Selina Skies
October 26, 2020 3:59 AM
Advanced Class - Unbutton it by Selina Skies
"Hello, and welcome or welcome back to advanced transfiguration," Selina smiled at the sixth and seveth years. There were any number of careers which required the subject, from healing to being an auror to interior design. Even for those who didn't know what they wanted to do, or didn't plan on having a career, it was a core subject and one that plenty of people always chose to continue - though given its reputation for difficulty, many chose to drop it at the first opportunity too."Coming round is the curriculum outline for this term, along with a short questionnaire. Whilst much of our curriculum is fixed, based on RATS examination subjects, we do also have several modules where I can try to tailor things to your specific needs and interests, so be sure to let me know what those are." The form asked questions such as what they hoped to get out of studying advanced transfiguration, what elements of it they liked or wanted to know more about, as well as any particular career, study or other goals they had for their time after Sonora. She could, of course, get some of that information out of Killian, but it helped to ask it with a specific transfiguration focus in mind - she would be sure to send him copies of their answers though.
Once they had had a chance to look through the curriculum, fill put their surveys and ask any initial questions, the lesson began in earnest.
"Today, we will be working on vanishment. Vanishment is amongst the easier skills on the advanced curriculum here. Some schools begin this in fifth year, but due to the way our classes are split, we save it for advanced. However, I would expect even the new members of this class to vanish a button by the end of the lesson," she stated. She would actually expect it in a much shorter time than that, but she didn't want to give too much of a time pressure, as that didn't tend to help most people do their best.
"Part of the reason that vanishment is easy, at least in terms of spell memorisation, is that it is the same for all vanishments. The incantation is 'evanesco' with a decisive wand movement aimed at the centre of your object," she explained, giving a quick demonstration on a mug on her desk.
"Sixth years, as mentioned, you will be starting with buttons. If you manage it completely with one incantation, three times in a row, you may come and get more complex objects," she gestured to a row of boxes at the front of the room. This started with a large tub of buttons, as once they were gone, they would need to replace them for subsequent attempts. The contents of the other boxes increased in both size and complexity, becoming made of multiple materials or having complex interworking parts.
"Seventh years, you are going to complete a grading exercise so we know where each of you is starting from this term. This won't affect your final grade for class, and nor is it a competition. It is just a tool to help you measure your current level and to determine what sort of practise will be most helpful for you. Take an object that you are confident you can fully vanish as your starting point and then work up from there. Mark the number of attempts it took you to wholly vanish each subsequent object. Once it takes you more than three attempts, mark that as your ceiling level.
"You can then either continue practising at that level, though I would like you to turn in your grading exercise as it is, not based on anything you subsequently achieve in class. Alternatively, you may begin reading the chapter on the ethics of vanishment, which you will finish and summarise for homework. The same goes for sixth years who have finished their three buttons."
OOC: Welcome to advanced transfiguration. Feel free to include any or all elements of this class (survey, practical, reading) in your response, and to make up materials for the students to work with or content in the book. For materials, please note other people's responses as there would be one set order for complexity. Your character can be working at a different difficulty level and therefore include different items but I don't want one person to say the order goes 'button then comb then toothbrush' and another says 'button then notebook then pencil.'
I also cannot get onto HP wiki right now so if amy info about evanesco wand movements etc is inaccurate, please go with canon and I will correct later.
Subthreads: *blushes* I've never thought about unbuttoning anything, nope. by Evelyn Stones
First step toward Un-humaning someone by Topaz Brockert
Capable by Caitlin Pierce
13
Selina Skies
Advanced Class - Unbutton it
26
1
5
Evelyn Stones
November 02, 2020 10:03 PM
*blushes* I've never thought about unbuttoning anything, nope. by Evelyn Stones
Evelyn was very anxious for Transfiguration. It would undoubtedly be her hardest class this year (and also previous years) but she was excited and determined and terrified. She was glad to be in classes with Heinrich again, and of course she always had Ness by her side. Her closeness to Aladrens had absolutely made a difference in her academic performance. She looked over the curriculum as it was passed out, raising her eyebrows at some of the topics that were absolutely going to be kicking her butt. It was exciting, but woof. She was going to spend a lot more time in the library than she thought she'd done before, and probably more than a few late nights in the Common Room as well. It would be fine. This was just the beginning if what she'd learned about law school was true. She'd actually looked into two routes over the summer, and was interested in social work as well. Ms. Heidi had been good for her, and she wanted to be good for other people. It was something she'd thought about more after her conversation with Gary because he'd been thrilled for her to be a lawyer and take the world by storm, but he'd also pointed out that at the end of the day, she just wanted to make things better for other people and that was a thing she could do in either field. Also, she basically hated lawyers at this point, and wasn't sure how she felt about being surrounded by them all the time.She shook her head to clear it and filled out the form she was passed, outlining her interest in social work - the application of transfiguration manifesting in her ability to conjure comfort items and small necessities for the kids she'd work with and herself - and in law - transfiguration being a good basis in terms of understanding the magical world better and practicing some of the mental fortitude required for the field - and then passed the document back to the front.
Then the lesson began. Evelyn was basically fond of Professor Skies, especially for the role she'd played in helping Evelyn get on her feet. Since this was something she was actually aware of this term, she paid attention in class with a positive expression and nodded along as she took notes. Today, they were going to vanish a button before the end of the class. It was an 'easy' advanced skill. It was an advanced skill and they were going to do it by the end of class. Evelyn's familiar old anxiety rose in her chest but she forced it away. She could do this. She wasn't the little girl who'd once sat in this classroom, she was much more than that, and she could do it. She could do it.
She decided immediately that she wasn't even going to think about the more complex items because she didn't need to. Heinrich would need to, and she'd try to see what he was doing and encourage him and be excited, but she wasn't going to bother. She was going to focus on her button. Her three buttons, if she could manage it.
When the lecture ended, Evelyn paused a moment while most of the class went to retrieve their items, opening the book to the chapter the professor had mentioned so it was available when she wanted to refer to it. Then she retrieved her buttons. At this point, she was generally comfortable with everyone in her class, although she hadn't had half of this class in class with her for a year, and she didn't mind who she worked with. Of course, she always preferred to work with Ness or Heinrich, but she also knew them well enough to know they want some variety too, and they'd work together later in study time. So she tried not to be picky. Turning to the nearest available student - be it Heinrich, Ness, or someone else entirely - Evelyn smiled. "Want to work together?" she asked.
22
Evelyn Stones
*blushes* I've never thought about unbuttoning anything, nope.
1422
0
5
Topaz Brockert
December 10, 2020 7:24 AM
First step toward Un-humaning someone by Topaz Brockert
Topaz was really looking forward to Advanced classes. She had, of course,aced her CATS and gotten Os in everything. Which Allegra hadn't. The Aladren was continuing everything but Care of Magical Creatures, based on the fact that well, caring for anyone or anything was an anaethema to her. Everything else though, she totally wanted to know even more about.After all, knowledge was power-and those were two things Topaz badly wanted. She would never be able to have enough when it came to either.
Professor Skies passed around a questionnaire and a curriculum outline. Topaz had never seen a point in the former and usually lied or told half-truths. She had to. Being honest on such things would not be in her best interest. Besides, what did her reasons for something matter?
Well, okay, they did matter because Topaz was definitely someone who mattered, but they weren't really Professor Skies' business. That said, some of these were questions where she could be sort of honest. Like, for what she hoped to get out Advanced Transfig, she put that she enjoyed learning-which was part of being an Aladren, after all-and wanted to know as much as she could about almost everything that she could. She left out the parts that were more power hungry.
On the other hand, what the sixth year wanted to learn...well, there was an answer that she needed to be a bit more careful about.
As it turned out, today's lesson was on something that Topaz definitely wanted to know about. Vanishment was something she could definitely hope to put to good use as she wanted to make her roommate disappear pretty much in the worst way possible. Honestly, she couldn't wait to graduate and get away from Snotti-Ness.
Not that she was looking forward to other post-graduation things, such as marriage and children. However, Topaz would be going to college first-and making sure to get a single room when she was there. Although Mother would possibly push for her to get married sooner.
Anyway, Snotti-Ness was not the only person she wished she could make disappear. Now Isla was in Aladren too. And it wasn't just that Topaz resented the younger Aladren's intelligence, the first year was weird . Like her attachment to her puppets was extreme and unhealthy. She basically acted like they were her kids and needed to be protected from Topaz, similar to how Aunt Madeleine watched very carefully to make sure that Miles didn't take food from the sixth year.
She received her button. Honestly, this was going to be too easy. In her desire to vanish people, Topaz had already been practicing this spell. "Evanesco " The button vanished immediately and completely. Twice more she went through the exercise, then went to get another, more complicated object.
11
Topaz Brockert
First step toward Un-humaning someone
1427
0
5
Caitlin Pierce
December 11, 2020 10:31 AM
Capable by Caitlin Pierce
Caitlin's year had gotten off to a good start because she had gotten Head Girl. Yes, she understood Sylvia had badly wanted it, and that was...unfortunate. Caitlin wouldn't have gotten upset had her friend won. However, she was the one who had and she was going to be proud of it. Doing so made her a credit to her family and would help them stay in power.Oh, she knew that there were people who didn't want her to have it-but also didn't want Sylvia to do so either. She had heard Nessa McLeod having a hissy fit over the Head Girl ballot last year. Honestly, although Caitlin did consider herself and Sylvia as similar, so that point was fair enough, the Aladren was just unreasonable. It was ridiculous when all along she had to have known that Caitlin and Sylvia were the only two girls in their year. Yet, Nessa had acted surprised . Honestly, what had she expected? That they were just going to pass over two perfectly capable candidates and put one of the now-sixth years on the ballot as well? Did she think she was that special that she should be placed on the ballot a year early? Why would they do that? That literally made no sense! It would be insulting because it implied that neither of the Crotalus girls was really worthy of the position and a third option had to be found.
Of course, Nessa did not seem to think Caitlin and Sylvia were capable. Was it the fact that they were purebloods? Because they embraced their femininity? Both? The seventh year was betting on both. Well, the Aladren could eat her heart out because Caitlin was Head Girl and that was that. Honestly, she could understand why Topaz called the other sixth year a hypocrite. Assuming people were incapable because of who they were was prejudice,when Nessa acted like she was just so enlightened.
Professor Skies handed out a survey along with the curriculum outline. Caitlin really hated filling things like this out. She knew full well what kinds of things professors wanted her to say and she generally liked to make a positive impression. However, she wasn't interested in a career and she felt like that was what the professors wanted.The Crotalus kind of thought they looked down on girls like her. Just because they had to or wanted to work didn't mean they had to think less of people who didn't. Never mind that there were people who completely weren't cut out for that sort of thing.
The main lesson though was considerably better. Even though Caitlin had practiced vanishing last year, she didn't mind doing it again as she'd done pretty decently at it. Even though she might not necessarily be the very best-she rather assumed Beau had the most natural talent in Transfig, though her grades had to be so much better than his because he was a complete and total slacker-she'd done a more than acceptable job. Caitlin got her first object and sat down to start the grading exercise.
11
Caitlin Pierce
Capable
1415
0
5