Lesson Two: Sixth and Seventh years on Transfiguration

Professor Baer

January 21, 2009 8:33 PM

Lesson Two: Sixth and Seventh years by Professor Baer

Being on this side of midterm, the Transfiguration classroom was clearly much cozier than it had been when Caleb first arrived. Now along with the shelves of texts and pictures on his desk, a few choice landscape paintings created by his daughter, the budding artist, hung on the walls outnumbered by portraits of famous names in the Transfiguration field and encouraging posters. Caleb's favorite was the one with the young kneezle dangling from a wire with the words, "hang in there, baby" written beneath it.

Caleb finished writing on the chalk board and then tapped it with his wand so that the words vanished. He took a seat, flicking open a newspaper to pass the rest of the time before class began. Obscenely early preparation had become a habit that he hoped to grow out of because he always ended up with far too much spare time and less sleep than he would have liked. Greetings to the arriving sixth and seventh years broke his steady reading. He hadn't had much time to get to know his students before midterm since he arrived late, but he knew he liked this crowd. He enjoyed teaching those who wanted to learn advanced methods in the subject he loved.

When it was time to start class, Caleb stored the newspaper away and stood, pacing steadily as he spoke.

"Welcome back, everyone. I hope you all had a pleasant break and are ready to get back to work." He smiled knowing full well that some of them weren't at all happy to be back to work. He remembered taking RATS and it nearly made him ill just to think about them when he was a student. "There are a lot of things left to cover before final exams and RATS for our seventh years, but I promise we'll get through it and you will be prepared." He was determined to get his first group of students sailing through their RATS or at least doing decently enough that they could pass in Transfiguration. The prior would be more pleasing for all involved and he didn't see it as unachievable. It would take a lot of work though.

"Today we're going to be working on conjuring spells." Caleb tapped the board again and the heading appeared. "Conjuring is different than other forms of Transfiguration where one object changes into another. To put it in complete layman's terms, we'll be using magic to create an object from scratch. It involves a great deal of concentration because you don't have that starting object to focus on. You only have what's in your mind as the final product."

He flicked his wand high for the class to see. The motion resembled an 'x'. It was how he remembered the movement for conjuring; 'x' marks the spot. He could focus on the invisible 'x' rather than blindly channeling magic in midair. A rose appeared and he caught it with his free hand. He was always fond of roses. Terry bought him roses when they first met. He placed it beside his favorite family photo.

"We'll be starting with basic objects. It'll get more advanced as we go along, but for now we're dealing with simple, inanimate objects. The incantation," he tapped the board again and more words appeared, "is Lictio Inanimus. Say it, please." He nodded along with the mainly unison repetition. "Good. And when combined with concentration and the proper x-marks-the-spot wand motion," Caleb repeated it, "you'll be able to conjure whatever inanimate object you have in mind. For practice, I'd like you to conjure something fairly simple."

Caleb swished his wand again and a tea set appeared on his desk. A serving plate held three ceramic tea cups and a kettle all with a simple floral design. It reminded him of when he and Terry played pretend tea with Noa, but she was much too old for that now and had other interests.

"I'd like you to conjure an exact replica of each piece here. If you need a closer look, come on up, take a peek and use the mental image to conjure a copy of it." Caleb was about to dismiss them to work when he snapped his fingers as he remembered something.

"And make a note that you've got a little homework for the next class. You'll be writing an essay. Sixth years, I want a comparative essay between the lictio inanimus spell and one other spell you've learned that shows a more typical form of Transfiguration with an object right in front of you. Seventh years, I want a comparative essay about lictio inanimus and lictio animus, the spell for conjuring animate objects, which means just a little extra research on your part. For everyone, I want to know how your spells are similar, how they're different, why one is more difficult than the other. Think of the complexity of what you're working with. I'm not setting a length requirement. Give me a good essay and let me know you've learned something."

"Now come up if you want a closer look at the tea set and then get started at your desks. When you're successful let me see your work and then you can conjure your own things with any spare time. Any questions can be directed to me or a classmate. Off you go." Caleb went back to his seat to leave space for anyone who wanted a closer look at the tea set. He hoped they were careful with it. Even if it was only a replica of the gift from his daughter, it looked exactly the same and still made him smile.

Subthreads:

Re: Lesson Two: Sixth and Seventh years by Earl Valentine with Saul Pierce, Earl

I can't think of a title by Adam Brockert and Afton Stokes

0 Professor Baer Lesson Two: Sixth and Seventh years 0 Professor Baer 1 5

Earl Valentine

February 03, 2009 1:59 AM

Re: Lesson Two: Sixth and Seventh years by Earl Valentine

The room weirded him out. It reminded him of a classroom he had in elementary school. Mrs. Kaufman painted things and hung them in her classroom along with posters of cats with funny captions beneath them. He sat at usual desk and flipped open his notebook to begin doodling. He was halfway through a sketch of a kneezle on one of the posters when the lecture began. Earl had not had that great a break. He caught up on all things muggle and was forced to do an unpleasant mixture of working for his dad, teaching Eavan how to drive (death defying) and babysitting Taylor, who decided to get sick and puke all over the house. All in all, he was glad to back at Sonora, though it wasn't saying much.

Earl picked his head up when he heard what they were going to be doing. He had tried conjuring before and had failed miserably. He quit after setting the curtains around his bed on fire. But he was only 13 or so at the time, so hopefully he'd be better this time around.

Though they had to conjure a tea set. Earl hadn't had the best of luck with tea paraphernalia. He still hadn't forgotten how he had struggled with that Gemino charm the year before. Mia had to help him with that teacup and he never really got the charm to work properly on just one try. He repeated the incantation along with the rest of the class and pulled out his wand, but not before Baer gave them homework. Earl groaned, but decided to ignore that bit for a while. He could see the set fine from where he was sitting, so he stared at it as he swished his wand in the 'x' pattern.

"Lictio Inanimus." Earl looked down on his desk. Nothing. And twenty minutes later, all he had accomplished was giving himself a headache. RATS were inching closer and closer and right now, Earl didn't have a flobberworm's chance with a dragon to pass any of them. He put his head in his hands and took slow, deep breaths. He could get this. It just took him a little while. He got most of the other spells eventually. Sighing, he lifted his head again only to find someone staring at him.

"Yeah?" he asked, a little uncomfortable at someone seeing him like he was.

0 Earl Valentine Re: Lesson Two: Sixth and Seventh years 67 Earl Valentine 0 5

Saul Pierce

February 03, 2009 4:56 PM

Right there with you by Saul Pierce

Transfiguration was the only class Saul really worked at. Charms came easily to him and the rest of his courses were just for fun and to pass the time. If he passed, great, if he didn't, no big deal. But Transfiguration was the other one that mattered, not so much in grades, but in Saul's practical skills. He needed to be able to do transfigurations, if not be able to explain what was happening.

Unfortunately, unlike in Charms, that took some work and practice, and Saul still didn't usually get it until Simon worked with him on it.

Conjuration, Saul soon discovered, proved every bit as difficult as normal transfigurations. Even after most of the class period had passed, the most Saul had been able to create was a wispy outline of a tea saucer that vanished almost before it was there.

Still, he'd stuck out Transfigurations this long, and worked too hard to pass his CATS to give up easily and he kept at it until the student next to him dropped his head into his hands and Saul noticed that his neighbor was having no better luck than he was.

This was a novelty. Saul had become accustomed to being the worst student in the class in all but Charms, and now that they were passed their CATS, Saul had expected all the Geoff Laynes (ie: people who hated Transfiguration because they weren't good at it) to have dropped the subject. He'd expected he'd be even further behind the majority of his classmates.

Earl Valentine had apparently stuck it out despite a talent no better than Saul's. Saul only had respect for that. He knew first hand how difficult it must have been to pass the CATS, and now Earl - as a seventh year - had to be thinking about RATS.

Unless, of course, he was like Saul and the RATS were the less important of the two major testing years. Though, given the head-in-hands pose, Saul doubted that was the case.

After another moment, Earl looked up, catching Saul watching him.

"Nothing," Saul quickly denied in response to the seventh year's What? Belying the denial, Saul kept talking. "I was just noticing you haven't conjured anything either." Saul indicated his own desk, which was as barren of tea paraphernalia as Earl's. "It's pretty tough." Though Earl was on an opposing Quidditch team, and a Keeper which put him in direct competition with Saul's own Chaser position, Saul decided to make an offer anyway. "If you ever need someone to practice with, I usually get tutoring from my cousin the groundskeeper for an hour or so every week."

Saul wasn't entirely sure whether he was offering Simon's services or inviting Earl to group sessions, nor was he sure which way Earl would take it, either.

1 Saul Pierce Right there with you 82 Saul Pierce 0 5

Earl

February 03, 2009 7:24 PM

Glad I'm not the only one by Earl

It was Saul Pierce. Earl had never spoken to the younger guy as far as he remembered, but he'd seen him around, both in classes and on the pitch. The Pecari chaser wasn't doing any better than he was at conjuring up the tea set, which made Earl feel a little better. At least he wasn't super far behind everyone else. Though Saul seemed to be taking it a lot better than Earl was.

His cousin? Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, Earl recalled that Saul and the groundskeeper were relatives. He knew that. "Tutoring?" he asked, stupidly. The thought had never occurred to him. After last semester's grades came back, his dad had told him to find a tutor. Earl scoffed at the idea. Partly because he didn't think he was that bad off and partly because the only person he knew who was good at transfiguration was Nic and he was not going there.

But Saul was just as bad as he was and he got tutoring. It wasn't a bad idea. He glances around the room at the full and partial tea sets sitting on other peoples' desks before turning back to Saul.

"Actually, that sounds good. We'd have to schedule it around Quidditch practice though," Earl mused. He probably wouldn't have bothered, but his dad threatened to force him to work at his accounting firm after Sonora if he didn't go to college and he needed to have at least some RATS in order to get in. Earl didn't even know any math past 5th grade.

"Uhh, thanks Saul," he added quickly. "Transfiguration seemed a lot easier before CATS." He threw the younger guy a quick grin and twirled his wand before pocketing it. "I think this has done enough damaged for one day."

0 Earl Glad I'm not the only one 0 Earl 0 5

Saul Pierce

February 05, 2009 11:06 AM

Likewise by Saul Pierce

At first, Earl seemed a little doubtful about the whole tutoring idea. Saul briefly wondered if maybe he should have called it something else, aware that it sounded kind of stuffy and boring. But before Saul could point out that Simon was not like normal instructors, Earl got over whatever was bothering him and said it actually sounded like a good idea.

Saul grinned. "Yeah," he agreed to the Quidditch restriction. "I'm pretty busy, too, between the concert, and Quidditch, and the Head Boy campaign. Usually I meet up with Simon just before dinner. So, like, five to six. Whatever day is good for you would probably work." Last year, the tutoring had been every day. With the CATS behind him now, most of those meetings now were spent talking about the concert or Briony or whatever other topic was currently occupying most of Saul's attention at the time.

Saul tucked away his own wand into its slot in his backpack. "No problem," he brushed away the thanks. "It'll be good to work with someone else." He didn't comment on Earl's strange idea that Transfiguration had been easier before the CATS. Either Earl was just saying that to save face, or he was letting the phrase 'RATS level' intimidate him. Transfiguration had always been difficult, but Saul didn't think it was significantly worse since the CATS.

Whatever the cause of Earl's difficulty, though, Saul was sure Simon could help. "Simon took Transfiguration in college," Saul told Earl, figuring he ought to give some of his cousin's credentials. "He got a minor in it. He's really good and he's pretty good at showing you what you're doing wrong and how to fix it, too. Mostly, he works on practical application with me. We don't really go over theory. Is that okay, or should I tell him to brush up on the book stuff?"

1 Saul Pierce Likewise 82 Saul Pierce 0 5

Adam Brockert and Afton Stokes

March 28, 2009 2:49 PM

I can't think of a title by Adam Brockert and Afton Stokes

While Ancient Runes was Adam's favorite subject due to the actual material, Transfiguration was slowly growing on him in general, for one reason and that was that they were not often forced to work in partners. Nobody wanted to work with him and that was that. Adam did not like putting himself through working with people who he just knew hated him and would be nasty. Or having to be the one left without a partner. Or being the one someone got "stuck with".

He listened as Professor Baer began the lesson. Adam made sure that he had the wand motions and incantation down before trying to actually conjure anything. He was not going to look stupid by screwing up majorly by trying the spell without getting everything just right first and have everyone laugh at him.

Adam started first with the serving plate. He tried to picture it in his mind first without looking at the example. This wasn't very successful, not because Adam had no imagination but because he wanted to get it right, so he kept checking to make sure it was exact.

When he was finally satisfied that it would be good enough, Adam said the incantation quietly enough that nobody would notice him and did the wand movement. The serving plate flickered a few times before disappearing so he tried again. This time it stayed.

Adam was about to go on to do one of the cups when he felt someone at his elbow. He could feel his stomach drop about fifty feet. It could only be someone coming over to hassle him. He looked up to see Afton Stokes, the new Teppenpaw transfer in his year. The fact that she was a Teppepaw made him feel slightly better but Adam was still a bit suspicious...and wondered why Afton would want to commit social suicide by talking to him.

"Hey, Adam, mind if I sit down?" Afton asked. She had come to realize that after giving Saul such a hard time about reaching out to people like Adam, she hadn't actually went and tried to talk to him herself. She hadn't talked to Paul or Morgaine either but they had reputations for being downright unfriendly instead of just extremely shy.

He looked at her warily. "I guess." Adam still really did not get why she would want to. He knew Afton was new but she had been here long enough to hear what people thought of him and know better.

Afton sat. "So, how's it going?" she asked. She was determined to get to know Adam and reach out to him. She didn't think there was anything special she really had to do other than actually speak to him and be nice. No matter how suspicious of her he might seem.

"Fine" Adam replied. Which was a lie of course. How could things be fine when he was under pressure from his family and he wanted to get good grades and nearly everyone hated him and his friend was dating a creep and his cousin was slowly rotting away his liver? However, he wasn't going to spill his guts to someone that he had never spoken to until this second. For all he knew, she would use it against him.

"Oh, um, that's good." Afton answered. She wished she knew what Adam was interested in so she could get him talking about that. "So what's your favorite subject?"

He glanced at her, still unsure why she was doing this. Barely anybody else had ever tried to talk to him and Adam wished he had the nerve to ask her why she was bothering. "Ancient Runes, I guess. I like a lot of my subjects but that one is really interesting to me." He wondered if he sounded really nerdy. As suspicious as Adam was of Afton, he didn't want her to think less of him if her motives were good.

Something then occured to Adam. The transfer was the Editor of the paper wasn't she? "This isn't for the paper is it?" Adam asked, suddenly growing more paranoid, if that was possible. He really did not want to be interviewed or quoted for the paper. Adam wanted to avoid anything that made him center of attention and put him in a position to be picked on. He would prefer to stay in the background.

"What? No, I don't do student interviews. Quentin is doing that." Afton replied. Which was something that made her slightly paranoid. She really really did not want to have to modify his questions in any way but she knew what kind of things Quentin asked.

Adam sighed with relief. "Wait, Quentin Melcher?"

"He's that infamous?" Afton asked increduously. She knew who he was because of the paper and she assumed he was well known amongst the faculty and younger years but it was surprising that any of the other sixth years had heard of the kid.

"Well, he's my...third cousin. Or something like that" Adam replied. "I've never spoken to the kid." He barely spoke to his own sister if he could help it let alone a distant relative. Then again, Chelsea was...horrid. All Adam knew about Quentin other than his great-grandma was Adam's great-grandpa's sister and that his family ran a school in Iowa was that the Aladren firstie liked to ask a lot of very strange questions. It wasn't that he actively avoided Quentin(or Pippa), it was much more that Adam wasn't the most socially skilled person and that they were first years whereas he was a sixth year and neither one was in his house so the opportunities to speak to them were limited and he didn't know what to say anyway.

Afton decided quickly that any of her gut reactions to what Adam had just said were probably not the nicest things to say. It wasn't that she disliked Quentin. It was just that she found him...difficult to talk to. To understand at times. Granted, had Afton not been on the receiving end of his questions, she might have found him humorous.

"Hey, he isn't going to interview me, is he?" Adam suddenly asked.

Afton answered. "Well, I um, don't know. I suggested he pick people from different groups. You know, different years and houses and social groups and backgrounds."

"Oh," said Adam "Well, um, I'd really rather not be interviewed at all." Of course he instantly began to worry that this comment would be taken wrong. Usually everything he said seemed to be thought of in the worst way possible. If Adam said one thing, he knew the opposite thing would make him look bad as well as what he actually said. Furthermore, he was growing increasingly anxious about what would happen if Quentin did choose to interview him.

That's too bad , Afton thought internally. People like Adam did not have a voice around Sonora. It didn't seem as if their opinions mattered. However, she could see that someone who was as shy as Adam was would be afraid of being interviewed. "It's fine. I'm sure plenty of people would be okay doing it if you don't want to." Though maybe not with Quentin asking the questions. "I'll let him know."

"Thanks" Adam answered. Of course then the paper would probably turn into the Popular Pecari Group show but then Afton had said she wanted different social groups and that could be arranged without him having to be featured. "I really appreciate that." He did. He was glad that Afton had not belittled him and even respected his wishes.

"Oh you're welcome" Afton replied, giving him a friendly smile. She truly felt like she had made some progress with Adam. He didn't necessarily seem like he was going to come out of his shell, but that was okay.

11 Adam Brockert and Afton Stokes I can't think of a title 78 Adam Brockert and Afton Stokes 0 5