Professor McFarlan
April 22, 2007 8:02 PM
Third Year Class by Professor McFarlan
Kathleen reset the crystal to make the room appear as if it was enveloped in space once more. The beautiful 360 degree illusion of the solar system and the surrounding stairs sparkled and glowed in a myriad of colors. Hoping the Third years would enjoy the view as well, she waited for them to arrive. These were the ones she was a little concerned about. At their stage in life, students this age were beginning to ask the first of many hard questions. Hopefully, she could plant the seeds that would help them grow into the adults they were meant to be.“Come in, don’t be shy.” she said to the first arrivals. “It’s still just the Astrology classroom. Have a seat in one of the recliners and make yourselves comfortable.”
It didn’t take long for the class to fill up. Professor McFarlan leaned back against the front of her desk and allowed a couple of moments for the students to take in the new environment before she introduced herself.
“My name is Kathleen McFarlan and, as you know, I am the new Astronomy teacher. Please follow common classroom etiquette and we’ll get along just fine. I am here to teach you not only how to identify all of these beautiful lights in the sky, but to help you learn how they affect us in nature and in our magic.”
She touched the crystal with her wand. Suddenly, a brilliant comet with a long tail shot from one end of the room to the other. The nearer it got to the sun, the brighter it became and the tail lengthened even more. Touching the crystal again, the scene changed to a perfect view of the heavens from Earth at a time when there was no light or air pollution to ruin it. The comet shone like a distant, elongated star in the heavens.
“Comets are balls of ice and space debris that got caught up in an orbit around the sun. As it flies, the debris is sloughed off , forming the tail. Ironically, something that appears so beautiful is dubbed a ’dirty snowball’ by astronomers. The Muggle scientist, Fred Whipple, coined that phrase and it stuck in both magical and natural disciplines.
“From what we can tell, comets do little to affect the natural order of the Earth unless one should collide with us. They have proved to be the stuff of legends and superstitions throughout human history and they can and do influence our Wizarding skills.
“For instance, some cultures see them as heralding angels bringing prophecy to the followers of the Creator. Usually the message is, ‘Straighten up or you won’t like what I’m gonna do.’ Others see them as signs of bad luck. Evil omens, signs of calamities waiting to happen. The magic it affects seems to weigh this out.
“Dark wizards and witches find that their abilities grow a bit stronger, more effective when comets appear in the sky. Curses and hexes tend to be more potent. A comet, while beautiful is a warning to all of us to more aware, to be prepared, so that we aren’t taken be surprise.” Her emerald green eyes swept the room to see how her students reacted to such ominous news. “On the other hand, messages sent magically arrive at amazing speed and accuracy which can be a very good thing.
“Now I want to hear from you. What you is it you’ve learned or have heard about comets. What are the names of comets we see on a regular basis? Do you know of any cultural myths or legends about them? How else do you think they affect us as human beings, Muggle and Wizards? Just raise your hands and I’ll call on you. “
Professor McFarlan looked for the first hesitant hand. She walked over and stood by the student’s chair and smiled. “Could you tell me your name and then what you know?”
OOC: Now it’s your turn. Google away or use your brilliant imaginations. Just keep it believable and have fun!
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Subthreads: Speaking up... by Morgaine Carey with Professor McFarlan, Saul Pierce
A ring of fire, metaphorically speaking. by Adam Brockert with Professor McFarlan
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Professor McFarlan
Third Year Class
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Adam Brockert
May 23, 2007 10:14 AM
A ring of fire, metaphorically speaking. by Adam Brockert
The moment Adam trudged into the Astronomy classroom, he saw something that made his blood run cold. It was not the apparent lack of floor in the room that upset him so much. It was the fact that the chairs were in a circle .It didn't matter if the chairs were those soft recliners. As far as Adam was concerned, they had might as well be full of sharp metal spikes for all the comfort he was going to feel in this class. The fact that they were in a circle meant that everyone would be looking at each other and Adam couldn't hide. The fact that only his year was there didn't really help as much as it should either. Even though it meant fewer overall people who would be watching his every move, most of his classmates were not very nice.
Adam's knees felt a bit weak and he began to feel lightheaded. He collapsed into the nearest chair, without even being able to check and see who was next to him.
As the new teacher began her lesson, Adam could feel everyone's eyes on him, judging his every move critically. His breath quickened and he felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest. There was nothing that Adam would have liked more than to bolt out of the room, for he truly couldn't stand this. He wouldn't of course, because that would only make matters worse. The fact he was beginning to shake uncontrollably was bad enough.
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Adam Brockert
A ring of fire, metaphorically speaking.
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Professor McFarlan
June 22, 2007 1:02 AM
Don't Worry, This Room is Fire Proof by Professor McFarlan
Professor McFarlan was quite concerned about yet another student in the class. Unfortunately, the class discussion was underway and she’d no idea how to address the young man without drawing attention to him. When he’d first sat down he’d appeared a bit nervous, but that wasn’t unusual. Many students were initially unsettled when entering what appeared to be nothing but outer space. The problem was, this young man seemed to become more and more agitated as time wore on. Professor McFarlan could actually see that he was shaking. She decided to keep a close eye on him.The rhythm of the discussion rose and fell. McFarlan was delighted that the third years were so well informed. There came a point, as was common in any class, where the free flow of speech seemed to come to a grinding halt. Now was the time to encourage students who hadn’t contributed yet. Many times, people were intimidated by the more outgoing in a group and didn’t believe they had any worthwhile thoughts. This tended to be the opposite of the truth. Most of the time, a quiet student had something valuable to contribute even if they didn’t believe it at the time.
The professor had been marking off each student on her attendance sheet as they took their turn. She took a moment to go over the list to look at the names of the students who hadn’t a chance to speak yet. Keeping her eyes on the list as she spoke, Professor McFarlan called out the name of the first unmarked name she spotted.
“Let’s see,” she said. “Mr. … Brockhert, is there anything about comets we haven’t mentioned that you’d like to contribute?”
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Professor McFarlan
June 22, 2007 1:08 AM
OOC by Professor McFarlan
I apologize for taking so long to respond. Please forgive me. I’ll do my best not to let it happen again.\n
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OOC
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Adam B.
July 03, 2007 2:50 PM
Re: OOC by Adam B.
No problem, we all forget or take awhile sometimes.
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Adam B.
Re: OOC
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Adam B.
July 13, 2007 7:38 PM
And I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher by Adam B.
Oh no, this was the last thing Adam had wanted to happen, to be called on, if the focus wasn't on him already (because some people probably found Astronomy dull and didn't listen and he was shaking like a maniac,) it certainly was now .He avoided looking around the room, as he could feel his classmates eyes boring into him, waiting for him to screw up. His hands clutched at the arms of the chair, in an attempt to steady himself. Beads of sweat formed on Adam's forehead and he felt like he was going to faint or be sick. The room took on an even more surreal look than before. He just couldn't handle this.
But, Adam had to say something . If he didn't, he'd look really stupid. Not that he didn't already but if he didn't respond or say something, it would make matters worse. He feverishly racked his brain for any little thing. Most of the really obvious stuff had been said already and with the stressful situation he was in, it was hard to think of much that wasn't automatically said. All Adam could remember was an old legend his great-grandfather had told him. "Um," he started out in a trembling voice. "Th-there's an old legend that states that a coment signifies either the birth or conception of an especially evil wizard.
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Adam B.
And I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher
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Professor McFarlan
August 05, 2007 10:41 PM
...And It Burned, Burned, Burned... by Professor McFarlan
OOC: Again I apologize. I didn't see that you responded.IC: Professor McFarlan felt her cheeks warm. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause Mr. Brockert more discomfort. She had to give him credit. In spite of his condition, he forced himself to contribute to the discussion with more intelligence than many of those in his group. The best thing she could do for the young man at the moment was to give him positive reinforcement without overdoing it.
“Yes, she began. “Many notorious wizards and witches’ births coincided with the appearance of a comet, two within this last century alone Many great people and world leaders were born as a comet burned brightly in the sky. Your own former Astrology professor once wrote and article for BAMA arguing that the star of Bethlehem and Haley’s Comet are one and the same.”
She looked at Adam as kindly as possible. McFarlan so wished she could do something to make up for her faux pas. The best thing for her to do know was to draw attention away from him quickly, but as with all of her students, she left the door open.
“Thank you, Mr. Brockhert. If you have anything to add, feel free to raise your hand.” She smiled at him and called on the next student. Hopefully, someday he would feel comfortable talking things over with her. It made her heart ache that she was powerless to help him at the moment.
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...And It Burned, Burned, Burned...
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