Percival had begun his final term at Hogwarts and today was teaching the first years. He sat at his desk as the students came in, paying little attention to them until it was precisely time for the lesson to begin. He stood up to close the door and locked it behind him, any late commers would quickly learn that tardiness would not be tolerated.
"You should be here for your first Astronomy lesson, yes?" He impatiently looked around for nods, "Good. My name is Professor Zephyrmoon, I'll be your Astronomy professor this year, and this year alone." he stressed that he would not see them next year. "Over the course of this subject, you are going to explore the Solar System, black holes, galaxies far away, and even our closest neighbours in space," He sighed, continuing to follow the syllabus.
"So, can anyone tell me - what is Astronomy?" Percival asked generally. A few hands went up, and he let them talk, not paying much attention to their answers. "None of those are correct, therefore I will therefore not be awarding any house points. If we're to provide a concise explanation, astronomy pertains to the systematic study of celestial phenomena. It encompasses the observation and analysis of celestial objects and phenomena beyond Earth's atmosphere. As beginners, your pursuit will involve an in-depth exploration of the vast expanse of the cosmos." Percival did not stop to see if the students were paying attention or following what he was saying, frankly he didn't care.
"When one looks through a telescope to study the phenomena of space, you come to resemble an astronomer, and for as long as humans have been present on Earth, we've been looking up to the sky and studying the stars," Percival continued. "Astronomy is one of the only classes you'll study here that has a direct link in the muggle world. For nearly all of history, we wizards have worked with exceptional muggles in the field of astronomy, occasionally sharing information so muggles can further advance their own scientific findings," Professor Percival said, leaning into their first conversation for the year. "Copernicus, in fact, was the first wizard to inform muggles that the Earth is not the centre of the universe. His logic wasn't exactly correct, but it ultimately began to pave the way for astronomy and the understanding of the Universe we have today," he said glancing up at the clock, noticing that the lesson was at an end.
"Homework for this week entails completing a simple questionnaire. The school faculty think this necessary, though its significance eludes me," Professor Zephyrmoon said bluntly, shaking his head, "Class dismissed." Waving his wand so the door flew open, letting the students flow out as they will.
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