Sixth Years: Lesson Four

Professor Nakamura waited patiently for the class to take their seats. He smiled at them as they did, getting ready to speak. “I hope you enjoyed last week’s adventures into mathematics and stars. Today we’ll be taking a look at a subject a bit closer to home – that of the sun and moon.” Professor Nakamura clasped his hands in front of him and looked out at his students, hoping they were paying attention. “While not fully understood, we do know that magic comes from the sun’s energy. All of you are born with the ability to utilise that energy when you cast spells. However, it’s not just us that have this magic – magical plants and creatures also utilise this energy, in differing extents. I, of course, have examples for you. Fluxweed, picked only at a full moon, will retain some of the moon’s energy, and therefore, magic. This is used in the polyjuice potion. If picked at a different time, the fluxweed won’t be as potent and oftentimes the potion will fail entirely. Another example is the mooncalf. These creatures only emerge on a full moon. It also, on the first full moon of spring, will engage in mating dances that wreak havoc on muggle farms. These can be quite complex patterns. According to the maramataka, the Māori moon calendar, the full moon is also one of the most optimal times to plant.” Professor Nakamura paused, taking a breath. The next subject would be a bit heavier.

“By now you should know about humans affected by lycanthropy. Lacking the right medication, they will transform into a werewolf if exposed to the full moon’s light. They are even affected on days leading up to the full moon; as the moon grows in size, so does its energy – or magic. To finish with, some potions are also affected by the moon. Potions like veritaserum are sensitive to the moon cycle.” Professor Nakamura finished his lecture with another smile. “And that’s it for tonight. Class dismissed.”

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Roleplay the lesson for full marks.

 

[Callie Cardoso]

Callie walked into the astronomy classroom and took her usual spot in the room.She looked up at the professor as the man got started and she pulled her notes towards her and began writing down what the professor was saying, making sure that she didn’t miss anything that was being said about the moon and what it did. She knew about most of these things, having covered them in other areas but it remained interesting to her to cover them from an astronomy perspective. She took notes and eventually the lecture was wrapped up and she headed out of the room.

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy arrived for Astronomy and took notes on the lecture. It was interesting to learn about the moon as a charger for magic, but the lecture was shorter than Teddy expected. He looked surprised when they were dismissed. Maybe Teddy would have just liked to do some stargazing. He finished his notes then packed up and thanked Professor Nakamura on the way out.