is miscellaneous. We just couldn't categorise them. And finally you have the helpful category for you lot. The Triwizard Tournament has three tasks, and one of them is always related to a fantastic beast. I assume you've read all of Scamander's work. If you want to survive, forget all about that."
"But Newt Scamander is the leading researcher in magizoology," Isabel interrupted.
"Magi-Zoology isn't going to help you live. If you want proper protection from magical creatures, I suggest you read works by Poppy Sweetings. She grew up in a family of smugglers specialising in creatures. She tells you exactly how to silence the creature whilst expending the least amount of effort," the professor said before changing the topic. "Right, homework. Capture a spider or a cricket or anything you find around the castle. Capture it and put it in a cage. Then practise the Cruciatus and Imperius curses on it. Multiple times. On Monday, some of you lucky boys and girls will demonstrate in front of the class. As for next week, on Monday we are going to be learning how to improve your Imperius defence and slightly increase your pain tolerance. On Friday, we are going to learn about the Cleansing Ritual and how to do it. The weeks after, we are going to be study the best ways to incapacitate magical creatures. If you would like to get ahead, you can ask Madam Pince for book recommendations and for the Poppy Sweetings Collection. But before that, Avada Kadavra!"
A flash of green light and a rush of air came out of Moody's wand. The spider rolled onto its back. Students looked over at each other, mostly in horror. Some students enjoyed it, but most were clutching their pearls and had a hand over their mouth. Moody hobbled to the front of the classroom whilst levitating the spider.
"You are dismissed."
None of the students wanted to stay here longer. Everyone obeyed his orders and collected their belongings before they left. The Crown of Slytherin left the classroom first. I guess he couldn't stomach it, thought the head boy. I can't blame him. The shaken Ravenclaw walked out of the classroom alongside a much more composed Jessica. The head girl and fellow Ravenclaw, Priscilla, weren't further behind. The three Ravenclaws waited at the bottom of the stairs, while the head girl waited in the stairwell below. By now the Crown has disappeared from view.
"I know it's not the same as Dementors, but it was pretty close. The chocolate should help," the prefect said as she unwrapped a bar. "Here. It's a good thing I didn't have it earlier."
"Thank you," Percival said as he took the bar. "It's a shame what happened to your bagel."
"I was so looking forward to that. But that's how life sometimes is," Jessica said as a group of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors walked past.
"What isn't fair is how he treated Jaden," Priscilla chimed. "He looks really upset. I think that's put him off being an Auror."
"It probably hasn't. Moody's a bad apple, but he's good at what he does. And I think Jaden would recognise that," Jessica said as she took a bite of the bar and passed it to Priscilla.
"He's too stubborn and worked too hard just for one lesson with Moody to stop him."
Priscilla took a bite and continued while having her face stuffed: "Maybe. But first we have to talk about you. What did Moody say to you? You were totally out of it."
"I was out of it," Percival protested.
"I'm pretty sure you disassociated for a good few minutes," Jessica added.
"No, I didn't," Percival again protested as the Slytherins and Jennifer walked out of the classroom. "I was adequately put off during the demonstrations."
"You definitely disassociated," Jennifer said as she pulled away from the Slytherins. "You guys were a bit too loud. We could hear you from the classroom. And is that chocolate? Give me some."
Priscilla took another bite before reluctantly handing it over to Jennifer.
"Where's Isabel?" she asked, again her mouth full of chocolate.
"She stayed back. I think she either wanted to ask a question or just wanted to spend time with her hero," Jennifer replied as she took a bite.
"Isabel's just left the classroom," Jessica said as she waved at the girl in question. "I guess she didn't do either of those."
"Brilliant, isn't he?" Isabel skipped down the stairs. "Completely demented, of course, and kind of terrifying to be in the same room as him, but he has really been there, you know? He's looked evil in its eyes and managed to live to tell the tale."
"You probably got off from it, didn't you?" Jessica asked.
"I wanted to," Isabel said as she shook her head. "But these pretty hands were focused on taking notes and stopping my leg from tapping the floor."
"I pity your future partner," Pricilla said as she shook her head.
"I pity us," Jennifer said.
Friday, September 2nd, 1994
Conference Room 21B
"Thank you for joining us after such a hearty dinner. My old bones are used to a nap after such a meal," the headmaster said as he sat down at the head of the conference table. "This meeting will start off with the representatives of the school body going through praises and complaints the students had during the previous academic year. We will discuss when necessary and interrupt when appropriate. Isn't that right, Minerva?"
"You cannot blame me, Ablus. It was the first time in a long time since my Transfiguration course was ICW certified. I believe that did warrant an interruption," the transfiguration professor spoke. "However, you are correct. Unless an owl interrupts us with good news, I will..."
"Or bad news," the potion master interrupted.
"Oh, Severus, why did you have to jinx us?" The divination professor moaned. "Though I believe a feline species will be the bearer of bad news. My instincts are telling me a father feline."
"I didn't jinx us. Is there a cat scurrying around the room?" Professor Prince asked as he dramatically gestured all around. "I don't see..."
The transfiguration mistress cleared her throat. "As I was saying, I will not interrupt."
"Thank you, Minerva. I would like to start off by saying a huge well done to all the heads of department present today. We achieved the highest result in our O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, even surpassing our record from the year before," Dumbledore said as he gently placed his half-moon spectacles on the dark oak table. The group of professors all had smiles on their faces in the light of their collective achievement. "This is in large part due to your hard work and the work of our assistant professor. So from the bottom of my very old heart, you have my sincerest gratitude. Miss Ward-Prowse, Mister Ebonwood, would you like to get us started?"
"Thank you, headmaster. As we did last year, we are going to go in alphabetical order, so starting with alchemy and ending with transfiguration," the head girl said as she opened her folder. "Alchemy was one of the most well-received subjects, with sixty-three percent finding it enjoyable and informative. They praised how the lesson focused on what they found interesting and the fact that it was enjoyable. Quite a few mentioned how they enjoyed the headmaster being the one to teach them."
"I too enjoyed teaching. It's brought back fond memories of my youth and my days as the transfiguration professor," the headmaster joyously said.
"However, that is where most of the complaints stem from. The students did not like the frequency of lessons being cancelled and the number of lessons that ended early due to your other responsibilities. Although most approved of the lesson, they want a more structured course and a full-time professor," Naomi said.
"My mother always said that the bit after 'however' will always hurt you, and you are absolutely correct," the headmaster said. "My duties have led me to neglect the priorities of my students. I also believe there should be a full-time alchemy professor. I have used my contacts to try to find the most suitable candidate. Interviews will be conducted by the Board of Governors as soon as they receive my shortlist. However, until then I would love to continue teaching. And this time, I personally informed all my other posts, Unless it involves matters relating to life or death, I am not to be disturbed during teaching hours."
"That's perfect, headmaster. I'll contact the Board of Governors to push for an early resolution as soon as they receive your shortlist," the head girl said as she jotted that down.
"When can the Board expect to receive that?"
"That would depend on Professor Drewsbury-Hall," the headmaster said as he directed her attention to the youngest professor among them.
"I still haven't heard back yet, but he was very interested when I mentioned it to him. I believe we will have his response by Sunday evening," the history professor said.
"Thank you, Theon. I hope that clarifies this matter," said the old professor.
"It did. Thank you," the head girl said as she flipped forward three pages.
"The next two are Ancient Runes and Cryptology and Arithmancy. First of all, when we initially asked you to strip modules to create the Study of Ancient Scripts-" Percival said as he opened the folder to the third page "-we did not expect you to take your subjects in the direction you have taken. The student body loves that Professor Babbling added cryptology."
"Could you tell us why you decided on cryptology?" Dumbledore asked softly. "As far as I'm aware, you've only had one brief encounter with cryptology."
"It was a passion project of mine. I self-studied, and going on the research expedition to see the Terracotta Army was surreal. Also, given the fact that most students want to go into a career related to curse-breaking, I thought it was the natural option," said the professor.
"And Professor Vector, the introduction of muggle mathematics in the early years was beneficial to nearly ninety percent of students in your class. "However, they say that the amount of new content introduced was a little too much," said the head boy.
"Yes, I am aware of that," replied Professor Vector. "I was hoping to discuss this with the headmaster in private at a later date."
"I think this should be a good time to discuss. It is the reason why we create these sessions," replied the headmaster.
The Arithmancy Professor took a deep breath and sighed. "Headmaster, I come before you with a request that I believe is crucial for Hogwarts's future: I ask that Arithmancy be elevated to a core subject and that we undertake a significant update of its curriculum."
Mummers slowly reverberated around the room. The potion master's and history expert's soured as Professor Vector's words still hung in the air. Candles crackled as the mummers got louder and louder. Silence was drowned out by discontent. The old professor studied her kindly and invited her to continue. Much to the annoyance of the two sour professors.
"Muggles are not the savages some in the room believe them to be. They may not have our gift, but they are capable of their own kind of magic: mathematics. This field of study has rapidly improved in the past five or so decades. Muggle mathematicians have unveiled astonishing developments. Advances in chaos theory applications, fractals, and nonlinear dynamics that have only just begun to ripple into magical theory.
For instance, the correlation between fractal geometry and wand-motion patterns has been documented by researchers at Queen Maeve's College, showing that more complex and efficient spell-casting follows fractal-derived wand paths. They even managed to simplify something as basic as Lumos," the professor said as she cast the wand lighting charm in a manner that was unusual to all but one in the room. "- to reduce casting expenditure by seventeen percent.
Chaos theory models now help predict and stabilise spells with chaotic feedback like Fyrefiend. It is more stable. Researchers found that it takes 184 seconds before it starts to fight for control. These are the breakthroughs that we should be teaching. Even you, Dumbledore, have used Muggle innovation to stabilise the Fidelius Charm to the point where you don't need an external secret keeper. I'm sure Fileus and Minerva can attest to the fact that Arithmancy students have excelled when I introduced Muggle mathematics."
"I am a willing witness to the fact. But you must show me those research papers, Septima. I am ashamed to have missed such a breakthrough. To reduce the expenditure of a charm such as Lumos, the consequences could be profound," said the half-goblin.
"It is on my desk. You may borrow it at any time," replied the other professor.
"Students who study Arithmancy always do better in Charms. But in the past two years, the gap has only extended. I believe it is due to the fact that the methods you are teaching them are simpler and better. The techniques are more efficient. They have more energy and focus on — well focus on the other bits of spell-casting. And as they focus on the other bits, they improve faster, and then the gap only widens," said the charms professor. "I believe you would observe a greater impact in transfiguration. With simpler calculations and what was it? Fractal-based wand paths. This could lead to a generational difference in Transfiguration ability. I agree with her motion. I believe Arithmancy should become a core subject."
"I would like to counter that point, Fileus," the potion professor said loudly. "While they make more consistent and better potions than their peers, I believe it is to their detriment. Magic, any form of magic, should not be that rigid. They forget the art behind it. And if they forget the art, are they truly willing to do magic?"
"Magic isn't alive. It's a metaphysical constr-"
"You said that Fyrefiend fights for control. Are you not contradicting your own point?" asked the potion professor.
"No, because, ma—"
"Enough, you two. We all know this is going to devolve into a brawl like the three previous times," said the Transfiguration professor sternly. "Severus, you are the head of Slytherin, a Potion Master, and Lord of House Prince. I do not believe this behaviour is fitting for a wizard of your stature. Septima, we all know your feeling about this matter. We simply cannot update our curriculum like that."
"In that case, I hereby tender my resignation. At the end of this academic year, I will be leaving this faculty," said Professor Vector.
"Septima, don't be rash. You don't know what you are saying," the deputy headmistress dismissively said.
"I have received an offer from Queen Maeve's College, and I intend to pursue this avenue. They are offering my own course to curate and to make Arithmancy a core subject," said Professor Vector. "They are also offering me the position of deputy headmistress."
"Queen Maeve's College? "Isn't that the one that only hires from outside of their school?" asked the history professor. "You know. They had that Asian headmaster."
"Yes, they do. And that Asian headmaster is the reason why I'm moving. The reason why Hogwarts, despite its wealthy board and appeal, is ranked second in the country," replied Professor Vector venomously. "I cannot believe you would hire someone like this to educate our children."
"No one is going to miss you if you go. And besides, your career went down the dragon's anus. You're just going to be 'the one we stole from Hogwarts'."