September Homework
Sept 29, 2018 23:10:57 GMT
Post by Kamin Corvidire on Sept 29, 2018 23:10:57 GMT
1st years: Theories of Husbandry Many first years were disappointed to learn their first class would be indoors, rather than out on the Hogwarts greens meeting fantastic magical creatures. They filed into Headmaster Corvidire’s classroom, an airy stone chamber on the first floor. Tall, narrow windows that looked out over the pale blue sky and grassy, tree-dotted expanse of the grounds. Desks were arranged in even rows, all of them facing forward. Headmaster Corvidire stood at the front, his hands behind his back as he waited through the bustle of students finding a seat and getting settled. Behind him, his desk was covered in an assortment of animal displays: a sinuous ashwinder suspended in a jar of liquid, a taxidermied clabbert posed on a branch, and the skull of something with enormous, empty eye sockets and many needle-sharp teeth. As silence fell over the room, the Headmaster addressed the new class of first years.“First and foremost, this class will teach you how to care for the varied and extensive needs of many magical creatures. Each lesson will cover a different creature. But, before you’re ever given the responsibility of caring for a living being in my class, you must understand what that entails. That, I hope, is what we will accomplish today.” He waved his wand and neat, formal handwriting appeared on the blackboard behind his desk. What needs does an animal have that we must consider when providing care for it? How might the needs of a mundane animal differ from those of a magical creature? For what reasons might we domesticate, tame, and care for magical creatures? “Take a moment and think about this. Beyond providing proper food, water, and space, what other responsibilities do we have to the animals you will meet in this class? Consider both the individual animal, as well as their species overall. Where might issues of ethics arise within the field of magical husbandry? Discuss this with your classmates, write your notes, and prepare to give you answers. You may begin.” As the students hesitantly began the work, quiet murmurs built into full-fledged conversations, although more than few students seemed shy or unwilling to participate. Headmaster Corvidire walked through the rows of desks, listening to exchanges here and there before moving on. After exactly fifteen minutes, he walked back to the front of the classroom and waved his hand for silence. “Interesting ideas. Let’s begin the discussion.” He lowered his hand and pointed directly at you. “Please share with us what you took down for the first question, and we will go from there.” Response form: Writing prompt External references: None |
2nd years: Crups The second years gathered on the lawn, not far from the groundskeeper’s hut that had once been the home of Rubeus Hagrid. Headmaster Corvidire was waiting for them, standing in the middle of four large wooden boxes. The tops were open, and quiet snuffles and whines came from whatever was within them.“In any wizarding community, the first creatures you’re likely to run into will be pets. We keep them in our homes, interact with them every day, and invest a tremendous amount of effort and money into their physical and emotional well-being. Or at least, as the ones responsible for them, we should always strive to do so. So this term, you will be learning about common magical pets and how to best care for them.” He swept a hand at the boxes near his feet. “In here, we have a litter of Crups—as babies, they are called cruppies, as you might have guessed. They are 7 weeks old and will soon be ready to be adopted into a permanent home. Divide into groups of three, and take a cruppy for your group. Play with it, get to know it, and form an opinion of its temperament. What could you do for this cruppy in your short time together to help prepare it for a successful life within a wizarding household? Some of you familiar with Crups may have noticed that these ones still have their forked tails. It is still the law in Britain that they must have their tails cut by 8 weeks old, otherwise they risk attracting attention from Muggles and violating the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. The procedure is done by a painless severing charm. What do you think about that law? Do we have a right to physically modify an animal for our convenience? Is the preservation of this animal’s natural form worth the risk of exposing wizards to the Muggle world? Discuss this among your group.“ Headmaster Corvidire steps back, allowing the students to approach. You split off into a group with two other students, one of them carrying a wriggling cruppy. As you get situated, your groupmate lets out a yelp— the cruppy has just given them a sharp nip on the knuckles. Response form: Writing prompt External references: Encyclopedia Article - Crups |
3rd years: Billywigs When the students assembled outside, Headmaster Corvidire was waiting, holding a crate in his arms. Dispensing with any small talk, he began the lecture as soon as the students had gathered and quieted down. “Last year, we studied pets, which many of you hopefully found pleasant and enlightening. This year will be equally enlightening, but likely far less pleasant. We will be studying magical pests. However, a creature that is a pest in one context can be a valuable asset in another; therefor I will be teaching you not only how to deal with an infestation but also how to help these creatures thrive, should there ever be a reason to do so. We begin with billywigs.” He prized the top off the crate and reached inside, withdrawing a wooden box about 2 inches across. When he turned it, he revealed a small hole in one end. A soft and ominous buzzing filled the air. “The first thing you should know about any pest is the extent of the damage they can do. In the case of billywigs, the effects are fairly mild. As such, I would like you to experience it firsthand. Each of you will get a billywig, and you will put your finger in the cage to allow it to sting you. It will not hurt, and the effects from a single sting will soon fade. We will discuss your observations and see if you can guess how it might be useful in a controlled setting.” Students lined up and the Headmaster handed each one of them a small box with a billywig inside. You take yours and contemplate the pinky-sized hole drilled in the wood. Response form: Writing prompt External references: Encyclopedia Article - Billywigs |
4th years: Clabberts The fourth years met for their first class inside, back in the tall and sparsely decorated classroom the first years met for their inaugural CoMC class. An enormous canvas map had been pinned up over the entire blackboard. The Headmaster stood behind his desk, on which stood several boxes shrouded in one large sheet of cloth. “We will be meeting in this room for the remainder of the term. The reason for that is that we will be learning about animals from other parts of the world, and many of them would be invasive species if they were to get loose in this ecosystem, so it is our responsibility to ensure they remain securely inside.” He began to pace in front of the map now, his hands behind his back. “It is my hope that at least some of you will venture abroad after your years at Hogwarts, and see some of the hundreds of other magical species the rest of the world has to offer. This year will give you a glimpse, not only into what exotic creatures are out there, but how other wizarding communities relate to them. We will begin with the clabbert.” The Headmaster gestured with his wand, causing the southern region of the United States to glow a dull red on the map. “The clabbert is native to this area, but approximately a century ago it became popular with wizards all over the globe for two reasons: one, it is a relatively low-maintenance pet, and two--” He swept the cloth to the ground, revealing five tall, metal-barred cages. Inside each was an array of dense foliage and two long-limbed, scaly creatures with a vivid red spot on its forehead. They peered languidly out at the watching students. One of them picked its nose with a webbed finger. “--the substance within the clabbert’s pustule will glow when Muggles are nearby. Perhaps ironically, this very feature has regularly attracted Muggle attention, thus their keeping is carefully regulated. Fortunately, the substance retains its detection properties even after it is expressed, making it a valuable ingredient in potions designed to heighten the senses.” The Headmaster bent and picked up a box from the ground, adding it to the array on the desk. Several feathers and small, bony limbs stuck up from within. “Today, you will work in a group to gain your clabbert’s trust until it allows you to express the fluid from its pustule. It will be similar to squeezing a pimple,” he said, as if that were a comforting comparison. “The fastest way to bond with a clabbert is to feed it, which is what I have up here. Please send two people from each group to collect a clabbert, a vial, and a few birds or lizards, then begin.” Ignoring the disgusted looks and mutinous murmurs from several students, the Headmaster opened the cage tops and stepped aside to allow them to approach the desk. Response form: Writing prompt External references: Encyclopedia Article - Clabberts |
5th Years: Shrakes The fifth years again met in a classroom instead of on the grounds, but this time it wasn’t the typically CoMC classroom. They had instead been directed down to the dungeons. Upon entering, they saw a dim stone room washed in a ghostly bluish glow. The faint light came from the torches reflecting off huge tanks of water that covered every inch of wall space from floor to ceiling. The effect was rather like being submerged in a tank of water yourself. Desks were arranged in the same forward-facing rows as the Headmaster’s regular classroom, and a desk stood at the front. The Headmaster stood at the front, and he turned his gaze from the tanks as the students entered. “This year, we will be turning our attention to the waters to learn about aquatic magical creatures. Water, particularly the depths of the oceans, hide many secrets not just from Muggles but wizards as well. It is quite likely there are a great number of magical creatures living in seldom-visited lakes and oceans that we have yet to discover. Perhaps someday one of you, armed with your knowledge of magical creatures, may venture out to find one.” The Headmaster allowed himself a small smile at this, but it wasn’t clear if it was from amusement at an absurd suggestion or pride at the thought of a former student’s potentially groundbreaking discovery. “We will begin with a creature that is quite unique, even among aquatic species. This creature was designed and created by wizards.” He crossed the room and tapped sharply on the tank taking up the southern wall. A turtle-like shape appeared in the water, and resolved itself into a creature with a spiky shell, long toothy jaws, and three flippers tipped with wicked claws—one of its front flipped appeared to be missing. “This is a shrake. Shrakes were designed for a single purpose—to destroy Muggle fishing nets. It was likely this was initially done out of spite at the time, but has had some positive environmental impacts since then.” The Headmaster turned to look at the beast, floating expectantly before the silent class. There was a look of unusual intensity on his face. “The existence of the shrake is truly remarkable. They were created through a complicated blend of Transfiguration and pure conjuration, but they are fully aware and physically independent creatures: they require no continuing spell to sustain their existence and they interact and reproduce without our interference.” The Headmaster went back to his desk and took out a bag, from which he produced a length of thick braided rope. “Shrakes are seldom kept as pets, as a tank is not a good environment in which to keep them for long. This one is on loan from a sanctuary near Uagadou in Uganda, as it sustained an injury that makes it unsuitable for wild release. Today, you will take turns feeding the shrake the only food it requires—rope. This will allow you to take a good look at it and get familiar with its temperament. Then, take the rest of the class to write a short essay addressing two points. One: what are the differences between a sea turtle and a shrake, and far more interesting than that, two: what do you think about the ethicality of wizards creating an entirely new species through magical means—is such an act right or wrong, wise or unwise, and what are our responsibilities to the creatures after creation?” The Headmaster took out his wand and pointed it at the tank near the shrake. An circular opening appeared in the glass, but the water remained within it. The shrake came to float near the opening, watching the students with dark, beady eyes. The Headmaster moved through the rows of desk, laying a one-foot piece of rope before each student. “You may begin, but first a warning. While this one is somewhat accustomed to humans, shrakes are quite aggressive and are not always able to tell the difference between an arm and a rope.” Response form: Combination writing prompt and short essay External references: Encyclopedia Article - Shrakes |
6th Years: Occamies Sixth years once again had their class outside. The first class of the year was cloudy, with on and off drizzles; not exactly exciting weather. In spite of that, Headmaster Corvidire seemed quite happy to see them. For him, this meant he did not wear a look of barely-disguised displeasure as they congregated on the damp grass where he stood by a wooden box. The class was relatively small, as it should be: those not truly serious about the subject had been weeded out in the OWL exams, and now he was left with a lower number of the more intelligent and dedicated students, which suited him just fine. “Congratulations on your exceptional OWL scores. To celebrate your achievement, for the remainder of your time at Hogwarts we will finally be delving into the most interesting creatures. This year, you will be learning how to handle some of the most dangerous denizens of the magical world. We will start with this one.” The Headmaster reached into the wooden box at his feet and brought out a glass cube, small enough to sit on a piece of toast. Brackish water filled the bottom inch, and miniature mangrove trees grew out of it. There was a flash of bright purple-blue as something sinewy moved within it. “This,” said Headmaster Corvidire, “is an occamy. Now, does anyone know what choranaptyxis is?” He looked out over the class. A girl with long black hair raised her hand, not entirely confidently. “It’s when something changes its size?” she answered. The Headmaster considered her answer then gave a nod. “It does have to do with the changing of size, but such change is not at random. Choranaptyxis is what makes the occamy so dangerous: it will change its size instantly to fit its container. There is an upper limit to how large it generally gets, of course; their natural habitat is in the jungles of India and they do not grow indefinitely. Occamies are extremely aggressive towards humans and rightly so: the creatures lay eggs of pure silver, and in the past many wizards have not had the patience to wait for them to hatch before harvesting the valuable shells. Your challenge for today is a contest. I have two occamies, and two sets of boxes. You will split into teams and see who can get their occamy to move from cage to cage and grow to the largest size. I will be on hand with a stunning spell if one should get loose in the process, but I expect you will all be more careful than that. I trust you are all proficient with growing charms to adjust the box sizes as you see fit, but please note that using engorgio on the animal itself will probably only make it angry, and will also count as cheating.” The Headmaster carefully set the tiny occamy container on the grass and took another out of the box to put next to it. Then he brought out the rest of the cages, each of them identical glass cubes. They all had guillotine doors on one side, which could be opened by a string attached to the top. With this, students could place two cages together and open both doors, allowing the occamy to move only into the next cage. Then, he made a motion with his hand to indicate he wanted the students to get started. He had deliberately given them little direction, as he wanted his older students to get used to figuring things out for themselves. |
7th Years: Dragon Breeds and Eggs The seventh year class was the Headmaster’s favorite, evidenced by the intense light in his eyes and the energy with which he paced back and forth in front of the students as they gathered on the lawn. As was so often the case, there was a box at his feet, covered in a burlap cloth. “This marks the start of your final term at Hogwarts, and culmination of years of hard work in this subject. Although I haven’t been around long enough to see your journey, I believe you would not have gotten this far without a deep respect of wild creatures, the majestic and the ugly, the useful and the irritating. So I am pleased to inform you that this term, we will be working with undoubtedly the most famous magical creature of them all—dragons.” The Headmaster removed the cloth, revealing a set of various eggs. Each one looked different: some were fist-sized and studded with gems, others were almost as big as a car tire and armoured with gold scales, still others were oblong, swirls of misty blue and green moving across their shells. “These are not live eggs, but they are excellent replicas. Later, we will be working with live hatchlings and eventually an adolescent, but today you will be familiarizing yourselves with dragon breeds and their various eggs, to better identify them should you encounter them in the wild. I would like you to do open your textbooks, select a species, and write a short fact file on it—name, region, distinguishing features—then draw an illustration of it and its egg. The eggs here and the textbook images should be suitable references.” The Headmaster indicated the students should sit on the grass, then he removed the egg replicas from the box and handed them out so students could examine them more closely. Response form: Drawing (any program, Sketchpad provided as an option) External references: Sketchpad - In-Browser Drawing Program Imgur - Image Hosting Encyclopedia Article - Dragon Breeds |
2018 September Grades Alanza Monterey - 7 points Laic Dazi - 9 points |