An answer to a question

[Victoria de Lacey]

Tori had been thinking about it for a while, but she hadn't really know quite how to ask the question. Maybe she was alone in this, but she still wasn't sure she quite understood how, or even why Astronomy was considered to be a form of magic, or even if it was? Why were they learning about the sky if it wasn't a form of magic, and honestly she kind of had the same question about History of Magic, but it was in the name, right? It was about magical history, and whilst she would've preferred to know more about the history of magic in Aotearoa specifically she wasn't the one writing the curriculum, so maybe it would come to that later. Even still, it was the history of magic which should tell her everything she needed it to, and why it was part of a magical education. All of the rest of her classes taught her spells, magic, she was learning about aspects and forms of magic in every other class, but Astronomy was sort of... well it just seemed like the strangest of classes to be important. It wasn't even like she was taking Arithmancy right now, because she would have considered that important too, it was math and it was magical math, but Astronomy? She didn't get it, which is why and how she'd found her way to Professor Zumwalt's office at a time she thought she might find the professor in her office. She really just needed to understand what the point was, the significance of it. She wasn't learning anything she couldn't have learnt in the muggle world, was she? She wasn't learning spells, so how was this a field of magical study? Tori knocked on the door as she came to a stop in front of the woman's door. She wasn't sure how she felt about Astronomy honestly so maybe this would help her make up her mind? "Professor Zumwalt? Are you in? I have a question." She hoped the woman would humour her and not be offended.​

 

[Professor Adorah Zumwalt]

Adorah had been taking the time to catch up on grading when she heard a rapt at the door. She stood up from her chair and waved her wand, watching the student files fill back into multiple folders nearby before seeing of her Gryffindors in front of her. "Well, hello Tori. Is this is a quick question or a come in and sit down type of question?" she asked, stepping aside in case it was the latter. The lavendar comfy chairs were placed facing her desk so hopefully students didn't feel intimidated when speaking with her.

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

"Uhm," Tori wasn't actually sure about the answer, so she stepped into the room just to be on the safe side, because actually she wasn't sure if this was a simple answer question, only Professor Zumwalt really would know the answer to that. "I don't think it's a simple answer, Professor, but... I'm not really sure. Mostly I'm just wondering how Astronomy is magic."​

 

[Professor Adorah Zumwalt]

Adorah gave a little smile as she thought. "Hmm." She gestured for the student to come sit in a chair if she felt the desire to but made her own way back behind the desk. Adorah knew almost every student, especially those who didn't have people in their life working in the field, had pondered this question. She herself did as a first year, and pursuing some education with muggle astronomers after graduation would certainly not help the first-year understand. "Well, let me ask you a question, first. Have you spoken to Professor Carter with the same question?" she asked gently. Adorah knew some of the plants showed off their inherent magic to the students, but many didn't and required using them with other ingredients to produce potions and the like. It wasn't meant maliciously towards Tori but more to see if she could figure out the answer for herself.

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

She hadn't spoken to Professor Carter about Herbology. Mostly she lumped that class into Potions, but maybe she was wrong about that? What class should she be lumping Astronomy into? Charms? Transfiguration maybe? Tori took a moment to decide if she wanted to sit down, unsure how long of a question this would be, before sitting promptly and making herself comfortable in the chair with her legs folded up under her. She would move her legs if Professor Zumwalt asked, but she didn't like having her legs hanging if she could avoid it. Irrational fears and all that. "No, I haven't should I? Only I kind of just put it with Potions, since they sort of work together, and I've seen some of the older kids talk about Care of Magical Creatures too, so I can understand that, and most of my other classes except for History of Magic," at the mention of the history class, she made a face, letting Professor Zumwalt in on her feelings regarding that class, "all require spells, or they have something magical about them and I guess... I just don't know what is so magical about Astronomy, well, except for the obvious parts, about planets and things and the moon, but... we don't really learn anything different to the muggles, right? So I just don't really understand what's the point?" She wasn't trying to offend the professor and she hoped the woman understood that, but she was also endlessly curious and she felt like she needed some context for the class and everything that she was learning in it. If she had that, perhaps the class would be easier for her to understand, as it was, she felt she was doing well, but it felt like she was confused most of the time too.​

 

[Professor Adorah Zumwalt]

Adorah listened honestly and intently as Tori shared her perspective. It made sense for a young witch to feel this way. She had met many who didn't, but they were always more interested in what Adorah sometimes (privately, to Noel only) referred to as "woo-woo magic," you know, the magic that didn't feel as exact as spells and potions. Then again, nothing about magic was exact all the time. Any little thing could change and cause an explosion or a potion to just be a disgusting flavored beverage. The only magic that felt exact to Adorah was in fact Astronomy. The planets have their patterns, the constellations were visible when they were meant to be and had their purpose.

"I can see you've done a lot of thinking on this, Tori," Adorah replied genuinely. "I think the most important thing to remember with Astronomy is that just like other forms of magic, it doesn't work alone. Astronomy can help with Potions and Divination. Celestial events let us know when we can brew certain potions. Otherwise, they don't work. Magic also involves much of what the muggles call science, and understanding how certain things in space work can make us better witches and wizards." She paused, realizing that this may be too much for the eleven-year-old and that she wanted a short and sweet answer. After all, she didn't want to give her some sort of existential complex.

"I suppose the short and sweet answer is that just like Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy works with other forms of magic to make them more effective. It's just like the Quidditch team. The seeker may "win the game," but it would be impossible for them to do so without beaters, keepers, and chasers," she finished, feeling rather surprised that a sports analogy came out of her mouth. She'd have to tell Juniper later for a good laugh. "Does that help at all?"

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

Tori nodded when Professor Zumwalt mentioned she'd thought a lot about it. She had! She'd been thinking about it since the first class, though she hadn't specifically understood at the time what it was she'd been thinking about. The problem was she just wasn't sure she really understood what the difference was even with magic. Was that a bad thing? She really hoped not because there was definitely just some things she wasn't sure she could understand at her age, but she didn't know how to address that either. "So having a good understand of Astronomy can make me better at Potions and Divination?" Well she didn't know about divination, she wasn't sure she wanted to take that class, but she didn't know anything about it, she wouldn't have to worry for a couple of years yet though, it wasn't a core subject thankfully. "Okay, so Astronomy is the chaser, and potions is the seeker?" Did that make sense? She liked sports analogies, they made more sense to her than academics.​