Professor John Fawcett
June 17, 2011 10:43 PM
Beginners Lesson I (1st and 2nd Years) by Professor John Fawcett
Transfiguration was sometimes argued to be the most dangerous branch of magic, and John was happy to let it have that. Complexity, though, belonged to Potions.He did not know why he felt possessive about that. It was not, after all, as though Potions had been his first calling. After drifting aimlessly through college for the better part of two years after finishing at Sonora, he had found himself in the Magisociology department, a tiny affair he had proceeded to remain in, and eventually become head of, for the better part of forty years. He’d become a respected writer on the subject and found a wife somewhere along the way, which most likely why he had survived ten years of retirement at another point before, accepting that he wasn’t going to get better sitting at home and pretending to write another book, his wife had volunteered him as a Care of Magical Creatures substitute at their old school. From there, it had been straight downhill until he found himself permanent Potions professor.
Five years now, he thought. He had spent a while going back through his records, and thought he had both joined the staff officially and become head of Aladren at that time. It was strange to think of, and not helpful in introducing himself and his class to the new first years, so he tried to keep it out of his mind.
“Good afternoon,” he told the first years, having gotten them after lunch this year. Maybe they would be settled from food without having their wits dulled by it. Maybe. “My name, for those who do not already know me, is Professor John Fawcett, Head of Aladren and – as many of you have likely deduced – your Potions professor. Please answer when I call your name off the roll. Alice Adair….”
He waved his wand at a stack of papers, which began to distribute themselves, one to each student. The packet was about four pages long, ending in a long chart. “This is your syllabus,” he informed them. “It outlines the nature and objectives of this course, classroom policies, the requirements for meeting each letter grade, and your major assignments for the semester, along with giving you a guide to what we will cover each day and what you should read ahead of class to prepare. I suggest that you keep your syllabus in a safe place and consult it often.
“As your professor, however, I reserve the right to change it as needed, and your learning is, of course, of the greatest importance here. If you experience a problem or concern, feel free to come speak to me in my office or after class.”
He frowned as severely as he knew how. “There will, though, be no tolerance for things which endanger your safety, the safety of your classmates, the safety of this school building, or the safety of your professor. Fooling around while making Potions is dangerous. You could be disfigured, you could be killed – or someone else could. Concentration and attention to detail are essential here.” He smiled slightly. “So long as those guidelines are followed, however, there is no reason why you should not also enjoy yourselves here. I dearly hope that we will have no cause for disciplinary action in this group.”
He did indeed, not least because he found punishing people unpleasant. Necessary, at times, and he would be severe with anyone who endangered everyone else, but not something that he liked.
“We will cover many topics this year, but a good place to begin seems to me to be with what, exactly, you make Potions with. Leave your things here except for paper or parchment and something to write with, and let’s include your textbooks, and follow me…”
OOC: Welcome to Potions! Follow this link to find the second part of your first lesson of the term. There is no need to respond to this post unless you wish to.
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Professor John Fawcett
Beginners Lesson I (1st and 2nd Years)
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