Professor Marlowe

February 11, 2006 11:10 PM
Well, Lina, this is it, she thought as the bell rang, beginning the class, and she looked around the assembled first years. Merlin, they looked small. Her two eldest nieces, Christine and Ophelia, were ten and nine, and they looked considerably bigger in memory than any of these eleven-year-olds. It was probably a question of familiarity. They'd start looking more in-proportion when she was used to them. With that in mind, she gave the class a brief, businesslike smile and began the opening statements she had spent most of the previous night preparing.

"Good morning," she said, long since past noticing any but the most drastic reactions to an accent that was half Boston and half Britain. "I am Professor Marlowe, and, as should be apparent, your instructor in the field of Transfiguration." Using her wand as a pointer, she indicated the name written to the left of the board behind her. She'd never manage Tabitha Newton's easygoing charm, but she had never aspired to be her old Arithmancy teacher. "This isn't a subject to be taken lightly. The smallest error has the potential to cause large amounts of damage." She rounded the desk to face them more directly. "I would advise you to discard anything you think you already know about this subject now. I can tell you from experience that it'll save you time and effort." Enough in that vein. It was time to move on to the lesson.

"Today's spell is a relatively simple one involving objects similar in size and, though less closely, appearance. You'll each be issued a match - I've charmed them not to ignite, so be kind enough to not try to set my room on fire - and will attempt to Transfigure it into a needle." She tried not to remember the day she had been taught this particular spell and had been scolded by the teacher, one Professor Writworth, when she argued that a needle looked absolutely nothing like a match. "The incantation for this is Myxanti Nere. Watch, please." She lifted a match from the small box of them resting on her desk and held it up for their inspection, then pointed her wand directly at it. As she pronounced the incantation, she moved her wand in a straight downward diagonal motion finished with a flick that returned it to the original position. She didn't attempt to deny being internally relieved when it worked correctly. Having a beginner's spell go wrong because of nerves would be the exact opposite of the start she hoped to make.

"Focus and precision of pronunciation and wand movement are essential to success with this spell," she told the class, carefully placing the needle beside the container holding the matches. "Your instructions are written to the right of the board, as I'm sure some of you have noticed. I'd strongly advise copying them into your notes for future reference. We'll practice the wand movement and then the pronunciation of the spell before you attempt the Transfiguration." A few minutes later, everyone seemed to have gotten first the motion and then the spell, each performed without the other to prevent any accidents, and she deemed it safe to send out the matches.

"Try not to become impatient if the spell doesn't come easily at first," she said, making her tone a little softer than it had been. Newton had always done that, and it was effective in causing fractional lowering of anxiety levels in most cases. Selina's had never been one such case - she had been known as a perfectionist and all-around geek by midterm of her first year - but others had said that it worked. "Don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. You may begin." \n\n
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0 Professor Marlowe Lesson One, First Years 0 Professor Marlowe 1 5


Rob Stone

February 18, 2006 6:11 PM
Rob listened as his Transfiguration professor spoke about what they were trying to do. A match to a needle? Hmmm. The only match Rob was thinking about, or dreaming about, was a Quidditch match. He had signed up for tryouts and was anxious to start. He heard everyone saying strange words and was shaken out of his thoughts, embarrassed that he had daydreamed. What was the incantation? Mixante Near? That's what it sounded like at least. He said it, but felt everyone staring at him. Oops. Try again. Myxanti Nere? There, that was better. He tried for the wand movement next. He hesitantly moved his wand in the straight downward diagonal motion he had seen before, then tried finished with a flick that brought it back to where he started, but he almost dropped his wand. Rob felt his cheeks go a little red. He got it right on the third try.

Finally, the match came to him. He slowly and cautiously pointed his wand at it. Myxanti Nere and then he moved his wand in a straight downward diagonal motion finished with a flick that returned it to the original position. Nothing. He tried again. On the ninth try, the match looked a little pointy.

"Well, at least it looks like it could prick something," Rob said to no one in particular.\n\n
0 Rob Stone Mixanti Near? 0 Rob Stone 0 5


Geoffrey Spindler

March 04, 2006 8:31 AM
It looked like his mother had been right when she said that Geoffrey wouldn't be making any friend soon, if ever. He came into the Transfiguration classroom, and tried to locate a seat where he wasn't going to be called upon to answer questions, or help with demonstrations, and eventually settled down near another boy in a spot he freverantly hoped would prove safe.

He wasn't entirely certain what he was going to be doing with Transfiguration. Most of his spellcasting experience was with infinately basic Charms, sticking and unsticking on the whole, and with a training wand instead of his brand new proper and fully fledged magic wand. Charms was definitely the class he was looking forward to... but Transfiguration... well, Geoff would just have to see.

The Professor was a relief. Her accent was completely at odds with itself, and he thought that she seemed fairly nice. She didn't yell or glower anyhow, which was a definite positive he decided. It was almost strange to see a woman who didn't immediately approach him and either fuss over how his clothes were entirely immaculate and straight, or bemoan his weight and stupidity. Strange, but definitely in a good way; he started to relax as the demonstration was given, taking a couple of quick notes and practicing the incantation and wand movement along with the rest of the class. It only took a couple of goes for him to think he had it right, and a relieved smile broke out on his face.

The boy next to him appeared to be something else. Geoff had glanced curiously at the boy when he'd said something about 'Maxante Near" before ducking his head down again and paying attention to his own efforts, trying not to pay attention to the other boy's clumsiness, because he knew that he himself would prefer to be ignored rather than laughed at or have his mistakes pointed out to him.

When the matches came, Geoff paused and it hit him that he was supposed to be performing a spell here. A proper spell. The confidence from the practice made a disorderly retreat back to the fairyland it must have come from. He had to check over his shoulder to make sure that Mother wasn't watching, complete with disapproving expression. She wasn't. Or, at least, she wasn't anywhere he could see her, and as Cecilia Spindler didn't believe in hiding, that generally meant that she wasn't there.

He took a deep breath and picked up the match. It looked pretty ordinary. He put it down again, in the centre of his desk, and surrupticiously looked over at the boy next to him, watching him attempt the spell a couple of times, before adjusting his grip on his own wand and readying it.

A kerfufle broke out elsewhere in the room, a couple of kids fighting over something, and a girl who looked to have... set something on fire? He wondered momentarily how she'd managed that, before seeing the opportunity for what it was.

"Myxanti Nere."

His wand went down and flicked up. There might have been the sightest of silvering shimmering along the wood, or it might have been wishful thinking. Geoffrey felt a stab of disappointment. What had his tutors said? Concentration is key. Belief in what you're doing. Knowing it can be done.

Well, Professor Marlowe had shown them, hadn't she? It was possible, Geoffrey knew that. And he wasn't a squib, definitely not a squib. Which meant... he could do this too.

His brow furrowed in concentration as he returned his wand to the starting position. He raised his other hand for a moment, to brush a finger over the bridge of his nose idly, before letting it fall again out of the way. He looked at the match, and told himself that it might be a match now, but it would be a needle soon. The wand swung down and flicked back up as he spoke the incantation, concentrating fiercely on what he wanted to happen.

And then he continued to look down for a few moments, in silence. A small smile started to turn the corners of his mouth up. It wasn't really changed in shape... but the match was silver. It was definitely a good start.\n\n
39 Geoffrey Spindler Mixanti Far 79 Geoffrey Spindler 0 5