First Years, Lesson Five

Gabrielle was frowning as she looked over her notes, but managed to relax her expression as the students came into the classroom. "Good morning, everyone. You've almost survived your first year, so well done, you should be very proud of yourselves, so on and so forth. We're on to our last topic for the semester. So, who can tell me who 'the boy who lived' is?" she asked, waiting for someone to give her an answer. She was certain someone would claim relation based on the names of her students, which would get them an eyeroll for their troubles. "Yes, very good. Harry Potter, a major figure in modern magical history." Gabrielle wished she could've taught more modern history, but there weren't many opportunities for it.

"Harry Potter was born in 1980 in England. You might have, in Defense Against the Dark Arts, learned about Voldemort. And you'll learn more about him with Professor Borisyuk in fifth year on, so I won't go into great detail about him today. Now, the reason we call Harry Potter the boy who lived is because when he was only an infant, his parents were attacked and murdered by Voldemort. However, when the dark wizard went to cast the killing curse on Harry, the spell was blocked, leaving him with a scar on his forehead. How the spell came to be blocked, I can't properly explain," Gabrielle shrugged, giving a smirk. "Hey, I teach History, not Defence. Harry then went on to attend Hogwarts in Scotland in the 1990s, where he was sorted into Gryffindor. Voldemort, weakened, began to gradually plot his return during Harry's time at school, getting stronger and stronger, ultimately plunging the magical world into darkness for a time. However Harry, thanks in no small part to the support of his friends and his teachers, was able to defeat the dark lord, ending his mercifully brief reign of terror."

Gabrielle leaned back against the desk, looking over the students. "He then went on to become an Auror. Personally, I think it's a shame he didn't become a professor. Although Neville Longbottom was the Herbology professor when I was there, and he's a very interesting figure in his own right. Anyway, shorter lesson today. But, for homework, I'd like you to do a little bit of research. Show me if you're getting the hang of using the library." She ignored the groans of a couple of students and continued. "I'd like you to have a bit more of a look into the story of Harry Potter, especially those of you who haven't grown up in the wizarding world. And then for your homework I would like you to write an essay on any notable figure from Hogwarts. If you look into the story of Harry Potter, you'll find several. But you might look further back, or possibly even to the history of this very branch of the school. Plenty of notable figures in our short history here, too. But that's all for today. Have a good afternoon!" Gabrielle waved them off as they disbursed to hopefully do some study.

Homework
RP the lesson. First poster to answer the question gets bonus house points! Prefer someone who hasn't answered yet this semester.
Extra credit: write an essay on anyone from Hogwarts history. Whether you write about someone from the books or whether you write about someone from HNZ, I don't mind! Only needs to be 1-2 paragraphs, let me know where you're getting any specific info from.

 

[Nox Walden-Cade]

Nox listened closely as Professor Moncrieffe introduced the topic of the day. He knew about "the boy who lived" from countless stories and discussions in his family, but he still found himself curious to hear Professor Moncrieffe’s take on it. As she talked about Harry Potter’s significance in magical history, it felt strange to be learning about his cousin’s great grandfather as a historical figure. The mention of Professor Moncrieffe covering Voldemort in future years piqued his interest; he figured that those lessons would be intense, especially given the weight of the topic.

When Professor Moncrieffe assigned the homework, Nox immediately began to think of potential figures he could write about. While the story of Harry Potter and his friends was compelling, he felt drawn to explore figures less celebrated but equally impactful. The idea of looking into Hogwarts' history intrigued him, especially if he could uncover some hidden stories of the New Zealand branch. He made a mental note to head to the library after class, eager to start digging into the archives and see what he could find.