Surely storms don't spook a man with a name like Rainwater, the Herbology Professor charged with guiding Horgwartians on their Herbology journey this term. And while a little bad weather might've actually suited the plants in the past, this storm found occupants of the castle and its grounds isolated, magic-less, and more confused than a first year stuck on the moving staircase. Classes had to go on though, and Professor R continued to plant little seeds of knowledge into his students in hopes of watching them grow.
Grumpy looking toads on a stool greeted students as they entered the greenhouses one rainy afternoon in October, leaving them wondering just what Professor Rainwater had planned for them. The rumors circulated quickly. Had Professor R turned into a tetchy toad to trick them? Did these toads grow from some sort of magical seed that had been planted in soil? Nope! In fact, the toads on a stool were simply a dad joke gone toadally unappreciated, toadstools being the subject for the day! First the students shared facts they knew, or had made up on the spot, about the various toadstools they'd heard of. From the toxic types, to those able to leap, it was clear that there was no shortage of toadstools to talk about. The class then got really creative and considered crossbreeding, the process of creating a hybrid! Breaking off into small groups, students let their imaginations run wild, coming up with the most wild toadstools they could think of. From glowing along your garden path to screaming to keep away those that seek to harm, the ideas were a plenty and the professor seemed pleased. As a reward for all their hard work, class ended with a game of Trampoline Toadstools, house against house, winner take a week of no homework and dibs on some of the plant man's candy stash. Now THAT was a sweet way to end class!
The colder months found Professor Rainwater and his beloved plants suffering from the impacts of the storm, which had prevented students and staff alike from using magic. The greenhouses were closed off, the magic-dependent flora fighting a losing battle, and the students learning the mundane side of plant care. One frigid February afternoon, Hogwartians settled outside facing a large bin of junk, not the most inviting setup for a lesson, but one that weirdly represented the state of things at the castle as of late. All someone had to do was set fire to the trash and it would've been picture perfect. Even the salt king himself, Eiji Rasting, seemed to sense the direness of things, offering help to Rainwater, who got so emotional the he enveloped the boy in a hug in front of the group. It was a sight to see. Moving on, the class was asked to go back to basics and share what plants needed to survive. Water, light, space, temperature, love. All the answers were on point and the professor, who looked quite like he was on the verge of tears, seemed pleased that everyone was putting their best effort in. Next up was talk of nutrients. Composting was an easy, effective, and resourceful way to help plants thrive, and the plants left at Hogwarts needed all the help they could get. Even while the class was heading off to scoop some poop, a source of nutrients of the more smelly variety, they could take comforting in knowing they were helping to support those green, leafy lives. The lesson concluded with the class getting crafty, making their own mini compost machines out of the recycled materials Professor R had acquired. Whoever said one man's trash was another man's treasure wasn't wrong, it seemed.
history of magic
History of Magic is led by Professor Gabriela Recard, a woman of many talents. In case you hadn’t noticed, she wears two hats around the castle. Professor Recard is also Healer Recard. Not only does she teach Hogwartians about the history of the wizarding world, as healer, she can also take care of whatever ails you. This year she introduced us to the many wonders of Newt Scamander. We learned that Newt wasn’t exactly a one trick pony himself. Who knew?
Along with learning about Mr. Scamander’s many endeavors, the class had an opportunity to create their own zoos. If you saw a lot of cardboard Newt Scamanders popping up around the castle, you have Professor Recard to thank. The History of Magic long term project involved taking photos of “Flat Newt” out and about, writing stories about them and giving a presentation to the class. Believe me, the presentations were both entertaining and revealing. I had the chance to talk with Professor Recard recently and here is what she had to say.
Thank you for agreeing to this interview Professor Recard. The first thing I would like to know is this. Why do you think it is important for students to learn about the History of Magic? You're quite welcome! I think it is important for students to learn History of Magic because far too often, we forget the lessons that history has taught us. It isn't just about memorizing names and dates. It's about analyzing our past and learning more about the people and their motivation behind what they do. Not only does that help students with their critical thinking, but also helps us to prevent the same mistakes from happening again.
How did you come up with the idea for the Flat Newt long term project? Are you a big Newt Scamander fan? Before I came to Hogwarts, I actually starting teaching with primary kids. One of the muggleborn students told me about the "Flat Stanley" project her muggle sister did, and she was upset that she didn't get to do it. I started my own Flat Stanley project for them and decided to work on translating it to Hogwarts!
Newt Scamander was not someone I was really familiar with until I went to graduate school for history and ended up becoming fascinated by him! I thought his fight for creatures and all the good he did for their well-being is so important to learn about.
You have done double duty at Hogwarts as the History of Magic Professor and Healer. Which job do you find to be more difficult? Definitely Healer. I attend classes and seminars every summer to brush up on healing because that isn't where my main training lies. Don't worry, though, I am capable of treating just about anything that comes my way - or at least calling St. Mungos if needed!
Sometimes students don’t see their professors as real people with real lives. What do you like to do in your spare time and when you are away from Hogwarts? I live in France with my husband Armen, my son Tucker from my first marriage, and my daughter Emilie. We like to travel during our holidays, mostly along the French countryside, but I also enjoy doing yoga, cooking and learning new recipes, and reading.
Now it is time for the random bonus question. If you could teach any other subject, which one would it be and why would you choose it? Definitely Charms! I actually used to work in Accidents and Catastrophes at the Ministry, and was Department Head of Magical Transportation after that, so my professional career actually started there. I went back to graduate school for history, though, and it is my true love.
muggle studies
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what is a meme worth? That was the general topic behind one Muggle Studies lesson in mid-October. And also, a good question for Professor Schmoe, which why didn’t anyone think to ask??? Anyway, a meme is this thing that gets passed around the internet as a form of communication. And since this is Hogwarts, class couldn’t make it past that particular bit of information without name calling. This time, it was one Odaline Buchanan who was calling Professor Schmoe stupid. Which had a lot of people wondering why the girl was even allowed to speak. Ever. Also, Buchanan’s whack to the back of Bernadette Grantham’s head was definitely uncalled for. Luckily, Professor Schmoe handled the situation with aplomb and a points loss for Buchanan.
AnYwAy, the task of the day was to create our own memes! Which some people really got into. Like really, really into. So much so, they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) stop.
Later on in the term it was a good thing that Muggle Studies didn’t require magic, because there was none to be had. What Professor Schmoe did have, however, was a giant inflatable pool. Yes, you read that right. And it appeared that the professor had blown it up himself (yes, Schmoe, we noticed). The purpose of which was water aerobics, which is this thing where muggles do aerobics in a pool. Which yours truly isn’t a fan of, thanks for asking. Class did go on without drama, for once. Yes, even when the giant beach ball was thrown into the mix. Surprising considering that we were having to toss the ball back and forth, with certain activities to do depending on where on the ball our thumb landed. I put the blame on our fading memories. Who has time for drama when you can’t even remember your way back to your dorm?
And was that for Muggle Studies this term. At least we all got out alive!
potions
In amongst all the confusion, disappearing acts and loss of magic was one memorable Potions lesson. Or was it forgettable? Oh, who knew at this point, when one couldn’t even be sure they were even in the right class at the right time? And going back to that loss of magic stuff, how were we even going to make potions, anyway? And what was with the exploded cauldron and rotten egg smell? Those questions would be answered soon, but our first priority was to find a seat, one hopefully not too close to the mess.
Once everyone was settled, Professor Noble got started. It turned out that the mess and the smell had been caused in the previous lesson and not by flatulence as both Nem Upstead and Carsyn Rose had insinuated. One mistake that it was going to be our job to clean up. Without magic. A fact that apparently had gone right over some people’s heads, judging by their answers to Professor Noble’s first question, making yours truly want to stand up and shout “WE DON’T HAVE MAGIC, DUH!” Thankfully, most had managed to keep their heads in all the chaos going around.
Another thing to be thankful for? That Professor Noble had found a potion that didn’t require magic to activate it. A mixture of different absorbent materials bound together by flobberworm mucus. More importantly? Nothing that would explode if you forgot a step, which with all the forgetting going on was a good thing. Though this didn’t prevent drama erupting (this is Hogwarts, afterall). The cause of this drama? An innocent question from one Aboli Song about why we couldn’t just buy the muggle version. Which brought on a salty remark from the ever salty Eiji Rasting. And it all went downhill from there. Though, not too far, since class didn’t end with people’s faces being shoved in the mess.
Another lesson further along in the year and everyone was about half ghost and following each other around like some sort of weird game of follow the leader. The topic of today’s lesson? An introduction to metallurgy. Which some, such as Phoebe James, confused with metal allergy. But what it really is, is the study of metal and its uses. This led to a more quiet and subdued lesson with no exploding cauldrons or emotions. Just matching metals with their uses. Phew! What a way to spend our last term with the erstwhile Professor Noble, huh! And now that we all have our memories back, the man will be dearly missed.
transfiguration
How do you make one vanish? Add a “g” and it’s gone!
If only it were that easy. This year, Professor Eris, our beloved professor and school librarian, taught us all about a few branches of Transfiguration, the first being vanishment. With the sky blazing red outside, we made our way into the lesson, only to find one large worktable and a tall, mysterious door in the middle of the classroom. We each received a matchstick to practice the vanishing spell.
It seemed like a fairly typical class session - that is, until our magic went haywire. Eiji Rasting was thrown to the ground after his wand backfired. Sparks flew as other students started to have the same problem. Aboli Song, among many others, received a face full of smoke. And some of us couldn’t get our matchsticks to vanish at all. Even the most accomplished transfigurers were left frustrated, wondering why their wands were failing them.
But as quickly as the strangeness had ensued, it dissipated. And no, Professor Eris hadn’t taught us the Evanesco spell incorrectly. Come to find out later, it was the Rheticus Vortex to blame for the magical surge. With our magic restored and our eyebrows singed, Professor Eris sent us through the mysterious door on an exciting, individualized Transfiguration journey. Our task was to make our way through the maze, vanishing three objects along the way. The objects varied depending on our year. Second years had to vanish textbooks, cauldrons, and clocks, while seventh years were faced with parrots, foxes, and cats.
In our second seminar, we learned about the conjuring branch of Transfiguration, although you wouldn’t have expected it from the beginning of class. Professor Eris had us walking and side-skipping in circles to “warm up.” With forgetfulness setting in, I thought I might have accidentally walked in on an exercise meeting of the Health and Wellness Club! Alas, our professor was just preparing us for the main activity, which had to do with conjuring ropes. We weren’t able to learn Incarcerous with our wands, since magic had ceased, but we got plenty of practice with a fun game. Howdy, partners - it was time for a Transfiguration rodeo! Half of us ran around the room, holding pillows in front of our bodies for protection, while the others tried to lasso their ropes around us and reign us in. We learned that it isn't exactly simple to capture a moving target. Who would’ve thought that being a cowboy was so hard?