Professor Marlowe
June 27, 2006 12:58 PM
Lesson One, First Years by Professor Marlowe
Selina didn't go in for grand entrances to a classroom, both because of general impatience with the dramatic gesture and fear of tripping over her own robes or dropping something she was attempting to carry or otherwise making a foolish move in front of the class. She'd noticed, through trial and error, that she often did something of the like whenever trying to make a half-decent first impression, and had come to the conclusion the previous year that she'd do best to be sitting whenever a class entered. It had worked in the beginning, become habit, and was being adhered to as year two as a teacher began with the entrance of a new set of first years.This set, like their predecessors, looked much smaller than they ought to have. Her own height, already considerable for a woman, left her feeling vaguely like a stork in comparison, but she had learned the previous year to shake it off. They'd look normal by midterm. "Welcome to Transfiguration," she said, ignoring also any odd reactions to her accent. "I am Professor Marlowe, and I teach this class. It's one of the more difficult, not to mention dangerous, ones you'll have here at Sonora - some would even say the most difficult. Transfiguration is complicated magic, and fooling around can lead to painful end results. I doubt any of you want to go around with razorblades for eyebrows." There was a giggle from somewhere, but Selina didn't call it. She'd made the example up off the top of her head.
"You'll be starting very simply," she informed them, picking up a small wooden container from the desk behind her. "Matches to needles. The matches have been charmed not to ignite, but be careful with your spell pronunciation just the same, because, as the current second years can attest to, other things are still flammable. I don't expect any of you to do it perfectly on your first try or the like, but I do expect you to keep trying until it is right." She pointed to the blackboard, half-covered in a series of notes. "All of you copy that down, it's very important, and then get out your wands."
When they had all done so and most were looking at her again, she continued. "The incantation you'll be using is pronounced Myxanti Nere," she informed them, being careful to keep it as clear as possible. "I'll perform it now, so watch carefully." Sliding back the carved top of her little box, result of one of the better idle transfigurations she had done in her teens and so having some sentimental value, she withdrew what appeared to be a plain wooden match. Holding it up so it would be more easily seen, she pointed her wand at it and pronounced the incantation, moving the wand point downwards at a diagonal and finishing with a flick of her wrist that brought the wand tip back to its original position.
"Incantation pronunciation, focus, and correct wand movement are all essential to this spell's successful completion," she said, carefully placing the resulting needle on her desk and using her wand to send the box of matches around the room. It returned to her emptier than she'd expected and slid shut once more. "Homework is to read the introduction and first fifteen pages of your textbook by our next lesson. Ask questions if you have them, and begin." \n\n
Subthreads: The aspects of speach by Nikki Ramirez
We get to do spells! by Elly Eriksson with Caedence redoak, Elly
Sitting up front by Echo Elms
Finally, a <i>real</i> class... by Leonardo Idoya with Nikki
Watch me make something explode! by Eavan Valentine with Helena Layne, Eavan
Matchstick Men by Matt and Josh Santoro (Pecari & Crotalus)
0
Professor Marlowe
Lesson One, First Years
0
Professor Marlowe
1
5
Leonardo Idoya
June 28, 2006 3:57 PM
Finally, a <i>real</i> class... by Leonardo Idoya
So far, Leo's experiences at Sonora had been quite... interesting. He seemed to frighten most people away (including, at times, his own twin), his first class had barely qualified as such (crups... honestly!), he'd run into the granddaughter of his abuelo's old friend and she actually hadn't run away from him, and he'd been forced into a very awkward conversation with that girl and another, neither of whom seemed to have an excess of self-confidence. But now, as he entered the Transfiguration classroom, he felt his universe realigning. This was what he excelled at.He stopped a few paces into the room, and looked around. There were very few people here so far. Nikki Ramirez, the girl he'd met in Care of Magical Creatures, was one of them, and for a moment he considered sitting next to her--but then he pushed the thought out of his mind. Surely her amiability yesterday had just been a matter of politesse; she would have her own friends to sit with. Add to this the fact that sitting near her but one row up was the boy Leo had frightened away yesterday--Echo, or some such nonsensical name--and he began to seriously rethink this impulse.
Realizing that he had been standing there staring at the two students in question for almost a full minute now, Leo once again became the picture of nonchalance; he chose a seat that was also in the front row, but on the opposite end from where Echo was sitting.
When the professor began to speak, he had his quill and parchment at the ready, and copied the lecture down in the shorthand he had learned over the previous summer. He finished early and contented himself with looking back at Nikki to see how she was doing. She looked to be just finishing, as well, and he flashed her a shy smile before turning around, not waiting to see if she'd caught the gesture.
He wouldn't have time to anyway, he realized, as the next moment Professor Marlowe had finally uttered the words he'd been waiting for: "...and, begin."
One corner of his lips quirked upward as he pointed his wand at the match. "Myxanti Nere!" he pronounced firmly, while drawing a diagonal in the air with his wand-tip as the professor had done.
Nothing happened.
He tried again. "Myxanti Nere!" he said more forcefully, making the diagonal a little longer. Again, the match didn't so much as roll over.
He gritted his teeth and growled deep in his throat, a sound barely audible even to himself, but didn't allow himself to express his frustration further. Instead, he considered the steps. He reviewed his notes. Then he thought: had the professor pronounced the last word with the 'r' attached to the first syllable, or the second? He couldn't recall, but as he'd been attaching it to the first with no luck, he decided to try the second option.
"Myxanti Nere!"
Well. That was better. Much better. So what if it wasn't sharp enough to draw even a drop of blood, and had no eyehole? It was very much silver, the sulfurous end was completely gone, and it tapered down to a rounded point.
This, he could work with.\n\n
0
Leonardo Idoya
Finally, a <i>real</i> class...
0
Leonardo Idoya
0
5
Nikki
June 29, 2006 5:23 PM
Needles are hard, making them isn't by Nikki
Nikki saw Leo turn and flash her a small smile. To be honest, she had been puzzled at his behavior when he entered the classroom and just stood there, looking from her to a boy in the front row, then took a seat by neither of them. Before she could return the smile, Leo had turned back around and the professor had told them to start.Okay, time to live up to the Aladren reputation. She waved her wand in a diagonal motion, cncentrating on the proper pronunciation. On the first try, all that happened was that her match rolled a little. However, she wasn't sure if that was a result of the spell or not. She tried again, and the match became silver.
She looked around. Some girls behind her were whispering to each other. That boy in the front row, who Nikki now realized was the same guy that Leo had been intimidating in Care of Magical Creatures, was reading over his notes. Speaking of Leo, he looked smug, and she could see a gleam of silver sitting on his desk. She found herself thinking again that he should be in her house.
She tried the spell a few more times and it transformed into a needle. She picked it up and examined it. She thought the eye was a little too small, but thread fit through it. She tapped the pointed end with her index finger. It was sharp but didn't draw blood, just like the ones Abuela used. Now that wasn't so hard. She took out her book and started her homework. \n\n
0
Nikki
Needles are hard, making them isn't
0
Nikki
0
5